Data Matrix

Data Matrix is a widely used true 2D barcode. It allows for encoding large amounts of information (over 3000 characters) using a variety of character sets (ASCII, C40, TEXT, and BASE256) allowing efficient data packing or binary data storage as needed. Data Matrix employs an error correction system allowing it to read codes that are as much as 40% damaged.

Barcode Xpress supports the ECC 200 standard. It does not support the ECC 100-140 standards. Barcode Xpress does not support the automatic structured append feature. It returns results of each barcode, but the individual results have to be combined.

Performance Enhancement: Barcode Xpress is designed to optimize speed for the Data Matrix barcode recognition type as it takes advantage of the SSE2 (Streaming SIMD Extensions) technology provided in some computer processors with the initial release of the Pentium 4 architecture. This SSE2 technology allows for more efficient pixel processing, significantly improving image recognition time. Computer processors not supporting SSE2 will not provide this performance enhancement and will automatically use the same processing algorithm as all prior releases.

Note the image will be converted internally to an 8 bpp image for performance enhancement which will consume more memory but improve recognition performance.

An example Data Matrix barcode:

The 1D/2D Professional edition supports creating QR Code, PDF417, and Data Matrix barcodes which can then be written using the ImagXpress control or by writing to a Printer Device Context. Your application logic will set the barcode writing parameters and make a call to the MakeBarcode method. The output image will then be returned in the call.

Included features to use with this functionality are:

MakeBarcodeStyle - The type of barcode to create.
MakeBarcodeDataValueLength - Gets the length of the current barcode data in bytes.
MakeBarcodeRows - This value is used to set the number of rows.
MakeBarcodeRowsCreated - The number of rows created.
MakeBarcodeColumns - This value is used to set the number of columns to create.
MakeBarcodeColumnsCreated - The number of columns created.
MakeBarcodeRHeight - An output height value is required to create the barcode image.
MakeBarcodeRWidth - An output width value is required to create the barcode image.

Caution: When using trial (unpaid) licensing, the words " UNLICENSED accusoft.com " will appear in the middle of every Data Matrix, QR Code and PDF417 barcode created, taking up 25 bytes of space including the leading and trailing spaces. When testing the contents of generated barcodes, be aware of the extra space requirements.

Caution: An anomaly has been identified for Data Matrix 144 x 144 barcodes written by several competitors' components. For this size only, barcodes created using those components do not adhere to the Data Matrix barcode specification. Because Accusoft does adhere to the Data Matrix specification, those competitors' components will not correctly read 144 x 144 size Data Matrix written by Barcode Xpress.

When reading 144 x 144 Data Matrix barcodes, Barcode Xpress will assume that the barcodes adhere to the specification. If reading fails, the component will automatically attempt to apply the recognition algorithm that will work on barcodes written by the competitors components, and report the results. The barcode reader will not be notified that the barcode did not adhere to the specification. For these barcodes only, recognition speed will be impacted.