Common bar codes printed on commodity packages are ordinary bar codes. Since it came out in the early 1970s, this common one-dimensional bar code has been widely used in industry, commerce, national defense, transportation, finance, health care, post and telecommunications, office automation and other fields.
However, due to the small information capacity of one-dimensional bar code, for example, the bar code on a commodity can only hold 13 Arabic numerals, and more information describing the commodity can only rely on the support of the database. Without a pre-established database, this kind of bar code will become passive water, and the application scope of bar code will be limited to some extent. Therefore, people are eager to invent a new bar code, which not only has the advantages of ordinary bar code, but also has the advantages of large information capacity, high reliability, strong security and anti-counterfeiting, easy manufacture and low cost. Just to meet people's needs, after several years' efforts, American Symbol Company officially launched a two-dimensional code named PDF4/KOOC-0/7 at/KOOC-0/99/KOOC, which is referred to as "Portable Data File" for short.
Second, the characteristics of PDF4 17 barcode technology
PDF4 17 barcode is a kind of portable data file with high density and information content, and it is an ideal means to realize automatic storage, carrying and automatic reading of large-capacity and high-reliability information such as certificates and cards. PDF4 17 barcode has the following features:
1. Large information capacity
Depending on the space ratio, it can accommodate 250 to 1 100 characters per square inch. In the effective area of international standard cards (equivalent to 2/3 of the credit card area, about 76 mm * 25mm), the PDF 4 17 barcode can accommodate 1848 alphabetic characters or 2,729 numeric characters, and about 500 Chinese characters. The information capacity of this two-dimensional bar code is dozens of times that of ordinary bar code.
2. Wide coding range
PDF4 17 barcode can encode digital information such as photos, fingerprints, palm prints, signatures, sounds and words.
3. Good confidentiality and anti-counterfeiting performance.
The PDF4 17 barcode has multiple anti-counterfeiting features. Anti-counterfeiting can be carried out through passwords, software encryption and information such as fingerprints and photos, so it has strong security and anti-counterfeiting performance.
4. The decoding reliability is high
The decoding error rate of ordinary bar code is about two parts per million, while the error rate of PDF4 17 bar code is less than one part per million, so the decoding reliability is extremely high. 5. Strong error correction ability
PDF4 17 barcode adopts the most advanced mathematical error correction theory in the world. If the damaged area is less than 50%, the information lost by the bar code due to pollution and damage can be decoded as usual.
6. Easy to manufacture and low cost.
Using the existing dot matrix, laser, inkjet, thermal/thermal transfer printing, business card printing machine and other printing technologies, PDF4 17 2D barcode can be printed on paper, cards, PVC and even metal surfaces. The increased cost is only the cost of ink, so people also call PDF4 17 "zero cost" technology.
7. The shape of the bar code symbol can be changed.
With the same amount of information, the shape of PDF4 17 barcode can be self-adjusted according to the carrier area and artistic design.
Third, the comparison of PDF4 17 with IC card and magnetic card technology.
In the application of card technology, the comparison of PDF4 17 barcode cards, IC cards and magnetic cards is as follows:
1. magnetic card
Advantages: Readable and writable, the cost is slightly higher than that of PDF4 17 QR code card;
Disadvantages: 1 The information capacity is small and often depends on external databases;
2. Poor confidentiality and anti-counterfeiting;
3. Low reliability, easy to be disturbed by electromagnetic fields and destroy information;
4. Short service life (1 year).
2.IC card
Advantages: large information capacity, readable and writable;
Disadvantages: 1 The cost is high, and the cost of IC card is usually 3-5 times that of PDF4 17 barcode card;
2. Short service life (2-3 years) and easy to break;
3. Poor reliability, vulnerable to external strong magnetic field interference, destroying information;
4. The security and anti-counterfeiting are relatively poor, and the information can be rewritten, which is both the advantages and disadvantages of IC cards, leaving an opportunity for forging information.
3.PDF4 17 2D barcode card
Advantages: 1 Large information capacity, strong security and anti-counterfeiting, and high reliability;
2. The cost is low, the carrier is selected according to different materials, and there are PDF4 17 barcode cards. At most a few yuan, or even a few cents, can be achieved;
3. Long service life. The service life of PDF4 17 QR code card can reach 8 or 9 years (PVC card).
Disadvantages: The information cannot be rewritten. This just enhances the anti-counterfeiting ability of the two-dimensional bar code card.
As can be seen from the above analysis, two-dimensional bar code card contains almost all the advantages of magnetic card and ic card. The only disadvantage is that it can't be rewritten, and if it is to enhance the security and anti-counterfeiting of the card, the information can't be rewritten for applications that don't need to be rewritten frequently, which just enhances the security and anti-counterfeiting performance of the card.
IV. Standardization Status of PDF4 17 Barcode
Since Symbol company adopted PDF 4 199 1 as the open system standard technology, PDF4 17 barcode has been well received by more and more standardization organizations. For example:
AIM- 1994 was selected as the standard of International Association of Automatic Identification Manufacturers (AIM).
ANSI MH 10.8- 1996 American Standards Institute (ANSI) has adopted PDF4 17 barcode as the standard of paper EDI for transportation packaging in the United States.
At the 1997 CEN meeting, european committee for standardization (CEN) adopted the European standard PDF4 17. The third1sub-committee of the first joint committee of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is drafting the PDF4 17 two-dimensional barcode standard.
China -PDF4 17 2D barcode was listed as a national key scientific and technological project during the Ninth Five-Year Plan period. 65438,1February 1997, the national standard of PDF4 17 barcode "4 17 barcode" was officially promulgated. . Aiag/odette–1995 north American and European automobile industry organizations have chosen PDF4 17 as the standard for various production and management/paper EDI.
AAMVA–1995 The American Motor Vehicle Administration chose PDF4 17 as the two-dimensional bar code application standard for all drivers and motor vehicle management. In the annual inspection of vehicles, driving licenses and driver's licenses, some states in the United States and some provinces in Canada all choose PDF4 17 as the machine-readable standard.
Tcif-American industrial forum has listed PDF4 17 as the identification standard of important telecom products.
Edifice, the European industrial organization responsible for EDI and barcode application in electronic industry, has set PDF4 17 as the application standard of management/paper EDI, and incorporated it into the Application Guide of Barcode Labels for Transport Marks.
Bahrain-pdf 4 17 has been set as the machine-readable standard for ID cards, and some countries will choose PDF 417 two-dimensional bar code on ID cards in the near future.
DOD- U.S. Department of Defense adopts PDF4 17 barcode as the machine-readable standard of its new military ID card, and encodes photos and emergency medical information. About16,000,000 military cards have been put into use in more than 700 US military bases around the world. In addition, the US Department of Defense also regards PDF4 17 barcode as the standard of logistics management and paper EDI application.
The International Application of verb (abbreviation of verb) 2D barcode PDF4 17
As a new information storage and transmission technology, two-dimensional barcode PDF4 17 has been widely concerned by the international community since its birth. After several years of efforts, it has been widely used in national defense, public security, transportation, medical care, industry, commerce, finance, customs and government management. The technology of PDF4 17 has been used in driver's license, American military card and military medical card in more than ten states such as Arizona. Personal information and photos on documents are encoded in two-dimensional bar codes, which can not only realize automatic reading of identity documents, but also effectively prevent the occurrence of forged documents. Many countries, such as the Philippines, Egypt and Bahrain, have also adopted two-dimensional bar codes on their identity cards or driver's licenses. According to incomplete statistics, more than 40 countries will adopt two-dimensional barcode PDF4 17 on their ID cards or driver's licenses. After China resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong, the new version of SAR passports issued by Hong Kong residents adopted the technology of 2D barcode PDF4 17.
Besides documents, two-dimensional bar codes are also widely used in industrial production, national defense, finance, medicine and health, commerce, transportation and other fields.
VI. Application Prospect of 2D Barcode in China
The advantages of two-dimensional bar code are low cost, information can move with the carrier, and it does not depend on database and computer network, so it has strong security and anti-counterfeiting performance. Combined with the characteristics of China's large population, weak foundation, difficult investment in computer network and high requirements for anti-counterfeiting measures of documents, it can be predicted that PDF4 17 barcode has great promotion value in China.
1. certificate management
Because the two-dimensional code can encode photos or fingerprints in the two-dimensional code, it effectively solves the problems of machine-readable and anti-counterfeiting, so it can be widely used in passports, ID cards, driver's licenses, temporary residence permits, driving licenses, military officers' certificates, health certificates, insurance cards and other documents that need to uniquely identify individuals. 2. Annual inspection of license
The annual inspection of government registration certificates such as driving license, driving license, various industrial and commercial business licenses, tax registration certificate, health and quarantine certificate, enterprise code certificate and statistical registration certificate can be solved by QR code, which not only saves the time of government staff, but also provides good services for enterprises and institutions. Adopting this advanced technology is conducive to improving government services and public image.
3. Report management
Any forms such as customs declaration form, tax return form and insurance registration form that need to be repeatedly entered or prohibited from being forged or deleted can be coded with PDF4 17 bar code to solve the problem of automatic entry of forms and prevent tampering with the contents of forms.
4. Production and wiring of mechanical and electrical products
For example, two-dimensional bar codes can be used in automobile assembly lines and electronic product assembly lines, and automatic data exchange can be realized through two-dimensional bar codes.
5. Bank bill management
6. Transportation and mailing of luggage and goods
In a word, two-dimensional bar code has a broad application prospect in China, and the popularization and application of PDF4 17 bar code technology in China will certainly bring considerable social and economic benefits to the development of China's information industry and modern economic construction.
Application of 2D barcode PDF4 17 technology
In modern society, due to the use of bar code, the speed of data collection and information processing has been greatly improved, and the work efficiency has been improved, which has made great contributions to the scientific and modern management.
Limited by the information capacity, one-dimensional barcode can only be used by relying on the background database. The use of one-dimensional bar code is restricted in places where there is no database or it is not convenient to connect to the internet. For this reason, American Symbol Company invented a two-dimensional barcode PDF4 17 technology called portable data file. Two-dimensional bar code is a kind of portable data file with high density and information, and it is the most ideal means to store, transmit, carry and automatically read large-capacity and high-reliability files and cards. In recent years, under the leadership of China Article Coding Center and relevant state departments, PDF4 17 technology began to take root in China, especially after China promulgated the first national standard of two-dimensional code "4 17 Barcode" in February, which indicated that the application of PDF4 17 technology in China was entering a formal and orderly stage of rapid development.
I. Technical Features of 2D Barcode PDF4 17
1, a large amount of information PDF4 17 barcode symbol can encode 1848 alphanumeric characters or 2729 numeric characters or mixed alphanumeric characters. Under the same area, the information content of two-dimensional bar code is several times higher than that of one-dimensional bar code.
2. Easy-to-print PDF4 17 barcodes can be printed on paper, cards and various common barcode carriers, and can be printed by various standard printing technologies and card printing technologies, including inkjet printing, laser printing, thermal/thermal transfer barcode printer printing, etc.
3. PDF4 17 with strong error correction capability adopts the most advanced error correction technology in the world. This error correction technology hidden in the symbol can effectively prevent decoding errors, improve the speed and reliability of decoding, and can also decode the information lost due to the damage and pollution of bar code symbols. Error correction can even reproduce the information contained in bar code symbols with 50% damaged area.
4. The decoding reliability is high. In the management database test, 20 million bar code symbols have been read, and no decoding errors have occurred, which shows that PDF4 17 has high reliability.
5. The highly confidential PDF4 17 can encode the coded information according to the password format to prevent the forgery of bar code symbols or the illegal use of the coded information.
Second, the application of PDF4 17 barcode technology
As a brand-new automatic identification technology, two-dimensional barcode PDF4 17 has been widely concerned since its birth. After several years of development, this technology has been widely used in national defense, public security, transportation, medical care, industry, commerce and other fields.
1, certificate management Because pDF4 17 can store a large number of important information such as words, photos, fingerprints and palm prints, and reliably encrypt the data through encryption, the problems of machine-readable and anti-counterfeiting of certificates are effectively solved. In addition, the application of PDF4 17 technology to documents can make the documents have low cost, long service life and strong error correction ability. Compared with other card technologies, PDF 4 17 has outstanding technical advantages, so it is widely used in ID cards, driver's licenses, military officers' cards, passports, social security cards and other cards abroad. At present, more than 40 countries around the world, including the United States and Canada, have used pDF4 17 technology in different documents. There are more than 65438+ billion driver's licenses printed with pDF4 17 all over the world.
2. The traffic controller prints a PDF4 17 barcode on the notice of annual license examination (annual vehicle examination and annual driver's license examination), and puts all the important information about annual license examination or renewal in the two-dimensional barcode. Companies participating in the annual inspection only need to bring the annual inspection notice (or license), and the staff can get all the information needed for the annual inspection within a few tenths of a second by scanning the QR code on the notice or license, without keyboard entry at all. It is modern, fast and accurate. In addition, using PDF4 17 barcode for annual review does not need to establish a database in advance or connect with the central database. Even if the network fails, the single machine can still work as usual, which is reliable and simple. In addition, PDF4 17 is also used for automobile exhaust detection, automobile identification, vehicle transfer, car rental and so on. The application of PDF4 17 can not only solve the problem of computer input of data, but also provide a guarantee for preventing data tampering and forgery, and at the same time greatly improve the work efficiency of law enforcement departments.
3. In many production practices in industrial production, timely communication or timely information processing is still difficult to achieve. Without networking system, it is extremely inconvenient to produce, assemble and test according to the order. For example, in the assembly of automobiles or other electronic products, it is difficult to accurately and timely reflect the data on special orders in different processes, which often leads to assembly errors or even big mistakes. The best way to solve this problem is to print (or paste) a two-dimensional barcode label on the order for different processes and even factory testing. This method has been used in automobile production in Europe, America, Japan and other countries.
4.PDF4 17 paper EDI EDI relies on the information network, but in the situation that the information network is still difficult to popularize, as a portable data file that can not only transmit information, but also run out of the network, it shows its unique advantages. A large number of information on products and documents are printed in two-dimensional bar codes, and documents or labels are transmitted together or separately with objects. At the time of acceptance, all the information can be input into the computer by reading the bar code of PDF4 17.
Paper EDI has been widely used in packaging, transportation, customs declaration and other fields. Among them, Mexican Customs uses PDF4 17 bar code in customs declaration, which not only improves the customs declaration speed, but also reduces the crime of forging documents.