Data Matrix

Data Matrix

The Data Matrix symbology is a 2D matrix-style barcode that can encode full 256 character extended-ASCII.

Also known as: Data Matrix ECC 200, DataMatrix.

Uses:

• Marking small parts and electronic components, and direct part marking.
• Mobile airline boarding passes (IATA Bar Coded Boarding Pass).
• Unit packets and aggregated packaging of tobacco products under EU traceability Regulation (EU) 2018/574.
• US military part marking under the Department of Defense IUID rules (MIL-STD-130), carrying an ISO/IEC 15434 message.
• German pharmacy packs under securPharm in the IFA format, carrying the PPN in an ISO/IEC 15434 message.
• Electronic component reel and bag labels (ECIA EIGP 114).
• Postage printed by franking machines, online and on stamps, such as Deutsche Post's Matrixcode.
• Blood, tissue and cell products labelled to ISBT 128.
• Automotive transport labels (Global Transport Label: Odette, AIAG B-16, VDA 4994).
• Aircraft parts, marked to ATA Spec 2000 Chapter 9 (SAE AS9132).
• Back-surface marking of silicon wafers (SEMI T7).

Variants:

• Data Matrix Rectangular is a variant of Data Matrix that uses rectangular symbols.
• Data Matrix Rectangular Extension is a variant of Data Matrix Rectangular that provides a greater range of symbol dimensions.
• GS1 DataMatrix is a variant of Data Matrix that should be used when encoding data that is in GS1 Application Identifier standard format.
• GS1 Digital Link Data Matrix is a variant of Data Matrix that should be used when encoding a GS1 Digital Link URI.
• HIBC Data Matrix is a variant of Data Matrix that should be used when encoding HIBC formatted data.
• Royal Mail Mailmark is a variant of Data Matrix that is used by the Royal Mail postal service on letters and other small mailpieces.

Standards: ISO/IEC 16022, ANSI/AIM BC11 - ISS Data Matrix.

Data and Options

• The data field can contain any extended ASCII data. The default interpretation of data by readers is in accordance with ISO/IEC 8859-1. When supported by the receiver, characters from other code pages can be encoded using Extended Channel Interpretation (ECI).
• When the parse option is specified, any instances of ^NNN in the data field are replaced with their equivalent ASCII value. This is useful for specifying unprintable characters.
• When the parsefnc option is specified, non-data function characters can be specified by escape sequences:
  • ^FNC1: FNC1. Recommendation: Consider GS1 DataMatrix for encoding GS1 AI syntax data.
  • ^PROG: PROG - Reader programming
  • ^ECI000000 to ^ECI999999: ECI indicators
• The encoder compresses ISO/IEC 15434 messages in Format 05 or 06, except in a Structured Append symbol.
• The sampos, samtotal and samid options make the symbol one of a Structured Append sequence of 2 to 16 symbols, which a reader reassembles into a single message. All three are required:
  • sampos is the position of the symbol in the sequence, from 1 to samtotal.
  • samtotal is the number of symbols in the sequence.
  • samid is the file identification, from 1 to 64516, and is the same in every symbol of the sequence. It distinguishes the symbols of one message from those of another.
  • An FNC1 at the start of the first symbol selects GS1 mode for the whole message. At the start of a later symbol it is a field separator.
  • Structured Append is not available with the raw option or reader programming, nor for GS1 DataMatrix, GS1 Digital Link Data Matrix or Royal Mail Mailmark symbols.
• When the dotty option is specified the modules are rendered as dots rather than squares. The dot radius can be adjusted using the inkspread option.
• The columns and rows options are used to specify the size of the symbol.
• The version option can also be used to specify the symbol size, as version=RxC. Valid options are 10x10, 12x12, 14x14, 16x16, 18x18, 20x20, 22x22, 24x24, 26x26, 32x32, 36x36, 40x40, 44x44, 48x48, 52x52, 64x64, 72x72, 80x80, 88x88, 96x96, 104x104, 120x120, 132x132, 144x144
• If columns, rows and version are unspecified the encoder will default to creating the smallest symbol that holds the data.
• The c40headerlength option specifies the number of leading characters in the data field that must be stored using C40 encodation.
• The raw option denotes that the data field is providing the input as pre-encoded codewords in ^NNN format, suitable for direct low-level encoding.
• Deprecated: The format option is used to specify the shape of the symbol, either:
  • square (default)
  • rectangle: Consider Data Matrix Rectangular for rectangular symbols.
• Deprecated: Consider Data Matrix Rectangular Extension. The dmre option enables Data Matrix Rectangular Extension symbols based on the ISO/IEC standard, which increases the number of rectangular symbol sizes available.

Examples

Identical symbols, automatically sized, the latter showing use of the parse option:

Data:    This is Data Matrix
Options: 
Encoder: datamatrix

Data:    This is ^068ata Matrix
Options: parse
Encoder: datamatrix

Identical symbols with a fixed size:

Data:    Fixed size
Options: version=48x48
Encoder: datamatrix

Data:    Fixed size
Options: rows=48 columns=48
Encoder: datamatrix

An advanced use containing "hidden data" in the padding codewords as used by some non-standard, "high-security" applications. The technique works by filling the symbol using raw codewords formed from the standard data immediately followed by the non-standard padding data beginning with ^129:

Data:    ^066^067^068^142^052^129^161^056^206^101^251^147
Options: version=16x16 raw
Encoder: datamatrix