Honeywell Imaging and Mobility (formerly Hand Held Products)
Hand Held Products Bar Code Technology
Postal Codes
Postal codes are height-modulated codes, meaning that they use the
height of regularly-spaced bars to encode data. Postnet and Planet
Code use two distinct vertical bar types: short and tall. 4-State
Code uses four vertical bar types: short, extend up, extend down, or
extend both up and down. A number of different 4-State Code types
are used around the world. Postal codes can be printed by a wide
variety of printer types and can be read using imaging technology.
PDF417
Stacked codes, such as PDF417, are one type of 2D code in which
multiple rows of bars and spaces are linked together using powerful
Reed-Solomon error correction codes. It is common for a PDF417
symbol to carry between 10 and 1000 bytes of data. Among 2D codes,
PDF417 enjoys the broadest industry support, and its design is
well-suited for withstanding symbol damage.
Matrix Bar Codes
Matrix codes are the most space-efficient of the 2D bar codes. They
are made up of a finder pattern and an array of dark and light
polygons on a grid. Matrix codes typically carry between 10 and 1000
bytes of data and employ powerful Reed-Solomon error correction
codes to protect the integrity of the data. Matrix codes are
regarded for their compatibility with a broad range of marking
techniques. They can only be read using area imaging technology.
Linear Bar Codes
Linear bar codes are made up of parallel bars and spaces of varying
widths. U.P.C., Code 39, and Code 128 are the most familiar but
there are over twelve linear bar code symbologies in popular use.
They typically carry short data strings of up to 35 characters of
data.
2D Bar Codes
There are two types of 2D bar codes: stacked and matrix codes. Each
type has its own strengths, and both types are designed to make
better use of marking space.
Back to
Honeywell (formerly Hand Held Products) main
