Maximum number of data characters:
‘PDF417' is a multi-row symbology with the
following basic characteristics:
Text Compaction mode permits all printable ASCII
characters to be encoded, i.e. values 32 - 126 inclusive in
accordance with ISO/IEC 646, as well as selected control
characters.
Byte Compaction mode permits all 256 possible 8-bit
byte values to be encoded. This includes all ASCII characters
value 0 to 127 inclusive and provides for international character
set support.
Numeric Compaction mode permits efficient encoding
of long numeric data digit strings.
Up to 811 800 different character sets or data
interpretations.
Various function codewords for control purposes.
n, k, m symbology of 17 modules (n), 4 bar elements
(k), with the largest element 6 modules wide (m).
Per symbol (at error correction level 0) 925 data
codewords which can encode:
Text Compaction mode:
1850 characters (at 2 data characters per codeword).
Byte Compaction mode:
1108 characters at 1.2 data characters per codeword.
Numeric Compaction mode:
2710 characters at 2.93 data characters per codeword.
Number of rows: 3 to 90.
Number of columns: 1 to 30.
Width in modules: 90X to 583X including quiet zones.
Maximum codeword capacity: 928 codewords.
Maximum data codeword capacity: 925 codewords.
Since the number of rows and columns are selectable,
the aspect ratio of a ‘PDF417' symbol may be varied when
printing to suit the spatial requirements of the application.
A user may define one of 9 error correction levels
labeled levels 0 to 8. All error correction levels, except
Level 0, not only detect errors but also can correct erroneously
decoded or missing codewords. There are 2 (Level 0) to 512 (Level
8) codewords per symbol.
1. Per row: 73 modules, including quiet zones.
2. Per symbol: a minimum of 3
additional codewords, represented as symbol characters.
Continuous, multi-row two-dimensional.
Yes.
Yes.
The following are additional features, which are
inherent or optional in ‘PDF417':
Extended Channel Interpretations:
Inherent: These schemes are defined to compact a
number of data characters into codewords. Generally data is not
directly represented on a one character for one codeword basis.
Optional: These mechanisms allow up to 811,800
different data character sets or interpretations to be encoded.
Optional: This mechanism allows files of data to
be represented logically and consecutively in a number of ‘PDF417'
symbols. Up to 99 999 different ‘PDF417' symbols can be so
linked or concatenated and be scanned in any sequence to enable
the original data file to be correctly reconstructed.
Inherent: As an n, k symbology ‘PDF417' can be
decoded by measuring elements from edge to similar edge.
Inherent: The combination of the following three
characteristics in ‘PDF417' that allow a single linear scan to
cross a number of rows and achieve a partial decode of the data
so long as at least one complete symbol character per row is
decoded into its codeword. The
decoding algorithm can then place the individual codewords into a
meaningful matrix.
Being synchronized horizontally, or self clocking
row identification
being vertically synchronized, by using the cluster values to
achieve local row discrimination
Inherent: A user may define one of 9 error
correction levels. All error correction levels, except Level 0,
not only detect errors but can correct erroneously decoded or
missing codewords.