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DataMatrix Technology

DataMatrix Technology



Data Matrix™, the public domain code from RVSI Acuity CiMatrix, is a 2D matrix symbology designed to pack a lot of information into a very small space. The Data Matrix symbology employs Reed-Solomon error correction with data redundancy to guarantee a fast and accurate read. The symbol can store between one and 3116 numeric or 2335 alphanumeric characters. The symbol is also scalable between a 1-mil square to a 14-inch square. That means that a Data Matrix symbol has a maximum theoretical density of 500 million characters to the inch! The practical density will, of course, be limited by the resolution of the printing and reading technology used.


DataMatrix is one of the smallest and most dependable barcode symbologies.
Compared to other barcode types, Data Matrix is approximately 30 times smaller than a Code 39 barcode representing the same data.

DataMatrix is one of the smallest barcode symbologies




ECC200 error correction.
Because of the required Reed Solomon error correction built in to ECC200 Data Matrix, it is very dependable and can even be read in with a scanner when part of the symbol has been destroyed. With Data Matrix, the worst case chance of a misread is 1 error in 10.5 million scans. In a Code 39 barcode, the worst case chance of a misread is 1 error in 1.7 million*.

Data Matrix ECC200 error correction.




Rectangular symbols.
Six symbol formats are specified in a rectangular form.

DataMatrix Rectangular symbols




Reflectance reversal.
Symbols are intended to be read when marked so that the image is either dark on light or light on dark.

DataMatrix Reflectance reversal




Data Matrix Formats.
Our DataMatrix ActiveX Control supports all data matrix formats. The following table contains the size, the capacity and the correction error features of each format. By default, the encoding mode is BASE256 (or binary) for compatibility reasons. If you are encoding text or numbers only, you will want to change the encoding mode if size is a concern. Using the appropriate encoding mode, you should be able to achieve the sized specified here.

Size Max Numeric Capacity Max Alphanumeric capacity Max Binary capacity Max Correctable Error/Erasure
10 x 10 6 3 1 2
12 x 12 10 6 3 3
14 x 14 16 10 6 5/7
16 x 16 24 16 10 6/9
18 x 18 36 25 16 7/11
20 x 20 44 31 20 9/15
22 x 22 60 43 28 10/17
24 x 24 72 52 34 12/21
26 x 26 88 64 42 14/25
32 x 32 124 91 60 18/33
36 x 36 172 127 84 21/39
40 x 40 228 169 112 24/45
44 x 44 288 214 142 28/53
48 x 48 348 259 172 34/65
52 x 52 408 304 202 42/78
64 x 64 560 418 278 56/106
72 x 72 736 550 366 72/132
80 x 80 912 682 454 96/180
88 x 88 1152 862 574 112/212
96 x 96 1392 1042 694 136/260
104 x 104 1632 1222 814 168/318
120 x 120 2100 1573 1048 204/390
132 x 132 2608 1954 1302 248/472
144 x 144 3116 2335 1556 310/590
8 x 18 10 6 3 3
8 x 32 20 13 8 5
12 x 26 32 22 14 7/11
12 x 36 44 31 20 9/15
16 x 36 64 46 30 12/21
16 x 48 98 72 47 14/25



DataMatrix Encoding Modes.
The DataMatrix ActiveX control supports the encoding modes listed below. By default, the encoding mode is BASE256 for compatibility. If you are encoding text or numbers only, you will want to change the encoding mode, if size is a concern. Using the appropriate encoding mode, you should be able to achieve the sizes specified in the DataMatrix formats table. The data represented in the symbol can be compressed using one or several of the following algorithms:

Encodation Scheme Characters Bits per Data Character
ASCII double digit numerics (00-99)
ASCII values (0-127)
Extended ASCII values (128-255)
4
8
16
C40 Primarily upper-case alphanumeric 5.33
TEXT Primarily lower-case alphanumeric 5.33
BASE 256 All byte values (0-255) 8


As a general rule, you should use ASCII to encode text that includes uppercase and lowercase letters with or without numbers and punctuation. All encoding systems can be used to encode any type of data, however, encoding binary data with C40 generates much more overhead (a larger symbol) than with BASE256.