DIN 16587:2016-08

DIN 16587 provides all the information required to generate the Data Matrix code with the additional rectangular formats for printing or to decode it for the reading process. It is a supplement to the ISO/IEC 16022 standard, which is thus referenced in all chapters and forms the basis. The Data Matrix ECC 200 code is used worldwide in various areas to represent extensive data in a small space in machine-readable form. Due to the increasingly widespread use of the code, more and more products and parts are coming into play that only have a very small area for applying the code. At the same time, the amount of data to be coded is also growing in connection with the use of standardized data structures that enable cross-company use by means of uniform language rules. Another aspect is the protection against counterfeiting and thus, among other things, the introduction of the serial number. This in turn forces the use of inline printing processes such as inkjet or laser direct marking, which, however, entail considerable limitations due to the technology, for example in terms of vertical resolution. This standard defines twelve new rectangular code symbols in the Data Matrix code. They supplement the existing six rectangular formats and are generated using the same routines. Thus for the update of existing programs only tables need to be supplemented according to the rules described here.