Are 2-D barcodes trendy? David J. Holliday thinks they are, citing the ubiquitous QR codes popping up on billboards and in magazine ads. Of course, as I've noted before, QR codes have come in for some less than flattering commentary. But speaking at BIOMEDevice Boston on April 26, Holliday, the sales and marketing manager at Winco ID was less interested in QR codes as an Internet access method than in 2-D data-matrix codes that can help manufacturers record production data while assisting in inventory tracking and warranty validation while helping to weed out counterfeit merchandise.
Holliday noted that the data matrix code can withstand harsh environments—20% of the code can be damaged yet 100% of the data can still be extracted, and the codes have been exposed to radiation on the International Space Station. The code contains 100 times the data of linear barcodes, and its size is limited only by resolution of the system used to produce it. Such a code can reside on the head of a pin.
The code can be applied with lasers, direct part marking equipment, ink-jet printers, thermal printers, and dot-peen equipment. Of course, it's important to verify the codes after they are applied. The codes can be read with a variety of devices, including iPhones.
Holliday said the codes can be indispensible in managing complex supply chains. Coupled with a global backend database of unique identification codes, they can help prevent product counterfeiting. You might learn, for example, that the supposedly unique item you are about to purchase in Boston can only legitimately be sold in Belgium.
The 2-D codes might not have the cachet of geolocation or RFID technologies, but they can be invaluable in many situations. For a printed circuit board, for example, the codes can describe what it is, who made it, whether it's under warranty, whether it's been recalled, or whether it's counterfeit. As Holliday put it, “2-D codes enable items to talk to us.”