Maximum possible number of data characters per symbol 125 data codewords which can encode:ġ) Text Compaction Mode: 250 characters (2 data characters per codeword).Ģ) Byte Compaction mode: 150 characters (1,2 data characters per codeword).ģ) Numeric Compaction mode: 366 characters (2,93 data characters per codeword). Differences Between MicroPDF417 and PDF417 MicroPDF417 Barcode Xpress will read truncated PDF417 barcodes but does not write them. The truncated variation on PDF417 omits the Right Row Indicator. Since PDF417 uses base 929 encoding, each codeword represent a number between 0 and 928. The PDF417 stop pattern is 711311121.Įach codeword consists of 4 black bars spaced across the 17 modules that make up the codeword, which is where the name PDF417 originates. Stop Pattern - Wide bar and 4 thin bars on the right side of the symbol, indicating the barcode is ending. This codeword contains more information about the symbol's linear rows. Right Row Indicator - The right-most codeword in between the start and stop pattern. ĭata Columns - The codewords between the left and right row indicators, where the actual data and the ECC is encoded.This codeword contains information about the symbol's linear rows. Left Row Indicator - The left-most codeword in between the start and stop pattern. Start Pattern - Wide bar and 3 thin bars on the left side of the symbol, indicating the barcode is beginning. The PDF417 symbol is comprised of several components: This allows encoding up to 1,033 bytes, 1,726 text characters, or 2,528 numeric characters. Each PDF417 barcode can have between 3 and 90 rows, between 1 and 30 columns, up to 925 data codewords, and between 2 and 512 error correction codewords. PDF417 and its condensed version, MicroPDF417, are unique among 2D symbologies - they are stacked linear barcodes that can be read by linear scanners. The following example barcode encodes the information "Barcode Xpress - PDF417 Writer" as an PDF417 barcode: PDF417 is referred to as a stacked linear barcode, as its 2-dimensional structure consists of vertical stacks of horizontal symbols. The PDF417 barcode is a variable-length, alphanumeric 2D barcode with a user-selectable amount of Solomon-Reed Error Correction.