Using the "B" Switch to Add Unicode Characters to a QR Bar Code

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Using the "B" Switch to Add Unicode Characters to a QR Bar Code"

Jonah Edwards
5 years ago
Views:

1 Using the "B" Switch to Add Unicode Characters to a QR Bar Code The QR Bar Code is the only barcode in the Zebra implementation that supports encoding Unicode characters. The QR code specification does not actually support Unicode, so in order to do so you must be in manual binary mode using the "B" switch feature. In automatic mode the standard does not recognize critical characters that are commonly used in Unicode. In all other bar codes all characters following a ^FD are treated as data. However, with the QR Bar Code there are QR switches that precede the data. These switches must be set correctly for the QR Bar Code to print and scan. Use the information available in the ZPL Programming Guide under and the examples below to determine the correct switches. Summarizing the B switch: Bxxxxdata xxxx For many special characters you can think of the B switch as referring to the number of characters represented. However, with Unicode characters the B switch in the QR code is referring to byte values, not the number of characters. Example: ÃÅžv These four double byte characters (in UTF-8) will take up 8 bytes. You do not have to know the exact number of bytes for each character as the B switch in the QR code is just meant to identify the maximum number of bytes the QR code will contain. As an example the value of 0090 in the example below exceeds the number of actual bytes but correctly encodes the characters. ^CI28 ^FO100,100N,2,4^FDHM,B0090 什麽是統一碼 ^FS ^FO300,150^A0N30,30^FDTraditional Chinese^FS ^FO100,300N,2,4^FDHM, B0090 什么是统一码 ^FS ^FO300,350^A0N30,30^FDSimplified Chinese^FS Printing the above Chinese characters as text would require a Unicode font to be installed in a ZPL printer. A font is not required to print and scan the QR bar code as long as you have a Unicode compatible scanner. Note: If characters are missing when you scan that are in your data, try using a higher 4 digit value after the "B" switch. It is OK just to use 9999 to be certain. ^CI28 ^FO100,100N,2,4^FDHM,A What is Unicode ^FS ^FO100,300N,2,4^FDHM,B9999 什麽是統一碼 ^FS ^FO300,100N,2,4^FDHM,B9999 什么是统一码 ^FS ^FO300,300N,2,4^FDHM,B9999 유니코드는무엇인가 ^FS ^FO500,100N,2,4^FDHM,B9999 unicode ^FS ^FO700,100N,2,4^FDHM,B9999 unicode là những gì^fs

2 126 ZPL Commands QR Code Bar Code Description The command produces a matrix symbology consisting of an array of nominally square modules arranged in an overall square pattern. A unique pattern at three of the symbol s four corners assists in determining bar code size, position, and inclination. A wide range of symbol sizes is possible, along with four levels of error correction. Userspecified module dimensions provide a wide variety of symbol production techniques. QR Code Model 1 is the original specification, while QR Code Model 2 is an enhanced form of the symbology. Model 2 provides additional features and can be automatically differentiated from Model 1. Model 2 is the recommended model and should normally be used. This bar code is printed using field data specified in a subsequent ^FD string. Encodable character sets include numeric data, alphanumeric data, 8-bit byte data, and Kanji characters. Format a,b,c,d,e Important If additional information about the QR Code bar code is required, go to Parameters a = field orientation b = model Details Fixed Value: normal (^FW has no effect on rotation) Accepted Values: 1 (original) and 2 (enhanced recommended) Default Value: 2 c = magnification factor Accepted Values: 1 to 10 Default Value: 1 on 150 dpi printers 2 on 200 dpi printers 3 on 300 dpi printers 6 on 600 dpi printers d = error correction Accepted Values: H = ultra-high reliability level Q = high reliability level M = standard level L = high density level Default Value: Q = if empty M = invalid values e = mask value Accepted Values: 0-7 Default Value: 7 P Zebra Programming Guide 9/20/13

3 ZPL Commands 127 Example 1 This is an example of a QR Code bar code: QR CODE BAR CODE ^FO100,100 N,2,10 ^FDMM,AAC-42^FS On the pages that follow are specific commands for formatting the command with the ^FD statements that contain the information to be coded. 9/20/13 Zebra Programming Guide P

4 128 ZPL Commands Considerations for ^FD When Using the QR Code: QR Switches (formatted into the ^FD field data) mixed mode <D> D = allows mixing of different types of character modes in one code. code No. <01 16> Value = subtracted from the Nth number of the divided code (must be two digits). No. of divisions <02 16> Number of divisions (must be two digits). parity data <1 byte> Parity data value is obtained by calculating at the input data (the original input data before divided byte-by-byte through the EX-OR operation). error correction level <H, Q, M, L> H = ultra-high reliability level Q = high reliability level M = standard level (default) L = high density level character Mode <N, A, B, K> N = numeric A = alphanumeric Bxxxx = 8-bit byte mode. This handles the 8-bit Latin/Kana character set in accordance with JIS X 0201 (character values 0x00 to 0xFF). xxxx = number of data characters is represented by two bytes of BCD code. K = Kanji handles only Kanji characters in accordance with the Shift JIS system based on JIS X This means that all parameters after the character mode K should be 16-bit characters. If there are any 8-bit characters (such as ASCII code), an error occurs. data character string <Data> Follows character mode or it is the last switch in the ^FD statement. data input <A, M> A = Automatic Input (default). Data character string JIS8 unit, Shift JIS. When the input mode is Automatic Input, the binary codes of 0x80 to 0x9F and 0xE0 to 0xFF cannot be set. M = Manual Input Two types of data input mode exist: Automatic (A) and Manual (M). If A is specified, the character mode does not need to be specified. If M is specified, the character mode must be specified. P Zebra Programming Guide 9/20/13

5 ZPL Commands 129 ^FD Field Data (Normal Mode) Automatic Data Input (A) with Switches ^FD <error correction level>a, <data character string> ^FS Example 1 QR Code, normal mode with automatic data input. ^FO20,20,2,10^FDQA, ABCD 2D code^fs Q = error correction level 2 A, = automatic setting 3 data string character Manual Data Input (M) with Switches ^FD <error correction level>m, <character mode><data character string> ^FS 9/20/13 Zebra Programming Guide P

6 130 ZPL Commands Example 2 QR Code, normal mode with manual data input: ^FO20,20,2,10 ^FDHM,N ^FS GENERATED LABEL H = error correction level (ultra-high reliability level 2 M, = input mode (manual input) 3 N = character mode (numeric data) 4 data character string Example 3 QR Code, normal mode with standard reliability and manual data input: GENERATED LABEL ^FO20,20,2,10^FDMM,AAC-42^FS M = error correction level (standard-high reliability level 2 M, = manual input 3 A = alphanumeric data 4 AC 42 = data character string P Zebra Programming Guide 9/20/13

7 ZPL Commands 131 ^FD Field Data (Mixed Mode requires more switches) Automatic Data Input (A) with Switches ^FD <D><code No.> <No. of divisions> <parity data>, <error correction level> A, <data character string>, <data character string>, < : >, <data character string n**> ^FS Manual Data Input (M) with Switches ^FD <code No.> <No. of divisions> <parity data>, <error correction level> M, <character mode 1> <data character string 1>, <character mode 2> <data character string 2>, < : > < : >, <character mode n> <data character string n**> ^FS n** up to 200 in mixed mode 9/20/13 Zebra Programming Guide P

8 132 ZPL Commands Example QR Code, mixed mode with manual data input: GENERATED LABEL ^FO,20,20,2,10 ^FDD03048F,LM,N ,A12AABB,B0006qrcode^FS <mixed mode identifier> D (mixed) <code No.> M (code number) <No. of divisions> D (divisions) <parity data> M (0x0C) <error correction level> L (high-density level) <input mode> M (manual input) <character mode> N (numeric data) <data character string> <character mode> A (alphanumeric data) <data character string> 12AABB <character mode> B (8-bit byte data) 0006 (number of bytes) <data character string> qrcode P Zebra Programming Guide 9/20/13

9 ZPL Commands 133 Example This is an example of QR Code, mixed mode with automatic data input: ^FO20,20,2,10 ^FDD03040C,LA, AABBqrcode^FS <mixed mode identifier> D D (mixed) <code No.> M 03 (code number) <No. of divisions> D 04 (divisions) <parity data> M 0C (0x0C) <error correction level> L L (high-density level) <input mode> A A (automatic input) <data character string> AABBqrcode For proper functionality, when encoding Kanji characters in ^CI28 30 (Unicode) be sure the JIS.DAT table is loaded on the printer and specified. Example This is a Unicode example: GENERATED LABEL 9/20/13 Zebra Programming Guide P

Model 2 is the recommended model and should normally be used. This bar code is printed using field data specified in a subsequent ^FD string.

Model 2 is the recommended model and should normally be used. This bar code is printed using field data specified in a subsequent ^FD string. 126 ZPL Commands QR Code Bar Code Description The command produces a matrix symbology consisting of an array of nominally square modules arranged in an overall square pattern. A unique pattern at three