Data matrix not printing when quality level higher than 0

G Gary Richter 3 years 7 months ago
198 1 0

I'm attempting to print a data matrix barcode. When I encode my information from standard ASCII characters it works fine at quality level 200. However, when I run it through an encrypting process It will not print after more than a few characters.
 
I'm writing the information to the barcode as HEX regardless of whether I am encrypting the data or not. I've tested using other barcode types (PDF417, Aztec) and they work successfully.
 
When I set the quality level to 0, my encrypted data successfully generates a data matrix barcode that seems to be properly encoded (I scan it with a barcode reader that sends keystrokes). But at quality level 0 (anything less than industry recommended 200), barcode reading applications won't read the barcode. But as soon as I increase the quality level above 0, the barcode no longer prints.
 
I'm not sure what I'm missing.
 
Here is the ZPL I can successfully send to a printer, with ECC quality level 0, that will print a badge with barcode. The barcode is readable by a keystroke scanner (if you test it be aware this information is encrypted so you won't "see" all of the actual characters).
 
^XA^PON^LH0,0
^FO190,200^BXN,4,0,0,0,,,1^FH_^FD_38_30_30_30_30_33_7c_5d_a9_4a_ec_11_c5_82_47_4d_c5_f2_f8_9e_48_16_24_32_aa_36_06_8f_2c_d8_39_3b_85_08_e9_0f_85_3b_a1_84_ad_25_dc_d5_34_da_c6_1c_23_84_d3_73_77_af_1c_a5_70_2b_43_bf_74_17_16_9b_0f_7e_03_f8_4a_57_06_4c_fb_46_5d_f2_63_1c_71_7c_77_5b_27_0c_58_df_55_37_4c_ae_8a_e7_c3_c6_16_5b_57_db_7c_2d_2c_8b_1c_e3_01_2e_ee_66_cf_8d_98_79_c9_8d_d2_10_55_1a_3c_62_7b_2c_ea_1a_cc_2f_dc_65_bd_93_c8_97_db_2f_99_ff_6b_da_d7_3f_92_ad_68_6a_93_f4_51_4a_c4_14_9f_1a_c2_5b_ba_02_45_44_2b_b3_c2_5b_ba_02_45_44_2b_b3_c2_5b_ba_02_45_44_2b_b3_c2_5b_ba_02_45_44_2b_b3_c2_5b_ba_02_45_44_2b_b3_c2_5b_ba_02_45_44_2b_b3_06_0b_12_75_85_8b_07_fb^FS
^BY2^FS
^XZ
 
Here is the same ZPL but with ECC quality level 200 which will no longer print the barcode. All other ZPL except the "200" specification is identical
 
^XA^PON^LH0,0
^FO190,200^BXN,4,200,0,0,,,1^FH_^FD_38_30_30_30_30_33_7c_5d_a9_4a_ec_11_c5_82_47_4d_c5_f2_f8_9e_48_16_24_32_aa_36_06_8f_2c_d8_39_3b_85_08_e9_0f_85_3b_a1_84_ad_25_dc_d5_34_da_c6_1c_23_84_d3_73_77_af_1c_a5_70_2b_43_bf_74_17_16_9b_0f_7e_03_f8_4a_57_06_4c_fb_46_5d_f2_63_1c_71_7c_77_5b_27_0c_58_df_55_37_4c_ae_8a_e7_c3_c6_16_5b_57_db_7c_2d_2c_8b_1c_e3_01_2e_ee_66_cf_8d_98_79_c9_8d_d2_10_55_1a_3c_62_7b_2c_ea_1a_cc_2f_dc_65_bd_93_c8_97_db_2f_99_ff_6b_da_d7_3f_92_ad_68_6a_93_f4_51_4a_c4_14_9f_1a_c2_5b_ba_02_45_44_2b_b3_c2_5b_ba_02_45_44_2b_b3_c2_5b_ba_02_45_44_2b_b3_c2_5b_ba_02_45_44_2b_b3_c2_5b_ba_02_45_44_2b_b3_c2_5b_ba_02_45_44_2b_b3_06_0b_12_75_85_8b_07_fb^FS
^BY2^FS
^XZ
 
Any help solving this would be greatly appreciated. Any additional reference knowledge (what should I have been looking for/should I have been aware of to troubleshoot) would be very greatly appreciated.

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1 Replies

Y Yanis Dalabiras

Hi Gary,
I added the _ escape character to the Datamatrix parameters to get it to print.  Let me know if this produces the result you were looking for:

^XA^PON^LH0,0^CVY
^FO190,200^BXN,4,200,0,0,,_,1^FH_^FD_38_30_30_30_30_33_7c_5d_a9_4a_ec_11_c5_82_47_4d_c5_f2_f8_9e_48_16_24_32_aa_36_06_8f_2c_d8_39_3b_85_08_e9_0f_85_3b_a1_84_ad_25_dc_d5_34_da_c6_1c_23_84_d3_73_77_af_1c_a5_70_2b_43_bf_74_17_16_9b_0f_7e_03_f8_4a_57_06_4c_fb_46_5d_f2_63_1c_71_7c_77_5b_27_0c_58_df_55_37_4c_ae_8a_e7_c3_c6_16_5b_57_db_7c_2d_2c_8b_1c_e3_01_2e_ee_66_cf_8d_98_79_c9_8d_d2_10_55_1a_3c_62_7b_2c_ea_1a_cc_2f_dc_65_bd_93_c8_97_db_2f_99_ff_6b_da_d7_3f_92_ad_68_6a_93_f4_51_4a_c4_14_9f_1a_c2_5b_ba_02_45_44_2b_b3_c2_5b_ba_02_45_44_2b_b3_c2_5b_ba_02_45_44_2b_b3_c2_5b_ba_02_45_44_2b_b3_c2_5b_ba_02_45_44_2b_b3_c2_5b_ba_02_45_44_2b_b3_06_0b_12_75_85_8b_07_fb^FS
^BY2^FS
^XZ

I added the ^CVY to help figure out what was wrong.

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