A one-dimensional (1D) barcode contains typically up to 22 alpha numeric characters which are used to reference an external database. Essentially, the 1D barcode contains no meaningful data, e.g. a packet of cornflakes is scanned at the checkout in a store, the reference number contained in the 1D code is checked against an external database, and only at this time do we get a description/price for the article. A 2D code typically contains the data. There is no need to reference an external database. Two-dimensional barcodes such as Datastrips may contain several kilobytes of data, sufficient to store color photographs, biometric data, as well as text.
There are two main differences between 1D and 2D codes: 2D barcodes have much higher data capacity, and therefore it is not mandatory to reference an external database. Datastrip's two-dimensional barcodes can store large amounts of text, biometrics, photographs, signatures, etc. and can easily be printed onto identity documents. Below is a sample of a 2D barcode printed onto an ID card.
Although chip (smart) cards can potentially store more information than a 2D barcode, listed below are some other points of comparison:
The cost of the chips is considerably greater
Smart cards are less durable
Smart cards are potentially less secure (in that they can be re-programmed).
Furthermore, the limited lifespan of a chip would make it difficult to guarantee for a reasonable period (often up to 10 years) as is frequently required in large-scale ID projects. However, if your application requires a chip, then 2D barcodes work nicely as a complementary technology. The 2D barcode can be used to store fixed information allowing for use of a less memory and therefore a less expensive smart card. Also, the 2D barcode can contain backup information in the event that the chip is damaged and unreadable.
Two-dimensional barcodes have been around since the early 1980s. The majority of current 2D barcode applications are found in manufacturing and inventory control systems, as well as shipping and receiving. More recently, 2D barcodes are being used to store personal and/or biometric information on ID cards, passports, and driver's licenses. Half of the states in the US utilize 2D barcodes on their driver's licenses, and governments around the world are adding 2D barcodes to passports, visas, and national ID programs for added security. Please contact Datastrip for a list of sample 2D barcode applications.
Yes, it is actually more secure than any other data storage medium such as magnetic stripes and 1D barcodes. Since the personal information, photograph, signature, and possibly biometric are stored in the barcode, any tampering to the data or photo on the card will be detected by the decoding software. A 2D barcode may be photocopied, but the encoded information stays the same. If the photo or biometric of the cardholder is not the same as the person presenting the card, the person scanning the card easily detects that the cardholder has a fraudulent or stolen card.
If you offer your own custom application, then you may purchase Datastrip's 2D barcode SDK. If you are looking for off-the-shelf software that supports Datastrip 2D barcodes, you have a number of options. Vision Database's RapidID, Polaroid ID Card Maker, Synercard Asure ID, Datacard IDWorks and ATSI's Freezeframe card systems have the Datastrip barcode designer already built into their software. You can add the barcode to the front or back of your ID card using the badge layout tools. You can print with any 300 dpi printer.
No. The barcode is printed at the same time your ID card is printed using your ID card printer. You will only need a card reader to read your 2D barcoded cards. You may also require a fingerprint scanner and fingerprint enrollment software if you plan to incorporate fingerprint enrollment.
Yes, Datastrip's 2D barcode system utilizes Reed Solomon error correction to rebuild areas of the barcode that may experience wear and tear on your ID cards. Unlike smart cards and magnetic stripes, 2D barcodes cannot be broken or demagnetized.
Datastrip offers a range of card reading devices that include:
DSVII: portable Windows CE computer with built-in card reader, color display and built in fingerprint capture device and optional biometric matching.
DSVerify2D: portable Windows CE computer with built-in card reader, color display and built in fingerprint capture device and optional biometric matching.
PCVII: Small PC based card reader with software for use with an existing PC or laptop.
Datastrip 2D barcodes offer a high level of ID security at a very low cost. A Datastrip 2D barcode can store up to 2800 bytes of information in the size of a conventional magnetic stripe. That information may include text (i.e. name, department), photograph, signature and even a biometric such as a fingerprint. The information is not readable to the human eye, and is impossible to alter. Once your card is scanned, the data and picture in the barcode are displayed on the portable reader or PC display. If a biometric is present, the system matches the cardholder's biometric to the template stored in the 2D barcode. Instantly, you can verify the identity of the cardholder.
For the utmost in security, Datastrip barcodes support standard encryption. Any encrypted data would only be available to authorized individuals with the tools to decrypt the secured 2D barcodes. Other public key/private key schemes are supported by Datastrip. Please contact us for more details.
When generating Datastrip symbols using the Datastrip 2D Superscript SDK or the Datastrip 2D SDK products, it us expressly forbidden to distort, scale, or truncate the Datastrip symbol in any way before printing. The SDK component that creates the symbol renders a fully formed bitmap image either as a file, a DIB bitmap in memory, or as an on-screen graphic within a visual ActiveX control. No matter how the enrollment application generates the graphic object, it may be positioned on an ID-card with other content and the symbol may be moved around as required (maintaining the required clear area around the perimeter of the symbol) and printed to scale. However, distorting, scaling, or truncating of the Datastrip symbol in any way before printing will result in an ID-card that can't be decoded. This is a common oversight in the design of enrollment applications, which, while rather trivial to correct, could in fact lead to the creation and printing of large numbers of ID-cards that may never be decoded properly.
To resolve this problem, double check that your enrollment application does allow the user to distort, scale, or truncate the Datastrip symbol in any way before printing.
Charge DSVerify2D before using it. Full charging takes approximately 2 hours.
Press the green PWR (power) button. Windows CE will load. To abort the memory test, press the F1 key.
Press the Enter key to run the Demo application. (If you want to run the Diagnostic/Demo or the Custom application options, please contact us for instructions.)
Follow the on-screen instructions.
Under the Decoding Options screen, you may select a function key to read Datastrip bar codes (using the included sample cards), PDF417 (found on many drivers licenses) or OCR-B found on passports. Follow the on-screen instructions while decoding
Try reading the sample cards that come with the DSVerify2D. If they read, then most likely, you have a problem with your printer driver settings. Please contact Datastrip for settings for commonly used printers. Also, please note that when using DSVerify2D, you may enable "diagnostics" by holding down the 2nd key and pressing the Q key. This helps you troubleshoot potential printing problems by displaying corrected errors.
DSVerify2D will switch to power savings mode after 20 seconds. To wake it up, press any alphanumeric key. If you're using battery power, the DSVerify2D will power off completely after 5 minutes of no use. The power off settings are user adjustable. To adjust the power off settings, perform the following steps, which require the use of a USB mouse:
Plug a USB mouse into one of DSVerify2D's USB ports.
Press the green PWR button to power the unit on.
When the Select Application screen appears, press the F1key.
Double click on My Computer.
Double click on Control Panel.
Double click on the Power icon.
Select the Power-Off tab.
The "On battery power suspend after" option may be set between 1 to 5 minutes. When running on battery power, this setting will turn DSVerify2D off in that amount of time.
You may enable or disable the Power-Off while on external AC power by checking (or unchecking) the selection box. If you choose to enable this function, you may set the Power Off time from 2 to 30 minutes.
After the settings are completed, click the OK button in the upper right hand corner of the dialog box.
To permanently save the settings, you must now double click on the FlashDisk folder.
Scroll down and double click on the RegistrySaver program.
Click the Save Registry button.
When the Success screen appears, press OK.
Press OK or Exit.
You may now power DSVerify off and power on again to begin reading cards and passports and performing identity verification.
If the fingerprint reader does not capture an image, you will get a yellow timeout scanning message. Try placing your finger on your forehead to moisten it, and try again. Optical fingerprint readers sometimes do not recognize very dry fingers. If you are having trouble getting your fingerprint to match, please follow the instructions below to calibrate your fingerprint reader.
With the Demo application running, press the F1 key to get your desktop.
Click on My Computer.
Click on the folder Flash Disk.
Scroll down towards the bottom, and double click on DSVerifyFPCaptureTest.
Your fingerprint reader should flash.
Place finger on fingerprint reader, making sure that your finger covers the platen and the core of your fingerprint is centered. If you have small fingers, use your thumb.
Select the Calibrate button and hold your finger steady until the light goes off (about 15 seconds) and your fingerprint image is displayed on the screen.
Hit OK button.
Turn the DSVerify2D off and on again and resume the Demo application.
Datastrip's Decode software module (loaded with the Datastrip 2DSuperscript/ Datastrip 2D SDK) and the 3rd party Summus color image compression/decompression and Identix fingerprint extraction and matching are all licensed modules. Datastrip Decode may be used on a 60-day trial basis and Summus image compression/decompression for 30 days. There is no trial period for Identix fingerprinting. After your trial period and/or to utilize Identix fingerprinting, you must obtain license codes from Datastrip for each PC where you plan to utilize the module(s). Please note that your PC must have a network interface card (NIC) installed to activate the license registration.
To obtain a Datastrip Decode License: Locate the Datastrip2D_Base_US.rac program by going to:
Start > Programs > Datastrip 2DSuperscript Software > Datastrip Licenses > Base Decode License US
Click on Buy Now and select Telephone to view your Product ID and Locking Code. You may call, email or fax your Product ID and Locking Code to Datastrip and we will issue you a license code. The same Product ID and Locking Code information is used for obtaining licenses for Summus and Identix.
The first time Active Sync is used to connect a DSVerify to a PC, the following procedure is recommended.
Connect a Microsoft USB Mouse to either DSVerify port.
Install Active Synch 3.5 or later on PC / Laptop (if necessary).
On DSVerify set up a Desktop shortcut to \Windows\REPLLOG.EXE
Connect supplied Serial cable and Grey adapter box part number 3008-00001-04-A to PC/ Laptop.
Connect other end of Serial cable to DSVerify COM1 port.
A green "connecting" circle should appear on PC.
If no connection within a few seconds, "Cancel" Repllog and rerun by clicking on the DS Verify's desktop. Repeat this if necessary. After only a few attempts connection should be established.
If you see an error message on the DSVerify, click on OK, cancel the Repllog dialog box, make sure that the Grey Adapter Box is connected to the PC as in 4., disconnect the cable from the DSVerify and reconnect. Rerun Repllog from the DSVerify's desktop icon.
When Active Sync asks for "Set up partnership" Click "No".
This depends on the fields contained in the strip. Enrollment cards have the following 10 fields format:
Field 0: a fingerprint or a text field with 1 char.
Field 1: a text field max length 12 char.
Field 2: a text field max length 12 char.
Field 3: a text field max length 12 char.
Field 4: a text field max length 12 char.
Field 5: a text field max length 12 char.
Field 6: a text field max length 12 char.
Field 7: a text field max length 12 char.
Field 8: a text field max length 12 char.
Field 9: an image field.
If the strip is exactly as above, you will see headings for each field on the DSVerify screen, if the strip does not conform exactly, no field headings will be displayed.
Datastrip supports development via Visual Studio.NET for most SDK functions. To build native C++ applications for the DSVII, you will need the tools listed below. You can download the embedded Visual C++ tools and the Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003.
Datastrip DSVII SDK
Microsoft® embedded Visual C++® 4.0
Microsoft® eMbedded Visual C++® 4.0 Service Pack 4
Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 (Compact Framework)
There are many sites maintained and dedicated to application development. A great site for Developers of mobile handheld terminals is http://www.devbuzz.com/. They have forums where you can ask and answer questions. It is an excellent starting and meeting place for CE developers to exchange information. Some others resources include:
Applications that have used documented APIs should run on the DSVII. If the application uses non-standard API conventions will probably not run correctly under Windows CE.NET operating systems.
The more recent versions of the DSVII software (version 1.70 of the Operating System and later) automatically enable the WinCE Desktop to persist. When a shortcut is placed on the Desktop, it is also automatically placed in \Storage Card\DSVII\Windows\Desktop folder. On reboot, the \Storage Card\Desktop folder is added to the default desktop; thereby, retaining the item(s) added manually. Thus, customization of the Desktop is persisted.
For OS versions earlier than 1.70:
To make the desktop persist in DSVII software versions earlier than 1.70, you create a new desktop folder under the Storage Card folder, then copy the existing startup folder items to it, and finally change the registry to point at the new location. The exact procedure is listed below:
With unit up and running, create a directory in the Storage Card called "Desktop".
Create a shortcut on the desktop to your application, which must reside on the Storage Card somewhere.
Copy all of the files in "\Windows\Desktop" to "\Storage Card\Desktop".
Using the remote registry editor tool, edit the following registry key:
The menu items (in the Start menu) and shortcut icons (on the desktop) are actually stored as files (*.lnk file to be specific) in "\Storage Card\DSVII\Windows\Programs" and "\Storage Card\DSVII\Windows\Desktop" respectively on OS versions greater than 4.20-1.70. If you try to delete any of the *.lnk files in these locations, the NK.BIN restores the files to their previous condition on bootup. However, if you change the attributes of the *.lnk files that you don't want to keep (for example Inbox.lnk, InternetExplorer.lnk, etc.) to have read only and hidden properties turned on, then when the OS reboots it does not overwrite the *.lnk files and just leaves them alone. The OS also doesn't know how to process, display, or pick them up either - so the effect is to delete the icons on the desktop and/or items in the Program menu under Start.
Yes, Active Sync is supported via Serial cable, Bluetooth (Virtual serial port), Ethernet, 802.11 wireless LAN connections. See the DSVII User Manual for more detailed information.
The DSVII can support a number of wireless (mobile) communications protocols including: BluetoothTM, 802.11 Wireless Ethernet, and Optional GSM/GPRS CF Cards. This allows for great flexibility in designing and implementing mobile solutions around DSVII.
When a new network becomes available a pop-up Wireless Information box labeled WLAGS46B1 will appear. If this window is left open for several hours it may lock up the system and will require a reboot to recover.
This can be avoided by going to the wireless network configuration screen titled "WLAGS4681", selecting the "Wireless Information" tab, and unchecking the "Notify when new networks are available" box. This will configure the DSVII not to show this screen as wireless networks come and go. If you do need to configure the DSVII on the screen, you an access it by clicking the network symbol on the task bar. Be sure to close this screen when you have completed any configuration changes.
Datastrip supports the PC/SC API and driver level programming interfaces for interacting with the contact and contactless smartcard functions on DSVII.
The DSVII supports the following smart card standards:
ISO 14443 A/B: contactless smart cards
ISO 7816: contact smart cards
The combination of contact and contactless technologies in one reader makes the DSVII very versatile. The DSVII smart card reader works with a broad range of 13.56 MHz contactless smart cards and passports including: Philips, MIFARE®, DESFire®, MIFARE PROX®, INFINEON, ATMEL, SHARP, and others. Datastrip SDK directly supports reading and writing to MiFare 1K and 4K, DesFire 4K, and GemPlus 4K cards. Other card formats can be accessed by PC/SC commands.
The DSVII has internal space for up to two Lithium-Ion Polymer batteries packs. One battery is standard and should always be installed in the Main Battery Location (see the DSVII User Manual) to ensure proper reporting of the battery charging circuit status. A second battery can be installed to extend the capacity (hours of use) as shown in the chart below. NOTE: When installing a second battery insure that the second battery is the same capacity as the installed battery.
The standard internal memory card supplied is 128 MB; however, larger sizes are available. Additional CF memory cards can be used in the external and internal user configurable CF slots, and up to 4 GB cards have been tested. Care should be taken to select high quality CF memory cards and avoid consumer products that may not provide sufficient reliability.
The DSVII has 16 MB of built in ROM for storing the bios and boot information. The main system memory is 64 MB. Operating System, Registry, Datastrip provided software, and customer supplied applications are stored in a CF memory card plugged into an internal compact flash slot. The default memory size is 128 MB of which approximately 30 MB will be used. Trained service providers are able to upgrade the unit to larger sized approved CF memory cards. There are 2 additional CF slots that can be equipped with memory cards or CF peripherals. Two external host USB ports are also provided for additional flexibility.
For a 1 x 3 inch barcode, which is a typical size to fit on a CR80 card, the amount of data that can be stored in each of these barcodes is listed below. The DSVII-SW and DSVII-PA can both read barcodes of this size.
Datastrip would like to discuss your custom projects with you, and explore what options are available to meet the necessary requirements. For more information on our customization capabilities, please contact us via email or phone at the contact address listed on our contact details page.