GS1 DataBar
GS1 DataBar is a family of linear symbologies with both fixed-length and variable-length and stacked variants. DataBar is commonly used in retail settings, for product identification and coupon codes.
Previously DataBar was also known as Reduced Spaced Symbology (RSS), but the name was eventually abandoned because of a name clash with another technology also named RSS: Really Simple Syndication.
GS1 DataBar exists in a number of variants:
DataBar Omnidirectional encodes a GS1 GTIN
DataBar Expanded encode arbitrary GS1 AIs.
Stacked versions of both DataBar and DataBar Expanded exist to condense the information into a more square shape.
DataBar Limited, for encoding a GTIN on small items, for outside of the POS.
The main use case of DataBar is adding additional product information apart from the GTIN, like weight or expiry date. DataBar barcodes are often found on fresh produce.
Symbology | Sample barcode |
|---|---|
DataBar Omnidirectional |  |
DataBar Omnidirectional Stacked |  |
DataBar Expanded |  |
DataBar Expanded Stacked |  |
DataBar Limited |  |
Symbology Characteristics
Configuration name |
Stacked variants are automatically enabled. |
ISO specification | ISO/IEC 24724 |
Encodable character set | DataBar: Numeric (0-9) DataBar Expanded: Numeric and alphanumeric characters, 20 punctuation characters. |
Integrity protection | One mandatory checksum character |
Quiet zone | No quiet zones are required for DataBar Omnidirectional and DataBar Expanded. For DataBar Limited the required quiet zone matches the ISO/IEC 24724 normative values (≧ 1X left side, ≧ 5X right side) |
Configuration Options
GS1 DataBar symbologies do not have symbology-specific configuration options.
Limitations
2D component linkage is not supported