Preferred Supplier Banner Ads - Engraving Etc. Forum

Press Ctrl+Enter to quickly submit your post

✏✏✏✏✏✏✏✏✏✏

From:	Stunt Engraver (DGL)	24 Oct 2006
To:	ALL	166 of 179

3670.166

You'll like this!

Carl Sewell, one of EE's MVP's jumps into our "Special Deals" section with CreateADMx, THE data matrix symbol creation application.

A whopping 20% discount to EE members!

Thank you Carl.

David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA

EDITED: 24 Oct 2006 by DGL

From:	Carl (CSEWELL)	25 Oct 2006
To:	Stunt Engraver (DGL)	167 of 179

3670.167 In reply to 3670.166
Thanks David. As a personal challenge, I authored and sell Windows software for creating Data Matrix symbols. Data Matrix symbols are a 2D 'bar code'. It's actually a symbology and not a bar code, but it works sort of like a bar code. However, unlike bar codes, a 2D Data Matrix code can store thousands of characters of information and it can be directly marked on items which eliminates labels and the potential for them to become separated from the item to be identified. The Data Matrix symbol is read by 2D readers (imagers) that are similar to barcode scanners that you might see every day, but the scanners are not typical laser scanners (ie red light). They are actually cameras that take an image (photograph) of the symbol and then process that image to decode the data within the Data Matrix symbol. The imagers/readers can be handheld (pistol like) or be fixed. You may have heard about Data Matrix symbols through the Engraver's Journal as a fundamental part of the government program to track all of their stuff which is known as UID or the Unique IDentification initiative/program. This mandate became effective on all NEW contracts that are let by the government beginning January of 2006. With the long lead times for government funding of programs, it might be a while before UID becomes fully implemented. A UID mark is a Data Matrix symbol that requires special formatting of the data. With the proper formatting of the input data, CreateADMx can easily produce UID compliant Data Matrix symbols. You may have seen Data Matrix on products that you buy everyday or on a statement that you received from your bank or medical institution, or even as a postage stamp. It's a black and white checkerboard pattern (see sample image below). The versatility of the Data Matrix symbols extends from it's ability to be marked on the head of a pin, or on the top of tractor trailer rig so that the Data Matrix symbol can be read from space! CreateADMx is fairly straight forward to use. Start it, type in the data, click on the Data Matrix image, which copies it to the Windows clipboard, change focus to CorelDraw and press Ctrl-V (paste) to paste the Data Matrix symbol into your CorelDraw document. There are, of course, a bunch of options/features that you may or may not find useful. I developed this program as the tool that I wished I had while employed for a vision company (owners of the Data Matrix symbol patents although it is in the public domain) where I marked the Data Matrix symbol on just about every substrate imaginable using lasers, inkjet marking, CNC mills, plasma arc, chem-etch, etc. While CreateADMx is more geared for examining/evaluating/studying/testing the Data Matrix symbology, it is easy to use for creating Data Matrix symbols which can be pasted into just about any Windows application document. And the price is extremely affordable especially when you compare it to the price of barcode printing applications that cost several hundred dollars! CreateADMx is NOT a barcode printing software. It facilitates the creation of Data Matrix symbols which are then ported to another application, like CorelDraw, for printing. While CorelDraw does have barcode printing capability, it cannot format/construct a Data Matrix symbol, unless it has been added to X3. I don't participate in any UID programs nor do I do any UID or Data Matrix marking. CreateADMx may be beneficial to list subscribers that want to pursue this market (or if they just want to be able to create Data Matrix symbols for other reasons) and it works great alongside/with CorelDraw. The software 'retails' for $49.50. But forum members can purchase the software for 20% off or $39.60 through the Special Deals banner ad. Thanks. Carl Guntersville Laser Engraving Guntersville, AL http://www.GuntersvilleLaser.com

From:	Stunt Engraver (DGL)	25 Oct 2006
To:	Carl (CSEWELL)	168 of 179

3670.168 In reply to 3670.167
Carl, Thank you for that explanation. I know that EJ has been behind generating information on UID marking, but it's still relatively unknown to those in the awards and engraving industry. Considering UID marking will be mandatory, on many items, it does sound like opportunity knocking. When you say "enter data" is that data simply text describing specs of the part being marked? David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri DGL Engraving Port Hueneme, CA

From:	Carl (CSEWELL)	25 Oct 2006
To:	Stunt Engraver (DGL)	169 of 179

3670.169 In reply to 3670.168

quote:

When you say "enter data" is that data simply text describing specs of the part being marked?

Yes. There are several formats that are acceptable. Basically, the formats describe the data, field and record separators and then EoT (end of transmission). Here's a sample:

code:

[)>~d030DD~d029MFR CAGE CODE~d029SER SERIAL NO~d030~d004

Really, for this particular format, a user would just have to concern themselves with the two data fields: CAGE CODE and SERIAL NO. Cage Code is the governments 'code' for assigning a number to each supplier. The 'serial number', of course is the serial number of a specific product. The user would only have to substitute their CAGE CODE for the text in the string "CAGE CODE" (I put in ABDEF for the CAGE CODE) and replace the SERIAL NO with the part serial number (123456), like this:

code:

[)>~d030DD~d029MFR ABCDEF~d029SER 123456~d030~d004

The other stuff is constant and is used for identifying the data format and where fields start, stop and terminate.

The actual part information would be tied to the mfg and the serial number and would be used to look-up whatever information the government needed about that part. Even though, and this gets weird, the Data Matrix symbol can contain several thousand characters of data, they only use a small portion of that capacity. The Data Matrix symbol acts like a link or license plate to the real data, which is stored in a centralized data base somewhere.

Food for thought: Can you imagine assigning serial numbers and marking each individual rivet/bolt or nut of a military aircraft? Daunting task, I would think. Not that they WILL require this, but they might!

Carl

  Guntersville Laser Engraving
  Guntersville, AL
  http://www.GuntersvilleLaser.com

From:	sprinter	25 Oct 2006
To:	Carl (CSEWELL)	170 of 179

3670.170 In reply to 3670.167
It sounds like what the computer magazines tried years ago for a barcode replacement. They also used it for source code listings and article reprints. They even released the source code for it and several companies was giving away free portable scanners.
EDITED: 25 Oct 2006 by SPRINTER

From:	Stunt Engraver (DGL)	25 Oct 2006
To:	ALL	171 of 179

3670.171
The Data Matrix software posts have been given their own discussion title, in the "Where Can I Find" folder, under "Data Matrix Software." David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri DGL Engraving Port Hueneme, CA

From:	Carl (CSEWELL)	25 Oct 2006
To:	sprinter	172 of 179

3670.172 In reply to 3670.170
I don't remember Data Matrix being used for any of those. In order to read a Data Matrix symbol, you have to have an image processor and something to take an image (ie a camera, RS-170, CMOS) of the Data Matrix symbol. Barcodes are 1D (one-dimensional). They can be read with those cheap scanners (red laser lights). There was the infamous CueCats! They were publishing CueCodes in Parade magazine many years ago. I have several CueCats (via Radio Shack give-aways) and still use them today for barcode reading. Of course, they have to be 'declawed' and modified to suit my needs, but they are strictly 1D barcode readers. And I'm pretty sure they weren't giving away readers for Data Matrix symbols. Data Matrix readers start at several hundred dollars for even the most basic of readers. There was one once that you could get for $99, but I think that company folded a long time ago. Had they been giving them away then, there would have been a serious shortage due to all the people getting them to hack the imagers, similar to what was done with CueCats. There are many alternative uses for Data Matrix, including one for mobile/cell phones. There's even a site that has released software for creating Data Matrix symbols that could be read with a cell phone, although, they've had some compatibility problems. I've had way too many e-mails from people 'complaining' that my website creates smaller codes than the other software and they want to know WHY!!! Uh, go ask the other guy? The purpose was to produce Data Matrix symbols that would point to a website (the URL would be encoded in the Data Matrix). You use your cell phone to read the Data Matrix (take a picture of it) and then software added to the cell phone (or is it a reference to a website where the decoding is done?) sends your browser cell phone to a website to get more information. You can read more about that one at http://www.semacode.org, I think. That started maybe 5 or 6 years ago and I haven't seen much progress. You may want to look on the back of your driver's license. PDF417 (2D barcode or stacked linear symbology) has made it's way onto the back of mine in Alabama (yes, we do have cars in Alabama). PDF417 is nothing more than a bunch of 1D barcodes stacked on top of each other, ie a stacked symbology. PDF417 is used to store a lot of information also and maybe the one that you are thinking about. Although, I believe PDF417 also requires a little more expensive reader than say, what a CueCat would be, because the scanner has to scan vertically as it rasters to-and-fro. The barcode industry, even though there's been several court cases challenging ownership of the patents, are here to stay. RFID (radio frequency tags) was supposed to be the next big thing, but they are having to fight the existing infrastructure and the lack of security for your data being broadcast. Heck, even Wal-Mart gave up after demanding that their suppliers be compliant, oh, say, two years ago? Oh, and if you travel abroad and your passport is about to expire, you might want to get a new one before they add the RFID chips to them and broadcast your passport information to who knows who!! Please don't tell me it's not a threat, or why would they go back and add shields to the passports? That's great when they are closed, but as soon as you open them......... Carl Guntersville Laser Engraving Guntersville, AL http://www.GuntersvilleLaser.com

From:	Stunt Engraver (DGL)	25 Oct 2006
To:	ALL	173 of 179

3670.173

I'm going to temporarily close this thread to new posts, so any further discussion of the Data Matrix Software can take place in its new area, in the "Where Can I Find" folder:

http://www.engravingetc.org/forum/index.php?webtag=EE&msg=5192.1

David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA

EDITED: 25 Oct 2006 by DGL

From:	Stunt Engraver (DGL)	9 Nov 2006
To:	ALL	174 of 179

3670.174
You'll be happy to see Cermark is back on our "Special Deals" page, with their Holiday Special, which will be valid until the end of this year. Also, don't forget to come to next year's Beach Party, Thurs. Feb. 22nd, from 6-9 pm, during the ARA International Awards Market, where you'll be able to meet "Mr. Science" (Sean Weir) and other members of the Cermark crew. :-) David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri DGL Engraving Port Hueneme, CA

From:	Stunt Engraver (DGL)	10 Nov 2006
To:	ALL	175 of 179

3670.175
I was contacted by a person/company who will have a "Special Deal" for you laser enthusiasts. I'll be sure to let you know when the ad is up. David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri DGL Engraving Port Hueneme, CA

From:	Stunt Engraver (DGL)	22 Nov 2006
To:	Stunt Engraver (DGL)	176 of 179

3670.176 In reply to 3670.175
As advertised, Michael McCullock, of OEM Optics, has joined those companies offering "Special Deals" to our forum members. OEM quality replacement laser optics, for very attractive prices...and that's before you apply your 10% EE member discount! :-) Thank you Michael. Edit: Oops! Posted to myself. :S David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri DGL Engraving Port Hueneme, CA
EDITED: 22 Nov 2006 by DGL

From:	UncleSteve	22 Nov 2006
To:	Stunt Engraver (DGL)	177 of 179

3670.177 In reply to 3670.176
quote: Edit: Oops! Posted to myself. :S Well, at least SOMEONE is talking to you again! (devil) "Don't believe everything you think!"

From:	Stunt Engraver (DGL)	24 Nov 2006
To:	Laser Guy (OPTICS)	178 of 179

3670.178 In reply to 3670.177
Michael, Thank you for the exclusive offer to our group. When you say "optics" does that include mirrors? David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri DGL Engraving Port Hueneme, CA

From:	Laser Guy (OPTICS)	25 Nov 2006
To:	Stunt Engraver (DGL)	179 of 179

3670.179 In reply to 3670.178

David

Yes that does include mirrors. I will be adding more product to the web site next week. If any of the members have specific questions about optics for their machine, drop me a line.

Thanks

Michael

OEM Optics
oemoptics.com

Show messages: 1-5 … 106-125 126-145 146-165 166-179

Adjust text size: Smaller 10 Larger

Beehive Forum 1.0.1 | FAQ | Docs | Support | Donate!