Micro QR Code
Micro QR Code was designed by Denso Wave in Japan to be a smaller, more compact version of their regular QR Code. Micro QR is intended for use where QR Code would take up too much space or where less data needs to be encoded, as with direct parts marking on small components. It also encodes kanji characters.
Micro QR Code can be printed in black on a white background or in white on a black background.
Micro QR Code is defined in ISO/IEC 18004 Information technology - Automatic identification and data capture techniques - QR Code 2005 bar code symbology specification.
The symbol comprises the following elements:
Data is stored in "modules" (square dots) in the data area as binary information. Each black module represents a binary 1, and each white module represents a binary 0.
The finder pattern is the square bull's eye that appears in the upper-left corner of the symbol. This pattern enables the barcode to be scanned correctly at any orientation.
The timing patterns consist of one row and one column of alternating black and white modules. They enable the reader to determine symbol version and density.
This symbology supports the following characters in the following modes:
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Numeric mode: Includes all numeric digits (0-9)
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Alphanumeric mode: Includes all numeric digits (0-9), uppercase letters (A-Z), and the following special characters:
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Dollar sign ($)
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Percent sign (%)
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Asterisk (*)
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Plus sign (+)
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Hyphen (-)
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Period (.)
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Slash mark (/)
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Colon (:)
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Space character
Alphanumeric mode is not supported for Micro QR Code version M1.
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Byte mode: Includes data that is encoded at 8 bits per character; the default character set is as defined in ISO/IEC 8859 Information technology - 8-bit single-byte coded graphic character sets
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Kanji mode: Includes kanji characters that are encoded in accordance with the Shift JIS system as defined in Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) X 0208 7-bit and 8-bit double byte coded KANJI sets for information interchange; the following values are supported:
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8140HEX–9FFCHEX
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E040HEX–EAA4HEX
For more information about kanji mode, see JIS X 0208 Annex 1: "Shift Coded Representation."
It is possible to manually switch between modes in a single barcode.
Micro QR Code uses the Reed-Solomon algorithm for error correction. Three selectable levels of error correction are available, which enables the barcode to be read even if up to 25 percent of the code is damaged. The maximum number of characters that can be used for error correction is 35.
Micro QR Code has four possible sizes, referred to as version M1 through version M4. Version M1 (the smallest) is 11 x 11 modules, and version M4 (the largest) is 17 x 17 modules.
Micro QR Code requires a quiet zone on all sides that is at least two modules wide.
Symbol Structure