Connecting the dots

TachyonIQ, a software developer of image-processing algorithms, has released a new barcode scanning algorithm that omnidirectionally decodes the mandatory DotCode symbology of the EU Tobacco Products Directive.

The European tobacco industry has adopted systems for the traceability of products throughout the supply chain. By imprinting a unique DotCode barcode on tobacco product packaging, manufacturers and retailers are able to track and report product movement and help stop the illegal smuggling and counterfeiting of cigarettes and fine-cut products.

The DotCode barcode utilizes a 2D symbol that allows for lots of information to be embedded in a small space.

According to Thomas Rissmann, TachyonIQ’s sales manager of for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the DotCode symbology was developed to allow for high-speed printing applications associated with product manufacturing.

“Our decoder has proven to be forgiving even in omnidirectional reading should clogged ink jets, line speed and other printing problems occur during manufacturing and packaging,” he says.

The TachyonIQ algorithm instantly and accurately decodes the DotCode symbols in spite of printing problems, shrink-wrap films, low contrast backgrounds, or even worn or damaged codes. The software is used worldwide in handheld scanners from Code Corp., often at the retail point-of-sale and in warehousing, distribution, and the manufacturing plant floor, thus enabling the track-and-trace systems to capture the data needed for the EU Directive.

To provide the most accurate and highest quality barcode decoding algorithms, TachyonIQ has added the DotCode symbology to its list of supported barcodes. The symbology decoder is included in TachyonIQ’s EdgeDecoder software developers kit, providing easy-to-implement capabilities to software engineers developing anti-counterfeiting and authentication solutions.