What kind of "barcode" is this?

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › What kind of "barcode" is this?

kenkeniff

628 posts

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#175042 15-Jun-2015 15:06

Read by this:

BuffyNZ

241 posts

Master Geek

#1325126 15-Jun-2015 15:54

Are you sure it is a code and not some kind of position indicator?

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kenkeniff

628 posts

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#1325136 15-Jun-2015 16:08

It definitely reads the number; I suspect it may do this magnetically rather than optically.

Oblivian

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#1325138 15-Jun-2015 16:10

My bets on positioning assist too.

Using notches to count where the end is

Oblivian

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#1325140 15-Jun-2015 16:11

kenkeniff: It definitely reads the number; I suspect it may do this magnetically rather than optically.

Also plausable. Induction loop or a funny cut magstrip then. But made to shape for a robot too :)

kenkeniff

628 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1325142 15-Jun-2015 16:13

Oblivian: My bets on positioning assist too.

Using notches to count where the end is

It's not, read the above.

It's attached to an application that displays the number of the cartridge inserted.

I'm trying to figure out how to change the number of the cartridge by printing a new barcode or magnetic strip thing.

frankv

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#1325144 15-Jun-2015 16:17

I think bar code is a bit strong.

It looks like it could represent 8 bits, with an embedded clock. Every block, one or other of the bits changes.

The pattern is the same in both nibbles, so I don't think it can represent 143. Maybe its an optical reader, an the pattern is just there for registration.

Do you have some other examples?

Oblivian

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#1325180 15-Jun-2015 16:20

kenkeniff:
Oblivian: My bets on positioning assist too.

Using notches to count where the end is

It's not, read the above.

It's attached to an application that displays the number of the cartridge inserted.

I'm trying to figure out how to change the number of the cartridge by printing a new barcode or magnetic strip thing.

I did. And replied 2mins before this

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Oblivian

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#1325184 15-Jun-2015 16:28

Does it actually read J143 out anywhere or just get familiar with the type/colour/shape of what it is.

Since its not clear and we have no reference to a 2nd version of the same, you could also sumise that the reader is a dark/light function. And if a limited number of them are in the device at once may be as simple as the different cuts assign an ID of 1-8 or a combination of them based on areas blocked out.

IE orange = ID3, black = ID6 regardless of the displayed number presented with different gaps

kenkeniff

628 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1325194 15-Jun-2015 16:34

Oblivian: Does it actually read J143 out anywhere or just get familiar with the type/colour/shape of what it is.

Since its not clear and we have no reference to a 2nd version of the same, you could also sumise that the reader is a dark/light function. And if a limited number of them are in the device at once may be as simple as the different cuts assign an ID of 1-8 or a combination of them based on areas blocked out.

IE orange = ID3, black = ID6 regardless of the displayed number presented with different gaps

Only the number is displayed, I assume the "J" is irrelevant. There are 16 binary squares total giving 256 different codes.

The barcode label itself seems to activate the reader which is what makes me think it's magnetic (have tried photocopying one).

Here's another one:

Niel

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#1325209 15-Jun-2015 16:57

16 bits give you 64k different numbers, not 256. Do you have more examples or only the two? You could try making a random code and see what happens.

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wellygary

8328 posts

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#1325212 15-Jun-2015 17:08

What does the device (the one the cartidge goes into) actually do?

kenkeniff

628 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1325469 16-Jun-2015 08:12

wellygary: What does the device (the one the cartidge goes into) actually do?

Holds stuff to be dispensed.

Niel: 16 bits give you 64k different numbers, not 256. Do you have more examples or only the two? You could try making a random code and see what happens.

Yes my mistake. Should be 2^16 not 16^2, so the J may well be read then.

Yes I have over 100 different ones; I've tried copying them however they don't read (a light comes on the reader when the barcode is detected like magstripe etc)

frankv

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#1325488 16-Jun-2015 09:11

How about posting photos of other examples then? A sample size of 1 makes it difficult to recognise any patterns.

andrewNZ

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#1325493 16-Jun-2015 09:23

It may well be a propitiatory system which makes very little sense.

You want a large sample size. Find everything ending in a 1 and see if the same 'bit' is there in each. try to get a sample big enough that every other 'bit' changes. Then do the same for ones ending in 2.

andrew027

1286 posts

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#1325544 16-Jun-2015 10:06

It reminds me of the Digital Index barcode that I remember from film cartridges (only longer). These didn't represent numbers, as such. They were used to represent different attributes of the film, usually the film speed and how many exposures were in the cartridge.

While I may be wrong, this leads me to think the black and white squares are not binary representations of the number printed on the label. For example, in that first code it's hard to make 143, which is 10001111 in binary, out of that pattern of black and white squares. It can be done, but you have to leave out some of the squares (unless they represent the J?) and they are in some non linear sequence. And that assumes that the three digits at the end of the number are decimal - they could be octal, hexadecimal, etc...

Out of interest (and possible analysis):

Do they all start with J, or are there other letters or characters?
Do the numbers go up to 999, or are there letters in the last three characters?
What manufacturer/model number is the machine that reads this code (or does the dispensing)?