Unique Identifier (UID)

MIL-STD-130 DataMatrix code verification

The MIL-STD-130 application standard

Some industry committees have developed application standards mandating that their manufactures comply with their rules for barcode marking. An application standard outlines what type of symbology is acceptable, what ISO standard to grade against, the minimum acceptable grade, aperture size, x-dimension range, lighting required, and how the data within the barcode must be formatted.

Items sold to the United States Department of Defense must use a Unique Identifier (UID) marked according to MIL-STD-130, an application standard designed to help the US government track purchasing details, maintenance logs, and out-of-commission dates in a central registry. MIL-STD-130 DataMatrix codes must meet both readability (print quality) and data formatting requirements. Print quality requirements can be met through measurements in accordance with ISO 15415, AS9132, or AIM DPM.