### Decode Tool Advanced Parameters

Advanced Decoding Parameters can help you read difficult and damaged symbols, and are optimized for direct part marks. See below for detailed descriptions of these parameters.

##### Custom Features

Advanced Decoding Parameters can be entered directly in the Custom Features field in the Decode Tool Advanced Parameters menu as shown in the example below.

##### DotCode

The DotCode parameter allows you to specify row and column dimensions, minimizing the possibility of decode errors and no-reads. When you specify rows and the columns, only the specified dimensions will be decoded.

In the example below, 40 is the number of columns, and 7 is the number of rows.

DOTCODE_COL_ROW=40#7#

Swap columns and rows when the same symbol is oriented vertically.

DOTCODE_COL_ROW=7#40#

##### Fast Linear Mode (XMODE_FLM_HORIZ=STD or XMODE_FLM_VERT=STD)

Fast Linear Mode accelerates 1D decode speeds by restricting the orientation in which barcodes can be aligned, and only decoding barcodes in that orientation.

If you know the direction the application’s symbols will be oriented relative to the reader (horizontally or vertically), set Fast Linear Mode to match that direction. This will cause the reader to decode only symbols in that orientation, thereby reducing the processing needed and speeding up decode times.

Precautions for Correct Use: XMODE_FLM_HORIZ=STD cannot decode vertically-oriented symbols, and XMODE_FLM_VERT=STD cannot decode horizontally-oriented symbols.

##### Curved 2D (XMODE_CURVED_2D=1)

Curved 2D is designed for Data Matrix and QR Code symbols on bottles and other cylinders. Curvature in a captured image is usually created when the camera is pointing to the symbol at an angle. This algorithm, when enabled, will only be activated when the curvature is great enough. If the length ratio between the red and green line shown in the example below is greater than 20:1, the Curved 2D algorithm will be activated.

##### Convert Shift-JIS to UTF-8 (SJIS_TO_UTF8=1)

For any symbol (often QR Code but not always), this feature converts decoded Shift-JIS characters to UTF-8 characters.

##### Linear Quiet Zone Violation (QZ_VIOLATION_1D=1)

This feature allows a symbol to be decoded even when there is noise in the quiet zone on one or both sides of a symbol. This command is specific to UPC, Code 128, Code 39, and Codabar.

##### Scale Image (SCALE_UP=1 or SCALE_DN=1)

Scale Image allows you to scale the captured image up or down.

Scale Up is intended for symbols with low PPE (pixels per element) and small quiet zones. It scales up the image by 2x (4x by area). The maximum zoomed image size is 2600 x 2048. If the original image is greater than 1300 x 1024, it will be cropped to the center portion.

Scale Down scales the captured image to the ideal size for the reader's decoder (1/4 or 1/16 if necessary) and filters out image noise.

There is also a Both option that allows you to scale the image up or down.

##### 2D Damaged Mode (DAMAGED_MODE_2D=1)

2D Damaged Mode allows you to decode symbols with distorted grid alignment or bad cell registration.

##### Attempt Morphology Manipulation (MORPH=1)

Attempt Morphology Manipulation applies morphology dilation and attempts to decode. If this isn't successful, it applies morphology erosion and attempts to decode.

Precautions for Correct Use: There are exceptions to how the Advanced Decoding commands described above can be combined:

- XMODE_FLM_HORIZ=STD or XMODE_FLM_VERT=STD cannot be combined with other Advanced Decoding commands.

- XMODE_CURVED_2D=1 and SJIS_TO_UTF8=1 can be combined with each other, and both will be activated.

- QZ_VIOLATION_1D=1 cannot be combined with other Advanced Decoding commands.

- SCALE_UP=1, SCALE_DN=1, MORPH=1, and DAMAGED_MODE_2D=1 can be combined with each other.