POSTNET

With target code, address code, postal code and address code, the bar code is called by the German Post AG printed on letters and postcards. The target code is applied to the consignment for the first run through the mail center. This is a faster machine routing and sorting enabled.

  • 4.1 Matrix Code
  • 4.2 linear code of 4 digits and 1 check digit
  • 4.3 linear code for 5 digits and 1 check digit
  • 4.4 linear code of 11 digits and 1 check digit
  • 4.5 linear code of 13 digits and 1 check digit

Production

In the coding zone, which is of the 15 mm high and 150 mm wide area in the lower right corner on the address side of each item of mail, the code is sprayed from a printer which is part of an address reading machine, for example of the ilvM. Ten letters can be processed per second. This pace allows the processing of up to 36,000 items per hour in one machine. Novel machines create almost doubled.

Appearance and format

These codes, also known as bar code or bar code, consist of a series of 5 mm high marks which are printed on the lower right edge of the letter. You are fluorescent and their color is bright with orange, orange, apricot, aprikotfarben, neon red, red, phosphorus -colored or pink described.

Encoding and Decoding

Two different types of encoding are used, a 5-bit code and a 4 -bit coding. The table shows the coding of each digit. Each bit of the code corresponds to a numerical value. The numerical values ​​of the set bits of the code are added together, their sum is the number that has been decoded, wherein there are two special rules: In the 5-bit code is the sum of (7 4) = 11, the number " zero ," represented; in the 4- bit coding is the sum ( 8 2 ) = 10 for the number " seven."

The 5 -bit encoding: Each segment consists of five points at three strokes are, on two not. The first digit has the value 0, the second is 1, then follow the values ​​2,4 and 7, the sum of the points at which there are no lines, will be the number. Lacking, for example, the second and the third position strokes the numeral 1 2 = 3 yields Lack the lines four and five, so the sum of the values ​​4 7 = 11, this is the number 0 Behind each segment is in each case a dividing line.

Check digit

The sum of the other 5-bit encoded digits is the basis of the check digit:

Check digit = 10 - ( -sum mod 10)

The check digits 10 and 0 are both coded as "zero".

A few examples:

  • The postcode 3550 is the sum of the digits 13 and thus the check digit 7
  • The zip code 24118 is the sum of the digits 16 and thus the check digit 4

The sum of all 5-bit encoded digits including the check digit is always a multiple of 10

Target code systems

Matrix Code

From 1965 to 1991, the matrix code was used. Eight different letter distribution systems (BVA ) used it, the start was on May 31, 1965, when in Pforzheim, the first electronic BVA was put into operation.

The postal codes were recognized by people who entered via the keyboard and then assembled and printed from the machine to a matrix code. It was this printed in eight of 20 possible positions strokes. The possible positions were divided into four columns and five rows. Each column represented a digit of the postal code. The above five -bit encoding which was lacking ( top to bottom ) was used, except that the counting points are printed later during the counting. The postal code has been encoded from left to right. The single beam was 6 mm high. The column spacing was initially 6 mm, 8 mm later.

The bars were depending on the machine and magnetized black or light yellow to almost white, phosphorescent or fluorescent, they were resistant to abrasion.

Linear code of 4 digits and 1 check digit

From 1978 to 1995, this coding was used. It started on September 25, 1978 in Wiesbaden, when the first letter distribution with linear coding and automatic address readers began operations.

Was presented to the public the process on the IVA 1979 consists of five segments: . 4 digits of the zip code or area code of a similar internal code ( IMC ) and a check digit, each separated by a dash.

----- Postcode ------ | Testing |. Importance of the areas 01247-01247-01247-01247-01247 - value of the site | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Sample barcode     47 | 1 4 | 1 4 | 12 | 0 7 | Calculation Step 1, segments separated by |    = 11 | = 5 | = 5 | = 3 | = 7 | Calculation second step, segments separated by |      0 5 5 3 7 3 calculation step, the finished sequence of numbers The example provides the numbers 0, 5, 5, 3 of the post code, and the check digit 7, the postal code of the address is 3550, and is therefore coded in reverse order.

The IMC were necessary because, for example, the entire city of Hamburg had a postal code. Behind the name Hamburg therefore it was often at a more precise identification of the area of Hamburg in numbers. From this information, then a IKZ was generated, which was printed and became sort.

Linear code of 5 digits and 1 check digit

The target code for five-digit zip codes will always be printed on letters and postcards when the computer could see nothing, and a photo of the letter was shown to an employee to type in the zip code on the screen. It is constructed as the above. An example:

----- Postcode ------------ | Testing |. Importance of the areas 01247-01247-01247-01247-01247-01247 - value of the site | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Sample barcode   1 7 | 01 | 01 | 0 4 | 0 2 | 0 4 | Calculation Step 1, segments separated by |     = 8 | | = 1 = 1 | = 4 | = 2 | = 4 | Calculation second step, segments separated by |      8 1 1 4 2 4 3 calculation step, the finished sequence of numbers Here the zip code 24118 is in reverse coded, followed by the check digit 4

Linear code of 11 digits and 1 check digit

The code has been modified and extended several times. Added include codes for the house number and street number. The new components are coded each with a 4 -bit binary number each decimal digit. Several digits that form a unit are generally coded in reverse order. The coding of the postcode is made continue as described above and is included in the right part of the code. Is completed, the code on the right side of two additional posts. The last one is always a line.

Example:

| ---- Hausnr ---- | ---- street ---- | ------- postcode ---------- | Appr | Importance | 8421.8421.8421 | 8421.8421.8421 | 01247.01247.01247.01247.01247 | 01247 | value | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | As bar code    0 2 3 4 5 1 6 4 0 5 3 7 decryption Yield: Zip code 35041, check digit of the postal code 7, Street 654, House Number 320

Linear code of 13 digits and 1 check digit

- |. Fee | ---- Hausnr ---- | ---- street ---- | ------- postcode ---------- | Appr | - importance - | 8421.8421 | 8421.8421.8421 | 8421.8421.8421 | 01247.01247.01247.01247.01247 | 01247 | - importance | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | sample code | | 4 1 | 4 1 | | 1 | | 4 1 | 4 | | 1 7 | 01 | 01 | 0 4 | 0 2 | 0 4 | | | first calculation step, segments separated by | | | = 5 | = 5 | = 0 | = 1 | = 0 | = 5 | = 4 | = 0 | = 8 | = 1 | = 1 | = 4 | = 2 | = 4 | | | Calculation Step 2, segments separated by | | | 5 5 | 0 1 0 | 5 4 0 | 8 1 1 4 2 | 4 | | | 3 step calculation, meaning section separated by | The example above gives: Zip code 24118, 045 street, house number 010, payment assurance code 55

The combination of coded address and payment assurance code was patented in 2003. The payment assurance code contains this information on the postage and any irregularities in this.

Special

The separation points between the encoded digits can be dash or space. Current target code of Deutsche Post here using spaces and hyphen as check bits or redundancy.

Decoding template

Swell

  • Http://www.wiesbadener-tagblatt.de/region/wiesbaden/meldungen/9709179_1.htm address as a pink bar code of 8 December 2010 (The link is available for registered users of the newspaper available )
Letter (message) Briefzentrum (Deutsche Post)
31502
de