"Virgils Ghost" wrote in message
m...
"Dave" wrote in message

Apparently PDF417 can store 500 characters per square inch (I'm not
an
expert in this area, though)

And when it's tattered and ripped?



PDF 417 only requires a small percentage of the coverage area to be able
to read the entire code. It has excellent redundancy. Depending on the
amount of information stored on the barcode, you can tear a PDF 417 into
3 pieces and stand a good chance of reading the information. If it was
just storing currency serial numbers, there wouldn't be a problem at
all.

PDF417 barcodes can store up to 2710 characters.