RFID Tag Command Generator
Version 1.0
User’s Guide
December 2017
www.lexmark.com
Contents
Overview ............................................................................................................................................... 3
Deployment readiness checklist......................................................................................................... 4
Running the utility ................................................................................................................................5
Using the utility ....................................................................................................................................6
Generating tag commands for PDF ...................................................................................................... 6
Generating tag commands for PCL data stream or Lexmark Forms Composer ............................. 8
Auxiliary functions ................................................................................................................................... 8
References .......................................................................................................................................... 10
Command-line syntax ........................................................................................................................... 10
JSON page attributes and tag parameters ........................................................................................ 11
2
More examples ...................................................................................................................................... 14
Notices ................................................................................................................................................ 15
Overview
Use the utility to generate Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag commands and insert them
into your documents for printing on Lexmark RFID printers.
The utility is used to do the following:
• Insert a tag command into a PDF document.
• Generate a tag command for PCL® data stream or Lexmark™ Forms Composer.
• Generate a parameter file to automate the PDF or PCL insertion process.
RFID tags are microchips that are attached to an object and communicated with wirelessly using
RFID technology. Users can print and program RFID media containing RFID tags using a Lexmark
printer configured with the RFID option.
The RFID option is a tray with an RFID encoder that converts your Lexmark printers into an RFID
printer. It supports RFID tags conforming to the Electronic Product Code (EPC) Gen2 (ISO 180006C) for ultra high frequency (UHF) RFID tags. You can program tags from 16 to 496 bits of EPC
memory in 16-bit increments and from 2 to 64 bytes of user memory.
Embedding the tag commands within the document structure controls the programming of an
RFID tag. Each tag command represents a single tag, and provides information for the printer to
program the tag. Tag commands are generated by the RFID Tag Command Generator, or are
predefined values from previously released applications provided by Lexmark or by your RFID
system integrator.
This document provides instructions on how to run and use the utility.
3
Deployment readiness checklist
Make sure that:
The utility is available.
Note: To download the utility, go to
Version 1.8 or later of either of the following Java environments is available on your
computer:
• Java Runtime Environment (JRE)
• Java Development Environment (JDE)
http://support.lexmark.com.
4
Running the utility
1. From your computer, unzip RFIDTagGen.zip.
2. From the RFIDTagGen/bin directory, run the utility.
• For Windows® operating systems, use the RFIDTagGen batch file.
• For Mac OS operating systems or Unix operating systems, use the RFIDTagGen
executable file.
5
Using the utility
The RFID Tag Command Generator controls the following tag command attributes:
• The memory bank to use
• The data written on to the tag
• The position of the tag on the page
• The read-and-write power levels to use when programming the tag
Insert the RFID data using any of the following methods:
• JSON parameters file
• JSON parameters on the command line
• Command-line options
• Predefined tag commands
You can also use the RFID Tag Command Generator to translate command-line parameters into a
JSON file.
Generating tag commands for PDF
Automate the insertion of tag commands into a PDF. The RFID tag Command Generator controls
the following page or document attributes for PDF:
• Two-sided printing
• The page number for the tag
• Color or black-and-white printing
• The source tray for the page containing the tag
You can run the utility as a standalone Java command-line operation. It can also be called
multiple times on the same PDF. Parameter sets are added or modified based on the supplied
parameters and the contents of the PDF.
6
Using JSON parameters
The RFID Tag Command Generator inserts the RFID tags using a JSON array in a file to specify
the parameters. The RFID data is either included in the JSON file or is added on the command
line using the -d option.
We recommend using this method when the tag parameters and the page attributes do not
change from page to page or from document to document. For more information, see
page attributes and tag parameters” on page 11.
Example 1: Modify input.pdf and write to output.pdf specifying parameters in parameters.json
and data on the command line
RFIDTagGen -i input.pdf –o output.pdf –jf parameters.json –d
RFID_Tagdata
Where:
• The parameters are in the JSON file.
• The data is specified on the command line.
“JSON
Example 2: Overwrite input.pdf specifying both parameters and data in parameters.json
RFIDTagGen –w –i input.pdf –jf parameters.json
Where:
• The parameters and data are in the JSON file.
• Input.pdf is overwritten with the changes.
Example 3: Specify parameters on the command line using JSON format
RFIDTagGen –w –i input.pdf –jc ‘{“Page”:1,
“RfidTag”:{“Bank”:”EPC”}}’ –d RFID_Tagdata
Where:
• The parameters are in the JSON file.
• The parameters and data are specified on the command line.
• Multiple pages are included as a JSON array.
Notes:
• To enclose the JSON object, use your command-line shell convention for quoting
parameters that contain quotation marks, spaces, and special characters.
• If you are copying this example, then change the single and double quotation marks to
ASCII characters (0x27 and 0x22 respectively). Font selection in rich-text documents may
cause the code to fail.
7
Using command-line options
For more information on the options and their values, see
Example 1: Overwrite input.pdf and specify X and Y position using -xpos and -ypos options
RFIDTagGen –w –i input.pdf –xpos 254 –ypos 108 –b EPC –d
RFID_Tagdata
Where:
• The parameters and data are specified using command-line options.
• Input.pdf is overwritten with the changes.
“Command-line syntax” on page 10.
Using predefined tag commands
We recommend using this method only for previously released applications.
To use a predefined tag command directly, use the –tc option.
Example 1: Overwrite input.pdf using a predefined tag command
RFIDTagGen –w –i input.pdf –tc A00005700206960RFID_Tagdata
Where:
• The predefined tag command is specified in the command line.
• Input.pdf is overwritten with the changes.
Generating tag commands for PCL data stream or Lexmark Forms Composer
To generate the tag command for Lexmark Forms Composer and PCL documents, provide the
required parameters in JSON or as a command-line option, and then use the -tc option. The
utility processes the parameters and returns a formatted tag command or tag command portion.
Example 1: Generate a tag command that includes X and Y positions without including the
data portion
Note: This example is commonly used for Forms Composer usage.
RFIDTagGen -tc –xpos 254 –ypos 208 –b EPC -l 96
Where:
• The return tag command is A0800FE006C005700206960.
• The parameters are specified on the command line.
• The tag command string is printed to the standard output.
Example 2: Generate a tag command from a JSON parameter file including data
Note: This example is commonly used for PCL usage.
RFIDTagGen -tc -jf parameters.json -d RFID_Tagdata
Where:
• The return tag command is A0800FE006C005700206960RFID_Tagdata.
• The parameters are specified in JSON file.
• The tag command string is printed to the standard output.
8
Auxiliary functions
Converting data to hexadecimal or ASCII
Make sure that the data is compatible with the handheld reader display capabilities. If the data is
originally in ASCII and the handheld reader shows the data only in hexadecimal, then it becomes
difficult to read and validate.
To convert a hexadecimal string to its ASCII equivalent, use the -H2A option.
To convert an ASCII string to its hexadecimal equivalent, use the -A2H option.
Example 1: Convert a hexadecimal string into its ASCII equivalent
RFIDTagGen -H2A 524649445F54616764617461
Where:
• The return value is RFID_Tagdata.
• The input string is the hexadecimal value corresponding to ASCII data.
• The output string may include non-printable characters.
Example 2: Convert an ASCII string into its hexadecimal equivalent
RFIDTagGen -A2H RFID_Tagdata
Where:
• The return value is 524649445F54616764617461.
• The input string is the ASCII value corresponding to hexadecimal data.
• The output string may contain characters from 0 to 9 and from A to F.
9
-?
A help message is generated.
-h
-a <address>
The address where to write the user memory. The default value
-A2H <ASCII>
ASCII data is converted to its hexadecimal equivalent.
-H2A <hexadecimal>
Hexadecimal data is converted to its ASCII equivalent.
-b <bank>
The memory bank to use where <bank> can be any of the
EPC
-d <data>
The tag data is inserted into the file. The default value is in ASCII
-gen_json
A JSON file is generated from the command-line parameters.
-gen_tc
A tag command is generated from provided parameters.
-d <data> –hex
The data provided with the -d option or the JSON file in
-i <file name>
The input file. The default value is stdin.
-o <file name>
The output file. The default value is stdout.
-jc <JSON>
The JSON on command line.
-jf <file name>
The JSON in parameter file.
-l <length>
The length of the data in bits for EPC or in bytes for user
References
Command-line syntax
RFIDTagGen options and their descriptions
Option Description
is 0.
10
following values:
• EPC—Standard 96-bit EPC
• XPC—Extended EPC
• USER—User memory
The default value is
format.
hexadecimal format.
.
memory. The default value is the calculated length of the
provided data.
Option
Description
-page <page>
The page number for insertion. The default value is 1.
-rp <value>
The read power ranging from 0 to 30dBm. The default value is
25
-w
Overwrites the input.file with the changes.
-wp <value>
The write power ranging from 0 to 30dBm. The default value is
25
-source <value>
The source tray. The default value is Use printer default.
-tc <tag command>
A predefined tag command is inserted into a PDF document.
-xpos <value>
The X position ranging from 0 to 355 millimeters (mm). The
-ypos <value>
108
-v
The version information is printed.
RFIDTagGen options and their descriptions
.
.
default value is 25.
The Y position ranging from 0 to 216mm. The default value is
.
11
JSON page attributes and tag parameters
Specify page attributes and tag parameters as a JSON array. The array contains one JSON object
for each page that specifies the attributes for the page. An RFID tag is represented by an
RFIDTag attribute in the page object. The RFIDTag object value is a JSON object that contains all
the parameters for the tag.
Example 1: JSON for single pages with one tag
{ “PageNum”:1,
“Source”:3,
“RfidTag”:
{
“RfidData”:“RFID_Tagdata”,
“Bank”:“EPC”,
“X”:25,
“Y”:108
}
}
Where:
• The parameters are specified in the JSON file.
• The data in the JSON file is overwritten with the data specified on the command line.
• Spacing and line breaks are added for readability.
Example 2: Specify as a JSON array containing one JSON object (optional)
[
{ “PageNum”:1,
“Source”:3,
“RfidTag”:
{
“RfidData”:“RFID_Tagdata”,
“Bank”:“EPC”,
“X”:25,
“Y”:108
}
}
]
Example 3: JSON for multiple pages with one tag for every page
[
{ “PageNum”:1,
“Source”:3,
“RfidTag”:
{
“RfidData”:“RFID_Tagdata”,
“Bank”:“EPC”,
“X”:25,
“Y”:108
}
},
{ “PageNum”:2,
“Source”:3,
“RfidTag”:
{
“RfidData”:“MoreRfidData”,
“Bank”:“EPC”,
“X”:25,
“Y”:108
}
}
]
Where:
• The parameters are specified in the JSON file.
• The data in the JSON file is overwritten with the data specified on the command line.
• Spacing and line breaks are added for readability.
12
Attribute
Description
Type
Values
PageNum
The page number
String
Any number up to N,
Source
The source tray
Number
Any tray value such as
Tray 1 or Tray 2.
Duplex
The two-sided printing mode
String
• Simplex
Short Edge
PrintMode
Color or black-and-white print
String
• Black and White
Color
RFIDTag
The RFID tag parameters
JSON object
For more information,
on page 13.
Parameters
Description
Type
Values
Bank
The memory bank
String
• EPC
USER
Address
The user memory address
Number
0–65535
ReadPower
The read power in decibelmilliwatts (dBm)
Number
0–30
WritePower
The write power in decibel milliwatts
Number
0–30
X
The X position in millimeter
Number
0–355
Y
The Y position in millimeter
Number
0–216
RFIDdata
The RFID data
String
N/A
Supported page attributes
13
Where: N is the last
page of the document.
• Long Edge
•
•
see “RFIDTag Objects
and their parameters”
Supported parameters of the RFIDTag object within the page object
When using a JSON parameter file, you can include page attributes and tag parameters for all the
pages and RFID tags in one JSON file, and call RFIDTagGen one time for every document.
• XPC
•
(mm)
More examples
Example 1: Overwrite a PDF using default values for all parameters
RFIDTagGen -w –i input.pdf -d RFID_TagData
Where:
• The default parameters are used.
• Input.pdf is overwritten with the changes.
Example 2: Write a PDF to a separate file using default values for all parameters except data
RFIDTagGen –i input.pdf -o output.pdf -d RFID_TagData
Where:
• The default parameters are used.
• The data is specified on the command line.
• The changes are written to output.pdf.
Example 3: Write a 4-byte string to address 0x20 user memory, with the tag positioned at
X=25mm Y=108mm, and a write power setting of 22dBm on the third page of the document.
Pick media from tray 3.
RFIDTagGen -i input.pdf -o output.pdf -d ABCD -b USER -l 4 -a 20 -wp
22 –xpos 25 -ypos 108 -page 3 -source 3
Where:
• The parameters and data are specified on the command line.
• The change is written to output.pdf.
Example 4: Write an RFID tag to both pages 2 and 3 of a document.
RFIDTagGen -w -i input.pdf -d RFID_TagData -b EPC -xpos 25 -ypos 108
-page 2 -source 3
RFIDTagGen -w -i input.pdf -d More_TagData -b EPC -xpos 25 -ypos 108
-page 3 -source 3
Where:
• The parameters and data are specified on the command line.
• The RFIDTagGen is called one time for each tag that is added.
• Input.pdf is overwritten with the changes.
Example 5: Overwrite a PDF using parameters and data specified in a JSON file.
Use any of the following codes:
• RFIDTagGen -w -i input.pdf -jf parameters.json
• RFIDTagGen -i input.pdf -o output.pdf -jf parameters.json
• RFIDTagGen -w -i input.pdf -jf parameters.json -d RFID_Tagdata
Where:
• The parameters are specified in the JSON file.
• The data in the JSON file is overridden with the data specified on the command line.
• Input.pdf is overwritten with the changes.
14
15
Notices
December 2017
The following paragraph does not apply to any country where such provisions are
inconsistent with local law: LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL, INC., PROVIDES THIS PUBLICATION
“AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT
NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Some states do not allow disclaimer of express or implied warranties in
certain transactions; therefore, this statement may not apply to you.
This publication could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are
periodically made to the information herein; these changes will be incorporated in later editions.
Improvements or changes in the products or the programs described may be made at any time.
References in this publication to products, programs, or services do not imply that the
manufacturer intends to make these available in all countries in which it operates. Any reference
to a product, program, or service is not intended to state or imply that only that product, program,
or service may be used. Any functionally equivalent product, program, or service that does not
infringe any existing intellectual property right may be used instead. Evaluation and verification of
operation in conjunction with other products, programs, or services, except those expressly
designated by the manufacturer, are the user’s responsibility.
For Lexmark technical support, visit
For information on supplies and downloads, visit
© 2017 Lexmark International, Inc.
All rights reserved.
http://support.lexmark.com.
www.lexmark.com.
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The Software Program and any related documentation are "Commercial Items," as that term is
defined in 48 C.F.R. 2.101, "Computer Software" and "Commercial Computer Software
Documentation," as such terms are used in 48 C.F.R. 12.212 or 48 C.F.R. 227.7202, as applicable.
Consistent with 48 C.F.R. 12.212 or 48 C.F.R. 227.7202-1 through 227.7207-4, as applicable, the
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granted to all other end users pursuant to the terms and conditions herein.
Trademarks
Lexmark and the Lexmark logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Lexmark International,
Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.
PCL® is a registered trademark of the Hewlett-Packard Company. PCL is Hewlett-Packard
Company’s designation of a set of printer commands (language) and functions included in its
printer products. This printer is intended to be compatible with the PCL language. This means the
printer recognizes PCL commands used in various application programs, and that the printer
emulates the functions corresponding to the commands.
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