A Unique Identifier (UID) is a numeric or alphanumeric string associated with a single entity in a system. A UID is assigned to a single item and is never reused. In FactoryLogix, UIDs are used to uniquely differentiate one material instance from another for traceability purposes.
FactoryLogix can generate customized UIDs automatically. The UID Format option in the NPI client application lets you define the format of generated UIDs using a template. When new material instances are received in Logistics, FactoryLogix uses the UID format template to assign a custom UID to each material instance automatically.
By default, each UID produced by FactoryLogix is a generated tick count: a numeric value that represents the number of hundredths of a nanosecond (1 one-millionth of a second) that have elapsed since January 1, 0001 at 00:00:00 (currently an 18-digit number).
A UID format template includes template options, barcode segments, and segment associations.
- Template options allow you to select a fixed barcode length or fixed segment lengths and delimiters expressed in ASCII or decimal format. (UID formats are delimited by either a printable ASCII character or a non-printable or control character such as a group separator.)
- A UID format can contain multiple barcode segments, each associated with a particular identifier (for example a part number, stock location, date code, UID quantity, or another identifier). You can specify the order of the segments (segment positions), segment length (automatic or manual), the generated format (sequential or manual) and number of digits, and the date code to be used for any date portions of the UID format.
- Segment associations allow you to (optionally) associate a selected barcode segment with a date, stock location, lot number, part number, or other entity in your FactoryLogix system.
| UID formatting options | Description |
|---|---|
| Template Options | Fixed Barcode Length - Specifies a fixed overall length for a UID format. Fixed Segment Lengths - Specifies fixed segment lengths for all generated UIDs. Delimited - Specifies the delimiter character to use between segments. Display - Specifies whether delimiters display in ASCII or decimal format. |
| Barcode Segments | Identifies each UID segment by number and allows you to add, delete, or edit a selected segment. |
| Segment Position | Identifies the position of each segment in a UID format. |
| Association Options | Associates a selected segment to a stock location, date code, GRN, vendor, or other item (you can view all options in the drop-down). |
| Date Code | Specifies the format for a date code segment in a UID format, for example MM/dd/yyyy. |
| Segment Printing Options | When printing barcode labels, adds the specified labels to the beginning (prefix) or end (suffix) of the selected barcode segment. |
Define a format for generated UIDs
If you want to define a specific format for generated UIDs, you need to enable the feature first.
- Log into the NPI client application.
Select Templates and Standards
> UID Format.Select the Use UID Format button in the upper-left corner of the window.
Scan or enter an example UID in the desired format at the top of the window.
To segment the UID format, select the Add
button under Barcode Segments, then select and add segments until you're finished. (The following example illustration has four segments identified.) For each segment, select an association option (if needed).
In the following example, a hyphen symbol is used as the delimiter. The first segment has no association (Association column) and will always be a static letter U. The next 10 characters will be the generated UID. (This is a truncated form of the tick count, taking the last xx number of digits of the generated tick count.) The next piece of data is a generated Date Code using a pre-defined format MM/yy (month/year). The final data field in this example is the actual part number.
In most cases, the default tick count should be sufficient for FactoryLogix generated UIDs.
Update a barcode segment
At any time, you can update the barcode segments of a UID format.
