PSC PowerScanTM RF User manual

PowerScan™ RF

Handheld Bar Code Scanner

User’s Guide

PSC Scanning, Inc.

959 Terry Street

Eugene, Oregon 97402

Telephone: (541) 683-5700

Telefax: (541) 345-7140

PSC, the PSC logo, Quadralogic II and PowerScan are registered

trademarks of PSC Inc. All other trademarks and trade names

referred to herein are property of their respective owners.

the procedures described therein may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means without prior written permission of PSC

Inc. Owners of PSC Inc.'s products are hereby granted non-exclusive,

revocable license to reproduce and transmit this documentation for

the purchaser's own internal business purposes. Purchaser shall not

remove or alter any proprietary notices, including copyright notices,

contained on this documentation and shall ensure that all notices

appear on any reproductions of the documentation.

Should future revisions of this manual be published, you can acquire

printed versions by contacting PSC Customer Administration. Elec-

tronic versions will either be downloadable from the PSC web site

(www.pscnet.com) or provided on appropriate media. If you visit our

web site and would like to make comments or suggestions about this

or other PSC publications, please let us know via the “Contact PSC”

page.

Disclaimer

Reasonable measures have been taken to ensure that the

information included in this manual is complete and accurate.

However, PSC reserves the right to change any specification

at any time without prior notice.

User’s Guide

Table of Contents

Unpack and Inspect Your Scanner .............................................. 1

References................................................................................... 1

Quick Start Instructions................................................................ 1

Installing the Battery.............................................................. 2

Verifying Scanner Operation ................................................. 3

Connecting the Base Station to the Host Terminal................ 3

Linking the Scanner to a Base Station .................................. 5

Verifying Scanner-to-Base Station Communications............. 6

Using the PowerScan RF System................................................ 7

Battery Charging and Maintenance....................................... 7

Tips for Extending Battery Life .............................................. 8

Disposing of Batteries............................................................ 8

Four Station Charger............................................................. 9

How to Scan............................................................................... 10

Depth of Field...................................................................... 11

LED and Beeper Indications ...................................................... 15

Active Symbologies............................................................. 19

Enhanced Scanning for Hard-to-Read Bar Codes .............. 19

Laser Cautions........................................................................... 21

Radio Frequency Interference.................................................... 22

Maintenance............................................................................... 23

Troubleshooting ......................................................................... 24

Sample Bar Codes..................................................................... 25

User’s Guide

Unpack and Inspect Your Scanner

After unpacking your new scanner, check the contents of the ship-

ping carton to ensure all the items you ordered are included:

• PowerScan™ RF handheld scanner

•BatteryPack(s)

• User’s Guide (this manual)

• Optional Accessories that you ordered. (The scanner can be

purchased with or without accessory kits.)

If your package contains wrong or missing components, contact your

place of purchase. If there are damaged components, immediately file

a claim with the carrier. You may want to save your packing material

in case you need to ship the scanner at some later time.

References

For more information about this product, its associated publications,

software, and accessories, visit our website listed on the back cover of

this manual.

Quick Start Instructions

The basic steps below must be performed to set up the RF scanner.

Each of these steps is detailed in this manual.

• Installing the Battery

• Verifying Scanner Operation

• Connecting the Base Station to the Host Terminal

• Linking the Scanner to a Base Station

• Verifying Scanner-to-Base Station Communications

PowerScan™ RF

Scanner

Installing the Battery

Orient the battery as shown in Figure 1, then push it into the scanner

until it snaps in place. To remove the battery, push in on the release

tabs on both sides of the battery’s base and pull it straight out of the

scanner.

Figure 1. Installing the Battery

NOTE

To assure maximum usage, batteries should always

be fully charged before their initial use. (See

Battery

Charging and Maintenance

on page 7.)

Battery Release Tabs

User’s Guide

Verifying Scanner Operation

Once a charged battery has been installed in the scanner, scan the

sample bar codes in the back of this manual that correspond to the

symbologies your scanner is programmed to read. If unsure how to

do this, see the section on How to Scan in this manual. The system

may signal with one or a combination of indicators depending upon

how the scanner and Base Station are programmed to respond (see

LED and Beeper Indications for details). If your scanner fails to read a

sample bar code of a symbology it’s programmed to read, turn to the

section titled, Troubleshooting.

Connecting the Base Station to the Host Terminal

1. Connect the I/F cable to the Base Station (see Figure 2A). The

I/F cable is inserted into the connector and the cable retainer

clip is rotated over the cable overmold until the retainer

snaps in place (see Figure 2B). To disconnect the cable, push

in on the retainer (away from the catch on the plastic wall) to

release it and enable it to swing upward, allowing the cable

to be pulled free (see Figure 2C).

Figure 2

Connecting/Disconnecting the Interface (I/F) Cable

NOTE

It is important that the interface (I/F) cable be con-

nected to the Base Station prior to applying power

to the system. This is because the interface type

(RS-232, IBM, Keyboard Wedge, etc.) is selected by

the Base Station subject to the I/F cable it is con-

nected to at the time of power-up.

PowerScan™ RF

Scanner

2. Consult your Host Terminal manual to determine the

required communication parameters for the Host Terminal

(e.g., baud rate, parity, etc.) and, if necessary, modify the pro-

grammed parameters to be compatible with those require-

ments. Scanner and Base Station programming is performed

using one of the following:

- Configurator Express™ Programming Software

- PowerScan™ Bar Code Scanner Programming Guide

3. Connect the I/F cable to the proper port on the Host Terminal

(check your Host Terminal manual to determine hardware

requirements).

4. Connect the AC Adapter's power cord at the Base Station and

plug the AC/DC adapter in at the wall outlet (see Figure 3).

The Base Station’s POWER LED should be illuminated when

the unit is properly connected to power.

Figure 3. Connecting Power to the Base Station

NOTE

See

References

for more information about how to

obtain software and manuals for this product.

CAUTION

The Host Terminal manual should also be consulted

as to whether power must be turned off before con-

necting peripheral devices. Ensure that the correct

procedure is followed to avoid damage to equip-

ment or interruption of system functions.

User’s Guide

5. Apply power to the Host Terminal.

6. Verify communication with the Host Terminal by aiming the

linked scanner at a sample bar code from the back pages of

this manual, and pulling the trigger (see How to Scan for tips

about scanning bar codes). Confirm that the scanner/Base

Station sent the data to the host terminal. If not, see the sec-

tion, Troubleshooting. Once all communications are verified,

the system is ready for use.

Linking the Scanner to a Base Station

To link a scanner to a Base Station, simply scan the Base Station ID

bar code located on the top of the desired Base Station. As the scanner

searches for the Base Station, a short beep is heard as it seeks for the

correct channel. When the Base Station responds to the request, the

scanner’s beeper will either sound a "Link Granted," or "Link Denied"

signal (see the section, LED and Beeper Indications for more informa-

tion).

The existing Base Station system configuration can be automatically

downloaded to the scanner. This automatic download feature is con-

figurable and can be disabled. See the Systems Manual for more

information about this feature. If downloading occurs, a slight delay

with link verification announcement will occur.

CAUTION

Since a new/replacement scanner may have been

shipped with a custom configuration or may have

been modified with other special programming, it

may not be desirable to download a potentially

older configuration from an existing Base Station.

In this case, reference the Systems Manual, or the

Configurator Express™

On-Screen Programming

Software and consider uploading the scanner’s

newer configuration to the Base Station prior to

linking.

PowerScan™ RF

Scanner

Verifying Scanner-to-Base Station Communications

Point the linked scanner at a sample bar code from the back pages of

this manual, and pull the trigger (see How to Scan for tips on scanning

bar codes). Watch the TX/RX (transmit/receive) indicator LED on the

Base Station and/or scanner green LED while scanning the bar code.

The LEDs should flash momentarily as the two devices communicate.

If no communication is indicated, refer to the troubleshooting section

of the Systems Manual.

When the scanner is programmed to do so, communication can also

be indicated by a second "acknowledgement" tone1that is sounded

after a "good read" tone. If a transmission error beep (warble) is heard

following a "good read" tone instead of the single acknowledgement

tone, communication between the devices may have failed2. Refer to

the sections Using the PowerScan RF System, and Troubleshooting for

possible remedies, should this occur.

1. See

LED and Beeper Indications

for more details about beeper signals.

2. Other reasons for a "warble" are that the Base Station may be configured differently than

the scanner, or that the system’s interface doesn’t support the symbology (bar code type)

you’re trying to scan.

User’s Guide

Using the PowerScan RF System

This section covers the following topics:

• Battery Charging and Maintenance

•HowtoScan

• LED and Beeper Indications

Battery Charging and Maintenance

Seat the scanner in the Base Station as shown in Figure 4, ensuring

that the battery fully engages the station’s metal contacts. The

CHARGE LED on the Base Station should flash, indicating the bat-

tery is charging.

Figure 4. Charging the Battery

NOTE

When the scanner is in use, a low battery condition

is indicated by a repeated two-flash signal from the

scanner’s green LED every time the trigger is pulled

before the laser is enabled. This indicator may have

been disabled via custom programming. See

LED

and Beeper Indications

for more information.

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Table of contents

PSC PowerScanTM RF User manual

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