caenrfid R1280I Technical document

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TECHNICAL INFORMATION MANUAL
Revision 0.0 –22 February 2021
skID R1280I
Mini Sled RAIN RFID Reader

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Visit the skID R1280I web page, you will find the latest revision
of data sheets, manuals, certifications, technical drawings, software and firmware.
All you need to start using your reader in a few clicks!
Scope of Manual
The goal of this manual is to provide the basic information to work with the skID R1280I Mini Sled RAIN RFID
Reader.
Change Document Record
Date
Revision
Changes
Pages
18 Jan 21
0.0
Preliminary release
-
22 Feb 21
0.1
Clarified RFID, USB and Bluetooth® interfaces mutual operation
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Reference Document
[RD1] EPCglobal: EPC Radio-Frequency Identity Protocols Class-1 Generation-2 UHF RFID Protocol for
Communications at 860 MHz –960 MHz, Version 2.0.1 (April, 2015).
CAEN RFID srl
Via Vetraia, 11 55049 Viareggio (LU) - ITALY
Tel. [phone] Fax [phone]
[e-mail]
www.caenrfid.com
© CAEN RFID srl –2021
Disclaimer
No part of this manual may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or
otherwise, without the prior written permission of CAEN RFID.
The information contained herein has been carefully checked and is believed to be accurate; however, no
responsibility is assumed for inaccuracies. CAEN RFID reserves the right to modify its products specifications
without giving any notice; for up to date information please visit www.caenrfid.com.

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Preliminary Product Information
This document contains information for a new product. CAEN RFID reserves the right to modify this product
without notice.
“Preliminary” product information describes products that are ready for production, but for which full
characterization data is not yet available. CAEN RFID believes that the information contained in this document
is accurate and reliable. However, the information is subject to change without notice and is provided “AS IS”
without warranty of any kind (Express or implied). You are advised to obtain the latest version of relevant
information to verify, before placing orders, that information being relied on is current and complete. All
products are sold subject to the terms and conditions of sale supplied at the time of order acknowledgement,
including those pertaining to warranty, patent infringement, and limitation of liability. No responsibility is
assumed by CAEN RFID for the use of this information, including use of this information as the basis for
manufacture or sale of any items, or for infringement of patents or other rights of third parties.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Notice (Preliminary)
This device was tested and found to comply with the limits set forth in Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is
subject to the following conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device
must accept any interference received including interference that may cause undesired operation. These
limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is
operated in a commercial environment.
This device generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy. If not installed and used in accordance
with the instruction manual, the product may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation
of this product in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference, in which case, the user is required
to correct the interference at their own expense. The authority to operate this product is conditioned by the
requirements that no modifications be made to the equipment unless the changes or modifications are
expressly approved by CAEN RFID.
Disposal of the product
Do not dispose the product in municipal or household waste. Please check your local
regulations for disposal/recycle of electronic products.

Index- skID Technical Information Manual 4
Index
Scope of Manual................................................................................................................................................................2
Change Document Record ...............................................................................................................................................2
Reference Document ........................................................................................................................................................2
Index 4
List of Figures.............................................................................................................................................................................5
List of Tables...............................................................................................................................................................................5
1INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................................................................6
Product Description...........................................................................................................................................................6
Front panel ............................................................................................................................................................7
Bottom panel .........................................................................................................................................................8
Back panel .............................................................................................................................................................9
Charging ................................................................................................................................................................9
USB connector ......................................................................................................................................................9
Accessories .....................................................................................................................................................................10
Ordering Options.............................................................................................................................................................11
2CONFIGURATION MENU ..............................................................................................................................................12
Introduction......................................................................................................................................................................12
RFID..................................................................................................................................................................................14
Profile...................................................................................................................................................................14
RF Power U p (mW) .............................................................................................................................................15
EPCC1G2 Parameters ........................................................................................................................................15
EASY2RE AD Parameter s....................................................................................................................................16
HID Parameters ...................................................................................................................................................17
EPC code parameters ..................................................................................................................................18
SYSTEM...........................................................................................................................................................................20
Bluetooth and USB communication ...................................................................................................................20
Bluetooth Low Energy Options...........................................................................................................................21
Buzzer ..................................................................................................................................................................22
Vibration...............................................................................................................................................................22
3EASY2READ PROFILE ...................................................................................................................................................23
Introduction......................................................................................................................................................................23
Set the EASY2READ profile ............................................................................................................................................23
EASY2RE AD profile options ...............................................................................................................................27
Android devices...............................................................................................................................................................28
Bluetooth Communication Setup using the Easy Controller for Android .........................................................28
Windows PCs...................................................................................................................................................................35
Bluetooth Communication Setup .......................................................................................................................35
Easy Controller for Windows via Bluetooth connection .............................................................................38
USB Communication Setup................................................................................................................................42
Easy Controller for Windows via USB connection ......................................................................................43
iOS devices......................................................................................................................................................................46
Bluetooth BLE Communication Setup................................................................................................................46
4HID PROFILE ...................................................................................................................................................................54
Introduction......................................................................................................................................................................54
Set the HID profile ...........................................................................................................................................................54
HID profile options...............................................................................................................................................58
Android devices...............................................................................................................................................................59
Bluetooth Communication Setup .......................................................................................................................59
Windows PCs...................................................................................................................................................................63
Bluetooth Communication Setup .......................................................................................................................63
iOS devices......................................................................................................................................................................67
Bluetooth BLE Communication Setup................................................................................................................67
5BT-BLE SWITCHING ......................................................................................................................................................72
Switching the reader from BT to BLE .............................................................................................................................73
Switching the reader from BLE to BT .............................................................................................................................74
6RESET THE READER......................................................................................................................................................75
7FIRMWARE UPGRADE...................................................................................................................................................76
8TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ....................................................................................................................................78
Technical Specifications Table .......................................................................................................................................78
Technical Drawings .........................................................................................................................................................79

Index- skID Technical Information Manual 5
Battery Life.......................................................................................................................................................................81
9REGULATO RY COMPLIANCE ......................................................................................................................................83
FCC Compliance .............................................................................................................................................................83
List of Figures
Fig. 1.1: skID R1280I Reader .......................................................................................................................................................6
Fig. 1.2: skID R1280I Reader .......................................................................................................................................................6
Fig. 1.3: Front Panel.....................................................................................................................................................................7
Fig. 1.4: Bottom Panel..................................................................................................................................................................8
Fig. 1.5: Back Panel .....................................................................................................................................................................9
Fig. 1.6: Supplied Accessories ..................................................................................................................................................10
Fig. 1.7: Optional Accessories...................................................................................................................................................10
Fig. 8.1: skID R1280I Technical Drawings ................................................................................................................................79
Fig. 8.2: skID R1280I Technical Drawings –Front panel view .................................................................................................80
Fig. 8.3: skID R1280I Technical Drawings –Back panel view..................................................................................................80
Fig. 8.4: skID R1280I Technical Drawings –Bottom panel view ..............................................................................................80
List of Tables
Tab. 1.1: Front Panel Buttons ......................................................................................................................................................7
Tab. 1.2: Front Panel LEDs and Connection...............................................................................................................................8
Tab. 1.3: Power LED Status Table ..............................................................................................................................................8
Tab. 1.4: Bluetooth and USB/charger LED status table .............................................................................................................8
Tab. 1.5: Back Panel ....................................................................................................................................................................9
Tab. 2.1: EPC Code para meters ...............................................................................................................................................18
Tab. 2.2: Escape Sequences supported ...................................................................................................................................18
Tab. 3.1: Compatibility table EASY2READ-BT/BLE/USB for different OS ..............................................................................23
Tab. 4.1: Compatibility table HID-BT/BLE/USB for different OS..............................................................................................54
Tab. 5.1: Compatibility table profiles-BT/BLE/USB for different OS........................................................................................72
Tab. 8.1: skID R1280I Technical Spec ifications Table .............................................................................................................78
Tab. 8.2: skID R1280I Ba ttery Life.............................................................................................................................................81
Tab. 8.3: skID R1280I Ba ttery Life –Intensive Use –Scenario A ............................................................................................81
Tab. 8.4: skID R1280I Ba ttery Life –Intensive Use –Scenario B ............................................................................................81
Tab. 8.5: skID R1280I Ba ttery Life –Moderate Use –Scenario C ...........................................................................................82
Tab. 8.6: skID R1280I Ba ttery Life –Moderate Use –Scenario D ...........................................................................................82
Tab. 8.7: skID R1280I Ba ttery Life –Light Use –Scenario E ...................................................................................................82
Tab. 8.8: skID R1280I Ba ttery Life –Light Use –Scenario F ...................................................................................................82

INTRODUCTION - skID Technical Information Manual 6
1INTRODUCTION
Product Description
The skID (Model R1280IE, R1280IU) is a portable RAIN RFID
reader of the easy2read© product line with integrated antenna
for medium range applications.
The reader hosts an internal rechargeable battery and can
retrieve data from tags read by RFID interface both in wired
mode, using a USB cable, or in wireless mode through the
embedded Bluetooth® module.
USB and Bluetooth® interfaces are mutually exclusive, when
the USB is enabled the Bluetooth module is in power down
mode.
Thanks to the Bluetooth® communication interface, the skID is
a perfect add-on for any Bluetooth® enabled host such as a PC,
a smartphone, a PDA or a tablet for RAIN RFID readings. The
reader is compatible with Windows 8/10, Windows CE/Mobile,
Android and iOS operating systems. The device supports both
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Bluetooth classic
communication to provide the maximum usage flexibility,
including the HID profile for keyboard emulation.
The skID can be easily fixed to the smartphone using 3 different methods: magnets, 3M Dual Lock, or SP-
Connect.
Designed for mobile operators, the skID is ideal for inventory management, mobile workers, service and
maintenance applications.
Fig. 1.1: skID R1280I Reader
Fig. 1.2: skID R1280I Reader

INTRODUCTION - skID Technical Information Manual 7
Front panel
The skID R1280I front panel houses the following buttons (see figure below):
Fig. 1.3: Front Panel
No.
Name
Description
1
Trigger button
Inventory mode: press to perform an inventory cycle (hold down the button to
repeat inventory cycles)
2
Power button
Press the button to switch on the reader, press for at least 2 seconds to switch it
off
3
Antenna
Y
Antenna Position, do not cover with your hand!
Tab. 1.1: Front Panel Buttons

INTRODUCTION - skID Technical Information Manual 8
Bottom panel
Fig. 1.4: Bottom Panel
No.
Name
Description
1
USB
USB port type C
2
Power LED
Indicates the reader status and battery level (see § Tab. 1.3: Power LED Status
Table page 8)
3
Link LED
Indicates the Bluetooth and USB/charger connection (see § Tab. 1.4: Bluetooth
and USB/charger LED status table page 8)
Tab. 1.2: Front Panel LEDs and Connection
Status
Description
Green
Reader is active and the battery charge is in the range 35÷100%
Orange
Reader is active and the battery charge is in the range 15÷35%
Red
Reader is active and the battery charge is in the range 0÷15%
Tab. 1.3: Power LED Status Table
Status
Description
OFF
No connection established
Orange
USB cable connected (both to a PC or to the AC power adapter)
Blue
Bluetooth connected
Tab. 1.4: Bluetooth and USB/charger LED status table

INTRODUCTION - skID Technical Information Manual 9
Back panel
Fig. 1.5: Back Panel
No.
Description
1
Area where to apply the 3M Dual Lock TM
2
Position of the internal magnets that couple with those supplied for direct
application on the phone cover
3
Area where to apply the SP
Tab. 1.5: Back Panel
Charging
The skID R1280I is supplied with an USB cable while the power supply for charging is an optional accessory
(see § Accessories page 11).
When you charge the reader, the link LED (see § Tab. 1.2: Front Panel LEDs and Connection page 8) lights
up orange. When the LED goes out it means that the reader is fully charged. Disconnect the usb cable.
When the reader is on, the power LED (see § Tab. 1.2: Front Panel LEDs and Connection page 8) indicates
the battery level according to table Tab. 1.3: Power LED Status Table page 8.
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Warning: EMPTY BATTERY CONDITION: When the reader is completely discharged, it is
recommended to fully charge it, until the link LED is off (see § Charging page 11) with the USB
cable connected.
USB connector
A micro USB Type C socket connector is located in the bottom side of the skid R1280I and can be used to
connect the reader to an USB host port or to an AC/DC battery charger.

INTRODUCTION - skID Technical Information Manual 10
Accessories
The following accessories are supplied with the skID R1280I reader:
No. 1 USB cable USB Type C
No. 1 3M Dual LockTM
No. 1 SP ConnectTM
No. 2 magnets
Fig. 1.6: Supplied Accessories
For the skID R1280I optional accessories see § Ordering Options page 11:
Power Supply
Fig. 1.7: Optional Accessories

INTRODUCTION - skID Technical Information Manual 11
Ordering Options
The reader is available in ETSI or FCC version:
Code
Description
Reader
WR1280IXUSAA
R1280I - skID - RAIN RFID Mini Sled Reader FCC
WR1280IXEUAA
R1280I - skID - RAIN RFID Mini Sled Reader ETSI
Accessories
WALIM0000004
AC-DC power supply 5V 1A

CONFIGURATION MENU - skID Technical Information Manual 12
2CONFIGURATION MENU
Introduction
The skID R1280I configuration can be performed via USB using the R1280I Configuration Tool.
In order to access the configuration menu follow the steps described below:
1. Download from the skID R1280I web page the latest version of the skID R1280I Configuration Tool.
2. With the reader switched off, connect the R1280I skID reader to a PC using the provided USB cable.
3. Press simultaneously the trigger and the power button for about two seconds, until you hear a beep.
The communication LED is green.
4. Open the skID R1280I Configuration Tool:
5. On the main application window click on File Connect; the connection dialog box will appear.

CONFIGURATION MENU - skID Technical Information Manual 13
6. Select the right COM port number from the RS232 Port combo box (COM15 in the example):
7. Click on Connect. If the connection is not successful, the message “connection error” appears.
The skID R1280I menu options are the following:
RFID
SYSTEM

CONFIGURATION MENU - skID Technical Information Manual 14
RFID
Access the configuration menu as explained in the Introduction paragraph page 12.
Use this section in order to set the desired profile and then the related configuration options.
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Warning: To save the changes click on the SAVE button (check the green dot on the bottom
right side of the sidebar). On the main application window click on File Disconnect. Power off
the reader, disconnect the USB cable and then power on the reader, the new settings are active.
Profile
You can change the profile value using the drop-down menu:
The available profiles are:
EASY2READ (factory default) is the CAEN RFID easy2read communication protocol that permits
to control the reader using the CAEN RFID Easy Controller Application or the SDK (Software
Development Kit) library. For details on the use of the EASY2READ profile please refer to §
EASY2READ PROFILE chapter page 23.
For details on the EASY2READ configuration options, refer to § EASY2READ Parameters page 16.
HID: choosing this option you select the keyboard emulation protocol.
For details on the use of the HID profile please refer to § HID PROFILE chapter page 54.
For details on the HID configuration options, refer to § HID Parameters page 17.

CONFIGURATION MENU - skID Technical Information Manual 15
RF Power Up (mW)
Through the RF Power Up you can set the power level emitted by the reader. The RF Power Up is an
editable field and the default value is 500 mW. Accepted values are included in the range 0÷500. The RF
Power Up is expressed in mW
Note that, when the reader is configured in the EASY2READ profile, to set the RF Power Up you can also
use the CAEN RFID Easy Controller Application or the SetPower function of the SDK (Software
Development Kit) library.
EPCC1G2 Parameters
Q: Qparameter is useful for the optimization of the inventory efficiency. As a rule of thumb, if you
have to read a huge population of tags you need to select a high value for the Q parameter,
otherwise you can select a lower value. For more information on Q parameter see EPC Class1
Gen2 protocol specification [RD1]. The default value is 6, accepted values are included in the range
0÷15. Q parameter is an editable field.
Session: the Session used by the anticollision algorithm. The reader chooses one of four sessions
available (S0, S1, S2 and S3) and inventories tags within that session. For more information on
session see EPC Class1 Gen2 protocol specification [RD1]. Default value is EPC C1G2 Session =
S0. You can change the default value using the drop-down menu.
Target A or B. For more information on target see EPC Class1 Gen2 protocol specification [RD1].
Default value is target = A. You can change the default value using the drop-down menu.
Selected: ALL, NOT selected, selected. For more information on Selected see EPC Class1 Gen2
protocol specification [RD1]. Default value is selected = ALL. You can change the default value
using the drop-down menu

CONFIGURATION MENU - skID Technical Information Manual 16
Note that, when the reader is configured in the EASY2READ profile, to set the EPCC1G2 Parameters you
can also use the CAEN RFID Easy Controller Application or the SDK (Software Development Kit) library.
Y
Warning: To save the changes click on the SAVE button (check the green dot on the bottom
right side of the sidebar). On the main application window click on File Disconnect. Power off
the reader, disconnect the USB cable and then power on the reader, the new settings are active.
EASY2READ Parameters
Choosing the EASY2READ profile, the EASY2READ parameters available are:
TID Length: TID Length is an editable field and represents the length of the TID memory to be read
during the inventory, expressed in bytes. The default value is 0, accepted values are included in the
range 0÷64.
Read Cycles: Read cycles is an editable field and represents the number of read cycles performed
by the logical source during the inventory algorithm execution. The default value is 0 that means no
stop in the continuous inventory mode. Note that Read Cycles affects only inventory performed with
continuous mode.
Y
Warning: To save the changes click on the SAVE button (check the green dot on the bottom
right side of the sidebar). On the main application window click on File Disconnect. Power off
the reader, disconnect the USB cable and then power on the reader, the new settings are active.

CONFIGURATION MENU - skID Technical Information Manual 17
HID Parameters
Choosing the HID profile, the HID parameters available are:
Keyboard: The Keyboard options are the following:
oQWERTY: standard keyboard.
oAZERTY: French keyboard
By default the Keyboard is set to “QWERTY”.
You can change the default value using the drop-down menu.
FORMAT: In the HID profile you can set different EPC formats:
oHEX: The EPC code is represented as a hexadecimal number. For example, an EPC Code
of 96 bits long corresponds to 24 hexadecimal digits (96/4=24).
oASCII: The EPC code is interpreted as 8 bits at a time, each byte being represented as
ASCII character. For example, an EPC Code of 96 bits corresponds to a string of 12 ASCII
characters (96/8 = 12).
By default the EPC HID format is set to “HEX”. You can change the default value using the drop-
down menu.
Scan Delay (ms): Scan Delay is an editable field and the value is expressed in ms. By default, the
scan delay is 0 ms. The scan delay is the time between two inventories (in case of continuous
inventory mode with no triggers enabled).
Inter Char Delay (ms): The Inter Char Delay is the delay between printing one character and the
next. It is expressed in ms. The default value is 0. If set to 0, the reader does not introduce delay:
the only delay is that of the BT of the device in use. The use of the Inter Char Delay is
recommended to slow down the sending of characters from the reader to mobile devices, as these
are not performing enough to keep up with the Bluetooth transmission, with the risk of losing
characters.

CONFIGURATION MENU - skID Technical Information Manual 18
Inter Line Delay (ms): The Inter Line Delay is the delay between printing one last character of a line
and the first character of the next line. It is expressed in ms. The default value is 0. If set to 0, the
reader does not introduce delay: the only delay is that of the BT of the device in use. The use of the
Inter Line Delay is recommended to slow down the sending of characters from the reader to mobile
devices, as these are not performing enough to keep up with the Bluetooth transmission, with the
risk of losing characters.
EPC code parameters
Using the table below you can customize the text of the code displayed on the screen:
Tab. 2.1: EPC Code parameters
EPC Code: enable or disable. By default, the EPC Code is enabled and the EPC code is displayed
on the screen. You can change the default value using the drop-down menu.
PREFIX: The PREFIX option permits to specify a string to add before the EPC when a tag is read.
The following list shows the accepted characters for the prefix:
'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'h', 'i', 'j', 'k', 'l', 'm', 'n', 'o', 'p', 'q', 'r', 's', 't', 'u', 'v', 'w', 'x', 'y', 'z', 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E',
'F', 'G', 'H', 'I', 'J', 'K', 'L', 'M', 'N', 'O', 'P', 'Q', 'R', 'S', 'T', 'U', 'V', 'W', 'X', 'Y', 'Z', '0', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7',
'8', '9', '{', '|', '}', '!', '"', '#', '$', '(', ')', '*', '+', ',', '.', '/', ':', ';', '=', '?', '@', '[', ']', '^', '_', '-'
By default the prefix string is empty.
Y
Warning: if you are using a qwerty keyboard, pay attention that it is a standard qwerty
keyboard because if not the conversion of symbols could create display problems.
SUFFIX: The SUFFIX option permits to specify a string to add after the EPC when a tag is read.
The following list shows the accepted characters for the postfix:
'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'h', 'i', 'j', 'k', 'l', 'm', 'n', 'o', 'p', 'q', 'r', 's', 't', 'u', 'v', 'w', 'x', 'y', 'z', 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E',
'F', 'G', 'H', 'I', 'J', 'K', 'L', 'M', 'N', 'O', 'P', 'Q', 'R', 'S', 'T', 'U', 'V', 'W', 'X', 'Y', 'Z', '0', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7',
'8', '9', '{', '|', '}', '!', '"', '#', '$', '(', ')', '*', '+', ',', '.', '/', ':', ';', '=', '?', '@', '[', ']', '^', '_', '-'
By default the suffix string is \r\n\ (see the following table Tab. 2.2: Escape Sequences supported
page 18).
Y
Warning: if you are using a qwerty keyboard, pay attention that it is a standard qwerty
keyboard because if not the conversion of symbols could create display problems.
Escape Sequences
Description
\n
Newline (Line Feed)
\r
Carriage Return
\t
Horizontal Tab
\v
Vertical Tab
\\
Backslash
Tab. 2.2: Escape Sequences supported

CONFIGURATION MENU - skID Technical Information Manual 19
Using the second part of the Tab. 2.1: EPC Code parameters page 18, the same parameters (Prefix, Suffix)
can be set for individual memory banks (RESERVED, EPC, TID and USER). Addition parameters are:
ADDRESS: The address to start counting the “length” value. By default the address string is empty.
LENGTH: number of characters of the EPC code to be displayed counting from the “address”. If not
set, all the EPC code is displayed. By default the length string is empty.

CONFIGURATION MENU - skID Technical Information Manual 20
SYSTEM
Bluetooth and USB communication
Access the configuration menu as explained in the Introduction paragraph page 12.
Use this section in order to set the communication interface:
COMM INTERFACE: in the COMM INTERFACE box you can set two different communication
interface:
oUSB
oBluetooth (BT or BLE, depending on the firmware uploaded into the reader's Bluetooth
module)
Y
Warning: To save the changes click on the SAVE button (check the green dot on the bottom
right side of the sidebar). On the main application window click on File Disconnect. Power off
the reader, disconnect the USB cable and then power on the reader, the new settings are active.