nomad 900 Series User manual

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Limited Warranty & Liability Limitations
This product is limited warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for twelve
(12) months from the original date of purchase. Nomad accessories and peripherals are
limited warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for ninety (90) days from the
original date of purchase. If notice is received of such defects during the limited warranty
period, the proven defective product(s) will either be repaired or replaced, at the
manufacturer’s option. Replacement products may be either new or like new.
The manufacturer does not warrant that the operation of the products will be uninterrupted or
error free. If the product is not, within a reasonable time, repaired or replaced to a condition
as limited warranted, the customer will be entitled to a refund of the purchase price upon
prompt return of the product.
Limited warranty does not apply to defects resulting from (a) improper or inadequate
maintenance or calibration, (b) software, interfacing, parts, or supplies not supplied by
manufacturer, (c) unauthorized modification, or misuse, (d) operation outside of the published
environmental specifications for the product, or (e) physical damage due to external causes,
including accident, abuse, misuse or problems with electrical power. Water damage caused
by improper installation of the Expansion Caps or I/O Boots is not covered by warranty.
Removal of the back case voids the limited warranty. There are important seals that will break
and the Nomad will no longer be waterproof.
To the extent allowed by local law, the above limited warranties are exclusive and no other
warranty or condition, whether written or oral, is expressed or implied, specifically
disclaiming any implied warranties or conditions of merchantability, satisfactory quality, and
fitness for a particular purpose.
To the extent allowed by local law, the remedies in this limited warranty statement are
the customer’s sole and exclusive remedies. Except as indicated above, in no event will
the manufacturer or its suppliers be liable for loss of data or for direct, special,
incidental, consequential (including lost profit or data), or other damage, whether based
in contract, tort, or otherwise.

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Contents
Welcome......................................................................................3
Device Hardware .........................................................................4
Unit Setup....................................................................................6
Working with the Unit and the Battery......................................13
Status indicators.........................................................................18
Settings on your Unit.................................................................19
Communication..........................................................................21
Connecting to a PC....................................................................21
Working with Bluetooth ............................................................23
Working with Wi-Fi (802.11)....................................................25
Working with the Camera..........................................................28
Working with the Scanner .........................................................31
Working with the GPS...............................................................32
Using SatViewer........................................................................33
Working with the Wireless WAN..............................................47
Troubleshooting.........................................................................51
Caring for your Unit ..................................................................52
Environmental Considerations...................................................53
Environmental Specifications....................................................54
Hardware Specifications............................................................54
Regulatory Information..............................................................55
Declaration of Conformity.........................................................56
Safe Use of your Unit ................................................................57
Welcome
Congratulations on your purchase of the Nomad®Handheld
Computer, the most powerful and advanced handheld computer
available on the market today. Its rugged design allows you to work
in harsh outdoor environments. You can operate your unit in blazing
heat, subzero cold, driving rain or dusty job sites –places you could
not take a consumer-grade handheld computer.
NOTE: Not all the features discussed in this manual will apply to
every unit, as some of the features are offered as options. If the
feature described does not apply to your unit, please disregard that
section.

4
Device Hardware
Front View
Numeric Data Keypad
Back View
with hand strap
Expansion Cap
Expansion Cap
I/O Boot
Bottom View
USB I/O Boot
Bottom View
Serial I/O Boot
Serial
External
Power
Mini-
USB
Client
USB
Host
External
Power
Mini-
USB
Client
Audio
Jack
*See settings for assignable application buttons (keys)
Backspace*
Enter*
Application
Soft Key*
Notification
LED
Battery
LED
OK*
Today*
Number pad and Navigation keys
For more information about the function key,
see page 19
Tab*
Power
Application
Soft Key*
Start*
Function Key*
Battery
Door
Screws
Battery
Door
Hand
Strap
Stylus

5
WWAN Option
Second USB host Option
Expansion Cap (GPS Antenna)
900LD Model
Extended Cap Option
Sold as an Accessory
Top View
Standard
Top View
Camera & Scanner Expansion Cap
Expansion Cap
Camera only
Scanner & Camera
An Extended Cap, sold as an accessory, can be used for oversized
CompactFlash (CF) and Secure Digital (SD) cards.
NOTE: Be sure to read the warranty and safety information in this
manual prior to using your unit.
SD
slot
CF type II
or USB
SD
slot
Scanner
Camera
SD
slot
Camera
WWAN
Antenna

6
Unit Setup
1. Install the battery
The Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery and
battery cover are shipped detached from the
unit. Insert the battery into the compartment
so the connectors on the battery mate with
the pins in the battery compartment. Press
firmly. Place the battery door over the
battery, with the flat side of the battery door
at the top.
Remove the rubber cap from the end of the
stylus to expose a Philips screwdriver, or
use a small #1 Philips head screwdriver to
finger-tighten the four screws in the battery
door.
NOTE: DO NOT use the screwdriver part of the stylus on
the touchscreen or it will scratch your screen. Only use the
spring-tip end of the stylus.
2. Charge the battery
The power supply that ships with your unit has four international
plugs that fit almost every electrical outlet in the world. Connect the
appropriate plug to the power cord and attach the power supply.
Plug into an electrical outlet and plug the barrel end of the power
supply into the unit.
Warning! Be sure to only use the power supply
included with your unit. Use of other adapters
may void the product warranty.
3. Attach the hand strap
Attach the hand strap to the back case, as shown.
IMPORTANT: Fully charge the battery once it’s installed in the
unit. The battery gauge may not be accurate until it has been
fully charged at least one time, which should take
approximately 4 ½ hours. The battery LED (right side of unit)
will turn green once it’s fully charged.

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4. Apply the screen protector
To keep the touchscreen clean and protected, apply the screen
protector following the instructions provided in the screen protector
package. Unprotected screens become scratched and scuffed over
time. Screen protectors extend the life of the display by providing a
protective and replaceable barrier between abrasive grit and the
surface of the display. It is recommended to replace the screen
protector every 2 months, or more often if heavily used.
Screen damage associated with not using a screen protector, not
using the approved screen protector or failure to follow the
instructions for installation may void the product warranty.
5. Turning your unit on and off
The unit should boot up when the battery is installed. If not, press
and release the green Power key on the keypad. To turn your unit
off, press and release the Power key again.
One of the most convenient features of your unit is
―suspend/resume‖. There is no waiting for the unit to boot up every
time it is turned on. (It does not occur on the first boot-up.)

8
6. Language selection
The first time the unit is turned on or if the firmware is re-loaded,
you may need to select the desired language.
1. Use the up or down arrows to highlight the language desired
and press Enter to select it. (The touchscreen is not enabled
yet).
2. Use the up or down arrows to highlight the checkbox.
3. Press Enter to place a checkmark in the box for ―Yes‖.
4. Use the up or down arrows to highlight NEXT and press
Enter.
5. Wait while your unit is being configured to the chosen
language. It will restart when finished.
IMPORTANT: Carefully choose the correct language because all
other languages are removed after this selection. Contact
technical support if the wrong language was selected.
NEXT
UP
DOWN
ENTER

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NOTE: Only Microsoft applications and messages will be
translated into languages other than English. All other error
messages, notifications and other applications may appear in
English.
7. Align screen
When the unit first turns on, the message ―Tap the screen to set up
your Windows Mobile-based device‖ will appear.
The align screen message will display a series of targets to tap in
sequence on the screen. Use the stylus to tap the targets firmly and
accurately. Sometimes you need to repeat the alignment procedure
more than once to provide a satisfactory alignment.
8. Location –time zone
Select your time zone location, set the time and date to the correct
values and tap Next.
9. Password –lock (optional)
You do not have to provide a password unless you are concerned
about unauthorized use. To eliminate using a password, tap Skip.
If you opt for password protection the password must be entered
every time the unit is turned on or the Power key is pressed to
resume operation.
WARNING: BE CERTAIN TO REMEMBER THE PASSWORD.
The only way to recover from a forgotten password is to perform a
Clean Boot and you will LOSE all application software, licenses,
settings and data on your unit. See page 17 on how to perform a
Clean Boot.
10. Using the expansion ports
To access the expansion ports, use the
Philips screwdriver end of the stylus or a
small #1 Philips head screwdriver to
rotate the two quarter-turn fasteners counter-clockwise and remove
the Expansion Cap.
Under the Expansion Cap is a Secure Digital (SD) expansion slot.
Depending upon the configuration of your unit, it may contain a

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CompactFlash (CF) type II slot, USB port, a camera and/or a scanner.
The scanner and camera units have a clear window in the cap.
Gently insert cards into the slot and
release; the card should catch in the slot.
Make sure the front of the card faces the
display side of the unit. Push the cards
in straight, never at an angle or forced.
To eject an SD card, gently press the top of the card to release it. To
eject a CF card, press the eject button next to the CF card.
There may be a foam bumper inside the expansion cap. When
present, SD cards will be retained in 900B and 900L units when
dropped within the product specification. On the LD unit, only USB
storage devices that are 1.75 inches long are supported in drop. USB
devices that are longer than 1.75 inches may reduce GPS
performance.
NOTE: DO NOT use the unit without reattaching the cap and the
boot. The unit is NOT sealed when the cap or boot is off and water
damage can occur, possibly voiding the warranty.
SD slot
CF slot
type II

11
Tap to view and change connection settings.
Tap to go to
a program
Tap to change or mute volume
11. The Today Screen
The Today screen provides information that you need for the day.
Tap an item to view or edit details. To customize which items are
shown on the Today screen, tap Start / Settings / Today / Items.
12. Getting Started
The Getting Started menu on the Today screen has a number of
helpful features in setting up your unit. The Getting Started icon can
be removed from the Today screen, if desired.
13. I/O Boots
There are two types of boots available. The boots can be swapped
by loosening the screws pointed out in the picture below.
USB I/O Boot
Serial I/O Boot
Pin 5
Pin 1
USB
Host
External
Power
Audio
Jack
Pin 9
Pin 6
External
Power
Serial
Screws to swap boot
Screws to swap boot
Mini-
USB
Client
Mini-
USB
Client
Tap to view power settings
Tap to change owner
information
Tap to change time
settings
Tap to change WLAN &
Bluetooth settings
Assisted GPS improves the
time of locating satellites.
Tap to set up many
useful features

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Both boots have a mini-USB client that uses a standard USB cable
(included with the unit). The mini-USB port can be used to connect
to a personal computer (PC).
USB I/O Boot: This boot has a mini-USB client, a USB host port
(to connect to USB client devices) and an audio jack that is wired
for a headset with a mono speaker and microphone combination.
(It is not for stereo headsets.)
NOTE: Many USB host peripheral devices supported by personal
computers (Microsoft Windows XP®, Microsoft Vista®, Microsoft
Windows 7®, etc.) are not supported by this unit. Mass storage
devices (e.g. memory drives) and USB Human Interface Devices
(HID) (e.g. keyboards) are supported. Before purchasing a USB
peripheral, check with the manufacturer to ensure that it will
operate with one of these natively supported USB classes. Some
devices have no applicability in Windows Mobile. For example,
mice do not make sense to use with your unit because it is designed
to be touchscreen or keypad operated.
Serial I/O Boot: This boot has a mini-USB client and an RS-232
connector for use with serial devices. COM1 is always reserved in
software for the 9-pin port, even if you don’t have a unit with a
serial boot.

13
Working with the Unit and the Battery
Battery life: The Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery life is dependent
upon the application and operating environment.
Tips for extending the battery life:
- Keypad backlight:The default is OFF. Using this backlight
could reduce your battery life by up to 25%. For information on
changing the backlight settings, see page 20.
- Display backlight:Tap Start / Settings / System / Backlight to
minimize the amount of time the backlight stays on and dim it
to only as bright as required to view the display.
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, camera, or barcode scanner: If your unit
comes with any of these options installed, use ONLY when
necessary. Turn off when not needed. Minimize the Flash
intensity and the use of the flashlight.
- Cold temperatures: Keep the unit as warm as possible. If
feasible, keep it inside your coat or a vehicle when not in use.
- GPS: Ensure that the GPS-aware applications that communicate
with the GPS are closed when not in use. The Today screen
indicates if the GPS is running.
- Expansion ports: Select low-power consumption CF and SD
cards and use them only when necessary.
- Auto features: Tap Start / Settings / System / Power /
Advanced. To conserve battery power, specify your unit to turn
off in a short time if not in use.
Other factors that may have some impact on battery life include
heavy usage of the Bluetooth radio and heavy processing by the
CPU, but these factors are typically less significant.
Charging the battery: The battery can be charged in the unit or
apart from the unit with an external battery charger (sold separately,
as an accessory). Connect the plug for your country to the power
cord and attach to the power supply. Plug into an electrical outlet and
plug the barrel end of the power supply into the unit. The unit will be
charged in about 4.5 hours.
A full charge is indicated by the battery LED (right side of the unit)
turning green. The recommended temperature range for charging is
between +32 °F and +113 °F (0 °C and +45 °C). If the battery
temperature is outside of this range, the battery will not charge.

14
Warning! Be sure to only use the power supply included with your
unit. Use of other adapters may void the product warranty.
Changing the battery: The unit was designed to be able to change
the battery quickly without resetting it. The unit saves enough
power (in Replace Battery mode) that if you swap the battery within
approximately one minute, it will not trigger a reset.
WARNING: If the saved power runs out before the new battery is
installed, the unit will reset. This will not impact saved data,
programs or configuration, however unsaved data will be lost and
the time settings will need to be reset.
To change a battery, perform the following steps:
1. Close open applications and save data in case the battery
exchange takes too long.
2. Remove the hand strap from the unit.
3. Enter the Replace Battery mode (ensures that alarms will not
wake up the unit while changing the battery). Press and hold
the Power key and tap Replace Battery. See page 16.
4. Use the supplied stylus or a small #1 Philips head screwdriver
to loosen the four screws in the battery door.
5. Remove the battery from the unit.
6. Quickly insert the replacement
battery onto the unit.
7. Place the battery door over the
battery, with the flat side of the
battery door at the top of the unit.
Use the stylus or screwdriver to finger-tighten the four screws.
8. Replace the hand strap.
9. Turn on the unit to resume operation.
Calibrating the battery: The battery has an internal gauge that
provides an estimate of the amount of energy in the battery as it
charges and discharges. If your battery is showing inaccuracy in the
power gauge or large jumps in capacity, (i.e. the power is reading
50% and goes dead shortly thereafter) it may need calibration.
Tap Start / Settings / System / Power / Calibration to see if the
message reads Calibration recommended or Calibration not
necessary. If calibration is recommended or the battery is reporting
inaccurately, perform the following:

15
1. Plug in the power supply. The unit MUST stay plugged in during
the calibration or you may need to restart the process.
2. Ensure the temperature is between +32 °F and +113 °F (0 °C
and +45 °C) while charging.
3. Tap Start Calibration.
4. During the calibration process, the Power key is disabled
temporarily and the backlight is turned up to 100%.
It takes up to 25 hours to complete the calibration. When finished, a
notification will state Calibration is complete. It is recommended to
not use your unit during the calibration process. To stop the
calibration process, tap Start / Settings / System / Power /
Calibration / Stop Calibration.
Possible error messages that can occur during calibration:
Error Message
Solution
Battery is not charging,
aborting
Battery temperature may be out of range. Wait
until battery temperature settles and try again.
Discharge became invalid,
restarting
Calibration will restart itself.
AC power is in an unknown
or uncontrolled state;
aborting
Plug in unit and restart calibration. Try a different
power supply and restart calibration. If it
continues to fail, have the unit serviced.
Notification LEDs
At the top of the Nomad are two LEDs that provide status
information. The LED states are shown in the following tables.
Right LED
Function
Off
On battery power
Solid yellow
Charging on power supply
Solid green
Fully charged on power supply
Blinking yellow
Battery problem during charging (temperature
out of range, defective or missing battery)
Left LED
Function
Off
No notifications & phone off
Blinking yellow
Microsoft notifications
Blinking green –short blink
Phone on - network available
Blinking green –long blink
Phone on - data transfer in progress
NOTE: If the left LED is blinking green, battery power is being consumed due to the
cellular modem being turned on, even when the device is suspended.

16
Speaker and microphone
Your unit comes with an integrated speaker and a microphone. It
also has an audio jack that is wired for a headset with a mono
speaker and microphone combination. It is not for stereo headsets.
To record, tap Start / Programs / Notes. If you do not see the
Recording toolbar, tap Menu / View Recording Toolbar. Tap the
round record symbol on the screen. The unit will record until Stop
is pressed. The recorded file will be saved in the Notes folder.
Power key features
The Power key turns the unit on and off and performs a number of
additional functions.
Turn backlight on/off: To toggle the backlight on or off, hold down
the Power key for approximately 1 second. Once toggled off, the
backlight will stay off until it is toggled back on. Screen taps and
key presses will not cause it to turn on.
Power menu: Hold down the Power key for about 3 seconds to
display a countdown. Continuing to press the Power key will cause
a reset when the countdown reaches zero. If you release the Power
key while the countdown is proceeding, you access the following
menu. Tap an option or OK to exit.
Clean Screen: Disables the touchscreen for cleaning. Press the
enter key to re-enable the touchscreen.
Align Screen: Repeats the alignment procedure.
Replace Battery/SIM: Ensures that alarms will not wake up the
unit while changing the battery or the SIM on WWAN units.
Shutdown: Intended for long term storage to put the unit in its
lowest power mode. Running application state, unsaved data,
and real-time clock settings will be lost. Internal GPS
parameters will be reset to their default settings. To take the unit
out of the shutdown mode, press the power key and the unit will boot up. NOTE: While in
shutdown mode, the battery LED does not work, but if the power supply is plugged in, it
will still charge.
Reset: Stops all running programs and restarts the unit. No file system data is lost, only
open or unsaved files will be lost. All registry settings, control panel, personal information,
GPS settings and databases are preserved.
NOTE: if the countdown or the Power menu does not appear when the power button is
held down, continue to hold down the power button for at least 20 seconds to reset it.

17
Perform a Clean Boot
WARNING: All application software installed by
the factory and the customer, plus licenses,
settings and user data will be cleared if this
function is performed!
Hold down the Power key and press the right soft key to
display a countdown. Continue to hold down both keys until it
counts down to zero, followed by a brief appearance of the boot
screen. Continue to hold both keys down until a screen appears
warning that if you continue, this operation will clear the persistent
store. Follow the instructions on the screen ONLY if you want to
completely clear your unit.
NOTE: ScanAgent, SatViewer and CellStart (found on the
documentation CD) and any other applications installed will need to
be reinstalled using ActiveSync. Certain configuration parameters
of the internal GPS receiver (baud, parity, etc.) will remain
unchanged.
Storage memory
Unlike many handhelds which can lose data if they lose power, all
your data is always stored in non-volatile persistent storage
memory. Losing power will not impact saved data or configurations
other than the real-time clock. This means that you do not have to
use a RAM backup utility to protect your data. However, you can
lose data by accidentally deleting or overwriting it. As with any
computer system, we recommend that you regularly backup your
data to removable media or to a PC.
Accessing storage memory using File Explorer
File Explorer (Start / Programs / File Explorer) lets you browse
the contents of folders on your unit. To easily delete, rename, or
copy an item, touch and hold the item.
NOTE: Unlike PC’s, Windows Mobile does not support a Recycle
Bin. Once a file is deleted, it cannot be recovered.

18
Status indicators
Following are some of the status indicators seen on your unit.
Icon
Description
Icon
Description
Battery power is low
Indicates that one or more networks are
present. Tap to access an available network
Battery power is
very low
Wireless LAN connected
Battery
communication error
Active connection, but not currently
synchronizing
Battery charging
Inactive connection to computer or wireless
network
Battery level
Synchronizing
Battery calibration in
progress
Synchronizing error
Instant messages
received
E-mail has been received
Speaker is on
Pending alarm
Speaker is off (or in
mute position)
Phone is turned on and signal strength
SIM card missing
Phone is turned off. To turn it on, tap this icon
Faulty SIM card
No signal
New voice mail
No service. Phone connection unavailable or
network error.
Tap to view more
notifications
Lost signal. The unit is searching for a signal.
Data call is in
progress
EDGE available
New Instant
message received
EDGE connected
Roaming mode
GPRS available
GPRS connected

19
Settings on your Unit
Tap Start / Settings. Tap any of the icons on the Personal, System
or Connections tabs to customize the unit settings to your own
preferences. Tap OK to exit the settings. Some of the more useful
settings are described below.
Lock (password)
If you want password protection from unauthorized use of your
unit, tap Personal / Lock. The password must be entered every time
you turn the unit on or resume operation.
WARNING: BE CERTAIN TO REMEMBER THE PASSWORD.
The only way to recover from a forgotten password is to perform a
Clean Boot. However, you will LOSE all application software,
licenses, settings and data on your unit. For instructions on how to
perform a Clean Boot, see page 17.
Buttons (keys)
Tap Personal / Buttons. You can assign your favorite programs to
several of the keypad buttons. The list of assignable keys is shown
on the left hand side with the program that is assigned by default on
the right. To reassign a key, select the key you wish to change in
section 1 and choose the desired program or action from the pull-
down list in section 2. By default, the key will take you to the
Camera application and the Camera Focus. The left soft key is
assigned to the Flashlight, if the camera is present and the right soft
key is assigned to the laser scanner, if present.
On the numeric data keypads, the yellow function key (sticky
FN) accesses the tasks in yellow, including the Navigation arrows.
Several settings can be changed under Keyboard Options.
Auto release: Press and release the function key to access a
yellow task for one use. It then goes back to the keytop tasks.
Manual release: This is the default. Press the function key to
toggle it on and off. Yellow tasks remains active until the
function key is pressed again.
Disabled:The function key has to be held down while pressing
any other key to access the yellow task.
Play Sticky Key Sounds: To disable sticky key sounds, remove
the check in the box.

20
Backlight for display and keypad
Tap System / Backlight. Change the settings as follows:
Display backlight: The default is on. Tap Battery Power,
External Power and Brightness tabs to change settings.
Keypad backlight: Make changes by tapping the Keypad
Battery, Keypad External or Keypad Brightness tabs.
Power
Tap System / Power to view the approximate battery power
remaining. Tap the Advanced tab and choose the settings for
automatically turning off the unit when not in use.
Tap System / Power / Calibration to see if calibration is
recommended. For more information on calibration, refer to page
14.
Memory
Tap System / Memory to see how much Storage memory (Flash)
and Program memory (RAM) is available. If there are external
cards installed, tap Storage Card to view the available memory on
the card. If there is more than one card installed, tap the dropdown
arrow to select the different cards.
Flash Settings
Tap System / Flash Settings. The Flashlight turns on automatically.
You can change the intensity of the Flashlight and the intensity of
the Flash used for the camera. To turn the Flashlight on and off,
push the left soft key.
Task Manager
Closing programs still leaves them resident in RAM. Windows
Mobile will close background programs to free up RAM if
resources are low. To manually close programs, tap Start /
Programs / Task Manager. Tap on the program and tap End Task
or tap Menu / End all Tasks.
System information
Tap System / System Information. Firmware version, serial
number, processor speed, RAM and Flash size, wireless
configurations, battery and card port information can be found here.