PSC PowerScanTM RF User manual

PowerScan™ RF
Handheld Bar Code Scanner
User’s Guide

PSC Scanning, Inc.
959 Terry Street
Eugene, Oregon 97402
Telephone: [phone]
Telefax: [phone]
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.
All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this documentation or
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 i
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 1
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

2 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.)
1.
Battery Release Tabs
1
1

User’s Guide 3
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.
ab
c

4 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
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.

6 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 7
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.