RTscan RT209 Quick setup guide

RT209 Integration Guide
RT209
OEM Scan Engine
Integration Guide

RT209 Integration Guide
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction....................................................................................................................................... 1
Overview .................................................................................................................................................. 1
Aimer ........................................................................................................................................................ 1
Illumination ............................................................................................................................................... 1
Chapter 2 Installation......................................................................................................................................... 2
General Requirements............................................................................................................................. 2
ESD................................................................................................................................................... 2
Dust and Dirt..................................................................................................................................... 2
Ambient Environment ....................................................................................................................... 2
Thermal Considerations ................................................................................................................... 2
Installation Orientation...................................................................................................................... 3
Optics ....................................................................................................................................................... 3
Window Placement........................................................................................................................... 3
Window Material and Color .............................................................................................................. 4
Scratch Resistance and Coating ...................................................................................................... 4
Window Size ..................................................................................................................................... 4
Ambient Light.................................................................................................................................... 5
Eye Safety......................................................................................................................................... 5
Mounting................................................................................................................................................... 5
Front View (unit: mm) ....................................................................................................................... 6
Left View (unit: mm).......................................................................................................................... 6
Bottom View (unit: mm) .................................................................................................................... 6
Chapter 3 Electrical Specifications .................................................................................................................. 7
Power Supply ........................................................................................................................................... 7
Ripple Noise............................................................................................................................................. 7
DC Characteristics ................................................................................................................................... 7
Operating Voltage............................................................................................................................. 7

RT209 Integration Guide
Current .............................................................................................................................................. 8
Chapter 4 Interfaces........................................................................................................................................... 9
Host Interface Connector....................................................................................................................... 10
Dimensions of the Host Interface Connector ................................................................................. 11
FFC Cable....................................................................................................................................... 11
Cable Connection ........................................................................................................................... 12
Communication Interfaces ..................................................................................................................... 12
Control Interfaces................................................................................................................................... 13
Reset............................................................................................................................................... 13
Trigger............................................................................................................................................. 13
Beeper ............................................................................................................................................ 14
Good Read LED ............................................................................................................................. 15
Chapter 5 Development Tools......................................................................................................................... 16
EVK ........................................................................................................................................................ 16
QuickSet/uExpress................................................................................................................................. 16

1
RT209 Integration Guide
Chapter 1 Introduction
Overview
TM
The RT209 supports all mainstream 1D as well as PDF417, QR Code (QR1, QR2, Micro QR), Chinese
Sensible Code, Data Matrix and GS1-DataBarTM(RSS) (Limited/ Stacked/ Expanded versions).
Aimer
The RT209 has a view finder that produces a bar-shaped aiming pattern to help the user to easily position
the target barcode within the engine’s field of view to increase scan efficiency. The aiming pattern can be
turned On or Off. It is advisable to turn it on when scanning barcodes.
Illumination
The RT209 has several red LEDs (wavelength: 625±10nm) for supplementary lighting, making it possible
to scan barcodes even in complete darkness. The illumination can be programmed On or Off.
The RT209 uses red LEDs for illumination, so the engine shows better reading performance on barcodes
printed in non-red colors. For applications involving red barcodes, it is advised to turn off the engine’s
illumination and use non-red supplementary lighting (such as green) instead. The user can conduct some
tests to determine the proper wavelengths to be used.

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RT209 Integration Guide
Chapter 2 Installation
General Requirements
ESD
ESD protection has been taken into account when designing the RT209 and the engine is shipped in ESD
safe packaging. Always exercise care when handling the engine outside its package. Be sure grounding
wrist straps and properly grounded work areas are used.
Dust and Dirt
The RT209 must be sufficiently enclosed to prevent dust particles from gathering on the lens, circuit
boards and LEDs. Dust and other contaminants will eventually degrade the engine’s performance.
Ambient Environment
The following environmental requirements should be met to ensure good performance of the RT209:
Operating Temperature
-20℃to 55℃
Storage Temperature
-40℃to 80℃
Humidity
5% ~ 95% (non-condensing)
Thermal Considerations
Electronic components in the RT209 will generate heat during the course of their operation. Operating the
RT209 continuously for an extended period may cause temperatures to rise on CIS and decoder chip.
Overheating can degrade image quality and affect scanning performance. Given that, the following
precautions should be taken into consideration when integrating the RT209.
Reserve sufficient space for good air circulation during design.
Avoid wrapping the RT209 with thermal insulation materials such as rubber.

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RT209 Integration Guide
Installation Orientation
The following figure illustrates a front view of the RT209 after installation.
Optics
Window Placement
The window should be positioned properly to let the illumination and aiming beams pass through as much
as possible and no reflections back into the engine (reflections can degrade the reading performance).
The window should be mounted close to the front of the engine (parallel). The maximum distance is
measured from the front of the engine housing to the furthest surface of the window. Avoid unwanted
reflections and use thin material for window so as to reach better reading performance. As shown in the
figure below, the distance from the front of the engine housing to the furthest surface of the window
should not exceed 3mm and the distance from the front of the engine housing to the nearest surface of
the window should not exceed 2mm.
If the window is required to be in a tilted position, the above distance requirements should be met and tilt
angle should ensure no reflections back into the lens.
Up
≤ 2mm
≤ 3mm

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RT209 Integration Guide
Window Material and Color
Wavelengths of illumination and aiming beams should be taken into consideration when choosing window
material and color, to achieve the possible highest spectral transmission, lowest haze level and
homogeneous refractive index. It is suggested to use PMMA or optical glass with spectral transmittance
of illumination and aiming beams over 90% and haze less than 1%. Whether to use an anti-reflection
coating or not depends on the material and application needs.
Scratch Resistance and Coating
Scratch on the window can greatly reduce the performance of the RT209. It is suggested to use abrasion
resistant window material or coating.
Window Size
The window must not block the field of view and should be sized to accommodate the aiming and
illumination envelopes shown below.

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RT209 Integration Guide
Ambient Light
The RT209 shows better performance with ambient light. However, high-frequency pulsed light can result
in performance degradation.
Eye Safety
The RT209 has no lasers. It uses LEDs that create the aiming and illumination beams. These LEDs are
bright, but testing has been done to demonstrate that the engine is safe for its intended application under
normal usage conditions. However, the user should avoid looking into the beam.
Mounting
The illustrations below show the mechanical mounting dimensions for the RT209. The structural design
should leave some space between components and provide sufficient space for FFC cable.
Elements listed in previous sections should also be taken into consideration when integrating the RT209.

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RT209 Integration Guide
Front View (unit: mm)
Left View (unit: mm)
Bottom View (unit: mm)
The bottom view shows the mounting screw specification (M2, machine screw with an internal diameter of
2mm). Note that the part of mounting screws into the engine cannot exceed 3mm.

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RT209 Integration Guide
Chapter 3 Electrical Specifications
Power Supply
Do not power up the RT209 until it is properly connected. Be sure the power is cut off before connecting a
flexible cable to or disconnecting a flexible cable from the host interface connector. Hot-plugging could
damage the engine.
Unstable power supply or sharp voltage drops or unreasonably short interval between power-ons may
lead to unstable performance of the engine. Do not resupply the power immediately after cutting it off.
The minimum interval must exceed 2 seconds.
Ripple Noise
The image sensor is directly fed by the input power of RT209. To ensure the image quality, a power
supply with low ripple noise is needed.
Acceptable ripple range (peak-to-peak) : ≤50mV (≤30mV recommended).
DC Characteristics
Operating Voltage
Ta=25℃
Parameter
Minimum
Typical
Maximum
Unit
VCC
3.1
3.3
3.6
V
VIH
VCC-0.5
-
-
V
VIL
-
-
0.5
V
VOH
VCC-0.3
-
-
V
VOL
-
-
0.3
V

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RT209 Integration Guide
Current
Ta=25℃，VCC=3.3V
Parameter
Average
Maximum
Unit
IOP
190
-
mA
IStandby
7
-
mA
ILow power
5
-
uA

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RT209 Integration Guide
Chapter 4 Interfaces
The following table lists the pin functions of the 12-pin host interface connector on the RT209. Refer to the
“Cable Connection”section in this chapter for the location of Pin 1.
PIN#
Signal Name
I/O
Function
1
VCC
-
Power supply.
2
VCC
-
Power supply.
3
GND
-
Power-supply ground.
4
RX
Input
TTL level 232 receive data.
5
TX
Output
TTL level 232 transmit data.
6
D-
Input/Output
USB D- differential data signal
7
D+
Input/Output
USB D+ differential data signal
8
GND
-
Power-supply ground.
9
BUZ
Output
Beeper output. For the information of external beeper driver
circuit, see the Control Interfaces section.
10
LED
Output
Good Read LED output. For the information of external LED
driver circuit, see the Control Interfaces section.
11
RESET
Input
Reset signal input: Driving this pin low for at least
100μs-500μsresets the RT209.
12
TRIG
Input
Trigger signal input: Driving this pin low for at least 10ms
causes the RT209 to start a scan and decode session.

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RT209 Integration Guide
Host Interface Connector
The RT209’s host interface connector is a 12-pin ZIF socket (bottom contact) which can be used to
connect a host device (e.g., software development board EVK) with an FFC cable. The following figures
show the location and dimensions of the socket. (unit: mm)

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RT209 Integration Guide
Dimensions of the Host Interface Connector
FFC Cable
A 12-pin FFC cable can be used to connect the RT209 to a host device. The cable design must be
consistent with the following specifications shown below. Use reinforcement material for the connectors
on the cable and reduce cable impedance for reliable connection and stable performance.
unit: mm
unit: mm

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RT209 Integration Guide
Cable Connection
Be sure the power is cut off before connecting a flexible cable to the host interface connector on the
RT209. Hot plugging could damage the engine or the host device.
Connect the RT209 to a host device with a 12-pin flexible cable as shown in the following figure.
Communication Interfaces
The RT209 can communicate with the host device through either TTL-232 serial port or USB port using
one of the following communication modes.
TTL-232: This interface is applicable to most system architectures. For those requiring RS-232, a
TTL-232 to RS-232 conversion circuit is needed.
USB HID-KBW: Based on USB connection, the engine’s transmission is simulated as USB keyboard
input. It works on a Plug and Play basis and no driver is required.
USB COM Port Emulation: The USB port on the host device is emulated as a serial port with the
same data transmission and configuration as a real serial port. A driver is required.
USB HID-POS: It is based on HID with no need for custom driver and is way more efficient in
communication than keyboard emulation and traditional RS-232 interface.
The RT209’s serial port supports baud rates from 1200bps to 115200bps; it does not support hardware
flow control.

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RT209 Integration Guide
Control Interfaces
Reset
Driving the RESET pin (PIN 11) on the host interface connector low for 100μs-500μs and then having the
signal back to high or idle high level resets the RT209.
The minimum interval between reset operations must exceed 2 seconds.
Trigger
Driving the TRIG pin (PIN 12) on the host interface connector low for a specified time period causes the
RT209 to start a scan and decode session. The time period varies from one scan mode to another.
Anti-shake mechanism is used in level trigger mode. For this mode, a trigger begins when the signal from
the TRIG pin remains low for at least 10ms.
For those scan modes with a timeout mechanism, the trigger automatically deactivates when the timeout
expires. After a trigger ends, the engine gets ready for next trigger only if the signal from the TRIG pin
stays high for at least 10ms.

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RT209 Integration Guide
Beeper
The RT209 provides a pin (BUZ, PIN 9) on the host interface connector that provides a PWM output to an
external driver circuit for generating audible feedback to the user to indicate statuses like power up, good
read or operation error. The PWM output is not strong enough to drive a beeper, so a beeper driver circuit
is needed.
The following beeper driver circuit is provided for reference.

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RT209 Integration Guide
Good Read LED
The RT209 provides a pin (LED, PIN 10) on the host interface connector that can be used by an external
driver circuit to drive an LED to indicate a good read status. When a good read occurs, the signal from the
LED pin turns from a low level into alternation of high and low levels and a while later back to a low level.
This Good Read LED output is not strong enough to drive an LED, so an LED driver circuit is needed.
The following LED driver circuit is provided for reference.

RT209 Integration Guide
Chapter 5 Development Tools
The RT209’s development tools can be utilized for engine performance evaluation, application
development and engine configuration.
EVK
The EVK is provided to help users to test and evaluate the RT209, which contains beeper & beeper driver
circuit, LED & LED driver circuit, trigger & reset buttons, TTL-232 to RS-232 converter & TTL-232 to USB
converter, RS-232 & USB interfaces, etc. The RT209 can be connected to the EVK via a 12-pin FFC
cable type 1 (contacts on the same side). Either USB connection or RS-232 connection can be used
when connecting the EVK to a host device.
QuickSet/uExpress
A bunch of software such as QuickSet and uExpress is provided to assist users in function settings for the
RT209 under Windows.