Telxon PTC-921 DOS User manual

PTC-921 DOS
User’s Guide

PTC-921 DOS
User’s Guide
Part Number: 23451-000-02
Release Date: 5/27/98

Telxon is a registered trademark of Telxon
Corporation.
MS-DOS is a registered trademark of Microsoft
Corporation.
The information contained in this manual is subject
to change without notice.
Telxon Corporation shall not be liable for technical or
editorial omissions or mistakes in this manual nor
shall it be liable for incidental or consequential
damages resulting from your use of the information
contained in this manual.
This manual is copyrighted. All rights are reserved.
No part of this manual may be photocopied or
reproduced in any form without the prior written
consent of Telxon.
© Copyright 1998 Telxon Corporation
All Rights Reserved.

Contents
Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
General regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
FCC statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
DOC statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
CE statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
If your PTC contains an Air-I/O 500 radio module . . . . . 2
FCC statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
FCC regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
DOC statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Safety information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Using and disposing of lithium-ion batteries . . . . . . . . 3
If your PTC contains a radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Using the internal laser scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Scope of the manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Document conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Cautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Overview of the PTC-921 DOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Entering data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Through the keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
With the internal laser scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Via the radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Storing data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Communicating data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Getting started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Unpacking the PTC-921 DOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Installing the battery pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
i

Charging the battery pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Turning on the PTC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Checking the PTC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Radio (optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Autodiscrimination between bar codes . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Automatic off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Automatic return at on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Backup system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Beeper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Scanning bar-code labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Communicating data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Using a communication cradle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Using the radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Replacing the battery pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Removing the battery pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Installing a new battery pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Maintaining the PTC-921 DOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Operating conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Handling the PTC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Storing the PTC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Cleaning the PTC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Servicing the PTC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
The PTC does not turn on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
The laser scanner fails to read a label . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Your radio fails to establish contact . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Other problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
ii

Appendix A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Electrical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Environmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Laser scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Physical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Processor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Appendix B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Accessory part numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Appendix C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Bar-code types and scanning distances . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Bar-code types supported . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Scanning distances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Appendix D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Pinouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
iii

iv

Regulations 1
General regulations
FCC statement
!Changes or modifications not
expressly approved by Telxon for
compliance could void the user’s
authority to operate the equipment.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply
with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant
to Part 15 of the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) rules. These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against harmful
interference when the equipment is operated in a
commercial environment. This equipment generates,
uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if
not installed and used in accordance with this
instruction manual, may cause harmful interference
to radio communications. Operation of this equipment
in a residential area is likely to cause harmful
interference, in which case users will be required to
correct the interference at their own expense.
DOC statement
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A
limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus
as outlined in the Radio Interference Regulations of
the Canadian Department of Communications (DOC).
This Class A digital apparatus meets all requirements
of the Canadian Interference-causing Equipment
Regulations.
Cet appareil numerique de la Classe A respecte toutes
les exigences du Reglement sur le material broilleur
du Canada.
1

CE statement
This device has the European community’s CE mark
of approval.
If your PTC contains an Air-I/O 500 radio
module
FCC statement
The Air-I/O 500 radio module within the PTC-921
DOS fully complies with FCC Part 15.247 limits for
intentional radiation as well as FCC Part 15.109 for
unintentional emissions.
FCC regulations
The PTC-921 DOS uses radios (transceivers) and
radio communication in its operation. The PTC-921
DOS is a low-power transceiver operating under FCC
Part 15.247. No license is required for operation.
DOC statement
The PTC-921 DOS’s Air-I/O 500 radio module is also
approved for use in Canada. No license is required for
operation.
This device complies with RSS-210 of Industry and
Science Canada. Operation is subject to the following
two conditions: (1) this device may not cause interfer-
ence, and (2) this device must accept any interference,
including interference that may cause undesired
operation of the device.
2

Safety information 2
Using and disposing of lithium-ion batteries
Follow these guidelines when handling the PTC’s
lithium-ion battery pack:
•Do not expose the battery pack to water, metal
objects, direct sunlight, extreme heat, or fire.
•Do not attempt to disassemble the battery pack.
•Do not handle a damaged or leaking battery pack.
Lithium-ion batteries contain chemically active
materials that are hazardous to the environment;
therefore, they must be disposed of properly. Never
attempt to incinerate a lithium-ion battery; doing
so could cause it to explode. Telxon urges you to
contact the Environmental Protection Agency, the
Department of Natural Resources, a local hazardous
waste disposal agency, or the Telxon Customer
Support Center at 1-800-800-8010 for assistance
prior to disposing of your lithium-ion batteries.
If your PTC contains a radio
This device is compliant to the ANSI C95.1 (1992)
Standard for Safety Levels with Respect to Human
Exposure to Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Fields
per FCC Docket 93-62.
3

Using the internal laser scanner
DANGER! Laser light is emitted when the
PTC’s protective housing is open. Do not
stare into the beam! (top of label)
The PTC-921 DOS is a Class II laser product.
It conforms to the Department of Health
and Human Services (DHHS) Regulation 21
CFR Subchapter J. (bottom of label)
This label is permanently affixed to the
PTC’s battery pack.
CAUTION! This Class II laser product
emits up to a 1-milliwatt beam of
laser light. Do not stare into the
beam!
This label is permanently affixed
to the PTC’s battery pack.
This label lists the location and date of
manufacture, the model number, and the
serial number of the PTC.
It is permanently affixed to the back of the
PTC above the battery pack.
AVOID EXPOSURE
LASER LIGHT IS EMITTED
FROM THIS APERTURE
Laser light exits the PTC through this
opening. Do not stare into the beam!
This label is permanently affixed directly
below the scanner window.
4

Scope of the manual 3
This manual provides general information on the
PTC-921 DOS’s parts, features, and accessories. It
also explains how to operate and maintain the PTC.
This manual does not include the specific operating
instructions for your organization’s unique data
collection program. Operating instructions and
training should be available from your organization.
Document conventions
The following conventions are used throughout this
manual.
Warnings
Warnings indicate potential bodily injury or death.
They are set off in the left-hand columns of this
manual by the following symbol: $.
Cautions
Cautions indicate potential damage to equipment.
They are set off in the left-hand columns of this
manual by the following symbol: !.
Notes
Notes provide supplementary information. They are
set off in the left-hand columns of this manual and
are not preceded by a symbol.
5

Overview of the PTC-921 DOS 4
The Telxon PTC-921 DOS is a battery-powered, hand-
held computer used to collect, store, and transmit
data. It has a built-in laser scanner and may contain
an Air-I/O 500 frequency-hopping radio module.
The PTC-921 DOS automates your data collection
procedures and is custom programmed to efficiently
handle your organization’s unique data collection jobs.
The PTC runs a program specially designed to collect
data for your organization. This program leads you
through the data collection procedure with a series of
display messages, prompts, and beeps. Messages tell
you when you make an error and provide information
on the program or the PTC’s status. Prompts and
beeps tell you when to enter data, what type of data to
enter, and when you complete certain operations.
Entering data
Entering data into the PTC-921 DOS is easy. You can
key in data through the keyboard or scan bar codes
with the internal laser scanner. Additionally, data can
be received through an optional internal frequency-
hopping radio.
Through the keyboard
Entering data through the keyboard is similar to
operating a calculator. As you press the numeric keys,
the corresponding number appears on the screen.
Pressing the ENT key stores data in the PTC’s
memory.
6

With the internal laser scanner
A bar code is a series of vertical
bars and spaces used to encode
information in a machine-readable
form. They are used on nearly every
item in business today.
A second method of entering data is with the PTC’s
internal laser scanner. When you scan a bar code the
PTC is programmed to read, the PTC and scanner
interpret the data and store it in the PTC’s memory.
Via the radio
Refer to pages 10 and 17 for information on radio
communication.
Storing data
Data entered into the PTC can be stored in files in the
PTC’s memory.
Each file holds a separate group of application-related
data. For example, a PTC used to collect many types
of data (sales orders, inventory changes, and employee
hours) would store all data relating to sales orders in
one file, all data relating to inventory changes in
another, and all data relating to employee hours in
still another.
Communicating data
After collecting the data, the PTC must transmit it
to a host computer for processing to make it useful
to you and your organization. The PTC-921 DOS
can transmit data via an optional communication
cradle or through its optional internal radio.
Once the host computer receives the data from the
PTC, it uses that data to update its master files and
records. In some cases, the host computer may even
transmit data back to the PTC, asking you, as the
PTC’s operator, to perform a new task.
7

Getting started 5
Unpacking the PTC-921 DOS
Any additional accessories are
shipped separately.
The PTC-921 DOS is shipped in a single box
containing
•a PTC-921 DOS,
•a 950-mAhr lithium-ion battery pack,
•a Guide to Maintaining Nickel-cadmium and
Lithium-ion Batteries,
•a PTC-921 DOS Read-Me-First Sheet, and
•a PTC-921 DOS User’s Guide.
1. Remove the PTC from the box.
2. Remove all packing material from the PTC. Save
the packaging in case the PTC is ever stored or
shipped to Telxon for service.
3. Check the contents of the package to make sure
you have received everything ordered.
If anything is missing or
damaged, notify your Telxon
sales representative.
4. Check the PTC for shipping damage. Pay
particular attention to the PTC’s case, display
screen, and scanner lens.
Installing the battery pack
If your PTC was not shipped with the battery pack
installed, follow the instructions in Chapter 10 to
insert the battery pack.
8

Charging the battery pack
Charge the PTC-921 DOS’s lithium-ion battery pack
for 3 to 4 hours when you first receive the PTC and
whenever the battery pack becomes weak. A low-
battery message displays on the PTC’s screen when
the battery pack is running low. Refer to the SC-921
DOS User’s Guide for charging instructions.
Turning on the PTC
Press one of the top three keys (ESC, SCAN, or ENT)
to turn on the PTC-921 DOS.
Checking the PTC
1. Make sure the PTC is turned on.
2. Look at the PTC’s display screen. What appears
on the screen depends on the program your
organization uses.
If the PTC is operating correctly, you should not
see or hear any of the following:
•A low-battery warning
•A blank display screen
•Any warning beeps
Repeat the steps in this section if the PTC-921
DOS is not operating properly. If the problem
persists, refer to the “Troubleshooting” section
on page 22.
9

Parts 6
Figures 1 and 2 on the following pages show and
describe the external parts of the PTC-921 DOS. The
part listed below is not shown in either figure.
Radio (optional)
Your PTC’s application program
controls the radio. Refer to your
application’s manual for details.
Your PTC-921 DOS may contain a 2.4-GHz Air-I/O
500 frequency-hopping radio module. This radio
allows the PTC to interactively communicate in
real-time with a host computer on a radio-based local
area network. It provides secure, interference-free
communication and does not require a license for
operation.
10

1. The PTC-921 DOS’s keyboard has 15 keys: 10 numeric keys (0 through 9), 4 function keys (ESC, ENT, ., and -), and a SCAN key. The numeric
keys are used to type data into the PTC. The function keys can be programmed via the PTC’s application to perform a specific function.
Pressing one of the top three keys (ESC, SCAN, or ENT) turns on the PTC.
ESC key
Pressing this key twice turns off the PTC.
SCAN key
Pressing this key activates the PTC’s internal laser scanner, allowing you to scan bar codes. Note: Your application program may not support
scanned data for all fields. Consult the documentation for your application to determine when the scanner and SCAN key are enabled.
ENT key
This key can be used to enter data into the PTC’s memory.
- key
This key can be used as a backspace key to erase the last character entered.
2. Pressing these buttons (one on each side of the PTC) releases the battery pack, allowing it to be removed from the PTC.
3. The PTC’s monochrome black-on-white liquid crystal display (LCD) screen shows the information you type or scan into the PTC as well as
messages from the PTC or host computer. The screen can show 2 lines of information with 12 characters each.
4. The laser light emitted from the PTC’s internal laser scanner exits the unit through this lens.
$Do not stare into the laser beam or point the scanner at anyone’s eyes while the scanner is active; permanent eye damage could result.
3. Display
1. Keyboard
4. Scanner lens
2. Battery Release button
Figure 1. The PTC-921 DOS (front view)
11

1. A 950-mAhr lithium-ion battery pack provides power for the PTC-921 DOS.
2. These contacts on the PTC’s battery pack connect with similar contacts on the SC-921 DOS. The electronic impulses for all communication
between the PTC and the cradle and the power for recharging the PTC’s battery pack pass through these contacts. See Appendix D for the
pinouts of these contacts.
1. Battery pack 2. Communication/charging contacts
Figure 2. The PTC-921 DOS (rear view)
12