PSC Falcon 510 User Manual

F

a

l

DOS Fixed Station Data Terminal

con

™

User’s Guide

™

Falcon

DOS Fixed Station Terminal

USER’S GUIDE

Falcon

TM

DOS Fixed Station Terminal
User’s Guide
©PSC Inc. 2000

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in any form
or by any means without prior written consent, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief pas­sages in a review, or as provided for in the Copyright Act of 1976.

Falcon™ is a trademark of PSC Incorporated.
Datalight

Datalight, In c.
PhoenixCARD Manager Plus ©1993, 1994 Phoeni x Technologies Ltd.
Windows
Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are

claimed as trademarks. Where these designations appear here and the authors were aware of
a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with a trademark (™) symbol.

The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice.

00-659-00
9720-0658-01
December 2000

®

is a registered trademar k of Datalight, Inc., and ROM-DOS™ is a trademar k of

®

is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

CONTENTS

Chapter 1: Getting Started .............................................................1

Chapter 2: Using the Falcon 510..................................................7

Overview .........................................................................................3

Turning the Unit On ....................................................................4

Product Labeling...........................................................................5

FCC Information.................................................................................. 5

Care and Cleaning .......................................................................6

The Alpha-Numeric Keypad .....................................................9

Falcon 510 Keypad Compared with a PC Keyboard ............. 9

Input Modes.........................................................................................1

Repeating Keystrokes .....................................................................11

International Characters ................................................................12

The Viewport .............................................................................. 13

Adjusting the Contrast ....................................................................13

Status LEDs .........................................................................................14

Navigation Buttons..........................................................................14

Moving the Viewport Display ......................................................15

The Falcon Applications.......................................................... 16

Chapter 3: Troubleshooting Guide ..........................................17

Getting Help ................................................................................ 19

Serial Communications ........................................................... 19

Data transfer doesn't succeed......................................................19

Barcodes ....................................................................................... 20

Barcode won't scan .........................................................................20

Barcode won't scan with laser.....................................................20

Barcode won't scan with wand...................................................20

Index ...........................................................................................vi

Falcon DOS Fixed Station Terminal < iii >

11

Getting Started

CHAPTER CONTENTS

Overview .................................................................... 3

Turning the Unit On .................................................. 4

Product Labeling........................................................ 5

Care and Cleaning...................................................... 6

Overview

Figure 1 The Falcon 510

Overview

Falcon DOS fixed station terminal (Falcon 510) is designed to collect
data using several different methods:

llll Badge readers

llll Magnetic stripe readers

llll Wands and pens

llll Lasers and CCDs

llll RF (radio frequency)

llll Serial port communications from a PC

llll Modem connection

Speaker

Power Key

Status LEDs

Function Keys

Viewport

Arrow Keys

Alpha Keys

Numeric Keys

Falcon DOS Fixed Station Terminal < 3 >

Getting Started

Turning the Unit On

l

l Turn the Falcon 510 on by pressing the Power key (On button),

ll

located above the Alpha-numeric keypad, and to the left of the
viewport. Figu re 1 shows the location of the Power key.

l

l The On button does not turn the unit off. If the Power key is

ll

pressed while the unit is turned on, there is no effect.

llll The only way the unit can be turned off is by removing the main

power supply or activation of the Auto-Off Timeout.

llll The default setting is to never timeout. There is no timeout in the

default settings. Timeouts can be established by using the
PM.COM utility or installing an application which establishes a
timeout.

First-Time Use

The first time the Falcon 510 is turned on, the following message may
be displayed:

Initial power-up or
critical data loss.
Drive D formatted.
Press any key...

This message appears with normal operation and does not indicate a
problem. Press the

Enter key, and the Falcon 510 will continue to boot

up.

“Please Wait” Messages

The Falcon 510 performs operations on the PC card installed in the unit
whenever it is turned off or on.

llll The Falcon 510 displays a message in reverse video to indicate

that it is turning off or on.

llll Wait until the message disappears before using the unit.

< 4 > Falcon DOS Fixed Station Terminal

Product Labeling

FCC Information

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is
subject to the following two 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.

Figure 2 The Falcon 510 Label

Product Labeling

Falcon DOS Fixed Station Terminal < 5 >

Getting Started

Care and Cleaning

With normal use, the Falcon 510 requires no maintenance. Wipe the
unit with a damp cloth if necessary.

llll Do not immerse the unit in liquid.

llll Do not use any abrasive cleaners on the display screen.

< 6 > Falcon DOS Fixed Station Terminal

32

Using the Falcon 510

CHAPTER CONTENTS

The Alpha-Numeric Keypad....................................... 9

Falcon 510 Keypad Compared

with a PC Keyboard ............................................. 9

Input Modes..........................................................11

Repeating Keystrokes ............................................. 11

International Characters ........................................12

The Viewport ........................................................... 13

Adjusting the Contrast...........................................13

Status LEDs ...........................................................14

Navigation Buttons ................................................14

Moving the Viewport Display ................................15

The Falcon Applications........................................... 16

The Alpha-Numeric Keypad

The Alpha-Numeric Keypad

Falcon 510 Keypad Compared with a PC Keyboard

The Falcon 510 has a 69-key keyboard, similar to the keyboard of a
standard PC. The keys of the Falcon 510 keypad provide equivalents to
almost all the keys found on a PC keyboard when used individually or in
combination.

Figure 3 The Keypad for the Falcon 510

Tab le 1

The following keys appear on a PC keyboard but are not used on the
Falcon 510:

Keys on a PC with no equivalents on the Falcon 510

❑ F11 ❑ Caps Lock*
❑ F12 ❑ Scroll Lo ck
❑ Left Shift* ❑ Pause/Break
❑ Right Shift* ❑ Print Screen/SysReq
❑ Right Alt ❑ Num Lock
❑ Right Ctrl

*The Falcon’s Caps key p rovides the functions of these keys.

Falcon DOS Fixed Station Terminal < 9 >

Using the Falcon 510

The Falcon 510 has some keys that are not found on a PC keyboard.
These keys are shown in
more information about specific keys.

Tabl e 2. Page numbers indicate where to find

Tab le 2

Falcon Keys not found on a PC keyboard

Key Default Use

Caps When pressed and released: Toggles Caps mode on

and off.
When held down: Acts equiv alent ly to the
standard compu ter keyboard (

FN

Intl

Power Tur ns the Falcon 510 on (page 4)
Contrast <-> Decreases the contr ast on the viewport (page 13)
Contrast <+> Increases the contrast on the viewport (page 13)

Outputs the symbol or acti vates the functi on Hom e, End,

. above the next key pressed (page 11)

etc
Outputs an international character generated by the

combination of the next two keypresses (

page 11 )

Shift key on a

page 12)

< 10 > Falcon DOS Fixed Station Terminal

Input Modes

The Alpha-Numeric Keypad

The current input mode determines key functions on the Falcon. Input
modes are described in

Ta ble 3.

Tab le 3

Keypad Input Modes

Type 1

Remains in effect after each keypress until discontinued by user

Input Mode Result of Keypress
Normal Outputs the let ter ( lower cas e), n umber , or fun ction o n

the key

Caps Outputs the uppercase letter on the key

Type 2

Affects only a single keypress or combination of keypresses

Input Mode Result of Keypress
Function (Fn)*

Control (Ctl)

Alternate (Alt)

International

Intl)

(

Outputs the symbol or function above the key
Outputs the cont rol meaning for alp hanumeric or

function k eys
Outputs the alternate meaning for alphanumeric or

function k eys
Outputs a character from the international character

set (see page

page 12)

Repeating Keystrokes

The keypad for theFalcon 510 supports repeating keystrokes:

llll Press and hold the key to repeat a keystroke.

llll After a brief pause, the keystroke will be automatically repeated

This feature can be particularly useful with such keys as
cursor keys.

until the key is released.

Bk Sp and the

Falcon DOS Fixed Station Terminal < 11 >

Using the Falcon 510

International Characters

The international character set contains letters and symbols commonly
used in Western European languages. Enter international characters by
using the following key sequence:

llll

l

l The letter is a character from the Letter column in the same row.

ll

<Intl> <accent> <letter>

The accent is a character from the Accent or Lette r column of

Table 3 on page 11

Tab le 4

International Character Key Combinations

International

Characters

á, é, í, ó, ú, É ‘ (apostrophe) a, e, i, o, u, E

ç or Ç ‘ (apostrophe) c or C
à, è, ì, ò, ù ` a, e, i, o, u
â, ê, î, ô, û ^ a, e, i, o, u

ä, ë, ï, ö, ü, ÿ, Ä, Ö,

Ü

å, Å @ None
ñ or Ñ None n or N
ñ or Ñ ~ n or N

ß s s
¿ ? None

¡ ! !

¢, £, ¥ $ c, l, y

æ or Æ ! a or A

Accent or Letter Letter

: a, e, i, o, u, y, A, O, U

< 12 > Falcon DOS Fixed Station Terminal

The Viewport

The Falcon 510’s viewport is a backlit liquid crystal display capable of
viewing 40 characters in 15 rows.

Adjusting the Contrast

The backlight of the Falcon 510 remains on while the unit is turned on.

The contrast between the text and the background in the viewport can
be adjusted by using the

Power key.

l

l Press <-> to darken the contrast.

ll

l

l Press <+> to lighten the contrast.

ll

Figure 4 Location of contrast buttons and status LEDs on the 510

The Viewport

<-> and <+> keys located on either side of the

Status LEDs

Programmable Indicator

Panning Indicator

Disk Indicator

Caps Lock Indicator

Viewport

Contrast butttons

Falcon DOS Fixed Station Terminal < 13 >

Using the Falcon 510

Status LEDs

The Falcon 510 has four status LEDs located to the left of the viewport
to indicate the state of the system. Their location is shown in Figure 4 on
page -13.

.

Tab le 5

Navigation Buttons

Falcon 510 Status LEDs

LED Location Description
Pan Top

The Panning mode LED indicates that the
keyboard is being used to pan the system when
the indicator is red. Select

FN to activate

Panning mode.

Prog Left

Disk Right

The Program LED is directly contro ll ed by
installed software. The currently defined program
defines its meaning.

The Disk LED lights up while the unit is busy
performing di sk dri ve operations. Wait until the

Disk LED is no longer lit before continuing to use

the Falcon 510.

Caps Bottom

The Caps LED indicates the state of the CAPS
key. When lit, the keyboar d will produce upper case
letters. Select the

Caps key to activate the Caps

lock mode.

To the left of the viewport and below the speaker are four navigation
buttons, or arrow keys. These navigation buttons can be used as cursor
movement keys.

.

< 14 > Falcon DOS Fixed Station Terminal

Figure 5 Falcon 510 Navigation Buttons

Viewport

Moving the Viewport Display

When entering more than the maximum number of characters, the text
in the viewport will scroll to the left to display the additional characters
in the line.

The viewport display can be moved to the left or right by half screens to
view longer lines of text.

l

l Press and hold the FN key while using the Arrow keys (shown in

ll

Figure 5) to move the display up, down, left, or right.

l

l The Panning LED (described on page 14) will turn red.

ll

l

l Release the FN key to make the current cursor position visible.

ll

The Viewport

Speaker

Navigation

Buttons

(Arrow keys)

It is also possible to press and release the

FN key and then move the

viewport several times in one or more directions. When finished, press
and release the

FN key again to return to the current cursor position.

Falcon DOS Fixed Station Terminal < 15 >

Using the Falcon 510

The Falcon Applications

When shipped from the factory, each Falcon 510 is programmed with
several applications collectively known as PAL2. IF the Falcon 510 has
been customized, it may be programmed with other (or additional)
applications.

For information on using PAL2, see the Falcon Portable Applications
Library User’s Guide, available as a PDF, at the company website. When
using another application, contact the system administrator for
instructions.

< 16 > Falcon DOS Fixed Station Terminal

63

Troubleshooting Guide

This chapter provides information and direction in resolving problems that occur in the performance
of the Falcon 510. The purpose is to provide the best method to identify and eliminate problems. If
the problem persists beyond the recommended actions, refer to the resources listed on

page 19.

CHAPTER CONTENTS

Getting Help ............................................................ 19

Serial Communications ............................................ 19

Data transfer doesn’t succeed.................................. 19

Bar Codes................................................................. 20

Barcode won’t scan .................................................20

Barcode won’t scan with laser .................................20

Barcode won’t scan with wand ...............................20

Badge Reader won’t read ........................................20

Magnetic Stripe Reader won’t read .........................20

Getting Help

Getting Help

The most comprehensive source for technical support and information
for products is the corporate web site, at the URL located on the back
cover of this document. The site offers answers to frequently asked
questions (FAQs), software updates, patches, demos, product
documentation, and instructions for returning products for repair.

Another excellent source for technical assistance and information is an
authorized reseller. A reseller is directly acquainted with specific types of
business, application software, and computer system and, therefore, is in
the best position to provide individualized assistance.

Serial Communications

Data transfer doesn't succeed

llll Do communications parameters agree (COM port, baud rate,

transfer protocol)?

llll Is the cable designed for use with the Falcon (cable supplied with

the product)?

llll Is there disk drive space available on the receiver for the file being

sent? If not, delete unnecessary files.

Falcon DOS Fixed Station Terminal < 19 >

Troubleshooting Guide

Barcodes

Barcode won't scan

llll Check the quality of the barcode. Labels which are faded or

scratched are less likely to scan.

llll Verify that the unit is configured to read the type of barcode being

scanned. Scan the D1 parameter and try again.

llll When an attached scanning device isn’t functioning correctly,

verify it is not broken by using another device.

Barcode won't scan with laser

llll Vary the scanning angle and distance. Avoid aiming the laser

beam perpendicular to the barcode label or at extreme angles.

llll Verify that the laser beam is intersecting the entire ba code label.

Barcode won't scan with wand

llll Ensure that the wand is passing over the entire barcode label.

Holding the wand like a pencil in front of the left side of the label,
use a swift sweeping motion to move the wand towards the other
end of the label.

Badge Reader won't read

llll Make sure that the badge reader faces toward the Falcon 510.

Magnetic Stripe Reader won't read

llll Make sure that the magnetic stripe faces away from the Falcon

510.

< 20 > Falcon DOS Fixed Station Terminal

A

D

alpha-numeric keypad 9

applications

custom 16
Falcon 16

B

badge reader

troubleshooting 20

bar codes

troubleshooting 20

C

cable

troubleshooting 19

caps key

state of 14

caps lock indicator

location 13

caps lock mode

activation of 14
LED 14

care 6

character set

international 12

cleaning 6

communications parameters

troubleshooting 19

contrast

adjusting 13

contrast buttons

location 13

data transfer

troubleshooting 19

disk indicator

location 13

disk mode 14

description 14
LED 14

display screen 13

E

error message

first time use 4

F

Falcon 510

care and cleaning of 6

keypad

diagram 9
vs. PC keyboard 9

label 5

Falcon applications 16

Falcon Portable Applications Library Us-

er’s Guide 16

FCC

information 5
label 5

FN key

panning mode activation 14

G

getting help 19

Falcon DOS Fixed Station Terminal < v >

help 19

H

uppercase 14

M

I

input modes 11
international character set 12

K

keyboard

uppercase letters 14

keypad 9

alpha-numeric 9
diagrams 9
input modes 11

type 1 11
type2 11

international characters 12

table of key combinations 12

repeating keystrokes 13
table comparing to PC keboard 10
unique to Falcon 10
vs. PC keyboard 9

table comparing 9

keystrokes, repeating 13

L

label

FCC 5
product 5

laser

troubleshooting 20

letters

magnetic stripe reader

troubleshooting 20

maintenance 6

message

"please wait" 4
error 4

modes, input 11
moving the viewport display 15

O

off, turning unit 4
On button 4, 9, 13, 14, 15
On, turning unit 4

P

PAL2 16

panning indicator

location 13

panning mode 14

LED 14

power key 4, 9, 13, 14, 15
powering unit on 4
product label 5
program mode 14

activation of 14
description 14
LED 14

programming indicator

location 13

< vi > Falcon DOS Fixed Station Terminal

R

V

repeating keystrokes 13

S

serial communication

incomplete 19
troubleshooting 19

status LEDs

location 13

support 19

T

technical support 19
troubleshooting guide 17–20

badge reader 20
bar codes 20
cable 19
communications parameters 19
data transfer 19
laser 20
magnetic stripe reader 20
unsuccessful data transfer 19
wand 20

turning unit

off 4
on 4

viewport 13

viewport contrast

adjusting 13

W

wand

troubleshooting 20

U

uppercase letters 14

Falcon DOS Fixed Station Terminal < vii >

Asia Pacific Italy

PSC Hong Kong PSC S.r.l.
Hong Kong Vimercate (MI), Italy
Telep hone: [852]-2-584-62 10 Telephone: [39] (0) 39/6290 3.1
Telefax: [852]-2-521-0291 Telefax: [39] (0) 39/6859496

Australia Japan

PSC Asia Pacific Pty Ltd. PSC Japan K.K.
North Ryd e, Australia Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Telep hone: [61]0(2)9878 899 9 Telephone: [81] (0)3 3491 6761
Telefax: [61]0(2)9878 8688 Telefax: [81] (0)3 3491 6656

France Latin America

PSC Sarl PSC S.A . , IN C.
LES ULIS Cedex, France Miami, Florida, USA
Telephone: [33] .01.64.86.71.00 Telephone: [phone]
Telefax: [33] .01.64.46.72.43 Telefax: [phone]

Germany United Kingd om

PSC GmbH PSC Bar Code Ltd.
Darmstadt , Ger m any Watford, England
Telep hone: [49] (0) 61 51/93 58 0 Telephone: [44] (0) 1923 809500
Telefax: [49] (0) 61 51/93 58 58 Telefax: [44] (0) 1923 809 505

Corporate Headquar ters PSC Scanning

675 Basket Road 1800 Millrace Drive
Webster, NY 14580-9787 Eugene, OR 97403
Telephone: [phone] Telephone: [phone]
Toll Free: [phone] Toll Free: [phone]
Telefax: [phone] Telefax: [phone]

© 2000 PSC Inc. ww w.pscnet.com

*00-649-00*

00-649-00