Symbol PTC-960XRF User Manual

PTC-960XRF

User's Guide

On December 1, 2000 Symbol T echnologies, Inc. completed the purchase
of Telxon Corporation. References made throughout this document to
"Telxon" or "Telxon Corporation" are be replaced with "Symbol" or
"Symbol Technologies, Inc.", respectively. Any questions, contact your
Symbol representative.

© 2000 by Symbol Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form, or by any electrical or

mechanical means, without permission in writing from Symbol. This includes electronic or
mechanical means, such as photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval
systems. The material in this manual is subject to change without notice.

Symbol reserves the right to make changes to any software or product to improve reliability ,
function, or design.

Symbol does not assume any product liability arising out of, or in connection with, the
application or use of any product, circuit, or application described herein.

No license is granted, either expressly or by implication, estoppel, or otherwise under any
Symbol Technologies, Inc., intellectual property rights. An implied license only exists for
equipment, circuits, and subsystems contained in Symbol products.

Symbol is a registered trade mar k of Symbo l Technologies, Inc. Other product names
mentioned in this manual may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective
companies and are hereby ack nowl edg ed.

Symbol Technologies, Inc.
One Symbol Pl aza
Holtsville, New York 11742-1300

http://www.symbol.com

Symbol Support Center: 1- 800 -653- 53 50

2

GUIDE TO THE

PTC-960XRF

G

uide to the
PTC-960XRF

Part Number: 16676-701-01
Release Date: 5/10/93

Telxon, TCAL (Telxon Common Application Lan­guage), and RAMSaver are registered trade­marks 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 res u lt ing fr om 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 writt en consent of Tel x on.

© Copyright 1992 Telxon Corporation
All Rights Reserved.

ÄÄ

ontents

C

FCC statement
FCC regulations
Department of Communications
Safety information

Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

PTC equipped with a short-range

laser scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

PTC equipped with a long-range

laser scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Disposing of nickel-cadmium batteries . . . . 13

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Scope
Overview of the PTC-960XRF

Entering data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Communicating data . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Flash programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Getting started

Unpacking the PTC-960XRF . . . . . . . . . 17

Connecting the antenna . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Installing the battery pack . . . . . . . . . . 18

Charging the battery pack . . . . . . . . . . 18

Checking the PTC-960XRF . . . . . . . . . . 19

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

. . . . . . . . . . . 10

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

. . . . . . . . . . . . 15

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Parts

Accessory connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Antenna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Bar-code scanner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Bar-code scanner trigger . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Battery charger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

4

Battery compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Communication contacts . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

End cap/battery pack as s emb ly . . . . . . . 24

Flash EPROM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Handle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

ENTER/YES key . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

ON/OFF key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

SHIFT key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Keyboard overlay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

RJ-41-to-RS-232 adapter cable (optional) . . 27

Status indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Good Scan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Low Bat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Scan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Wrist strap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Features

Communication and connections

Scanning bar-code labels

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Autodiscrimination between bar codes . . . . 29

Automatic off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Automatic return at on . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Backlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Battery backup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Beeper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Display contrast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

. . . . . . . . . . . 33

Communicating through the radio . . . . . . 33

Connecting cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Disconnecting cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Connecting to the optional

communication cradle . . . . . . . . . . . 37

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

5

Maintaining the PTC-960XRF

Operating conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Handling the PTC-960XRF . . . . . . . . . . 40

Storing the PTC-960XRF . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Cleaning the PTC-960XRF . . . . . . . . . . 42

Servicing the PTC-960XRF . . . . . . . . . . 43

. . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Replacing the battery pack

Removing the battery pack . . . . . . . . . . 44

Installing a new battery pack . . . . . . . . 45

Programming the flash EPROM

Before you begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

Troubleshooting

If the PTC does not turn on . . . . . . . . . . 54

If the bar-code scanner does not read a labe l 54

If your radio fails to establish contac t . . . . 55

If you experience any other problems

with your PTC-960XRF . . . . . . . . . . 55

Appendix A

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Physical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Electrical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Bar code types supported . . . . . . . . . 57

Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Appendix B

Accessory part numbers . . . . . . . . . . . 59

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

. . . . . . . . . . . 46

Appendix C

Communication connections . . . . . . . . . 61

Appendix D

LED status indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Glossary

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

6

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Index
Figures

1.Parts of the PTC-960XRF . . . . . . . . . 22

2.Connecting a cable . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

3.Scanning a bar-code . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

4.Removing the battery pack . . . . . . . . 44

5.RJ-41-to-RS-232 25-pin adapter cable . . 61

6.RJ-41-to-RS-232 9-pin adapter cable . . . 62

7.PTC-to-1/2 duplex modem cable . . . . . 63

8.PTC-to-full duplex modem cable . . . . . 64

9.PTC-to-host (DTE) cable . . . . . . . . . 65

10.Cloning cable, RJ-41-to-RJ-41 . . . . . . 66

11.PTC-to-IBM PC/AT download cable . . . 67

12.PTC-to-IBM PC/XT download cable . . . 68

Tables

1.Accessory part numbers . . . . . . . . . 59

2.LED status indicators . . . . . . . . . . . 69

7

ÄÄ

CC

F

statement

This equipment has been tested and found to
comply with the limits for a Class A dig ital de­vice, pursuant to Part 15 of the Federal Commu­nication Commission (FCC) rules. These limits
are designed to provide reasonable protection
against harmful interference when the e quip ­ment is operated in a comme rcial environmen t.
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 t his equipment in a resi­dential area is like ly to cause harmful interfer­ence in which case users w ill be r equired to
correct the interference at their own expens e.

8

ÄÄ

CC

F

regulations

The PTC-960XRF uses radios (transceivers) and
radio communicati on in its operation. Th e PTC­960XRF is part of a “Private Land Mobile Radio
Service” as defined by the FCC in 47 C.F.R. Part
90 (1985), Operation of the PTC-960XRF re­quires licensing by the FCC and full compliance
with applicable FCC regulatio ns cont aine d in 47
C.F.R. Sections 90.1-657 (1985). IT IS A VIOLA­TION OF FCC REGULATIONS TO OPERATE
THE PTC-960XRF BEFORE RECEIVING AN
FCC LICENSE UNDER 47 C.F.R. PART 90 AND
BEFORE FULLY COMPLYING WITH ALL
OTHER APPLICABLE FCC REGULATIONS.
The FCC ID is BC5PTC960RF.

Each Telxon customer who plans t o ins tall and
operate the PTC-960XRF must apply for and
receive an FCC license before placing the
PTC-960XRF in operation. A license is requested
from the FCC using Form 574, “Application for
Radio Station Authorization in the Private Radio
Services.” The customer shoul d a llow up to sixty
days to receive the license. If Form 574 is not
properly filled out, the FCC will return it. This
will cause addition al delay in receiv ing the
needed license.

9

ÄÄ

epartment of

D

Communications

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).

The radio is also approved for use in Canada.
The Canadian DOC ID is 1293 492 203 208. A
license must be obtained in Canada prio r to
placing the PTC in operation. Contact the local
Canadian DOC office for details.

10

ÄÄ

afety

S

information

©

Radio

The FCC with its action in General Docket
79-144, March 13, 1985, has adopted a safety
standard for human exposure to radio frequency
(RF) electromagnetic energy emitted b y FCC
regulated equipme n t. Telxon subscribes to the
same safety standard for the use of its products.
Proper operation of this radio will r es ult in us er
exposure substantially below the FCC recom ­mended limits.

Do not hold any component cont aini ng a rad io
such that the antenna is very close to, or touch­ing, exposed parts of the body, especially the face
or eyes, while transmitting. Hold such a compo­nent 6 inches (15.2 centimeters) or more from
your face.

Do not allow children to play with any radio
equipment containing a transmitter.

Do not operate a portable transmitter near
unshielded electrical blasting caps or in an
explosive atmosphere unless it is a type
especially qualified for such use.

Do not turn on the PTC-960XRF or attempt to
transmit data unless the antenna is attached; if
the antenna is not attached, the r adio module
may be damaged.

11

©

PTC equipped with a short- range laser scanner

This product is a Class II laser product. It emits
a 1.0-milliwatt beam of laser light from the out­put window. No maintenance is required to keep
this product in compliance with U.S. Depart­ment of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
regulation 21 C.F.R. subchapter J. No controls
are provided for operation or maintenance. Laser
light in excess of Class I limit s is ins ide an inter­nal protective cover. Do not st are into the beam
if the protective cover is removed.

The laser safety warning label required by the
DHHS for the PTC-960XRF equipped with a
short-range laser scanner is illustrated below.
This yellow and black label is locat ed on the
bottom of the PTC-960XRF near the scanning
window.

©

PTC equipped with a long -range laser scanner

This product is a Class IIIA laser product. It
emits a 5.0-milliwatt beam of laser light from
the output window. No maintenance is re quir ed
to keep this product in compliance with DHHS
regulation 21 C.F.R. subchapter J. No controls
are provided for operation or maintenance. Laser
light in excess of Class I limit s is ins ide an inter­nal protective cover. Do not st are into the beam
if the protective cover is removed.

12

The laser safety warning label re quired by the
DHHS for the PTC-960XRF equipped with a
long-range laser scanner is illustrated be lo w.
This red and black label is loc a te d on the bottom
of the PTC-960XRF near the scanning window.

©

Disposing of nickel-cadmium batteries

Nickel-cadmium batterie s contain chemically
active materials that are hazardous to the
environment; therefore, they must be disposed
of properly. Never attempt to i ncinerate a nickel­cadmium 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 for assistance prior to disposing of your
nickel-cadmium batteries.

13

ÄÄ

cope

S

This manual provides general inform ati on on
how to operate, handle, and maintain the PTC­960XRF. Use this manual as an introduction
to the PTC-960XRF along with the manual or
instructions provided by your supervisor.

This manual does not provide instructi ons on
how to perform the tasks speci f i c to your job in
your organization. For that informat ion, refer to
the manual or instructions provided by your
supervisor.

14

ÄÄ

verview

O

of the PTC-960XRF

The Telxon PTC-960XRF is a battery-powered,
hand-held computer used to col le ct , store , and
transmit data. The PTC-960XRF has a built-in
bar-code scanner and a radio. Options for trans­mitting data over telepho ne lines and printing
are also available. The PTC-960XRF automates
your data collection procedures and is custom
programmed to efficiently handl e your o rgani za­tion’s unique data collection jobs (applications).

The PTC-960XRF is designed for use in areas
where dust, dirt, or moisture can be excessive.
The PTC has been specially sealed to resist these
hazards.

Because the PTC-960XRF is custom prorammed
for each organization, this manual does not
include the specific operat ing ins tructions for
your organization’s unique PTC data collection
program. Operating instructions and training for
your PTC’s application program should be avail­able from your superviso r.

The PTC runs an application program specially
designed to collect data for your org anization.
This program leads you through the appli cat io n
with a series of display messages, promp ts, and
beeps. Messages tell you when you make an
error and provide information on the application
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 oper ations.

15

©

Entering data

You can enter data into the PTC-960XRF using
either the keyboard or the built-in scanne r.
When you press a key on the PTC’s keyboard,
the corresponding numb er or letter appears on
the display. Pressing the ENTER key stores the
data in the PTC’s memor y.

The built-in bar-code scanner can “read” a bar
code. A bar code is a series of vertical bars and
spaces that you find on nearly every item in
business today. The PTC interprets the scanned
data and stores th is data in the PTC’s memory.

©

Communicating data

After collecting the da ta , the PTC must either
transmit the data to a host compute r fo r process­ing or send it to a pr in ter, or both, to make the
data useful to you and your organization. The
PTC-960XRF is capable of transmitting data
through its internal radio, through an optional
communication cradl e, o r by being co nnected by
cable to a host computer, printer, or other
accessory.

©

Flash programming

The PTC-960XRF contains a flash EPROM,
which is an electronic chip that c ont ains the
PTC’s application program. The flash EPROM
can be reprogrammed ( flas hed) while it is inside
the PTC, making updating and changing applica­tion programs easy.

16

ÄÄ

etting

G

started

©

Unpacking the PTC-960XRF

The PTC-960XRF is shipped in a single box
containing

a PTC-960XRF,

•

a battery charger,

•

a wrist strap,

•

an antenna,

•

a nickel-cadmium battery pack,

•

the Guide to the PTC-960XRF,

•

the Guide to the FLASH Utilities (TCAL

•

or MS-DOS Version), and
the Guide to Maintaining NiCd Batteries.

•

Any cables or additional accessories are shi pped
separately. Accessories have their own manuals.

1.Remove the PTC from the box.

2.Remove all packing material from the PTC.

Save the packing material in case the PTC is
ever stored or shipped to Telxon for service.

3.Check the contents of the pac k age to m a k e

sure you have received everything ordered.

17

4.Check the PTC and accessories for shipping
damage. Pay particular attention to the PTC
case, display lens, and scanner lens.

If anything is missing o r da ma ge d, notify your
Telxon service representative.

©

Connecting the antenna

CAUTION! Do not turn on the PTC-960XRF
or attempt to transmit data u nless the
antenna is attached; if the antenna is not
attached, the radio could be damaged.

1.Screw the antenna into the antenna mount
on the left side of the PTC-960XRF. See
Figure 1 on page 22 for the location of the
antenna mount.

©

Installing the battery pack

1.Make sure the PTC is off.

2.Line up the end cap/battery pack assembly
with the openin g in the bottom of the PT C ’s
handle. See Figure 1 on page 22 for the lo ca­tion of the battery pack op enin g.

3.Slide the battery pack into the handle until
the end cap presses agai n s t th e body of the
handle and the tabs on the end cap lock the
assembly into place.

©

Charging the battery pack

Equipment required:

One battery charger for each PTC

•

18

An electrical outlet within 6 feet (1.8 me-

•

ters) providing 110 volts AC in the U.S.
and Canada or 220 volts AC elsewhere

Use this procedure t o rechar g e the nick el- cad ­mium battery pack installed i n t he PTC’s handle.

1.Press the ON/OFF key on the PTC’s key­board to make sure the PT C is of f.

2.Disconnect all accessories from the PTC.

3.Lay the PTC-960XRF on its right side so the
charger connector is facing you.

4.Attach the end of the battery charger’s cable
to the charger con n ector on the PTC’s side.
See Figure 1 on page 22 for the location of
the charger connector.

5.Plug the battery charger into a standard 110­volt electrical outlet (220 volts outsid e the
U.S. and Canada).

6.Charge the battery pack for 12 hours.

7.When charging is finished, first unplug the
battery charger fr om the electrical outlet;
then disconnect it from the PTC.

©

Checking the PTC-960XRF

CAUTION! Do not turn on the PTC-960XRF
or attempt to transmit data u nless the
antenna is attached; if the antenna is not
attached, the radio could be damaged.

1.Press the ON/OFF key on the PTC’s key­board to turn on the PTC.

2.Look at the PTC’s display.

19

3.What appears on the display depe nds 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

•

See the “Troubleshooting” section on page 54
if the PTC-960XRF is not operating correctly.

20

ÄÄ

arts

P

©

©

Figure 1 shows the parts of the PTC-960XRF.

Accessory connector

A modular RJ-41-type connec tor for acc es sories
is located on the PTC’s left s ide. O n e of a number
of special cables that plug into the connector can
be used to connect the PTC-960XRF to a particu­lar computer, printer, or o th er accessory. Cable
part numbers are listed in Appendix B, and cable
diagrams are illustrated in Appendix C.

Antenna

The PTC-960XRF has a built-in radio used to
send data and instructions back and forth
between the PTC and a host computer. The
antenna is screwed into the mount on the PTC’s
left side.

©

Bar-code scanner

A bar-code laser scanner, which is mounted in­side the PTC’s nose, lets you enter data into your
PTC by “reading” (scanning) bar-code labels.
Your PTC’s application program determines the
types of bar-code labels the PTC can read.

©

Bar-code scanner trigger

The trigger on the front of the PTC’s handle
turns on the PTC’s bar-code scanner when you

21

FIGURE 1

Parts of the PTC-960XRF

BAR-CODE SCANNER

COMMUNICATION
CONTACTS

RADIO ANTENNA

DISPLAY

KEYBOARD &
KEYBOARD OVERLAY

BAR-CODE SCANNER TRIGGER

ACCESSORY CONNECTOR

BATTERY CHARGER
CONNECTOR

ENDCAP/BATTERY PACK
ASSEMBLY

BEEPER

STATUS INDICATORS
HANDLE &

BATTERY
COMPARTMENT

WRIST STRAP
ATTACHES HERE

22

are ready to read a bar code. Pressing the trigger
also turns on the PTC-960XRF, if this option has
been installed by your organization.

©

Battery charger

A battery charger is provided to recharge the
PTC’s nickel-cadmium battery
pack. It connects to the PTC­960XRF through the bui lt-i n
charger connector on the PTC’s
left side.

The nickel-cadmium battery
pack can also be recharged by
placing the PTC-960XRF in
an optional communication
cradle. See the manual p ro v id ed
with the SC-960X or MC-960X
communication cradle for
instructions.

©

Battery compartment

The PTC-960XRF is powered by a rechargeable
nickel-cadmium battery pack installed inside the
PTC’s handle.

©

Communication contacts

The row of metal contacts on the bottom ed ge of
the PTC’s nose connects the PTC to an optional
communication cradl e. See the manual for the
SC-960X or MC-960X communication cradle for
further information.

23

©

Display

The display screen on the fro n t of t he PTC abo ve
the keyboard shows the informat ion you ty pe
or scan into the PTC as well as messages and
instructions from the PTC or the host computer.

The screen is a liqu i d crystal display (LCD).
Depending on the option ordered, the screen can
show four lines with sixteen characters each or
sixteen lines with sixteen or twenty-one charac ­ters each. Your display may also be able to dis­play graphics.

The display’s contrast can be changed through
the PTC-960XRF’s keyboard if your application
program has been set up to do so.

©

End cap/battery pack assembly

The PTC handle end cap and the nickel-cad­mium battery pack are co mbined in a single
module. Removing the end cap also removes the
battery pack. When the battery pack is replaced,
the entire module is replaced with a new one.

©

Flash EPROM

A flash EPROM is an electronic component that
is installed inside the PTC. The PTC-960XRF
has two. One contains the PTC’s data collection
program and determines the PTC’s key func­tions, the display prompts and messages, and
how and when the PTC prints or transmits data.
The second flash EPROM contains the PTC’s
DATASPAN radio frequency memory.

These flash EPROMs can be erased and repro­grammed while they are inside the PTC. Fir st,
the PTC must be connected to a host com p ute r

24

via a cable or by being placed in an optional
SC-960X or MC-960X communic ation cradle.

Then using software in the PTC’s operating
system, the user can erase the flash EPROM
and reprogram it with a new program from the
host computer.

For specific instructions on how to erase or repro­gram an application flash EPROM, refer to
“Programming the flash EPROM” on page 46 or
to the Guide to the FLASH Utilities (TCAL or

MS-DOS Version).

©

Handle

The handle attached to the PTC’s body allo ws
you to hold the PTC and aim the built-in scanner
when you are scanning bar codes.

The handle also contains the PTC-960XRF’s
battery pack.

©

Keyboard

The standard keyboard on the PTC-960XRF has
forty-five keys. Some models may be equipped
with an optional 24-key or 35-key keyboard. All
keyboards have two different types of keys: data
keys and function keys.

Data keys are the letter and numbe r keys, A-Z
and 0-9. You use them to type data into the PTC.

Function keys include the F1-F4, CLEAR,
ENTER/YES, and SEND keys. These keys may
have different labels on your PTC. They are used
to perform a special procedure or fu nction. For
example, your application may use the SEND
function key to transmit the PTC ’s data to the
host computer.

25

Note: Your application program may turn off
certain keys at times during the p rogram to
prevent you from accidentall y erasing data or
ending an operation. The PTC beeps when you
press a key the application has turned off.

ENTER/YES key

How you use the ENTER/YES key depends on
your organization’s application. Usually you
press this key to tell the app li cation that you
have finished typing data, have finished an op­eration, or want the PTC to begin an operatio n,
such as sending data to the host computer.

ON/OFF key

Pressing this key will turn the PTC on or off.

SHIFT key

On the 45-key keyboard, the SHIFT key acti­vates only the fun ction keys labeled on the over­lay. The numeric keys are always available.

On 24- and 35-key keyboards, the SHIFT key
shifts between the numeric and alphabetic key­board and also activates some of the functi on
keys your application uses. These keys are la­beled on an overlay that slips over the keyboard.

©

Keyboard overlay

The keyboard overlay is a small sheet of plastic
cut out to fit over the PTC-960XRF’s keyboard.
Labels for the special function keys used by your
organization’s application p ro gram are printed
on the overlay.

26

©

RJ-41-to-RS-232 adapter cable (optional)

One of two adapter cables, part number 15109­001 or 15508-001, may be
required to connect the PTC­960XRF to an external accessory
or computer. One end of the cable plugs
into the accessory connector on the P TC ’s
left side, and the other
plugs into the accessory
or into an additional
cable for the specific
accessory or computer.
Cable part numbers are listed in Appendix B,
and cable diagrams are illustrated in Appendix C.

©

Status indicators

Four light-emitting di ode (L E D ) indicators on
the rear face of the PTC-960XRF provide infor­mation on the PTC’s status .

Charging

This green LED glows when the PTC is con­nected to a battery charger and the nickel­cadmium battery pack is being recharged.

Good Scan

This green LED blinks once when a bar-c ode la­bel has been scanned and decoded successfully.
You may also hear a beep after a successful scan.

The Good Scan indicator will not light if the bar
code has not been decoded, and the Scan indica­tor will go out after 1 or 2 seconds.

27

Low Bat

This red LED glows to warn you when the
PTC’s battery pack is running out of power.
Immediately stop whatever op er ati on you are
in, save any data you have entered or scanned,
and recharge or replace the PTC’ s battery pack
whenever the Low Bat indicator lights .

Scan

This red LED lights when the scanner’s trigger
is pulled and the PTC’s built-in scanner starts to
scan a bar code.

©

Wrist strap

A looped wrist strap is attached to the PTC’s
handle. Put your hand through the wrist strap
and use it to prevent the PTC from falling if you
accidentally let go of it.

A rigid ring wrist strap is available as an option.

28

ÄÄ

eatures

F

©

©

Autodiscrimination between bar codes

The PTC-960XRF’s application progr a m c an
read and automatically discr im inate between
up to ten different bar-code types. See the infor­mation provided by your supervisor for t he bar­code types your PTC has been programmed to
recognize.

Automatic off

To conserve battery power, the PTC-960XRF
automatically turns itself off after approximately
1 minute of inactivity. The exact length of time
depends on your applicati on pr ogram.

©

Automatic return at on

When you turn off the PTC-960XRF (or when
the PTC-960XRF turns itself off), it remembers
where it was in the application. Then , w hen you
turn the PTC-960XRF back on, it returns to that
same point in the appli cat io n. You do not need to
review what you have done or perform any other
start-up function to find your place.

©

Backlight

The screen has a backlight to light up the screen
and make information on the d is p lay readable in
low light. If y our PTC’s operating system is MS-

®

DOS

, you can turn the backlight on and off by

29

first pressing the FUNC key and then pressing
the SPACE key. If your PTC’s operating system
is TCAL
able to you, depending on your organization’ s
application program. See the instructions
provided by your organization for the correct
procedure.

©

Battery backup

The PTC-960XRF has a built-in battery backup
system that provides enough power to protect
data stored in the PTC’s memory when the
battery pack is being changed or if it runs out
of power. The battery back up system provides
a minimum of 1 hour of protec tion w hen the
battery pack is removed.

®

, the backlight may or may not be avail-

CAUTION! Storing a PTC-960XRF for long
periods (over two months) w ithout recharg­ing or replacing the nickel-cadmium battery
pack drains both the battery pack and the
battery backup system. Any data or programs
loaded into t h e PTC’s memory will be lost.

©

Beeper

The PTC’s beeper, which is located inside the
rear face, is used by the PTC and your applica­tion program to warn you of problems or to
prompt you to take an action. For ex ample, if
your application program has temporarily
turned off a key, the PTC will beep if you press
that key.

Depending on your organization’s ap plication
software, you may be able to control the bee pe r’s
volume. See the manual or instructions provided
by your organization.

30

©

Clock

The PTC-960XRF has a built-in clock that keeps
track of the date (mon th, day, year, and day of
the week) and the time (hours, minutes, seconds,
and tenths of seconds). The clock operates con­tinuously. How the clock is used depends on your
application program. For example, the PTC­960XRF can use the clock to show the date and
time on its display or to direct a printer to place
a time stamp on a report.

©

Communication

The PTC-960XRF is capable of communicating
with a host computer through its internal radio,
through an optional communication cr adle, or by
being connected directly via a cable. See the man­ual or instructions provided by your organization
for the proper communication procedure for your
application.

©

Display contrast

You may be able to adjust the PTC’s display con­trast, depending on the display installed on your
PTC and the operating system your PTC uses.

If your PTC’s operating system is MS-DOS, you
can increase or decrease the contrast in steps by
first pressing the FUNC key and then pressing
the BKSP (backspace) ke y .

If your PTC’s oper a ting system is TCAL, contr a st
adjustment may or may not be available to you,
depending on your organizat io n ’s app li cat ion
program. See the instructions provided by your
organization for the correct procedure.

31

©

Memory

The PTC-960XRF has internal memory, which
is used to store your organization’s app li cat io n
program and the d a ta you type into the PTC.

The amount of memory in your PT C determ in es
how much data you can type in before you have
to send it to a host computer or print it. Various
amounts of memory are available fr om Tel xon,
and the amount actually instal le d in your PTC
has been determined by your organization’s
needs.

32

ÄÄ

ommunication

C

and connections

The PTC-960XRF is able to communicate wi th
other computers, PTCs, and external accessories
such as printers. It can both send and receive
data and instructions. Communication is co n trol­led by your organization’s applicat ion program.
See the manual or instructions pr ovi de d by your
organization fo r details on conducting communi­cation sessions.

The PTC-960XRF is designed to use its internal
radio as its primary means of communicating
with a host computer, but it can also communi­cate by being connected directly to the hos t com­puter by cable or by being placed in an optional
communication cradle that is connected to the
host computer. Accesso ri es such as printers are
connected to the PTC with a cable.

©

Communicating through the radio

CAUTION! Do not turn on the PTC-960XRF
or attempt to transmit data u nless the
antenna is attached; if the antenna is not
attached, the radio could be damaged.

All radio communic ation is controlled by your
organization’s application software . See the man­ual or instructions provided by your organization.

33

©

Connecting cables

Note: The PTC-960XRF cannot be connected to
an external modem via cable. It can be connected
to an external modem only through an optional
SC-960X or MC-960X communic ation cradle.

Making a direct connection between the PTC­960XRF and another computer, PTC, or acces­sory requires the use of a special adapter cable
and may require a separate accessory cable. The
adapter cable plugs into the modular RJ-41
accessory connector on the PTC’s left side. The
other end of this adapter cable has a stand ard
25-pin (part number 15109-001) or 9-pin (part
number 15508-001) RS-232-type connector that
plugs directly into the acce ssory or is attached to
a separate cable that plugs into the accessory or
other computer.

Both the adapter cable and the c or re ct cable for
your accessory or hos t computer must be ordered
separately. For the correc t cable, see the manual
or instructions provided by your organization
and the list of accessories in Appendix B.

CAUTION! Do not force any connectors to­gether if they do not connect easily; you could
damage them. Check to make sure that they
are lined up correctl y, that no pins are bent,
and that nothing is obstructing the accessory
connector on the PTC.

1.Make sure you have both the corre ct ad apt er

cable and the correct accessory cable, if neces­sary, for the device you are connecting to. If
you use the wrong accessory cable, the PTC
may not be able to communic ate.

2.Press the ON/OFF key on the PTC’s key-

board to turn off the PTC.

34

3.Make sure the computer or acc esso ry you are

4.The accessory connector on the PTC’s left

5.Examine the PTC’s accessory connector and

6.Gently slip the connector on the cable into

FIGURE 2

Connecting a cable

connecting to the PTC is also turned off.

side is protected by a rubber plug. Pull up on
the bottom of the plug to reveal the accessory
connector.

Note: The top of the rubber plug is perma­nently attached to the PTC.

the modular RJ-41 connector on the end of
the adapter cable. The connec to r on the c able
has a tab that must line up with the slot in
the PTC’s accessory connector.

the accessory connector until the tab on the
cable’s connector clicks into place. See Figure 2.

PLUG THE ADAPTER CABLE’S
MODULAR CONNECTOR INTO THE
PTC’S ACCESSORY CONNECTOR

35

7.Connect the other end of the adapter cable to

the accessory or to one of the connectors on
the accessory cable. Ma k e s u re t h e connec ­tors line up correctly, wide edg e to w ide edg e,
and you are connecting a male connec tor to a
female connector.

8.Connect the remaining end of the accessory

cable, if used, to the correct connec tor on the
computer or accessory. Make sure the connec­tor on the cable and the connector on the
computer or accessory are l ine d up properly.

9.Turn on the PTC and then turn on the device

it is connected to.

10.Follow the instructions for your application

program to communicate.

©

Disconnecting cables

Equipment required:

A pen or small screwdriver

•

Always disconnect connectors by pulling them
directly away from each other. Do not p ull at an
angle. Do not use a rocking or twisting motion
when pulling two connectors apart.

CAUTION! When removing a cable from the
PTC or another devic e, grasp the cable con­nector head to remove the cable. Pulling on
the cable can break the wiring from the cable
connector.

1.Press the ON/OFF key on the PTC’s key-

board to turn off the PTC.

2.Turn off the device the PTC is connected to.

36

3.Use the tip of a pen or small screw driver to
press down the tab on the adapter c able’s
connector; then pull the cable out of the
accessory connector on the PTC’s left side.

4.Insert the rubber plug into the acce ssor y
connector.

5.Disconnect the PTC’s adapter cabl e from the
accessory or accessory cable.

6.If necessary, disconnect the accessory c able
from the other computer or acces sory.

©

Connecting to the optional communication cradle

See the manual provided with the SC-960X or
MC-960X communication cradle for instructions
on how to connect the PTC-960XRF.

37

ÄÄ

canning

S

bar-code labels

The PTC-960XRF can be programmed to auto­matically recognize, read, and discrim inate
between up to ten bar-code types.

The bar-code types your PTC-960XRF can read
depend on your PTC’s application program. See
the instructions provided by your organization
for specific information and Appendix A for a
list of the bar code types your PTC can be pro­grammed to read.

Follow this procedure to scan bar-code labels.

1.Point the PTC-960XRF at the label to be

scanned. The scanner can be at an angle
to the label (see Figure 3). The maximum
distance from the window on the nose of the
PTC to the label de pends on whether you r
PTC is equipped with a short-range or long­range bar-code scanner and on the size of the
label being scanned.

See the instructions o r m anual pr ovided
by your organiza tion for the recommended
scanning distance.

2.Press the trigger on the PTC’s handle to start

scanning. The red Scan LED on the rear face
of the PTC will light.

If your PTC is equipped with the aiming do t
option, the laser projects a red aim ing d ot
on the bar code you are pointing the PTC

38

toward. Quickly center the aim ing dot ov er
the bar code. Keep pressing the trigger, and
the laser begins scanning the bar code.

3.Watch the line of light made by the sc anner
as it scans the bar code. The line must pass
over all of the bars on the label for the bar
code to be read.

4.If the scan has been successful, the green
Good Scan LED on the rear face of the PTC
blinks, and you should hear a beep.

FIGURE 3

Scanning a bar-code

SCAN LINE MUST COVER THE
ENTIRE WIDTH OF THE BAR CODE

39

ÄÄ

M

©

©

aintaining
the PTC-960XRF

Operating conditions

Although the PTC-960XRF is specially sealed to
resist dust, dirt, an d moi stu re, it should not b e
used in excessively dirty or moist environments.
It can be operated at temperature s between 32
and 104 degrees F (0 and 40 degrees C).

Handling the PTC-960XRF

The following information will help to ensure you
receive safe, reliable, and trouble-free service
from your PTC-960XRF.

Do not stare into the laser beam .

•

Do not point the scanner at anyone’s eyes.

•

You could cause permanent eye damage.
Do not operate the PTC without the ante nna

•

attached.
Do not open the PTC’s case. Only a trained

•

technician can service the parts inside the
PTC.

If you store a PTC-960 in below-freezing

•

temperatures for more than 1 hour, do not
charge the battery pack until it wa rms up to
room temperature. Charging a cold battery
pack can damage it.

40

Make sure the PTC is off before you connect

•

or remove any cables or accessories or replace
the battery pack .

Make sure all accessories connec te d by cable

•

are connected correctly and the corr ect cables
are used.

Use only Telxon-approved bat tery packs and

•

accessories. Do not attempt to connect any
electrical device th a t is not part of yo u r PTC­960XRF system to the PTC.

Protect the PTC from excessive hea t, cold,

•

moisture, and harsh, dirty environments.
Do not insert anything other than Telxon-

•

approved cables into the accessor y c onne ct or
on the PTC’s left side.

Be careful not to short together any of the

•

metal contacts on the PTC’s nose. Do not
allow the contacts to touch metal or other
electrically conductive material.

Do not remove any rubber or plastic plugs on

•

the PTC’s case.

©

Storing the PTC-960XRF

Do not store the PTC-960XRF in tempera-

•

tures below -40 degrees F (-40 degrees C) or
above 158 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Do not store the PTC-960XRF in a damp or

•

humid environment.

Use the following procedure to store the
PTC-960XRF.

1.Transfer any data stored in the PTC to a host
computer or anothe r PTC o r prin t the data.

41

See the manual or instructions for your
organization’s application p ro gram for
directions.

2.Make sure you have a copy of any programs

stored in the PTC.

3.Disconnect all accessories from the PTC.

4.Recharge the PTC’s nickel-cadmium battery

pack or replace it with a charged bat tery
pack.

5.Pack the PTC in the original packing mate-

rial or in a padded box and put the PTC in a
safe place, away from dust, dirt, humidity,
and excessive cold.

©

Cleaning the PTC-960XRF

Equipment required:

A nonabrasive cleaner

•

A soft, lint-free cloth

•

To clean the PTC-960XRF, slightly moist en a
soft, clean, lint-free cloth with a mild, nonabra­sive cleaner and wipe the outside surfaces. Do
not use a paper towel.

CAUTION! Do not soak the cloth used to
clean the PTC and do not spray or pour
cleaning liquids directly onto the PTC.

If the PTC-960XRF becomes extremely dirty or
if liquids, dirt, or other foreign materials get
inside the case, contact your Telxon service
representative.

42

©

Servicing the PTC-960XRF

Do not attempt to service the PTC. Only a
trained Telxon technician may service the PT C .
Follow the procedure set up by your organization
to have the PTC serviced properly.

43

ÄÄ

eplacing the

R

battery pack

Equipment required:

A charged replacement battery pack

•

©

Removing the battery pack

1.Press the ON/OFF key on the PTC’s key-

board to turn the PTC off.

2.With your thumb and index finger, press and

hold in the release buttons on bo th sid es of
the handle end cap (see Figure 4); then pull
the end cap and the a ttached battery pack
out of the handle.

FIGURE 4

Removing the
battery pack

RELEASE BUTTON
(ONE ON EACH SIDE)

44

3.Refer to page 13 for instructions on properly
disposing of your nickel-cadmium battery
pack.

©

Installing a new batte ry pack

1.Make sure the PTC is off.

2.Line up the end cap/battery pack assembly
with the opening in the handle. The curved
sides of the end cap allow the battery pack to
be inserted in only one way.

3.Slide the end cap/battery pack into the han­dle until the end cap presses against the body
of the handle and the release buttons snap
into place.

4.Pull on the end cap to make sure it is locked
into place.

45

ÄÄ

rogramming

P

the flash EPROM

Both the application program and the radio fre­quency (RF) instructions for your PTC-960XRF
are stored in electronic components inside the
PTC called flash EPROMs. Flash EPROMs are
a type of read-only memory, but unlike standard
EPROMs, flash EPROMs can be erased and re­programmed while they are inside the PTC. This
allows you to update your application program
quickly and easily.

To write over existing programs on the PTC’s
application or RF flash EPROM, you must
connect your PTC to an MS-DOS-based personal
computer and then run the FLASHPC.EXE
utility to download the special file (ROM image
file) containing the new appl ic ation.

©

Before you begin

Make sure the PTC’s battery pack is fully
charged. If the battery pack runs low , t h e repr o­gramming process will abort, and you will lose
the application pro g ram or RF instruction s
already in the PTC.

The following procedure as s umes

you are familiar with operating an M S-

•

DOS-based personal computer,
you have read the “Communication and

•

connections” section on page 33,

46

you will connect the PTC’s download

•

cable to the person al computer’s COM1
serial port,

you will use the default setting s for the

•

FLASHPC.EXE utility, and
you will run FLASHPC.EXE in interac-

•

tive mode.

If your situation differs fr om this, refer to the

Guide to the FLASH Utilities (TCAL or MS-DOS
Version), part number 16541-000.

Equipment required

A personal computer running the

•

MS-DOS operating system
A 9-pin or 25-pin PTC adapter cable (see

•

Appendix B for the correct part number

and Appendix C for the cable diagram)
A 9-pin or 25-pin download cable (see

•

Appendix B for the correct part number

and Appendix C for the cable diagram)
A diskette containing the FLASHPC.EXE

•

utility for your PTC’s oper ating system,
either TCAL or the RAMSaver version of
MS-DOS (Optionally, FLASHPC.EXE can
be permanently stored on your PC’s hard
disk drive.)

A diskette containing the ROM image

•

files (for your PTC’s operating sy s tem)
that will replace the appli cation (ARC
image file) or RF information (RF image
file) on your PTC (Optionally, these fil es
can be stored on your PC’s hard disk
drive.)

47

©

Procedure

1.Connect the PTC to the PC’s COM1 se rial

communication port using th e appropriate
adapter cable and download cable. If you
connect to the COM2 port, you must change
the communication port setting in the
FLASHPC.EXE utility in Step 8.

2.Switch to the disk drive containing the

FLASHPC.EXE utility.

If FLASHPC.EXE is on a floppy disk et te,

•

insert the diskette into the PC’s floppy
disk drive A. Sw it ch to this drive by
typing A: and then pressing ENTER.

If FLASHPC.EXE is on the PC’s hard

•

disk, switch to the drive and directory
containing FLASHPC.EXE.

3.Run FLASHPC.EXE.

If you are reprogramming a single PTC,

•

type FLASHPC and then press ENTER.
If you are reprogramming a number o f

•

PTCs, type FLASHPC -m and then press
ENTER.

4.The PC shows the following prompt:

Telxon Flash Loader (Version X.X)
Enter the ARC image filename (return if none):

=
Enter the RF image filename (return if none):

=

5.In the appropriate space, type in the name of

the ROM image file you want to downl oad .

48

Type the ROM image file name in this format:

d:\path\filename

where

d: = the disk drive the file is on
\path = the directory the file is in, if it is not

in the disk drive’s current directory
\filename = the eight- (or fewer) character

name of the file plus the file extension (the
period and three characters after it)

Press ENTER after you fill in the ARC image
file name or press ENTER by itself if you are
not entering an ARC image file name. Press
ENTER after you fill in the RF image file
name or press ENTER by itself if you are not
entering an RF image file name.

6.The Main Menu displays on your PC’s
monitor screen:

0. Quit

1. Send the image(s) to PTC

2. Select baud rate

3. Select com port n

4. Reselect an ARC file

5. Reselect an RF file
Current file selection(s):

ARC =
RF =

Enter [0 - 5]:

7.Change the baud rate, if necessary.
The default baud rate is “autobaud,” which

means the PC will start communicating at
38,400 baud and slows down, if necessary,
until it connects with the PTC. This is the
default setting and should be used if possible.

49

To change the baud rate or to reset it to
“Autobaud,” type 2 and then press ENTER
at the Main Menu.

The following screen displays on your PC’s
monitor:

Select the desired baud rate:

0. Quit

1. 9600 Baud

2. 19.2 K Baud

3. 38.4 K Baud

4. Autobaud (default)
Enter [0, 1, 2, 3, or 4]:

8.Change the communication port, if necessary.

Choose this option from the Main Menu on ly
if you have connected the download cable to
your PC’s COM2 serial port i n stead of to
COM1. To change the port, type 3 at the
Main Menu and press ENTER. The program
will toggle between COM1 and COM2 every
time you choose the Main Menu’s third
option.

9.Change the ROM image file names, if

necessary.
Select option 4 on the Main Menu to change

the ARC (application) file name or choose op­tion 5 to change the RF file specified earlier.
Your PC promp ts y ou for the new R O M im­age file name. Type in the new path and file
name and press ENTER.

To leave this screen without changing the file
name, press the ESC key.

To remove a file name from a list of ROM
image files, press ENTER at the prompt. The
program will verify that you want to omit
this file before returning to the Main Menu.

50

10.Select option 1 on the Main Menu, “Send the
image(s) to PTC,” to compress t h e ima g e files
for downloading.

Your PC displays status messages for each
file being compressed.

An error occurs if the PC does not have su ffi­cient memory to compress the file or if the
specified file is too large to fit on the flash
EPROM. If an error occurs, the PC displays
a message and returns to the Main Menu.

When compression is compl ete, the following
message displays:

Done with all the compressions
Prepare the PTC for downloading

Press any key to start sending

Note: Do not press any key on the PC’s key­board at this time.

CAUTION! Before proceeding, make sure the
PTC’s battery pack is fully charged.

11.If your PTC is using the TCAL operating sys­tem, put the PTC in programming mode by
holding down the PTC’s A key until the PTC
beeps three times. Wh en the PTC is in pro­gramming mode, the PTC will sound one long
beep followed by short repeating beeps.

If your PTC is using the MS-DOS/RAMSaver
operating system, r un t he FLASH . EXE pro­gram on your PTC.

At the prompt on your PTC screen, type
FLASH and press ENTER. The following

Menu displays on the PTC’s screen:

51

FLASH - Ver 1.1
0: System ctrl
1: User ctrl
2: Exit

Type 0 to put the FLASH.EXE program in
system control mode. Syst em control mode
returns control o f th e fla sh EPROM p rogram­ming to your PC.

The following prompt displays on your PTC
screen:

Do you wish to
program the
flash ROM now?
(Y/N):

Type Y and press ENTER.

Note: The FLASHPC.EXE program runs
on your personal computer, and the
FLASH.EXE program runs on your PTC
during this process.

12.Press any key on the PC’s keyboard to begin

downloading and reprogramming.
If you wish to abort the process, press the

ESC key on the PC. The FLASHPC.EXE
program returns to the Main Menu.

Before downloading begins, the PC displays
the following messa g e:

Establishing a connection...

The PC then displays status windows that
describe the current stage of downloading
(“Erasing flash ROM,” “Programming,” and
so on).

52

FLASHPC.EXE then erases and re programs
the flash EPROM. When the proc es s is
complete, the PTC sounds one long beep and
then turns itself off. The FLASHPC.EXE
program on the PC returns to the Main
Menu.

If reprogramming is not completed success­fully, refer to the Guide to the FLASH Utili-
ties (TCAL or MS-DOS Version) for more
information.

53

ÄÄ

roubleshooting

T

©

If the PTC does not turn on,

charge or replace the batte ry pack and

•

if the PTC still does not operate, follow your

•

organization’s procedure to have the PTC
serviced.

©

If the bar-code scanner does not read a label,

move the PTC-960XRF closer to or farther

•

away from the bar-code label. You may not
be scanning at the correct distance,

change the angle of the PTC-960XRF to the

•

bar-code label. The PTC may be too far above
or below the bar-code label or too far to the
side of the bar code to sca n properly,

clean the scanner lens on the nose of the PTC,

•

point the scanner at a blank surface and

•

press the scanner trigger. Look for the sc an­ning line that appears on the blank surface
when the scanner is operating. If no scanning
line appears, follow your organization’s proce­dure to have the PTC serviced, and

make sure the bar-code label yo u are trying

•

to scan is one of the bar-cod e types your
scanner has been programmed to recognize.

54

©

If your radio fails to establish contact,

change your location by a few feet and

•

transmit again,
make sure the antenna is securely attached,

•

recharge or replace the PTC’s battery pack,

•

make sure the recei v in g eq u ipment is turned

•

on and properly connected to the host
computer, and

if the PTC still does not establish contact,

•

follow your organization’s proc ed ure to have
the PTC serviced.

©

If you experience any other problems with your PTC-960XRF,

notify your Telxon service repr es entative or

•

contact the Telxon C ustomer Support Center

•

at 1-800-800-8010.

55

ÄÄ

ppendix A

A

©

Specifications

Physical

Length: 8.3 in/21.1 cm
Width: 3.5 in/8.9 cm
Height: 2.1 in/5.3 cm

Weight: Approximately 2.1 lb/1 kg
Operating 32 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit

temperature: (0 to 40 degrees Celsius)
Storage -40 to 158 degrees Fahrenheit

temperature: (-40 to 70 degrees Cel sius)

(8 in/20.3 cm at handle)

Operating
humidity: 0-95% noncondensing

Electrical

Battery pack 1400-mA/hr rechargeable

nickel-cadmium battery pack
standard

800-mA/hr rechargeable
nickel-cadmium battery pack
optional

Charger: Provides 18 VDC @ 800 mA/hr

56

Bar-code types supported

The PTC-960XRF can be programmed to read
and automatically discriminate among up to
ten of the following bar-code types. See the
instructions provided by your organization for
the specific bar-code types your PTC-960XRF is
programmed to read.

Plessey—Regular
Plessey—Alpha
Plessey—ISBN
Plessey—Pure
Plessey—Sainesbury

UPC—A & E
UPC—EAN-8 & EAN-13
UPC—A, E, EAN-8, EAN-13

Codabar
Code 39
Code 2 of 5—I, D, & Industrial

Code 2 of 5—Discrete
Code 2 of 5—Interleaved
Code 2 of 5—Industrial
Code 2 of 5—Matrix

Code 11
Code 128
Code 93

Ames Code
AS-10
Code 16k (two dimensional)
Other bar-code types may be available . See your

Telxon representative for more information.

57

Communication

Data communications Full dup lex, 300 to 19.2 K
via accessory connector: bits per s econd (bps)

Data communications
via 460-MHz narrow-band
FM radio: 9600 bps

58

y

ÄÄ

ppendix B

A

©

Accessory part numbers

The following table contains part numbers for
ordering PTC-960XRF accessory hardware.

TABLE 1

Accessory part numbers

Item Part number

PTC-960XRF

Chargers

Battery charger
PTC-960X Fast Battery Charger

without cycling
with cycling

Batter

Antenna

6-inch (15.2-centimeter) whip antenna

Wrist straps

Wrist strap
Ring wrist strap

packs

1400 mA/hr
800 mA/hr

16676-000

12176-004
16799-000

16799-001

16705-000
16742-000

14997-000

15025-000
13970-000

59

Item Part number

Cables

RJ-41-to-RS-232 25-pin adapter cable
RJ-41-to-RS-232 9-pin adapter cable
RJ-41-to-RS-232 9-pin adapter cable
PTC-to-1/2 duplex modem cable
PTC-to-full duplex modem cable
PTC-to-host (DTE) cable
Cloning cable, RJ-41-to-RJ-41
PTC-to-IBM PC/AT download cable
PTC-to-IBM PC/XT download cable

Manuals

Guide to the FLASH Utilities (TCAL or

MS-DOS Version)

Guide to Maintaining NiCd Batteries
Guide to the SC-960X
Guide to the MC-960X

15109-001
15508-000†
15508-001†
10124-0X1*
10124-0X2*
10124-0X3*
15282-000
13656-3X0*
10582-XX0*

16541-000
16488-000
16898-000
16897-000

† Cable part number 15508-000, rather than

15508-001, is required if Telxon’s PCTCOS
is being used with TCAL. Check with your
Telxon service representative to determine
which of these two cables is the correct one for
your application.

* The first digit of th e last three numbers of

these part numbers indi cat es the connector
type. The second di g it indicates the cable
length. Contact your Telxon representative
for the correct part number for your applica­tion. These cables must be us ed with the
RJ-41-to-RS-232 25-pin adapter cable, part
number 15109-001.

60

ÄÄ

ppendix C

A

©

Communication connections

Figures 5 through 12 provide information on
the connections used to establish and maintain
communication between the PTC-960XRF and
other devices.

Not all available cables are described in this
section. Check with your Telxon representative
for information on other cable configurations.

FIGURE 5

RJ-41-to-RS-232 25-pin adapter cable, P/N 15109-001

PTC-960XRF

RJ-41

VCC 1 9 VCC
DTR 2 20 DTR
TXD 3 2 TXD

CTS 4 5 CTS

RING 5 22 RING

DSR 6 6 DSR

RTS 7 4 RTS

RXD 8 3 RXD

GND Shield 7 GND

IBM PC/XT

DB-25

61

FIGURE 6

RJ-41-to-RS-232 9-pin adapter cable, P/N 15508-001

†

PTC-960XRF

RJ-41

DTR 2 6 DSR
TXD 3 2 RXD
DSR 6 4 DTR

CTS 4 7 RTS
RTS 7 8 CTS

RXD 8 3 TXD

GND Shield 5 GND

IBM PC/AT

DB-9

62

FIGURE 7

PTC-to-1/2 duplex modem cable, P/N 10124-0X1*

PTC-960XRF

TXD 2 2 TXD
RCV 3 3 RCV
DSR 6 6 DSR
DTR 20 20 DTR

RTS 4 4 RTS
CTS 5 5 CTS

RI 22 22 RI
CD 8 8 CD
SG 7 7 SG

-5 VDC 10
OUT 11

Modem/T ype I

(1/2 Duplex)

63

FIGURE 8

PTC-to-full duplex modem cable, P/N 10124-0X2*

PTC-960XRF

TXD 2 2 TXD
RCV 3 3 RCV
DTR 20 20 DTR
DSR 6 6 DSR

RI 22 22 RI
CD 8 8 CD
SG 7 7 SG

RTS 4
CTS 5

-5 VDC 10
OUT 11

Modem/T ype II

(Full Duplex)

64

FIGURE 9

PTC-to-host (DTE) cable, P/N 10124-0X3*

PTC-960XRF

RXD 3 2 TXD
TXD 2 3 RXD
DTR 20 6 DSR
DSR 6 20 DTR

RTS 4
CTS 5 8 CD

CD 8 5 CTS
SG 7 7 SG

Host/T ype III

(Full or 1/2

Duplex)

4RTS

OUT 11

-5 VDC 10

65

FIGURE 10

Cloning cable, RJ-41-to-RJ-41, P/N 15282-000

PTC-960XRF A PTC-960XRF B

DTR 2 2 DTR
DSR 6 6 DSR

RTS 7 7 RTS

CTS 4 4 CTS
TXD 3 8 RXD
RXD 8 3 TXD

GND Shield Shield GND

66

FIGURE 11

PTC-to-IBM PC/AT download cable , P/N 13656-3X0*

PTC-960XRF

IBM PC/AT

Male

TXD 2 2 RXD

RXD 3 3 TXD

CTS 5 4 DTR

GND 7 5 GND

RTS 4 6 DSR
DSR 6 7 RTS
DTR 20 8 CTS

-5 VDC 10 9 RI
OUT 11 1 CD

67

FIGURE 12

PTC-to-IBM PC/XT download cable, P/N 10582-XX0*

PTC-960XRF

Male

TXD 2 3 RXD
RXD 3 2 TXD
RTS 4 6 DSR
CTS 5 20 DTR
DSR 6 4 RTS

GND 7 7 GND

DTR 20 5 CTS

-5 VDC 10
OUT 11

IBM PC/XT

Female (0 00)/

Male (110)

68

ÄÄ

ppendix D

A

©

LED status indicators

The following table lists and explains each of the
LED status indicators on the PTC-960XRF’s rear
panel.

TABLE 2

LED status indicators

LED status
indicator

Scan This indicator glows when the scanner

Good Scan This indicator blinks once when a bar-

Charging This indicator glows when the nickel-

Low Bat This indicator glows to warn when the

Explanation

is operating and is scanning a bar code.

code label has been scanned and
decoded successfully. It will not light if
the scan has not been successful.

cadmium battery pack is being
recharged.

battery pack is running out of power.
Stop what you are doing, save the data,
and recharge or replace the PTC’s
battery pack immediately.

69

ÄÄ

lossary

G

alphanumeric

application

autodiscriminate

bar code

bar-code scan ner

CD

Describes a character set that contains letters,
numbers, and symbols such as punctuation
marks.

A PC, mainframe, or PTC program that is
designed to perform a specific task for a user.
Examples include route accounting, payroll,
price lookup, shipping, and inventory control.

The PTC’s ability to automatically recognize
and read more than one type of bar code.

A series of vertical bars and spaces used to encode
numeric or alphanumeric information. Bar codes
are designed to be read by electronic means such
as bar-code readers or laser scanners.

An electrical device that recognizes and deci­phers bar-code labels. When the reader passes
over the bar code, it converts the bar code into
electronic signals representing data. The PTC
can then enter this data into files in its memory.

Carrier detect signal. CD indicates that the
modem is receiving a signal from the remote
modem.

character
cloning

CTS

A letter, number, or symbol.
The process of copying a program or data files

from one PTC directly to another.
Clear-to-send signal. CTS indicates that the

line between a modem and a terminal device is
clear for transmission. CTS typically follows a
raised request-to-send (RTS) signal.

70

data
communication

The transport of encoded information from one
point to another.

DCE

display

DSR

DTE

DTR

flash EPROM

function key

Data communications equipment. A device
that controls and converts incoming data or
communication, for example, a modem.

The LCD or LED panel on a PTC. A PTC’s dis­play shows data, prompts, and error messages.

Data set ready signal. The modem sends DSR to
the attached device to indicate that the modem
is connected, on, and ready.

Data terminal equipment. A device comprising
the data source, for example, the host computer.

Data terminal ready signal. The signal sent by
the terminal device to the modem to indicate
that the terminal is ready for transmission.

A flash EPROM is an electronic component
used to store the PTC’s operating system, RF,
and application programs. Unlike a standard
EPROM, the flash EPROM may be erased and
reprogrammed without being removed from the
PTC.

A key on the PTC’s keyboard that is defined by
an application to perform a specific task. When
pressed, a function key executes a certain func­tion (for example, ENTER, SEND, ON/OFF).

hardware

host computer

keyboard overlay

LCD
LED

Equipment used in conjunction with programs
or data communication. Compare with

A personal computer or mainframe that re­ceives and processes data from remote PTCs.

The plastic label that lies on top of the PTC key­board, identifying the function key definitions.

Liquid crystal display.
Light-emitting diode.

software.

71

modem

Modulator-demodulator. A communication
device that converts serial digital data from
a transmitting device to a signal suitable for
transmission over a telephone line and then
reconverts the signal to serial digital data for
the receiving device.

MS-DOS
one-way

communication

PCTCOS
prompt

PTC

RAM

RAMSaver

Microsoft Disk Operating System.
Transport of information from one device to

another without interruption. In one-way
communication, the receiving device cannot
respond directly to the sending device.

A file download utility program.
Words or symbols shown on the PTC’s or PC’s

display to guide the operator through the steps
of an application. Prompts are defined in the
application program.

Portable Tele-Transaction Computer. A pro­grammable, battery-powered, hand-held device
used to collect, store, and transmit data.

Random access memory. In a PTC, RAM chip s
store the program’s files and data entered by
the operator.

Telxon’s version of Microsoft’s MS-DOS 3.2
that has been modified to perform MS-DOS
functions on a PTC.

RI

RS-232

RTS

Ring indicate signal. RI alerts a modem to a call
waiting on the attached telephone line.

An Electronic Industries Association (EIA)
standard that defines the connector, connector
pins, and signals used to transfer data serially
from one device to another.

Request-to-send signal. RTS initiates the data
transmission sequence on a communication line
between a modem and a terminal device.

72

RXD

Receive data signal. RXD indicates that a
device is currently receiving data.

signals

software

TCAL

two-way
communication

TXD

Electronic impulses that transmit data from one
device to another.

A stored program or set of programs that is
loaded into RAM for execution. Compare with

hardware.

Telxon Common Application Language. Telxon’s
proprietary programming language for Portable
Tele-Transaction Computers (PTCs).

Exchange of information between two devices.
After each block of data, the receiving device
sends a positive or negative acknowledgment to
the sending device.

Transmit data signal. TXD indicates that a
device is currently transmitting data.

73

ÄÄ

ndex

I

A

Accessories

connecting, 21, 27, 33-36

part numbers, 59-60
Accessory connector, 21
Adapter cable, 27

connecting, 34-36

disconnecting, 36-37
Antenna, 21

connecting, 18
Autodiscrimination, 29
Automatic off, 29
Automatic return at on, 29

B

Backlight, 29-30
Bar code

autodiscrimination, 29

definition, 16

types supported, 57
Bar-code label

scanning, 38-39
Bar-code scanner, 15, 21

not reading, 54

operation, 21, 38-39

trigger, 21, 23
Bar-code scanning

figure, 39
Battery backup, 30
Battery charger, 18-19, 23

figure, 23
Battery compartment, 23

closing, 45

opening, 44

Battery pack, 23-24

assembly, 24
charging, 18-19
disposing of, 13
figure, 44
installing, 18, 45
removing, 44-45
replacing, 44-45
running low, 28

Beeper, 30

C

Cables, 16

accessory connector, 21
adapter, 27, 34-37
connecting, 34-35
diagrams, 61-68
disconnecting, 36-37
part numbers, 59-60

RJ-41-to-RS-232, 27, 34-37
Canadian DOC, 10
Cautions

battery backup, 30

charging the battery pack, 51

cleaning the PTC, 42

communicating through the

radio, 33

connecting the antenna, 18, 19

disconnecting cables, 36

joining connectors, 34

storing the PTC, 30
Charger connector, 23
Charging LED, 27, 69
Clock, 31

74

Communication, 33

connections, 33-37, 61-68
cradle, 37
data, 16
with host computer, 31
radio, 33
specifications, 58

Connecting a cable

figure, 35

Connections

Cloning cable,
RJ-41-to-RJ-41, 66
PTC-to-1/2 duplex
modem cable, 63
PTC-to-full duplex
modem cable, 64
PTC-to-host (DTE) cable, 65
PTC-to-IBM PC/AT
download cable, 67
PTC-to-IBM PC/XT
download cable, 68
RJ-41-to-RS-232 9-pin
adapter cable, 62
RJ-41-to-RS-232 25-pin
adapter cable, 61

Connector

accessory, 21
charger, 23
communication contacts, 23
RJ-41, 21

Contacts

metal, 23

Contrast

display, 31

Department of

Communications, 10
ID, 10

Disconnecting

cables, 36-37

Display, 24

contrast, 31

E

Electrical specifications, 56
End cap/battery pack

assembly, 24, 44-45

EPROM, 24-25

programming, 16, 46-53

F

FCC

regulations, 9

statement, 8
Features, 29-32
Flash EPROM, 24-25

definition, 46

erasing an application, 25

programming, 16, 46-53

equipment, 47
Function keys, 25-26

G

D

Data

communicating, 16
entering, 16

Good Scan LED, 27, 69

H

Handle, 25

75

I

O

Installing a battery

pack, 18, 45

K

Keyboard, 25-26

entering data, 16
Keyboard overlay, 26
Keys

data, 25

ENTER/YES, 26

function, 25-26

ON/OFF, 26

SHIFT, 26

L

LEDs, 27-28, 69
License

Canada, 10

U.S., 9
Liquid crystal display, 24
Low Bat LED, 28, 69

M

Operation

bar-code scanner, 38-39
checking, 19-20
conditions, 40
PTC failure to turn on, 54

P

Part numbers

accessories, 59
cables, 60

manuals, 60
Physical specifications, 56
Programming

flash EPROM, 16, 46-53
PTC-960XRF

cleaning, 42

features, 29-32

handling, 40-41

not turning on, 54

operating conditions, 40

operation check, 19-20

overview, 15-16

parts, 21-28

servicing, 43

shipping contents, 17

storing, 41-42

Maintenance, 40-43

cleaning the PTC, 42

Memory, 32

N

Nickel-cadmium battery pack

charging, 18-19, 23
disposing of, 13
removing, 44-45
replacing, 45

R

Radio

antenna, 18, 21

communicating, 16, 33

failure to establish contact, 55

safety, 11

76

S

Safety information, 11-13

antenna, 11
long-range laser scanner, 12-13
nickel-cadmium batteries, 13
radio, 11

short-range laser scanner, 12
Scan LED, 28, 69
Scanner

cleaning, 54

not reading, 54

operation, 38-39

safety, 12-13

trigger, 21, 23
Scanning, 21, 38-39
Scope of manual, 14
Servicing the PTC, 43, 54-55
Specifications

bar-code types, 57

communication, 58

electrical, 56

physical, 56
Status indicators, 27-28

meaning of, 69
Storage, 41-42

T

Troubleshooting, 54-55

U

Unpacking the PTC, 17-18

W

Wrist strap, 28

77

Telxon Corporation/3330 West Market Street, Akron, Ohio 44334/216-867-3700/800-800-8001

Part No. 16676-701-01 Printed in U.S.A.