AC Line Powered Operation
The TagMate USB
®
offers users the option of “hands-free” operation (holding the tag,
but not the reader), and battery-life preservation, by use of an AC adapter.
5
This
mode of operation is well suited to any fixed location near a power source. In the AC
line powered state, tag processing will automatically occur without pressing the
button if a tag is nearby (for recommended reader-tag orientations, see “Tag
Processing Operations”). The LED blink pattern will repeat more rapidly when in
line-powered mode, as an indication that the unit is actively scanning for tags.
Note:
1. Line power sensing can be “spoofed” if the AC adapter plug is left in the TagMate
USB
®
but there is no power on the cord. The unit will operate on battery power,
but will operate as if it is on line power, scanning continually for tags. It is in fact
possible to use an appropriate DC input jack, without any connected AC adapter,
for this purpose.
2. Although line-powered mode will not recharge batteries (the unit is sold with non-
rechargeable batteries), it is possible to make use of any AAA battery type,
including rechargeable ones, in the reader.
Under line power, TagMate USB
®
models having a bar code scanner will not convert
over to hands-free operation of the scanner—this function always requires pushing
the button, and is described below.
Bar Code Scanner Operation
The TagMate USB
®
offers bar code scanning as a hardware configuration option.
Suitably-configured units will have a clear window at the top end, where the scanner
beam emerges, as shown below:
When a barcode scanner is present, the scanner is activated by a button press-and-
hold operation that lasts for longer than 0.4 seconds (a press-and-release will bypass
barcode scanning and activate tag processing, as described in the next section).
Once activated, the scanner beam stays on until the user releases the button or a
successful scan occurs. A beep will sound after each successful scan. Repeat
scanning of the same barcode, with no other scans in between, will have no effect
other than the beep. Barcode scan data will be accumulated during one or more
scanning operations, until the next successful tag processing event occurs. At this
point, stored scan data will be added to the tag data file and/or written onto the tag,
then cleared from memory. Further details about barcode data handling are found in
later sections. Because barcode scanning must precede tag processing, the TagMate
USB
®
will attempt to process a tag immediately after the scanner is finished, for
about 10 seconds (see next section).
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Contact your TurboTag
®
representative.
TagMateUSB Aug 11, 2009
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