Honeywell EDA52 setup guide: battery, charging, Wi-Fi, scan

This guide takes a new Honeywell ScanPal EDA52 from the box to a working scanner: cards and battery, first charge, the Welcome screen, Wi-Fi and mobile data, a scan test and updates, plus an overview of the docks.

Before you start

Check the box

Honeywell lists these items in the box: the EDA52, a rechargeable Li-ion battery, a USB charging cable (two-pin model only) and, depending on the kit, a hand strap. Keep the packaging in case the device needs service, and contact us if anything is missing.

Two-pin or six-pin model

The EDA52 comes in two versions. The two-pin model has a USB-C port and a two-pin I/O connector on the bottom. The six-pin model has a six-pin I/O connector instead. The EDA52 we stock is a two-pin model with a USB-C port and mobile data (4G LTE); the product page lists its full configuration. Some docks only fit the six-pin model, see the last section.

Insert the cards and the battery

The card tray sits under the battery. Fit the cards first if you use them. Models with mobile data have one tray with a microSD slot and a nano-SIM slot; Wi-Fi-only models have a microSD slot only.

1. If the device is on, press and hold Power until the options menu appears and touch Power off.
2. Release the hand strap.
3. Press the small button on the battery cover latch and slide the latch to the right. Lift off the battery cover.
4. If a battery is fitted, lift it out using the tabs at its bottom edge.
5. Slide out the card tray, place the microSD card and/or nano SIM with the contacts facing down, and slide the tray back in.
6. Insert the battery top end first so that its contacts meet the device pins.
7. Put the battery cover back on, slide the latch to the left and reattach the hand strap.

Format a new microSD card before first use, and switch the device off before you add or remove a card.

Charge the battery fully

The EDA52 ships with a partly charged battery. Charge it for at least 3.5 hours before first use. If you use the device while it charges, a full charge takes longer.

• USB-C: connect the cable from the box to a USB power supply or a computer. The source must deliver at least 5 V and 0.5 A, or the battery does not charge. Honeywell states that the charger must supply at least 1.6 W and that maximum charging speed needs 14.6 W, so a computer port charges more slowly than a suitable USB power supply.
• Charging base: put the EDA52, with its battery fitted, into an EDA52 dock or base. A device without a battery does not charge in the bases.

For the longest battery life, Honeywell recommends charging at 20–25 °C. The EDA52 docks and chargers work at −10 to 50 °C.

The Battery Status LED on the front shows the charge level. With the factory setting (Honeywell Battery LED) it works like this:

You can change the LED behaviour under Settings › Honeywell Settings › Battery LED. The choices are Default Battery LED, Honeywell Battery LED and No Battery LED. If the table above doesn't match what you see, check this setting first.

Switch on and complete the Welcome screen

Press and hold Power for about 3 seconds, then release it. On first start the Welcome screen appears and offers two ways to set up the device:

• Scan a configuration barcode if your IT team prepared one. It applies their settings in one go.
• Use the Wizard to set up the device by hand: language, Wi-Fi, date, time and time zone, device name, and security and privacy options.

After the first setup the Welcome screen does not return, and the EDA52 turns Provisioning mode off automatically. While Provisioning mode is off, the device blocks configuration barcodes that install apps, certificates, configuration files or licences. If your IT team needs to install something this way later, they turn it on under Settings › Honeywell Settings › Provisioning Mode.

A short press on Power wakes the screen. Set the sleep time under Settings › Display › Screen Timeout.

Connect to Wi-Fi and mobile data

1. Swipe up on the Home screen and touch Settings.
2. Open Settings › Network & internet › Internet and switch Wi-Fi on. On Android 11 the entry may be called Wi-Fi.
3. Touch your network and enter the password. For a hidden network, use the option to add a network and enter the network name, security type and password.

The EDA52 has Wi-Fi 5 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac) with WPA2 and WPA3. For enterprise networks (EAP-TLS, PEAP, TTLS, PWD or LEAP), ask your IT team for the EAP method and certificates.

Mobile data (nano SIM or eSIM)

Models with mobile data take one nano SIM and one eSIM. With a nano SIM in the tray, switch on and follow your operator's instructions. For an eSIM, open the eSIM Toolkit app, scan the operator's QR code or enter the activation code, and check in the app that the profile appears under Enabled carriers. If mobile data does not start, ask your operator for the APN and enter it in the mobile network settings. With both SIMs active, the EDA52 runs in Dual SIM Dual Standby mode.

Test the scanner

The EDA52 has a Scan button on each side. Test them with Honeywell's Scan Demo app first.

1. Swipe up on the Home screen and open Demos, then Scan Demo.
2. Point the imager window at a barcode. Hold the device at a slight angle to avoid reflections.
3. Press and hold a side Scan button, or touch Scan on the screen, and centre the aiming beam over the barcode.
4. On a good read the device beeps, the Scan Status LED lights green and the data appears on the screen.

Not all barcode types are switched on by default. If a barcode does not read, its barcode type may be disabled. The Scan Status LED lights red for a failed scan only when Bad Read Notification is turned on; it is off by default. To scan into your own apps, add Enter after each scan or switch barcode types on, see EDA52 scanner settings.

Check the Android version and updates

Honeywell launched the EDA52 with Android 11 and states that it can be upgraded to Android 13; its data sheets and product page note that the Android 13 upgrade depends on confirmation from Qualcomm and Google. To see what your device runs, open Settings › About phone.

• HUpgrader: Honeywell's preinstalled HUpgrader app shows the installed OTA version, checks for updates and can start an upgrade from a package in storage.
• AutoInstall: with Provisioning Mode on and Enable Autoinstall switched on in the AutoInstall Settings app, app files (.apk or .zip) in the honeywell/autoinstall folder on internal storage or the microSD card install automatically. Turn Provisioning Mode off again afterwards.
• Several devices: the HQ Config app deploys settings, scan settings, apps and firmware offline. For central staging, Honeywell lists an Enterprise Provisioner user guide among the EDA52 documents.

Update packages and the full user guide are available through Honeywell support and the documents on the Honeywell EDA52 product page; Honeywell may ask you to sign in. On a company-managed device, leave updates to your IT team.

Docks and accessories

Honeywell makes standard accessories for the EDA52 family and universal accessories that share a base with other Honeywell devices. Unless noted, they fit both the two-pin and six-pin EDA52:

The Universal Net Base, Display Dock, Ethernet Base, Universal Cup and Snap-on USB Adapter fit the six-pin model only. Most charging bases and the scan handle need a device without the rubber boot, and the device must have its battery fitted to charge in a base.

All EDA52 guides are on the EDA52 guide page.