Zebra DS4608 and DS4678 troubleshooting: beeps, LEDs and fixes

CauseThe DS4608 gets no power over its cable. The DS4678 battery is flat, missing or switched off to save power.

Fix

1. DS4608: push the cable into the scanner until it clicks, and try another USB port.
2. DS4678: check that the battery is fitted and put the scanner in the cradle. A very flat battery needs several minutes before the scanner starts; the cradle LED stays steady amber meanwhile.
3. After nine idle hours out of the cradle, the DS4678 switches its battery off. Pull the trigger and wait a few seconds.

CauseThe bar code type is switched off, printed light on dark, shown on a phone, or held at the wrong distance.

Fix

1. QR Code, Data Matrix, PDF417, EAN/UPC, Code 128, Code 39 and Interleaved 2 of 5 are on by default; DotCode, MicroPDF417, MaxiCode, Code 11 and MSI are off. Enable a missing type in the PRG chapter "Symbologies", for example Enable DotCode.
2. White bars on a dark background: in section "Inverse 1D", scan Inverse Autodetect.
3. Codes on phone screens: in section "Mobile Phone/Display Mode", scan Enhanced in Both Modes. The DS4678 PRG prints these bar codes without names: scan the one marked (3).
4. Keep the whole code in the illuminated area: closer for small codes, further away for large ones.

CauseNo text field has focus, the host type is not keyboard, or the DS4678 lost its cradle link.

Fix

1. Click into Notepad and scan again. If the data appears there, check your software.
2. Four long low beeps mean a transmission error. In the PRG chapter "USB Interface", section "USB Device Type", scan USB HID Keyboard.
3. DS4678: insert it in the cradle or scan the pairing bar code on the cradle, and wait for the low/high beep.
4. With the DS4678, four long low beeps can also mean the cradle did not confirm receipt: check whether the data arrived before rescanning.
5. Cradle still silent: unplug its power supply and host cable, wait three seconds, reconnect the cable, then the power supply, and pair again.

CauseThe scanner assumes a US English keyboard; the PC uses another layout. Inverted case comes from Caps Lock.

Fix

1. Scan the country keyboard type that matches the Windows layout, in the PRG chapter "Country Codes". The names are the same as in the DS2208 PRG, so our keyboard layout guide applies.
2. For case problems, turn off Caps Lock or scan Override Caps Lock Key (Enable) in section "USB Caps Lock Override".
3. Characters missing at random on a slow system: in section "USB Keystroke Delay", scan Medium Delay (20 msec).

CauseBy default the scanner sends no suffix. If Enter appears twice, both the scanner and your software add one.

Fix

1. To add Enter, scan Add Enter Key (Carriage Return/Line Feed) in section "Miscellaneous Scanner Parameters".
2. To remove it, scan Data As Is in section "Scan Data Transmission Format".

Tab and prefixes work as in our Enter and Tab suffix guide.

CauseThe scanner did not seat, it is in direct Bluetooth mode, or the cradle refused the link.

Fix

1. Seat the scanner fully until it clicks, or scan the pairing bar code on the cradle. Wait for the low/high beep before scanning anything else.
2. Scanner used with a PC or phone before: scan Cradle Bluetooth Classic (section "Radio Communications Host Types"), then insert it.
3. Long low/long high beeps twice: the cradle rejected the scanner, for example in locked pairing mode (section "Pairing Modes").
4. Direct Bluetooth fails: remove the scanner from the device's Bluetooth list, turn Bluetooth off and on, scan HID Bluetooth Classic and pair again.

CauseThe scanner is out of range or the cradle lost power. Bar codes scanned while it reconnects are not sent.

Fix

1. Walk back into range and pull the trigger.
2. Occasional drops that reconnect by themselves: increase the value in section "Link Supervision Timeout".
3. To keep scans made out of range, scan Out of Range Batch Mode (section "Batch Mode").

CausePoor contact, heat, a weak USB port or a worn battery.

Fix

1. Amber fast blinking and the scanner LED dark: seat the scanner firmly, clean and dry the contacts on scanner and cradle, and reinsert it.
2. Charge between 0 and 40 °C. Outside that range the battery does not charge.
3. A standard USB port charges slowly (about 7 h 45 min) and may not keep up with constant scanning. Use a BC 1.2 port or an external power supply.
4. Cradle LED blinking red while charging: the battery is at the end of its life. Replace it.

CauseProgramming bar codes were scanned by accident.

Fix

1. In the PRG section "Default Parameters", scan Set Factory Defaults. Restore Defaults returns to custom defaults saved with Write to Custom Defaults, if any.
2. The quick guides print a reset bar code under "Set Defaults": Return to Factory Defaults in the DS4608 Quick Start Guide, and the "Set Defaults" bar code in the DS4678 Quick Reference Guide.
3. A reset DS4678 returns to cradle mode: insert it in the cradle to pair. Then set Enter and keyboard layout again.