Zebra DS8108 and DS8178 setup: USB, cradle and Bluetooth

This guide covers both scanners of the Zebra DS8100 family. The corded DS8108 works as soon as you plug it in. The cordless DS8178 needs a charged battery and a Bluetooth link to its cradle, or straight to a PC, tablet or phone. Follow the steps for your model, then test a scan.

Before you start

Both models read 1D and 2D bar codes on paper and on phone screens. Out of the box they act as a USB keyboard (Zebra calls this USB Keyboard HID). The cable detects the host by itself, and whatever you scan is typed where the cursor is. You need no driver or special software.

You change settings by scanning programming bar codes: the common ones are in the Quick Start Guides, all others in the PRG. Scan them from paper or from a screen zoomed in until the bars are sharp.

Connect the DS8108 by USB

1. Push the modular connector of the USB cable into the cable port on the back of the scanner until it clicks. Tug gently to check that it holds.
2. Plug the USB connector into your PC, POS or a USB hub.
3. The scanner sounds its power-up beeps (low, medium, high) and starts as a USB keyboard.
4. If Windows reports a new device, let it install its own keyboard driver.

The PC powers the scanner over the cable. For RS-232, keyboard wedge or IBM cables, the Quick Start Guide has a host bar code for each interface.

Set up the DS8108 stand

Our DS8108 kit includes the Gooseneck Intellistand (20-71043-04R). The DS8108 PRG covers it in section "Assembling the Stand".

1. Unscrew the wing nut from the bottom of the scanner cup.
2. Fit the bottom of the gooseneck into the opening on top of the base.
3. Tighten the wing nut under the base, then bend the neck to the angle you want.

Put the scanner front first into the cup. A sensor switches it to hands-free (presentation) mode: the LED stays green while it is ready, briefly goes off when it reads a code and turns red on a transmission error. Lift it out and it returns to trigger mode.

Connect the DS8178 cradle

1. Plug the USB cable into the PC or POS.
2. Plug the other end into the interface port under the CR8178-SC cradle.
3. Lead the cable under the support hook and along the cable groove, so the cradle sits flat. The cradle LED lights steady green.

The cradle runs on USB power from the host. An external 12 V power supply (on a cable with a power jack) charges fastest. If you use one, connect it first, and always unplug it before you unplug the host cable, otherwise the cradle may not recognise a new host. Mounting: see the CR8178-SC Quick Reference Guide.

Charge the DS8178 and pair it with the cradle

Our DS8178 kit includes the PowerPrecision+ battery. To fit or swap it, open the compartment cover with a coin (knob counterclockwise), push the battery in until it clicks, and close the cover in the Lock position shown in the Quick Start Guide. Wait at least 5 seconds before inserting a new battery.

1. Insert the scanner into the cradle top first, so that the latch on the cradle meets the scanner, then push the handle down until it clicks.
2. Watch the cradle LED: steady amber means pre-charging, blinking amber means charging, steady green means full. A new battery needs this first charge before it works.
3. Pairing on insertion is on by default: a few seconds after you insert the scanner, a low-high beep confirms the Bluetooth connection.
4. No low-high beep? Lift the scanner out and scan the pairing bar code on top of the cradle. A high-low-high-low beep means the code was read, and a low-high beep follows when the link is up.
5. Wait for the low-high beep before you scan anything else.

Each cradle has its own pairing bar code. A long low, long high beep means the pairing failed or the cradle could not be reached: check the cradle cable and pair again. By default a cradle connects one scanner at a time, and pairing a new scanner disconnects the previous one.

Zebra recommends a full charge before first use. From empty, the CR8178-SC needs about 2 h 15 min with an external 12 V supply, 3 h from a BC1.2 charging USB port and 7 h 45 min from a standard USB port. The battery charges only between 0 and 40 °C.

Up to seven DS8178 can share one cradle: scan Multipoint-to-Point Mode with the first scanner (PRG section "Modes of Operation").

Or pair the DS8178 directly by Bluetooth

The DS8178 can also connect to a PC, tablet or phone as a Bluetooth keyboard (HID profile). The cradle then only charges it.

1. Scan HID Bluetooth Classic in the PRG section "Human Interface Device (HID) Keyboard Emulation".
2. On the PC, tablet or phone, open the Bluetooth settings and search for new devices. Select the scanner: it appears as DS8178 followed by its serial number.
3. Open a text field and test a scan.

If a phone or tablet does not find the scanner, try Limited Discoverable Mode (section "Discoverable Mode"). For iPhone and iPad, see "HID Features for Apple iOS". On Windows and Android, Zebra's Scan-To-Connect utility pairs by showing a bar code on the screen instead. To go back to the cradle, scan Cradle Bluetooth Classic (section "Cradle"), then insert the scanner or scan the cradle's pairing bar code.

Test a scan, then set Enter and keyboard layout

1. Open Notepad or any empty text field and click into it.
2. Aim the aiming dot at a bar code, pull the trigger and hold it until the scanner beeps.
3. The LED flashes green and the data appears as typed text.

By default the scanner adds no Enter after the data, and it assumes a US English keyboard. Our DS2208 walkthroughs cover the same Zebra settings step by step: keyboard layout and Enter or Tab after each scan. On the DS8100 the bar codes are in these places:

The Enter, Tab and Caps Lock bar codes are also printed in both Quick Start Guides, which is the fastest way to set them. For our markets both PRGs list Estonian, Finnish, Latvian, Latvian (QWERTY), Lithuanian, Lithuanian (IBM), Polish (214), Polish (Programmer), Czech, Czech (Programmer) and Czech (QWERTY). Pick the one that matches the layout name in Windows. On the DS8178 the same keyboard types apply through the cradle and over a direct Bluetooth HID link.

DS8178 battery and power gauge

The battery LED on the scanner shows the charge: green for 51–100 %, amber for 21–50 %, red for 0–20 %. Alternating colours or blinking red mean the battery is worn out. Four short high beeps when you release the trigger mean the battery is low: put the scanner back in the cradle.

Zebra quotes up to 65,000 scans per full charge. A spare battery (BTRY-DS81EAB0E-00) lets you swap during a shift. The optional PowerCap capacitor needs scanner firmware CAACXS00-004-R00 or later.

Fine-tune with 123Scan

For more than one or two settings, use Zebra's free 123Scan utility for Windows. Connect the DS8108 by its USB cable, or the DS8178 through its USB-connected cradle. 123Scan lets you:

• change settings in a wizard and save them as a file or as one programming bar code for further scanners
• view scanned data and update firmware
• read asset information, including battery data on the DS8178

If something does not work, see our DS8108 and DS8178 troubleshooting guide. All guides for these models: DS8108 and DS8178. Products: DS8108 with stand and DS8178 with cradle.