Zebra LS2208 setup: USB, stand and first scan

The LS2208 is a corded laser scanner that types what it reads into any program, like a keyboard. Setup takes a few minutes: connect the cable, reset the scanner, test a scan, then decide whether staff hold it or use it in a stand.

Before you start: what a 1D scanner reads

The LS2208 reads 1D (linear) bar codes: the striped codes on retail packaging, shelf labels, documents and shipping labels. Zebra lists Code 39, Code 128, Code 93, Codabar, Code 11, MSI, UPC/EAN, Interleaved 2 of 5, Korean 3 of 5, GS1 DataBar and Base 32 (Italian Pharma) among the supported types. Not all of them are switched on out of the box: see our LS2208 programming guide.

It does not read 2D codes such as QR codes, Data Matrix or PDF417. Zebra puts it plainly in its DS2200 spec sheet: a 1D scanner cannot capture 2D codes. Zebra also lists paper coupons, not electronic ones, among the LS2208 applications. If you need to read QR codes or codes on phone screens, compare it with a 2D imager in our LS2208 vs DS2208 guide.

Connect the cable

1. Push the cable's modular connector into the port on the bottom of the scanner handle until it locks. Tug gently to check that it holds.
2. Plug the USB connector into the PC or a powered USB hub.
3. The scanner powers up with a low/medium/high beep.
4. Pull the trigger once. The red laser line should appear.

The cable tells the scanner which host it is connected to. With a USB cable, it starts as a USB keyboard (Zebra calls this USB HID Keyboard) and uses the keyboard driver built into Windows, macOS and most other systems. If Windows asks about a driver the first time, accept the one Windows offers.

The PC powers the scanner over USB. Zebra only requires an external power supply when the host does not power the scanner; it then plugs into the power jack on the interface cable.

Reset the scanner to factory defaults

Zebra's first-time setup steps include a reset. It clears any settings left from testing or a previous user, so you start from a known state.

1. Open the LS2208 Quick Start Guide at "Set Defaults Bar Code".
2. Scan Set Factory Defaults.
3. Wait for the scanner to confirm with its beeps.

When you scan a programming bar code from a monitor, Zebra recommends zooming to at least 125 %. The same bar code is in the PRG, chapter "Getting Started", section "Set Defaults".

Test a scan

1. Open Notepad or another empty text field and click into it. Type a few letters on the keyboard to check that the field accepts input.
2. Aim at a bar code and press the trigger. Place the red line across the whole code, so it crosses every bar and space.
3. On a good read the scanner gives a short high beep, the LED turns green and the data appears where the cursor is.

Do not hold the scanner exactly square to a glossy label. Laser light reflected straight back can make decoding difficult. Zebra advises tilting the scanner or the bar code forward or back, up to 55°.

After the first test, two things often need adjusting:

• No line break after the scan. By default the LS2208 sends the data without Enter.
• Wrong letters or symbols. The scanner assumes a US English keyboard. An Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Finnish, Polish or Czech layout in Windows needs the matching country keyboard type.

Both are fixed by scanning one or two bar codes: see our LS2208 programming guide.

Set up the Intellistand

The Gooseneck Intellistand is an optional accessory. It holds the scanner for hands-free scanning at a checkout or desk.

1. Unscrew the wing nut from the bottom of the scanner cup.
2. Fit the bottom of the flexible neck into the opening on top of the stand base. The flat areas on the neck must sit in the grooves of the base.
3. Tighten the wing nut under the base to hold the cup and neck in place.
4. Bend the neck to the scanning position you want.
5. Optional: fix the base to the counter with two #10 wood screws, or with double-sided tape on the three tape areas (screws and tape not supplied).

Place the scanner front first into the cup. A sensor in the scanner switches it to hands-free (presentation) mode, so it reads any bar code you hold under the scan line, and the LED flashes green on each read. Lift it out and it returns to trigger mode. No setting needs to change.

Choose how the trigger behaves

The defaults suit most counters. These settings are in the PRG, chapter "User Preferences & Miscellaneous Scanner Options":

• Hand-Held Trigger Mode. The default Level (Standard) reads while you hold the trigger. Presentation (Blink) lets the scanner read without the trigger, whenever it detects a bar code, even out of the stand. The scan line shortens after 3 minutes without use and blinks after an hour.
• Hands-Free Trigger Mode. Enabled by default, which gives the automatic stand behaviour above. Scan Disable Hands-Free (Presentation) Trigger Mode if staff should press the trigger even in the stand.
• Direct Decode Indicator. Off by default. With 1 Blink or 2 Blinks, the laser line blinks after a good read while you keep holding the trigger. This helps in noisy shops where the beep is hard to hear.

All settings are stored in the scanner and survive power-off.

Fine-tune with 123Scan

For several settings, or several scanners, use Zebra's free 123Scan utility on a Windows PC. Connect the LS2208 with its USB cable. 123Scan then lets you:

• change settings in a wizard and save them as a configuration file
• load that file into further scanners over USB, staging up to 10 scanners at a time
• print the settings as programming bar codes for scanners at other sites
• view scanned data and update the scanner firmware