Honeywell Xenon Ultra 1960g and 1962g setup: USB and base

The Xenon Ultra 1960g is the corded scanner of the series and works as soon as it is plugged into a USB port. The cordless 1962g charges and links in its charge and communication base, which connects to the PC. Both scanners share the same settings, so the keyboard and Enter steps at the end apply to either model.

Before you start

Out of the box, the Xenon Ultra works as a USB keyboard: Honeywell's User Guide says the unit defaults to a USB PC Keyboard. Scanned data is typed wherever the cursor is, with no driver or extra software.

You change settings by scanning programming barcodes. The common ones are in the Quick Start Guides. The full set, including all keyboard countries, is in the Xenon Ultra 196X Series User Guide on Honeywell's product pages for the 1960 and 1962; Honeywell may ask you to sign in before you can download it. In the User Guide, an asterisk (*) marks the default setting.

The "SR" in both part numbers stands for standard range focus, Honeywell's general-purpose version for most shop and warehouse barcodes.

Connect the 1960g by USB

1. Honeywell recommends switching the computer off before you connect the scanner and switching it on again once the scanner is connected.
2. Connect the cable to the scanner first, at the interface cable connection shown in the User Guide.
3. Plug the USB connector into the PC.
4. The scanner beeps when it powers up. Windows uses its built-in keyboard driver, so there is nothing to install.

The PC powers the scanner over USB. Go on to "Test a scan".

Connect the 1962g base

1. Switch the computer off, as Honeywell recommends.
2. If you have a power supply, plug it into the bottom of the base and then into a wall socket.
3. Plug the USB cable into the bottom of the base, then into the PC, and switch the PC on.
4. Place the scanner in the base. It links to the base automatically.

The base also works without a power supply, powered over USB alone. Honeywell notes that the battery then charges more slowly than with a power supply or a USB charging port (BC1.2).

Charge the 1962g

The 1962g leaves the factory in shipping mode and does not switch on until you place it in the base. Honeywell recommends charging it until the battery LED is green before first use; the User Guide asks for at least 4 hours. The data sheet quotes about 4.5 hours for a full charge.

Charge between 5 and 35 °C. While the battery charges, the green charge status light pulses slowly ("breathing"); when it stays on, the battery is full.

Check the link

The first time the scanner links to a base, both give a short chirp. A scanner that was linked to this base before gives no signal. Scan a test barcode (next step): one beep and a green flash mean the scanner is linked. An error tone (Honeywell calls it a "razz") with a blinking red LED means it is not: place it in the base again.

While the scanner is linked, the base stores its settings. Always link the scanner to the base it will work with before you scan programming barcodes.

One scanner per base

By default the base is in Open Link Mode (Single Scanner): the last scanner placed in it becomes the linked scanner and the previous one is unlinked. To stop another scanner from taking over the base, scan Locked Link Mode (Single Scanner) from the User Guide, chapter "Cordless System Operation". A different scanner placed in a locked base only charges. To replace a lost or broken scanner, scan Override Locked Scanner with the new one and place it in the base. Unlink Scanner removes the current link.

Lost the scanner? Press the Find My button on the base once: the scanner beeps until you pull its trigger.

Test a scan

1. Open Notepad or another empty text field and click into it.
2. Centre the green aiming dot over the barcode and pull the trigger. The scanner reads in any orientation.
3. A beep and a green flash mean a good read. The data appears as typed text.

Check two things now: whether Enter follows each scan, and whether letters and symbols arrive correctly. If not, continue with the next step.

Set the keyboard country and Enter or Tab

For USB keyboard and keyboard wedge, the scanner assumes a US keyboard. If the PC uses another layout, scan the matching barcode from the User Guide, section "Keyboard Country Layout". The Quick Start Guides contain only Finland among our markets.

If accented characters still come out wrong, the User Guide offers ALT Mode (3 Characters or 4 Characters), which you scan after the keyboard country code. For the Enter key, the Quick Start Guides contain Add CR Suffix, Add Tab Suffix and Remove Suffix. The Xenon Ultra uses the same barcode names as the Xenon XP 1950g, so our Xenon keyboard country and suffix guide explains these settings in more detail.

Range and power saving on the 1962g

• The 1962g data sheet quotes about 100 m line of sight in the default radio setting (Class 1). In a shop or warehouse, shelving and walls reduce this.
• Out of range, a scan gives an error tone and the data is not sent. Back in range, the scanner links again by itself and chirps once. Rescan anything that did not arrive.
• After 3600 seconds (one hour) without a trigger pull, the scanner powers down to save battery, unless it is charging in the base. Pull the trigger to wake it; if it stays off, place it in the base.

For hands-free use, scan Presentation Mode or Streaming Presentation Mode from the Quick Start Guide. In the presentation base, scanning in the cradle is on by default. Manual Trigger - Normal switches back to trigger use.

Something not working? See our Xenon Ultra troubleshooting guide. All guides for these models are on the 1960g and 1962g pages.