Zebra DS3608 and DS3678 setup: cable, cradle and first scan

This guide covers both ultra-rugged scanners of the Zebra DS3600 family. The corded DS3608 starts working as soon as you lock its cable and plug it in. The cordless DS3678 needs a charged battery and a Bluetooth link to its cradle first.

Before you start

Both models read 1D and 2D bar codes. Connected by USB, they work as a keyboard (Zebra's default host type USB Keyboard (HID)): the data is typed wherever the cursor is, with no driver. You change settings by scanning programming bar codes from the PRG or the quick start guides. If you scan them from a screen, Zebra recommends a display zoom of at least 125%. Page numbers are those printed in the PRG.

The SR in our part numbers stands for Standard Range. The HP, ER, XR, HD and DP versions are set up the same way; only the aiming pattern and read distances differ.

Connect and lock the DS3608 cable

1. Push the cable connector fully into the port on the scanner handle, until it sits flush with the housing.
2. Loosen the lock plate screw with the PH1 screwdriver.
3. Slide the lock plate to the fully locked position and tighten the screw again. Zebra recommends a torque of 5 in-lb (about 0.6 Nm), so do not overtighten.
4. Plug the USB connector into the PC or a USB hub.

The scanner sounds its power-up beeps (low, medium, high) and detects the USB host by itself. If Windows asks about a new device, click through to install its own Human Interface Device driver. The PC powers the scanner, so no power supply is needed.

For hands-free scanning, Zebra offers the Intellistand, which switches the scanner to presentation mode automatically, and a forklift holder. Neither is part of our DS3608 kit.

Set up the DS3678 cradle

The STB3678 cradle charges the scanner and passes its data to the PC. Place it on the desk with the four rubber feet, or turn the mounting selector to the vertical position with a Phillips screwdriver and fix the cradle to a wall with three No. 8 × 38 mm screws (not supplied).

1. If you use the power supply, connect it first, as Zebra specifies (PRG "Connecting the Cradle", p. 1-5).
2. Lift the host port latch on the cradle, plug in the interface cable and close the latch.
3. Route the cables through the cable grooves.
4. Plug the USB end into the PC. The cradle LED turns steady green at power-up.

On USB power alone the cradle charges more slowly. To move the cradle to another PC, follow Zebra's order: unplug the power supply, then the host cable, wait three seconds, connect the host cable, then the power supply, and pair the scanner again.

Insert the DS3678 battery, then charge and pair

1. Press the locking lever on the battery door lightly and slide it counterclockwise. Open the door.
2. Slide the battery into the handle, rounded side towards the back and contacts first. Close the door and slide the lever clockwise to lock it.
3. Insert the scanner into the cradle top first, then push the handle until it clicks and the contacts engage. New batteries ship switched off and turn on only in the cradle.
4. Pair on Contacts is on by default, so the scanner pairs as you insert it. A short low beep confirms that it sits on the contacts, and a low/high beep confirms the Bluetooth link. A long low, long high beep means pairing failed.

The cradle LED shows the battery state:

Zebra quotes up to 3 hours for a full charge from empty with the external power supply, and up to 10 hours on USB power. Charge between 0 and 40 °C (5 to 35 °C is ideal). The battery LED on the scanner shows green above 50%, amber at 21–50% and red at 20% or less.

Instead of inserting the scanner, you can scan the pairing bar code printed on the cradle. Each cradle has its own. A high/low/high/low beep means the scanner read it, and a low/high beep follows when the link is up. Do not scan anything else before that.

By default one cradle serves one scanner, and pairing a new scanner unpairs the previous one. For up to seven scanners, the first one scans Multipoint-to-Point Mode (PRG section "Digital Scanner(s) To Cradle Support", p. 5-35).

Or connect the DS3678 directly by Bluetooth

The DS3678 can also pair straight with a PC, tablet or phone, as a Bluetooth keyboard (HID profile) or a serial device (SPP). The cradle then only charges it.

1. In the PRG chapter "Radio Communications", section "Keyboard Emulation (HID)" (p. 5-6), scan HID Bluetooth Classic.
2. Open the Bluetooth settings on the device, search for new devices and select the scanner.
3. Open a text field and test a scan.

If a phone does not find the scanner, scan Limited Discoverable Mode (section "Discoverable Mode", p. 5-12): the green LEDs flash while it is visible for 30 seconds. To go back to the cradle, scan Cradle-Classic or Cradle-Low Energy (section "Radio Communications Host Types", p. 5-5), then insert the scanner into the cradle.

Test a scan

1. Open Notepad or another empty text field and click into it.
2. Aim the dot at the centre of a bar code and pull the trigger. Hold the scanner closer for small codes and further away for large ones.
3. A good read gives a beep and a green LED, and the data appears as typed text. Four long low beeps with a red LED mean a transmission error, so the data did not reach the PC. See our DS3608 and DS3678 troubleshooting guide.

Set Enter, Tab and the keyboard layout

By default the scanner sends no Enter after the data, and it assumes a US English keyboard. Our walkthroughs for keyboard layouts and Enter or Tab after each scan apply here too. Only the places in the DS36X8 PRG differ:

Pick the country keyboard type that matches the layout shown in Windows. The scanner restarts with its power-up beeps after the change. These are the entries for our markets:

Cold stores and freezers

Zebra rates the DS3608 for −30 to 50 °C and the DS3678 for −20 to 50 °C. Never charge a damp or wet battery. When staff move in and out of a freezer, the scan window can fog up; Zebra recommends a heated scanner holder against this condensation.

Fine-tune with 123Scan

For more than a few settings, use Zebra's free 123Scan utility for Windows. Connect the DS3608 by its USB cable, or the DS3678 through its USB-connected cradle. It saves settings for further scanners, prints them as one programming bar code, updates firmware and reads DS3678 battery statistics.

Product pages: Zebra DS3608 · Zebra DS3678. More guides for these models: DS3608 · DS3678.