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From: Mark Borgerson on 19 May 2010 18:10
In article <ht128b$ajt$1(a)speranza.aioe.org>, not.going.to.be(a)seen.com
says...
> Hi,
>
> I have a box full of Scanplus 1800 SR's. I am trying to
> use them in a project for a local 501(c)3. To do so, I
> need to fabricate some cables that will make available
> the "RS232" interface from the scanner.
>
> [for those unfamiliar with these types of scanners, in
> general, they typically have several interfaces on board
> and *one* is selected for use by the choice of cable
> connecting the scanner to <whatever>. So, the trick here is
> to figure out which pins carry the RS232 signals -- usually
> RD/TD with RTS/CTS possibly added]
>
> I've not been able to find any documentation indicating
> the pinout of this connector. "Google, thou doth fail me!"
>
> I've made the expected sacrifice to the god of barcode
> scanners and successfully disembowled a unit. I was hoping
> to find an obvious level translator and just trace foils.
>
> Alas, the gods look down in disfavor and refuse to
> share their secrets with me. :<
>
> There's a small serial flash (configuration?), a parallel flash
> (program store?), an LM358 (probably some signal conditioning
> for the optics?), an AD8051 driver (probably for the deflection
> servo) and a TI QFP marked with "house numbers" (probably a masked
> DSP that does the real work!).
>
> The only other actives are a bunch of discrete Q's scattered
> around the board. No doubt, one of these is acting as the Tx
> translator (?).
>
> Unless, of course, there are some bits in the *cable* assy
> that contribute to the interface :< (not likely -- at least
> in most of the other scanners I've tinkered with).

That's exactly case with an EconoScan that I'm now using.
There's a 10-pin ethernet-type connector in the unit which
sends CMOS-level signals to a lump in the cable. I purchased
the RS-232 version, and upon disassembly, found an RS-232
level shifer inside the cable lump. I suppose that there
are just different components inside the cable for the
USB and keyboard wedge versions.
>
> Obviously, the DSP (?) is a good place to start. Regardless
> of the code therein, knowing the pinout could be a big win
> towards narrowing down which pins are likely to be of interest.
> Anyone with enough *breadth* of knowledge re: TI's offerings
> able to comment if there is a core pinout shared among devices?
> Or, are there just too many flavors to choose from? :<
>
> (I'll have to remove the deflection assy to see if there
> are any other goodies cowering underneath...)
>


Mark Borgerson

From: D Yuniskis on 19 May 2010 18:21
Hi Mark,

Mark Borgerson wrote:
> In article <ht128b$ajt$1(a)speranza.aioe.org>, not.going.to.be(a)seen.com
> says...
>> I have a box full of Scanplus 1800 SR's. I am trying to
>> use them in a project for a local 501(c)3. To do so, I
>> need to fabricate some cables that will make available
>> the "RS232" interface from the scanner.
>>
>> I've not been able to find any documentation indicating
>> the pinout of this connector. "Google, thou doth fail me!"
>>
>> I've made the expected sacrifice to the god of barcode
>> scanners and successfully disembowled a unit. I was hoping
>> to find an obvious level translator and just trace foils.
>>
>> Alas, the gods look down in disfavor and refuse to
>> share their secrets with me. :<
>>
>> There's a small serial flash (configuration?), a parallel flash
>> (program store?), an LM358 (probably some signal conditioning
>> for the optics?), an AD8051 driver (probably for the deflection
>> servo) and a TI QFP marked with "house numbers" (probably a masked
>> DSP that does the real work!).
>>
>> The only other actives are a bunch of discrete Q's scattered
>> around the board. No doubt, one of these is acting as the Tx
>> translator (?).
>>
>> Unless, of course, there are some bits in the *cable* assy
>> that contribute to the interface :< (not likely -- at least
>> in most of the other scanners I've tinkered with).
>
> That's exactly case with an EconoScan that I'm now using.
> There's a 10-pin ethernet-type connector in the unit which

Yes! That seems pretty common as the attachment interface
on the scanner end. (why the hell they couldn't trim
two pins off it so you could use an "RJ45" connector
really irks me! I can't fabricate 10-pin cables :< )

> sends CMOS-level signals to a lump in the cable. I purchased
> the RS-232 version, and upon disassembly, found an RS-232
> level shifer inside the cable lump. I suppose that there

Ouch! That is unfortunate. The metrologic devices have all
of the interfaces in the scanner. The cable is nothing more
than an appropriate set of connections and connectors.

> are just different components inside the cable for the
> USB and keyboard wedge versions.

I suspect that is the case with this unit. :< Though it
is still possible that the necessary signals are there
along with the translators (using discretes -- "STL" :> )

Unfortunately, there is no guaranteed way to probe signals
to verify this. I think they shutdown or repurpose the
interface pins depending on the configuration chosen.
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