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Why is my barcode scanner sending the wrong characters?
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In brief. When a scanner in keyboard emulation sends symbols or accented letters instead of digits, the keyboard country programmed in the scanner does not match that of the host computer. Several manufacturers ship their scanners set to the American (US) keyboard: on an AZERTY host computer, you need to program the country “France”. Other faults come from a prefix, a suffix or a separator added to the data.
Examples:
See all 46 scanners and mobile computers
CipherLab
Datalogic
- Datalogic Falcon X4
- Datalogic Falcon X60 - X65
- Datalogic Matrix 120
- Datalogic Matrix 220 XAI
- Datalogic Matrix 320
- Datalogic Memor X3
- Datalogic PowerScan 9100 Series
- Datalogic PowerScan 9500 Series
- Datalogic PowerScan 9600 Series
- Datalogic Skorpio X3
- Datalogic Skorpio X4
- Datalogic Skorpio X40 - X45
- Datalogic Skorpio X5
Honeywell
Why does a scanner send the wrong characters? The causes cited by manufacturers
These causes are taken from the manufacturers' guides; each example names the model concerned. The entry for your model, in the model-by-model table below, gives the exact procedure.
- American keyboard on an AZERTY host computerHoneywell (Granit), Unitech (MS852B) and Datalogic (PowerScan) state a US or USA keyboard country by default. The Datalogic knowledge base explains why: on an AZERTY keyboard, the number row requires Caps Lock, so a scanner set to QWERTY sends accented characters or symbols.
- Host interface programmed incorrectlyFor the DS3600, Zebra cites an incorrectly configured host interface in addition to the region.
- Character added to the dataCarriage return added after each barcode by default in ReaderConfig (CipherLab RK25 and RK95), GS1-128 separator displayed as a symbol (CipherLab RK26), prefix or symbology identifier added (Datalogic Falcon X60).
- Typing too fast for the applicationFor Zebra mobile computers, the DataWedge documentation advises, in the event of typing errors, increasing the delay between characters of the keystroke output in steps of 100 ms.
What to check, in order
- Test in a text editorScan a barcode that contains digits and letters: you see exactly what the scanner sends.
- Program the keyboard country “France”With the keyboard country programming barcode (“Keyboard Country” or equivalent) in your model's guide, or in the configuration application.
- Check the interfaceThe keyboard country only applies to keyboard interfaces (USB keyboard emulation, keyboard wedge).
- Check prefix, suffix and separatorsIn the formatting settings of the scanner or of the mobile computer's scanning application.
What the documentation recommends, model by model
For 25 models, the manufacturer's documentation describes this symptom. Each row links to the detailed entry in the guide, with the full procedure and its sources.
| Model | Guide entry | Short answer |
|---|---|---|
| Zebra DS3600 | Why does my Zebra DS3608 handheld scanner send the wrong characters (AZERTY, QWERTY)? | Zebra cites two causes: an incorrectly configured host interface and an incorrectly set region. Scan the barcode for the correct interface, then the barcode for your host computer's keyboard country, in appendix B of the product reference guide. |
| Zebra DS3600 | How do I set the Caps Lock option on my Zebra DS3608 handheld scanner over USB? | Over USB, Zebra provides the “USB Caps Lock Override” option, disabled by default. Scan the “USB - OVERRIDE CAPS LOCK KEY (ENABLE)” barcode in the quick start guide so that the scanner overrides the state of the host computer's Caps Lock key. |
| Zebra FS10 | Why does my Zebra FS10 send the wrong characters to a PC with an AZERTY keyboard? | In USB keyboard emulation (HID), the FS10 must use the same keyboard language as the host computer. Set the language to “French” with the barcode for parameter no. 65843 in the Zebra guide, or in Aurora Focus (USB settings, “USB HID Keyboard”, choice of country), then restart the scanner. |
| Zebra FS40 and FS70 | Why does my USB-C-connected Zebra FS40 type the wrong characters in my application? | In USB keyboard mode (HID), the scanner's language must match that of the host computer. Choose “French” with the barcode for parameter no. 65843 in the Zebra guide, or set the country in the USB settings of Aurora Focus, then restart the scanner. |
| Zebra MC3300 | Why are characters missing from barcodes scanned by my Zebra MC3300 mobile computer? | If characters are entered incorrectly, the DataWedge documentation advises increasing the inter-character delay of the Keystroke output in steps of 100 ms. According to Zebra, a longer delay can affect the application's performance. |
| Zebra MC3300ax | How can my Zebra MC3300ax mobile computer add a prefix, a suffix or the Enter key to scanned barcodes? | These settings are in the Basic Data Formatting section of the DataWedge profile: “Prefix to data”, “Suffix to data”, “Send TAB key” and “Send ENTER key”. According to Zebra, unticking “Send data” does not prevent the prefix and suffix from being sent. |
| Zebra MC3300x | How can my Zebra MC3300x mobile computer confirm each scan with the Enter key? | In the application's DataWedge profile, open Basic Data Formatting and tick “Send ENTER key”: according to Zebra, this option adds an Enter character at the end of the data. “Send TAB key” adds a tab. |
| Zebra MC3300x | Why does my Zebra MC3300x mobile computer send barcodes with missing or incorrect characters? | If characters are entered incorrectly, the DataWedge documentation advises increasing the inter-character delay of the keystroke output in steps of 100 ms. Barcodes that contain control characters can also be sent as key events. |
| Zebra MC3400 / MC3450 | Why does my Zebra MC3400 mobile computer send missing or jumbled characters? | The DataWedge documentation recommends increasing the delay between characters (Inter character delay) in steps of 100 ms, up to 1,000 ms, in the event of keystroke transmission errors. This delay can slow down the application: keep the smallest value that solves the problem. |
| Zebra MC9300 | Why do barcodes scanned by my Zebra MC9300 mobile computer arrive incomplete or without validation? | Two DataWedge settings are involved. Without Basic Data Formatting, the barcode is sent without an Enter key: tick Send ENTER key. If characters are missing, increase Inter-character delay in steps of 100 ms, up to 1,000 ms. |
| Zebra MC9400 / MC9450 | Why does my Zebra MC9400 mobile computer not send an Enter key after each scan? | Without formatting, DataWedge sends the barcode as is, without an Enter key. Enable Basic Data Formatting in the application profile and tick Send ENTER key, or Send TAB key to move to the next field. |
| Zebra MC9400 / MC9450 | Why does my Zebra MC9400 mobile computer lose characters when entering a barcode? | When the application cannot keep up, simulated keystrokes can be lost. Zebra advises increasing the delay between characters (Inter-character delay) in steps of 100 ms, up to 1,000 ms. |
| Datalogic PowerScan 9100 | Why does my Datalogic PowerScan PD9130 handheld scanner type symbols instead of numbers on an AZERTY keyboard? | The programmed keyboard country does not match the host computer's keyboard. Scan “ENTER/EXIT”, the “France” country label, then “ENTER/EXIT” again; with a keyboard wedge interface, also set the caps lock state. |
| Datalogic PowerScan 9500 | Why does my Datalogic PowerScan PD9530 handheld scanner not type the right characters on a French PC? | The keyboard country must match the keyboard of the host computer. For a USB PD9530 on a French host computer, Datalogic says to scan “Restore Default”, the USB interface barcode, then “Country mode = France”. |
| Datalogic PowerScan 9600 | Why does my Datalogic PowerScan 9600 handheld scanner display symbols instead of numbers? | The scanner is set to the American (US) keyboard by default, while the host computer uses AZERTY. Select the country “France” in the “Keyboard Country” mode. For a USB PD9630, Datalogic says to scan “Restore Default”, the USB interface, then “Country mode = France”. |
| Datalogic PowerScan 9600 | Why does my Datalogic PowerScan 9600 handheld scanner send wrong or incomplete characters in USB keyboard mode? | According to Datalogic, the scanner is rarely faulty: the result depends on the language, the keyboard speed, the operating system and the application. Set the keyboard country, then slow down the USB keyboard transmission, which is set to 1 ms by default. |
| Datalogic Falcon X60 / X65 | Why does my Datalogic Falcon X60 send missing or wrong characters to the application? | Change the Keyboard Wedge input mode in Datalogic Settings > Scanner & Decoder > Wedge > Keyboard wedge input mode: Text Injection, Key Pressure or Commit Text. Also check on the Formatting page that no prefix or symbology identifier is added. |
| Datalogic Falcon X60 / X65 | Why does the keypad on my Datalogic Falcon X60 type the wrong characters or no longer respond? | Open Datalogic Settings > Keyboard & Touch > Physical keyboard. Check the keyboard layout (Layout policy and Layout, for example fr-FR) and that Lock Keyboard Input is not enabled. If keys have been remapped, Key Mapping Reset restores the original keys. |
| Datalogic Skorpio X3 | Why are extra characters added to the barcodes scanned by my Datalogic Skorpio X3? | The Skorpio X3 can add a prefix, a suffix or a separator to the scanned data. These strings are set in the Formatting page of the Decoding applet: clear or correct them according to what your application expects. |
| Datalogic Skorpio X4 | Why do extra characters appear before or after the barcodes scanned by my Datalogic Skorpio X4? | These characters come from the formatting settings: prefix and suffix, code identifier (Send code ID) or AIM identifier. In Formatting, disable those your application does not expect. |
| Datalogic Skorpio X5 | Why does my Skorpio X5 send each code twice in Ivanti Velocity? | According to Datalogic, Keyboard Wedge is enabled by default on the Skorpio X5: Velocity receives the data directly from the scanner, then a second time as keystrokes. Turn on “Keyboard Wedge Only on Focus” rather than disabling the Wedge. |
| Honeywell Granit 1920i | Why does my Granit 1920i handheld scanner type the wrong characters on a computer with an AZERTY keyboard? | The keyboard country is set to the United States (USA) by default. Scan “Program Keyboard Country”, then the digit 3 (France) in the programming chart, then “Save”. |
| Honeywell Granit 1920i | Why does my Granit 1920i not confirm the entry after each scanned barcode? | Add a suffix: “Add CR Suffix” adds a carriage return after each barcode, “Add Tab Suffix” adds a tab. “Remove Suffix” removes the suffixes. |
| Honeywell Granit 1980i and 1981i | Why does my Granit 1980i scanner not send the right characters on an AZERTY keyboard? | Program the keyboard country: scan “Program Keyboard Country”, the digit 3 (France), then “Save”. Some symbols are not supported outside the US keyboard. |
| Honeywell Granit 1980i and 1981i | Why does my Granit 1981i not send an Enter key after each barcode? | No suffix is added. Scan “Add CR Suffix” for a carriage return after each barcode, or “Add Tab Suffix” for a tab. |
| Honeywell Granit Ultra 2100i / 2105i | Why does my Honeywell Granit Ultra scanner send wrong characters on a French keyboard? | The Granit Ultra leaves the factory with the keyboard country set to USA. Scan the “France” barcode in the “Keyboard Country” section of the quick start guide to adapt it to an AZERTY keyboard. |
| Honeywell Granit Ultra 2100i / 2105i | Why does my Honeywell Granit Ultra scanner add an identifier in front of the scanned data? | The “Add Code ID Prefix To All Symbologies” barcode in the quick start guide puts the symbology identifier (Code ID) in front of each barcode. To return to the factory settings, scan “Standard Product Defaults”, then reprogram the interface, the keyboard country and the suffix. |
| Honeywell Granit XP 1990i / 1991i | Why does my Honeywell Granit XP scanner display incorrect characters on an AZERTY keyboard? | The Granit XP keyboard country is set to USA by default. On a French workstation, scan the “France” barcode in the “Keyboard Country” section of the quick start guide. |
| Honeywell Granit XP 1990i / 1991i | Why does my Honeywell Granit XP scanner send control characters to my application? | Function code transmission is enabled by default: the function codes contained in the barcode are sent to the workstation, and converted into key codes in keyboard emulation. Scan “Disable” in the “Function Code Transmit” section to stop sending them. |
| Unitech MS852B | Why does my Unitech MS852B handheld scanner output incorrect characters on an AZERTY keyboard? | In keyboard emulation (HID), the keyboard language is set to US English by default. Scan the “French” barcode in the “HID Keyboard Language” section to match a French host computer; Belgian and Swiss keyboards also have their own barcode. |
| Unitech HT730 / HT730 Plus | How do I remove asterisks from barcodes scanned by my Unitech HT730 mobile computer? | Use a rule.txt file: the Unitech HT730 FAQ gives a two-line rule that removes asterisks from scanned data. The scanning service reads this file at start-up and applies it to the data sent. |
| CipherLab RK25 | Why does my CipherLab RK25 mobile computer confirm the field after each read? | By default, ReaderConfig adds a carriage return after each barcode (“Decoded data + Enter char”). In “Auto Enter”, choose “Disable” to remove it, or change “Auto Enter Character” to send a tab, for example. |
| CipherLab RK26 | Why does an error symbol appear when my CipherLab RK26 mobile computer scans a GS1-128 barcode? | The CipherLab FAQ links this symbol to the GS1-128 separator character. In ReaderConfig, open “GS1-128 Detail”, clear “Separator Character” or select “Null”, then try again. |
| CipherLab RK95 | Why does my CipherLab RK95 mobile computer not send a tab after the scanned barcode? | By default, ReaderConfig adds a carriage return after each barcode. To move to the next field, set “Auto Enter Character” to Tab; to add nothing, set “Auto Enter” to “Disable”. |
Frequently asked questions
Why does my handheld scanner type accented letters instead of digits?
The scanner is set to an American QWERTY keyboard while the host computer uses AZERTY. According to the Datalogic knowledge base, it then sends accented characters or symbols instead of digits. Program the keyboard country “France” on the scanner with the programming barcode in its guide.
Do I need to turn on Caps Lock for the handheld scanner to send digits?
That is a workaround: according to the Datalogic knowledge base, it fixes the digits, but the problem comes back with barcodes that contain letters. The right solution is to program the keyboard country “France” on the scanner.
Why does my scanner add a line break after each barcode?
It is the suffix, sometimes enabled by default: CipherLab states this for ReaderConfig. Disable it or replace it, for example with a tab, in the formatting settings of the scanner or of the scanning application.
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