A Radio-Equipped Barcode Scanner? - Datalogic PM9600 Product Review
By: Colton Redtfeldt - 5/10/2022

Are you looking for that extra bit of communication range in your barcode scanner? Are you looking for something you can program with special function commands? [The new Datalogic PM9600][1] might be the scanner for you!

Unlike most wireless barcode scanners on the market today, the PM9600 uses a radio frequency instead of Bluetooth to pair with it's communication cradle. Because it’s using radio, you’re going to be able to get pretty far away from the cradle without losing connection. The scanner's spec sheet quotes a range just below 500 feet with a direct line of sight - compare that to it’s closest Bluetooth competitor clocking in at 300ft. When we put that claim to the test ([click here to watch the part of our video review where we cover it][2]) the scanner performed well - backing up Datalogics. And if this range isn’t enough, the scanner can be entered into batch mode so that if it does leave the cradle range, it will store all the barcodes you’ve scanned in internal memory and then dump them back into the system once it’s connected back to the cradle.

The other unique selling point of this scanner is the onboard screen with a host of programmable functions. With the scanner's 4-key model, you’re getting up to six programmable functions. The 16-key model has four function keys and a shift key to give you access to another set of 4 functions for a total of 8. There’s a ton of things you can program those keys to do so we've included a list of programmable functions below for easy reference.
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<center>![enter image description here][3][][]</center>
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On the topic of programming: these function keys can be set using either programmable barcodes found in the user manual or by using the [Datalogic Aladdin™ Configuration application which is available for free download from the Datalogic website][4]. In our experience, programming the scanner can be challenging using either method but to Datalogic’s credit, their support team has been pretty helpful in the past with providing assistance when programming their scanners. In addition to the normal set of programming methods, the scanner does support OPOS and JavaPOS utility support, so if you need some really advanced programming and integration, you should be able to get that setup with some amount of work.

In addition, the 16-key model does have a quantity mode and can also be programmed to enter time stamps when something is scanned.  These extra features are also available on some of it’s closest competitors and in the case of something like the Zebra DS3600-DK, are actual pre-programmed utilities that streamline the process, but it’s great that Datalogic provides the option - at least on the 16-key model.

If battery life is a big concern for you application - this scanner might be the way to go as well. With wireless charging, the unit’s 3350 mAh battery can go from 0 to 100% battery in about 2.5-3 hour charge time using the power supply and about 5 hours using a USB-C connection. Effectively, that’s going to give you 80k scans per charge which is about 20k more than its closest competition and a whopping 50k more reads than its predecessor the PM9500. So it’s for sure top-of-class when it comes to battery capacity.

Durability wise: the unit features an 8 feet to concrete drop spec which is about 2 feet less than it's closest competition but features an IP65 rating so it can withstand water jets. We did our own durability testing (featured in our Youtube Video) and these claims seem to stand up.

Finally: the scanner features a 1280 x 800 pixels scan engine which is a massive upgrade from the 864 x 544 scan engine on the PM9500. This translates to major upgrades on the decode range when compared to the old PM9500 - almost double the range in many cases. When compared to it’s competitors, the PM9600 does underperform just a little bit on scan range but not by very much and it does feature a slightly wider field of view. We performed scan testing with barcodes wrapped in shrinkwrap to simulate barcodes loaded on a pallet or on a box and the scanner performmed well on this test.
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<center>![PM9600 Decode Ranges][5][][]!</center>

Overall - we think the PM9600 is a solid barcode scanner that offers excellent scanning performance and battery life. It doesn't feature some of the high-level features and pre-built applications found in other screen-equipped "smart barcode scanners" on the market and the functions it can perform can be a little difficult to setup if you're not familiar with barcode programming, but overall it's still a powerful scanner that can be just about everything you need it to do if you have the patience to set it up.
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![enter image description here][6][][300]
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[1]: https://posguys.com/industrial-barcode-scanner_53/DataLogic-PM9600_3910/
  [2]: https://youtu.be/JqB4yl5JpC0?t=180
  [3]: https://posguys.blob.core.windows.net/content/images/blog/79004/PM9600%20Function%20Commands.png
  [4]: https://www.datalogic.com/page/search?search_txt=aladdin
  [5]: https://posguys.blob.core.windows.net/content/images/blog/79004/PM9600%20Decode%20Range.png
  [6]: https://posguys.blob.core.windows.net/content/images/blog/79004/PM9600-KeyComparison.jpg

A Radio-Equipped Barcode Scanner? - Datalogic PM9600 Product Review By: Colton Redtfeldt - 5/10/2022

Recent Posts By Colton Redtfeldt

A Radio-Equipped Barcode Scanner? - Datalogic PM9600 Product Review
By: Colton Redtfeldt - 5/10/2022