F31-BW Industrial Scan Engine: Technical Highlights and Applications in Handhelds, PDAs and Portable Devices

A scan engine inside a handheld has one of the tightest design envelopes in the industry: a few square centimetres of space, a battery budget measured in milliwatts, and no tolerance for missed scans. The F31-BW industrial scan engine measures 36×14×11.3 mm, weighs 5 g, and carries a 680×480 CMOS sensor with white illumination. One 12-pin FPC cable delivers both TTL-232 and USB.

F31-BW scan engine · front and both side views (36×14×11.3 mm max / 5 g)

1. Technical highlights

1.1 Compact and light enough for handheld structures

At 36×14×11.3 mm and 5 g, the F31-BW does not force designers to thicken a scanner grip or a PDA head. The front face needs only three openings — camera, illumination and aimer (7.5 mm / 8.75 mm centre distance) — and the base provides M1.6×3 mounting holes on an 11.5 mm pitch, matching common fixtures.

Mechanical drawing: 36 mm long, 14 mm high; M1.6×3 mounting holes on 11.5 mm pitch

1.2 680×480 CMOS with white illumination

Reading precision is ≥3.3 mil. Typical depth of field: Code 128 at 3.3 mil from 5–8 cm, Code 128 at 10 mil from 4–21 cm, QR at 20 mil from 5–26 cm. Minimum contrast is 25% and ambient light spans 0–100,000 Lux, covering dim aisles and direct sunlight. With ±60° tilt, ±60° skew and 360° rotation, operators need not square the scanner to a label.

1.3 TTL-232 and USB on one cable

The 12-pin, 0.5 mm pitch FPC connector breaks out TTL-232 and USB at the same time, so one module covers both host designs without a different part number.

Pin	Signal	Function
PIN2	VCC	+3.3 V input
PIN3 / PIN8	GND	Ground
PIN4 / PIN5	UART_RXD / UART_TXD	TTL-232 receive / transmit
PIN6 / PIN7	USB_D- / USB_D+	USB differential pair
PIN9	BEEP	Buzzer output (PWM), low when idle
PIN10	DLED	Decode-success indicator, ~300 ms high pulse
PIN12	TRIG	Trigger input, active low / falling edge
PIN1 / PIN11	TEST1 / TEST2	Internal test pins — leave floating

1.4 Trigger and feedback signals for the whole user interface

TRIG accepts level and pulse triggering (pulse width ≥50 ms), BEEP outputs a PWM tone, and DLED pulses high for about 300 ms on every successful read, so the trigger key, buzzer and indicator light can all be designed around the engine.

1.5 Low power, wide environment range

Operating voltage is 3.3 V ±5% with a typical draw of 200 mW (about 65 mA at 3.3 V). Storage temperature spans −40 °C to +70 °C, working humidity 5–95% (non-condensing).

1.6 Configurable through setup codes, serial commands and ImageTool

Five reading modes are available: manual trigger, continuous, single-shot, image sensing and batch reading. Prefixes and suffixes, USB-HID / USB-CDC / USB-HID-POS, TTL-232 baud rate, symbology toggles and DPM reading are configured with setup codes or serial commands, while ImageTool lets engineers verify results on the bench without reflashing.

2. Applications

2.1 Handheld terminals and industrial PDAs

Warehouse picking, store inventory and last-mile delivery run on devices held for hours and expected to last a shift. 5 g and 200 mW barely register in the battery or mechanical budget, and having both TTL-232 and USB makes the engine easy to drop into an existing mainboard.

2.2 Portable medical and mobile nursing devices

Bedside care, sample collection and mobile rounds depend on reading wristbands, tube labels and medicine packaging. The ≥3.3 mil precision suits small labels, while 0–100,000 Lux covers dim wards and outdoor transfer alike.

2.3 Power inspection and outdoor field equipment

Inspection meters and meter-reading terminals work in bright sun and cold weather. The engine keeps reading at high illuminance, tolerates −40 °C to +70 °C storage, and 360° rotation keeps one-handed operation comfortable.

2.4 Self-service cabinets and production workstations

Self-service lockers and workstation terminals usually have narrow read windows; a 36 mm-wide engine fits slim bezels. On a production line, the 5–26 cm depth-of-field range gives engineers freedom in mounting distance.

One 12-pin FPC cable to the host board — TTL-232 or USB

3. Specifications

Item	Specification
Type	Embedded 2D scan engine (industrial grade)
Image sensor	680×480 CMOS
Illumination / aiming	White LED illumination / red dot aimer
Reading precision	≥3.3 mil
Typical depth of field	Code 128 3.3 mil: 5–8 cm; Code 128 10 mil: 4–21 cm; QR 20 mil: 5–26 cm
Minimum contrast	≥25%
Reading angle	Tilt ±60°, skew ±60°, rotation 360°
Field of view	42° horizontal, 31.5° vertical
Ambient light	0–100,000 Lux
Interfaces	TTL-232, USB (12-pin 0.5 mm FPC connector)
Dimensions	36×14×11.3 mm (max)
Weight	5 g
Operating voltage	3.3 V ±5%
Power / current	200 mW typical / 65 mA at 3.3 V typical
Storage temperature	−40 °C to +70 °C
Working humidity	5–95% (non-condensing)
Configuration tool	ImageTool