Zebra DS9908R-HD
The Zebra DS9908R-HD is a premium laboratory-focused hybrid presentation imager that combines high-density barcode scanning with UHF RFID capability in a single workstation device. It is designed for medical laboratories, pharmacies, blood processing workflows and specimen management environments where small, dense, curved and color-coded barcodes must be captured accurately, and where RFID can add further traceability for blood bags, tissue samples and other critical items. The DS9908R-HD is best positioned for lab and pharmacy workstations that need both barcode and RFID-based identification. Its hybrid design supports hands-free presentation scanning for fast repetitive workflows, while also allowing the scanner to be picked up for handheld scanning when more precise aiming is required. This makes it useful in crowded laboratory environments where some items can be passed quickly in front of the scanner, while others need to be scanned directly on trays, carts, containers or sample racks. The barcode scanning engine combines a high-resolution 1280 × 800 pixel sensor, Zebra PRZM Intelligent Imaging technology, an 800 MHz microprocessor and high-density focus. This helps the DS9908R-HD capture the difficult barcode types commonly found in labs and pharmacies, including small high-density barcodes on microscope slides, curved barcodes on medicine bottles and blood vials, poorly printed labels, shiny labels, faded labels, dirty or damaged codes and electronic barcodes on dimly lit displays. Warm white illumination is an important lab-specific advantage. The DS9908R-HD is designed to read barcodes on color-coded specimen trays and biopsy cassettes, where red illumination used by some scanners can make certain colored labels appear washed out and harder to decode. This makes the scanner especially relevant for clinical laboratories and pathology workflows where color coding is part of the identification process. The RFID capability is the key difference compared with the non-RFID DS9908-HD model. The DS9908R platform supports EPC Class 1 Gen2, EPC Gen2 V2 and ISO-18000-63 UHF RFID standards. The source lists a nominal RFID read range of approximately 18 inches / 45.7 cm, RFID power output from 3 dBm to 22 dBm and regional frequency ranges for the US, EU and Japan. This makes the device suitable for applications such as blood bag tracking, specimen tracking and reading or writing RFID tags without line of sight. For blood processing and sample tracking, the DS9908R-HD can help users capture serial numbers, expiration dates and other critical information. Workers can read multiple RFID-tagged samples in one pass without line-of-sight scanning, while still using barcode capture for items that rely on printed 1D or 2D labels. Zebra’s RFID data conversion software can report RFID tag data as standard barcode data, which can reduce the need to modify existing host applications. The scanner supports major 1D and 2D barcode types. Supported 1D symbologies include Code 39, Code 128, Code 93, Codabar / NW7, Code 11, MSI Plessey, UPC / EAN, Interleaved 2 of 5, Korean 3 of 5, GS1 DataBar and Base 32. Supported 2D symbologies include PDF417, MicroPDF417, Composite Codes, TLC-39, Aztec, DataMatrix, MaxiCode, QR Code, Micro QR, Han Xin and postal codes. OCR support includes OCR-A, OCR-B, MICR and US Currency. In the supplied material, high-density decode ranges are listed for the DS9908-HD. These include, in handheld mode, Code 39 3 mil from 1.3 to 3.7 inches / 3.3 to 9.4 cm, Code 128 3 mil from 1.4 to 4.2 inches / 3.6 to 10.7 cm, Data Matrix 10 mil from 0.5 to 9.3 inches / 1.3 to 23.6 cm and QR 20 mil from 0 to 13.7 inches / 0 to 34.8 cm. In hands-free mode, the source lists Data Matrix 10 mil from 0 to 9.3 inches / 0 to 23.6 cm and QR 20 mil from 0 to 9.5 inches / 0 to 24.1 cm. These values should be treated as source-listed DS9908-HD ranges and may depend on printing resolution, contrast and ambient light. The hybrid switching mechanism is designed for speed and reliability. The DS9900 Series uses a capacitive touch sensor for hand detection and an accelerometer for motion detection, allowing the device to switch between hands-free and handheld modes without mechanical parts that can wear out. In presentation mode, the scan range is limited to help prevent accidental reads of nearby items. In handheld mode, an aiming dot appears and the scan range is extended for items on the table, cart or workstation. The DS9908R-HD can also improve workflow productivity through Zebra software features. Multi-Code Data Formatting can capture multiple barcodes with a single trigger pull and transmit only the required data in the expected order. Preferred Symbol can output only the selected barcode when multiple codes are present on a sample, blood bag, medication package or form. ScanSpeed Analytics helps identify poor-performing labels and barcodes that slow down clinical workflows. Document and text capture features extend the value of the scanner beyond barcode reading. Zebra Intelligent Document Capture can capture high-resolution images of prescriptions, patient forms and other documents, while software compensates for lighting variation and squares up the image. Optional driver’s license parsing can support patient admissions, and OCR support can transmit machine-readable text from ID cards and other documents into clinical or administrative applications. The DS9908R-HD is built for daily use in laboratories and pharmacies. The DS9908R RFID model measures 8.0 in H x 3.9 in W x 5.75 in D / 20.3 cm H x 9.9 cm W x 14.6 cm D and weighs 420 g. It has Alpine White housing, a compact integrated stand and user indicators including Direct Decode Indicator, good decode LEDs and an adjustable speaker. The RFID model is rated IP42 and is designed to withstand multiple 4 ft / 1.2 m drops to concrete. The DS9900 Series is also designed to withstand 2,000 tumbles in a 0.5 m tumbler. The double-sealed optical scanning system protects image quality, while the recessed scan window helps reduce the effect of smudges, dirt and scratches. Connectivity includes USB, RS232, Keyboard Wedge and TGCS / IBM 46XX over RS485. The RFID model operates from a single USB port and does not require an external power supply, which simplifies workstation integration. The scanner also supports more than 90 international keyboards. Management and integration are supported by Zebra DataCapture DNA tools. 123Scan can configure scanner parameters and upgrade firmware. Symbol Scanner SDK supports application development for Windows, Android, iOS and Linux. Scanner Management Service allows remote management and asset queries. For RFID workflows, the RFID model includes Zebra’s SDK and a sample application that can read data from a barcode and write it to an RFID tag, helping reduce the cost and complexity of RFID implementation. The DS9900 Series is covered by a five-year warranty under Zebra’s hardware warranty terms, with Zebra OneCare Select and Zebra OneCare Essential listed as recommended services. Overall, the Zebra DS9908R-HD is a premium hybrid barcode and RFID workstation scanner for labs and pharmacies that need high-density barcode capture and RFID traceability in one device. Its strongest value lies in high-density 1D / 2D scanning, UHF RFID reading and writing, hybrid hands-free / handheld operation, warm white illumination for color-coded lab labels, blood bag and specimen tracking support, Preferred Symbol, Multi-Code Data Formatting, Intelligent Document Capture, OCR support, DataCapture DNA tools and simplified RFID integration through USB.
Product Features
- Scan technology: 1D/2D
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