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HID TSL 3138 User Manual
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HID TSL 3138 User Manual

HID TSL 3138 User Manual

Bluetooth uhf rfid reader
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USER GUIDE:
3138 BLUETOOTH
®
UHF RFID READER
www.tsl.com
Design • Development • Manufacture

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Summary of Contents for HID TSL 3138

  • Page 1 USER GUIDE: 3138 BLUETOOTH ® UHF RFID READER www.tsl.com Design • Development • Manufacture...
  • Page 2 www.tsl.com TERMS & CONDITIONS Copyright © 2025 Technology Solutions (UK) Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form, or by any electrical or mechanical means, without permission in writing from Technology Solutions (UK) Ltd. This includes electronic or mechanical means,such as photocopying, recording, or information storage and retrieval systems.
  • Page 3 Marking and European Economic Area (EEA) Canadian Warning Statements Battery Safety Health and Safety Recommendations Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Warranty About About TSL Contact About HID Copyright © 2025 Technology Solutions (UK) Ltd 3138 UHF RFID Reader User Guide V1.00...
  • Page 4 INTRODUCTION The TSL 3138 Bluetooth UHF RFID Reader provides Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), with optional barcode scanning functionality. The unit can be used in batch mode using an optional Micro SD card, or can be connected via USB through the ePop-Loq socket, or connected to a host device via Bluetooth.
  • Page 5 INTRODUCTION www.tsl.com POTENTIAL CONFIGURATIONS OF THE 3138 READER Figure 2: The 3138 Reader can be supplied with a USB-C connector (left) or Power Pins for use with a docking cradle (right) Copyright © 2025 Technology Solutions (UK) Ltd 3138 UHF RFID Reader User Guide V1.00...
  • Page 6 2.4 - 2.4835 GHz. (-4°F to 113°F). range: Less than 6 months at -20°C to +35°C (-4°F to 95°F). Bluetooth profiles: SPP Profile, HID Profile, Apple iAP2, Bluetooth Low Energy. Humidity: 5% to 85% non-condensing. Bluetooth range Up to 100m.
  • Page 7 www.tsl.com USING THE 3138 UHF RFID READER POWER HANDLE INSTALLATION OR REMOVAL A high capacity battery is contained within the Power Handle. The Power Handle can be charged using a USB-C lead (USB-C models only) or in a charging cradle (8-Power-Pin models only). To remove or replace the Power Handle, please follow the steps below.
  • Page 8 USING THE 3138 UHF RFID READER www.tsl.com Figure 5: Slide Power Handle off Power Bridge Figure 6: Remove Power Bridge Copyright © 2025 Technology Solutions (UK) Ltd 3138 UHF RFID Reader User Guide V1.00...
  • Page 9 USING THE 3138 UHF RFID READER www.tsl.com Figure 7: Power Handle and Power Bridge removed The actions to replace the Power Handle are: ● Align the Power Bridge using the indents with the pips on the case ● Push the Power Bridge down into position ●...
  • Page 10 USING THE 3138 UHF RFID READER www.tsl.com Figure 9: Slide Power Handle into position Copyright © 2025 Technology Solutions (UK) Ltd 3138 UHF RFID Reader User Guide V1.00...
  • Page 11 USING THE 3138 UHF RFID READER www.tsl.com ATTACHING DEVICES VIA THE EPOP-LOQ MOUNT ® Custom ePop-Loq cases from TSL allow smartphones and mobile terminals to be physically attached to the 3138 ® Bluetooth UHF RFID Reader and share direct electrical connections between the two devices. ePop-Loq stud ®...
  • Page 12 USING THE 3138 UHF RFID READER www.tsl.com CHARGING To comply with international shipping regulations, all batteries included with TSL products are discharged to less than 30% of their maximum capacity when shipped. It is therefore important that the unit is fully charged before using your 3138 UHF Reader for the first time. The 3138 UHF Reader can be charged using the dedicated 3138 Docking Station.
  • Page 13 USING THE 3138 UHF RFID READER www.tsl.com BUTTON OPERATION The 3138 UHF Reader has a Primary button action and a Secondary button action which can be initiated by different button clicks: By default, the Primary action scans for UHF transponders, whilst the Secondary action initiates the barcode scanner (Barcode scanning is only available with the 2D Imager Antenna variant).
  • Page 14 USING THE 3138 UHF RFID READER www.tsl.com READING TRANSPONDERS The 3138 UHF Reader can read and write to UHF RFID transponders when they are in range of the antenna. The antenna is located on the front of the 3138 UHF Reader and the read zone is in front of the antenna. The range at which a transponder can be read depends on the transponder type and size, and the number of transponders in the field.
  • Page 15 USING THE 3138 UHF RFID READER www.tsl.com STATUS LEDS Location of Main Body Status Indicators Bluetooth status Charge status Read indicator Charge status Figure 15: Location of status LEDs on the 3138 main body Default Behaviour of the Main Body Status LEDs LED Behaviour Status The reader is awake but there is no connection.
  • Page 16 USING THE 3138 UHF RFID READER www.tsl.com Location of Antenna Indicators The Antenna Indicators provide additional information to the user whilst the 3138 Reader is being operated. Antenna Indicators Figure 16: Location of Antenna Indicators Default Behaviour of the Antenna Indicators Reader has woken Indicators light up green one by one in a clockwise direction.
  • Page 17 USING THE 3138 UHF RFID READER www.tsl.com Battery Low A quick red flash when powering on the reader or just before a tag or barcode read indicates that the battery is low and should be charged. Bluetooth Connected Indicators light up blue from bottom to top. Bluetooth Disconnected Indicators light up blue from top to bottom, pausing at the bottom.
  • Page 18 USING THE 3138 UHF RFID READER www.tsl.com RFID Information Received - New Tags Found Indicators flash green. Barcode Information Received Indicators flash cyan. ‘Find Me’ Alert (requires compatible app) Indicators flash magenta and cyan. This alert is available in the latest SDK and can be implemented to help the user locate the (Bluetooth-connected) 3138 Reader.
  • Page 19 USING THE 3138 UHF RFID READER www.tsl.com Charge Status (when charging in the Docking Cradle) Pulsing Orange: Charging (0-80%) Pulsing Green: Charging (80-100%) Solid Green: Fully Charged *Requires firmware v1.5.0 or later. Copyright © 2025 Technology Solutions (UK) Ltd 3138 UHF RFID Reader User Guide V1.00...
  • Page 20 www.tsl.com CONNECTIONS The connection to the 3138 is either via Bluetooth or USB. Bluetooth connections use either a Virtual Com Port (VCP) or via the iAP protocol for supported Apple iOS Devices. Over USB only VCP is available. For VCP the connection is established at 115200 baud, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit and RTS/CTS (hardware) flow control.
  • Page 21 CONNECTIONS www.tsl.com BLUETOOTH WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY CONNECTION COMPATIBLE PRODUCTS The 3138 Bluetooth Handheld UHF RFID Reader is compatible with many other Bluetooth wireless technology enabled host devices including Android, Windows CE, Windows Mobile 5/6.1/6.5 and Windows XP/Vista/7/8/10. Copyright © 2025 Technology Solutions (UK) Ltd 3138 UHF RFID Reader User Guide V1.00...
  • Page 22 TSL ASCII 2 protocol, but when connected over Bluetooth the reader can either be set to use the TSL ASCII 2 protocol (Bluetooth SPP Mode) or it can appear as a Bluetooth keyboard (Bluetooth HID Mode).
  • Page 23 The downloader should prompt as the com port arrives and select the com port automatically (“COMn arrived”) ● Select Action>Reset Bluetooth to HID mode or Action>Reset Bluetooth to HID Apple mode (wait for the process to complete) ● Disconnect the UHF reader from the computer (unplug USB) ●...
  • Page 24 Application Note – Using the Micro SD log and auto-run files Describes using the AUTO.TXT TSL ASCII Protocol 2.5 Rev A : Details all the commands including for HID .st,.hs,.hc, and .hd If you encounter any issue while following the above procedure please contact providing the support@tsl.com...
  • Page 25 BLUETOOTH WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY CONNECTION www.tsl.com SETTING UP A BLUETOOTH CONNECTION WITH A SUPPORTED APPLE iOS DEVICE Awaken the 3138 UHF Reader by squeezing the trigger, which is confirmed by the flashing of the blue LED. To pair with your iOS device, navigate to the Bluetooth option within the Settings menu on your iOS device. VIEW LIST OF BLUETOOTH DEVICES (iOS) iPad ®...
  • Page 26 BLUETOOTH WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY CONNECTION www.tsl.com PAIR WITH TSL BLUETOOTH DEVICE In the list of Bluetooth devices, the 3138 UHF reader will be identified by its serial number (3138-xxxxxxxx). Click on the corresponding row to pair with the reader. iPad ® iPod / iPhone ®...
  • Page 27 BLUETOOTH WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY CONNECTION www.tsl.com If the app is starting up for the first time, no reader will be selected. To select a reader, tap on ‘Change Reader’ in the menu to the left (iPad ) or ‘Paired Readers’ (iPod /iPhone ®...
  • Page 28 BLUETOOTH WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY CONNECTION www.tsl.com This will open a ‘Select An Accessory’ dialog box. There may be a small delay in loading available readers. Once the available readers have loaded select the 3138 UHF reader. iPad iPod / iPhone ® ®...
  • Page 29 BLUETOOTH WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY CONNECTION www.tsl.com The selected device’s image will appear, accompanied by relevant device information. The ‘Inventory’, ‘Read/ Write’, ‘Commands’ and ‘Find a Tag’ features can now be explored. To maximise battery life it is recommended to release the 3138 UHF Reader from its Bluetooth connection if the reader is not to be used for a significant period of time.
  • Page 30 www.tsl.com MICRO SD CARD INSTALLATION AND REMOVAL An optional Micro SD card can be installed inside the 3138 reader. The card should be SD/SDHC compatible, FAT16 or FAT32 up to 32 GB. Remove the Power Handle and the Power Bridge insert to expose the Micro SD card slot. The card slot is spring loaded.
  • Page 31 MICRO SD CARD www.tsl.com LOG FILE (LOG.TXT) Once an SD card is installed and logging is enabled a log file is created on the SD card. The file is located at the root of the card and called “LOG.TXT”. All the lines from every response to every command that is executed by the reader (including those performed from trigger actions) are appended to the end of the file.
  • Page 32 www.tsl.com SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT To make full use of the functionality of the 3138 UHF Reader, a customised software application will be required. The new 3138 Bluetooth UHF RFID reader incorporates TSL’s unique ASCII protocol for faster and easier application development. This sophisticated parameterised ASCII protocol provides the developer a powerful set of commands that carry out multiple actions locally within the Bluetooth reader.
  • Page 33 www.tsl.com COMMAND SCAN WHAT IS COMMAND SCAN? 3138 RAIN RFID Readers equipped with a 2D Barcode Imager can use a patent-pending new feature called ‘TSL Command Scan’, that enables the use of barcode scanning to configure or otherwise adjust parameters of the RFID reader.
  • Page 34 Warm boot the host. If this does not error. help, delete the 3138 UHF Reader from the favourites list and re-pair. Bluetooth pairing fails. Reader SPP/HID operating Mode In the Bluetooth Settings, Forget/ may have changed. Unpair the Reader and try again. Other symptoms.
  • Page 35 www.tsl.com REGULATORY INFORMATION MARKING AND EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA (EEA) Technology Solutions UK Ltd hereby declares that this radio equipment is in compliance with Directives 2014/53/ EU and 2011/65/EU. The reader operates using the specified frequencies up to the maximum output powers as in the table below: Radio Frequency of operation Maximum Output Power...
  • Page 36 REGULATORY INFORMATION www.tsl.com CANADIAN WARNING STATEMENTS English “Under Industry Canada regulations, this radio transmitter may only operate using an antenna of a type and maximum (or lesser) gain approved for the transmitter by Industry Canada. To reduce potential radio interference to other users, the antenna type and its gain should be so chosen that the equivalent isotropically radiated power (e.i.r.p.) is not more than that necessary for successful communication.”...
  • Page 37 REGULATORY INFORMATION www.tsl.com BATTERY SAFETY CAUTION! RISK OF EXPLOSION IF BATTERY IS REPLACED BY AN INCORRECT TYPE. DISPOSE OF USED BATTERIES ACCORDING TO THE INSTRUCTIONS. ● Disposal of a battery into fire or a hot oven, or mechanically crushing or cutting a battery, can result in an explosion.
  • Page 38 www.tsl.com HEALTH AND SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS Ergonomic Recommendations Caution: In order to avoid or minimize the potential risk of ergonomic injury, follow the recommendations below. Consult with your local Health & Safety Manager to ensure that you are adhering to your company’s safety programs to prevent employee injury.
  • Page 39 www.tsl.com Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) For EU Customers: All products at the end of their life must be returned to TSL for recycling. For information on how to return product please contact TSL. WARRANTY (A) Warranty TSL’s hardware Products are warranted against defects in workmanship and materials for a period of twelve (12) months from the date of shipment, unless otherwise provided by TSL in writing, provided the Product remains unmodified and is operated under normal and proper conditions.
  • Page 40 WARRANTY www.tsl.com (E) Original Warranty Period Except for the warranty applying solely to the repaired component arising from a repair service as provided in Section C above, the aforementioned provisions do not extend the original warranty period of any Product that had either been repaired or replaced by TSL.
  • Page 41 ABOUT HID HID powers the trusted identities of the world’s people, places and things. We make it possible for people to transact safely, work productively and travel freely. Our trusted identity solutions give people convenient access to physical and digital places and connect things that can be identified, verified and tracked digitally. Millions of people around the world use HID products and services to navigate their everyday lives, and billions of things are connected through HID technology.