Product Reference Guide
309
Chapter 5
Message Formatting
Message Formatting is available for PM9501-AR models only. 
For this feature to be operational,
 the scanner must be set to 
Ignore Host Commands (see  
page 25
).
A message from the Host to the base must follow these rules:
• If Address stamping options or addr
ess delimiter are enabled on the 
base, the Host replay must have address field and delimiter too. Other-
wise the message will be ig
nored. Address delimiter is present only 
when address stamping is enabled.
• Address stamping is necessary to co
rrectly route the message to the 
PM9501-AR, especially when more than one handheld is linked to the 
same base. Address stamping could be disabled if the system is in 
point to point configuration. If address stamping is not enabled, the 
messages are addressed to the first handheld linked to the base. 
• The maximum character length for messages is 255.
• Messages end with “CR” 0x0D ASCII character. The CR character cannot 
be contained in 
the middle.
• Messages cannot start with '$' or # because these are reserved for Ser-
vice mode command
• Base station can receive host message only if Host Commands Obey/
Ig
nore is set to Ignore.
• Message could be sent to the handheld in response to a Label when 
“Transmit 
mode” require Ack from Host (see transmit mode parameter) 
or at any time. When messages are sent not in response to a label must 
start with DC2 0x12 ASCII character and could be sent in any transmit 
mode setting.
• Message could be sent to all handhelds linked to the base by using a 
Mu
lticast message:  
“00 00 00 00 2A AA” The maximum Multicast message is 48 char-
acters.
• In order to receive a message, handhelds must not be in sleep state.
The format of the ACK from Host message (used for transmission mode 02) 
is:
[Scanner_Addr] [Scanner_Addr_delimiter] MESSAGE <CR>
The format of a generic message From Host to HH is: