About this replacement
Zebra DS2278 Series — 3.7V Li-ion Replacement Battery (BT-000317-01)
This 3.7V, 3400mAh Li-ion cell replaces the OEM pack in the Zebra DS2278, DS2278SR, DS22, and CR2278 wireless barcode scanners. It fits the standard battery bay and works with the CR2278 charging cradle. Capacity is sourced from the product specification — 12.58Wh per cell.
- DS2278 and DS22 series fit: These models share the same battery bay dimensions, connector pinout, and BMS communication protocol. Swapping across DS2278, DS2278SR, DS22, and CR2278 units does not require configuration changes — the pack registers on cradle contact.
- Bench tested on actual hardware: We ran this pack through charge cycling on a DS2278SR cradle. The BMS negotiated charge current normally, and the protection circuit tripped correctly at low-voltage threshold during discharge testing — no false cutoffs under scan-trigger inrush.
- First-shift preparation on the DS2278: After installing, seat the scanner in its CR2278 cradle for a full charge cycle before starting pick-and-pack work. The scan trigger draws the highest inrush current when the cell is near minimum charge — a pre-charged pack prevents a false BMS cutoff on the first trigger pull of the shift.
Cradle showing charging error on a new DS2278 pack
The CR2278 cradle reads pack state through gold pogo contacts on the battery base. If those contacts have residue from handling or packaging, the cradle throws a charge fault rather than initiating the charge cycle. Wipe both the battery contacts and the cradle pins with a dry cloth before reseating. Once contact resistance drops, the cradle resumes normal 4.2V charge termination without any reset procedure.
DS2278 dropping wireless connection during rapid scan bursts
The DS2278 fires the imager and the Bluetooth radio simultaneously during fast scan sequences. Combined, the two draw more current than the imager alone — if the cell voltage sags under that combined load, the radio drops link before the BMS trips. This is more common late in a shift when the cell is below 50% charge. Returning the scanner to the cradle for a partial top-up restores enough headroom to sustain both loads through the next pick run.