rfid_zebra_reader

pub package GitHub

A Flutter plugin for seamless integration with Zebra RFID readers. Built specifically for Zebra TC27 and compatible devices, providing real-time tag scanning, antenna power control, and full Android 13+ support.

Important: This plugin requires a real Zebra RFID device (e.g., TC27) with a reader antenna. It cannot be tested on a mobile phone, emulator, or simulator. You must use an actual computer mobile device paired with a Zebra reader antenna.

Android Configuration

1. Add Maven Repository

The Zebra RFID SDK is hosted on GitHub. You need to add the repository to your app's Gradle configuration.

Kotlin DSL (build.gradle.kts) - Click to expand

If your app uses Kotlin DSL, add this to your_app/android/build.gradle.kts:

allprojects {
    repositories {
        google()
        mavenCentral()

        // Add Zebra RFID SDK repository
        maven {
            url = uri("https://raw.githubusercontent.com/devJimmy990/rfid_zebra_reader/main/android/maven")
        }
    }
}
Groovy (build.gradle) - Click to expand

If your app uses Groovy, add this to your_app/android/build.gradle:

allprojects {
    repositories {
        google()
        mavenCentral()

        // Add Zebra RFID SDK repository
        maven {
            url "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/devJimmy990/rfid_zebra_reader/main/android/maven"
        }
    }
}

2. Set Minimum SDK Version

In your_app/android/app/build.gradle (or build.gradle.kts), ensure minSdk is 26 or higher:

android {
    defaultConfig {
        minSdk = 26
    }
}

3. Update AndroidManifest.xml

In your_app/android/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml, add the tools namespace and tools:replace attribute:

<manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools">

    <application
        tools:replace="android:label"
        android:label="your_app_name"
        ... >
        ...
    </application>
</manifest>

4. Add ProGuard Rules

Create the file your_app/android/app/proguard-rules.pro:

proguard-rules.pro - Click to expand 
# --- Flutter Play Store Split Install ---
-keep class com.google.android.play.core.** { *; }

# --- Zebra RFID SDK (reflection-heavy) ---
-keep class com.zebra.** { *; }

# --- JSch (SFTP) ---
-keep class com.jcraft.jsch.** { *; }

# --- Xerces XML Parser ---
-keep class org.apache.xerces.** { *; }
-keep class org.w3c.dom.** { *; }

# --- BouncyCastle Crypto ---
-keep class org.bouncycastle.** { *; }

# --- LLRP Toolkit (used by Zebra) ---
-keep class org.llrp.** { *; }

# Prevent warnings
-dontwarn com.google.android.play.core.**
-dontwarn com.jcraft.jsch.**
-dontwarn org.apache.xerces.**
-dontwarn org.bouncycastle.**
-dontwarn org.llrp.**

# ============================================
# FIX: javax.lang.model (Google Error Prone)
# ============================================
-dontwarn javax.lang.model.**
-dontwarn com.google.errorprone.annotations.**
-keep class javax.lang.model.** { *; }
-keep class com.google.errorprone.annotations.** { *; }

# ============================================
# Additional javax warnings
# ============================================
-dontwarn javax.annotation.**
-dontwarn javax.tools.**
-keep class javax.annotation.** { *; }

# ============================================
# Keep Flutter classes
# ============================================
-keep class io.flutter.app.** { *; }
-keep class io.flutter.plugin.** { *; }
-keep class io.flutter.util.** { *; }
-keep class io.flutter.view.** { *; }
-keep class io.flutter.** { *; }
-keep class io.flutter.plugins.** { *; }

# ============================================
# Keep native methods
# ============================================
-keepclasseswithmembernames class * {
    native <methods>;
}

# ============================================
# Keep attributes for debugging
# ============================================
-keepattributes *Annotation*
-keepattributes Signature
-keepattributes InnerClasses
-keepattributes EnclosingMethod
-keepattributes SourceFile,LineNumberTable
-renamesourcefileattribute SourceFile

# ============================================
# Keep Parcelable implementations
# ============================================
-keepclassmembers class * implements android.os.Parcelable {
    public static final android.os.Parcelable$Creator *;
}

# ============================================
# Keep Serializable classes
# ============================================
-keepclassmembers class * implements java.io.Serializable {
    static final long serialVersionUID;
    private static final java.io.ObjectStreamField[] serialPersistentFields;
    private void writeObject(java.io.ObjectOutputStream);
    private void readObject(java.io.ObjectInputStream);
    java.lang.Object writeReplace();
    java.lang.Object readResolve();
}

# ============================================
# Suppress warnings for common missing classes
# ============================================
-dontwarn org.conscrypt.**
-dontwarn org.openjsse.**
-dontwarn sun.security.**
-dontwarn com.sun.**

Then reference it in your_app/android/app/build.gradle:

android {
    buildTypes {
        release {
            minifyEnabled true
            shrinkResources true
            proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android-optimize.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
        }
    }
}

Quick Start

import 'package:rfid_zebra_reader/rfid_zebra_reader.dart';

// Initialize (auto-handles: permissions -> SDK init -> reader connection)
await ZebraRfidReader.initialize();

// Monitor initialization status
ZebraRfidReader.statusStream.listen((status) {
  print(status.statusMessage); // e.g. "Initializing SDK...", "Connected to reader"
  if (status.isReady) {
    print('Reader is ready!');
  }
});

// Listen for tag events
ZebraRfidReader.eventStream.listen((event) {
  if (event.type == RfidEventType.tagRead) {
    print('Tags: ${event.tags}');
  }
});

// Start scanning
await ZebraRfidReader.startInventory();

// Stop scanning
await ZebraRfidReader.stopInventory();

// Clean up when done
ZebraRfidReader.dispose();

Main Functions

Core Methods

Method Return Type Description
initialize() Future<void> Initialize the RFID reader. Auto-handles permissions, SDK init, and reader connection. Status updates come through statusStream
getStatus() Future<RfidStatus> Get current reader status (one-time fetch)
isPermissionGranted() Future<bool> Check if required permissions are granted
disconnect() Future<bool> Disconnect from current reader
startInventory() Future<bool> Start scanning for RFID tags
stopInventory() Future<bool> Stop tag scanning
setAntennaPower(int level) Future<bool> Set antenna power level (0 to maxPower, typically 270)
getAntennaPower() Future<Map<String, int>> Get current and max antenna power (currentPower, maxPower)
getPlatformVersion() Future<String> Get Android platform version
dispose() void Dispose resources (call when app is closing)

Streams

Property Type Description
eventStream Stream<RfidEvent> Real-time RFID events (tag reads, triggers, connection changes)
statusStream Stream<RfidStatus> Reader status updates during initialization and reconnection. Auto-polls until connected or error

Models & Classes

RfidEvent

Property Type Description
type RfidEventType Event type
data dynamic Raw event data map
message String? Event message
tags List<RfidTag>? List of scanned tags (for tagRead events)
triggerPressed bool? Trigger state (for trigger events)
errorMessage String? Error description (for error events)
readerName String? Reader name (for connection events)

RfidStatus

Property Type Description
permissionsGranted bool Whether permissions are granted
sdkInitialized bool Whether SDK is initialized
readerConnected bool Whether reader is connected
isReconnecting bool Whether reader is reconnecting
readerName String? Connected reader name
maxPower int Maximum antenna power (default 270)
error String? Error message if any
isReady bool true when permissions + SDK + connected
isInitializing bool true when initialization is in progress
hasError bool true when error exists
statusMessage String Human-readable status message
shortStatus String Short status code (e.g. READY, ERROR, CONNECTING)

RfidTag

Property Type Description
tagId String EPC tag identifier
rssi int Signal strength (dBm)
antennaId int Antenna that detected the tag
count int Number of times tag was read

Services (lib/src/services/)

ZebraRfidReader - Main service class

Key Features:

  • Auto-initialization (permissions, SDK, reader connection)
  • Status polling with automatic start/stop
  • Reader connection and configuration
  • Tag inventory operations
  • Antenna power control
  • Event streaming with full logging
AppLogger - Logging utility

Features:

  • Multi-level logging (debug, info, warning, error, critical)
  • In-memory log storage (max 500 entries)
  • Export logs to clipboard
  • Real-time log updates via ChangeNotifier

UI Screens (lib/src/screens/)

LogViewerScreen - Debug log viewer

Features:

  • Color-coded log levels
  • Filter by log level
  • Auto-scroll toggle
  • Copy logs to clipboard
  • Clear log history
  • Expandable entries with error details

Event Types

enum RfidEventType {
  tagRead,           // Tags were scanned
  trigger,           // Hardware trigger pressed/released
  connected,         // Reader connected
  disconnected,      // Reader disconnected
  readerAppeared,    // New reader detected
  readerDisappeared, // Reader removed
  initialized,       // SDK initialized
  reconnecting,      // Reader is reconnecting
  inventoryStarted,  // Inventory scan started
  inventoryStopped,  // Inventory scan stopped
  ready,             // Reader is fully ready
  error,             // Error occurred
  unknown,           // Unknown event
}

Requirements

  • Device: Zebra TC27 or compatible Zebra RFID device with reader antenna
  • Android: API 26+ (Android 8.0+) with full Android 13+ support
  • Flutter: 3.3.0+
  • Dart: 3.0.0+

Note: This plugin requires actual Zebra RFID hardware. It will not work on mobile phones, emulators, or simulators. You need a real computer mobile device with a Zebra reader antenna.

Troubleshooting

Build Error: "Could not find com.zebra.rfid:rfid-api3:2.0.5.238"

Solution: You forgot to add the Maven repository! See the Android Configuration section above.

No Readers Found

Solutions:

  • Ensure Bluetooth is enabled
  • Run on actual Zebra device (not emulator)
  • Grant all required permissions
  • Restart the device
Connection Failed

Solutions:

  • Check reader is powered on
  • Verify Bluetooth connection
  • Ensure no other app is using the reader
  • Try disconnecting and reconnecting
ProGuard / R8 build errors

Solution: Make sure you created proguard-rules.pro and referenced it in your build.gradle. See the Add ProGuard Rules section above.

API Documentation

For complete API documentation, visit: pub.dev/documentation/rfid_zebra_reader

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please read our Contributing Guidelines before submitting a PR.

Author

Jimmy (@devJimmy990)

Acknowledgments

  • Built with Zebra RFID SDK v2.0.5.238
  • Designed for Zebra TC27 and compatible devices
  • Special thanks to the Flutter community

Support

If this plugin helped you, please star the repo!

Made with love by devJimmy990

Libraries

rfid_zebra_reader