Digital imaging-based system having intelligent data communication interface to a host system

A digital imaging-based system for reading code symbols affixed to objects, comprising:

• an imaging-based code symbol reading subsystem for capturing and processing digital images of code symbols affixed to objects, and reading said code symbols and producing symbol character data representative of read code symbols;
• and
• a data transmission subsystem, operably coupled to said imaging-based code symbol reading subsystem, for communicating said symbol character data to a communication interface of a host system over a communication link therebetween;
• wherein said data transmission subsystem implements a plurality of different communication interfaces, and
• wherein, during an interface configuration mode of operation, said data transmission subsystem automatically cycles though at least one of said plurality of different communication interfaces,
• whereby, for a given communication interface, said data transmission subsystem selectively activates the given communication interface while disabling the other communication interfaces and tests the communication link between the given communication interface and the host system to ascertain if the given communication interface corresponds to the communication interface of the host system.