Method and systems for driving an aiming assembly of a barcode imager are provided. An example method includes obtaining an operating mode of the barcode imager having an aiming assembly and, in response, determining a duty cycle of an aiming pulse of the aiming assembly. That duty cycle is determined as a percentage of a frame duration of an imager sensor and, further, such that simultaneous constraints are satisfied by the aiming pulse. The constraints include a simultaneous frame duration-independent, peak pulse optical power constraint and a frame duration-dependent heat dissipation constraint.