Datecs LP-1000, User Manual

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12 LP1000
– no special knowledge of the commanding language will be needed. A more detailed
description of the program you will find further in the present Manual.
It is, off course, possible to prepare the information for printing in advance in a text file
and send this over the serial channel. Here is a description of one possible option for
preparing a label. It includes the following stages;
- When working under DOS, the setup of the PC serial port is done with the
MODE COMn command in parallel to the setup of the printer, the format of this com-
mand being:
MODE COMn:baud rate,n,8,1 where “n” is the number of the serial port and
“baud rate” is the set up speed of the printer.
- Select a name for the form. In any case it is advisable that the first line of the text
file should include the command for deleting a form of the same name (FK) - if such
exists, it will be deleted and replaced with the new one. You may then proceed with the
loading of a new form (command FS).
- The length of the label is defined as well as the distance between the separate
labels. When using paper rolls these distances may be arbitrarily selected and set but
when working with stick-labels, the length of the label must be set as close to its actual
dimensions as possible or the result may be incomplete printouts or empty labels. The
command Q, with all demanded parameters, is placed at the beginning of the text file.
Other commands my also be located here - starting point (R), select code table (I), print
density (D) and printing speed (S).
- Designing the appearance of the label. Setting the elements which will not be
subject to changes - they will need no counters or variables.
-Setting and defining the elements subject to changes for each label. When some
of them are whole numbers and will change at regular rates a counter may be defined for
them. The rest must be variables. Depending on the case in question the information on
a given inscription or bar code may be set in several different variables and/or counters.
- Defining variables and counters includes an assessment of their maximum pos-
sible length, alignment if and when the text is shorter than the maximum length, rate of
growth of the counters. The selection of the initiating text is important too in that if it is
not informative operating with the forms later on may be difficult. A line with the
command “V” or “C” is added in the text file for each counter or variable.
If we wish to insert graphics in the label, we must select a name and position for this
element and add a command for its layout in the text file (GG). The PCX file must be
prepared in advance on a PC and loaded into the printer prior to the execution of the