Microcom 438TC Operator'S Manual Download

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Chapter 4

Designing Labels with LDS

438TC Operator’s Manual - 880050-0100

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Summary of Contents for 438TC

Page 1: ...438TC DIRECT THERMAL PRINTER OPERATOR S MANUAL PART NUMBER 880050 0100 August 18 2014 CPC Copyright 2014 by Microcom Corporation Lewis Center Ohio All rights reserved Printed in the United States of A...

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Page 3: ...bove may or may not apply FCC Compliance Statement This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules These limits are...

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Page 5: ...5 3 6 Ethernet Communication Interface 3 5 3 6 1 Device Installer 3 5 3 7 Cash Drawer Option 3 10 3 8 AUX Option 3 10 3 9 MICPrinter USB Windows Driver 3 10 3 10 Loading Media 3 27 3 11 Print Button a...

Page 6: ...Label Format Fields 4 11 4 6 1 TSN Text String Number 4 12 4 6 2 XB X Beginning Coordinate 4 12 4 6 3 YB Y Beginning Coordinate 4 12 4 6 4 CC Character Count 4 12 4 6 5 TCI Text Conversion Identifier...

Page 7: ...5 4 4 Slice Buffer Size and Set Starting Slice Number Commands 5 37 5 4 5 Printer Restart Reboot Commands 5 37 5 4 6 Registration Commands 5 38 5 4 7 Auto size Commands 5 39 5 4 8 AutoHeader Commands...

Page 8: ...t Download Methods 7 2 7 4 1 Compressed Binary Commands 7 2 7 4 1 1 Save Compressed FONT to RAM D127 7 3 7 4 1 2 Save Compressed FONT to FLASH D135 7 3 7 4 2 Uncompressed FONT to RAM D104 7 3 7 4 3 Sa...

Page 9: ...27 CHAPTER 9 CODE PAGE SWITCHING 9 1 9 1 What is Code Page Switching 9 1 9 2 Character Sets 9 1 9 3 Code Pages 9 1 9 3 1 Code Pages 9 2 9 3 2 Danish Code Page 9 3 9 3 3 860 Code Page 9 4 9 3 4 Spanish...

Page 10: ...0 0100 INDEX 12 1 General Index 12 1 List of Figures 12 7 List of Tables 12 9 APPENDIX 13 1 Appendix A Limited Warranty 13 1 Appendix B RMA Procedure 13 3 Appendix C D Command Summary 13 5 Glossary 13...

Page 11: ...houses the media but protects your ticketing investment as well The print mechanism has been designed with a 4 printhead capable of printing up to 8 per second and is available in 203 or 300 dpi It i...

Page 12: ...viii 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100...

Page 13: ...ow Control XON XOFF and CTS RTS Hardware Baud Rate 115200 Parity Odd Even and None Data Bits 7 or 8 Table 1 1 General Specifications NOTE Listed specifications are based on a standard print mechanism...

Page 14: ...m Media Thickness 011 2794 mm Maximum Media Width 4 38 111 mm NOTE The printers may print on thicker media types depending on the pliability of the material however this requires testing and evaluatio...

Page 15: ...ent Lines feature Storage of fonts label formats and graphics in both volatile RAM and non volatile FLASH memory All BMP files may be converted using a Microcom utility program Rotated 0 90 180 and 27...

Page 16: ...transmissive sensors Field incrementing decrementing and serialization Downloadable fonts and graphics with data compression Internal statistical counters for inches and labels printed Remote printer...

Page 17: ...e a damage claim After the printer is removed from the container s verify that all the items on the packing list are present and in good condition The picture below See Figure 3 1 shows a 438TC and op...

Page 18: ...serial data cable is required to use serial communications refer to Table 3 1 below for correct cable configurations The factory settings unless otherwise requested are set at 115200 baud 8 data bits...

Page 19: ...2 Cable Configurations 3 4 USB Communication Interface The 438TC printer provides a single USB port for communication to a host device In order to communicate with the printer the USB driver must be i...

Page 20: ...dialog box pops up The next step is to install the D2xx dll While this is a communication port RS 232 emulator no configuration of the RS 232 port is required Once installed the FTDI USB device will s...

Page 21: ...your Web Browser or run the Device Installer software Please note that you will need to add the 192 168 200 3 address to your network in order to communicate to the printer via the Web Interface Pleas...

Page 22: ...P address first click to highlight the XPOT 03 device and select the Assign IP button Select Assign a specific IP address and select Next This screen allows you to assign the IP Address and the Subnet...

Page 23: ...t port the printer needs to have the Ethernet port selected as the active port Configuring the printer to use Ethernet Connect to the printer using either the Serial or USB port and a VT100 terminal e...

Page 24: ...100 Turn the printer ON with the print button pressed and held in Release the button after the printer starts to feed media Open a Hyperterminal session and type TEST for the name select OK Select the...

Page 25: ...9 in the window you will not see the characters being echoed back this is okay and press the Enter key You should see information from the printer reported to the screen if communicating properly Type...

Page 26: ...river MICPrinter is a driver that allows most traditional Windows applications to print to a Microcom printer equipped with fast USB capability The Micprinter utility may also be used in a command lin...

Page 27: ...Chapter 3 Getting Started 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100 3 11 Click the Next button to continue You will see a screen similar to this showing the progress of the installation...

Page 28: ...ed the FTDI USB device will show up as a USB SERIAL PORT COM listed under the COMM PORTS AND LPT within Device Manager The x indicates the COMM port number this will be used for that USB port connecti...

Page 29: ...on process The Micoption GUI may now be configured for the printer being used You may access the Micoptions GUI from either the PRINTERS and FAXES folder and select Micprinter Properties Advanced Opti...

Page 30: ...coptions configuration window sample Select the COMM port that the FTDI device is connected to If selected the driver will auto detect the communication port This should be disabled if using the comma...

Page 31: ...50 0100 3 15 The Form Setup may be used to save a configuration Export the form to save the setup and select Import to use an existing setup Media and printer configurations Error monitors and the abi...

Page 32: ...d images directly to the printer port This is a great way to get started and to verify printer settings The Detect Hardware button is used to read settings from the printer When the Autodetect is enab...

Page 33: ...printer being used Please use the table below to determine the proper values if the Autodetect and AutoCalc and not checked The Calculate SPG button is to manually calculate the SPG which is a regist...

Page 34: ...pi 424M 832 203 284 300 dpi 424M 1280 300 438 203 dpi 424 832 203 468 300 dpi 424 1280 300 730 203 dpi 438TC TC TM Black line 832 203 487 300 dpi 438TC TC TM Black line 1280 300 720 203 dpi 438TC TC T...

Page 35: ...is open the Printers and Faxes folder and select Server Properties from the File drop down menu A window similar to this will appear showing the available forms To create a new form check the Create a...

Page 36: ...If we were printing any files they would be listed here From the Printer drop down menu select Properties The properties pages are displayed The appropriate form size for the media we are using with...

Page 37: ...lect the Paper Size form size being used Select the Print Resolution of the printer under the Print Quality Press the OK to continue Now we return to the MICPrinter Properties page Form Size created u...

Page 38: ...d specify the working directory of each as well From a Command line type Micprint and press ENTER Reported to screen MICPrint exe ver 2 8 Prints image based on attached BMP file and the registry entri...

Page 39: ...re is an example of the Syntax used to print labels C Program Files MICOptions micprint c temp app1 image bmp 0 p08 d c temp app1 f c temp app1 app1 set This example prints image bmp on COMM 8 using t...

Page 40: ...ommand string error 43 post print command file error 50 sending file format error 60 binary file download error 61 binary image download timeout 62 binary file size error 64 status after print timeout...

Page 41: ...ORLEVEL 43 GOTO LabelN43 IF ERRORLEVEL 50 GOTO LabelN50 IF ERRORLEVEL 60 GOTO LabelN60 IF ERRORLEVEL 61 GOTO LabelN61 IF ERRORLEVEL 62 GOTO LabelN62 IF ERRORLEVEL 64 GOTO LabelN64 IF ERRORLEVEL 65 GOT...

Page 42: ...SE MODE 0 ERROR NO DISPENSE MODE SENT GOTO END LabelN23 echo SETTING DISPENSE MODE 1 ERROR ADVANCE WHEN IDLE GOTO END LabelN24 echo SETTING DISPENSE MODE 2 ERROR ADVANCE EVERY LABEL GOTO END LabelN25...

Page 43: ...0 Loading Media Loading media into the printer is an easy process Follow the instructions below to properly load the media 1 Feed the media into the paper path located on the back of the printer until...

Page 44: ...utton and the Status Indicator Light are used to identify and perform many functions This section provides a description to familiarize you with the basic function of the Print Button and the Status I...

Page 45: ...tion 3 11 2 Status Indicator Light Light Color Description Solid Green Indicates that the power is on and the printer is in a ready state Solid Red Indicates an error has occurred The printer will rem...

Page 46: ...The printer will remain in this mode until the error has been corrected and cleared Once the error has been cleared the printer will attempt to execute the previous format and or commands 3 12 2 1 Cle...

Page 47: ...meters until the printer has been reset using a soft reset or by cycling power The printer will then return to the configuration shown on the Status Label 3 12 4 1 Entering Diagnostic Mode To enter th...

Page 48: ...S 1571 POWER ON HOURS 32 8 CUTTER TYPE Guillotine CUTTER ENABLED YES CUTTER COUNTS 1789 KIOSK CUT MODE Disabled KIOSK DISTANCE 0 SWITCH BANK 1 10001010 SWITCH BANK 2 01010001 SWITCH BANK 3 00000000 SW...

Page 49: ...r 3 Getting Started 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100 3 33 Figure 3 7 TOF Top Of Form Sensor TOF sensor when the cutter assembly is not installed The TOF Sensor is located in front of the cutter ass...

Page 50: ...older is designed to hold media cores of 1 5 or larger and contains media guides intended to help prevent unnecessary unwinding of media Figure 3 8 Rolled Media Holder 3 15 Ticket Catch Tray Option Th...

Page 51: ...eing used the wristband option should be installed The wristband guide is inserted into the media guide and is locked into place Figure 3 10 Wristband Media Adapter Wristband Guide Insert into media g...

Page 52: ...Getting Started Chapter 3 3 36 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100...

Page 53: ...to note that all printer functions unless otherwise noted must be followed or terminated with a carriage return CR or HEX 0D The printer ignores the LF line feed or HEX 0A character so it is easier to...

Page 54: ...wise should be entered using dots The printer is capable of being fitted with a 203 dpi or a 300 dpi head The examples contained in this document discuss a 300 dpi printer The conversion values for th...

Page 55: ...eight width print speed etc The field records refer to the data section and contain information about positioning coordinates and the type of character generation such as text graphics bar codes etc T...

Page 56: ...being accessed twice The format places the Text 012345 on the label and then is accessed again placing a Code39 symbol representing 012345 on the label The command D3 CR instructs the printer to prin...

Page 57: ...385 0 0 Figure 4 3 Header Elements 4 4 1 HFM Number of Fields in Layout HFM LSX LSY WEB GAP DPS LCB AGD SPG OFX OFY This parameter is used to specify the number of fields in the layout If more format...

Page 58: ...SX LSY WEB GAP DPS LCB AGD SPG OFX OFY The WEB parameter is the width measured in dots of the webbing or backing material that is found on the left side of a die cut label This parameter is used to in...

Page 59: ...es 4 4 7 1 Die Cut and Blow Hole Media setting 0 A selection of 0 in the LCB parameter instructs the printer to detect the leading edge of a die cut label or a blow hole to identify the start of the n...

Page 60: ...tive setting 3 The Reflective Black Line method is used when media uses a black line for a registration mark a 3 should be entered in the LCB parameter This setting will detect the leading edge of the...

Page 61: ...sed this would be the SBL parameter Please note that this does not reflect a blowhole or black line height as these registration marks are typically positioned within the printable area When die cut m...

Page 62: ...t altering the format fields coordinates themselves 4 5 Sample Header This is the header for the format used to generate the printed sample in Figure 4 2 followed by a summary of the header values 5 1...

Page 63: ...parameter is left blank but each parameter must be separated with the comma delimiter A carriage return must follow each format field for proper operation to occur The values entered must be positive...

Page 64: ...example 1280 900 380 380 2 190 4 6 3 YB Y Beginning Coordinate TSN XB YB CC TCI CGN FO FJ CMX CMY CS TSP AN The Y coordinate of the field is measured in thermal dots A YB coordinate of 1 would be the...

Page 65: ...ended Bars Added 23 Text with EAN 8 Checksum and Extended Bars Added 24 MSI 1 Symbol Modified Plessey 25 MSI 2 Symbol Modified Plessey 26 MSI 3 Symbol Modified Plessey 28 Text with MSI Checksum Added...

Page 66: ...Normal 12pt ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTU 5 14 Swiss 721 Normal 14pt ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQR 7 12 OCR A ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 8 12 OCR B ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Table 4 4 CGN Embedded Fonts 4 6 6 2 Downloa...

Page 67: ...ree 15 10 Swiss 721 Normal 90 degree 16 12 Swiss 721 Normal 0 degree 17 12 Swiss 721 Normal 90 degree 18 14 Swiss 721 Normal 0 degree 19 14 Swiss 721 Normal 90 degree 20 16 Swiss 721 Normal 0 degree 2...

Page 68: ...illustrates these options See Chapter 8 for more detailed information on designing label formats using bar code symbols Some bar codes do not require a CGN value and should be omitted by entering the...

Page 69: ...left rotation 3 270 degrees right rotation 4 6 8 FJ Field Justification TSN XB YB CC TCI CGN FO FJ CMX CMY CS TSP AN This parameter defines the justification of the format field on the label 0 Left Ju...

Page 70: ...s For bar codes with a FO of 0 180 degree rotation the CMY would be the actual height in thermal dots while the CMX parameter would be the multiplier 4 6 11 CS Character Spacing TSN XB YB CC TCI CGN F...

Page 71: ...er Spacing 3 Fixed Non proportional Character Spacing and Reverse Video 8 Auto Reverse Video Character cell BLACK Character WHITE 4 7 Line Draw It is possible to design lines into a label utilizing so...

Page 72: ...String Number The TSN parameter may point to any valid text string but it is a good idea to always use 1 to make trouble shooting formats easier The text string that the TSN is referencing must contai...

Page 73: ...a vertical line CMY Character Multiplier Y Direction This element sets the length of a vertical line or the thickness of a horizontal line CS Character Spacing This element is not used in line draw N...

Page 74: ...5 D3 Figure 4 7 Reverse Video Sample 4 8 2 Auto Reverse Video The second method Auto Reverse Video will create a white character in a black character cell The size of the black box surrounding the cha...

Page 75: ...igning Labels with LDS 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100 4 23 4 640 296 6 1 5 0 4 8 4 640 148 6 16 3 4 3 75 0 D56 D2 Microcom Corporation Thermal Printing Solutions 012345 D3 Figure 4 8 Auto Reverse...

Page 76: ...d unless otherwise mentioned To protect against errors in situations where the two character caret and alpha sequences are used exclusively as printer commands the control character recognition may be...

Page 77: ...r status as it functions with a printer in binary compression binary compression disabled or if the printer is in an error condition See 5 1 1 for additional information regarding the Printer Enquirie...

Page 78: ...00 00 00 04 are sent to the printer in order to issue the command This command is used to cancel and exit an LTS Dispense Mode D97 D98 and to return the printer to an idle READY state 5 1 1 Enquiry Re...

Page 79: ...1E VDD voltage is out of operational range UNDER VDD 1C VDD voltage is out of operational range OVER TEMP 1D Print Head is too hot DATA ERROR 15 Communication error STOCK NOT LOADED 22 Printer power o...

Page 80: ...ent to the printer The statistics label printed when the printer entered the DEFAULT MODE reflects current printer settings and not the factory default settings 5 2 1 Software Switches The Software Sw...

Page 81: ...trol Sets software flow control handshaking CTS RTS hardware handshaking is always enabled 1 Enable 0 Disable 5 2 1 2 Software Switch 2 AB D COMMAND XX 22 Change SW2 Software Switch 2 AB12345678 each...

Page 82: ...printer can be instructed not to load a format at power up by setting all three switches to 0 000 No Power up Format 001 ROM or Saved Format File 1 010 ROM or Saved Format File 2 011 ROM or Saved Form...

Page 83: ...The pipe character is the SHIFT key 1 Disable 0 Enable key functions as Ctrl key 6 Accept for Ctrl Sets whether the caret character will be interpreted the same as the Ctrl key The caret character is...

Page 84: ...n all subsequent label formats Refer to the D39 command for additional information 1 Enable 0 Disable 5 6 7 8 Code Page Selection Positions 5 through 8 are used to select from the available code pages...

Page 85: ...her a reflective sensor or a transmissive sensor The correct type of sensor is determined by the printer hardware configuration being used 1 TOF is TRANSMISSIVE 0 TOF is REFLECTIVE 4 Enable Power ON T...

Page 86: ...tables When enabled the Stock Class SW 7 bits 1 3 and Width SW 7 bits 456 must be set properly in order for the STL Emulation to function properly 1 Enable STL Emulation 0 Disable STL Emulation 3 Enab...

Page 87: ...ucts store fonts in 0 180 degree rotation and in 180 270 degree rotation The odd memory slots denote 0 or 180 degree rotation fonts while the even memory slots denote 90 270 degree rotated fonts The f...

Page 88: ...and CS for negative kerning may require that their placement coordinates are adjusted to produce the same outputs Once these changes are made the resulting data may be sent to a 48 466 and 424M printe...

Page 89: ...hex value from 0 to F Example If the application wanted to configure inputs 1 and 3 to generate error conditions when active a D151 CR 05 CR command the CR indicates carriage return characters would b...

Page 90: ...ommand but the outputs cannot be read or written to with the D69 or D68 commands NOTE If an input has caused an error to be generated then goes inactive and another print request received before the e...

Page 91: ...ergize a DC motor to be used in a rewind or take up capacity Unless the printer is properly configured with a take up motor and correct take up motor specific PIC this mode should not be enabled becau...

Page 92: ...r will not save the non volatile system parameters on power downs The A1 D143 will continue to save system parameters 1 Disable system parameter saving 0 Enable system parameter saving 8 Finish Mode W...

Page 93: ...configured to execute using three different methods or modes 00 Standard Autoheader mode 10 Autoheader Table mode 11 Autoheader User mode Standard Autoheader Mode This is the default mode used to auto...

Page 94: ...boundary value3 is the upper boundary and value2 is the blsy value for this range Up to 9 values can be entered for a total of 3 ranges All values are non volatile and are stored with the other non vo...

Page 95: ...port is the active port A number of printer s are configured with more than one port however only one is active at any given time 5 2 2 1 Baud Rate This non volatile command changes the serial port c...

Page 96: ...es the printer with the connectivity of an Ethernet system Internally the signals go into a serial port The Ethernet is setup and configured separated from the printer using the third party software a...

Page 97: ...ion has been established the D171 command may be issued to access the XPORT setup parameters By selecting 0 Server you may enter your IP address Gateway Net Mask and Telnet password IP Address The IP...

Page 98: ...n volatile allow the printer to be setup through software to configure the different print head sizes and densities Power cycle or D32 is required before command settings take affect Note When using t...

Page 99: ...puts accessed through the P17 connector on the PCB report the status of 4 additional outputs accessed through the P21 connector on the PCB to change the status of the outputs and to configure the inpu...

Page 100: ...erface This status byte is sent whether there is a change of status or not Status Byte From Printer to Host Bit Function when 1 Function when 0 0 LSB IN RESET or PRINTING NOT BUSY 1 ERROR NO ERROR 2 D...

Page 101: ...ine connector P17 Pin 8 Signal logic levels The signals are active high and must be between 15Vdc and 24Vdc to be 1 The signals must drop below 10Vdc to be 0 To use this mode follow these steps a Down...

Page 102: ...mand and is waiting for the PRINT or ABORT pulse it will wait forever 5 4 2 USB Image Print Mode 149 USB Image Print Mode This command controls an image print mode protocol that is used with the USB p...

Page 103: ...ever the format needs to be downloaded only once The label will print based on the last format that was sent to the printer 5 4 3 Contrast Adjustment Commands These commands are used to adjust the dar...

Page 104: ...re dense formats were more memory is required so that the printer can build the image to be printed before actually printing the image This command is used in conjunction with the D92 command to fully...

Page 105: ...and operation The numerical value in which the printer senses a registration mark is referred as the threshold value A D COMMAND XX 90 Reflective Detection Threshold This command is non volatile and...

Page 106: ...tance is set at the factory and is typically not needed to be changed The reflective Dot2gap distances represent the physical characteristics of the printer models Printer Model Number Reflective Dot2...

Page 107: ...COMMAND X 147 Autoheader Command The STL Autoheader command provides similar functionality of other printer manufacturers that specify exact placement and location of blackline media used for registr...

Page 108: ...feature is turned ON the printer will sense the presence of new media as the operator is pushing it into the printer automatically feeding the media into the printer and then registering the media usi...

Page 109: ...tes data saved into memory slot 1 A1 D130 CR Save format into slot 1 D57 CR A label format is coming 1 1280 900 19 38 7 0 1 385 0 0 CR Header Information 1 1 1 6 1 1 0 CR Field 1 format information li...

Page 110: ...Another TOF may then be attempted A D COMMAND XX 120 AutoLoad Delay Selection AutoLoad Delay xx milliseconds up to a maximum of 5000 milliseconds or 5 seconds The AutoLoad Delay is the amount of time...

Page 111: ...ining the condition of the thermal dots of the print head This command is equivalent to the K control code 12 Form Feed Equivalent L Prints or scrolls a blank form based upon the previous format defin...

Page 112: ...el Height in dots LSY The Axx specifies the value XX 44 Load the Web Size in dots WEB The Axx specifies the value XX 45 Load the Gap Size in dots GAP The Axx specifies the value XX 46 Load Print Speed...

Page 113: ...ement Fields that instructs the printer to decrement beyond 0 will be set to 0 XX 86 Single Serial Number Status 0 Disable increment and decrement 1 Enable increment The serial number will be incremen...

Page 114: ...format would enable the multiple serial number function and select the first text string to increment by one A1 D88 the second field to decrement by one A2 D89 and print three serialized labels A3 D7...

Page 115: ...Disable modes 1 and 2 1 Enable Auto Print mode If this mode is selected the printer will accept new text strings without requiring the D2 command The printer can also auto print a label when the numb...

Page 116: ...structs printer to print after 3 CR A3 D61 CR Instructs printer to start text entry at line 3 instead of line 1 5 9 Cutter Configuration Commands 5 9 1 Cutter Type The D115 is a non volatile command t...

Page 117: ...cle in the forward direction to make a full cut If the cutter is a guillotine cutter the cycle direction will be determined by the last setting given with a D99 command X 99 Cutter Control This comman...

Page 118: ...D99 commands It is used to adjust the number of steps the printer will advance the media after printing has stopped and then retract the same distance so that media is not wasted While the maximum val...

Page 119: ...ies count 3 Advance when idle Does not use LPD retracts stock at next sent label format 5 10 2 Peel and Dispense Operation This command is used when the labels are to be peeled from the backing materi...

Page 120: ...files may be loaded from memory rather than having to be sent down thru the serial port Formats are retained even after power has been cycled when stored in FLASH memory Formats stored in RAM will be...

Page 121: ...he FONT will use 1 255 This command should be used with an ASCII HEX file that contains only printable characters less than 80 HEX These FONTS are extended non compressed meaning that they can be grea...

Page 122: ...y 127 Save FONTS to RAM See Chapter 7 Downloadable Fonts XX 130 Save a FORMAT to FLASH non volatile memory The Axx selects the memory slot 1 128 into which the format is to be saved A format file must...

Page 123: ...wnload contains a header with the xx field decremented by 1 The last download file has a header field xx 00 EXAMPLE A0124 D135 This command tells the printer that an extended FONT download for FLASH m...

Page 124: ...FONT file has been sent the D119 command may be used to verify that the new FONT is now available in FLASH A D COMMAND XX 136 Delete a FONT from RAM A0 deletes all FONTS from RAM Axx deletes the FONT...

Page 125: ...Use this command to view label Format s that have been saved in the printer s non volatile FLASH memory 140 Clear all User GRAPHIC and FONT FLASH This command erases the user FONTS and GRAPHICS in FLA...

Page 126: ...ollow the proper process will cause the printer to become inoperable Please contact your Microcom Corporation Representative for more information 5 14 Miscellaneous Commands 5 Send Printer Status Equi...

Page 127: ...mands 0 8 0 ips inches per second 1 7 5 ips 2 7 0 ips 3 6 5 ips 4 6 0 ips 5 5 5 ips 6 5 0 ips 7 4 5 ips 8 4 0 ips 9 3 5 ips 10 3 0 ips 11 2 5 ips 12 2 0 ips 13 1 5 ips 14 1 0 ips 15 0 5 ips X 156 Set...

Page 128: ...o update its configuration and counters in this condition Proper power sources should not normally have situations were Brownouts are a frequent occurrence The printer provides the ability to monitor...

Page 129: ...A 3 PSO Pre Stock Out 1 Stock Detected 0 No Stock Detected 4 Input 2 See Sw3 4 D23 5 Input 1 See SW3 2 D23 6 LTS TOF 1 Stock Detected 0 No Stock Detected 7 Transmissive Registration Sensor 1 No Stock...

Page 130: ...RMAT NOTE The printer s RAM memory is NOT battery backed up So when the printer is turned OFF any data stored in the RAM memory is lost The downloaded data that is stored in RAM is temporary 6 3 Using...

Page 131: ...MIC Convert BMP Graphic File to Microcom Printer Graphic Rev 2 01 Copyright 1998 2005 Microcom Corp Westerville Ohio Use BMP2MIC infile outfile outtype slotnum limit destination Where infile is a BMP...

Page 132: ...reducing the number of bytes sent to the printer Data compression is accomplished by converting strings of 0 HEX or FF HEX to shorter byte plus count sequences These sequences are then expanded to th...

Page 133: ...d Due to compression the number of bytes transmitted will normally be less than this number Image Data is the compressed binary image 6 5 2 Save Compressed Graphics to FLASH D133 The following is the...

Page 134: ...or repeated zero times FD a FD byte FF another FF byte 04 the FF byte is repeated 4 times for a total of 5 FF bytes FF 04 5 FF bytes 00 another 00 byte 00 repeat count 0 FF another FF byte 00 repeat...

Page 135: ...that the image uses Image Data is the graphic image data that has been converted to ASCII HEX ASCII HEX Conversion The ASCII HEX conversion is performed by ORing the most significant and least signifi...

Page 136: ...le Label start the beginning of the file Word Word lookup_table_offset distance in bytes from start to beginning of lookup_table 4 bytes Word tallest_char height of graphic image in dots Word widest_c...

Page 137: ...hout Compression The Axx specifies which memory slot to place the image font 1 255 This command should be used with an ASCII HEX file that contains only printable characters less than 80 HEX This comm...

Page 138: ...provides volatile storage for several types of downloadable data 1 RAM memory slots 1 thru 255 are used to store downloadable FONTS and GRAPHICS using TCI 8 These FONTS are downloaded using the D127 c...

Page 139: ...3 Make sure the destination memory slot is clear The D100 command can be used to clear the printer s memory 4 Download the resulting file filename N12 normal rotation or R12 rotated file to the printe...

Page 140: ...NT to FLASH D135 The following is the format of the D135 command when used to store a compressed FONT file into FLASH A FLASH Memory Slot Number D135 CR Rotation Count Image Data Where FLASH Memory Sl...

Page 141: ...n a file size that is twice as big as the source but the data can now be transmitted over a 7 bit data connection Refer to Figure 13 7 4 3 Save FONTS to FLASH D135 xxyy 135 Save FONTS to FLASH This co...

Page 142: ...n properly each FONT in FLASH must have a unique CGN If a FONT is downloaded that has the same CGN as a FONT that is already stored in FLASH then an error message is sent back indicating a Duplicate C...

Page 143: ..._char first_char an array of offsets one for each character in font Each offset is the distance in bytes from the start to the beginning of the corresponding character s data structure The first word...

Page 144: ...y without Compression The Axx specifies which memory slot to place the image font 1 255 This command should be used with an ASCII HEX file that contains only printable characters less than 80 HEX This...

Page 145: ...Downloadable Fonts Chapter 7 7 8 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100...

Page 146: ...mbology that is within the specification a minimum multiplier of 2 should be entered in the appropriate multiplier parameters CMX or CMY depending on the field orientation to produce an 80 or 10 4 mil...

Page 147: ...ltiplier of 2 should be entered in the appropriate multiplier parameters CMX or CMY depending on the field orientation to produce an 80 or 10 4 mils symbology 8 1 4 Interleaved 2 of 5 I2 of 5 TCI 15 T...

Page 148: ...ompress the data digits and is not a condensed version of the EAN 13 symbology The EAN symbology defaults to an X dimension of 40 or 5 2 mils To produce a symbology that is within the specification a...

Page 149: ...act same data characteristics as the GS1 Databar Omni directional barcode The data to encode is split in half and encoded as a split level barcode This format is used if the width of the barcode will...

Page 150: ...r 41 alphabetic characters This symbology does allow for the linkage flag which determines if there is a 2D composite barcode associated with the linear barcode Despite the possible length of the symb...

Page 151: ...lphabetic characters The pipe character is used to separate the linear data from the 2D data D114 CR Here comes GS1 Databar data 0 CR Use Omni directional symbol 50 CR Height equals 50 dots 0 CR Reser...

Page 152: ...transport industry standards In order to properly specify a control character in a MaxiCode data string use the pound symbol followed by the two digits Hexadecimal value of the control code For exampl...

Page 153: ...dYYPPPPPP 1dCCC 1dA A 1dB B 1dC C 1e 04 Format 2 PPPPPP 1dCCC 1dSSS 1dA A 1dB B 1dC C 04 Where 1e is the ASCII RS character 1d is the ASCII GS character 04 is the ASCII EOT character YY is the two dig...

Page 154: ...17 18 Control X CAN 18 19 Control Y EM 19 1A Control Z SUB 1A 1B Control ESC 1B 1C Control FS 1C 1D Control GS 1D 1E Control RS 1E 1F Control_ US 1F n a pound 23 Table 8 2 MaxiCode Control Code Equiva...

Page 155: ...START N A N A 8 N A START N A 9 N A N A START N A Table 8 3 Code128 Special Function Access 8 1 16 Code 128 Manual Compression TCI 41 The Code 128 bar code is a variable length high density alphanume...

Page 156: ...commonly used in libraries blood banks and in the air parcel business Codabar is capable of encoding the 16 following characters 0123456789 and the four start stop characters ABCD This symbology uses...

Page 157: ...te this field Rotation CR This parameter controls the rotation of the rendered PDF 417 symbology in 90 degree increments The valid arguments for this parameter would be 0 90 180 or 270 with the defaul...

Page 158: ...Table 8 4 PDF 417 Error Correction Level The following format samples show how to generate a PDF 417 bar code Sample Format 1 D77 CR PDF 417 bar code data 3 CR 30 CR 0 CR 0 CR 0 CR 2 1 CR D57 CR 2 57...

Page 159: ...rix barcode consisting of black and white cells or modules arranged in either a square or rectangular pattern The information to be encoded can be text or numeric data The version implemented in the p...

Page 160: ...at above on the line 1 300 300 1 47 10 10 Datamatrix Type 0 This parameter is used to set the type of Datamatrix to be generated A value of 0 will generate a standard Datamatrix while a value of 1 wil...

Page 161: ...1042 694 104 x 104 1632 1222 814 120 x 120 2100 1573 1048 132 x 132 2608 1954 1302 144 x 144 3116 2335 1556 8 x 18 10 6 3 8 x 32 20 13 8 12 x 26 32 22 14 12 x 36 44 31 20 16 x 36 64 46 30 16 x 48 98...

Page 162: ...encoding schemes are invoked from ASCII and will then return to this scheme through the use of code words C40 Encoding Scheme C40 encoding scheme is used to encode uppercase alphabetic numerical and...

Page 163: ...coding Scheme 232 FNC1 233 Structured Append 234 Reader Programming 235 Upper Shift shift to Extended ASCII 236 05 Macro 237 06 Macro 239 Latch to Text Encoding Scheme 241 ECI Character Table 8 7 ASCI...

Page 164: ...mum number of characters supported in the printer implementation is 1000 8 1 21 Intelligent Mail Barcode TCI 48 The Intelligent Mail barcode also referred to as the 4 State or OneCode is the term coin...

Page 165: ...sing a TCI of 48 EXAMPLE D166 01234567094987654321 01234567891 Intelligent Mail Barcode data D57 1 832 2000 0 0 08 2 1 0 0 1 400 400 1 48 Placement information D56 D2 D3 Figure 8 11 Intelligent Mail B...

Page 166: ...igits If these fields are not expanded to 15 digits leading zeros should be used to fill the field completely Routing ZIP Code The Routing ZIP Code field will accommodate 0 5 9 or 11 digit ZIP Code in...

Page 167: ...of 49 Command Syntax D176 Rotation Planet Code String EXAMPLE D176 3 Rotation parameter 1234567890123 Planet Code data D57 1 832 2000 0 0 08 2 1 0 0 1 400 400 1 49 4 12 3 Placement information D56 D2...

Page 168: ...tent Format 00 SCC 18 n2 n18 01 SCC 14 n2 n14 10 Batch or Lot Number n2 an 20 11 Production Date YYMMDD n2 n6 13 Packaging Date YYMMDD n2 n6 15 Sell By Date Quality YYMMDD n2 n6 17 Expiration Date Saf...

Page 169: ...Area Square Meters Logistics n4 n6 335 Gross Volume Liters n4 n6 336 Gross Volume Cubic Meters n4 n6 340 Gross Weight Pounds n4 n6 341 Length or 1st Dimension Inches Logistics n4 n6 342 Length or 1st...

Page 170: ...tification n3 n13 420 Ship To Deliver To Postal Code Within a Single Postal Authority n3 an 9 421 Ship To Deliver To Postal Code with 3 Digit ISO Country Code Prefix n3 n3 an 9 8001 Roll Products Widt...

Page 171: ...TCI uses the same criteria for formatting as the TCI 50 bar code The CGN selects the desired resident font that will be used to generate this string The printer will automatically surround each applic...

Page 172: ...0 300 5 16 2 2 100 2 CR 1 300 300 5 16 2 3 100 100 CR 2 288 300 9 1 5 0 4 CR D56 CR D2 CR 12345 CR ROTATIONS CR D3 CR Figure 8 12 Bar Code Rotations 8 3 Bar Code Human Readable Text Certain bar codes...

Page 173: ...2 text extended symbol shown in Figure 27 is positioned with the TCI 12 code so that there is no space between the two This creates one bar code TCI s 17 22 23 32 and 33 that add the extended bars sho...

Page 174: ...e data used in Figure 27 and will print out two bar codes The first bar code is a complete version while the second bar code illustrates the text extended code before aligning to the original bar code...

Page 175: ...Bar Codes Chapter 8 8 30 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100...

Page 176: ...d by the printer Code page 437 is the famous original IBM PC character set It is the most common and is used for several languages including English German and French Character sets 865 and 860 contai...

Page 177: ...Code Switching Chapter 9 9 2 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100 9 3 1 Code Pages The Default Code Page is selected when SW4 5 8 0000 Figure 9 1 Code Page Default...

Page 178: ...to print them would print a single Sending the HEX code of the character for the other non standard characters will cause the printer to print them Example Sending a 0xA8 would produce the Copyright...

Page 179: ...de Switching Chapter 9 9 4 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100 9 3 3 860 Code Page The 860 Code Page is selected when SW4 5 8 0010 This code page is also known as DOS Portuguese Figure 9 3 Code Page 8...

Page 180: ...cross national boundaries This 850 code page can be used instead of local code pages and reduces the need for code page switching because the sender and the recipient always use the same code page Thi...

Page 181: ...Code Switching Chapter 9 9 6 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100 Figure 9 5 Code Page 850...

Page 182: ...Page Switching 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100 9 7 9 3 6 German Code Page The German Code Page is selected when SW4 5 8 0101 Refer to Section 5 1 2 4 for more details on SW4 settings Figure 9 6 Co...

Page 183: ...Code Switching Chapter 9 9 8 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100 9 3 7 865 Code Page The 865 Code Page is selected when SW4 5 8 0110 This code page is also known as DOS Nordic Figure 9 7 Code Page 865...

Page 184: ...1 Refer to Section 5 1 2 4 for more details on SW4 settings Figure 9 8 Code Page Swiss 9 3 9 852 Code Page The 852 Code Page is selected when SW4 5 8 1000 This code page is also known as DOSLatin2 Eas...

Page 185: ...Code Switching Chapter 9 9 10 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100 Figure 9 9 Code Page 852...

Page 186: ...age Switching 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100 9 11 9 3 10 French Code Page The French Code Page is selected when SW4 5 8 1001 Refer to Section 5 1 2 4 for more details on SW4 settings Figure 9 10...

Page 187: ...de Switching Chapter 9 9 12 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100 9 3 11 863 Code Page The 863 Code Page is selected when SW4 5 8 1010 This code page is also known as DOS CanadaF Figure 9 11 Code Page 8...

Page 188: ...Refer to Section 5 1 2 4 for more details on SW4 settings Figure 9 12 Code Page Swedish 9 3 13 437 Code Page Code Page 437 is the famous code page used in the original IBM PC This code page contains l...

Page 189: ...Code Switching Chapter 9 9 14 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100 Figure 9 13 Code Page 437...

Page 190: ...ching 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100 9 15 9 3 14 Italian Code Page The Italian Code Page is selected when SW4 5 8 1101 Refer to the D24 command description for more details on SW4 settings Figure...

Page 191: ...Chapter 9 9 16 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100 9 3 15 British Code Page The British Code Page is selected when SW4 5 8 1110 Refer to Section 5 1 2 4 for more details on SW4 settings Figure 9 15 Co...

Page 192: ...de Page Switching 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100 9 17 9 3 16 USA Code Page The USA Code Page is selected when SW4 5 8 1111 Refer to Section 5 1 2 4 for more details on SW4 settings Figure 9 16 Co...

Page 193: ...Code Switching Chapter 9 9 18 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100...

Page 194: ...th Isopropyl Alcohol As Needed Interior Cleaning Compressed air static protected vacuum cleaner soft bristle brush and or lint free cloth dampened with Isopropyl Alcohol As Needed Exterior Cleaning Li...

Page 195: ...time Follow the steps below for the proper cleaning procedure 1 Remove any installed media 2 Dampen both sides on one end of the cleaning card with isopropyl alcohol or use a pre moistened cleaning c...

Page 196: ...ree times each Extremely dirty cards should be disposed of immediately 10 3 Internal Cleaning The overall internal cleaning of the printer is important to help reduce the dust and other contaminates r...

Page 197: ...by gently rubbing the swab down the length of the print head dot row Allow for the alcohol to evaporate then repeat if necessary 3 Reinstall media and run labels to check print quality 4 If poor prin...

Page 198: ...be replaced The printer is equipped with an easy replaceable drive roller assembly 1 Loosen and unscrew the 2 pressed in captive screw that holds the top cover in place and rotate to the open positio...

Page 199: ...of the Print Mechanism Figure 10 7 Cutter or Tear Assembly Mounting Screw 4 Squeeze the white plastic bushing together on both sides of the platen to release from the sheet metal and lift the platen...

Page 200: ...rews 10 6 Adjusting Printhead Pressure The printer has two head pressure settings to support both narrow and wide media types The printhead pressure is typically changed to a lighter pressure when the...

Page 201: ...Printer Maintenance Chapter 10 10 8 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100 Figure 10 10 Narrow Media Light Spring Setting Figure 10 11 Wide Media Heavy Spring Setting...

Page 202: ...an available communication port on the host computer Verify that the host communication port is functioning properly Verify that the printer and the host serial parameters are set exactly the same Ver...

Page 203: ...on to attempt to clear the error Refer to Chapter 5 for information regarding the Enquiry Command to help identify the error condition Cycle power to reset the printer The status indicator light is fl...

Page 204: ...isplay Available FLASH memory 5 54 13 17 D123 Set TOF Retract Distance 5 43 13 17 D125 Location of Euro Character 5 21 D127 Save FONTS to RAM 5 54 7 7 13 17 D129 Auto Set Threshold 5 38 13 17 D130 Sav...

Page 205: ...FORMAT Stored in RAM 5 53 13 12 D7 Download New Application or FONT 13 6 D70 Clear Commands 73 thru 76 5 44 13 12 D71 Load MaxiCode Bar Code Data 8 7 13 12 D73 Load Copies Count 5 44 13 12 D74 Infini...

Page 206: ...Rotation 8 26 Barcode 13 23 Black line 13 23 Blow hole 13 23 Cleaning Kit 2 2 10 1 Codabar Symbol 8 11 Code 39 Symbol 8 2 Code 93 Symbol 8 11 Code Pages 9 1 437 9 13 850 9 5 852 9 9 860 9 4 863 9 12...

Page 207: ...7 7 Downable 4 13 4 14 Downloadable 6 1 7 1 Resident 4 13 4 14 Structure 7 5 GND 13 24 Graphics 2 1 4 13 Downable 4 14 6 7 6 8 Line Draw 4 13 4 18 Guillotine cutter 13 24 Humidity 1 1 Indicator Light...

Page 208: ...mpressed FONT to FLASH 7 3 Save Compressed FONT to RAM 7 3 SDRAM 13 25 SRAM 1 1 13 25 Uncompressed 6 5 Modes 3 30 Diagnostic 3 31 5 39 5 40 13 10 Modified Plessey Symbol 8 3 Operation Indicator Light...

Page 209: ...25 TXD 13 25 RS 232C Cable 3 2 3 3 RTS 13 25 RXD 13 25 SDRAM 13 25 Shipping Damage 3 1 Special Control Codes B Text Entry Mode 13 6 C Print 5 44 K Print Test Pattern 5 44 L Form Feed 5 44 13 6 Specif...

Page 210: ...re 4 4 Label Format Field Elements 4 11 Figure 4 5 Line Draw Sample 4 19 Figure 4 6 Label Format Line Draw 4 20 Figure 4 7 Reverse Video Sample 4 22 Figure 4 8 Auto Reverse Video Sample 4 22 Figure 6...

Page 211: ...gure 9 13 Code Page 437 9 14 Figure 9 14 Code Page Italian 9 15 Figure 9 15 Code Page British 9 16 Figure 9 16 Code Page USA 9 17 Figure 10 1 Releasing the Printhead Assembly 10 2 Figure 10 2 Rotate t...

Page 212: ...tatus Responses 5 12 Table 5 2 Enquiry Responses 5 13 Table 5 3 48 466 Compatibility Fonts 5 20 Table 5 4 Printhead sizes D78 5 32 Table 5 5 Transmissive Dot2Gap Values 5 38 Table 5 6 Reflective Dot2G...

Page 213: ...12 10 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100...

Page 214: ...de the user shall be responsible for Microcom Corporation s customary charges for labor and materials to repair such defects MICROCOM CORPORATION S SOLE OBLIGATION UNDER THIS WARRANTY SHALL BE TO FURN...

Page 215: ...13 2 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100...

Page 216: ...d by the customer Receiving a Return Material Authorization RMA number 1 To receive an RMA number either complete the online RMA request form located at Microcom s website www microcomcorp com or cont...

Page 217: ...13 4 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100...

Page 218: ...an error condition This command simply provides the ability to remotely clear error conditions and return the printer to a state that allows normal communication 5 NULLS 04 This command is sent to th...

Page 219: ...format Equivalent to B 3 Print Command Prints a single label or starts the printing of a batch of labels Equivalent to C 5 Send Printer Status Equivalent to E 7 Update printer flash This command is us...

Page 220: ...ton 0 Enable 4 1 Enable Print Repetition 0 Enable Form Feed 5 1 Use Saved Format File 0 ROM Format 678 Power up ROM Format Selection 000 No Power up Format 001 ROM or Saved Format File 1 010 ROM or Sa...

Page 221: ...0101 German 7 bit 0110 865 8 bit 0111 Swiss 7 bit 1000 852 8 bit 1001 French 7 bit 1010 863 8 bit 1011 Swedish 7 bit 1100 437 8 bit 1101 Italian 7 bit 1110 British 7 bit 1111 US English 7 bit 25 Softw...

Page 222: ...48 466 Compatibility mode 0 Disable 6 1 General Purpose I O Enable 0 Custom I O Enable 7 1 Enable Takeup Control 0 Enable Cutter Control 8 1 Enable Nonstick TOF Mode 0 Disable 27 Software Bank Switch...

Page 223: ...inter Restores the printer to power up settings Also used to set the non volatile fields in memory 33 Display Model and Revision Number X 35 Adjust Contrast Window This is the temporary contrast adjus...

Page 224: ...X 51 Load Y Direction Offset OFY The Axx specifies the value XX 54 Send Format from RAM to the Port The Axx specifies the slot number where the format file is stored in RAM Valid values for Axx are A1...

Page 225: ...bers X 74 Infinity Print Continues to print copies of a format until the power is shut off The valid Ax values are 1 to enable and 0 to disable this command XX 75 Load Label Count Instructs the printe...

Page 226: ...al number function XX 89 Load Field Number to Decrement by 1 The Axx specifies which field to decrement when using the multiple serial number function XX 90 Reflective Detection Sensitivity The Axx va...

Page 227: ...n cutter and dispense modes X 97 Tag Tear Dispense Mode 0 Disables Tag Tear Mode 1 Advance after every label 2 Advance after copies count 3 Advance when idle X 98 Peel n Dispense Mode 0 Disable Peel n...

Page 228: ...will partial cut when that quantity has been reached This command only functions when the Cutter Control D99 command is set to allow partial cuts XX 104 Save ASCII Fonts to RAM The Axx specifies whic...

Page 229: ...tance of 150 XX 113 Verbose Mode 0 Disable Verbose Mode 1 Enable Verbose Mode 114 RSS 14 Data Entry Command The Reduced Space Symbology RSS 14 barcode is fully supported by the 324M and 424M printers...

Page 230: ...FORMAT to FLASH This command is used to save an LDS format to non volatile flash memory The A value is used to indicate the memory slot location into which the format will be saved Formats are saved...

Page 231: ...t This command instructs the printer to send the contents of a stored format to the printer s active communications port without processing the stored format 140 Clear all User FLASH Instructs the pri...

Page 232: ...media condition If the length of the label happens to be larger than the distance from the pre stock out sensor to the dot row D146 command the printer will not be able to completely finish printing t...

Page 233: ...ime Interval Sets the time interval for the Non stick TOF mode D26 position 8 The value for X represents the number of seconds that the printer will execute the Non stick TOF operation The default set...

Page 234: ...count stored in memory X 162 Set Advance Retract Speed This command is used to set the advance retract speed of the dispense commands D97 D98 D99 D111 and uses the same speed table as the D46 command...

Page 235: ...13 22 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100...

Page 236: ...er Detect A status signal from the printer to the host PC that tells the PC DTE that the printer is powered up This signal is 5Vdc when the printer is turned ON DCD leaves the printer on pin 1 of the...

Page 237: ...of label uncut in the center of the label Not all Guillotine cutters can make partial cuts a special blade is required Cuts paper weights in the range of 60 100 gm m2 LDS Label Design Software This i...

Page 238: ...e buffer and serial buffer 10Kbyte are also in SRAM This is volatile memory which means that the information is lost when the printer powers down The 428M printers use a 512Kbyte SRAM configured as 25...

Page 239: ...13 26 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100...

Page 240: ..._________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________...

Page 241: ...13 28 438TC Operator s Manual 880050 0100...

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