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Microcom 438TM, Operator'S Manual

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Microcom 438TM Operator'S Manual Download Page 16

Getting Started 

 

Chapter 3 

3-4 

 

438TM Operator’s Manual - 880049-0113   

 

 
Click “Continue Anyway” if this 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 show up as a USB SERIAL PORT (COMx) 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 connection to the printer. 
 
Connect the power cable and the USB cable to the printer and turn the printer on.  If already 
connected, disconnect USB and then reconnect the USB.  The FTDI USB device should 
now recognize and install.   
 

3.5  Optional Ethernet Communication Interface 

The printer provides two options to add an ethernet port to the printer.  The printer Ethernet 
port must be properly set up and the printer active port must be set to Ethernet, see the 
^D108 command for more information. 
 
The first option is a legacy option that uses an Xport converter that communicate like an 
Ethernet connection but on a serial channel inside the printer.  This means that the speed is 
limited to 115200 baud rate.  

Summary of Contents for 438TM

Page 1: ...438TM DIRECT THERMAL PRINTER OPERATOR S MANUAL PART NUMBER 880049 0113 July 7 2021 CPC Copyright 2021 by Microcom Corporation Lewis Center Ohio All rights reserved Printed in the United States of Ame...

Page 2: ......

Page 3: ...efore limitation mentioned above 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 th...

Page 4: ......

Page 5: ...2 LSX Print Head Size X 4 6 4 4 3 LSY Label Size Y 4 6 4 4 4 WEB Web Size 4 6 4 4 5 GAP GAP Size 4 6 4 4 6 DPS Print Speed 4 6 4 4 7 LCB Label Control Byte 4 7 4 4 7 1 Die Cut and Blow Hole Media sett...

Page 6: ...ier Y Direction 4 18 4 6 11 CS Character Spacing 4 18 4 6 12 TSP Text Starting Position 4 18 4 6 13 Reserved Spaces 4 18 4 6 14 AN Attribute Number 4 18 4 7 Line Draw 4 18 4 8 Reverse Video 4 21 4 8 1...

Page 7: ...print mechanism found in the Model 428TM printer and is intended to be a direct replacement The print mechanism has been designed with a 4 printhead capable of printing up to 8 per second and is avai...

Page 8: ...438TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113 iv...

Page 9: ...TS Hardware Baud Rate 115200 Parity Odd Even and None Data Bits 7 or 8 Table 1 1 General Specifications NOTE Listed specifications based on a standard print mechanism and may vary based on final confi...

Page 10: ...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 11: ...t 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 270...

Page 12: ...crementing decrementing and serialization Downloadable fonts and graphics with data compression Internal statistical counters for inches and labels printed Remote printer interrogation On site program...

Page 13: ...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 438TM and op...

Page 14: ...is not necessary A 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 1152...

Page 15: ...S RTS 5 HI 9 5V 5V 9 HI 9 5V DC DO NOT CARE XX INDETERMINATE Table 3 1 RS 232 Cable Configurations 3 4 USB Communication Interface The 438TM printer provides a single USB port for communication to a h...

Page 16: ...printer Connect the power cable and the USB cable to the printer and turn the printer on If already connected disconnect USB and then reconnect the USB The FTDI USB device should now recognize and in...

Page 17: ...1 Device Installer Xport Either type 192 168 200 3 in 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...

Page 18: ...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 19: ...icrocom Ethernet Option Board The Microcom Ethernet Option Board provides different methods of configuring the Ethernet port for usage Printer s ship from the factory with DHCP enabled and if a DHCP s...

Page 20: ...are reported in the window The printers listed will list their current IP address MAC address and serial number Select the printer that you would like to make changes to and double click on the entry...

Page 21: ...d in the configuration page of the application is displayed Once the changes are made the Save Config button must be selected to save the new parameters and reboot the ethernet board The File Upload s...

Page 22: ...se in the window 3 5 2 3 Telnet Using MCT Microcom Ethernet Option A terminal program like MCT may be used to open a Telnet session on port 23 of the ethernet option This may be used to configure the...

Page 23: ...7 A5 D177 Change Gateway 8 A6 D177 Change Subnet Mask 9 A7 D177 Change MAC address 10 A8 D177 Display printers current Ethernet parameters 11 A9 D177 Save current parameters 3 5 3 Configuring the prin...

Page 24: ...Ethernet Option A6 D108 3 Port Auto Select USB Serial Microcom Ethernet Option You would connect to the printer using the active port The example above shows that the active port is the USB port so c...

Page 25: ...be used on a USB connection the appropriate USB driver must be installed before the printer is able to be used with the driver The X38 based products use an FTDI based driver while the X85 based prod...

Page 26: ...880049 0113 3 Wait for the installer to finish setting up the driver files 4 Select the New install or Uninstall existing driver if already running a Qualsoft version or if installing more than one p...

Page 27: ...Chapter 3 Getting Started 438TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113 3 15 5 Select the Model number of the printer being installed 6 Select the communication port that is going to be used with the printer...

Page 28: ...3 3 16 438TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113 7 Select next to start the installation 8 Once the installation is complete select Exit to finish the installation 9 Select OK if prompted to restart and co...

Page 29: ...powered on and the printer USB port is connected to the printer Under Devices and Printers you should see the printer model that was installed Right click on the icon and select Printer properties to...

Page 30: ...e Ports tab at the top allows the printer port to be changed if connecting to a different printer communication port 3 6 5 Printing Preferences About tab Selecting the Preferences icon at the bottom l...

Page 31: ...Typically these are already set for proper operation and do not need to be adjusted 3 6 6 1 Print tab Advanced The Advanced tab is used to specify the print resolution and the printhead width This tab...

Page 32: ...Adjustment icon opens the dialog windows below This allows the user to manipulate the image settings that the driver uses to produce images 3 6 8 Print tab Halftone Properties The Halftone Properties...

Page 33: ...commands directly into the data stream This is typically used for either troubleshooting or custom override commands 3 6 10 Printing Preferences Paper tab The Paper tab is where the user adds custom f...

Page 34: ...the driver Select the drop down menu to select standard forms that have been installed with the driver or enter the size of your form and select the New icon to create a form size that matches your m...

Page 35: ...6 11 2 1 Feed Options Mode The Mode is used to select the type of dispense option used after the printer has printed The options include None Advance when idle Advance every label Cut after label and...

Page 36: ...of the registration mark as it would pass through the printer 3 6 11 2 7 Feed Options Dot2Gap This field is the distance of the registration sensors to the dot row and is used to calculate the Steps...

Page 37: ...media using the other fields for operation while selecting Passthrough mode will simply cause the presenter to run while the printer is printing 3 6 12 2 1 Configuration Take Label Retract Timeout se...

Page 38: ...tab is used to control the number of copies print speed and port monitor status enable 3 6 13 1 Modification No of Labels This field controls how many copies of the current page will be printed 3 6 13...

Page 39: ...8TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113 3 27 3 6 14 Printing Preferences Save Restore tab The Save Restore tab is used to export or import driver settings and to force back to the factory defaults based on...

Page 40: ...ld be the READY 3 6 15 2 PRINTER_STATUS_BUSY Message indicates that the printer is busy printing a job No LDS1 equivalent control language printer message 3 6 15 3 PRINTER_STATUS_PAPER_OUT This messag...

Page 41: ...essage that is reported 3 7 Cash Drawer Option The printer provides a DB15 connector to support the use of 24v cash drawer applications The Draw Kick out solenoid current must be 1 amp or less to avoi...

Page 42: ...until you feel resistance 2 Push and hold the Print Button to feed the media through the printer 3 Once the media exits the front of the printer release the Print Button The printer is also equipped...

Page 43: ...perform many functions This section provides a description to familiarize you with the basic function of the Print Button and the Status Indicator Light Figure 3 7 Print Button and Status Indicator L...

Page 44: ...ready state Flashing Green Indicates that the communication port has detected activity Solid Amber The printer is in the Tag Tear or Peel and Dispense mode and is waiting for the label tag to be take...

Page 45: ...to execute the previous format and or commands 3 11 4 Paper Out Flashing AMBER The printer will flash amber when it does not detect paper but its internal registration sensors Once paper is inserted...

Page 46: ...rinter Power Requirements Interface between the host computer and the printer Media Handing The design of the kiosk should consider the type of media to be used roll or fan fold media the appropriate...

Page 47: ...y in the operator s manual or in the product specification sheet the operating environment for Microcom printers is listed below Relative humidity 10 85 non condensing Operation Temperature 40 to 104...

Page 48: ...iosk to keep out dust which shortens print head life and affects print quality and chemicals such as cleaning solutions like ammonia or bleach Air flow within the kiosk should not pull exhaust heat fr...

Page 49: ...d be the box that fits into a shoe provided by the stock converter Always test and observe the media for these types of problems Fan fold media can un fold differently at the beginning and end of the...

Page 50: ...ircuit boards Enough slack is needed to disconnect the printer or their kiosk components for servicing Allow for movement needed to access the cable locks or slide the printer out Avoid electrical noi...

Page 51: ...ter power supply and any device PC USB hub etc connected to the printer USB or serial ports The same AC power circuit ground location should be used whenever possible for these devices If the printer...

Page 52: ...20 to 0 85 Distances are measured from the surface of the sensor to the reflecting surface The sensor is set to the maximum detection at the factory This pot may be used to decrease sensor range to av...

Page 53: ...eing used the wristband option should be installed The wristband guide is inserted into the media guide and is locked into place Figure 3 11 Wristband Media Adapter Wristband Guide Insert into media g...

Page 54: ...Getting Started Chapter 3 3 42 438TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113...

Page 55: ...e LF character is sent after the CR character Note Control codes ignored when the printer is configured for binary compression mode D23 bit 7 4 2 LDS Design Exercises There are many different machines...

Page 56: ...umerous commands Large formats and or numerous commands should be entered in an ASCII text editor and then uploaded to the printer Microsoft Notepad has been used for the creation of label designs in...

Page 57: ...provide the user with the information required for easy format creation and printing Once some understanding of these basis concepts has been achieved use the Quick Reference Guide in Appendix C for e...

Page 58: ...ntered into the previous format received between the D57 and D56 commands Field 1 defines the placement and configuration for Text Data String 1 Field 2 defines the placement and configuration for Tex...

Page 59: ...direction and 1800 6 X 300 dots in the Y direction While the maximum number of dots in the horizontal or X direction is limited by print head size it is virtually unlimited in the vertical or Y direc...

Page 60: ...ts as the unit of measure The maximum height is virtually unlimited and is dependant only with available printer memory The label sample Figure 4 2 LSY measures 3 or 900 dots 4 4 4 WEB Web Size HFM LS...

Page 61: ...ive and lower reflective gap detectors as standard equipment The following sections discuss the LCB settings for the different media types 4 4 7 1 Die Cut and Blow Hole Media setting 0 A selection of...

Page 62: ...t 50 lines advance the remaining LSY value and then finally advance the SPG or 385 dots Regardless of the format fields if the LSY is set to 900 and the SPG is set to 385 the printer will advance a to...

Page 63: ...istance from the leading edge of the printable area to the beginning of the registration mark SBL The Space Between Labels is the non printable distance between the media typically found on die cut la...

Page 64: ...at fields coordinates themselves 4 4 11 OFY Offset Y Direction HFM LSX LSY WEB GAP DPS LCB AGD SPG OFX OFY This parameter is used to move or offset all format fields in the Y direction without alterin...

Page 65: ...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 66: ...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 67: ...ars 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 Type 1...

Page 68: ...BCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ Table 4 4 CGN Embedded Fonts 4 6 6 2 Downloadable Fonts and Graphics When selecting downloadable fonts and graphics using TCI value of 7 or 8 the CGN denotes the memory slot...

Page 69: ...Swiss 721 Normal 90 degree 22 20 Swiss 721 Normal 0 degree 23 20 Swiss 721 Normal 90 degree 24 24 Swiss 721 Normal 0 degree 25 24 Swiss 721 Normal 90 degree 30 6 Swiss 721 Bold 0 degree 31 6 Swiss 721...

Page 70: ...and should be omitted by entering the comma delimiter For Example If a TCI of 40 is selected the CGN will be omitted by entering nothing for the CGN and surrounding the parameter with the comma delimi...

Page 71: ...s orientations and justifications ROTATION FIELD ORIENTATION and JUSTIFICATION 0 180 Degrees 0 Left justified above the base line 1 Right justified above the base line 2 Left justified below the base...

Page 72: ...rks the starting position of the character in the text string to be used as data This is useful for allowing several fields to use sections of the same text string minimizing the amount of data transm...

Page 73: ...nored by simply adding delimiters commas without values An example of two lines drawn on a label is shown in Figure 4 5 This 3 x 3 label was designed for a printer with a 300 DPI print head D57 CR 2 1...

Page 74: ...ter in order for a line to print properly Line was used in the example to clearly define the label format fields that contain line values However it could have simply been one character such as a peri...

Page 75: ...Starting Position This element is not used in line draw No value is necessary however a comma needs to be entered to acknowledge the position Reserved Spaces These are reserved for future use and no...

Page 76: ...r in a black character cell The size of the black box surrounding the character will be determined by the character cell Adjusting the size of the box is surrounding text is limited using this method...

Page 77: ...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 78: ...pression disabled or if the printer is in an error condition See 5 1 1 for additional information regarding the Printer Enquiries M Terminate Text or Data String This command is the equivalent of the...

Page 79: ...aracters 00 00 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...

Page 80: ...ter power on without media installed BUTTON PRESSED C0 Print button configured to report message when pressed LPD STOCK JAM 11 Reports when jams are detected Switch 8 position 8 enables this feature B...

Page 81: ...ith these commands will not take effect until the printer s power is cycled OFF and ON a reboot command A1 D143 or a soft restart command D32 command is sent to the printer Example AB10100000 D21 CR c...

Page 82: ...ponds with READY 3 Button Use If set to a 1 the printer will disable the Print Button 1 Disable 0 Enable 4 Print Repetition Defines the function of the Print Button If set to a 0 the button can be use...

Page 83: ...active HIGH will report the INPUT 1 message if a reflection is detected detecting media 1 Send INPUT 1 report when not detecting 0 Send INPUT 1 report when detecting 3 Response After Print If enabled...

Page 84: ...rough the embedded zero 0 characters 1 Enable 0 Disable 2 External Print Request Call Microcom for more information 1 Enable 0 Disable 3 Stock Out function Enable this function to get a LOW STOCK mess...

Page 85: ...te The button must be pressed and held during printing in order to exit the error routine This is used to reprint the pending job until the print realigns before continuing 1 Enable Single Button Erro...

Page 86: ...This bit determines whether the AutoLoad function uses the Top Of Form sensor TOF or if it uses the Form Feed technique 1 AutoLoad TOF 0 AutoLoad FF 8 Status Byte Mode If enabled the printer will ente...

Page 87: ...O modes the printer supports 0 Enable Custom General Purpose I O Hardware This mode is a custom solution developed for a specific customer and is not intended to be used by other users 1 Enable Genera...

Page 88: ...V and may be used to provide the voltage needed to power the GP INPUTS The D69 command is used to read and report the current status of the GP Outputs in the form of IO 0nH where n is a hex number fro...

Page 89: ...nt and will remain in the error state A status request will show the active error inputs This condition will remain until the error is cleared NOTE Default power up will disable I O mode The P17 and P...

Page 90: ...ty Unless the printer is properly configured with a take up motor and correct take up motor specific PIC this mode should not be enabled because it could potentially damage the cutter 8 Reserved 5 2 1...

Page 91: ...r will line feed while the button is pressed and held When this feature is disabled pressing and holding the button will be ignored 1 Disable Line Feed 0 Enable Line Feed 4 5 Reserved 6 Presenter Opti...

Page 92: ...ended to be used by the D149 USB image print mode 0 110 bps 1 150 bps 2 300 bps 3 600 bps 4 1200 bps 5 2400 bps 6 4800 bps 7 9600 bps 8 19200 bps 9 38400 bps 10 57600 bps 11 115200 bps 12 230400 bps o...

Page 93: ...is set to a 3 the printer will auto select between the USB Microcom Ethernet option board and the serial port 5 2 2 3 Ethernet Option Board Configuration Printers may be configuration with an Ethernet...

Page 94: ...and densities The D78 and D79 commands non 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 comma...

Page 95: ...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 inputs to generat...

Page 96: ...nge 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 DOWNLOADING A FORMAT FINISHED DOWNLOAD 3 FORMAT LOADED...

Page 97: ...hru an external PRINT control line Using this command allows the printing to be synchronized with external printing applications by replacing the D3 print command with the desired D116 sync mode Print...

Page 98: ...nter will print but it will not clear the print buffer so will print again as soon as the print signal is detected The Test Pattern and Reset signals do not function while in this mode The exit this m...

Page 99: ...rinter will not respond to any commands until receiving the Image mode clear command Image Mode Clear command ETBYKFNR or in hex 45 54 42 59 4b 46 4e 52 The protocol will also fail if the image data i...

Page 100: ...restart The printer will update and write the configuration to flash on normal power downs This command may be used to start using certain non volatile system parameters head parameter and soft switch...

Page 101: ...ansmissive sensor This value is calibrated at the factory and should not require adjustment unless the transmissive sensor has been replaced X 129 Auto Set Threshold This command will cause the printe...

Page 102: ...ropriate sensors to detect the registration marks set by the D47 command Before issuing the auto size command verify that the D47 is set to the proper setting for the media being used When using media...

Page 103: ...sive sensor A delay D120 may be set from when the stock is first sensed and when the drive roller starts to turn The printer will advance a blank label based on the current or last processed label bef...

Page 104: ...be used as the alignment format 5 5 2 AutoLoad Top Of Form This command is used on printers that are configured with a Top Of Form TOF sensor option used to detect the leading edge of the media AutoLo...

Page 105: ...ates a TOF operation a Media is advanced until the leading edge is detected by the Top Of Form sensor b Media is then retracted to position the leading edge of stock to the correct starting location T...

Page 106: ...ll disable this function XX 75 Load Label Count Instructs the printer to print a batch of labels using the serial number function if enabled If the serial number function is disabled the D75 command w...

Page 107: ...fields can only increment or decrement by a value of one Single and Multiple serial number commands cannot be used on the same format Please note that the D57 command clears most of the serial number...

Page 108: ...ement decrement function of text string number 1 or the first text string XX 88 Load Field Number to Increment by 1 The Axx specifies which field to increment by one XX 89 Load Field Number to Decreme...

Page 109: ...f the special functions would include Pre padded text and auto print A D COMMAND 60 Clears Command D61 XX 61 Mark Text Starting Position The Axx specifies which text field to start entering new data T...

Page 110: ...Receiving New Data When one of more characters of new text is entered the all existing text data will be erased The printer may be programmed to enter the mode automatically upon power up by position...

Page 111: ...ce distance See D112 and then cuts the media The media does not retract until the next format which helps to prevent paper jams going into the cutter or media wrapping around the platen roller Mode 4...

Page 112: ...2 Enable Partial Cut 3 Enable Full and Partial Cut XX 95 Advance Retract Distance This command is used in conjunction with the tag tear D97 peel n dispense D98 and cutter D99 commands It is used to a...

Page 113: ...5 10 1 Tag Tear Operation This command controls a method of dispensing the media so that the perforation between labels is positioned on the tear bar or peel edge Once the label is taken the label med...

Page 114: ...in the statistics 33 Display Model and Revision Number 5 12 Memory Commands These commands offer special functions related to clearing storing and processing data in the RAM and FLASH memory The prin...

Page 115: ...s to RAM The Axx specifies which memory file CGN the 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 ext...

Page 116: ...must be terminated by an ESC HEX 1B or left bracket character to save the format How to Save a Label FORMAT to FLASH 1 Create the FORMAT file with Axx D130 at the top to tell the printer to store int...

Page 117: ...s coming The download will be 2 sectors long and the printer will access the FONT in FLASH memory using CGN 24 and TCI 7 The A0124 D135 command will be right at the beginning of the file So the D135 c...

Page 118: ...t will be cleared Hint After the FONT file has been deleted the D119 command may be used to verify that Slot xx is now available in RAM The FONT may extend over several slots and the D119 will indicat...

Page 119: ...sed by this command Use the D131 command to erase label FORMATS stored in FLASH memory IMPORTANT NOTE Embedded FONTS and label FORMATS are NOT erased However any custom FONTS and GRAPHICS loaded into...

Page 120: ...45 List Commands This command is used to generate a list of commands containing a brief description of the LDSI code base that the printer uses Issuing a D145 or A0 D145 causes the printer to generate...

Page 121: ...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 157 Takeup Motor Run Time The D157 command is used w...

Page 122: ...ere Brownouts are a frequent occurrence The printer provides the ability to monitor these types of conditions using the D159 command The D159 command provides a volatile or running total of the browno...

Page 123: ...etected 8 Reflective Registration Sensor 1 No Stock Detected 0 Stock Detected Table 5 5 Sensor Status Byte Definitions A D COMMAND X 178 Pre takeup Delay This command is used in conjunction with the T...

Page 124: ...Printer Commands Chapter 5 5 56 438TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113...

Page 125: ...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 126: ...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 127: ...would need to first clear that memory location before saving Please see the example below A100 D140 CR Send the converted Graphic file to the printer Jet mic using the file above Now send a format to...

Page 128: ...n 7 to 1 Otherwise the file may be sent to the printer through any active printer port 6 5 Advanced GRAPHIC Format Conversion for Programmers The following sections are provided to developers who wish...

Page 129: ...er of uncompressed bytes that the GRAPHIC uses not the number of bytes that will actually be transmitted Due to compression the number of bytes transmitted will normally be less than this number Image...

Page 130: ...Downloadable Graphics Chapter 6 6 6 438TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113...

Page 131: ...orage 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 command These GRAPHIC...

Page 132: ...ts to be transmitted in binary thereby reducing the number of bytes sent to the printer Furthermore the commands allow for data compression by converting strings of 0 HEX or FF HEX to shorter byte plu...

Page 133: ...o FLASH D135 xxyy 135 Save FONTS to FLASH This command is not normally seen by the user It is put into a FONT file by the FONT converter program which generates a special Axxyy D135 code which is plac...

Page 134: ...GN 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 CGN error The printer s FLASH is nonvolatile so FON...

Page 135: ...Load GRAPHIC or FONT into RAM Memory without Compression This command is intended for legacy support only and Microcom Corporation recommends either the D104 or D107 commands Fonts must be less than...

Page 136: ...Downloadable Fonts Chapter 7 7 6 438TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113...

Page 137: ...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 138: ...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 139: ...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 140: ...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 141: ...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 symbol i...

Page 142: ...verall Height listed in the 1st element Data Always 13 digits for the linear data unless using GS1 Databar Expanded which can be up to 74 numeric or 41 alphabetic characters The pipe character is used...

Page 143: ...ecommended Please note that if a subset is forced while using automatic compression the printer will automatically switch to subset C if 6 or more numeric characters are contained in the data string O...

Page 144: ...ial function codes listed in table 16 Subset C requires that an even amount of digits to be sent because the matched pairs are encoded as a single character This allows for a greater amount of compres...

Page 145: ...laced and must be terminated with the or 0x1C control code The text data may include carriage returns and other control codes Number of Rows CR This parameter specifies the number of rows used for ren...

Page 146: ...adjust the aspect ratio of the PDF 417 symbology The value is entered in ratio format height width and has a default value of 2 1 and has a range from 1 to 9 A carriage return character must be used t...

Page 147: ...matrix 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 t...

Page 148: ...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 will generat...

Page 149: ...112 44 x 44 288 214 142 48 x 48 348 259 172 52 x 52 408 304 202 64 x 64 560 418 278 72 x 72 736 550 366 80 x 80 912 682 454 88 x 88 1152 862 574 96 x 96 1392 1042 694 104 x 104 1632 1222 814 120 x 12...

Page 150: ...l characters Which means it encodes one alphabetic or two numeric characters per byte All other encoding schemes are invoked from ASCII and will then return to this scheme through the use of code word...

Page 151: ...er 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 6 ASCII Codeword Values Barcode ID The printer is able to p...

Page 152: ...o as the 4 State or OneCode is the term coined by the United Stated Postal Service USPS for the new barcode symbology used to track and sort letters and flat packages The Intelligent Mail barcode is a...

Page 153: ...lacement information D56 D2 D3 Figure 8 11 Intelligent Mail Barcode bars TYPE FIELD DIGITS EXAMPLE Tracking Code Barcode Identifier 2 2nd digit must be 0 4 01 Special Services 3 234 Customer Identifie...

Page 154: ...ld will accommodate 0 5 9 or 11 digit ZIP Code information Confirm requires a 9 or 11 digit Routing ZIP to serves as Subscriber ID for Origin Confirm users The routing ZIP Code inserted into the 4CB m...

Page 155: ...s that have specific data format guidelines for multiple data subfields The subfields are identified by application identifiers that are specified in the UCC EAN Application Identifier Standard availa...

Page 156: ...19 240 Additional Product Identification assigned by the Manufacturer n3 an 30 250 Secondary Serial Number n3 an 30 30 Quantity n2 n 8 310 Net Weight Kilograms n4 n6 311 Length or 1st Dimension Meter...

Page 157: ...Logistics n4 n6 344 Width Diameter or 2nd Dimension Inches Logistics n4 n6 345 Width Diameter or 2nd Dimension Feet Logistics n4 n6 346 Width Diameter or 2nd Dimension Yards Logistics n4 n6 347 Depth...

Page 158: ...1 Roll Products Width Length Core Diameter Direction and Splices n4 n14 8002 Electronic Serial Number for Cellular Mobile Telephones n4 an 20 8003 UPC EAN Number and Serial Number of Returnable Asset...

Page 159: ...Information TCI 51 The TCI 51 generates the UCC EAN information as text This TCI uses the same criteria for formatting as the TCI 50 bar code The CGN selects the desired resident font that will be use...

Page 160: ...d to set the size the Aztec code to be generated A value of 0 will generate an automatically scaled Aztec The overall size of the barcode is controlled by the Size and by the formats X and Y multiplie...

Page 161: ...lue of 0 generates a standard Aztec while a setting of 2 would use the GS1 specification Please note that if the GS1 is used the application identifiers should be entered with brackets Example 21 123...

Page 162: ...NOTE MULTIPLYING THE BARCODE GENERATED The barcode generated is based on a single dot width For the barcode to be visible and to scan properly a reasonable multiplier must be used Typical values for a...

Page 163: ...77x77 16 81x81 17 85x85 18 89x89 19 93x93 20 97x97 21 101x101 22 105x105 23 109x109 24 113x113 25 117x117 26 121x121 27 125x125 28 129x129 29 133x133 30 137x137 31 141x141 0 Auto 1 21x21 Table 8 12 A...

Page 164: ...ller spacing When 0 and 180 degree bar codes are Y multiplied CMY the result is the actual height of the bar code in thermal dots If the Y multiplier CMY is not multiplied a bar code with a vertical l...

Page 165: ...s require human readable text and or extended bars to conform to specifications This is accomplished by using specially created TCI s which add the human readable text and extended bars This section w...

Page 166: ...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 167: ...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 168: ...Bar Codes Chapter 8 8 32 438TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113...

Page 169: ...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 170: ...Code Switching Chapter 9 9 2 438TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113 9 3 1 Code Pages The Default Code Page is selected when SW4 5 8 0000 Figure 9 1 Code Page Default...

Page 171: ...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 172: ...de Switching Chapter 9 9 4 438TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113 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 173: ...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 174: ...Code Switching Chapter 9 9 6 438TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113 Figure 9 5 Code Page 850...

Page 175: ...Page Switching 438TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113 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 176: ...Code Switching Chapter 9 9 8 438TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113 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 177: ...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 178: ...Code Switching Chapter 9 9 10 438TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113 Figure 9 9 Code Page 852...

Page 179: ...age Switching 438TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113 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 180: ...de Switching Chapter 9 9 12 438TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113 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 181: ...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 182: ...Code Switching Chapter 9 9 14 438TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113 Figure 9 13 Code Page 437...

Page 183: ...ching 438TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113 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 184: ...Chapter 9 9 16 438TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113 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 185: ...de Page Switching 438TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113 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 186: ...Code Switching Chapter 9 9 18 438TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113...

Page 187: ...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 188: ...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 189: ...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 190: ...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 191: ...and cause print issues and need to be replaced The printer is equipped with an easy replaceable drive roller assembly 1 Slide the black latches towards the center to release the printhead assembly and...

Page 192: ...sembly Mounting Screw 3 Squeeze the white plastic bushing together on both sides of the platen to release from the sheet metal and lift the platen assembly up and out of the printer Figure 10 8 Removi...

Page 193: ...s two head pressure settings to support both narrow and wide media types The printhead pressure is typically changed to a lighter pressure when the media being used is 2 wide or less Extra drag on the...

Page 194: ...Printer Maintenance Chapter 10 10 8 438TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113 Figure 10 10 Narrow Media Light Spring Setting Figure 10 11 Wide Media Heavy Spring Setting...

Page 195: ...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 196: ...ly Remove and reload paper Cycle power to reset the printer Contact your Service Representative The status indicator light is flashing red in color The printer has an error and requires service before...

Page 197: ...Save a FORMAT to FLASH 5 48 13 15 D131 Delete a FORMAT from FLASH 5 48 13 15 D133 Save Compressed GRAPHICS to FLASH 5 48 6 5 13 15 D134 Delete a GRAPHIC from FLASH 5 48 13 15 D135 Save a FONT to FLASH...

Page 198: ...ru 76 5 38 13 11 D73 Load Copies Count 5 38 13 11 D74 Infinity Print 5 38 13 11 D75 Load Label Count 5 38 13 11 D76 Load Delay Time Between Labels 5 38 13 11 D77 Load PDF 417 Bar Code Data 8 9 13 11 D...

Page 199: ...13 850 9 5 852 9 9 860 9 4 863 9 12 865 9 8 British 9 16 Danish 9 3 Default 9 2 9 3 Frence 9 11 German 9 7 Italian 9 15 Spanish 9 5 Swedish 9 13 Swiss 9 9 USA 9 17 Communication RS 232C Serial 3 2 Con...

Page 200: ...31 3 32 11 1 Inspection 3 1 Isopropyl Alcohol 10 2 10 4 Label Format Fields 4 11 AN 4 18 CC 4 12 4 18 CGN 4 14 CMX 4 16 4 17 4 18 CMY 4 16 4 17 4 18 CS 4 18 FJ 4 17 FO 4 16 4 17 4 18 TCI 4 12 4 14 TS...

Page 201: ...3 32 Print Button 3 32 Options 2 1 Packaging 3 1 Parity 1 1 PDF 417 Symbol 8 9 8 10 Peel Edge 10 1 Platen 13 21 Print Button 3 31 3 32 Print Length 1 1 Print Resolution 1 1 Print Speed 1 1 Print Type...

Page 202: ...pecial Control Codes B Text Entry Mode 13 5 C Print 5 37 K Print Test Pattern 5 38 L Form Feed 5 38 13 6 Specifications 1 1 General 1 1 Media 1 2 Printing 1 1 SRAM 1 1 13 22 Tag stock 13 22 Temperatur...

Page 203: ...4 4 Figure 4 3 Header Elements 4 5 Figure 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 A...

Page 204: ...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 205: ...uiry Responses 5 12 Table 5 4 Printhead sizes D78 5 27 Table 5 5 Transmissive Dot2Gap Values 5 33 Table 5 6 Reflective Dot2Gap Values 5 34 Table 5 7 Sensor Status Byte Definitions 5 55 Table 8 1 UPC E...

Page 206: ...12 10 438TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113 Table 8 10 Human Readable Extended Bars TCI s 8 30 Table 10 1 Recommended Maintenance Schedule 10 1...

Page 207: ...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 208: ...13 2 438TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113...

Page 209: ...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 210: ...13 4 438TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113...

Page 211: ...e printer to an idle READY state If the condition causing the original error condition still exists sending new jobs will cause the printer to go back into an error condition This command simply provi...

Page 212: ...e Mode AB D COMMAND 21 Software Bank Switch 1 A non volatile command used to set the various functions identified below AB12345678 Position 12 Enquiry Responses 00 Control Codes 10 Text Equivalent 3 1...

Page 213: ...t 0 Disable 4 1 INPUT 2 report when not detecting 0 INPUT 2 report when detecting 5 1 Disable use of for control 0 Enable 6 1 Disable use of for control 0 Enable 7 1 Enable Binary Compression 0 Disabl...

Page 214: ...1 AutoLoad TOF 0 Autoload FF 8 1 Enable Status Byte Mode 0 Disable 26 Software Bank Switch 6 A non volatile command used to set the various functions identified below AB12345678 Position 1 1 Enable T...

Page 215: ...st Contrast Window This is the temporary contrast adjustment The Axx range is from 1 to 9 and is an small adjustment to the contrast base D36 command XX 36 Adjust Contrast Base This is a non volatile...

Page 216: ...lid values for Axx are A1 to A128 XX 55 Select Default Power up Format Selects the ROM power up format The Axx selects from the available formats 1 through 8 56 Select User Defined Layout Signals the...

Page 217: ...nabled XX 76 Load Delay Time Between Labels The Axx specifies the delay time in 1 10ths of a second Maximum value is 650 77 Load PDF 417 Bar Code Data X 78 Set print head number of dots 448 203dpi 238...

Page 218: ...ult is a value of 100 for the reflective sensor If this value is not set correctly the printer may false sense a registration mark or report an invalid LOW STOCK error XX 91 Transmissive Detection Sen...

Page 219: ...ort i e 192480 Use the D119 command for additional reporting XX 106 Save ASCII Graphics to RAM This command is intended for legacy support only Microcom Corporation recommends using the D107 command i...

Page 220: ...inter Refer to the Chapter on Barcodes for the formatting requirements X 115 Set Cutter Type Selects the type of cutter installed on the printer 0 No cutter 1 Guillotine 2 Rotary X 116 Synchronous Pri...

Page 221: ...h memory The A value is used to specify the memory slot of the stored format that will be deleted xxyy 133 Save Compressed GRAPHICS to FLASH This command is used to save graphic s into non volatile fl...

Page 222: ...is the equivalent to sending the D100 and A0 D140 commands to the printer 1 143 Save and Reboot Printer This command instructs the printer to save statistics stored in RAM to non volatile Flash memor...

Page 223: ...mand the printer will not be able to completely finish printing the last label Other than this the operation of the printer will be the same as above The printer s default distance is set to 1800 and...

Page 224: ...ansmissive Dot2Gap Value This is the distance of the transmissive sensor that detects diecut and blow hole registration marks to the dot row 187 238 and 338 Series 203dpi 276 238 and 338 Series 300dpi...

Page 225: ...0dpi 487 438T Series 203dpi 720 438T Series 300dpi 166 Generate 4 State Intelligent Mail Barcode X 176 Generate Planet Code Barcode X 177 Ethernet Option Board Configuration 1 Set IP Address default i...

Page 226: ...etect 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 RS 2...

Page 227: ...ial cuts a special blade is required Cuts paper weights in the range of 60 100 gm m2 LDS Label Design Software This is the resident control software language that is used to develop label formats and...

Page 228: ...orarily The slice 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...

Page 229: ..._________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________...

Page 230: ...13 24 438TM Operator s Manual 880049 0113...

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