Microcom 466 User manual

MODEL 466

THERMAL TRANSFER PRINTER

OPERATOR'S MANUAL

Part Number 880015-0213

- Revised: March 21, 2001 MSG -

Centronics is a registered trademark of Data Computer Corporation.

HP and LaserJet are trademarks of Hewlett-Packard Company.

Arial is a registered trademark of Agfa Monotype Corporation.

Swiss is a trademark of Bitstream Inc.

TrueType is a registered trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.

Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT, Windows 2000 are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

HyperTerminal is a registered trademark of Hilgrave Inc.

Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

This manual is subject to change without notice.

Printed in the U.S.A.

466 Operators Manual

Table of Contents

List of Tables ..............................................................v

List of Figures ..............................................................v

Introduction ................................................................1

CHAPTER 1: FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS .................................3

1.1 SPECIAL FEATURES ............................................3

1.2 BAR CODES ...................................................3

1.3 FONTS .......................................................4

1.4 PRINTING .....................................................4

1.5 INTERFACE COMMUNICATIONS ...................................4

1.6 PHYSICAL .....................................................4

1.7 ENVIRONMENT ................................................4

1.8 ELECTRICAL ...................................................5

1.9 OPTIONS ......................................................5

1.10 PRINTER VARIATIONS ...........................................5

1.11 APPROVALS ...................................................5

CHAPTER 2: BASIC OPERATION ..............................................7

2.1 UNPACKING THE 466 PRINTER ...................................7

2.2 INITIAL POWER UP .............................................7

2.3 FRONT PANEL SWITCHES AND STATUS LIGHTS .....................7

2.3.1 NORMAL MODE ..........................................7

2.3.2 STATUS LABEL MODE .....................................7

2.3.3 PAPER-OUT MODE .......................................8

2.4 THE STATUS LIGHTS AND SOUNDS ...............................9

2.5 LOADING PAPER ...............................................9

2.5.1 NORMAL AND TAG/TEAR MODES ..........................10

2.5.2 PEEL-AND-DISPENSE MODE ..............................10

2.6 PRINT HEAD SUPPORT ADJUSTMENT ............................10

2.7 CLEANING INSTRUCTIONS ......................................11

CHAPTER 3: COMMUNICATIONS .............................................13

3.1 CABLE PINOUT ...............................................13

3.2 PRINTER CABLES .............................................14

CHAPTER 4: DESIGNING LABELS USING LDS ..................................15

4.1 CONTROL CHARACTERS .......................................15

4.2 GETTING STARTED ............................................15

4.2.1 PC CONNECTION (SERIAL) ................................15

4.2.2 PC CONNECTION (PARALLEL) .............................16

4.2.3 LEARNING LDS .........................................16

4.3 FORMATTING LABELS: AN OVERVIEW ............................17

4.4 LABEL HEADER ...............................................19

4.4.1 A SAMPLE SESSION (HEADER) ............................23

4.5 LABEL FIELDS ................................................24

4.5.1 BIT MAPPED TEXT, BAR CODE, AND GRAPHIC FIELDS .........24

4.5.2 LINES .................................................29

466 Operators Manual

4.5.3 A SAMPLE SESSION (FIELDS) .............................31

CHAPTER 5: PRINTER COMMANDS ..........................................33

5.1 SPECIAL PRINTER CONTROL CODES .............................33

5.2 PRINTER STATUS MESSAGES ...................................34

5.3 SENDING ^D PRINTER COMMANDS ...............................34

5.3.1 SOFTWARE SWITCHES AND NON-VOLATILE COMMANDS ......35

5.3.2 PRINTING COMMANDS ...................................42

5.3.3 AUTO-SIZING AND VALID GAP COMMANDS ..................43

5.3.4 REAL-TIME CLOCK ......................................45

5.3.5 SERIAL NUMBER COMMANDS .............................47

5.3.6 SAVING FORMAT COMMANDS .............................49

5.3.7 LABEL PRESENT SENSOR CONTROL .......................51

5.3.8 TEXT STRINGS COMMANDS ...............................52

CHAPTER 6: DOWNLOADABLE GRAPHIC IMAGES ..............................55

6.1 USING THE GRAPHICS CONVERSION UTILITIES ....................55

6.1.1 PCX2MIC.EXE PROGRAM .................................55

6.1.2 BMP2MIC.EXE PROGRAM .................................55

6.2 GRAPHIC IMAGE DOWNLOAD METHODS ..........................55

6.2.1 COMPRESSED BINARY IMAGE COMMAND (^D107) ..............55

6.2.2 UNCOMPRESSED IMAGE COMMAND (^D106) ..................57

6.3 DOWNLOADABLE GRAPHICS COMMAND SUMMARY ................60

CHAPTER 7: DOWNLOADABLE FONTS .......................................61

7.1 PROCEDURE FOR USING JET2466.EXE UTILITY ....................61

CHAPTER 8: BAR CODES ...................................................63

8.1 TYPES OF BAR CODES .........................................63

8.2 DESIGNING WITH BAR CODES ...................................71

8.2.1 BAR CODE HUMAN READABLES ...........................73

CHAPTER 9: SPECIAL EFFECTS .............................................75

9.1 REVERSED PRINT (WHITE TEXT OVER BLACK) .....................75

CHAPTER 10: OPTIONS ....................................................77

10.1 GRAPHICS CONVERSION UTILITIES ..............................77

10.2 DOWNLOADABLE FONT UTILITIES ...............................77

10.3 WYSIWYG SOFTWARE PACKAGES ...............................77

10.4 CLEANING KIT ................................................77

10.5 WINDOWS™ DRIVER ..........................................77

APPENDIX A: WARRANTY AND REPAIR PROCEDURES ..........................78

APPENDIX B: QUICK REFERENCE COMMAND SUMMARY ........................80

APPENDIX C: HARDWARE DIP SWITCHES .....................................90

Index ....................................................................91

Table of Contents

466 Operators Manual

List of Tables

Status Light ................................................................9

Serial Port Configuration .....................................................13

Print Speed ...............................................................21

Bitmapped Font Descriptions .................................................26

Bar Code Symbologies ......................................................27

Character Starting Positions ..................................................28

Status Messages ..........................................................34

Clock Field Parameters ......................................................45

UPC Zero Reduction Format .................................................63

Control Code Equivalents for use in Data Strings ..................................65

Code 128 Special Function Access ............................................67

UCC/EAN Application Identifiers ...............................................70

List of Figures

Front View .................................................................6

Rear View .................................................................6

Printer Parts ...............................................................7

Status Label ...............................................................8

Printer Feed Mechanism .....................................................10

Narrow Label Adjustment ....................................................10

Print Head Adjustment Screw .................................................10

Microcom Label ............................................................18

Label Header Parameters of a 4" X 3" Label .....................................19

Lines ....................................................................30

European Date Format ......................................................46

US Date Format ...........................................................46

Unmodified Date Format .....................................................46

Sample Graphic ...........................................................58

Bar Code Rotations ........................................................72

UPC-A Bar Code ..........................................................73

Bar Code Human Readables .................................................73

Reverse Video Sample ......................................................75

466 Operators Manual

Introduction

The Model 466 is a Direct Thermal or Thermal Transfer label printer with a high resolution (832

dots or 8 dots/mm), 4.09 inch wide print head. Through the use of dual processors, the printer

has the ability to handle a wide variety of labeling tasks.

The resident Label Design Software (LDS) is a powerful and easy-to-use package that allows

you to create personalized label formats. It can be driven from a PC, mini-computer,

mainframe, and most special purpose computers.

Among many other features, LDS supports downloadable graphics and fonts, multiple serial

numbering, and flexible character kerning. It offers many font sizes and all popular bar code

symbologies. Graphic images can be printed or stored in the printer's memory for future use.

Bitmapped Fonts, bar codes, and graphic images can be multiplied in size and printed in

0,90,180,270 degree rotations. Once the labels are designed, they can be stored in the printer

for high speed access.

The 466 is capable of printing on most types of label or fax stock. It offers operation in a

tag/tear, peel-and-dispense, or cut-off mode. It can handle blow-hole, black-line, label gap, and

continuous stock.

Many printer applications use the same label format, but change the data on every label. This

is not a problem for the 466 printer. Data may be changed without down-loading the same

fixed format, or fixed data fields, time after time. This, along with a greatly increased

communication speed, increases data access time and productivity.

Microcom also offers a line of software packages which allow quick and easy on-screen label

designing, along with database capabilities.

466 Operators Manual2

466 Operators Manual 3

CHAPTER 1: FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS

The Model 466 Direct Thermal / Thermal Transfer printer is designed with many standard

features that are unique when compared to other printers. The 466 is built to meet the

demands of complicated applications and rigorous use.

1.1 SPECIAL FEATURES

!Direct thermal or thermal transfer tag/ticket feed operation

!Dot history temperature control

!Resolution of 8 dots/mm (.0049" per dot) and a print width of 832 dots (4.09")

!WYSIWYG software compatible

!Print speed up to 8.0 inches per second

!Slew speed up to 12.0 inches per second

!Internal media supply holds roll sizes up to 8 inches OD

!Prints on die-cut, continuous, fax, or preprinted labels up to 9.0 mil thick

!Software-controlled contrast adjustment

!Standard memory of 512KB ROM and 512KB RAM

!Internal date and time keeping

!Easy to load label path

!Detects label gap, black line, or blow-hole stock

!Internal statistical counter for inches and labels printed

!Downloadable bitmap fonts and graphics

!Field incrementing and decrementing

!Remote printer interrogation.

1.2 BAR CODES

!Code 39, Interleaved 2 of 5, CODABAR, Code 128, UCC/EAN-128, Code 93, Plessey,

Modified Plessey, UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-8, EAN-13, Postnet, MaxiCode, and PDF-417

Features and Specifications Chapter 1

466 Operators Manual4

1.3 FONTS

!Bitmapped fonts (normal/bold and OCR-A and OCR-B)

!Converted HP LaserJet™ or TrueType® font compatibility

!Fonts can be printed with proportional or non-proportional spacing

!All bitmapped fonts expandable in height and width

!Printable in 0, 90, 180, and 270 degree rotations

1.4 PRINTING

!Optional peel function with take up motor and label present sensor

!Optional internal rewind

!Optional rotary cutter

!Batch and tag/tear mode advances label to the tear bar

!Label back-up prevents wasted media in tag/tear and peel modes

1.5 INTERFACE COMMUNICATIONS

!Serial: RS-232C, 25-pin female D-Sub connector (DCE) and 2Kbytes buffer

-Flow control: XON/XOFF, CTS/RTS

-Baud rate: 110 to 38400, user-selectable

-Parity: odd, even or none

-Data bits: 7 or 8

!Parallel (optional): 25-pin female (also includes additional serial port)

1.6 PHYSICAL

!Rigid painted steel construction

!Height: 12" (304.8mm)

!Width: 11" (279.4mm)

!Depth: 18" (457.2mm)

!Weight: 40 LBS (18.14Kg)

1.7 ENVIRONMENT

!Temperature: 0"C to 40"C operating

!Humidity: 10-85% non-condensing

Table of contents

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