Fastmark 6000 Series Barcode Label Printer User’s Guide Part No.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS AND OTHER NOTICES n This label printer complies with the requirements in Part 15 of FCC rules for a Class A computing device. Operation of this equipment in a residential area may cause unacceptable interface to radio and TV reception, requiring the operator to take whatever steps are necessary to correct the interference. n Place the printer on a flat, firm and solid surface. n Do not place the printer near a heat source or near water.
CONVENTIONS Some of the procedures in this guide contain special notices that highlight important information: Note Indicate information that you should know to help your printer run properly and efficiently. Caution Indicate guidelines that, if not followed, can cause damage to equipment. Warning Indicate a situation where there may be a danger to you. Important Indicate that the associated material needs to be done to ensure proper printer operation.
Table of Contents PRODUCT DESCRIPTION ....................................................................................... 7 OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................ 8 UNPACKING AND INSPECTION............................................................................ 9 INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION .......................................................... 10 Setting up the Printer .........................................
Appendix A: Printer Specifications ........................................................................... 69 General Specifications .............................................................................................. 69 Fonts, Bar Codes and Graphics................................................................................ 70 Optional Accessories................................................................................................ 70 Appendix B: INTERFACE SPECIFICATIONS .......
Table of Figures Figure 1 - Fastmark 6000 Series Printer..............................................................................7 Figure 2 - Model and Serial Number Location.....................................................................8 Figure 3 - Shipped with Printer...........................................................................................9 Figure 4 - Front and Side View ........................................................................................
This page is blank 6 User's Guide Fastmark 6000 Series
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION This label printer is a high-performance, low-cost 6-inch wide Direct Thermal/Thermal Transfer labeling system. Its user-friendly design and affordable price set a new standard for the Desktop Label Printer in retail, office and industrial applications. The printer is designed with the most efficient memory management technology - True Speed and prints at a speed of 2 to 6 inches per second.
OVERVIEW The Fastmark FM6000 series is currently comprised of 1 model: • FM6602 NOTE: The model number is printed on the compliance label attached to the back of the printer. After un-packing please record the model number below for reference.
UNPACKING AND INSPECTION This section is provided to assist you in taking the printer from the shipping container to the application environment and ready for use. 1. Remove top foam packing piece. 2. Lift printer straight up out of box carefully with adequate assistance. 3. Remove accessory kit and supplies. 4. Remove printer from plastic bag. NOTE: Save box and all packing materials for future use, in the event the printer needs to be shipped.
INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION Setting up the Printer Before setting up the printer you should first consider the following: • Flat stable surface with sufficient clearance to allow for interface cables and media loading. • Free from excessive direct sunlight, temperature, humidity, dust, dirt, and debris. • Near a grounded AC power receptacle wired in compliance with local ordinances.
Switches PS/2, Keyboard Interface Parallel Port Serial Port External Label Feed Slot Model No. and Serial No.
Connecting the Power Cord 1. Ensure printer Power Switch is off "0". 2. Remove the yellow voltage setting label from the AC Inlet Receptacle . 3. Connect the power cord to the AC Inlet Receptacle located on the back of the printer. 4. Connect AC power plug to a suitable AC source.
Connecting the Printer to Your Host 1. You can connect the printer with any standard Centronics cable to the parallel port of the host computer. 2. Or, you can connect the printer with a serial cable to the RS-232C port of your computer or terminal. (For PC compatibles, the RS-232C port is COM1, COM2 or COM3.) Note: Using Centronics allows for a much higher communication speed than serial. Parallel Port PC PC RS-232 Serial Figure 7 - Communication Cable 3.
The factory default parameters of serial port are: Speed (baud rate) 9600 Data format 1 start bit, 8 data bits and1 stop bit. Parity None Handshaking (Flow control) XON/XOFF as well as RTS/CTS Note: It is not necessary to set a switch or send a command for the parallel and serial port selection. The printer automatically detects the active port. Print a SELF-TEST to review serial settings.
Inside the Printer Opening of the Top Access Door allows access to the internal user side of the printer.
Loading the Ribbon Thermal Transfer Media only If Direct Thermal Media is used, skip to the section Loading Media. 1. Open the Media Access Cover by lifting it up until it rests upon the top of the printer. 2. Open the Front Access Door by rotating it down.
3. Rotate the Green Printhead latch counter-clockwise to open the printhead module. 4. Rotate the Side Access Door down to allow the ribbon to be loaded under the printhead module. This will allow you to slide the ribbon under the printhead without having to thread it under the module. Printhead Latch Side Access Latch Figure 11 - Printhead Latch and Side Access Cover 5. Unwrap the ribbon and place the Ribbon Supply Roll on the Ribbon Supply Spindle located towards back of printer.
6. Route the ribbon under the print mechanism an onto an empty Take-up Core. Printhead Ribbon Take-up Core Figure 13 - Ribbon Installing 7. Important: Route ribbon as shown in the Ribbon Routing (Figure 13) before attaching it to the Ribbon Take-Up core using tape or adhesive leader. Ribbon Take-up Spindle Figure 14 – Ribbon Take-up 8. Place the Ribbon Take-up core on the Ribbon Take-Up Spindle located towards the front of the printer.
9. Tighten ribbon by manually rotating the Take-up Core counter-clockwise. Ribbon Take-Up Roll Ribbon Supply Roll Ribbon Take-Up Spindle Ribbon Supply Spindle Front of Printer Figure 15 - Ribbon Routing 10. Make sure that both cores are completely in line with each other. This is normally towards the center of the printer. 11. Important: To ensure proper ribbon operation complete the following checklist: q Ribbon is wound ink in and feeding off the top of the Ribbon Supply Roll.
Loading Media 1. Fully open Top Access Cover. 2. Open the Front Access Door by rotating down. Top Access Door Front Access Door Figure 16 - Open Top Access Cover 3. Rotate the green Printhead Latch counterclockwise to open the printhead. 4. Rotate the Side Access Door down to allow the media to be loaded under the printhead module.
5. Slide the Media Supply Guide to the full widest position. 6. Ensure the media is face out with the labels feeding from the top of the roll. If not obtain correctly wound media from your supplier 7. Place the media roll on the Media Supply Spindle. Media Supply Spindle Media Supply Guide Figure 18 – Media Supply 8. Slide the roll fully towards the center of the printer. 9. Slide the Media Supply Guide towards the center of the printer until it is snug against the media.
10. Slide the green Outside Media Guide off the Front and Back Media Rails by pulling straight out. Printhead Latch Outside Media Guide Ribbon Side Support Door Back Media Rail Front Media Rail Figure 19 - Outside Media Guide 11. Thread the media over the Back Media Rail and under the Front Media Rail as shown in Figure 20. 12. Continue feeding the media through the black Upper and Lower Media Sensor Arms located under the print module. 13.
15. Grasp the Sensor Adjust knob and sliding in or out, as needed, will move the Media Sensor. This is required only if the sensor must be moved to a specific location on the label to detect a notch (hole) or gap. Printhead Module Media Sensor Arm Sensor Adjust knob (under the media) Figure 20 - Media Sensor Adjustment 16. Important: To ensure proper media feeding and sensor operation, complete the following checklist: q Media is wound Face Out (print side out) and feeding off the top of the roll.
24 User's Guide Fastmark 6000 Series
Side Access Door Upper Media Sensor Arm Media Back Media Rail Front Media Rail Lower Media Sensor Arm Figure 21 - Media Routing 17. Rotate the Side Access Door up to close. 18. Rotate the green Print Head Latch clockwise fully to lock the printhead and Side Access Door shut.
Changing Position of the Media Supply Spindle The printer can store under the Top Access Cover an 8-inch outer diameter media roll that is wound on either 1.5-inch or 3-inch inner cores. When the Top Access Cover is closed touching on either the Top Cover or the bottom of the printer could cause unnecessary drag on the form. The printer's Media Supply Spindle can be moved to accommodate these issues. To change the position of the Media Supply Spindle: 1. Turn off the printer. 2.
Calibrating Media Sensors Important: The first time media is installed, the Media Sensors must be calibrated. After the first calibration no further calibration is required unless the media type (length, color, backing material, etc.) is changed or irregular feeding occurs. 1. Ensure the printer is powered off. 2. Verify that the media is properly loaded and routed as detailed in Loading Media Section. 3.
Performing the Self Test 1. Power off the printer. 2. Make sure that 4 inch wide media is installed. The Self-test will print the maximum width of the installed label. 3. Press and hold the FEED/Config button. 4. Power on the printer. 5. Release the FEED/Config button when: The message “SELF TESTING…” is displayed on the LCD. 6. The printer will print a configuration page then feed to the first print position on the next label. 7. The following information will be printed on this report.
Self Test Pattern for PPLA Figure 23 - Self Test PPLA Fastmark 6000 Series User's Guide 29
Resetting the Printer to Factory Default Settings To reset the printer to its factory defaults after certain commands have been sent or settings changed: 1. Power off the printer. 2. Press and hold the CANCEL/RESET button. 3. Power on the printer. 4. As the printer turns on the printer will: The printer will display “E2PROM RESET …” on the LCD and the READY LED will blink. 5. When the “READY” LED stops blinking and the Display indicated "READY" on the LCD the printer's initialization is completed. 6.
PANEL OPERATION Front Panel The front panel includes - 3 LED indicators (READY, MEDIA and RIBBON) - 3 buttons (FEED, PAUSE and CANCEL) - LCD display Figure 24 - Fastmark 6000 Series Front Panel Fastmark 6000 Series User's Guide 31
LED Indicators There are three LED indicators on the front panel, “READY”, “MEDIA” and “RIBBON”. These indicators display the present status of the printer. X READY The Ready LED indicates the following conditions: ON - The printer's powered is on. Off - The printer's power is off. Blinking - Error condition (see Troubleshooting section for details) X MEDIA X RIBBON The Media LED indicates the following conditions: ON - Media is installed and ready for Normal operation.
Buttons Depending upon the printer model and current mode, the Front Panel buttons serve multiple functions. Refer to the following tables for their specific functions. Pressed and held down during Power UP Upon completion of the desired function the printer will go into a READY condition. Button m FEED Function The printer will display "SELF TESTING" on the LCD display while doing an internal Self-Test. Upon completion of the internal self-test the printer will print a Configuration Report.
Pressed during normal operation Button m FEED m PAUSE Function The printer will Feed a one label. The printer will blink the READY LED and display PAUSE on the LCD display while in the Paused condition. If printing, the printer will STOP printing, and the READY LED will blink. If pressed a second time the printer will resume normal operation. m CANCEL The printer will Stop printing and delete any further information in the printer's buffer.
LCD Display The front panel is equipped with a 2 row by 16 character LCD display. The basic function of the display is: - Display the printer status - Display the printer settings - Display's prompts requesting input data from a keyboard or barcode reader. Standard Printer After power on the following message is displayed on the LCD READY (203,PPLA) The first parameter is either 203 or 300. It stands for the printer's resolution. The second parameter indicates the emulation (printer language), PPLA.
With Keyboard Option installed If a keyboard is plugged in, the following message is displayed on the LCD READY (203,PPLA) FOR KEYBD With Barcode Reader Option If a barcode reader is connected and switches 6 through 8 are in the ON positions, the displayed message will be. READY (203,PPLA) WITH B.C. READER Abnormal Conditions If any abnormal condition occurs the related message will be displayed.
Front Panel Set-up Menu The Set-up menu is a list of printer features that affect the basic operation of the printer. These are functions that can not normally be selected using software commands. Value settings that are changed using the keypad are stored into E2PROM and are retained when power is cycled. Value settings that are changed using software commands are temporary changes and are not retained when power is cycled.
Procedure to Enter into Set-up Mode 1. Power on the printer. 2. When the “ READY” message is displayed on the LCD, press [PAUSE] and the [CANCEL] buttons simultaneously. Next Value Next Feature Enter Value Press to Enter / Exit Setup Mode Figure 25 - Entering into Set-up Mode 3. Press [PAUSE] button to scroll to the feature that you want to change. 4. Press [FEED] button to scroll to the desired value of the displayed feature. 5.
Set-up Mode Selection Items Item Range Factory Default Remarks CUT/PEEL POS (mm) + 015 to + 015 0 mm Controls cut and peeling position. PRINT OFFSET (mm) + 015 to - 008 0 mm Controls start vertical print position. Positive value only. TPH VER OFFS(mm) + 003 to - 003 0 mm RECOVERY PRINT ENABLE DISABLE MORE THAN 10, 5 to 7 mm, 8 to 9 mm.
Notes: 1. To verify that a feature has been properly changed, cycle power on the printer. 2. Make sure the settings you desire has an * character by the value. 3. When changing the Media Sensor Type feature (Reflective and See-through); be aware that the See-through sensor is 1 mm to the left of the reflective sensor. 4. If graphics are stored with compression in the flashboard, do not use them under noncompression mode .
Setting Display Language The printer can display messages, error condition, and feature menus in multiple languages. This capability does not affect the printed text. The printer's LCD display supports six languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese To change the currently displayed language 1. Press and hold the PAUSE and CANCEL buttons at the same time. 2. Hold both buttons for about 5 seconds. 3. When the buttons are released the following is displayed LANGUAGE ENGLISH * 4.
This page is blank 42 User's Guide Fastmark 6000 Series
Back Panel The rear panel includes - An 8-bit DIP switch - A 36-pin Centronics connector - A 9-pin serial connector - A PS/2 keyboard connector - A power switch and power connector Switches PS/2, Keyboard Interface Parallel Port Serial Port External Label Feed Slot Model No. and Serial No.
Back Panel Switches Any change in switch position is not registered until Power is cycled. Standard Switch Settings Switch Number Function Position Description setting 1 Thermal Transfer Ribbon ON Ribbon is installed. Thermal transfer mode. Enables end-of-ribbon detection. If end-of-ribbon occurs the RIBBON and READY indicators will blink. OFF Ribbon is not installed. Direct thermal. Standard Control Codes ON Alternate control code set is printable OFF Standard control code set.
Switches 6, 7 and 8 are used to determine the printer's Baud Rate.
PS/2 Keyboard I/F The special keyboard interface connector is available on the FM6000 series printers. This is for PS/2 keyboard or barcode reader with keyboard wedge. When this interface is used, using the Centronics or RS-232 communication ports is discouraged. Use of the PS/2 keyboard interface may only be operated in stand-alone mode. The printer can automatically detect the keyboard. But if you use a barcode reader you should set switches 6, 7 and 8 to the ON positions.
COMMAND QUICK REFERENCE This section lists all software commands of the printer. For more information please refer to the Programmer’s Manual. Command Set for PPLA The following commands are for Printer Programming Language A. Note: In this quick reference all variable data is represented in Italics. System Setting Commands These commands will cause the related parameters to be saved in the non-volatile memory, E2PROM.
Interaction Commands Such commands only apply to the serial port and allow the host to understand the status and configuration of the printer.
System Level Commands Command Description a Enable page/job echo characters cxxxx Set continuous paper length and disable edge sensor Dxxxxxxx Memory dump** Exxxx Set copy count for stored label e Enable edge sensor F Feed a page fxxx Back feed from top position G Print stored label I Download graphics Remarks xxxxxxx : memory address in HEX value either PCX, BMP, PCX or HEX format J Set pause for each label j Cancel pause
Formatting Commands Command Description :xxxx Set cut amount An Set print mode n : ‘1’- exclusive, ‘2’ - transparent Cxxxx Set horizontal offset cxx Set cut amount Dwh Set pixel width and height E Form feed and return to system level command mode G Store previous data to global register Sn Retrieve from global register.
Editing Commands Command structure Command function Rthveeeyyyyxxxx Printing text and bar codes Components of command Description Variables R print direction ‘1’,’2’,’3’ or ‘4’ (rotation) t: object type ‘0’ ~ ‘9’ and ‘:’ (fonts), ‘A’ ~ ‘Z’ and ‘a’ ~ ‘z’ (bar codes), ‘X’ (lines or boxes), ‘Y’ (graphics). h width multiplier ‘1’ to ‘9’ and ‘A’ to ’ O’. ‘0’ stands for default. v height multiplier ‘1’ to ‘9’ and ‘A’ to ’ O’, ‘0’ stands for default.
Object L : line Command Structure Lwwwhhh (if t is ‘X’) L : line www : width, hhh : height. lwwwwhhhh (if t is ‘X’) B : box Description wwww : width, hhhh : height.
Font Downloading Commands Such commands are only used for soft fonts with PCL format.
This is a blank page.
PRINTER DRIVER The bundled printer driver is used for applications under Windows 95/98/2000 and Windows NT. You may run any popular software application, such as MS-Word, as long as they are for Windows and printing the contents to the printer through the designated driver. Before starting installation you should: ♦ Check the contents of the driver to ensure it is complete. ♦ Make a backup copy of the driver. ♦ Read the README.TXT file for installation guide and change notices.
Driver Installation ♦ ♦ Windows needs to be running. Insert the appropriate printer driver diskette into the floppy disk drive. 1. Click the “Start” button. 2. Select “Settings”, then “Printers” 3. Double click the “Add Printer” icon. 4. At the Add Printer Wizard, Click “Next”. 5. Specify the “Network” or “Local” button and click the “Next” button. 6. Select “Installation from Floppy Disk” or "Have Disk". 7. Enter the floppy drive and path. A:\WIN95 A:\NT40 A:\WIN98 A:\WIN2000 8.
How to Use the Driver After the driver is installed, you can open the Printer's dialogue box and make parameter settings: Windows 95/98/2000/NT4.0 - Start é Settings é Printers é Printer Name é Properties Parameter setting: After entering the Selected Printer you can change the parameters to meet your configuration and needs. The following Format is from Windows 98.
Details Tab Print to the following port This allows you to select the IO port to link with the printer. The port may be one of parallel (LPT), serial (COM), network port or file. If the communication port is the serial port (COM1: or COM2:), check the baud rate and flow control as they must be consistent between host and printer. The printer’s baud rate is printed on the following the self-test page. The factory default baud rate is 9600.
Paper Paper size Select the label size for your printer. The selected label size may be a little longer than that of the physical label. Orientation Set portrait or landscape according to the print direction.
Paper source Select one of the following items: T/T & Media with Gap T/T & Media with Black Line T/T & Continuous Media D/T & Media with Gap D/T & Media with Black Line D/T & Continuous Media T/T stands for Thermal Transfer (ribbon) mode and D/T for Direct Thermal model (without ribbon). Media choice Set the heat value or darkness from this field. The darkness value ranges from 0 to 15. Copies This function designates the number of printed copies of each page.
Device Options Note: The maximum speed varies depending on model: Fastmark 6000 Series User's Guide 61
This is a blank page.
TROUBLESHOOTING AND MAINTENANCE Troubleshooting Generally, when a malfunction or an abnormal condition occurs, the “READY” LED will keep blinking. Printing and communication between the host and printer will stop. To understand what the problem is you should first check the LED indicators and LCD display on the front panel: After the problems have been solved, press CANCEL to continue printing.
Only the Ready LED blinks LCD display Possible Problems and Solutions Remarks SERIAL IO ERROR . Verify baud rate, format or protocol between host and printer Not Applicable to the Parallel port. . Check switches bits 6, 7 and 8. CUTTER FAILED . Check the media . Check the connection between cutter and main board. Verify switch 3 should be ON for cutter. . Call for service. MEMORY FULL . Check the graphics and soft font Make sure to delete the graphics and formats from host.
Poor printout quality • Verify that the ribbon being used will adequately transfer to the media installed. • The media may be not qualified. • Verify that the media is as expected. Direct Thermal media printed using a ribbon my produce light printing, because of the top coating. • Adjust the Darkness (heat temperature). • Slow down the print speed.
Preventive Maintenance Before performing preventive or any other maintenance be sure to turn off the printer power. Cleaning the Printhead (Thermal Printhead) 1. Turn off the printer, open the covers, Printhead module and remove the ribbon. 2. Rub the printhead with a piece of cotton, which has been moistened with alcohol. 3. Check for any traces of black coloring or adhesive on the cotton after cleaning. 4. Repeat if necessary until the cotton is clean after it is passed over the head.
Cleaning the Platen roller Using cotton swab moistened with alcohol, clean the rolle r. Note: The roller should be cleaned whenever it has been in contact with foreign materials such as dust or adhesives. Cleaning the media compartment Clean the media compartment with cotton, which has been moistened with mild detergent. Every time a media roll is printed this compartment should be cleaned to reduce the incidence dust.
This is a blank page.
Appendix A: Printer Specifications General Specifications Specification Model FM6602 Resolution 203 DPI (8 dots/mm) Print method Direct thermal and thermal transfer Onboard RAM 2MB DRAM 1MB Flash ROM Maximum label roll diameter 8 in. (203 mm) outside diameter 1.5 in. to 3.0 in. (38 mm to 76 mm) inside diameter Label indexing Black stripe, gap, Notch, Continuous Ribbon types Wax, Wax/resin and Resin Ribbon size OD 2.5 in. (75mm) ID 1 in.
Fonts, Bar Codes and Graphics The following fonts and bar codes are currently supported by the FM6602 running in PPLA emulation.
Appendix B: INTERFACE SPECIFICATIONS Introduction This appendix presents the interface specifications of I/O ports for the printer. These specifications include pin assignments, protocols and detailed information about how to properly interface your printer with your host or terminal. Serial The RS-232 connector on the printer side is a female, DB-9.
Connection with host: Host 25S Printer 9P Host 9S Printer 9P (PC or compatible) (PC or compatible) DTR 20 ……….. 1 DSR DTR 4 ……….. 1 DSR DSR 6 ……….. 6 DTR DSR 6 ……….. 6 DTR TX 2 ……….. 2 RX TX 3 ……….. 2 RX RX 3 ……….. 3 TX RX 2 ……….. 3 TX CTS 5 ……….. 7 RTS CTS 8 ……….. 7 RTS RTS 4 ……….. 8 CTR RTS 7 ……….. 8 CTS GND 7 ……….. 5 GND GND 5 ……….. 5 GND Alternatively you can just connect the 3 wires in the following way.
Serial port settings Baud rate: 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200 and 38400. To change the Baud Rate use the switches on the back of the printer. See the Back Panel Switches section for more details. Data format: always 8 data bits, 1 start bit and 1 stop bit. Parity: always no parity Handshaking: XON/XOFF as well as CTS/RTS (hardware flow control).
Parallel (Centronics) The parallel port is a standard 36-pin Centronics. Its pin assignments are listed as following.
Appendix C: PRINTER STATUS LCD display Blinking LED Description PAUSE READY The printer is in a pause state. Press PAUSE or CANCEL to return to normal state. MEDIA OUT MEDIA The media is uninstalled or used up. Load new media to the printer. READY RIBBON OUT RIBBON READY The ribbon is uninstalled or end-of-ribbon occurred. Load new ribbon to the printer. If using Direct Thermal media verify that Switch 1 is off.
Appendix D: ASCII TABLE 0 0 NUL 1 SOH 2 STX 3 1 XON XOFF 4 5 NAK 3 4 5 6 7 0 @ P ` p ! 1 A Q a q “ 2 B R b r # 3 C S c s $ 4 D T d t % 5 E U e u 6 ACK & 6 F V f v 7 BEL ‘ 7 G W g w 8 BS ( 8 H X h x ) 9 I Y i y * : J Z j z + ; K [ k { 9 A LF B 76 2 ESC C FF , < L \ l | D CR - = M ] m } E SO RS .
Appendix E: FONTS AND BAR CODES FOR PPLA Internal Fonts Fonts 0 to 8 have single symbol set. Font 9 Font 9 (ASD smooth font set) includes 8 symbol sets, USASCII, UK, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, and Danish/Norwegian. The sizes are 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 18 points.
Courier Font Set The Courier font set is for PPLA emulation only and is printed at 15 point. It includes Roman-8, PC, PC-A, PC-B, EAMA-94, Legal, Greek and Russian symbol sets.
Internal Bar Codes This PPLA supports 20 one-dimensional bar codes and 2 two dimensional bar codes.
80 User's Guide Fastmark 6000 Series
AMT Datasouth Corp. Corporate Headquarters 4765 Calle Quetzal Camarillo, CA 93012 (805) 388-5799 PH (805) 484-5282 FX Charlotte Operation 4216 Stuart Andrew Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28217 (704) 523-8500 PH (704) 525 6104 FX www.amtdatasouth.
