DP-510 and DP-520 Operators Manual Dascom Part Number 5206788 Rev A
Table Of Contents Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................1 Notes on Printer Firmware Revisions (Including Flash) .............................................................................................1 Copyright Notice And Disclaimer...............................................................................................................................
INTRODUCTION This document is an Operator’s Manual, written for the person connecting and using the Dascom DP-510 and DP520 thermal printers. Please read this document carefully before making any connection. A separate Programmer’s Manual provides details of the control codes, and describes the internal operation of this product. NOTES ON PRINTER FIRMWARE REVISIONS (INCLUDING FLASH) Dascom reserves the right to modify and improve the firmware in its printer products at any time.
MODES OF OPERATION The printer has three operating modes when not actually printing: "Idle Mode": ready to accept data, but no data are in the buffer awaiting printing, and the printer is not printing; “Sleep Mode": effectively switched off; "Spooling Mode": active, but storing data for later printing. Modes are indicated by different color combinations on the front-panel Status Indicator. No light is emitted in sleep mode.
SPOOLING MODE In spooling mode, data are received and stored, but not printed. This is useful when printing needs to be suppressed during data transfer (for example in mobile radio systems); or when the printer is unable to print because the paper has run out or the lid is open. The printer will automatically enter spooling mode when the paper is out, when the paper lid is open, if some other error condition occurs, or alternatively by command from the host.
BATTERY PACKS OVERVIEW OF BATTERY OPERATION The printer is normally supplied with a standard 1.8Ah NiMH battery pack. The primary power for the printer comes from the battery pack. The printer can operate with or without a charger connected. If required, the charger can be operated continuously to keep the battery fully charged, although a high printing duty cycle may reduce the charge in the battery. Operation from the charger alone is not possible: a battery pack must always be installed.
BATTERY PACK HANDLING PRECAUTIONS WARNING! Battery Handling Precautions The battery pack contains an internal safety fuse, but the user must take care to avoid short-circuiting the contacts by preventing them from touching any metallic object. For example, the battery pack should never be carried loose in a pocket where it could rub against coins, keys or other metallic objects.
PAPER Pressing the paper feed button when the printer is idle advances paper at typically two inches per second, depending on the battery voltage. However, the paper feed button has several additional functions: A single press and release of the button: in idle or spooling mode, advances paper; in sleep mode, wakes up the printer into idle mode; "Double-clicking" the button: (i.e.
STATUS INDICATIONS The Status Indicator at the front of the printer has a number of color combinations, which repeat in up to a 4-phase pattern to provide status information (see table below). In summary, if the indicator is constant green it indicates that the printer is operating normally from its battery pack. Flashing on and off indicates that Spooling mode is active and no printing can take place. Orange advises the battery is being charged. Red warns of a low battery or other problem.
PRINTER OPERATION AND PROGRAMMING The DP-510 and DP-520 printers utilize a Fujitsu FTP-628MCL103 printer mechanism, with a fixed (parallel) print head with 384 horizontally-arranged thermal elements. The paper is advanced by a stepper motor, and printing takes place in a single dot row for each step of the paper. Each printed dot is approximately 0.005” square. The printing speed and dot density are controlled according to the battery voltage and the head temperature.
INTERFACE DETAILS RS-232 SERIAL INTERFACE (APPLIES TO ALL MODELS) All DP-510 and DP-520 printers have an industry standard RS-232 interface. The default parameters are 9600 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit and no parity. Other baud rates can be programmed by control codes, or by using a setup utility. Contact Dascom Technical Support for information regarding the setup utility.
There is no facility to wake the printer over the Bluetooth link. The printer must be awake before a Bluetooth link may be established and any data can be transferred to it via the Bluetooth interface. Because of this, the default Sleep Period for the Bluetooth models is extended to 4 minutes.
CONNECTIONS AND EMC PRECAUTIONS CONNECTOR DETAILS The printer has two user connectors shown below: Pin 1 Charger Input RJ12 Combined Data Socket CONNECTOR PINOUTS Charger Input Socket Detail Pin Inner Outer Dimension (mm) Inside Ø 2.5 Outside Ø 5.5 Function Positive / Charger Input Negative / 0V Common The maximum insertion length is 12 mm.
DB-9 Pin 3 2 4 6&8 5 Name TxD RxD DTR CTS & DSR SGND Description (refers to PC) Serial Data Output Serial Data Input Handshaking Output Busy Input Signal Common 0V RJ12 Pin 3 4 2 5 6 The wake-up input (pin 2 of the RJ12) can be driven by a normal RS-232 handshaking output and activates the printer when a positive voltage ('space' condition) is asserted. Connecting it to the PC DTR signal wakes the printer when the COM port is 'opened'.
WALL AND BELT MOUNTING INSTRUCTIONS A combined bracket/clip suitable for attaching the printer to a wall or belt is available The bracket snaps into the bottom of the printer, and when used to clip to a belt, it may be secured by using the supplied extended screw (replaces the battery compartment screw). Prior to use, two small 'break-outs' must be removed from the battery cover of the printer as shown below: Remove the two 'break-outs' using a small screwdriver.
Getting Started You may find that you can connect the printer to your Personal Computer (PC), and everything works perfectly the first time. However, there are many variables, and the following guide may help if you find you need some assistance. These are only suggestions, and may not work with all PC’s. Connecting to a PC – A Checklist First, MAKE SURE THE PRINTER IS OPERATIONAL Make sure that the battery pack is connected.
A Windows driver specifically written for the printer is available and can be downloaded from www.Dascom.com. It may be necessary to adjust some settings in your Application to produce the desired result. It is important to recognize that other Windows printer drivers, even for ESCPOS compatible printers, may not work with the DP-510 or DP-520, as they format everything as dot graphics patterns, in a way which is unique to each kind of printer.
