FormsMaster 8000 Series High Performance Serial Matrix Printers Operator’s Manual ©Printek, Inc.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A Digital Device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment.
Table of Contents Introduction Models and Options Manual Contents 1 1 Getting Started Installation Interface Set Up Installing The Ribbon Cartridge Why Use Only Printek® Brand Ribbons Ribbon Installation Loading Paper FormsMaster 8000 Single Tractor Model FormsMaster 8003 TriTrak™ Model Printer Self-test 3 4 8 8 10 13 13 14 17 Daily Operation Introduction Control Panel Features LCD Display and Online Indicator Push Buttons Selecting and Loading Forms Selecting a Form Already Loaded in the Tractors Load
Printer Configuration Introduction To Setup 39 Setup Buttons 39 Entering Setup 40 Using the MENU Button 40 Using the SUBMENU Button 40 Using the ITEM and VALUE Buttons 41 Exiting Setup 41 Forms Menu 42 Forms Menu Items 43 Interface Menu 49 Automatic Port Switching 49 RS-232C Serial Interface Items 51 Parallel Interface Items 55 Ethernet 10BaseT LAN Interface Items 57 Coaxial/Twinaxial Interface Items – Coax Configuration59 Coaxial/Twinaxial Interface Items – Twinax Configuration 63 IPDS Coax Interface Items
ANSI X3.
Introduction Thank you for purchasing a Printek FormsMaster 8000 Series Printer. This printer has been designed to provide years of service handling your most demanding printing requirements. The FormsMaster 8000 Series printers offer higher throughput than all other printers in its class. In addition, an easy to use front panel combined with the ability to store ten different form configurations makes handling multiple forms as simple as a button press for the operator.
I N TRO DU CTI O N print with preprinted forms, and causes for common error conditions. • Printer Configuration provides detailed information on how to use Setup to permanently store parameters for each of the ten forms, parameters for the standard and optional interfaces, and parameters for other options. • Specifying Forms provides tips for form construction and layout.
Getting Started This chapter will use the fewest possible steps to get the first time user up and running quickly. You will be guided through the following steps: Finding a suitable location and installing the printer Setting up a host interface if necessary Installing the ribbon cartridge Loading paper Performing a printer self-test INSTALLATION Before installation, a suitable site must be chosen. Suitable sites include offices, computer rooms, and most factory environments.
GETTING STARTED a cable tie that secures the print head carriage (open ribbon lid to access) and two cardboard tubes placed over the tractor shuttle shafts in the FormsMaster 8003 (open paper door on front of unit to access). Next, connect the power cord supplied with the printer to the printer and an appropriate power outlet. Now connect the computer cable(s) to the appropriate interface.
GETTING STARTED The factory default settings for each interface should work well for most installations. However, the following paragraphs provide some basic information about each interface and also refer to the page number in the Configuration chapter where all the details for each interface are described. If you need to make changes to the default settings, please refer to “Introduction to Setup” on page 39 for instructions on how to access the printer’s Setup menus.
GETTING STARTED Parallel Interface This interface uses the standard 36 pin parallel connector as shown below. The default printer emulation is Epson. For a complete description of all the default settings for this interface, refer to page 55.
GETTING STARTED Ethernet 10BaseT This interface uses a standard RJ-45 connector and the default printer emulation is Epson. For a complete description of all the default settings for this interface, refer to page 57. For additional software installation and operational information, please refer to the Axis manuals shipped with the unit (disregard the Axis physical installation information).
GETTING STARTED INSTALLING THE RIBBON CARTRIDGE The Printek FormsMaster printer has been designed to make installing Printek brand ribbons a simple, clean process. Unlike other printers, there is no need to touch the ribbon fabric or deal with difficult to position ribbon guides. The following sections explain why the use of Printek brand ribbons should be important to you and will guide you through installing the ribbon cartridge.
GETTING STARTED Other useful features available only with the use of Printek brand ribbons are that the printer will not allow printing if a ribbon is not installed, and the printer will alert the operator when a ribbon needs to be changed.
GETTING STARTED Ribbon Installation 1. Open the ribbon lid on top of the printer and position the print head for ribbon loading by lifting the ribbon loading handle as indicated in the following picture. Opening the Ribbon Loading Handle 2. Remove the new ribbon from its plastic bag and make sure the ribbon fabric is taut by turning the knob on top of the ribbon cartridge in a counterclockwise direction as indicated by the arrow on the cartridge.
GETTING STARTED 3. With the right hand end of the ribbon tilted down, insert the tab on the end of the cartridge into the opening in the ribbon tray. Installing the Ribbon Cartridge 4. Now lower the left end of the cartridge down while guiding the ribbon fabric between the nose of the print head and the ribbon guide pins. Continue to lower the cartridge until the tab on the left end of the cartridge snaps into place.
GETTING STARTED 5. Finally, lower the ribbon loading handle to its original position. Closing the Ribbon Load Handle 6. Close the ribbon lid on top of the printer.
GETTING STARTED LOADING PAPER When shipped from the factory, the basic configuration for all ten forms is an eleven inch form, six lines per inch, and ten characters per inch. If the forms you are loading do not match these requirements, please refer to the “Printer Configuration” chapter on page 39 and review the “Using Setup” and “Forms Menu” sections. Please refer to the appropriate section below for loading paper in the FormsMaster 8000 or FormsMaster 8003. FormsMaster 8000 Single Tractor Model 1.
GETTING STARTED Note: The left tractor position is not adjustable. If it is necessary to adjust where printing begins, refer to “Aligning Print” in the “Daily Operation” section of this manual. 5. Now position the paper in the right tractor in the same fashion. If necessary, the position of the right tractor may be adjusted. To do so, move the lever on the side of the tractor down to unlock the tractor and slide the tractor sideways on the shafts.
GETTING STARTED FormsMaster 8003 Tractors Loading the Front Tractors 4. Open the doors on each tractor. 5. Feed the paper up through the bottom of the printer and position the holes in the edge of the paper over the pins in the left tractor while making sure that the paper will not extend above the top of the tractors. Then close the tractor door. Note: The left tractor position is not adjustable.
GETTING STARTED Loading the Center Tractors 7. Tilt the front tractors forward by pulling the green lever on the right hand side of the front tractor assembly forward. 8. Repeat steps 4 through 6 above. Front Tractors Tilted Forward for Access to Center Tractors Loading the Rear Tractors 9. Tilt the center tractors forward by pulling the green lever on the center tractor assembly forward. 10.Repeat steps 4 through 6 above. Selecting Which Form to Print 11.Close the paper door. 12.
GETTING STARTED PRINTER SELF-TEST The printer performs many self diagnostics each time power is turned on. If you wish to perform an actual printing test, use the following steps. 1. Make sure the printer is powered on with ribbon and paper loaded. 2. Take the printer off line (the ONLINE indicator will be flashing red). 3. Press the SETUP/MENU button four times to display TEST MENU on the front panel. 4. Press either of the ITEM buttons until Test Mode is displayed on the top line. 5.
Daily Operation INTRODUCTION This chapter describes how to use the “everyday” features of the FormsMaster 8000. The items covered are: Control Panel Features – describes the most commonly used features of the printer’s control panel. Selecting and Loading Forms – describes how to insert paper or forms into the tractors and how to inform the printer of which forms are “loaded”. Ejecting and Tearing Off a Form – describes how to remove printed documents from the printer.
DAI L Y O PERATI O N CONTROL PANEL FEATURES The following picture shows the printer’s control panel. The control panel consists of a two line LCD display, an ONLINE status indicator, nine push button switches or “buttons”, and a speaker.
DAI L Y O PERATI O N Flashing Red: The printer is currently off line and cannot print. This may be due to the operator taking the printer off line or the printer may have detected an error condition, such as running out of paper, which requires operator intervention. If due to an error condition, the cause of the error will periodically be shown on the LCD display. After the cause of an error condition has been resolved, press the ONLINE button to clear the error.
DAI L Y O PERATI O N in order to use the other control panel buttons. This button is also used to place the printer back on line following any error condition (ONLINE indicator is flashing Red), such as paper out. When pressed to go on line, the printer will first attempt to clear any errors. For example, if there is a paper out condition, the printer will attempt to load the form in the currently selected tractors and, if successful, go on line.
DAI L Y O PERATI O N form to the tear bar. FORM SELECT /UNLOAD This button is used to access up to ten different forms which have been previously configured with the Setup menus (see the chapter on Printer Configuration for more information). When this button is pressed, one of two functions will be performed. UNLOAD: • If a form is currently in position to be printed, this button will pull the form down until the top of the form is below the top of the tractors.
DAI L Y O PERATI O N of a button as indicated on the display. The arrows to the side of the number will indicate the direction the print will be moved. To access the vertical adjustment, press either ITEM button. Pressing the VALUE buttons will now move the print up or down on the page by 0.01 inches for each press of a button as indicated on the display. The arrow to the right of the number will indicate the direction the print will be moved.
DAI L Y O PERATI O N SELECTING AND LOADING FORMS Note: A form is not considered “loaded” by merely placing the form in the tractors. To prevent printing on the wrong form, the printer must be made aware of what form(s) are currently loaded. When a new form is placed in the tractors, the form must be “loaded” using the control panel as described in the next section, “Loading a Different Form in the Tractors”.
DAI L Y O PERATI O N 3. Continue to press the FORM SELECT button until the desired form name is shown on the top line of the display. The form name will be FORM 0 through FORM 9 or the actual name of the form if the name has been set in Setup. If the desired form is not considered to be “loaded” by the printer, will flash on the bottom line of the display. In the case of the FormsMaster 8003 the not loaded message will alternate with the path(s) that this form is to be loaded in.
DAI L Y O PERATI O N FormsMaster 8003 with front and center tractors tilted forward. 6. Open the tractor doors and remove the old form.
DAI L Y O PERATI O N 7. If the new form is a different width than the previous form, unlock the right tractor and move it to approximately the new position. Note that the left tractor position is fixed and may not be moved. 8. Place the left edge of the new form in the left tractor with the holes aligned with tractor pins. Make sure that the top edge of the form does not extend above the top of the tractors. Paper positioned in left tractor. 9. Close the left tractor door. 10.
DAI L Y O PERATI O N New form loaded in tractors Informing the Printer That the New Form is Loaded 11.Press the LOAD button. The display will now show that the new form has been “loaded”. 12.If your printer is a FormsMaster 8003 you may repeat the above steps to load additional forms at this time. 13.Close the paper door. 14.Make sure the correct form to be positioned for printing is selected and press either the LOAD button or the ONLINE button.
DAI L Y O PERATI O N EJECTING AND TEARING OFF A FORM When most print jobs complete, they will command the paper to be positioned at the top of the next form so that the printer is ready for the next job. This is, however, dependent solely upon how the programmer chose to write your particular application software. If your software does position the paper at the top of the next form, the printer will automatically position the form at the tear bar as shown in the following picture.
DAI L Y O PERATI O N 1. Make sure the printer is off line (indicator flashes red when off line) by pressing the ONLINE button if necessary. This will prevent the printer from pulling the paper down to start printing the next job while you are tearing off this one. 2. Pull the paper toward the front of the printer and toward one side of the printer as shown. Tearing off a form 3. Place the printer back on line with the ONLINE button (indicator changes to green).
DAI L Y O PERATI O N INSTALLING A NEW RIBBON CARTRIDGE Removing the Old Ribbon Cartridge 1. Open the ribbon lid on top of the printer and position the print head for ribbon loading by lifting the ribbon loading handle as indicated in the following picture.
DAI L Y O PERATI O N 2. Grasp the left end of the ribbon cartridge and lift it up and toward the rear of the printer as shown below Removing the Old Ribbon Cartridge 3. Lift the right end of the ribbon and remove the ribbon from the printer. Installing the New Ribbon Cartridge. Note: The use of Printek brand ribbons is recommended for increased ribbon life and print head life. The use of only Printek brand ribbons is required for the extended print head warranty.
DAI L Y O PERATI O N ALIGNING PRINT When a new form is loaded into the printer for the first time, it may be necessary to adjust where printing begins. This depends upon how the software that controls the printing was written. If the software was written to perform its own character and line spacing relative to the edges of the form, then adjustment may not be necessary. If the print position needs to be adjusted, the following discussion will describe how this is accomplished.
DAI L Y O PERATI O N the print is to be moved from the normal print position. The maximum distance print may be moved is 9.99 inches in either direction. Example In this example, a number needs to be printed in a box on a preprinted form. This form could be a packing list, an invoice, or a check. The first time the page is printed, the number misses the box as shown below. 12345 In this case, the print needs to be moved to the right and down.
DAI L Y O PERATI O N COMMON ERROR CONDITIONS Whenever the printer detects an error condition, it will automatically go off line. User correctable errors are “flashed” on the display. These errors can typically be recovered from without loss of data and are listed in this section of the manual. Other errors which typically result in loss of data are considered fatal errors. These errors display the word ERROR on the top line of the display and do not flash.
DAI L Y O PERATI O N Too Much Paper to Unload This error occurs when the UNLOAD button has been pressed and there is paper present too far beyond the tear bar. This error serves as a warning that you may be putting forms that have already been printed on back into the printer. Tear off any printed forms past the tear bar and press UNLOAD again. This error also occurs if the LOAD button has been pressed and the current form cannot be unloaded.
DAI L Y O PERATI O N Change Ribbon This message is periodically displayed when a ribbon has reached the end of its useful life and indicates that a new Printek ribbon should be installed. This error is merely a reminder to change the ribbon and does not force the printer off line. Other Errors If other errors occur, it is possible that they may not be resolved without the aid of a factory trained service technician. Please refer to the “Maintenance and Troubleshooting” section on page 87.
Printer Configuration INTRODUCTION TO SETUP The FormsMaster 8000 series printers feature simple, easy to use menus for setting the various operating parameters for the printer. The parameters available in these menus usually only need to be set one time, either when the printer is first installed or perhaps when a new form is to be used. These values are stored in nonvolatile memory, which means that they will remain set even if the printer is turned off.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N a “what you see is what you get” basis. This means that whatever value is last displayed for an item is the value that will be saved when Setup mode is exited. Entering Setup To enter Setup, simply take the printer off line and press the SETUP button. The ONLINE indicator will begin to flash yellow and the display will temporarily show the following.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N menus have submenus. If no submenu is available, the bottom line will be blank and the SUBMENU button will not be used. Using the ITEM and VALUE Buttons Once the correct menu and submenu (if available) is selected, pressing either of the ITEM buttons will cause the various items and their current values to be displayed. Note that the items and their values are right justified and are thus controlled by the buttons to the right of the display.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N FORMS MENU Most form printing applications use several different forms such as packing lists, bills of lading, invoices, checks, and green bar paper for reports. Not all of these forms require the same printer settings for things such as font, character size, line spacing, or form length. The FormsMaster 8000 series printers store up to ten complete sets of form parameters including the name of the form.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N Forms Menu Items Form Name Form Name FORM 0 Possible Values: Up to 16 characters of A through Z, Space, 0 through 9 When shipped from the factory, the Form Names will be set to “ FORM 0 ” through “ FORM 9 ”. This name may be changed to any combination of capital letters (A-Z), numerals (0-9), or spaces. The name may be up to 16 characters in length. Entering a name uses the SUBMENU and VALUE buttons.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N next path, or paths, and continue printing until all the specified paths are empty Automatic Cut Automatic Cut No Possible Values: No*, Yes This item is only available when the optional FormsCutter is installed in the printer. When set to Yes, the printer will automatically cut each form at the perforation (based upon the Form Length setting) and eject the form into the paper basket that is installed with the FormsCutter.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N Form Length Form Length 66 Lines Possible Values: 1 … 66* … 227 Lines This item sets the form length in lines at the current line pitch (LPI). For example: for an eleven inch form, enter 66 if you are using six lines per inch or 88 if you are using eight lines per inch. Top Margin Top Margin 0 Lines Possible Values: 0* … 226 Lines This item sets the top margin in lines.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N Characters Per Inch Characters/Inch 10 Possible Values: 10*, 12, 13.3, 15, 16.74, 17.14, 20 This item sets the default character pitch in Characters Per Inch (CPI). (Note that OCR-A and OCR-B characters are only valid at 10 CPI will always print at 10 CPI regardless of this setting.) Left Margin Left Margin Column 0 Possible Values: Column 0* … 268 This item sets the left margin in columns (characters) relative to the left edge of the paper.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N Font Font Epson FX FD Possible Values: Epson FX FD*, DF, LQ; PC English FD, DF, LQ; PC Latin 2 FD, DF, LQ; DEC LA120 FD, DF, LQ; EBCDIC FD, DF, LQ; OCR-A OQ; OCR-B OQ This item selects the default font to be used. Draft Speed Draft Speed Normal Possible Values: Normal*, Fast This item selects whether the Draft Font (DF) or the Fast Draft (FD) font will be selected when the printer receives a “select draft font” command from the host computer.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N feature to work properly. The character substitutions are shown in the following table.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N INTERFACE MENU The Interface Menu may contain several submenus. These submenus are for setting up items pertaining to the hardware interfaces such as the serial and parallel ports as well as the optional character processing interfaces such as the Imager and ImagerPlus.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N In other installations the printer may be attached to two or three computers. This section describes how the printer will automatically switch control of the printer from one hardware interface port to another. Note that since any one of these ports can become active at any time, items which pertain to each port need to be set up as described in the following sections. Ports that will not be used (not installed or not connected to a computer) do not need to be set up.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N same for more than one interface since the computer attached to that interface may have different requirements for each of those items. The factory default values are indicated with an asterisk (*) in this manual (the asterisk does not appear on the printer’s display). RS-232C Serial Interface Items INTERFACE MENU Serial Emulation Emulation Epson Possible Values: Epson*, IBM Proprinter, DEC LA120, TTY, Printek, ANSI X3.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N Off Possible Values: Off*, On This item enables or disables automatic Line Feeds (LF) when a Carriage Return (CR) is received. Perform Host Form Feed at Top-of-Form Host FF at TOF No Possible Values: No*, Yes This item selects whether Form Feeds (FF) will be performed when received from the host computer if the paper is already positioned at the top of form (TOF). Setting this item to No will help prevent blank pages.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N Baud Rate Baud Rate 9600 Possible Values: 110, 150, 300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600*, 19200 This item selects the baud rate for the serial interface. This must be set to match the baud rate setting on the host computer. Data Bits Data Bits 8 Possible Values: 8*, 7 This item selects the number of data bits in the serial character frame. This must be set to match the character size setting on the host computer.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N Low Possible Values: Low*, High This item selects the polarity of the busy signal (pin 11 of the RS-232C interface). Busy is set whenever the printer is offline, the serial input buffer is full, or another interface port is currently active (see “Automatic Port Switching” earlier in this section).
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N Possible Values: Off*, On Enables or disables the ACK response to receipt of the ETX character. This handshake method is useful for conditions where there are long transmission line delays such as telephone lines which may be routed through satellites. An ACK character will be returned to the host computer after an ETX character is received and processed. ETX characters used for handshaking cannot be part of an escape sequence.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N Possible Values: Off, On* This item enables or disables automatic Carriage Returns (CR) whenever a Line Feed (LF), Vertical Tab (VT), or Form Feed (FF) is received. Automatic Line Feed Auto LF Off Possible Values: Off*, On This item enables or disables automatic Line Feeds (LF) when a Carriage Return (CR) is received.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N Possible Values: No*, Yes This item selects whether the minimum I/O buffer size should be used. Setting this item to No will allow the printer to make maximum use of the I/O buffer (see “Paper Out Fault” on page 80 for more information on buffer size). Setting this to Yes may decrease performance, but is useful when using the printer with operating systems that try to keep track of which page is currently being printed by the printer.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N Possible Values: Off, On* This item enables or disables automatic Carriage Returns (CR) whenever a Line Feed (LF), Vertical Tab (VT), or Form Feed (FF) is received. Automatic Line Feed Auto LF Off Possible Values: Off*, On This item enables or disables automatic Line Feeds (LF) when a Carriage Return (CR) is received.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N Possible Values: No*, Yes This item selects whether the minimum I/O buffer size should be used. Setting this item to No will allow the printer to make maximum use of the I/O buffer (see “Paper Out Fault” on page 80 for more information on buffer size). Setting this to Yes may decrease performance, but is useful when using the printer with operating systems that try to keep track of which page is currently being printed by the printer.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N This item selects whether the maximum print position is column 132 or if no maximum position is enforced. Maximum Print Line Max Print Line 66 Possible Values: 66*, None This item selects whether the maximum print line is line 66 or if no maximum position is enforced. Form Feed After Local Copy FF on Local Copy Enable Possible Values: Enable*, Disable This item selects whether a form feed will automatically be performed after a local copy operation.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N This item selects whether a form feed will automatically be performed after an End Of Message is received. Paper Error Reporting Paper Err Report Disable Possible Values: Enable, Disable* This item selects whether paper errors will be reported to the host.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N Possible Values: Disable (NUL=SP)*, Enable This item selects whether NUL characters will suppressed or converted to spaces. Host Character Pitch Control Host CPI Control Enable Possible Values: Enable*, Disable This item selects whether the host is able to control the character pitch (Characters Per Inch) or if it is controlled only by the printer Setup menus.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N Possible Values: 4K*, 2K This item selects the input buffer size. Display Screen Size Display Size 1920 Possible Values: 1920*, 2560, 3440, 3564, 920 This item selects the display screen size. Test Mode Test Mode Off Possible Values: Off*, EBCDIC Code Dump, Loopback This item selects the test mode within the CX/TX interface. When set to Off, the printer will operate normally.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N INTERFACE MENU Twinax When the optional Coax/Twinax Interface is installed, the printer will automatically determine which of these two interfaces are being used by sensing which adapter cable is attached to the printer at power on. If the Twinax Smart-T adapter is attached, the following Setup items will be displayed. If you are using the printer in a Coax Configuration, refer to the previous section of this chapter.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N Austria/Germany Belgium Brazil Canadian French Denmark/Norway Finland/Sweden Japan (English) Japan (Katakana) Portuguese Spain Spanish Speaking United Kingdom This item selects the default character translation. Logical Not Character Logical Not Char 5E Hex Possible Values: 5E Hex (caret ^), E1 Hex (not symbol ¬) This item selects which character is actually printed when a logical not character is received (Shift-6 on most keyboards).
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N This item selects whether the host is able to control the line pitch (Lines Per Inch) or if it is controlled only by the printer Setup menus. Host Form Length Control Host Form Length Enable Possible Values: Enable*, Disable This item selects whether the host is able to control the form length or if it is controlled only by the printer Setup menus.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N IPDS Coax Interface Items INTERFACE MENU IPDS Coax Maximum Print Position Max Print Pos 132 Possible Values: 132*, None This item selects whether the maximum print position is column 132 or if no maximum position is enforced. Carriage Return Received at MPP+1 CR at MPP+1 CR Possible Values: CR*, NL This item selects whether a Carriage Return received at MPP+1 will cause only a Carriage Return or a New Line (Carriage Return and Line Feed) to be performed.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N This item selects whether a New Line received at MPP+1 will cause one or two New Lines to be performed. Maximum Print Line Max Print Line 66 Possible Values: 66*, None This item selects whether the maximum print line is line 66 or if no maximum position is enforced. Form Feed After Local Copy FF on Local Copy Enable Possible Values: Enable*, Disable This item selects whether a form feed will automatically be performed after a local copy operation.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N This item selects whether a form feed will automatically be performed after an End Of Message is received. Form Feed Operation FF Operation FF Possible Values: FF, FF + Space* This item selects whether only a Form Feed or a Form Feed and a Space will be performed when a Form Feed character is received. Paper Error Reporting Paper Err Report Disable Possible Values: Enable, Disable* This item selects whether paper errors will be reported to the host.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N Possible Values: 5E Hex (caret ^), E1 Hex (not symbol ¬) This item selects which character is actually printed when a logical not character is received (Shift-6 on most keyboards). Null Suppression (LU-3) NUL Supp (LU-3) Disable (NUL=SP) Possible Values: Disable (NUL=SP)*, Enable This item selects whether NUL characters will suppressed or converted to spaces.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N Possible Values: 4K*, 2K This item selects the input buffer size. Display Screen Size Display Size 1920 Possible Values: 1920*, 2560, 3440, 3564, 920 This item selects the display screen size. Test Mode Test Mode Off Possible Values: Off*, EBCDIC Code Dump, Loopback This item selects the test mode within the CX/TX interface. When set to Off, the printer will operate normally.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N IPDS Twinax Interface Items Note: The Twinax Address is selected by using the rotary switch on the back of the printer next to the 15 pin “D” connector where the twinax Smart-T adapter is connected.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N Host Bin Select Host Bin Select Enable Possible Values: Enable*, Disable This item selects whether the host is able to change bin (form) selections or if it is controlled only by the printer control panel. Test Mode Test Mode Off Possible Values: Off*, EBCDIC Code Dump, Loopback This item selects the test mode within the CX/TX interface. When set to Off, the printer will operate normally.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N Imager and ImagerPlus Interface Items INTERFACE MENU Imager or INTERFACE MENU ImagerPlus The printer will automatically display Imager or ImagerPlus as shown above based upon which interface is installed. The descriptions in this manual are brief. For more information, please refer to the appropriate Imager or ImagerPlus manual.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N Line Terminator Line Terminator LF Possible Values: LF*, CR This item sets the line terminating character to a Line Feed or a Carriage Return. Bar Code Density Bar Code Density High-Res Possible Values: Low-Res, Medium-Res, High-Res*, Graphics Med-Res This item sets the density, or graphics resolution, for bar codes.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N ^F Free Format Mode (QMS CodeV v2 and PTX CodeV v2 only) ^F Free Format Not Active Possible Values: Not Active*, Active This item selects whether or not the Free Format Mode is active in Filter Mode. ^ X Ignore Data Mode (QMS CodeV v2 and PTX CodeV v2 only) ^X Ignore Data Not Active Possible Values: Not Active*, Active This item selects whether data will be ignored until a ^A is received.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N This item sets the vertical resolution to 72 or 70 Dots Per Inch. Vertical Text Spacing (QMS CodeV v2 and PTX CodeV v2 only) Vertical Text SP Version 2 Possible Values: Version 2*, Version 1 This item selects whether text should be spaced vertically as in Code V version 1 or version 2. Code V Space Fields (QMS CodeV v2 and PTX CodeV v2 only) CodeV SP Fields Process Possible Values: Process*, Ignore This item selects whether Code V space fields should be processed.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N Quiet Mode (Printronix IGP only) Quiet Mode Not Active Possible Values: Not Active*, Active This item selects whether or not the quiet mode is active at power on. Spacing Mode (Printronix IGP only) Possible Values: IGP 10/20/40*, IGP 30 This item selects the Spacing mode.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N OPTIONS MENU The OPTIONS MENU contains items which do not pertain only to a specific form or specific interface, but rather affect how the printer works under all conditions. To access the options menu, enter Setup and then press MENU until OPTIONS MENU is displayed OPTIONS MENU Note that the options menu has no submenus. Therefore, press either of the ITEM buttons to begin displaying the items available.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N to the Form Length setting for the current form) has been reached. If printing finishes and the form boundary has not been reached, take the printer off line and the FORM FEED button may be used to advance the form to the tear bar. This item may also be used to disable Auto-Scroll by setting the value to Off. When disabled, the FORM FEED button must always be used to advance the form to the tear bar.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N When Break Page is selected, the printer will stop printing and go off line as soon as a paper out or paper jam condition is detected. After a new box of forms is loaded, printing will resume where it left off. The Break Page setting is appropriate when you know a page is too large to reprint (exceeds available buffer size, e.g. contains large graphic images). This will suppress the error message Cannot Reprint before printing continues.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N 124. Note that turning this feature off while still using Printek brand ribbons will not affect the extended warranty. Ribbon Life Ribbon Life 23 Million Chars Possible Values: 5 … 23* … 30 Million Chars This item sets the number of “draft equivalent” characters to be printed before the Change Ribbon message is displayed. “Draft equivalent” is an indication of the average density, or number of dots, in a draft font character.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N Next press either of the ITEM buttons to access the test modes available. Print the Menus Print the Menus No Possible Values: No*, Menu Tree, Current Values, Both This item may be used to print the entire menu tree or a list of current values. Menu Tree will print all possible items in the menu and the possible values for each. This may be useful in case this manual is misplaced or the printer is upgraded to a newer version of firmware.
PRI N TER CO N F I G U RATI O N When set to Hex Dump, the printer will print all received data in a special debug format which may be used by programmers to solve software problems. For more information, refer to the Hex Dump section of the FormsMaster 8000 series Programmer’s Manual. When set to Remote Setup, the printer is ready to receive a configuration setup file. See “Using Remote Setup” on page 91.
Form Construction and Layout Tips FORM CONSTRUCTION Although the FormsMaster 8000 series printers have been designed to handle difficult forms, you may come across a form that does not feed reliably or provide adequate print quality on all copies. One of the main causes of paper misfeeds is a form that is “tented”. Tenting is a tent-like bulge at the perforation when forms are unfolded from the box. The printer allows a maximum form thickness of 0.025 inches, which a badly tented form may exceed.
SPECI F YI N G F O RM S misalignment will cause characters to be printed on at least one of the lines that form the box. While the print alignment can be adjusted on the FormsMaster 8000 series printer to 1/100th of an inch, this is often too much to expect of the forms manufacturer. Where the preprinted information is placed in respect to the tractor holes on the form often varies on every other form in a single box of forms, or from one box of forms to the next.
Maintenance and Troubleshooting ERROR MESSAGES This section provides a partial list of fatal errors. Fatal errors typically cannot be recovered from without the loss of data. In each case, ERROR is shown on the top line of the display and one of the following messages is shown on the bottom line. Suggested solutions for each of these messages are listed to the right of each error message in the table which follows.
M AI N TEN AN CE AN D TRO U BL ESH O O TI N G Solution I/O Overflow Make sure handshaking parameters set in the printer and at the host computer match each other. Make sure interface cables are wired correctly. I/O Parity Error Make sure parity setting in the printer and at the host computer match each other. I/O Error Make sure any optional interface is installed properly. PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE Very little preventive maintenance is required by your FormsMaster 8000 series printer.
Advanced Setup Features SECURITY MENU The SECURITY MENU is for Information System managers who want to be able to set up a printer and then “lock out” operator changes to the various menus. This method of security may be set independently for the Align Print, the Forms menu, the Interface menu, or the Options menu. When set to Edit Allowed, the user is allowed to make changes to any item in the menu selected. When set to View, the operator can look at the settings, but cannot edit, or change the values.
ADVAN CED SETU P F EATU RES Forms Menu Forms Menu Edit Allowed Possible Values: Edit Allowed, View Only, Initialize This item selects whether items in the FORMS MENU can be edited or only viewed by the operator. Initialize will reset the value of all the items for all forms to factory default values. Interface Menu Interface Menu Edit Allowed Possible Values: Edit Allowed, View Only, Initialize This item selects whether items in the INTERFACE MENU can be edited or only viewed by the operator.
Using Remote Setup The FormsMaster 8000 Series printers may be completely configured for operation by using the front panel buttons to access the printer setup menus. In addition, many of the items that can be configured via the front panel setup menus can also be configured remotely as described in this chapter. Remote setup commands are placed in a remote setup file on a host computer. This file may then be sent to the printer.
ADVAN CED SETU P F EATU RES Before sending the remote setup file to the printer, minimal setup is required via the front panel setup menus. The I/O interface to be used for remote setup must be configured appropriately to communicate with the host system, and the "Test Mode" item in the "TEST MENU" must be set to "Remote Setup". After this is done, the printer will reset, beep the bell to alert the operator, and display the message "Waiting For Remote Setup".
Remote Setup Line Definitions [BeginPrintekSetup] AlignPrint=FactoryDefaults Forms=FactoryDefaults Interfaces=FactoryDefaults Options=FactoryDefaults Security=FactoryDefaults [Form0] ... [Form9] MovePrintLeft=0.00 ... 9.99 MovePrintRight=0.00 ... 9.99 MovePrintUp=0.00 ... 9.99 MovePrintDown=0.00 ... 9.99 FormName="UPTO16CHARACTERS" TractorPath=Front,Center,Rear,Center+Rear, Front+Center+Rear AutomaticCut=No,Yes LinesPerInch=6,8 FormLength=1 ... 227 TopMargin=0 ... 226 BottomMargin=0 ...
ADVAN CED SETU P F EATU RES AutoCR=Off,On AutoLF=Off,On HostFFatTOF=No,Yes Characters=Control,Printable MinimumBuffer=No,Yes BaudRate=110,150,300,600,1200,2400, 4800,9600,19200 DataBits=8,7 StopBits=1,2 Parity=None,Even,Odd BusyPolarity=Low,High DTR=Power,Online,Busy XON/XOFF=Off,On ETX/ACK=Off,On [ParallelInterface] Emulation=ANSI_X3.
[CoaxInterface] PrinterEmulation=3287,3262 MaxPrintPosition=132,None MaxPrintLine=66,None FFonLocalCopy=Enable,Disable FFValid=Anywhere,Column1orMPP+1 FFatEOM=Disable,Enable PaperErrorReport=Disable,Enable CharacterSet=Multinational,USA,Austria/Germany, Belgium,Brazil,CanadianFrench, Denmark/Norway,Finland/Sweden,France, Italy,Japan(English),Japan(Katakana), Portuguese,Spain,SpanishSpeaking, UnitedKingdom LogicalNotCharacter=5Eh,E1h NULSuppression=Disable,Enable HostCPIControl=Enable,Disable HostLPIControl=
ADVAN CED SETU P F EATU RES [IPDS-CoaxInterface] MaxPrintPosition=132,None CRatMPP+1=CR,NL NLatMPP+1=NL,2xNL MaxPrintLine=66,None FFonLocalCopy=Enable,Disable FFValid=Anywhere,Column1orMPP+1 FFatEOM=Disable,Enable FFOperation=FF,FF+Space PaperErrorReport=Disable,Enable CharacterSet=Multinational,USA,Austria/Germany, Belgium,Brazil,CanadianFrench, Denmark/Norway,Finland/Sweden,France,Italy, Japan(English),Japan(Katakana),Portuguese, Spain,SpanishSpeaking,UnitedKingdom LogicalNotCharacter=5Eh,E1h NULSuppres
QMSCharacterSet=USA,UnitedKingdom, Sweden/Finland,Norway/Denmark,Japan, Germany,France,Italy,Spain,PCSubset, CodeVVersion1 Translation=NotActive,Active FreeFormat=NotActive,Active IgnoreData=NotActive,Active ImagerZero=Slashed,Normal LineRegistration=NotMaintained,Maintained VerticalDPI=72,70 VerticalTextSpacing=Version2,Version1 CodeVSpaceFields=Process,Ignore IGPCharacterSet=ASCII,Germany,Sweden,Denmark, Norway,Finland,English,Dutch, France,Spain,Italy,Turkey DeleteLogos=No,Yes QuietMode=NotActive,Active
ADVAN CED SETU P F EATU RES The first form will begin printing one line from the top-of-form, be named “CHECKS”, have a form length of 42 lines (7 inches at 6 LPI), and use the Epson FX Draft font. The second form will begin printing two characters (at 10 CPI) from the left edge and two lines (at 6 LPI) from the top edge of the form. The name will be “INVOICES” and will print using the Epson FX Draft font. The third form will begin printing two lines (at 8 LPI) from the top edge of the form.
Using the Optional Setup Module Introduction The optional Setup Module is a small cartridge that plugs directly into the RS-232 Serial connector on the rear of any FormsMaster 8000 series printer. This module is used to store a second copy of the current Setup configuration of the printer. This may then be used to restore settings after a printer is serviced or to copy the same configuration settings to another printer. These uses are discussed immediately following the installation instructions.
USING THE O PTI O N AL SETUP M O DU L E Initializing Setup Module 7. The printer will now compare the configuration data in its internal memory to the data in the Setup Module. If the data are not an exact match, the printer will proceed with step 8. If the data in the printer and the data in the module are an exact match, installation is complete and the printer will complete its power up procedure. 8.
USING THE O PTI O N AL SETUP M O DU L E If you wish to copy the Setup data to the Setup Module from the printer, press the button indicated by the arrow next to Copy to Module (the ALIGN PRINT button). The printer will display the next message and the Setup Module will now contain a copy of the Setup information in the printer.
USING THE O PTI O N AL SETUP M O DU L E Using the Setup Module to Copy Setup Data From One Printer to Another This use of the Setup Module is beneficial when installing or updating several printers that need to be configured exactly the same. To do this, you will need to perform the installation procedure once for each printer. First, install the Setup Module on the printer where the Setup data is to be copied from.
USING THE O PTI O N AL SETUP M O DU L E 103
Printer Reset Conditions The following list describes conditions that are assumed whenever power is applied to the printer, changes have been made in SETUP, or a reset escape sequence is received (when the printer is operating in an emulation mode that supports such a sequence). This list includes all variables that you can modify for all emulations, even though some emulations cannot modify all of the variables shown. Refer to the appropriate section of this manual for the emulation you are using.
Control Code and Escape Sequence Summaries ANSI X3.
CO N TRO L VTS 108 CO DES AN D ESCAPE SEQ U EN CES Set Vertical Tab Stop
CO N TRO L CO DES AN D ESCAPE SEQ U EN CES EPSON FX EMULATION BEL BS CAN CR DC2 DC3 DC4 DEL ESC ! n ESC # ESC $ n1 n2 ESC * m n1 n2 data ESC - n ESC 0 ESC 1 ESC 2 ESC 3 n ESC 4 ESC 5 ESC 6 ESC 7 ESC < ESC = ESC > ESC @ ESC A n ESC B n1 n2 ... nx NUL ESC C NUL n ESC C n ESC D n1 n2 ...
CO N TRO L CO DES AN D ESCAPE SEQ U EN CES EPSON FX EMULATION (CONT.
CO N TRO L CO DES AN D ESCAPE SEQ U EN CES IBM PROPRINTER EMULATION BEL BS CAN CR DC2 DC4 ESC - n ESC 0 ESC 1 ESC 2 ESC 3 n ESC 4 ESC 5 n ESC 6 ESC 7 ESC : ESC A n ESC B n1 n2 ... nx NUL ESC C NUL n ESC C n ESC D n1 n2 ...
CO N TRO L CO DES AN D ESCAPE SEQ U EN CES IBM PROPRINTER EMULATION (CONT.
CO N TRO L CO DES AN D ESCAPE SEQ U EN CES LA-120 EMULATION BEL BS CR CSI DEL ESC ( a ESC 1 ESC 2 ESC 3 ESC 4 ESC D ESC E ESC ESC n ESC H ESC J ESC [ ESC [ n ` ESC [ n a ESC [ c ESC [ 0 c ESC [ n d ESC [ n e ESC [ g ESC [ 0 g ESC [ 1 g ESC [ 2 g ESC [ 3 g ESC [ 4 g ESC [ 20 h ESC [ 20 l ESC [ n m ESC [ n1 ; n2 ESC [ n1 ; n2 ESC [ n t ESC [ n1 ; n2 ESC [ n1 ; n2 ESC [ n w ESC [ n z ETX FF HT HTS r s ; ... nx u ; ...
CO N TRO L CO DES AN D ESCAPE SEQ U EN CES LA-120 EMULATION (CONT.
CO N TRO L CO DES AN D ESCAPE SEQ U EN CES SIMPLE TTY EMULATION BEL BS CR ESC ESC n ETX FF HT LF VT Bell Backspace Carriage Return Select Software Interface n End of Text Form Feed Horizontal Tab Line Feed Vertical Tab 115
CO N TRO L CO DES AN D ESCAPE SEQ U EN CES PRINTEK EMULATION BEL BS CR DC3 ESC # m n1 n2 data ESC % ESC * m n1 n2 data ESC @ ESC A n ESC B n ESC C ESC D n ESC E n ESC ESC n ESC F n ESC FF n ESC G n ESC H n1 n2 ESC HT n1 n2 ... nx NUL ESC I n ESC L n ESC LF n ESC Q n ESC R ESC S n ESC SP n ESC U n ESC V n1 n2 ESC VT n1 n2 ...
ASCII Character Tables Epson FX Font Character Set 117
ASCI I CH ARACTER TABL ES PC Font Character Set EBCDIC Font Character Set 118
ASCI I CH ARACTER TABL ES PC Latin 2 (Slavic) Font Character Set OCR-A Font Character Set 119
ASCI I CH ARACTER TABL ES OCR-B Font Character Set 120
Specifications PRINT SPEEDS Text Modes Fast Draft Draft Fast Draft High Impact Draft High Impact Letter Quality Optical Quality Speed 800 cps 600 cps 400 cps 300 cps 150 cps 100 cps Graphics Modes 8 Wire Graphics 8 Wire Fast Graphics 9 Wire Graphics 9 Wire Fast Graphics Speed (up to) * 19,200 dps 25,600 dps 21,600 dps 28,800 dps CHARACTER MATRIX Fast Draft 7x9 in 9x9 cell. Draft 9x9 in 12x9 cell. Letter Quality 18x18 in 24x18 cell. Optical Quality 27x18 in 36x18 cell.
SPECI F I CATI O N S CHARACTER SETS Epson FX fast draft, draft and letter quality. IBM Proprinter fast draft, draft and letter quality. EBCDIC fast draft, draft and letter quality. Latin II (Slavic) fast draft, draft, and letter quality. OCR-A optical quality. OCR-B optical quality. CHARACTER SPACING 5, 6, 6.7, 7.5, 8.4, 8.6, 10, 12, 13.3, 15, 16.7, 17.1, and 20 cpi. * LINE SPACING 6 lpi, 8 lpi, or programmable in 1/216th or 1/288th of an inch. * LINE LENGTH 13.6 inches.
SPECI F I CATI O N S 23,000,000 character, mobius loop cartridge. SPECIAL FORMS HANDLING FEATURES Print up to six part forms (.025" maximum thickness). Easy access to tractors. Front panel and host form selection. Automatic head gap. Paper out sensing. Paper motion sensing. Paper edge sensing. Page reprint. Automatic path switching for same form in more than one path. Nonvolatile memory for ten form setups.
SPECI F I CATI O N S OPERATOR CONTROLS/INDICATORS Normal Operating Mode Indicators: Online/Status LED; 2x16 character LCD for current form selection (and paper path in FormsMaster 8003), on/off line status and error descriptions. Controls: Online, Form Feed/Load, Form Select/Unload, Align Print, and enter Setup. Setup Mode Indicators: Online/Status LED indicates Setup mode is active. Controls: Menu, Submenu, Items, Values.
SPECI F I CATI O N S Power requirements: 120 VAC ±10%, 60Hz. Power consumption:60 W non-printing, 225 W printing. Heat Output: 205 Btu/Hr. Idle, 768 Btu/Hr. Printing. Audible noise: ≤55 dBA when used with a Printek FormsMaster 8000 print stand.. Operating Temperature: 50°F to 95°F. Relative Humidity: 20% to 80% non-condensing. Physical Size: 11.8" High x 26.25" Wide x 20.5" Deep. Weight: 63 lbs (74 lbs shipping).
Glossary of Terms ANSI American National Standards Institute. ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchange. baud rate The bit rate at which characters are transmitted over a serial interface. binary Base two numbering system. Digits are represented by the characters 0 and 1. bit A single binary digit. control code A single, non-printing character which is used to control the configuration or operation of the printer. character pitch The horizontal spacing of characters.
G L O SSARY escape sequence String of characters beginning with the escape (ESC) character which is used to control the configuration or operation of the printer. The characters which are part of this string are not printed. fast draft Refers to the fast draft font. FD Fast Draft. font A group of characters of a given shape or style. FormsMaster A superior line of serial matrix printers. hexadecimal Base sixteen numbering system.
G L O SSARY online Refers to the state of the printer when the ONLINE indicator is solid green and the printer able to respond to the commands and text received from the host computer. OQ Optical Quality. parity A method used for detecting errors within a single character transmitted or received via an interface. reset Initialization of various operating parameters of the printer to the value or state assumed when the printer is powered on (default value).
