User`s manual

Port Signals P3xx and P4xx printers have an optional serial port.

Serial equipped printers communicate with the host

over an RS-232C interface using ACK/NAK flow

control. Parallel ports are the standard. P500,

P600, and Max Secure card printers have no serial

option.

Card printers with Parallel Ports communicate with

the host using the following signal lines:

DATA (0~7) Eight bits of parallel data.

STROBE (Pin 1) A host signal that indicates stable data.

ACK/ (Pin 10) A printer signal that indicates data received. The

host drops the STROBE signal in response.

BUSY (Pin 11) A printer signal indicates an inability to accept

commands due to ongoing processing. P500 and

P600 card printers have two processors. A BUSY

response from one processor does not imply a

BUSY at the other processor.

READY (Pin 13) A printer signal that indicate its availability to

receive host commands.

PAPER ERROR (Pin 12)

Card printers report errors to the host by encod-

ing the PAPER ERROR and ERROR lines (see Er-

ror Line Coding below).

ERROR/ (Pin 15) Card printers report errors to the host by encod-

ing the PAPER ERROR and ERROR lines (see Er-

ror Line Coding below).

INIT (Pin 14) Only used by P600 card printers, where a high (1)

directs commands to Module 1 (Master) and a

low (0) directs commands to Module 2 (Slave).

Error Line Coding

Paper Error Error/ Description

No Error

Syntax Error

Ribbon End/Empty Feeder

Mechanical Error

Note: To clear an Error, Send: .↵ (1B 2E 0D Hex)

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