CognitiveTPG Blaster ADVANTAGE BD Series, Blaster ADVANTAGE BT Series Quick Start Manual

QUICK START

WARNING - SHOCK HAZARD and STATICDISCHARGE:

CAUTION - PRINTER SETUP & HANDLING:

Never operate the printer in a location where it can get wet. Personal
injury could result.
The discharge of electrostatic energy that accumulates on the surface of
the human body or other surfaces can damage or destroy the print head
or electronic components used in this device. DONOT TOUCHthe print
head or the electronic components under the print head carriage.

When installing or modifying the printer setup or configuration, ALWAYSTURN
POWEROFF before: (1) connecting any cables, (2) performing any cleaning or
maintenance operations, (3) moving the printer.

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. This equipment generates, uses, and
can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance
with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to
cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the
interference at his own expense.

This class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICS-003 requirements.
Cet appareil numerique de la classe B est conforme a la norme NMB-003 du Canada.

FCC DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY:

INDUSTRY CANADA NOTICE:

Copyright © 2001 Cognitive. Cognitive™ and Blaster ADVANTAGE™ are trademarks of Cognitive.
Other products and corporate names used in this publication may be trademarks or registered
trademarks of other companies and are used only for explanation and to their owner’s benefit,
without intent to infringe. No part of this manual may be reproduced for any purpose or in any
form, including electronic storage and retrieval, without the express permission of Cognitive.

General Mailing Address:

691 Corporate Circle, Golden, CO 80401
Tel: [phone] Toll Free: 800.525.2785
Fax: [phone]
Website: www.cognitive.com
E-mail: [e-mail]

USA Sales

Toll Free: 800.525.2785 Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]

Technical Support

Toll Free: 888.715.7190
E-mail: [e-mail]

Europe

Atlantic Street
Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 5QJ
United Kingdom
Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]

Asia-Pacific

PO Box 677
Level 3, 39 Leighton Place
Hornsby NSW 2077 Australia
Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]

Japan

2-23-2 Higashi-Ikebukuro
Toshima-KU
Tokyo 170 Japan
Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]

MORE INFO

Refer to your CD-ROM for more detailed
information. Refer to the Cognitive web
site for the latest firmware and software
upgrades, including printer drivers.

B
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The self test checks the printer’s overall operability.

IMPORTANT! The printer should be loaded with
media, connected to AC power and turned off.

• Press and hold the FEED button.

• Turn the printer ON while holding the FEED button.
Release the FEED button when self test starts to
print.

• Turn the printer off and on again to return to
normal printing operation.

IMPORTANT! After performing a self test, the printer
is in hexidecimal dump mode and cannot print
normally until you cycle the power.

5

MAINTENANCE (With Every Media Roll)

SUPPLY CORE

Clean the print head A, drive roller B and the index sensors Cand

D with a soft, lint free cloth lightly saturated with 99% isopropyl

alcohol. Press the FEED button to clean all sides of the roller.

CAUTION! Incorrectly cleaning the printer will cause permanent
damage and void the printer’s warranty. Cognitive recommends using
a certified cleaning pen for all your printer’s cleaning requirements, P/N
60-14-00-0002.

Contact Cognitive for all your supply needs, including media and cleaning pens.

SELF TEST

PRINT MODE & INDEX METHOD

This is a Class A product. In a domestic environment this product may cause radio
interference in which case the user may be required to take adequate measures.

T

M

I

All BD and BT models

A

B

C

D

All Blaster ADVANTAGE printer models are manufactured in an ISO 9002
compliant environment.

EUROPEAN COMPLIANCE:

Blaster ADVANTAG

E

Blaster ADVANTAG

EBlaster ADVANTAGE

Thermal transfer printers can operate in direct
thermal or thermal transfer mode and must be set
to the correct print mode for proper results.

All Advantage printers can use black bar, gap or
notch indexing.

Your label printing software should provide the
means to set these parameters. See your software
documentation for details.

Refer to the Cognitive Programmer’s Guideincluded
on the CD ROM to set these parameters using the
Cognitive Programming Language.

The CD ROM includes Windows drivers, label design
software and additional information.

102-101-01 Rev. A April 2001

D

OPEN PRINTHEAD

LOAD RIBBON (Thermal Transfer Only)

LOAD MEDIA

POWER & CABLES

Connect a parallel cable A, serial cable B
or ethernet cable C to the back of the
printer. Connect the power cable Dto
the back of the printer and plug it in.

IMPORTANT! Use only the 19VAC power
supply provided with the printer.

Note: This guide shows a BT4 Ethernet
printer. Your printer may look different, but
the operations are the same.

Open the dust cover. Slide back the black latches to
release the print mechanism. Raise the mechanism to
prepare to load print media or ribbon and to clean
the printer.

Place the loaded media spindle in the printer with the
black guide to the right.
Feed the media under the open print mechanism.

Note: The media spindle should fit securely with the
black guide pressed securely against the media roll.

Unwind a few inches of the new ribbon from the
supply core. Pull gently on the supply core mount
flexible arm and insert the ribbon supply roll.

Lower the print mechanism and press down firmly to
secure latches.

Note:The latches click when properly closed. With the
media and ribbon loaded, the Ready light turns green.

Lift out the media spindle. Load the media
onto the spindle, keeping the black media
guide to the right of the media roll.

IMPORTANT! The imaging surface must
face up as it passes under the print
mechanism.

Turn the ribbon takeup core A(see inset) to align the slotted end with the
takeup mount C. Gently pull the flexible arm out and snap the takeup core
into place.

Note: The printer automatically takes up the slack in the ribbon.

SUPPLY CORE

Turn the printer on A.

1

2 3 4

The Power light Ais green
when ready to print.

The Ready light Cis green
when ready to receive data.

Note: If the Ready light is red, check for printer
error, empty media roll, or paused operation
during batch mode processing.

C

A

B

A

B

C

A

B