Dascom LA48N, LA48W User Manual

User guide LA48N LA48W Matrix printer

TRADEMARK ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• Centronics is a trademark of Centronics Data Computer Corporation.

• IBM and IBM PC are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation.

• Microsoft, Windows, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows 2003 Server, Windows XP
and Windows Vista are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

• PostScript is a trademark of Adobe Systems Inc.

• DEC is a trademark of Digital Equipment Corporation

• Epson is a registered trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation

• All other brand or product names are trademarks of their respective companies or organizations.

Table of contents

Table of contents

Introduction 1-1

1

Features 1-1

Consumables 1-2

2 Setting up the printer 2-1

Selecting a location 2-1

Unpacking the printer 2-2

Assembling the printer 2-4

Installing the Cut Sheet Stand 2-4
Installing the Ribbon Cartridge 2-5

Getting acquainted with your printer 2-8

Connecting the power cord 2-9

Connecting the printer to your computer 2-11

Selecting a Parallel Interface Cable 2-11
Selecting a Serial Interface Cable 2-11
Selecting a USB Cable 2-12
Connecting the Interface Cable 2-12
Removing the shutter 2-14
Attaching the shutter 2-14

Selecting an emulation 2-15

Operations of the control panel 2-18

Control panel indicators and buttons 2-18
Basic states of the printer 2-18
Control Panel Operations 2-20
Printer Acoustical Feedbacks 2-22

I

Table of contents

3 Paper Handling 3-1

Selecting Paper 3-2

Paper Specifications 3-2

Paper Size 3-2
Paper Thickness and Number of Copies 3-2

Overview of Paper Operations 3-3

Levers and Buttons Used for Paper Handling 3-4

Adjusting for Paper Thickness 3-6

Paper Thickness Lever Positions 3-7

Using Single Sheets 3-8

Loading a Single Sheet of Paper 3-8
Ejecting Single Sheets 3-10

Using Continuous Forms 3-11

Positioning the Paper Stack 3-11

Good placement 3-11
Bad placement 3-11

Loading Continuous Forms 3-12

Adjusting the left margin 3-13

Adjusting the Tear-off position 3-15

Adjustment procedure 3-15
Unloading Continuous Forms 3-16
Installing the Tractor Unit 3-16
Tearing Off Continuous Forms 3-17

Feeding and Positioning Paper 3-18

Print Area Definition 3-18
Line Feed/Form Feed 3-20
Top-of-Form Adjustment 3-20

Switching Paper Types 3-22

Switching from Continuous Forms to Single Sheets
(Push-Feed Mode) 3-22

II

Table of contents

Switching from Single Sheets to Continuous Forms
(Push-Feed Mode) 3-22

Tips on Paper Handling 3-23

General Tips 3-23
Multipart Forms 3-23
Envelopes 3-23
Labels 3-23

4 Printing 4-1

Selecting Print Features 4-1
Using Commercial Software 4-1
Using the Control Panel 4-2

Macrol selection 4-2

Macro 1 and Macro 2 Settings 4-3

Installation Settings 4-5

Adjustments Settings 4-5

Menu Access Settings 4-5

Changing the Protocol 4-6

Starting or Stopping Printing 4-8

Starting Printing 4-8
Stopping and Viewing Printing 4-8
Resuming Printing 4-8
Resuming from a Paper-Out 4-8

Removing Printed Pages 4-10

Removing Single Sheets 4-10
Removing Continuous Forms 4-10

5 Using Set-Up Mode 5-1

What is Set-Up Mode for? 5-1

How Set-Up Works 5-2

Entering the Set-Up Mode 5-2

III

Table of contents

Overview of the Set-Up Mode 5-4

Set-Up Mode Functions 5-4

Example: Changing the Vertical Pitch 5-5
Options with Undetermined Values 5-7

Range Management for a Wide Range of

Values 5-7

Example: Changing the Left Margin 5-7
Options with Both Pre-determined and

Undetermined Values 5-8
Points to Remember 5-11

Printing the Printer Configuration 5-12

Deciding Which Options to Change 5-14

Required Options 5-14
Changing Macro 1 and Macro 2 Options 5-15

Macro 1 and Macro 2 Options and

Values 5-16
Changing Install Options 5-25

Install Options and Values 5-26
Adjusting Top-of-Form Origin 5-30

Adjust Options and Values 5-30
Changing Menu Access Options 5-31

Menu Access Option and Values 5-32
Save Settings and Exit Set-up mode 5-33
Recall Factory Settings 5-33
Using the Diagnostic Functions 5-34

Printing Test 5-34

Hex Dump Mode 5-35

Set-Up Mode Quick Reference 5-37

6 Maintenance 6-1

Cleaning 6-1

Cleaning and Vacuuming the Printer 6-1
Cleaning the Platen 6-2

IV

Table of contents

Replacing the ribbon 6-3

Replacing the Print Head 6-7

7 Trouble-Shooting 7-1

Solving Problems 7-1

Print Quality Problems 7-1
Paper Handling Problems and Solutions 7-4
Operating Problems and Solutions 7-6
Printer Failures 7-7

Diagnostic Functions 7-8

Checking Vertical Alignment 7-8

A Supplies A-1

Supplies A-1

B Printer and Paper Specifications B-1

Physical Specifications B-1

Functional Specifications B-2

Performance Specifications B-4

Certification B-4

Paper Specifications B-5

Print Area B-5
Paper Thickness B-7

V

Table of contents

C Command Sets C-1

DEC PPL2 Quick Reference Guide C-2

IBM Proprinter X24E and XL24E Quick Reference
Guide C-22

Epson ESC/P2 Quick Reference Guide C-27

D Interface Information D-1

Parallel Interface D-1

Serial Interface D-4

USB Interface D-7

E Character Sets E-1

DEC PPL2 Protocol E-1

Common to IBM Proprinter X24 and XL24E Protocol
and EpsonESC/P2 Protocol E-19

IBM Proprinter X24E and XL24E Protocol E-25

Epson ESC/P2 Protocol E-26

F Resident Fonts F-1

VI

Introduction

1

Introduction

Congratulations on purchasing a LA48N/LA48W printer. This printer is a compact,
versatile printer that offers maximum compatibility with today’s software packages
and personal computers. The 24-wire print head provides crisp, clear printing for
business, office, and home environments. This printer is also easy to install and use.

Features

Key printer features and options are listed in the next two sections.

 Software compatibility. This printer operates with the DEC PPL2, IBM XL24E,

 Various character sets. For the DEC PPL2 protocol, 31 character sets (twenty-

 Multiple fonts. The printer has 12 resident fonts: Draft, High speed Draft, High

Matrix Printer LA48N

and EPSON ESC/P2 command sets.

five 94-character sets and six 96-character sets) are available. For IBM Proprinter
X24E and XL24E protocol, set 1, set 2, and 30 default sets (code pages and spe­cific character sets) are available. For Epson ESC/P2 protocol, 15 national char­acter sets and 30 default sets (code pages and specific character sets) are available.

impact Font, Courier 10, Pica 10, Prestige 12, Compressed, Boldface PS, Time­less Normal, Nimbus Sans Normal, OCR-A, OCR-B.

1-1

Introduction

 High-speed printing. At 10 cpi, print speed ranges from 113 cps for letter quality

to 400 cps (80-column printer) or 448cps (136-column printer) for high-speed
draft quality.

 Large print buffer. 64 Kbytes are available in total for storing input data and

downloading fonts. A large input data buffer allows you to send files to the print­er and return quickly to work in your application. A large download buffer allows
you to use custom fonts.

 80-column or 136-column print line. 80-column printers are the most suitable

for printing in landscape mode using letter or A4 size paper.136-column printers
are the most suitable for printing in landscpe mode using legal or standardsize
computer forms.

 Simple switching of paper types. The ability to "park" continuous forms makes

it easy to switch between continuous forms and single sheets.

 Auto tear-off. Continuous forms are fed automatically up to the tear-off position

at the end of each job.

 Maintenance-free. The printer only requires periodic cleaning and changing of

the ribbon cartridge.

Consumables

For details, see Appendix A, “Supplies”.

1-2

Setting up the printer

2

Setting up the printer

Your new printer is easy to install and set up. This chapter tells you how to set up the
printerand start printing right away. If this is your first printer, you should read the
entire chapter before attempting to use the printer. In this chapter, you will learn how
to:

 Unpack, assemble, and select a good location for the printer

 Identify the printer’s major parts

 Connect the power cord and the interface cable

 Test the printer before connecting it to your computer

 Select an emulation and print a sample page using your software

If you have a problem while setting up the printer, review the section “Solving Prob­lems” in Chapter 7. If the problem persists, contact your dealer or service.

Selecting a location

This printer is suitable for most business, office, and home environments. To obtain
peak performance from the printer, select a location that meets the following guide­lines:

3 Place the printer on a sturdy, level surface.

3 Place the printer near a well-grounded AC power outlet.

3 Ensure easy access to the front and rear of the printer by leaving several inches of

space around the printer. Do not block the air vents on the front, left, and right sides
of the printer.

3 Do not place the printer in direct sunlight or near heaters.

3 Make sure that the room is well-ventilated and free from excessive dust.

3 Do not expose the printer to extremes of temperature and humidity.

3 Use only the power cord supplied with the printer or recommended by your dealer.

Do not use an extension cord.

3 Do not plug the printer into a power outlet that is shared with heavy industrial equip-

ment, such as motors, or appliances, such as copiers or coffee makers. Such equip­ment often emits electrical noise or causes power degradation.

2-1

Setting up the printer

Unpacking the printer

Unpack the printer as follows:

1. Open the carton and remove the printer and its components. Make sure that you

have all of the items shown below. Note that the power cord supplied depends
on the printer model (100-120 or 220-240 VAC power supply).

Ribbon cartridge

(Black)

Power cord

Cut sheet stand

Printer

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2-2

Checking items received

2. Carefully examine each item for damage. Report any problems to your dealer or

shipping agent.

3. Place the printer where you plan to use it.

4. Remove the tapes securing the front cover, ejection cover, and back cover. Open

the front cover and remove the shipping restraint cardboard that holds the print

Setting up the printer

head carriage in place (shown below).

Front cover

Cardboard

Removing the shipping restraint cardboard

5. Store the original shipping carton and packaging materials for future use. For

example, the original packaging is ideal for use when you move or ship your
printer to another location.

NOTE: The interface cable is not included with the printer. You must purchase it

separately. Connection of the interface cable is described later in this chap­ter.

2-3

Setting up the printer

Assembling the printer

This section explains how to install the cut sheet stand and ribbon cartridge.

Installing the Cut Sheet Stand

The cut sheet stand enables smooth feeding of both single sheets and continu-ous
forms. Install the cut sheet stand as described below:

1. Referring to the following figure, locate the two grooved notches on the top of

the printer, behind the top cover. Note that each notch has a front groove and a
rear groove.

2. Locate the two mounting pins on each side of the cut sheet stand.

Mounting pins

Cut sheet stand

2-4

Installing the cut sheet stand

3. Hold the cut sheet stand at an angle over the top of the printer. Slide the mount-

ing pins into the long, front grooves of the notches. This is the cut sheet stand's
up position, used for printing single sheets.

To rotate the cut sheet stand to its down position, grasp it at the sides and lift it up
until the two upper mounting pins clear the front notches. Rotate the cut sheet
stand backward to place the upper mounting pins in the rear grooves.

Setting up the printer

r

Installing the Ribbon Cartridge

The printer uses a black ribbon cartridge. To install the ribbon cartridge:

1. Turn the printer off. Open the front cover of the printer. For easy installation,

slide the print head carriage to the middle.

2. The paper thickness lever, located on the right of the printer, has nine positions.

Before you install the ribbon cartridge, move this lever to D.

Paper thickness leve

Move to D.

Preparing to install the ribbon

2-5

Setting up the printer

3. Using the procedure below, release the roller from the LOCK position and turn

the ribbon feed knob clockwise to take up any ribbon slack. Push in the gray rib­bon release tabs on the side of the ribbon cartridge to release them, and slide the
roller from the LOCK position to the FREE position.

Release tabs

CAUTION:Do not turn the ribbon feed knob in counterclockwise direction.

Ribbon feed knob

Turn the knob clockwise

Roller

Preparing the ribbon cartridge

4. Verify that the power to the printer is off (make sure that the circle mark on the

power switch is pressed).

Verify that the printer is switched off

5. Move the paper thickness lever to the D position.

6. Open the front cover.

2-6

Setting up the printer

7. Align the print head position with the dot mark (green) on the printer ejection

cover.

Dot mark (green)

WARNING: Avoid touching the print head while using or immediately after using

the printer, as doing so may lead to burns. Wait until the print head
cools down before touching it.

8. Thread the ribbon between the print head and the print guide, then gently press

down on the ribbon cartridge against the printer until it clicks into place.
(Make sure that the ribbon feed knob is facing upward.)

Print guide

Print head

Ribbon cartridge

Ribbon

Print guide

Tip of print head

9. Turn the ribbon feed knob clockwise to take up any ribbon slack.

10.After the ribbon cartridge has been installed in the printer, adjust the paper thick-

ness lever to match the thickness of the paper and the number of sheets of paper
to be used.
For information about the paper thickness lever, see the section entitled “Adjust­ing for Paper Thickness” in Chapter 3.

2-7

Setting up the printer

Getting acquainted with your printer

Now that your printer is assembled, take a moment to become familiar with its major
parts.

Looking at the printer from the front right side, you can see the parts of the printer
shown in the figure below.

Front cover

Print guide

Print head

Cut sheet stand

Acoustic cover

Paper thickness lever

Platen knob

Platen

Control panel

Printer components (front and right)

Powerswitch

The printer control panel has the buttons and indicators used to load and feed paper
(see Chapter 3, “Paper Handling”) and select print features (see Chapter 4, “Print­ing”). The control panel also allows you to change the printer’s optional settings (see
Chapter 5, “Using Set-Up Mode”).

2-8

Setting up the printer

r

Looking at the printer from the back with the cut sheet stand and back cover re­moved, you can see the following parts of the printer:

Ejection cover

Paper guide

Back cover

Power
connector

Forms tractors

Printer components (rear)

Paper select lever

Interface
connecto

Connecting the power cord

Before you plug in the printer:

3 Make sure that the printer power is switched off. The side marked “1” on the power

switch should be raised.

3 Make sure that the power outlet is properly grounded.

3 Make sure that you use the power cord shipped with the printer. This cord is de-

signed to minimize radio frequency interference.

To plug in the power cord:

1. Plug one end of the power cord into the power connector on the rear of the

printer.

2-9

Setting up the printer

2. Plug the other end of the power cord into the power outlet.

Connecting the power cord

3. Make sure that the power cord is securely connected.

4. Turn on the power by pressing the side marked “I” on the power switch. Within

a few seconds, the POWER indicator on the printer control panel will light, the
print head will move to its home position, and the ONLINE indicator will light
(green).

NOTE: If no forms are loaded, the printer may beep and the grenn FAULT indicator

may light and the ONLINE indicator will not light if the paper select lever is
set backward to the continuous forms position. Move the paper select lever
forward to the single sheet position (as described in the next section). The
FAULT indicator will go out. This condition is a result of the factory default
settings and poses no problem.

2-10

Connecting the printer to your computer

Your printer supports one of the following interface options:

 Centronics parallel interface only

 Centronics parallel interface and RS-232C serial interface

 Centronics parallel interface and USB interface

The RS-232 serial interface is a factory-installed option for a Centronics parallel in­terface model. Installation of the serial option provides a dual interface feature en­abling the connection of either interface but inhibiting the operation of both
interfaces at the same time.

The parallel interface connector has wire clips. The serial interface connector has
tapped holes. Cables for these interfaces are available from dealers, cable manufac­turers, and other suppliers.

The LAN adapter is a user installable option. For details, refer to the Manual that
comes with the LAN card.

NOTE: If a LAN interface card is installed, the Centronics parallel interface is not

available.

Setting up the printer

For detailed interface specifications, see Appendix D.

Selecting a Parallel Interface Cable

For the parallel interface, use a cable that meets the following specifications:

3 At the printer end, use a shielded male Centronics connector, such as an Amphenol

DDK 57FE-30360 or its equivalent. To prevent RFI (radio frequency interference),
the connector cover must be connected to the cable shield.

3 At the computer end, most computers (including IBM PCs) require a male DB-25P

connector. Some computers, however, require a Centronics connector. To deter­mine the type of connector your computer uses, refer to your computer user manual.

3 Make sure that the cable length does not exceed 3 meters (10 feet).

Selecting a Serial Interface Cable

For the serial interface, use a cable that meets the following specifications:

3 At the printer end, use a 25-pin male connector, such as a Cannon DB-25P or its

equivalent.

3 To determine the type of connector your computer requires, refer to your computer

user manual or ask your dealer.

3 The cable length can be up to 15 meters (50 feet). This type of length is required in

many networking and shared-printer configurations.

2-11

Setting up the printer

Selecting a USB Cable

3 When the USB interface is used to connect to the host computer, the parallel interface

and the serial interface (factory add-on option) cannot be connected simultaneously.

3 The USB interface does not guarantee all connections of USB-supported devices.

Connecting the Interface Cable

To connect the interface cable:

1. Turn off both the printer and the computer.

2. Pull the shutter on the left side of the printer upward as far as it will go.

Shutter

Opening the shutter

3. Attach the interface cable to the connector. Do not connect more than one inter-

face cable type to the printer at the same time.

Centronics parallel Centronics parallel + USBCentronics parallel + RS-232C

Connecting the interface cable

2-12

Setting up the printer

4. To secure a parallel interface cable, flip the fastener clips located on the printer

into the notches on the cable connector. To secure a serial interface cable,
tighten the screws in the cable connector.

5. Attach the other end of the interface cable to your computer. Gently pull on the

cable to verify that it is secure.

6. Close the shutter.

NOTE: When use of the shutter is not required, remove it by using the following pro-

cedure.

2-13

Setting up the printer

Removing the shutter

1. Open the shutter.

Shutter

Attaching the shutter

Mounting slots

(a)

2. Gently push the back end of the
shutter toward the front of the
printer.

3. While holding the shutter in the
position described in step 2, rotate
it in the manner shown in the

Ta bs

Shutter

2-14

5. Tilt the shutter and pass the shutter
tabs through the mounting slots,
starting with the slot on side (a)
shown in the figure on the left. The
order in which the shutter tabs are

CAUTION:Take care not to use excessive force when pushing the back of the shutter

toward the front of the printer. Otherwise, the shutter tabs may be dam­aged.
To reattach the shutter, tilt the shutter and insert one of its convex parts
into the installation hole of the printer, and then insert the other part in
the other hole. After inserting both convex parts, lower and push the
shutter in to its original position.

Selecting an emulation

Before printing with your software, verify that the correct emulation is selected on
your printer. This section describes the available emulations and their selection.

An emulation is a set of commands used by your software to communicate with the
printer. There are many different emulations available for printers. Each emulation
has unique features and capabilities. This printer offers three resident emulations:

 DEC PPL2

 IBM Proprinter XL24E

 EPSON ESC/P2

The printer’s preselected factory setting for the emulation settings is port dependant
(PORT DEPND), which means that for every interface a different emulation is set.
The default setting for the serial interface is DEC PPL2, for the parallel interface EP­SON ESC/P2 and for the USB interface EPSON ESC/P2.

It is also the possibility to select an Autosening setting, which detects the correct em­ulation setting automatically.

Setting up the printer

Resident emulations are stored in the printer’s permanent memory.

Here are some points to help you determine which emulation to select:

3 Determine which emulations your software supports. (Refer to your software docu-

mentation.) Since most software programs support this printer, try to run a program
with the factory default emulation first. Try this emulation even if you are not sure
of which emulation to choose. See Chapter 5, “Using Set-Up Mode”, for detailed in­formation about how your printer communicates with your software.

3 If you are using more than one software package, determine which emulation is sup-

ported by the software you use most frequently. Select that emulation.

3 If your software supports more than one emulation, select the DEC PPL2 emulation

if possible. This emulation has the greatest capabilities.

3 If you want to use an emulation that is not supported by your software, contact your

software manufacturer or printer dealer and ask whether support is available. You
may be able to obtain a printer driver that is not shipped with the original software
package.

2-15

Setting up the printer

To select an emulation, proceed as follows:

1. Switch off the printer.

2. Make sure that paper is loaded (continuous paper or single form).

3. Remove the acoustic cover in order to see the printed text.

4. Hold the Setup/Quit buttons depressed and switch the printer on. After initializ-

ing the printer enters the setup mode and prints the following information:

1

2

4

MACRO 1

3

2-16

Setting up the printer

The initial printout contains a header, help menu 1, and <FUNCTIONS> menu 2.
The header tells you that the printer is in the Set-Up mode. The help menu provides
a quick summary of how to use buttons in the Set-Up mode.

The <FUNCTIONS> menu

Generally speaking, the red cursor

2 lists all of the functions available in the Set-Up mode.

3 on the plastic print guide 4 indicates the function

or value to be selected. When entering the Set-Up mode, the red cursor is initially
positioned under MACRO 1.

5. Press the  button to select the Macro 1 function and print the <PROTOCOL>

option and its values.

6. Repeatedly press the  button or the  button to position the red cursor on the

plastic print guide under the emulation you require.

7. Press the Exit/Save button to select the emulation and exit Set-Up mode.

2-17

Setting up the printer

Operations of the control panel

This section summarizes status indications and operations of the control panel in
Normal mode. For details on Set-Up mode, see Chapter 5, “Using Set-Up Mode”.

Normal mode operation includes everyday operations, such as paper handling, macro
selection, and protocol selection. The first table lists basic states represented by the
Ready and Fault indicators. The second table lists Normal mode operations and re­quired user response. Operations are listed by functions.

Control panel indicators and buttons

The control panel indicators display the state of the printer and the control panel but­tons control the work with the printer.

Basic states of the printer

Indicator Status Printer status

Ready On The printer is ready for printing

Blinking The printer is not ready and holds printing data.

Off The printer is not ready and it does not hold printing

2-18

or
The printer is receiving or printing data.

data.

Indicator Status Printer status

Fault On The printer is out of paper.

Setting up the printer

Blinking
fast

It is blinking at a 0.5 second period when paper jam,
carriage error, communication error, buffer overflow is
detected, or when the Automatic Sheet Feeder must be
active but paper can not be ejected after 22 inches
feeding, or when parking is not successful after 20
inches reverse feeding.

Blinking
slowly

When the paper source in a present MACRO setting
and Setting of Paper Select Lever are different, five sec­onds are blinked for warning.

Macro On Shows that Macro 1 is selected.

Off Shows that Macro 2 is selected.

Protocol Two indicators are available to indicate the currently

selected protocol:

DEC On The DEC ANSI protocol is active.

PPX24 On The IBM Proprinter X24E/XL24E protocol is active.

DEC +
PPX24

On The Epson ESC/P2 protocol is active.

Blinking Port dependent

2-19

Setting up the printer

Control Panel Operations

—: This operation has no connection with this condition.

N/A: The condition does not apply because this operation is executed before powerin­gon.

1

2

Fault

Required Action

Operation

Load continuous forms

Required Conditions

Ready Printing

— Not printing On Press FF/Load.

paper

Load single sheet paper — Not printing On Press FF/Load if single

sheetload is switched from
AUTOto MANUAL in Set-Up
mode.

Feed paper a page — Not printing Off Press FF/Load.

Feed paper a line — Not printing Off Press LF.

Advance perforation to
tear bar

— Not printing Off Press Pause if the TEARop-

tion is switched from
AUTOto MANUAL in Set-Up
mode,or press FF/Load.

Advance paper for
viewing

— Not printing Off Press Pause if the TEARop-

tion is switched from
AUTOto MANUAL in Set-Up
mode.

Return paper to previous
position

— Not printing Off Press Pause if the TEARop-

tion is switched from
AUTOto MANUAL in Set-Up
mode,or press FF/Load.

2-20

Eject single-sheet paper — Not printing Off Press FF/Load or Park or

turnthe printer off and on
again.

Unload continuous-

3

forms

— Not printing Off Press Park.

Pause printing On Printing Off Press Pause.

Resume printing Blinking Not printing Off Press Pause.

Resume printing after a
fault

Off Not printing On Clear error and press

Pause.