Datacard® CP60™ and CP60 Plus
Card Printers
Service Manual
May 2007
Part No. 539358-002, Rev C
Liability Statement
This product has been built to the high standards of Datacard Group. Please do
not attempt to operate or repair this equipment without adequate training. Any
use, operation, or repair in contravention of this document is at your own risk.
By acceptance of this system you hereby assume all liability consequent to your
use or misuse of this equipment. Datacard assumes no liability for incidental,
special, or consequential damage of any kind. Equipment specifications,
applications, and options are subject to change at the sole discretion of Datacard
without notice.
Proprietary Notice
All drawings and information herein are the property of DataCard Corporation.
All unauthorized use and reproduction is prohibited.
Trademark Acknowledgments
Datacard is a registered trademark and service mark of DataCard Corporation in
the United States and other countries. CP60 is a trademark of DataCard
Corporation.
All other product names are the property of their respective owners.
Datacard Group
11111 Bren Road West
Minnetonka, MN 55343-9015
952.933.1223
Fax: 952.933.7971
www.datacard.com
© 2006, 2007 DataCard Corporation. All rights reserved.
Printed in the United States of America.
ii
Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction __________________________________________________________ 1-1
Intended Audience_________________________________________________________________1-2
Avoiding Electrostatic Discharge ____________________________________________________1-2
Symbol Conventions________________________________________________________________1-3
Chapter 2: Theory of Operation___________________________________________________ 2-1
Printer Components ________________________________________________________________2-2
Functional Block Diagram _____________________________________________________2-2
Sensors_______________________________________________________________________2-3
Motors _______________________________________________________________________2-5
Miscellaneous ________________________________________________________________2-6
LCD Menu Diagram___________________________________________________________2-7
Sequence of Operation_____________________________________________________________2-8
Open Card Printer Differences______________________________________________________2-10
Graphics Printing __________________________________________________________________ 2-11
Printhead Settings _________________________________________________________________2-12
Magnetic Cards___________________________________________________________________2-14
Magnetic Data Principles_____________________________________________________2-14
Encoding Format ____________________________________________________________2-19
Magnetic Stripe Primary Data Standards ____________________________________________2-22
ISO/IEC 7811 (Parts 2 and 6) __________________________________________________2-22
AAMVA DL/ID-2000 __________________________________________________________2-22
Saflok and Ving______________________________________________________________2-22
Multiple Record Format (SDS)_________________________________________________2-23
JIS X 6302 (Type I and Type II Cards)___________________________________________2-23
Magnetic Media Locations___________________________________________________2-24
Data Track Locations_________________________________________________________2-25
Summary of Specifications____________________________________________________2-26
Character Encoding _________________________________________________________2-27
Smart Card Technology____________________________________________________________2-29
Contact Smart Cards ________________________________________________________2-30
Non-Contact Smart Cards____________________________________________________2-32
Chapter 3: Routine Maintenance _________________________________________________ 3-1
Required Tools and Supplies_________________________________________________________3-2
Routine Maintenance Pro cedure____________________________________________________3-3
Clean the Interior of the Printer ________________________________________________3-3
Mechanical Inspection________________________________________________________3-5
Run the Cleaning Card________________________________________________________3-8
Visual Inspection for Card Quality______________________________________________3-8
Chapter 4: Troubleshooting_______________________________________________________ 4-1
General Notes______________________________________________________________________4-2
iii
General Troubleshooting Proced ures ________________________________________________4-2
Non-Clearing Repetitive Messages_____________________________________________4-2
Troubleshooting Sensors _______________________________________________________4-3
Troubleshooting Motors________________________________________________________4-4
Testing General DC Motors ______________________________________________4-4
Testing the Ribbon and Pick Motors_______________________________________4-5
Testing the Cam Motor __________________________________________________4-5
Testing the Printhead Fan________________________________________________4-6
Testing Transport and Duplex Motors______________________________________4-6
Troubleshooting Other Devices ________________________________________________4-6
Testing the Smart Card Solenoid__________________________________________4-6
Testing the Duplex Clutch________________________________________________4-7
Diagnosing the Duplex Interface Board___________________________________4-8
Diagnosing the Ribbon RFID Antenna_____________________________________4-8
Performance Problems______________________________________________________________4-9
Printer Initialization Errors_______________________________________________________4-9
Card Jams at Card Input_____________________________________________________4-10
Card Stalls at Output Stacker _________________________________________________4-10
Card Jams in Printing Area ___________________________________________________4-11
Ribbon Break Errors___________________________________________________________4-12
Error Codes _______________________________________________________________________4-13
Error Code Prefixes___________________________________________________________4-13
General Notes_______________________________________________________________4-13
Driver API (AP) _______________________________________________________________4-14
Printer Driver Errors (DR)_______________________________________________________4-14
Input Errors (IS) _______________________________________________________________4-17
Duplex Module Errors (DM) ___________________________________________________4-17
System Errors (SY) ____________________________________________________________4-18
Magnetic Stripe Errors (MS) ___________________________________________________4-19
Print Errors (PR)_______________________________________________________________4-24
Smart Card Errors (SC)________________________________________________________4-26
Chapter 5: Adjustments __________________________________________________________ 5-1
General Notes______________________________________________________________________5-3
Installing Printer Diagnostics _________________________________________________________5-3
Using Printer Diagnostics ____________________________________________________________5-5
Parts of the Diagnostics Window _______________________________________________5-5
Menu Options ________________________________________________________________5-6
Changing Printer Values_______________________________________________________5-8
Viewing and Saving Values______________________________________________5-9
Working With Scripts ____________________________________________________5-10
Setting Printer Value Parameters______________________________________________5-11
Printer ID_______________________________________________________________5-11
Card Registration Offset ________________________________________________5-11
Card Strip Offset _______________________________________________________5-12
Ribbon Type ___________________________________________________________5-12
Ribbon Offset __________________________________________________________5-12
Vertical Offset _________________________________________________________5-12
Transport Speed________________________________________________________5-13
YMC, K, T, & F Strobe Duty ______________________________________________5-13
iv
YMC, K, T, and F Power and Base Power _________________________________5-14
Duplex Infeed Offset ___________________________________________________5-14
Duplex Home Offset____________________________________________________5-15
Duplex Print Return Offset_______________________________________________5-15
Duplex Handoff Offset__________________________________________________5-15
Smart Card Registration Offset __________________________________________5-15
Image Clipping Leading and Trailing ____________________________________5-16
Setting Printer Options________________________________________________________5-17
Viewing Printer Status ________________________________________________________5-18
Testing Motors _______________________________________________________________5-19
Testing Motor Functions ______________________________________________________5-20
Setting Up Step Tests for the Printer____________________________________________5-21
Running a Magnetic Stripe Test Card__________________________________________5-22
Configuring the Magnetic Stripe Module ______________________________________5-23
Configuring Custom Track Formats____________________________________________5-25
Running Magnetic Stripe Diagnostics__________________________________________5-26
Testing the Smart Card Option________________________________________________5-27
Network Option Adjustments _______________________________________________________5-29
Software Adjustment Procedures ___________________________________________________5-33
Saving and Restoring a Printer Configuration __________________________________5-33
Start Sentinel Position_________________________________________________________5-35
Card Registration Offset Adjustment __________________________________________5-36
Ribbon Offset Adjustment ____________________________________________________5-37
Updating the Printer Firmware ________________________________________________5-38
Duplex Rotational Adjustment ________________________________________________5-39
Chapter 6: Removal and Replacement ___________________________________________ 6-1
General Notes______________________________________________________________________6-3
Symbols ______________________________________________________________________6-3
Required Tools________________________________________________________________6-3
Screw Torque Specifications ___________________________________________________6-3
Front Wire Routing ____________________________________________________________6-4
Duplex and Printhead Wire Routing ____________________________________________6-5
Functional Block Diagram _____________________________________________________6-6
Exterior Components________________________________________________________________6-7
Swingarm Cover______________________________________________________________6-7
Main Enclosure _______________________________________________________________6-8
Card Hopper _________________________________________________________________6-9
LCD Display _________________________________________________________________6-11
Swingarm Assembly________________________________________________________________6-13
Printhead Fan _______________________________________________________________6-14
Printhead Spring _____________________________________________________________6-15
Sensors____________________________________________________________________________6-16
Card Input Sensor (Without Clear Card) _______________________________________6-16
Card Input Sensor (With Clear Card) __________________________________________6-17
Swingarm Sensor_____________________________________________________________6-18
Ribbon Motion Sensor ________________________________________________________6-19
Ribbon Index Sensor _________________________________________________________6-20
v
Cam Sensor _________________________________________________________________6-21
Card Hopper Empty Sensor___________________________________________________6-22
Motors ____________________________________________________________________________6-23
Transport Motor______________________________________________________________6-23
Pick Motor___________________________________________________________________6-24
Cam Motor__________________________________________________________________6-26
Ribbon Motor and Gear______________________________________________________6-27
Transport Assembly ________________________________________________________________6-29
Main Control Board __________________________________________________________6-32
Transport Timing Belt _________________________________________________________6-36
Belt Tensioner Pulley and Tension Spring _______________________________________6-37
Drive and Idler Pulleys________________________________________________________6-38
Cleaning Rocker Assembly ___________________________________________________6-39
Front Rocker Assembly _______________________________________________________6-40
Rear Rocker Assembly________________________________________________________6-41
Ribbon Guide _______________________________________________________________6-42
Pick Roller ___________________________________________________________________6-44
Cleaning Drive Roller_________________________________________________________6-46
Front Drive Roller_____________________________________________________________6-48
Rear Drive Roller _____________________________________________________________6-50
Platen Roller_________________________________________________________________6-53
Printhead Cam ______________________________________________________________6-54
Printhead Lifter ______________________________________________________________6-55
Front Card Guide ____________________________________________________________6-56
Rear Card Guide ____________________________________________________________6-57
Static Brushes________________________________________________________________6-59
RFID Antenna________________________________________________________________6-60
Duplex Module____________________________________________________________________6-61
Duplex Entry Sensor __________________________________________________________6-63
Duplex Home Sensor (Without Clear Card) ____________________________________6-65
Duplex Home Sensor (With Clear Card)________________________________________6-66
Duplex Interface Board_______________________________________________________6-67
Duplex Entry Rocker__________________________________________________________6-68
Duplex Motor________________________________________________________________6-69
Magnetic Clutch/Spring Clutch/Duplex Rol lers_________________________________6-71
Magnetic Stripe Option ____________________________________________________________6-75
Magnetic Stripe Circuit Board_________________________________________________6-75
Magnetic Stripe Registration Sensor (Without Clear Card) ______________________6-76
Magnetic Stripe Registration Sensor (With Clear Card)__________________________6-77
Magnetic Stripe Head________________________________________________________6-78
Magnetic Stripe Rocker Assembly_____________________________________________6-80
Smart Card Option ________________________________________________________________6-81
Smart Card Interface Board __________________________________________________6-81
Solenoid Assembly/Solenoi d Link______________________________________________6-82
Smart Card Contact _________________________________________________________6-84
Contactless Smart Card Coupler______________________________________________6-87
vi
Revision Log
Datacard CP60 and CP60 Plus Card Printers Service Manual
Revision Date Description of Changes
A March 2006 First release of this document.
B June 2006 Update part numbers for RoHS compliance.
C May 2007 Update for release of CP60 Plus printers.
Regulatory Compliance
Notice for USA (FCC Notice)
This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy. If it is
not installed and used in accordance with this instruction manual, it may
interfere with radio communications. This equipment has been tested and found
to be within the limits for Class A computing devices, pursuant to Title 47 CFR
Part 15 Subpart B of FCC rules, designed to provide reasonable protection
against radio interference in a commercial environment. Operation of this
equipment in a residential environment may possibly cause interference. In the
event of interference, the user, at their own expense, will be required to take
whatever measures are necessary to correct the problem.
Notice for Canada
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise for
digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian
Department of Communications.
Le présent appareil numérique n'émet pas de bruits radioélectriques dépassant
les limites applicables aux appareils numériques de la classe A prescrites dans le
Règlement sur le brouillage radioélectrique édicté par le ministère des
Communications du Canada.
vii
Safety Issues
All Datacard products are built to strict safety and reliability specifications in
accordance with UL60950-1 and CUL requirements; therefore, safety issues
pertaining to operation and repair of Datacard equipment are primarily
environmental and human interface.
The following basic safety tips are given to ensure safe installation, operation,
and maintenance of Datacard equipment and are not to be considered as
comprehensive on all matters of safety.
Safe Environment
Connect equipment to a grounded facility power source. Do not defeat or
•
bypass the ground lead.
• Place the equipment on a stable surface (table), and ensure floors in work
area are dry and non-slip. Insulated rubber floor mats are preferred.
• Know the location of equipment branch circuit interrupters or circuit
breakers and how to turn them on and off in case of emergency.
• Know the location of fire extinguishers and how to use them. Use only ABC
type extinguishers on electrical fires.
• Know local procedures for first aid and emergency assistance at the customer
facility.
• Use adequate lighting at the equipment.
• Maintain the recommended range of temperature and humidity in
equipment area.
• Do not use this product in an environment containing volatile or flammable
compounds.
Safe Human Interface
• Use proper lifting techniques when moving or installing the equipment.
• Use standard electrostatic discharge (ESD) precautions when working on or
near electrical circuits.
• Do not defeat or disconnect safety interlocks.
• Observe standard safety precautions when servicing the system.
WARNING: To avoid a possible electric shock, always unplug the system
before servicing.
viii
Chapter 1: Introduction
This chapter provides an introduction to the Datacard® CP60
and CP60 Plus card printers.
Intended Audience______________________________________________________________
Avoiding Electrostatic Discharge _________________________________________________ 1-2
Symbol Conventions_____________________________________________________________ 1-3
1-2
CP60 and CP60 Plus Service Manual 1-1
Intended Audience
This manual is intended for use by authorized representatives of Datacard who
are responsible for the maintenance, service, and repair of the CP60 and CP60
Plus card printers. The service representatives must complete an authorized
Datacard service training course prior to servicing the printer.
Avoiding Electrostatic Discharge
While working around control boards and other sensitive components, use
proper equipment and procedures to reduce the possibility of damaging the
components. This section describes the procedure for protecting against damage
due to electrostatic discharge.
CAUTION: Static electricity can destroy components on a circuit board. Use
the following precautions when handling the board, its components, or tools
in contact with the board or its components.
Tools Required:
Procedure:
Static-grounding kit (Part Number: TUL006-006) containing:
• Static-grounding mat
• Mat-grounding cable
• Static-grounding wrist strap
1. Wear appropriate clothing. Avoid wool and synthetic fabrics.
2. Remove movable carpet and rugs.
3. Apply the grounding strap to a wrist. Ensure that there is no clothing
between the strap and skin and that the strap is snug enough to maintain
contact with the skin.
4. Connect one end of the grounding cable to the wrist strap.
5. Using the grounding plug, connect the other end of the grounding cable to
the earth ground of a facility AC outlet.
6. Clear a work area, lay the static-grounding mat on the work area, and
connect the movable end of the long grounding cable to the mat.
7. Always set unshielded static-sensitive materials on the grounded anti-static
mat. Whenever possible, place components into static-shielded bags.
• Wrist strap grounding cable
• Grounding plug
8. When bringing two objects into contact (tool to circuit board or board to mat),
first simultaneously touch both objects with fingers.
1-2 Introduction
Symbol Conventions
The appearance and purpose of the symbols used in this manual are presented
below.
This symbol is used to designate a procedure that
involves electrostatic discharge sensitive components.
ESD procedures should be used.
CAUTION: This symbol indicates a strong cautionary
message to avoid serious damage to the printer.
WARNING: This symbol indicates a strong warning
message to prevent personal injury to the technician.
This symbol indicates a spring hazard. Safety glasses
should be worn when completing the procedure.
This symbol indicates a reminder message or other
additional information for the technician.
Graphic callouts with a colored background provide
incidental information about the graphic itself.
Graphic leaders with a colored background indicate a
direction of movement or similar information.
CP60 and CP60 Plus Service Manual 1-3
1-4 Introduction
Chapter 2: Theory of Operation
This chapter provides the theory of operation for the CP60 and CP60
Plus card printers.
Printer Components______________________________________________________________ 2-2
Functional Block Diagram _____________________________________________________________2-2
Sensors_______________________________________________________________________________2-3
Motors _______________________________________________________________________________2-5
Miscellaneous ________________________________________________________________________2-6
LCD Menu Diagram___________________________________________________________________2-7
Sequence of Operation__________________________________________________________ 2-8
Open Card Printer Differences___________________________________________________ 2-10
Graphics Printing _______________________________________________________________ 2-11
Printhead Settings ______________________________________________________________ 2-12
Magnetic Cards ________________________________________________________________ 2-14
Magnetic Data Principles ____________________________________________________________2-14
Encoding Format ____________________________________________________________________2-19
Magnetic Stripe Primary Data Standards _________________________________________ 2-22
ISO/IEC 7811 (Parts 2 and 6) __________________________________________________________2-22
AAMVA DL/ID-2000 __________________________________________________________________2-22
Saflok and Ving______________________________________________________________________2-22
Multiple Record Format (SDS)_________________________________________________________2-23
JIS X 6302 (Type I and Type II Cards)___________________________________________________2-23
Magnetic Media Locations___________________________________________________________2-24
Data Track Locations ________________________________________________________________2-25
Summary of Specifications ___________________________________________________________2-26
Character Encoding_________________________________________________________________2-27
Smart Card Technology_________________________________________________________ 2-29
Contact Smart Cards ________________________________________________________________2-30
Non-Contact Smart Cards____________________________________________________________2-32
CP60 and CP60 Plus Service Manual 2-1
Printer Components
Functional Block Diagram
2-2 Theory of Operation
Sensors
Name Function
All of the optical sensors in the CP60 and CP60 Plus printers are of the open
collector type, and are configured to be active-low with a pull-up resistor on the
output. When the sensor is not active (or not connected at all) the control board
sees a high voltage (5V) at the Signal input. When the sensor is active, it shorts
Signal to Ground. The diagram below is a simplified representation of an
interruption sensor.
Card Input
Printhead Cam
Swingarm Open
(Cover arm)
Ribbon Index
Ribbon Motion
The card input sensor is an interruption sensor that detects the presence
of a card at the entry of the printer and registers the trailing edge of the
card for printing.
For the clear card option, this sensor is replaced with a reflective sensor.
As the printhead cam rotates, a flag on the cam interrupts the beam of
the cam sensor. This allows the printer to know the position of the
printhead lifters. The printhead lifters lift the printhead away from the
platen roller when not printing.
The swingarm open sensor detects when the swingarm is open. The sensor
itself detects when the swingarm is closed, but the signal is inverted
elsewhere in the system.
Note: The user information and Diagnostics refer to this as a cover arm
sensor.
The ribbon index sensor is used to determine the position of the print
ribbon panels. The sensor bounces a beam off the reflective sticker on the
printhead. When the index mark or K-panel on the ribbon p a sses between
the sensor and the reflector, the beam is broken (not reflected). The Y, M,
C, & T panels do not interrupt the beam.
The ribbon motion sensor is a two-channel optical interruption sensor that
detects slots on the ribbon encoder wheel. The encoder wheel is located
on the ribbon cartridge. Internally the sensor body contains a pair of
standard interruption sensors.
CP60 and CP60 Plus Service Manual 2-3
Name Function
Magnetic Stripe
Registration
Magnetic Stripe
Optical Encoder
Duplex Entry
Duplex Home
Input Hopper
Empty (Optional)
This is a reflective sensor that locates the leading edge of the card for
magnetic stripe encoding. When no card is present, the sensor beam
reflects off a plate on the magnetic stripe rocker. When a card passes
between the sensor and the reflector, the beam is broken (not reflected).
The sensor itself is active when no card is present, but the signal is inverted
elsewhere in the system.
For the clear card option, this sensor is replaced with another reflective
sensor.
This encoder monitors the rotation of the idler roller in the magnetic stripe
module. It provides positional feedback to the module to ensure proper
magnetic encoding.
The duplex e ntry senso r i s an o p tical interruption se n s or that det e cts the
presence of a card as it enters and leaves the duplex module.
For the clear card option, this sensor is replaced with a reflective sensor.
The duplex home sensor determines the ro tational position of the duplex
flipper. The flipper has three flags that pass through the sensor.
This reflective sensor detects when the card hopper has no cards left. It
functions only when special software is created to use it.
2-4 Theory of Operation
Motors
Name Function
The CP60 and CP60 Plus printers have up to five motors depending on the
configuration. The three DC motors are all similar, with an integral reduction
geartrain and 24-volt operation. The speed of the motors is controlled by pulse
width modulation. While the motors are reversible, some are wired to operate in
one direction only. The duplex step motor operates at 24 volts, but the transport
step motor operates at 40 volts.
Pick Motor
Transport Motor
Cam Motor
Ribbon Motor
Duplex Motor
The pick motor drives the pick roller to bring a card into the system. The
motor is wired for unidirectional operation and cannot be reversed by
the control board. One wire is tied to ground and the other wire is the
control. This motor is driven by a single channel in the motor driver.
The transport motor drives the platen roller through a gear, which also
drives the main transport belt. This is a 2-phase (4-wire), 40-volt stepper
motor.
The cam motor rotates the printhead cam, which operates the
printhead lifters. This raises and lowers the printhead into position for
printing or permitting a card to pass beneath. This motor is wired bidirectional and uses two channels from the motor contr o ller so that it
can be reversed. (However at this time, the mot or is not operated in
reverse.)
The ribbon motor drives the gear train of the ribbon cartridge to
advance the ribbon during printing. The motor is wired for
unidirectional operation and cannot be reversed by the control board.
One wire is tied to ground and the other wire is the control. This motor is
driven by a single channel in the motor driver.
The duplex motor drives a gear on the duplex clutch. The clutch
permits a single motor to either oper ate the rollers, or rotate the entire
flipper assembly (this is discussed in more detail on page
2-phase (4-wire), 24-volt stepper motor.
2-6). This is a
CP60 and CP60 Plus Service Manual 2-5
Miscellaneous
Name Function
Smart Card Solenoid
Duplex Clutch
RFID Antenna
The smart card solenoid retracts the smart card rocker downward
so the contacts touch the card. When relaxed, a return spring lifts
the rocker and contacts away from the card.
The duplex clutch controls whether the duplex motor operates the
drive rollers or rotates the whole flipper assembly. The clutch
contains two concentric axes that are free to rotate
independently when the clutch is relaxed. When the clutch is
active, a magnetic field pulls the two axes together and friction
forces the two to rotate in unison. Because the clutch is engaged
magnetically, the rotation of either axis is independent from the
body of the clutch.
Operation: The duplex motor rotates the outer axis (large gear),
which is coupled to the two duplex drive rollers. The flipper
assembly is coupled to the inner axis. When the clutch is relaxed,
the outer axis (gear) rotates independently from the flipper
assembly, and this causes the drive rollers to rotate. When the
clutch is engaged, the whole flipper assembly rotates in unison
with the large gear, which keeps the d r ive rollers from rotating.
The RFID antenna circuit board is a simple loop antenna that
communicates with the supplies ID chip in the ribbon supply spool.
The bi-directional communication method is similar to
Contact Smart Cards (p. 2-32) using load-modulation, although
the specific details may vary.
Non-
Duplex Interface
Board
Magnetic Stripe
Daughter Board
Smart Card Daughter
Board
The duplex interface board contains a step motor driver for the
duplex motor, and a 24-volt driver circuit for the clutch. The sensor
signals are passed through directly from the main control board.
There are two types of magnetic stripe daughter boards: 3-track
and single track. The circuit board controls the magnetic stripe
head and provides an interface for the optical encoder. The
optical encoder data is passed back to the main control board
without modification.
The smart card daughter board provides a communica ti o n
interface between the application computer and the smart card.
Most of the communication aspects and the da ta transfer are
controlled by an external software application, and are
transparent to the printer. The daughter board also provides a
connection to control the smart card solenoid.
2-6 Theory of Operation
LCD Menu Diagram
CP60 and CP60 Plus Service Manual 2-7
Sequence of Operation
Power-on Initialization
1. When the printer is plugged in, it begins its initialization routine. (There is no
On/Off switch.)
2. As the main control board initializes itself, the status light on the front of the
printer will be steady amber.
3. After the control board is initialized, the status indicator will cycle through
Red, Amber, and Green.
4. While the control board examines and initializes external components, the
indicator will flash green.
A. It checks for smart card, magnetic stripe, and duplex modules.
B. The duplex module is initialized, and the rollers are operated for
sufficient time to ensure no cards are present in the module.
C. The printhead cam motor is cycled and homed.
D. The transport is initialized and then operated for sufficient time to ensure
that the card track is clear.
E. The ribbon type is identified. This may or may not result in the ribbon
motor being energized for a short time to detect a ribbon encoder change.
5. When the printer has finished its initialization procedure and is ready to
process cards, the status light will turn green.
Default Card Production Sequence
1. After the card data has been sent to the printer, it begins the card
personalization process.
2. The card is picked and passes through the cleaning rollers.
3. After the leading edge of the card passes through the cleaning rollers, the
card is detected by the input sensor. The trailing edge of the card is registered
for positioning.
4. The card is first sent to the smart card area.
A. When the card is approaching the location of the smart card contacts, the
solenoid engages and pulls the contacts down.
B. The leading edge of the card makes contact with the smart card sensor
(mechanical switch in the contact block) and the transport stops.
C. The card is programmed by an external application. The printer acts only
as an interface to the card.
D. The external application notifies the printer that smart card interaction is
complete, and control is returned to the printer.
2-8 Theory of Operation
5. The card is then sent back toward the entry of the printer before being sent to
the magnetic stripe module.
A. The leading edge of the card is registered by the magnetic stripe sensor.
B. The optical encoder measures the distance the card is traveling during the
encoding process.
C. All tracks of the card are written simultaneously.
D. On the return pass, the card data is verified.
6. The card is then returned to the input sensor and registered for graphics
printing.
A. When the leading edge of the card reaches the platen roller, the printhead
cam engages and lowers the head onto the card.
B. The ribbon motor is engaged. The motor is over-driven, and the spindle
clutch slips as needed to match the speed of the card.
C. After printing a panel, the printhead is raised and the card is returned to
the input sensor.
D. The ribbon motor advances to the next panel by examining the ribbon
encoder.
E. The process is repeated for the remaining panels.
7. The card is passed to the duplex module.
A. The duplex entry sensor detects the card and determines the position
within the flipper.
B. With the magnetic clutch relaxed, the drive rollers pull the card into the
module.
C. The clutch is engaged and the motor rotates the flipper to the return
position.
D. The clutch is released, and the motor drives the rollers to move the card
back into the printer. (The rollers always move in the forward direction,
but since the flipper assembly is inverted, the card is moved back into the
printer.)
8. The card is re-registered by the input sensor and printing is completed on the
back of the card in the same fashion as the front.
9. After printing, the card is moved to the front of the printer and placed into
the output hopper.
CP60 and CP60 Plus Service Manual 2-9
Open Card Printer Differences
There are several Datacard printers that support the Open Card format, but not
all printers support the same functions. The table below lists the differences by
printer model.
Item
CP60
CP60 Plus
Printer Model
SE48 220 280 310
@S character spacing
@L line spacing
@T graphics template
@@ hex character control
Allow format characters in print field
More than 11 dummy emboss lines
Special font spacing for fonts 1, 2, 3
Characters not on emboss wheel
permitted
Graphics data control
2-10 Theory of Operation
Graphics Printing
The information presented in the following section is not required for servicing
the CP60 and CP60 Plus printers but is presented to augment the customer
engineer’s training and knowledge base.
The printhead is made up of 672 microscopic heating elements. Each of these
thermal elements is made from a printed circuit conductor etched into the
printhead substrate (metallic-like foil). The elements are spaced 0.0035 inch apart,
and represent a single pixel at 300 DPI resolution.
To transfer pigment from the print ribbon to the card, the respective thermal
element (pixel) heats up until the temperature reaches the transfer threshold. At
this point, pigment from the print ribbon will adhere to the card. The longer the
element remains on, the more material gets applied.
• At temperatures below the transfer threshold, no pigment is transferred to
the card.
• If the temperature of an element is too high, the area surrounding the
element may also get hot enough to transfer pigment. This will lead to
reduced resolution, blotching, and ribbon breaks.
• The intensity of the printed pixel is controlled by the length of time that the
pixel’s thermal element is turned on. The longer the pixel is on, the darker
(more intense) the color will be.
CP60 and CP60 Plus Service Manual 2-11
Printhead Settings
A printed card is made up of 1013 discrete vertical (short edge of the card)
columns printed across the length of the card. As each column is printed, the
printhead circuitry activates the necessary pixels to transfer pigment from the
ribbon to the card.
Controlling when and how these pixels heat up is determined by several
parameters: power, base power, and strobe.
Power
In the past, printhead pixels were controlled by varying the voltage to the pixel
element. On the newer generation of printheads, the power to the pixel is
controlled by pulsing the voltage, commonly referred to as Pulse Width
Modulation (PWM). This concept is also known as Duty-Cycle.
The heat of a thermal element on the printhead is controlled by how long it is
turned on versus how long it is turned off. In a sense, the printhead control was
analog but is now digital.
To increase the temperature, or heat, on a single element, it is turned On more
than it is turned Off. The higher the duty-cycle, the hotter the element becomes.
Because the printhead now receives full voltage from the power supply,
swapping the power supply for another power supply will have an impact on
printing intensity. The printer can easily be adjusted to compensate when a new
power supply is required.
Base Power
The Base Power sets the upper limit to the power PWM. In simple terms, this sets
the bandwidth (gamut) of the printing. Increasing the base power darkens the
available colors in the printer, but does not impact the lighter colors. Note that
there is an upper threshold after which increasing the base power has little or no
effect on the final printing. At this point, the image is saturated and cannot be
increased in gamut any further. However, note that this is not the same as
darkening the image in the SmartDriver control panel. This will darken the
whole image, including the lighter areas.
2-12 Theory of Operation
Strobe
If an entire column of thermal elements (pixels) needs to be activated, the overall
power to the printhead will drop due to the current draw. The strobe setting
compensates for this drop in voltage by increasing the time that the pixels are
active.
For example, if all 672 pixels were turned on, it would take longer for each pixel
to reach the threshold temperature than it would if only 300 pixels were turned
on. This would result in a lighter image if more pixels are needed, and a darker
image if only a few pixels are needed.
The Strobe setting is a time factor that compensates for this reduction in power
by increasing the "on-time" for each pixel based on how many pixels are required
for the printed column. The strobe setting value is a baseline number for a
look-up table that the printer calculates for each printed column.
The gray test card is used to detect strobe misadjustment. This test card is
available only to the Advanced User in Diagnostics.
CP60 and CP60 Plus Service Manual 2-13
Magnetic Cards
The information presented in the following section is not required for servicing
the CP60 and CP60 Plus printers but is presented to augment the customer
engineer’s training and knowledge base.
Magnetic Data Principles
This discussion is intended to be a primer for those who are not completely
familiar with the principles of writing data to and reading data from a magnetic
stripe. It covers some advanced theory, but is not intended to be a
comprehensive discussion into the physics of electromagnetism. Those wishing to
delve deeper into the physics of electromagnetism should be able to find
additional information on the Internet or from their local library (Search Topics
include: Electromagnetism, Gauss, Magnetic Stripe).
Magnetism
All magnets, including the Earth, have a North Pole and a South Pole. These
poles always appear in North/South pairs, and there will never be one without
the other. A magnetic field is comprised of Magnetic Lines of Force, or Magnetic
Flux, which travel from North to South between the poles. Even though magnetic
flux is invisible, the effects of these lines can be seen as they interact with
particles of iron. If a piece of paper is placed over a common bar magnet, and
iron filings are sprinkled across the paper, the iron particles will line up in a
fashion similar to the drawing below
stronger the magnetism. From the drawing below, we can see that the magnetic
field is strongest near the poles.
1
. The greater the density of these lines, the
1 This is the same principle used with magnetic stripe developing fluid. The fluid contains magnetic particles in an
evaporative fluid. When the fluid evaporates, the particles align on the strongest magnetic areas.
2-14 Theory of Operation
Magnetic Media
Magnetic media (stripe material) contains small magnetic particles. Before
information is encoded on the stripe, the poles of the magnetic particles are
randomly oriented (top image below). To encode information, the poles of the
individual particles are oriented in the same direction (middle image below). The
effect of having all of the small particles oriented in the same direction is the
same as having one large magnet with a single North pole and single South pole
(bottom image below).
Electrical Current and Magnetism
There is an interrelationship between magnetic fields and electrical current.
When an electrical current moves through a wire, a magnetic field is generated
around the wire
3
current
will be generated (induced) in the wire.
2
. Reciprocally, when a magnetic field moves past a wire, a
Note that in the case of magnetic stripe cards, a static (non-changing) magnetic
field is physically moving past the conductor. This would be analogous to flying
over the mountains in an airplane. The hills and valleys make the distance
between the airplane and the ground increase and decrease, but the landscape
itself does not change.
If the magnetic field (landscape) were changing, the result would be the same,
and induction would occur. What is important is that the magnetic field is either
changing or moving for induction to occur.
2 From Ampere's Law.
3 Mathematically, Faraday's Law of Induction states that a voltage is induced in the conductor. However, for reasons
of symmetry with Ampere's Law, it is common practice in discussion to refer to the energy transfer as "induced
current." This is appropriate as long as the conductor forms a closed circuit and Ohm's Law can be applied.
CP60 and CP60 Plus Service Manual 2-15
Writing Data
To write data to the magnetic material on a card, it is necessary to create a
magnetic field near the stripe. This aligns all of the magnetic particles nearby in
the same orientation (polarity). The Magnetic Write Head contains a small coil of
wire wrapped around a semicircular iron core
4
. (The head coil and iron core are
used to focus and concentrate the magnetic field.) When electrical current passes
through the head coil, a small but concentrated magnetic field is generated across
the open ends of the core. The magnetic stripe on the card is magnetized with the
opposite magnetic polarity from the head. This is shown in the image below.
To change the polarity of the magnetic stripe under the magnetic head, the
polarity of the current in the head coil is reversed. This reverses the magnetic
polarity of the iron core, which in turn reverses the polarity of the magnetic
stripe.
4 Other materials may also be used for magnetic cores.
2-16 Theory of Operation
Reading Data
To read the magnetic information from a card, the magnetic field on the card is
used to generate a current in the magnetic head. This is possible because a
moving magnetic field induces a current (or voltage) in a conductor.
The magnitude of the current is dependant on the rate of change of the magnetic
field passing by the head. The greater the change, the larger the current. A simple
way of understanding this is that current will be induced when the read head
cuts through a line of flux. When the read head is traveling parallel to a flux line,
no current will be induced.
Because the flux density is greatest at the poles of a magnet, the current will also
be greatest as the magnetic pole passes below the head. This is illustrated in the
drawing below. If the magnetic stripe were comprised of a single North-to-South
magnet, no current would be induced in the magnetic head for the majority of
the length of the card.
When two North Poles or two South Poles are adjacent to one another, the
magnetic field is compressed and becomes even more dense. The higher the
density of the magnetic field, the larger the current that is induced in the
magnetic head.
For this reason, magnetic data is comprised of Transition Points where the
polarity of the magnetism reverses, which results in North-to-North or South-toSouth polarity.
CP60 and CP60 Plus Service Manual 2-17
Magnetic Data
The method for recording information on a magnetic stripe is called twofrequency, coherent phase encoding (also known as F/2F). Although the name is
complex, the concept is simple: two signals are merged together and written as a
single signal. The significance of this format is that a timing signal is embedded
in the data stream (called self-clocking data). This method allows the data to be
read properly regardless how fast or slow a person swipes the card past a read
head.
The clock signal is evenly spaced pulses that are recorded for the whole length of
the stripe. The binary data is written between each of the clock pulses. These two
signals are merged together into a serial data stream and sent to the magnetic
head as an alternating current of varying frequency.
In the example below, the binary data to be written to the card is “011001.” When
this is merged with alternating clock pulses, the result is “1011111010111.” To
write this merged data string to the magnetic stripe, the polarity of the magnetic
head is reversed when a “1” is in the data stream, and left unchanged when a “0”
is in the data stream.
When this information is read back from the magnetic stripe, the current in the
magnetic head appears as alternating pulses. This is shown as the bottom graph
in the figure above.
2-18 Theory of Operation
Loading...