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. CP80 is a trademark of DataCard
Corporation.
All other product names are the property of their respective owners.
Sensors_______________________________________________________________________2-5
Motors _______________________________________________________________________2-6
Miscellaneous ________________________________________________________________2-7
LCD Service Mode Menu Diagram_____________________________________________2-8
Magnetic Cards___________________________________________________________________2-16
Magnetic Data Principles_____________________________________________________2-16
Encoding Format ____________________________________________________________2-21
Magnetic Stripe Primary Data Standards ____________________________________________2-24
ISO/IEC 7811 (Parts 2 and 6) __________________________________________________2-24
AAMVA DL/ID-2000 __________________________________________________________2-24
Saflok and Ving______________________________________________________________2-24
Multiple Record Format (SDS)_________________________________________________2-25
JIS X 6302 (Type I and Type II Cards)___________________________________________2-25
Magnetic Media Locations___________________________________________________2-26
Data Track Locations_________________________________________________________2-27
Summary of Specifications____________________________________________________2-28
Character Encoding _________________________________________________________2-29
Types of Cards _________________________________________________________2-33
Communication _______________________________________________________2-34
Signal Modulation______________________________________________________2-34
Signal Modulation Summary Diagram ___________________________________2-35
Reader to Card Communication________________________________________2-36
Card to Reader Communication________________________________________2-36
Required Tools and Supplies_________________________________________________________3-2
Print Engine Routine Mai ntenance Procedure ________________________________________3-3
Clean the Interior of the Printer ________________________________________________3-3
Mechanical Inspection________________________________________________________3-5
Clean the Interior of the Laminator_____________________________________________3-8
Mechanical Inspection________________________________________________________3-9
Run the Cleaning Cards______________________________________________________3-10
General Notes______________________________________________________________________4-3
General Troubleshooting Proced ures ________________________________________________4-4
Testing General DC Motors ______________________________________________4-7
Testing the Ribbon and Pick Motors_______________________________________4-8
Testing the Cam Motor __________________________________________________4-8
Testing the Printhead Fan________________________________________________4-9
Testing Transport and Duplex Motors______________________________________4-9
Troubleshooting Motors (Laminator)____________________________________________4-9
Troubleshooting Other Devices ________________________________________________4-9
Testing the Smart Card Solenoid__________________________________________4-9
Testing the Duplex Clutch_______________________________________________4-10
Diagnosing the Duplex Interface Board__________________________________4-11
Diagnosing the Ribbon RFID Antenna____________________________________4-11
General Notes______________________________________________________________________5-3
Installing Printer Diagnostics _________________________________________________________5-4
Using Printer Diagnostics ____________________________________________________________5-6
Parts of the Diagnostics Window _______________________________________________5-6
Menu Options ________________________________________________________________5-7
Changing Printer Values_______________________________________________________5-9
Viewing and Saving Values_____________________________________________5-10
Working With Scripts ____________________________________________________5-11
Setting Printer Value Parameters______________________________________________5-12
Printer ID_______________________________________________________________5-12
Card Registration Offset ________________________________________________5-12
Card Strip Offset _______________________________________________________5-13
Ribbon Type ___________________________________________________________5-13
Ribbon Offset __________________________________________________________5-13
Vertical Offset _________________________________________________________5-13
Transport Speed________________________________________________________5-14
YMC, K, T, & F Strobe Duty ______________________________________________5-14
YMC, K, T, and F Power and Base Power _________________________________5-15
Duplex Infeed Offset ___________________________________________________5-15
Duplex Home Offset____________________________________________________5-16
Duplex Print Return Offset_______________________________________________5-16
Duplex Handoff Offset__________________________________________________5-16
Smart Card Registration Offset __________________________________________5-16
Image Clipping Leading and Trailing ____________________________________5-17
Setting Printer Options________________________________________________________5-18
Viewing Printer Status ________________________________________________________5-19
Testing Motors _______________________________________________________________5-20
Testing Motor Functions ______________________________________________________5-21
Setting Up Step Tests for the Printer____________________________________________5-22
Running a Magnetic Stripe Test Card__________________________________________5-23
Configuring the Magnetic Stripe Module ______________________________________5-24
Configuring Custom Track Formats____________________________________________5-26
Running Magnetic Stripe Diagnostics__________________________________________5-27
Testing the Smart Card Option________________________________________________5-28
Setting Laminator Values _____________________________________________________5-30
Ribbon Motor and Gear______________________________________________________6-36
Upper Printer Assembly_____________________________________________________________6-38
Transport Assembly___________________________________________________________6-40
Main Control Board __________________________________________________________6-43
Transport Timing Belt _________________________________________________________6-47
Belt Tensioner Pulley and Tension Spring _______________________________________6-48
Drive and Idler Pulleys________________________________________________________6-49
Magnetic Clutch/Spring Clutch/Duplex Rol lers_________________________________6-80
Magnetic Stripe Option ____________________________________________________________6-84
Magnetic Stripe Circuit Board_________________________________________________6-84
Magnetic Stripe Registration Sensor ___________________________________________6-85
Magnetic Stripe Head________________________________________________________6-86
Magnetic Stripe Rocker Assembly_____________________________________________6-88
Smart Card Option ________________________________________________________________6-89
Datacard CP80 and CP80 Plus Card Printers Service Manual
Revision Date Description of Changes
A March 2006 First release of this document.
B June 2006 Updated for RoHS compliance.
C May 2007 Updated for release of CP80 Plus.
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 users, 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.
ix
Page 10
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.
x
Page 11
Chapter 1: Introduction
This chapter provides an introduction to the Datacard® CP80 and
CP80 Plus card printers and how they function.
This manual is intended for use by authorized representatives of Datacard who
are responsible for the maintenance, service, and repair of the CP80 and CP80
Plus card printers.
The service representatives must complete an authorized Datacard training
course prior to servicing the printers.
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.
Sensors_______________________________________________________________________________2-5
Motors _______________________________________________________________________________2-6
Miscellaneous ________________________________________________________________________2-7
LCD Service Mode Menu Diagram_____________________________________________________2-8
Magnetic Cards ________________________________________________________________ 2-16
Magnetic Data Principles ____________________________________________________________2-16
Encoding Format ____________________________________________________________________2-21
Magnetic Stripe Primary Data Standards _________________________________________ 2-24
ISO/IEC 7811 (Parts 2 and 6) __________________________________________________________2-24
AAMVA DL/ID-2000 __________________________________________________________________2-24
Saflok and Ving______________________________________________________________________2-24
Multiple Record Format (SDS)_________________________________________________________2-25
JIS X 6302 (Type I and Type II Cards)___________________________________________________2-25
Magnetic Media Locations___________________________________________________________2-26
Data Track Locations ________________________________________________________________2-27
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 2-1
Page 16
Summary of Specifications ___________________________________________________________2-28
Character Encoding_________________________________________________________________2-29
Types of Cards ___________________________________________________________________2-33
Communication _________________________________________________________________2-34
Signal Modulation________________________________________________________________2-34
Signal Modulation Summary Diagram _____________________________________________2-35
Reader to Card Communication__________________________________________________2-36
Card to Reader Communication__________________________________________________2-36
2-2 Theory of Operation
Page 17
Print Engine Functional Block Diagram
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 2-3
Page 18
Laminator Functional Block Diagram
2-4 Theory of Operation
Page 19
Printer Components
Sensors
All of the optical sensors in the CP80 and CP80 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.
Name Function
Card Input
Printhead Cam
Swingarm
Open
Ribbon Index
Ribbon Motion
The card input sensor is an interruption sensor that detects the presence of
a card at the entrance of the printer and registers the trailing edge of the
card for printing.
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 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.
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, and 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.
Magnetic
Stripe
Registration
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 2-5
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.
Page 20
Name Function
Card Input
Magnetic
Stripe Optical
Encoder
Duplex Entry
Duplex Home
Input Hopper
Empty Sensor
Option
Motors
The card input sensor is an interruption sensor that detects the presence of
a card at the entrance of the printer and registers the trailing edge of the
card for printing.
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 optical inter ruption se n s or that dete cts the
presence of a card as it enters and leaves the duplex module.
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.
The printer engine has 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.
Name Function
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 connected 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. The lifters raise and lower the printhead into
position for printing or permitting a card to pass beneath.
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 connected 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 operate the rollers, or to rotate the entire
flipper assembly (this is discussed in more detail on page
is a 2-phase (4-wire), 24-volt stepper motor.
2-7). This
2-6 Theory of Operation
Page 21
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 ind ependently when the
clutch is relaxed. When the clutch is active, a magnetic field pulls the
two axes to gether and f riction fo rces the tw o to rotate in u n ison.
Because the clutch is engaged magnetically, the rotation of either axis
is independent of 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 drive 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
(see page 2-33) using load-modulation, although the specific
Cards
details may vary.
Non-Contact Smart
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 communication interface
between the application computer and the smart card. Most of the
communication aspects and the data transfer are controlled by an
external software application that is transpar e nt to the pri nter. The
daughter board also provides a connection to control the smart card
solenoid.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 2-7
Page 22
LCD Service Mode Menu Diagram
2-8 Theory of Operation
Page 23
Laminator Components
Sensors
Name Function
Interstage
Duplex Exit
Duplex Home
Card
Registration
Card Exit
Foil Motion
Foil Index
Heater Home
This sensor is located between the upper and lower duplex assemblies
and detects a card as it passes from the upper duplex to the lower
duplex.
The duplex exit sensor is an optical interruption sensor that detects the
presence of a card as it leaves the duplex module. Thi s sensor also
registers the card for the first laminator.
The duplex home sensor determines the ro tational position of the duplex
flipper. The flipper has three flags that pass through the sensor.
This sensor is located between the first and second laminators, and
registers the card for the second laminator.
This sensor is located just before the output hopper and detects when a
card leaves the printer.
Each laminator has a foil motion sensor. This is a reflective sensor that
detects the teeth on an encoder wheel within the supply cassette.
Each laminator has a foil index sensor. This is a reflective sensor that
detects index marks on the supply spool. It also detects a smart card
cutout (if present) in the foil.
Each heated roller assembly has a heater home sensor. This interruption
sensor detects a flag on the heater lift cam to determine the vertical
position of the heated roller.
Thermocouple
Motors
Name Function
Transport Motor
Heater Lift
Motors
Foil Advance
Motors
Duplex Motor
Each heated roller has a thermocouple for determining temperature. A
thermocouple is made from two dissimilar metals connected together. As
temperature increases, the voltage be tween the two metals increases.
The transport motor drives the upper (L1) platen roller through a gear,
which also drives the main transport belt. This is a 2-phase (4-wire), 24-volt
stepper motor.
Each heater assembly has a heater lift motor. The DC motor operates an
eccentric cam shaft to raise and lower the heated roller.
Each foil supply cassette is driven by a stepper motor through a geartrain.
The final gear has a square hole in the center to engage the capstan
roller in the supply cassette.
The duplex motor drives a gear on the duplex clutch. The clutch permits a
single motor to operate the rollers, or to rotate the entire flipper assembly
(this is discussed in more detail on page
2-7).
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 2-9
Page 24
Sequence of Operation
Power-on Initialization
1. When the printer is turned on, it begins its initialization routine.
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. The system 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 Printing 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.
2-10 Theory of Operation
Page 25
5. The card is then sent back toward the entrance 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 travels 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 a panel is printed, 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 being printed, the card is passed back 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 vertical
position.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 2-11
Page 26
D. The clutch is released, and the motor drives the rollers to move the card
down into the lower duplex.
10. Using the same procedure, the lower duplex inserts the card into the
laminator transport.
Lamination Process
1. The card is moved toward the laminator position at normal transport speed,
as the laminate foil is registered.
2. Once the card clears the card registration sensor, the speed is slowed down
and the card is moved to the apply area.
3. While both the transport and the foil motor are in hold, the heated roller is
moved to the down position.
4. If necessary, the flipper is moved into the debow position.
5. The foil and transport motors are activated, and the laminate is applied to the
card.
6. When the length of the card has been laminated, the roller is lifted to the
home position.
7. The transport continues to move the card a short distance past the heated
roller.
8. The foil motor increases speed and advances slightly to strip the foil from the
card.
9. If debow is enabled, the card is moved back to the duplex.
A. The duplex flipper had already been placed out of alignment with the
card track.
B. The card is pushed against the duplex flipper, bending the card in the
process.
C. The card is held in this position for a short time.
10. The card is moved to the optional second laminator and the same process is
completed for laminating the other side of the card. The debow process is
completed by the debow roller at the printer exit.
2-12 Theory of Operation
Page 27
Graphics Printing
The information presented in the following section is not required for servicing
the CP80 and CP80 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 the
pixel’s thermal element is turned on. The longer the pixel is on, the darker
(more intense) the color will be.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 2-13
Page 28
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 printer driver control panel, which will darken the
whole image, including the lighter areas.
2-14 Theory of Operation
Page 29
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 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.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 2-15
Page 30
Magnetic Cards
The information presented in the following section is not required for servicing
the CP80 and CP80 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
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 stronger 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.
2-16 Theory of Operation
Page 31
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.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 2-17
Page 32
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.
2-18 Theory of Operation
Page 33
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 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.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 2-19
Page 34
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 slowly 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.
2-20 Theory of Operation
Page 35
Encoding Format
As described in the preceding section, the data on a magnetic stripe is nothing
more than a series of binary 1’s and 0’s. However, for this data to be usable, it is
necessary to know how to extract and interpret the information. By specifying
how information is recorded to the stripe, it can be assured that the read device
will extract and interpret the information correctly.
Bit Density
The lowest level encoding format is the recording density. This is typically
specified as bits per millimeter, or bits per inch. A high bit density will allow
more information to be stored on the magnetic track.
Word Length
Each piece of information written to the magnetic stripe is a binary coded
character. These characters (numeric or alphanumeric) are represented by a
binary number known as a binary word. Typically, these binary words are
between 4 and 8 bits in length.
The number of bits per word is determined by how many possible characters
there are in a character set. The common alphanumeric character set requires 6
bits for the binary character code, but a numeric character set requires only 4 bits
for the character code. Once the number of bits per word has been specified, all
characters in the same data string will have the same number of bits per word.
Record Length
The record length is the total number of binary words (characters) that can be
stored on a magnetic track. Bit density, word length, and the physical length of
the stripe determine the maximum record length.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 2-21
Page 36
Parity Check
A parity check is a method of determining if an error has occurred. This is
accomplished by adding one extra bit to the end of a binary character code. The
purpose of the parity bit is to make the sum of data bits in a binary word either
even or odd. This way, all words throughout the data string will have the same
parity. In the table below, note that the sum of all the bits in each row is an odd
number. This is called odd parity. With even parity, the sum of the rows would be
an even number.
Data String
Leading
Clock
Pulses
Parity
Char
$ 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
A 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 3
B 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 3
C 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 3
S 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 5
W 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 5
Z 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 5
Binary Char Code
Bit
5
4
2
2
3
2
2
1
2
2
Bit
Sum
0
2
Regardless what type of information is written on a magnetic stripe, there is a
basic layout that is followed. This basic layout is shown below.
Start
Sentinel
Specific Data
End
Sentinel
Longitudinal
Redundancy Check
Trailing
Clock
Pulses
Leading/Trailing Clock Pulses
The actual information written to a magnetic stripe cannot extend fully to the
edges of the stripe. The main reason for this is because the card reader needs to
synchronize its timing to the speed at which the card is swiped through the
reader. Leading and trailing clock pulses permit the reader to gauge the speed of
the card without losing data. (The timing is continuously updated as the whole
card is read, but the leading and trailing clock pulses provide a starting point
without data loss.)
Specific Data
This is the actual data that personalizes the card. This data can represent a
person’s name, birth date, account number, etc. The actual content of this data is
determined by the card issuer or one of the many international standards. (Refer
to the
Magnetic Stripe Primary Data Standards section for a description of some
common standards.)
2-22 Theory of Operation
Page 37
Start Sentinel/End Sentinel
4 5
The specific data on a card is bracketed by a Start Sentinel and an End Sentinel.
These are used to identify where valid data begins and ends. These two sentinels
are reserved characters and cannot be used for any other reason on the magnetic
stripe. For this reason, the sentinel characters will not be standard letters or
numeric characters. (Just like any other character written to the card, the
sentinel’s binary word also includes a parity bit.)
Longitudinal Redundancy Check (LRC)
This is a final parity check for the entire data string. Unlike the parity bit
mentioned in the preceding section, the LRC is a complete binary word itself,
with the same number of bits as the specific data characters.
Each bit in the LRC binary word (except its own parity bit) represents a single
parity check for all of the preceding bits in the same position. This can best be
explained by examining the binary data in the tabular form shown below. Each
character’s parity bit makes the horizontal sum
makes the vertical sum
of all the individual bits an even number. (The LRC’s
own parity bit sets the parity for the LRC word in the same manner as it would
for any other character.)
Sample Data 1 1 1 0 0 1 1
Sample Data 1 1 1 1 0 1 0
End Sentinel 0 0 1 1 1 1 1
Pre-LRC Sum
LRC
Post-LRC Sum
Parity
Binary Char Code
Bit
5
4
3
2
2
2
2
0 0 1 1 0 0 1
4 6 4 4 6 6
3 4 6 5
1
2
2
Bit
Sum
0
2
3 %
5 7
3 C
5 ^
5 S
5 Z
5 ?
3
Char
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 2-23
Page 38
Magnetic Stripe Primary Data Standards
The magnetic stripe on a card can store binary data in any form you wish;
however, to maintain consistency, national and international standards are
followed. A primary data standard is one that specifies how information is
stored on a card. A secondary standard is one that specifies the content of the
information stored on a card.
ISO/IEC 7811 (Parts 2 and 6)
This is the primary standard for recording that most other formats and standards
are based on. This standard dictates how information is written to a card, but
does not describe the content of the information. It covers 2-track and 3-track
magnetic stripe cards, where 1, 2, or 3 tracks may be used.
In the past, this 3-track recording standard was referred to as IAT, which is an
acronym for IATA, ABA, and TTS. This acronym should not be used to describe
a 3-track card, because it describes the “content” not the “technique.” It is more
accurate to describe these tracks as ISO-1, 2, or 3.
Full Name Abbreviated Name Former Designation
ISO/IEC 7811 part 2 or 6
Track 1
ISO/IEC 7811 part 2 or 6
Track 2
ISO/IEC 7811 part 2 or 6
Track 3
Note that this standard permits the use of a single-track recording, but
doing so does not make the recording a JIS Type-II card. That is a
completely different standard, and is discussed below.
AAMVA DL/ID-2000
This is the standard used for U.S. driver’s licenses. It follows the ISO standard
except for some changes in data type and record length. Technically, this is not a
primary standard, but since it modifies some aspects of the primary ISO/IEC
standard, it is treated as though it were a primary standard.
Saflok and Ving
These are proprietary formats that the printer is capable of encoding; however,
the specifics of these formats cannot be published.
ISO-1 IATA
ISO-2 ABA
ISO-3 TTS
2-24 Theory of Operation
Page 39
Multiple Record Format (SDS)
This is a special format that is used most often by the casino industry. The main
purpose for the change in format is to introduce redundancy into the data to
protect against misreads at the card readers. Because the cards are not intended
to be universal from one provider to another, there is no specific standard
format. Each card issuer can have their own variations on the basic format. Some
of the aspects that may be encountered within this format are shown in the table
below.
Parameter Comments
Number of Records
Number of Start Sentinels
Number of Nulls
Each track is permitted to repeat the primary data
record as many times as the issuer chooses. Each
duplicate record contains its own start and end
sentinels and error checking characters.
Each data record is permitted to repeat the start
and end sentinel any number of times. This is to
ensure that the beginning and end of the record
has been detected.
Between duplicate data records, empty, nonrecorded space is permitted. This separates the
records to ensure that two adjacent records are
not misread as one record.
JIS X 6302 (Type I and Type II Cards)
JIS X 6302 is the Japanese standard for magnetic stripe cards and identifies two
distinct card formats.
Type I: A JIS Type I card is a 3-track card. As of the 1998/1999 revision of this standard,
the Type I card standard conforms to the ISO/IEC standard for 3-track cards.
For this reason, Type I cards will not be discussed separately from ISO/IEC
cards. However, note that some card issuers may still be producing cards under
the 1979/1988 version of JIS X 6302. This manual does not cover that standard,
but the system will nonetheless support the format.
Type II: A JIS Type II card is a single-track card, and does not have an ISO/IEC
equivalent. In the past, this type of card has frequently been referred to as
J-Stripe, J-Track, NTT, or simply JIS Type II. (JIS Type II is now preferred.)
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 2-25
Page 40
Magnetic Media Locations
The physical location and size of the magnetic stripe on a card follows the
specifications outlined in the two drawings below. The first graphic is for a two
or three track card (ISO/IEC and JIS Type I). (Note that under the ISO and JIS
standards, even if only one of the three tracks is used, the minimum track size
follows this specification.)
2-26 Theory of Operation
Page 41
Data Track Locations
The positions where data can be recorded on a 3-track stripe are described in the
graphic below. This applies to all three of the aforementioned standards, but
does not apply to a JIS Type II card.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 2-27
Page 42
Summary of Specifications
The preceding sections describe where magnetic data can reside on a card. This
section describes the general format of that magnetic data. The following table
summarizes the data specifications for the primary standards.
Parameter
ISO/IEC 7811
JIS Type I
JIS Type II
Track 1 Track 2 Track 3 Single Track
Bit Density 210 75 210 210
Total Length 79 40 107 72
Record
Length
Data Type
Start
Sentinel
End Sentinel ? ? ? DEL
Field
Separator
Word Parity ODD EVEN
LRC Parity EVEN EVEN
76 37 104 69
7-bit
A/N
% ; ; DEL
^ = =
5-bit N 5-bit N
7-bit A/N
N = Numeric character set
A/N = Alphanumeric character set
2-28 Theory of Operation
Page 43
Character Encoding
@ 0 1
7-bit Alphanumeric Character Set as Defined by ISO/IEC 7811
Note Char Parity
25 24 23 22 2
Space 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
H ! 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
H " 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
R # 1 0 0 0 0 1 1
$ 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
S % 1 0 0 0 1 0 1
H & 1 0 0 0 1 1 0
H ' 0 0 0 0 1 1 1
A 1 1 0 0 0 0 1
B 1 1 0 0 0 1 0
C 0 1 0 0 0 1 1
D 1 1 0 0 1 0 0
E 0 1 0 0 1 0 1
F 0 1 0 0 1 1 0
G 1 1 0 0 1 1 1
H 1 1 0 1 0 0 0
I 0 1 0 1 0 0 1
J 0 1 0 1 0 1 0
K 1 1 0 1 0 1 1
L 0 1 0 1 1 0 0
M 1 1 0 1 1 0 1
N 1 1 0 1 1 1 0
O 0 1 0 1 1 1 1
P 1 1 1 0 0 0 0
Q 0 1 1 0 0 0 1
R 0 1 1 0 0 1 0
S 1 1 1 0 0 1 1
T 0 1 1 0 1 0 0
U 1 1 1 0 1 0 1
V 1 1 1 0 1 1 0
W 0 1 1 0 1 1 1
X 0 1 1 1 0 0 0
Y 1 1 1 1 0 0 1
Z 1 1 1 1 0 1 0
R [ 0 1 1 1 0 1 1
R \ 1 1 1 1 1 0 0
R ] 0 1 1 1 1 0 1
F ^ 0 1 1 1 1 1 0
H _ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Binary
5
24 23 22 2
0 0 0 0 0
1
0
2
Code Description
H
These 14 characters ! " & ' * + , : ; < = > @ _ are reserved for hardware control and
cannot be part of the data content. (These may or may not be used by various
device manufacturers.)
R Additional reserved characters.
S,E,F Reserved characters for Start Sentinel, End Sentinel, and Field Separator.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 2-29
Page 44
5-bit Numeric Character Set as Defined by ISO/IEC 7811
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 1
0 0 1 0
0 0 1 1
0 1 0 0
0 1 0 1
0 1 1 0
0 1 1 1
1 0 0 0
1 0 0 1
1 1 0 1 0
0 1 0 1 1
1 1 1 0 0
0 1 1 0 1
0 1 1 1 0
1 1 1 1 1
Note Char Parity
3
2
Binary
2
2
2
1
0
2
0 1
1 0
2 0
3 1
4 0
5 1
6 1
7 0
8 0
9 1
H :
S ;
H <
F =
H >
E ?
Code Description
H These characters are used to control the hardware and cannot be part of the data
content. (These may or may not be used by various device manufacturers.)
S,E,F Reserved characters for Start Sentinel, End Sentinel, and Field Separator.
2-30 Theory of Operation
Page 45
Smart Card Technology
The information presented in the following section is not required for servicing
the CP80 and CP80 Plus printers but is presented to augment the customer
engineer’s training and knowledge base.
The underlying concept of smart cards is fairly simple: A chip is embedded
inside a plastic card—the chip may be microprocessor based, or a simple
memory device. The capabilities of a smart card, however, are a little more
complex. They can be as simple as a means of identification, or as complex as a
financial database.
Although it is not a mandated parameter (and some overlap may exist), all
smart cards have a unique identifier which identifies the card type, the
manufacturer, and the specific card. Most card manufacturers present this
unique identifier as part of the “answer to reset” which is discussed below.
Even if the card protocol permits it, this identifier should not be altered.
There are two basic types of smart cards;
Smart Cards
Contact smart cards connect to the external interface via a set of eight electrical
contact points. Non-contact smart cards interact with the external interface
through a principle called inductive coupling. There are many variations on the
basics of smart cards, including proprietary designs. The discussion below will
be limited to discussing smart card architecture as defined under ISO/IEC 7816
(1-10) and ISO/IEC 14443 (1-4).
(or a combination of both types, as shown in the graphic below).
Contact Smart Cards and Non-Contact
About this Graphic
The photograph above is an actual transparent card with magnetic stripe, a
contact-type processor, a 125 kHz non-contact type processor, and a 13.56 MHz
non-contact type processor. This graphic (without annotations) was provided by
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 2-31
Page 46
HID Corporation and is shown here for educational purposes. The printed image
on the card is an artist’s rendering.
Contact Smart Cards
A contact smart card needs to connect to an external interface to provide the
processor with power and to set up serial communication. The eight terminal
contacts are described in the table below. (Note that two contacts are reserved for
future use.)
There are two classes of contact smart cards: Type-A cards operate at 5 volts, and
Type-B cards operate at 3 volts.
Smart Card Contacts
No. Name Purpose No. Name
C1 VCC Supply voltage (3 or 5 V) C5 GND Ground
C2 RST Resets the processor C6 VPP Variable voltage for programming
C3 CLK Provides the timing (clock) signal C7 I/O Data line
C4 N/A Reserved for future use C8 N/A Reserved for future use
Purpose
Initiating Communication
When the card is inserted into a reader, it needs to be initialized and
communication protocols defined. Note that steps 1 through
6 all occur while the
card is forced to remain in a reset state (no activity).
1. The card reader senses that the card is in position under the contacts. In most
cases, this is a mechanical switch that detects the presence of a card (any type
of card).
2. The Reset line (C2) is held low. (The active-low reset forces the card to remain
in the reset state until released.)
3. Power is applied to the Vcc and Gnd contacts.
• A Type-A reader will apply 5 volts to the card. (Type-B cards must accept
the overvoltage, but are not allowed to respond.)
• A Type-B reader will apply 3 volts to the card.
• A Type-A/B reader will first apply 3 volts to the card. If no response is
received, it removes power, waits, and reapplies power at 5 volts.
4. The I/O line is held in the Receive mode (high impedance).
5. If the card is a Type-A card, the programming voltage (Vpp) is placed in the
pause value, which is equal to Vcc.
2-32 Theory of Operation
Page 47
6. The clock signal is activated.
7. The reader releases the Reset by bringing it to a high voltage.
8. The card then issues its Answer To Reset (ATR). The ATR is a hexadecimal
string up to 32 characters and contains:
• The format of the communication
• Permissible baud rates
• Parameters of the circuitry in the card
• Required programming voltage on Vpp
• The make and model of the card
• Other information the manufacturer chooses
9. With communication parameters known, the interface can begin to
communicate with the card.
10. Serial communication across the I/O line commences.
11. If necessary, the voltage on Vpp is altered, and information can be written to
the card.
Non-Contact Smart Cards
Types of Cards
Whenever a new technology is developed by multiple manufactures, there tends
to be multiple protocols for the device. For example, during the 1980’s there were
as many personal computer types as there were manufacturers. In time, the
number of computer types dwindled as designs were standardized. The same is
true with smart card technology, except many off-standard card types still exist.
The primary information in this section is geared toward the ISO/IEC 14443
Type-A and Type-B cards. However, recognition should be given to a few other
formats that are still widely used.
The photograph on page
and the standardized 13.56 MHz antenna. This card is used to help facilitate the
transfer from the 125 kHz system to the common 13.56 MHz system. The lower
frequency format is not supported by any of the ISO/IEC standards. These low
frequency cards are frequently referred to as Wiegand cards, and generally only
provide a unique ID when energized.
The FeliCa card format was developed by the Sony Corporation and is similar to
the standard Type-A card, except it uses a 212 kb/s data rate instead of the
standardized 106 kb/s data rate. There are also some variations on the
modulation protocol.
2-31 shows a combicard with both a 125 kHz antenna
The Mifare card is fairly common because it is based on an open standard used
by many manufacturers. According to the Phillips Corporation this format is
fully compliant with the ISO/IEC 14443-A standard.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 2-33
Page 48
Communication
Communication with non-contact smart cards is slightly more complicated
because there is no physical connection between the interface and the card. The
card reader sends out a radio frequency broadcast, which not only provides
power to the card, but also establishes communication. This is called inductive
coupling, and is similar to the function of a transformer.
Inductive coupling works the same way as a transformer does, except that the
two coils are farther apart (called loosely coupled). The operating field of the
card reader has a frequency of 13.56 MHz. This is called the carrier frequency.
Signal Modulation
The concept of signal modulation arises from the relationship between frequency
and required antenna size. Namely, the antenna needs to be on the same order as
the wavelength of the signal. The lower the frequency—the longer the
wavelength—the larger the antenna required to transmit or receive the signal.
An audio signal for example, would require an antenna of approximately
300 Km in length. This wouldn’t fit very well in the trunk of your car for
listening to your favorite music, and a portable radio would be totally out of the
question.
Instead, the lower frequency (the data signal) is combined with a higher
frequency (the carrier). The higher frequency is more easily transmitted and
received. Combining two signals together is called modulation.
There are many different types of signal modulation, but they all boil down to
three basic parameters—altering the amplitude, frequency and/or phase of the
carrier signal.
You are probably familiar with the terms Amplitude Modulation and Frequency Modulation because these are used by most consumer radios. We know them as
AM and FM radios. Because of their nature, digital signals can utilize many
variations on these basic modulation schemes.
The following diagrams show a couple of the basic modulation schemes as well
as the variants used by digital signals. The AM and FM modulation diagrams are
shown with analog data signals, but phase-shift modulation is easiest to show
with a digital signal.
2-34 Theory of Operation
Page 49
Signal Modulation Summary Diagram
Amplitude Modulation:
The magnitude (height) of the
carrier signal is varied according
to the height of the data signal.
This is what is used in AM radio.
Note: The blue data signal is
shown here for clarity. It is not
actually present in the actual
modulated signal.
Frequency Modulation:
The frequency of the carrier
signal is varied according to the
height of the data signal. This is
what is used in FM radio.
Note: The modulated frequency
remains close to the carrier
frequency, but the drawing is
exaggerated for clarity.
Amplitude Shift Keying:
This is a digital variant on the
AM modulation. It comes in two
common forms: 100% and 10%.
Note: 10% modulation
(ASK10%) means the carrier is
modulated by only 10%. 100%
modulation means that the
carrier signal is fully modulated.
Both of these variants are shown
to the right.
Load Modulation:
The card switches the resistance
of its antenna, which alters the
current in the transmitter.
Note: This is a complex topic
and will be discussed in greater
detail later.
Phase Modulation:
A data transition is signified by
a shift in the signal’s phase. In
this case, the phase is shifted 180
degrees by inverting the signal.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 2-35
Page 50
Reader to Card Communication
The reader communicates with the card by sending an amplitude modulated
signal at 13.56 MHz. The modulation variant depends on the class of card. A
Type-A card uses 100% Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK100%). A Type-B card uses
ASK10% modulation. These two variants are shown in the previous graphics.
The benefit of ASK100 is that it is more immune to noise and errors because there
is a strong difference in amplitude at bit transitions. The drawback to this is that
the card doesn’t receive power during the low cycle of the modulation. The card
doesn’t turn off during these times, but the effect is that less overall (average)
power is being transmitted to the card.
ASK10 provides more power to the card because the modulated signal remains
within 10% of the maximum amplitude. The tradeoff is that the difference
between high and low amplitudes is minimal. This can lead to slightly more data
transmission errors.
Card to Reader Communication
The communication method back to the reader is elegantly simple, but a little
more complicated to understand. It is a passive communication because the card
doesn’t really send a signal back to the reader—it modifies the signal emanating
from the reader. This is called Load Modulation, and is based on a loosely coupled
transformer (two coils separated by distance and without an iron core).
A normal transformer is frequently thought of as a method for changing one
voltage to another, such as a computer power supply that takes 120 volts and
reduces it to 12 volts. While the voltage decreases across the transformer shown
below, the current increases proportionally. The value of the current in the
secondary winding is dependant on the load being powered. Consequently, the
current in the primary winding is inversely proportional to the load on the
secondary winding. As a result, if the load is varying with time, the circuitry on
the primary side of the transformer can detect the change in current draw.
When the card engages and disengages (switches) resistance in its own antenna,
the reader detects this change by examining the current draw within its antenna.
2-36 Theory of Operation
Page 51
Type-A Card Modulation
The type of return modulation from the card to the reader differs with the two
classes of cards (Type-A and Type-B). Type-A cards use a simple On-Off-Keying
modulation (OOK). This is the binary equivalent of amplitude modulation. The
card switches the resistance seen by the card reader at a frequency of 1/16
frequency of the carrier signal. This means that during a modulation period, the
carrier signal is attenuated every eight cycles. The data stream is even slower
than this (1/128
transitions from modulation to non-modulation of the carrier.
th
of the carrier frequency) so each data bit will have several
th
the
Type-B Card Modulation
A Type-B card uses a combination of amplitude modulation and phase
modulation, called Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK). This method sends a
constant subcarrier frequency of 847 kHz using amplitude modulation, but shifts
the phase of the subcarrier by 180 degrees (inverted) at each data transition. In
other words, the carrier is always modulated with the subcarrier, but during data
transitions, the subcarrier signal is altered (inverted). The subcarrier is permitted
to invert only at its own transition points (which is why the frequencies are even
multiples of each other).
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 2-37
Page 52
2-38 Theory of Operation
Page 53
Chapter 3: Routine Maintenance
This chapter provides routine maintenance procedures for the CP80
and CP80 Plus card printers.
Required Tools and Supplies______________________________________________________
Clean the Interior of the Printer ________________________________________________________3-3
Mechanical Inspection________________________________________________________________3-5
Clean the Interior of the Laminator_____________________________________________________3-8
Mechanical Inspection________________________________________________________________3-9
Run the Cleaning Cards______________________________________________________________3-10
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 3-1
Page 54
Required Tools and Supplies
The following tools and supplies are needed for routine maintenance procedures.
Cleaners used on the printer’s exterior should not contain any abrasives, oils,
fragrances, antibacterial agents, solvents, or isopropanol. Do not use softscrubbing cleansers, products with petroleum, or products with mineral,
pine, or lemon oil.
CAUTION: Use only canned compressed air on this printer. Do not use
facility air as it will have trace amounts of oil and moisture that will
accumulate on surfaces and possibly damage electronic components.
3-2 Routine Maintenance
Page 55
Print Engine Routine Maintenance Procedure
The entire routine maintenance procedure should be completed each time the
printer is serviced. This will help extend the life of the printer.
Refer to chapter 6 of this manual for removal and replacement procedures.
CAUTION: Do not spray or pour cleaner directly on or into any electrical
device.
Clean the Interior of the Printer
1. Unplug the printer.
2. Remove the printer enclosures.
3. Remove the chassis from the base enclosure.
4. Using canned compressed air:
• Blow out any debris near the sensors
• Blow out any dust from the control board and other surfaces of the base.
• Blow out any dust and debris from the underside of the chassis. Make
sure to include the cam sensor.
5. If the grease on the platen roller shaft has accumulated dirt and debris, wipe
off the grease with a dry cloth, and re-grease the surfaces with Molykote DX
grease.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 3-3
Page 56
6. Use a cloth dampened with water to clean the sensor reflector on the
printhead cartridge.
7. Using an isopropanol cleaning pen, clean the thermal printhead by rubbing
the isopropanol tip over the printing portion of the printhead.
3-4 Routine Maintenance
Sp35707s
Page 57
Mechanical Inspection
Inspect the following components and replace as needed.
1. Check the fixed cleaning rollers to make sure they are not nicked or gouged.
Replace them if they are dry.
2. Check all other rollers for wear or damage.
3. Check springs to verify they are in position and not damaged.
4. Inspect the transport system:
• Inspect the timing belt for wear and missing teeth.
• Inspect the three or four idler pulleys and make sure they are securely
seated.
• Inspect the drive pulleys for wear and broken teeth.
• Inspect the platen roller gear and pulley for wear and broken teeth.
5. Inspect the ribbon drive gear for wear and broken teeth. Make sure it is
securely seated on the motor shaft.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 3-5
Page 58
6. Inspect the ribbon cartridge.
• Inspect the spindle gear for wear and missing teeth.
• If the cassette has a plastic encoder wheel, inspect it for scratches and
missing lines.
• Check the spindles for proper movement and to be sure the clutches are
providing a slight drag.
7. Inspect the print cam gear and motor gear on the underside of the printer for
wear and broken teeth.
8. Inspect the cam lobes for wear or grooves.
3-6 Routine Maintenance
Page 59
9. Inspect all sensors to make sure they are properly seated in their mounting
The entire routine maintenance procedure should be completed each time the
laminator is serviced. This will help extend the life of the printer.
Refer to chapter 6 of this manual for removal and replacement procedures.
CAUTION: Do not spray or pour cleaner directly on or into any electrical
device.
Clean the Interior of the Laminator
1. Unplug the printer.
2. Remove the printer enclosures.
3. Remove the printer from the laminator.
4. Using canned compressed air:
• Blow out any debris near the sensors.
• Blow out any dust from the control board and other surfaces of the base.
• Blow out any dust and debris from the underside of the chassis.
5. If the grease on the platen roller shafts has accumulated dirt and debris, wipe
off the grease with a dry cloth, and re-grease the surfaces with Molykote DX
grease.
6. Inspect the heated rollers for adhered debris. If necessary, remove the
assembly and clean with isopropanol.
3-8 Routine Maintenance
Page 61
Mechanical Inspection
Inspect the following components and replace as needed.
1. Check the transport rollers to make sure they are not nicked or gouged.
2. Check springs to verify they are in position and not damaged.
3. Inspect all of the gears in the transport system for damage.
4. Inspect the foil cartridge.
• Inspect the spindle and capstan drive gears for wear and missing teeth.
• Inspect the encoder wheel for missing teeth.
• Check the spindles for proper movement and to be sure the clutches are
providing a slight drag.
• Inspect the foil path for nicks or burrs that could damage the foil.
5. Reassemble the printer.
6. Wipe the exterior of the printer with a cloth dampened with a non-abrasive,
general purpose cleaning solution. Let the printer dry before connecting
power.
7. Inspect all sensor to make sure they are properly seated in their mounting
locations.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 3-9
Page 62
Run the Cleaning Cards
1. Connect the printer to the computer and turn on the power.
2. Remove the cleaning roller, print ribbon, laminator cartridges, and any cards
from the input hopper.
3. Open the Printer Toolbox Dialog, and click on Clean Laminator.
4. Load the sticky cleaning card in the output hopper just below the static
brush.
A. The printer will pull the card into the laminator.
B. When the cleaning is complete, you may have to manually pull the card
from the exit roller.
5. Load the isopropyl cleaning card in the input hopper.
6. Open the Printer Toolbox Dialog and click on Clean Printer.
7. If additional cleaning is required, wipe the rollers with the isopropanol
cleaning pen or 99% isopropanol.
8. Put a new cleaning sleeve on the cleaning spindle and replace the roller.
9. Print several test cards and examine them for quality.
3-10 Routine Maintenance
Page 63
Chapter 4: Troubleshooting
This chapter provides information for troubleshooting problems with
the CP80 and CP80 Plus card printers.
General Notes___________________________________________________________________ 4-3
General Troubleshooting Procedures _____________________________________________ 4-4
Testing General DC Motors ________________________________________________________4-7
Testing the Ribbon and Pick Motors_________________________________________________4-8
Testing the Cam Motor ____________________________________________________________4-8
Testing the Printhead Fan__________________________________________________________4-9
Testing Transport and Duplex Motors________________________________________________4-9
Troubleshooting Motors (Laminator)____________________________________________________4-9
Troubleshooting Other Devic es ________________________________________________________4-9
Testing the Smart Card Solenoid____________________________________________________4-9
Testing the Duplex Clutch_________________________________________________________4-10
Diagnosing the Duplex Interface Board____________________________________________4-11
Diagnosing the Ribbon RFID Antenna______________________________________________4-11
The CP Series Info Central help file contains a great deal of information for
troubleshooting the system—such as print quality and software
communication problems.
• To open Info Central, click on the icon installed to the desktop when the
SmartDriver was installed on the computer.
• If Info Central was not installed, insert the printer driver CD, click on
User Information and then CP Series Info Central and e-Guide to install
it.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 4-3
Page 66
General Troubleshooting Procedures
CAUTION: This section is intended only for a fully trained technician.
Performing these procedures in an inappropriate manner will damage the
printer. Even a trained technician should use care in applying these
procedures to avoid permanent damage to the printer.
The following procedures serve as a rough guideline for isolating the cause of a
failure. These scenarios do not cover every aspect of the devices but should
provide enough information to isolate the root cause of a failure.
Many of these procedures assume a familiarity with the printer’s diagnostic
software. For brevity, details about the diagnostic software will not be discussed
unless required. For further information about Diagnostics, refer to chapter 5 of
this manual.
CAUTION: Unless instructed otherwise, always unplug the printer before
connecting or disconnecting any electrical device from any circuit board.
Non-Clearing Repetitive Messages
If the printer encounters an error that will not allow it to begin production,
clearing the error message may result in the printer continuing to test for the
same error condition. This will result in a repetitive error message that prevents
the customer engineer from performing diagnostic routines to troubleshoot the
error.
Some examples of this type of situation may include a failed duplex motor, cam
motor, card input sensor, duplex sensor, etc.
When the error message is displayed and the printer beeps, do not clear the error
message from the computer's screen. Instead, hold the ready button in until the
ready light turns red and the printer beeps once more (about 10 seconds). The
printer will clear its errors, but will not reinitialize. The printer ignores the error
until a task is performed to reveal the error again. During the course of your
investigation, you may need to repeat this procedure.
4-4 Troubleshooting
Page 67
Troubleshooting Sensors
The purpose of this procedure is to determine if a sensor has failed or if the main
control board is not seeing the sensor properly. The first step in troubleshooting
a sensor is to determine if the sensor is changing from an active state to an
inactive state as a physical condition changes.
Because data from the laminator control board passes to the printer control
board via a serial port and then gets reported to Diagnostics, there is a
significant delay between a sensor transition and the sensor display in
Diagnostics.
1. Verify that the sensor is fully plugged in to the control board. In some cases,
an unplugged sensor will be displayed as “active” in the Diagnostics
window.
2. Using Diagnostics, observe the sensor status indicator as the sensor is
blocked and unblocked.
• To test the ribbon index sensor, remove the ribbon cartridge and open
and close the swingarm. (Also verify that the reflector is in position on
the printhead.)
• To test the magnetic stripe registration sensor, slide a card between the
sensor and the reflector on the rocker arm.
• Because the ribbon motion sensor has two channels, the only way to
verify that both channels are functioning is with a voltmeter. Use the test
points in the figure below to test the sensor.
• To test the laminator index and foil motion sensors (reflective-type) place
an object (such as a card) 1/8 to 1/4 inch in front of the sensor, but not
touching the sensor.
3. Unplug the printer and swap the sensor with another sensor:
You cannot swap the ribbon motion sensor with any other sensor; it is not
compatible with any other sensor.
• Because this is a test of the sensor, the original sensor does not need to be
removed. Simply unplug the original sensor from the control board and
plug in a replacement sensor.
• If a spare sensor is not available, you can use an adjacent sensor from
within the printer. (Except for the ribbon motion sensor, all sensors are
electrically compatible.)
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 4-5
Page 68
• The sensor does not need to be the same type. For example, a
transmissive sensor can be used in place of a reflective sensor. (The
transmissive sensor is easier to block and unblock.)
4. If the replacement sensor functions, then the original sensor is defective.
Verify this by reconnecting the original sensor.
5. If the replacement sensor is non-functional and other sensors in the printer
are observed to be functional, then the main control board is defective. (If
none of the sensors are functional, you may have a communication problem
between the printer and Diagnostics.)
4-6 Troubleshooting
Page 69
Troubleshooting Motors (Printer)
The best way to determine if a motor has failed versus a main control board is to
swap the motor with a similar motor. If a motor has failed, then a replacement
motor should function. Conversely, if the motor’s driver has failed, then a
replacement motor will not function either.
CAUTION: This is intended to be a limited test using Diagnostics to verify if
a motor turns or not. Do not attempt to operate the printer with motors
swapped out. Limit your test to short periods of time.
Testing General DC Motors
• The ribbon, pick, and cam motors are all driven from the same motor driver
chip (integrated circuit). If all three motors have failed, the main control
board is faulty and needs to be replaced.
• If a motor is drawing too much power from the motor driver IC, an LED will
be illuminated to indicate an over-current condition.
• Once the LED has been turned on, it can be reset only by unplugging the
printer.
• If operating one specific motor (but not the other two) results in this LED
being turned on, the likely cause is that the motor has failed.
• If the LED turns on regardless which motor is operating, then it is more
likely that the main control board is faulty.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 4-7
Page 70
Testing the Ribbon and Pick Motors
Because the ribbon and pick motors are identical, swapping the two motors can
isolate whether the motor is faulty or the control board is faulty.
1. Remove the wires from both motors.
2. Take the two wires from the operable motor and connect them to the motor
to be tested. (The pick motor is shown below for reference.)
3. Using Diagnostics, operate the motor. (Note that the motor you select in
Diagnostics is the opposite of the one you are actually testing. If in doubt,
operate both motors from Diagnostics.)
Testing the Cam Motor
Use care with this procedure. Even though the motors are different, their
controlling circuitry is similar. The connectors are not compatible, but can be
interchanged for testing purposes only.
1. Unplug the DC motor harness (ribbon and pick motors).
2. Connect the cam motor to one side of the DC motor connector as shown
below. (Note that you will receive a repetitive error as described on page
when the printer is powered up.)
• Connect the cam motor to either pick or ribbon motor positions. The
motor connector does not fit properly in the socket but fits enough for
testing purposes.
3. Using the motor tests diagnostics, operate the ribbon or pick motor and see if
the cam motor rotates.
4-4
4-8 Troubleshooting
Page 71
Testing the Printhead Fan
To test the printhead fan, it can be connected to the cam motor’s connection.
These two motors are not compatible, but the driver circuitry for the cam motor
will operate the fan.
CAUTION: You cannot connect the cam motor into the fan’s connector. The
circuitry of the control board will be damaged.
Testing Transport and Duplex Motors
The two stepper motors cannot be tested using the methods presented above.
The only reliable way of verifying if the motor is non-functional is to replace the
motor with an identical motor.
Troubleshooting Motors (Laminator)
The motors in the laminator are not as accessible or as compatible as the motors
in the printer assembly. Swapping motors in the laminator section is limited due
to the cable lengths of the wires. The best solution for testing a motor in the
laminator section is to connect a spare motor from parts inventory.
Except for limitations in cable length, the two heater lift motors are
interchangeable and the two foil transport motors are interchangeable. However,
it is important to note that the main transport motor is not interchangeable with
any other motor in the laminator.
Troubleshooting Other Devices
Testing the Smart Card Solenoid
The driving circuitry for the smart card solenoid is located on the smart card
daughter board. A power transistor on the daughter board amplifies the signal
going to the solenoid. If the solenoid is not receiving a signal, the daughter board
is the likely cause. To verify that the solenoid itself is functioning, plug it into the
cam motor’s connector.
CAUTION: Do not attempt to connect the solenoid into the printhead fan’s
connector, as this may damage the fan’s driving circuitry.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 4-9
Page 72
Testing the Duplex Clutch
CAUTION: Connecting or disconnecting the duplex interface cable from the
main control board with the printer powered on may result in immediate
damage to the main control board. Never make modifications to the interface
board with the printer powered on.
The driving circuitry for the duplex clutch is located on the duplex interface
board. If the duplex clutch is not receiving a signal, the most likely cause is the
interface board or the cable leading to the main control board.
From an electrical standpoint, the duplex clutch is similar to a solenoid. When
the clutch is energized, it will lock the center shaft of the duplex flipper with the
main drive gear of the duplex transport. Testing the clutch will require some
physical involvement with the printer (manually rotating the flipper).
1. Manually rotate the duplex flipper to determine which direction the flipper is
supposed to operate.
The flipper should rotate in only one direction. If it can be rotated in both
directions, the spring is damaged and needs to be replaced.
2. With the printer powered off, remove the duplex clutch cable from the
interface board and connect it to the cam motor connector. (Note that you
will receive a repetitive error as described on page
powered up.)
3. In Diagnostics, set the motor test duration to 3 seconds, and activate the cam
motor circuit.
A. While the Diagnostics program energizes the cam motor circuit, manually
rotate the duplex flipper in the same direction determined in the step
above.
• When the clutch is relaxed, the main duplex gear will not rotate.
• When the clutch is energized, the main duplex gear will rotate as you
rotate the flipper.
B. After Diagnostics releases the cam motor circuit, you should notice that
the main duplex gear rotates freely from the rotation of the flipper.
• If you did not observe the main duplex gear rotating as you rotated
the flipper, it is likely that the clutch is faulty.
• If the duplex gear did rotate, the most likely cause is a faulty interface
board. The secondary cause is a faulty duplex clutch.
4-4 when the printer is
4-10 Troubleshooting
Page 73
Diagnosing the Duplex Interface Board
CAUTION: Connecting or disconnecting the duplex interface cable from the
main control board with the printer powered on may result in immediate
damage to the main control board. Never make modifications to the interface
board with the printer powered on.
Whenever a problem arises that is related to the duplex module, the first thing to
check is the cable between the duplex interface board and the main control
board.
All of the duplex sensors pass directly through the duplex interface board
without intervention, so if a sensor is non-functional, the most likely cause is the
cable between the interface board and the main control board.
The interface board contains driver circuitry for the duplex clutch and the duplex
motor. If either of these devices aren’t working, yet the device itself is not the
cause, the interface board is likely at fault.
Diagnosing the Ribbon RFID Antenna
The circuit board for the RFID antenna is very simple and not prone to failure. If
a failure exists in identifying a ribbon, the most likely cause is with the ribbon
cartridge's ID tag. This is best tested by replacing the supply spool with a new
spool.
If the printer cannot read any ID tag, first check the cable leading to the main
control board. If the cable is connected properly, then the main control board is
likely at fault.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 4-11
Page 74
Performance Problems
Printer Initialization Errors
Symptom Comments
The printer initializes but reports a
card stuck in the transpor t, and
the transport runs more than
expected.
The printer initializes but reports a
card stuck in the duplex.
The printer initializes but reports a
broken print ribbon.
• Check the operation of the card input sensor using the
sensor screen in Printer Diagnostics. If the sensor is always
blocked, it is either disconnected or not fully sea ted
(obscured by part of the chassis).
• Check the operation of the magnetic stripe registration
sensor using the sensor screen in Printer Diagnostics. If the
sensor is always active (non-reflecting):
• The sensor may be disconnected.
• The sensor may not be seated (doesn't reflect off of
rocker).
• The rocker assembly may be stuck in an elevated
position.
• The reflective pad on the rocker may be missing.
• The sensor has failed.
• Check the operation of the duplex entry sensor using the
sensor screen in Printer Diagnostics. If the sensor is always
blocked, it is either disconnected or not fully sea ted
(obscured by part of the chassis).
• Verify that a cartridge is installed.
• Check the encoder wheel for damage.
• Make sure the ribbon motion sensor is connected and
functioning.
The printer initializes and the
ribbon is advanced, but the
printer reports that the index
mark could not be found.
Frequent time-out errors occur at
the beginning of printing.
The printer continually reports a
card jam at the smart card
module, but no card is present.
Remove the ribbon and close the cover. Check the sensor
setting in Diagnostics. If the sensor is not active:
• Make sure the reflective tape is present on the printhead.
• Make sure the sensor is plugged in.
• Replace the sensor.
If there are other USB devices on th e same computer, they
may interfere with timely communication with the printer.
Specifically look for the following:
• Is the card creation program saving its file or database to
a USB device?
• USB mass storage devices, for which some program
application is set to auto-save to the device.
• A program application that is using or referencing a USB
device on a regular basis.
The smart card contact contains a small mechanical switch.
The switch contacts may be stuck.
4-12 Troubleshooting
Page 75
Card Jams at Card Input
Symptom Comments
A card is not picked from the
input hopper.
The card is picked but stalls at
the cleaning rollers.
A card is picked and appears to
be properly positioned, but the
error is still reported.
• Cl ean th e prin ter.
• Use graphic quality cards.
• Fan cards properly.
• Inspect the pick roller for buildup or debris.
• Inspect the card gate to make sure it is securely fastened.
• Inspect the card stock for burrs and excessive static
buildup.
• Inspect the pick roller and motor function.
• Cl ean th e prin ter.
• Inspect the cleaning rollers for excessive debris.
• Check to see if the transport is working.
• Insp ec t the cleani ng rocker assembly springs to make sure
they are tensioning the rocker assembly.
• Check for double card pick.
• Cl ean the card input sensor.
• Check the position of the card input sensor and make sure
it is firmly seated.
• Check the operation of the card input sensor using the
sensor screen in Printer Diagnostics.
• If the sensor is always blocked, it is ei ther disconnected, or
not fully seated (obscured by part of the chassis).
• If the sensor never blocks, either the ca ble has a short
circuit, or the sensor is not seated at all (outside of the card
track).
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 4-13
Page 76
Card Jams in Printing Area
Symptom Comments
Card stops prior to reaching the
platen roller.
Card stops under the printhead.
Card stops past the printhead.
• Cl ean th e prin ter.
• Increase the card registration distance.
• Check the front rocker assembly springs for damage.
• Check the front card guide and spring for damage.
• Check the position of the sensors and make sure they are
firmly inserted into the printer.
• Two cards were picked and one is in the back of the
transport.
• If using a monochrome ribbon, make sure an CP Series print
ribbon is installed. Other ribbons are not designed for the
increase in printhead heat.
• Inspect the card for improper print ribbon panel
placement. Printi ng with the wrong panel can cause the
ribbon to adhere to the card.
• Decrease the printing brightness setting.
• Inspect the card guide and rocker assembly springs for
placement and damage.
• Inspect the rear rocker arm assembly and springs for
placement and damage.
• Insp ec t the magn etic str i pe rocker arm and springs for
placement and damage.
• Make sure the magnetic stripe head is firmly seated.
• Inspect the rear card guide and spring for damage.
4-14 Troubleshooting
Page 77
Ribbon Break Errors
Symptom Comments
Ribbon did not break, but the
error is reported.
The ribbon frequently breaks.
• Cl ean the printhead. It may be preventing the ribbon from
advancing.
• Check the ribbon encoder wheel. Verify that it is
positioned in the sensor and is not damaged.
• Check the ribbon motion sensor cable to make sure it is
connected.
• Ch eck th e sensor to make sure i t is functional and correctly
aligned.
• Check the ribbon motor and make sure it is functional.
• Check the ribbon motor gear and take-up spool gear for
damage or broken teeth.
• Check the ribbon cartridge clutch.
• Ch eck tha t the ribbon is attached to the take- up ribbon
core.
• Check to s ee that the ribbon is not sticking to the card .
• Check the Card Registration Offset.
• Adjust the image trimming farther from the edge of the
card.
• Make sure an CP Series ribbon is installed.
• Make sure the printing intensity is not too dark. On an
edge-to-edge image when the leading edge of the image
uses 100% of a color (Y, M, or C), the ribbon may get
burned if the card is not fully under the printhead to absorb
the heat.
• Check for burrs on the edges of the cards.
• Make sure the cards being used are not already printed.
Card Jams Between Upper and Lower Duplex
Symptom Comments
The cards are not being handed
off properly between the upper
duplex and lower duplex.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 4-15
• Check and adjust the home position for both duplex
assemblies.
• Verify that there are no obstructions on the interstage
platform that block the opening, such as lost cards.
Page 78
Laminate Problems
Symptom Comments
Cards are consistently
scratched.
Laminate material is not
adhering to one side of the card
(long edge).
Patch material is extending past
the leading edge of the cards.
• Check the card stock for quality problems.
• Check the laminate supply for quality problems.
• Check the card gate in the input hopper for burrs.
• Insp ec t the en tir e card path for burrs or debris.
• Insp ec t the l ami na te cartridg e for hanging debris or burrs.
The cartridge doesn’t normally touch the card, but
hanging burrs could touch the cards.
• Verify that the heated roller is f ree to rotate.
• If necessary, use a lapping card (part No. 548215-001)
instead of the normal laminate cleaning card.
• Inspect card and laminate supplies for quality problems.
• Inspect the surface of the heated roller for buildup of
material. If a laminate patch is wound around the heated
roller, the temperature will be too low at the card surface.
• Make sure the heater and thermocouple wires are not so
tight that the heater is not able to r ock side to side.
• Verify that the heater slide is fr ee to move on both sides.
• Make sure the whole heater assembly is installed properly.
Either the card did not move as far as expected, or the
patch material moved farther than expected. It is best to
look for mechanical causes before correcting this by
adjusting an offset.
• Insp ec t and clean the transpor t rollers.
• Inspect the laminate cartridge for any problems that would
cause the laminate distance to be controlled by the takeup spindle instead of the capstan roller:
• Verify that the take-up clutch is not overpowering the
capstan roller (too strong).
• Inspect the capstan and spindle drive gears for missing
teeth.
• Inspect the capstan roller for wear or build-up of debris.
• Make sure the backup roller loading spring is in place
and not distorted (applying pressure to the capstan
roller).
• Make sure the loading gate is fully closed and engaged.
• Verify that the foil index sensor is fully seated.
4-16 Troubleshooting
Page 79
Symptom Comments
Patch material is extending past
the trailing edge of the cards.
The mechanical causes for this situation are very limited. The
most like cause is a misadjusted offset.
• Adjust the Card Registration and/or Foil Advance offsets.
• Inspect the laminate cartridge for any problems that would
cause the laminate slip against the capstan roller:
• Inspect the capstan and spindle drive gears for missing
teeth.
• Inspect the capstan roller for wear or build-up of debris.
• Make sure the backup roller loading spring is in place
and not distorted (applying pressure to the capstan
roller).
• Make sure the loading gate is fully closed and engaged.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 4-17
Page 80
Error Codes
When an unexpected or undesired event occurs, the printer and/or software will
generate an error code to be displayed on the monitor. Many times the error code
is intended to be informational to instruct the operator to perform a required or
routine task. Other times the error code is the result of a non-routine event that
indicates a more serious problem with the system.
Error Code Prefixes
The error messages use the following prefixes to indicate the source of the
problem:
Driver API AP-008xx
Printer Driver Errors DR-009xx
Input Errors IS-012xx
Duplex Errors DM-007xx
System Errors SY-013xx
Magnetic Stripe Errors MS-014xx
General Notes
This section is not intended to instruct the user on how to handle routine errors.
For errors considered to be routine, the solution presented is based on the
assumption that the error is repetitive. For example, a simple card jam can occur
periodically without a specific cause. However, a repetitive card jam would
indicate a problem with the printer.
In the tables below, the name of the error handling procedure call is included
under the symptom of the error. This procedure name is never displayed, but
it is included here to provide additional information about the specific error.
For example, the procedure name called when a card is lost in the duplex is
2 ERR_FLP_CARD_LOST.
There is a significant difference between a card being lost versus stuck (or
jammed). A lost card means it was not seen by a sensor. A jammed card
means the sensor never cleared. These two distinctions can be helpful when
determining the cause of an error. For example, if the printer is reporting a
jammed card but the card is not located under the sensor, then the first place
to begin troubleshooting is with the sensor (it is possibly unplugged).
AP 00800
AP 00801
AP 00802
AP 00804
AP 00805
AP 00806
AP 00808 The application used a Datacard printer
AP 00809 Internal printer driver API error. Contact the print application developer.
AP 00810 The application used a Datacard printer
AP 00811 The application sent a value that is not
AP 00812 The application sent a value that is not
Data includes too many characters for
the selected track format. Check the
data entered or the format selected.
Data includes a character not allowed
for the selected track format. Check the
data entered or the format selected.
function with a printer other than the
Datacard printer.
function out of the proper sequence.
consistent with current settings.
supported by the Datacard printer API.
Message text Comments
Verify the data is correct for the selected
track, and resubmit the card for printing.
Verify the data is correct for the selected
track, and resubmit the card for printing.
Select the CP80 or CP80 Plus printer.
Contact the print application developer.
Contact the print application developer.
Contact the print application developer.
AP 00813 A printer error occurred while picking a
card.
AP 00814 A timeout error occurred while picking a
card.
AP 00815
through
AP 00825
Custom magnetic stripe API messages.
Inspect the card pick system.
Check the communication cables.
Verify that another USB device is not
interfering with communication.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 4-19
Page 82
Printer Driver Errors (DR)
Error
Code
DR 00901 The printer is not responding. Check
the printer and USB cable
connections.
DR 00902 The printer is paused. Click OK to
continue printing.
DR 00903 Error processing this card. Click Help
for steps to follow.
DR 00904 PC to printer communication error.
Check the data cable.
Message text Comments
• Make sure the printer status light is showing
steady green.
• Ch eck th e ca bles.
• Make sure the computer’s USB port is
functioning.
• Check for a broken ribbon.
• Check the Ready button; it may be defective.
The driver has failed to create or access th e
temporary files containing the data for the card.
• Make sure the TEMP environment variable is set
correctly. User should have sufficient rights to
write to this folder.
• Make sure there is enough free disk space to
store the necessary card data.
Check for possible PC configuration failures such
as:
• Defective port.
• Defective main control board and its
connections.
• Wrong printer or communication parameters
are set.
DR 00906 Printer driver error. Click Help for
more information.
DR 00907 The printer driver cannot access the
required PC resources. Click Help for
more information.
DR 00908 The printer driver cannot get enough
PC memory. Click Help for more
information.
DR 00909 Printer driver error. Click Help for
more information.
Perform hard drive maintenance.
The print processor has an error opening or
reading the temporary files.
• Make sure the TEMP environment variable is set
correctly. User should have sufficient rights to
write to this folder.
• Delete the job and resend it from the
application.
• If the spooler crashes, restart Windows.
There is not enough memory to process and print
a card.
• Make sure that the computer resources are not
being used extensively by other applications.
• Cl ean up th e PC hard drive.
• Run the Upd ate utility to update t he printer
firmware to make it compatible with the printer
driver. The update process takes several
minutes.
• Cl ean up th e PC hard drive.
4-20 Troubleshooting
Page 83
Error
Code
Message text Comments
DR 00910 The printer firmware needs to be
updated. Click OK to update
firmware now.
DR 00912 The printer driver was not installed
successfully. Click Help for steps to
follow.
DR 00914 The printer driver was not started
successfully. Close all applications
and restart the PC.
DR 00918 Time out when processing this card.
Click Help for steps to follow.
You may not have restarted Windows after you
installed the driver. Restart Windows and try
printing a card.
• Restart Windows, and then open the printing
application.
• Reinstall the driver:
a. Uninstall the print driver from the PC.
b. Restart Windows.
c. Run the Cleanup Utility.
d. Reinstall the driver.
• Perform hard drive maintenance for Windows;
the PC may not be able to load all the
components of the printer driver.
• The computer resources are being used by
other applications.
a. Close all applications you are not using. The
card creation application and the printer
driver are the only applications needed to
print cards.
DR 00919 The current printer was disconnected
or powered off. Card jobs might be
lost or duplicate cards might be
printed.
DR 00921 A printer has been identified. Please
wait while the driver reads the printer.
b. Wait until the captured image is displayed
on the PC before printing the card to
prevent competition for PC resources.
• Interactive mode jobs, including smart card jobs
and read magnetic stripe jobs, are not
supported for networked printers. Do not send
interactive mode jobs to a network printer.
• The pri nter was disconnected from the PC after
a card was sent.
• The card might or might not print. Th e card
status and completion information will not be
available. The card might or might not be
removed from the Print Manager list.
• The printer was powered off after the card was
printed but before the printer returned card
completion or card status data to the driver.
• Pause the printer before powering it off.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 4-21
Page 84
Error
Code
DR 00924 The driver does not support the
connected printer. Connect a
supported printer or install the driver
for this printer.
Message text Comments
DR 00925 The user does not have the required
permissions for the printer.
DR 00926 The user does not have permission to
required operating system
components.
Input Errors (IS)
Error
Code
IS-01206 A card was not picked successfully.
ERR_IH_NO_CARD_PICKED
Symptom Comments
Log in with Administrator privileges.
Log in with Administrator privileges.
• Reload the card stock.
• Inspect the card gate in the input hopper
and verify that the spring is in place and
working correctly.
• Ch eck th e transpor t belt and pulleys f or
damage.
• Check the belt tensioner to make sure it is
putting t e n s ion on the transport timing be l t.
• Check the rocker arm springs to make sure
they are placed correctly and not damaged.
• Test the card input sensor to see if it toggles.
• Test the pick motor functions.
• T e st the tran s p ort motor fu n ctions.
Duplex Module Errors (DM)
Error
Code
DM
00760
DM
00762
4-22 Troubleshooting
The duplex mechanism did not
reach the correct position.
ERR_FLP_POSITION
The card is stuck in the duplex
module.
ERR_FLP_CARD_JAM
Symptom Comments
One or more sensor transitions were not
detected.
• Check the flipper for obstructions.
• Check if the clutch is functioning.
• Check if the sensor is functioning.
• Ch eck th e duplex mo tor.
The duplex entry sensor did not clear.
• Check the sensor.
• Check the duplex motor.
Page 85
Error
Code
Symptom Comments
DM
00765
DM
The duplex module is not installed or
detected.
ERR_FLP_NOT_INSTALLED
The card is lost in the duplex module.
00767
ERR_FLP_CARD_LOST
DM
00768
DM 00769
DM 00770 The card is lost in the lower duplex unit.
The card is stuck in the lower duplex
unit.
ERR_OPT1_DUPLEX_JAM
The lower duplex unit did not reach the
correct position.
ERR_OPT1_DUPLEX_POS
ERR_OPT1_DUPLEX_LOST
The driver attempted to send a duplex job to a
printer not equipped with a duplex module.
Check the duplex interface cable and circuit
board.
The duplex entry sensor or the interstage sensor
was not blocked when expected.
• Check the sensor.
• Check the duplex motor.
The interstage sensor or the duplex exit sensor
did not clear.
• Check the sensor.
• Check the duplex motor.
One or more sensor transitions were not
detected.
• Check the flipper for obstructions.
• Check if the clutch is functioning.
• Check if the sensor is functioning.
• Ch eck th e duplex mo tor.
The duplex exit sensor was not blocked when
expected.
• Check the sensor.
• Check the duplex motor.
System Errors (SY)
Error
Code
SY-01305 The setting sent to the printer does not
match printer features.
ERR_SYS_CONFIG_OPTIONS
SY-01306 The setting value you selected is not
valid.
ERR_SYS_CONFIG_VALUE
SY-01310 EEPROM flash data error. Obtain a new
update file.
ERR_SYS_FLASH_DATA
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 4-23
Symptom Comments
Check settings and printer options.
Check configuration setup in printer to make
sure it matches what is sent by the
application.
• Try to reinstall the printer firmware or
download an updated firmware update
utility. Make sure to use the correct
firmware update utility for the specific
printer.
• Main control board problem.
Page 86
Error
Code
Symptom Comments
SY-01312 EEPROM flash size error.
ERR_SYS_FLASH_SIZE
SY-01314 Warning! EEPROM flash write error. Do
not power off the printer. RETRY the
update file.
ERR_SYS_FLASH_WRITE
SY-01317 Memory error
ERR_SYS_MEM
SY-01325 The options or supplies installed do not
match settings or card data.
ERR_SYS_SEQ_STR
SY-01327 The request sent to the printer is not
supported.
ERR_SYS_UNIMPLEMENTED
A logo loaded into flash memory is too large.
Main control board problem.
NOTE: Do not power off the printer. Try to
reinstall the printer firmware or download an
updated firmware update utility.
The printer could not save the data being
sent.
A color card job was sent to the printer but
the ribbon is monochrome. If the ribbon is
not monochrome:
• Check the RFID antenna
• Check the supplies ID by swapping with
another ribbon.
SY 01331 Data transmission error.
ERR_SYS_COMM
SY -1332 General printer fault.
ERR_SYS_HW_FAILURE
SY-01337 The printer cannot accept the security
data sent by the PC.
ERR_SYS_SECURITY
SY-01338 The printer cannot accept the existing
security password sent by the PC.
ERR_SYS_SECURITY_PASSWORD
Power cycle the printer.
Power cycle the printer.
4-24 Troubleshooting
Page 87
Magnetic Stripe Errors (MS)
Error
Code
MS-01401
MS-01402
MS-01403
MS-01404
MS-01405
MS-01406
Symptom Comments
Data sen t does not match
requirements for track 1, 2, or 3.
• Check the data entered to see if application is
sending data to match correct track format.
• Check the application and the pri nter
configuration to see that they match and are set
correctly.
If this occurs frequently:
• Run a cleaning card.
• Check the magnetic stripe head.
• Check the magnetic stripe optical encoder.
• Check the magnetic stripe daughter board.
If this occurs frequently:
• Run a cleaning card.
• Try different card stock.
• Check the printer’s coercivity setting to make
sure it matches the card stock being used.
• Run the Calibrate MS Head in Diagnostics.
• Check the magnetic stripe head.
• Check the magnetic stripe optical encoder.
• Check the magnetic stripe daughter board.
MS-01407
MS-01408
MS-01409
LRC error reading data on track
1, 2, or 3.
MS_T1_LRC_ERR
MS_T2_LRC_ERR
MS_T3_LRC_ERR
The longitudinal redundancy check failed. If this
occurs frequently:
• Run a cleaning card.
• Try different card stock.
• Check the printer’s coercivity setting to make
sure it matches the cards being used.
• Run the Calibrate MS Head in Diagnostics.
• Check the magnetic stripe head.
• Check the magnetic stripe optical encoder.
• Check the magnetic stripe daughter board.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 4-25
Page 88
Error
Code
Symptom Comments
MS-01410
MS-01411
MS-01412
MS-01413
MS-01414
MS-01415
Start Sentinel error reading data
on
track 1, 2, or 3.
MS_T1_SS_ERR
MS_T2_SS_ERR
MS_T3_SS_ERR
End Sentinel error reading data
on
track 1, 2, or 3.
MS_T1_ES_ERR
MS_T2_ES_ERR
MS_T3_ES_ERR
An error was encountered at the beginning of the
data record. If this occurs frequently:
• Run a cleaning card.
• Try different card stock.
• Check the printer’s coercivity setting to make
sure it matches the cards being used.
• Run the Calibrate MS Head in Diagnostics.
• Check the magnetic stripe head.
• Check the magnetic stripe optical encoder.
• Check the magnetic stripe daughter board.
An error was encountered at the end of the data
record. If this occurs frequently:
• Run a cleaning card.
• Try different card stock.
• Check the printer’s coercivity setting to make
sure it matches the cards being used.
• Run the Calibrate MS Head in Diagnostics.
• Verify that the data does not extend past the
end of the card.
• Check the magnetic stripe head.
• Check the magnetic stripe optical encoder.
• Check the magnetic stripe daughter board.
MS-01417 A card jam occurred when
attempting to write magnetic
stripe data on the card.
MS_MOVE1_ERR
The magnetic stripe sensor was never cleared. If
the card is still over the sensor, check the following:
• Make sure the magnetic stripe rocker is applying
pressure to the card and the encoder roller is free
to turn.
• Inspect the card track for obstructions.
• Check card stock for powder, dirt, or oil on cards,
and then run a cleaning cycle.
• Ch eck th e transpor t belt and pulleys f or
operation.
If the card is not over the sensor, check the
following:
• Make sure the sensor reflector is in position on the
magnetic stripe rocker.
• Check the magnetic stripe sensor using the
sensor Diagnostics.
4-26 Troubleshooting
Page 89
Error
Code
Symptom Comments
MS-01418 The card was lost before writing
magnetic stripe data.
MS_MOVE2_ERR
The card was never detected by the magnetic
stripe sensor. If the card is located between the
input sensor and the magnetic stripe sensor, check
the following:
• Inspect the card track for obstructions.
• Inspect the transport belt and pulleys f or
operation.
• Inspect all of the rocker assemblies to ensure they
are applying pressure to the card and that the
rollers rotate freely.
If the card is at the sensor or past the sensor, check
the sensor functions:
• Block the magnetic stripe sensor and look for a
sensor transition in Diagnostics.
• To confirm if the main control board is faulty:
a. Turn off the printer.
b. Unplug the reflective sensor and connect a
functional transmissive sensor in its place.
c. Turn the power on and block the sensor.
d. If no sensor transitions are observed in
Diagnostics, the control board needs to be
replaced.
MS-01419 A card was lost outside of the
magnetic stripe area when
attempting to read data
encoded on the card.
MS_MOVE3_ERR
MS-01420 A card was stuck when
attempting to read magnetic
stripe data encoded on the
card.
MS_MOVE4_ERR
The card was not returned from the rear of the
printer, or the card has been read but did not
reach the input sensor. (The read cycle is not
complete until the card is passed off to the input
sensor.)
• Check the card input and magnetic stripe
sensors for operation.
• Ch eck th e transport system for obstructions and
proper operation.
• Check the smart card and front rockers for
proper operation.
The magnetic stripe sensor never cleared after the
read operation. If the read-back direction is
"forward," then it may also be possible that the
card input sensor never cleared.
• Check the operation of the card input and
magnetic stripe sensors.
• Check the front and magnetic stripe rockers for
proper spring pressure and roller movement.
• Ch eck th e transpor t for proper operation or
obstructions.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 4-27
Page 90
Error
Code
Symptom Comments
MS-01421 A card was lost when
attempting to read or write
magnetic stripe data on card.
MS_MOVE5_ERR
MS-01424 Unable to read any data from
the card.
MS_MINDATA_ERR
The card was never detected by either the
magnetic stripe or card input sensors.
• Check the card input and magnetic stripe
sensors for operation.
• Ch eck th e transport system for obstructions and
proper operation.
• Inspect all of the rocker assemblies to ensure they
are applying pressure to the card and that the
rollers rotate freely.
This error can occur during normal encoding, but it
can also occur if the magnetic stripe head
calibration process fails to complete.
• Make sure cards are loaded correctly and that
they are magnetic stripe cards.
• Check data format. Printer and driver should
match.
• Verify that the coercivity setting matches the
card stock.
• Cl ean the magne tic stripe head.
• Check the magnetic stripe mechanical
assembly. Possible failed components are the
magnetic stripe head, the cable assembly, the
magnetic stripe encoder cable assembly, the
magnetic stripe control board, and the main
control board.
MS-01425 Unexpected magnetic stripe
coercivity value.
MS_CURRENT_ERR
MS-01426 Magnetic stripe module settings
EEPROM read or write error.
MS_EEPROM_ERR
MS-01427 Configuration information
passed through by the printer
driver was not accepted by the
magnetic stripe module.
MS_CONFIG_ERR
The coercivity value stored in the printer is out of
range. This should not happen and indicates a
possible problem with the main control board
EPROM.
1. Using Diagnostics, change the printer's
coercivity setting.
2. Save the changes to power-on defaults. (If the
EPROM is defective, this will generate an error.)
3. Retry the magnetic stripe operation.
• Try the operation again.
• Reboot the computer and printer.
• If the error continues, replace the main control
board.
• Check the magnetic stripe configuration settings
using Diagnostics.
• For a custom applica tio n, incorrect values may
have been sent.
4-28 Troubleshooting
Page 91
Error
Code
Symptom Comments
MS-01428 Status request passed through
by the printer driver was not
accepted by the magnetic
stripe module.
MS_STATUS_ERR
MS-0142 9 Data sent to a tr ack does not
match the requirements for that
track.
MS_ILLICIT_DATA_ERR
MS-01430 Control information passed
through by the printer driver was
not accepted by the magnetic
stripe module.
MS_PASSTHROUGH_ERR
MS-01431 Magnetic stripe module settings
EEPROM read error.
MS_OPS_READ_ERR
MS-01432 Magnetic stripe module settings
EEPROM read error.
MS_FAC_READ_ERR
• Illegal command. Try again.
• Verify application is sending the correct data.
• Verify printer driver is loaded and configured
correctly.
• Check data cable connection between PC and
printer.
• Occurs after multiple individual track errors such
as MS 01401, MS 01402, and MS 01403 whe n
“display all messages” is checked in Diagnostics.
• Verify the magnetic stripe settings in the card
production application are correct and resubmit
the card for printing.
• Illegal command. Try again.
• Verify application is sending the correct data.
• Verify printer driver is loaded and configured
correctly.
• Check data cable connection between PC and
printer.
• Try the operation again.
• Reboot the computer and printer.
• If the error continues, replace the main control
board.
• Check the magnetic stripe configuration settings
using Diagnostics.
• Try the operation again.
• Restart Windows and power cycle the printer.
MS-01433 Magnetic stripe module settings
EEPROM write error.
MS_OPS_WRITE_ERR
MS-01434 Magnetic stripe module settings
EEPROM write error.
MS_FAC_WRITE_ERR
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 4-29
If the error continues, replace the main control
board.
• Check the magnetic stripe configuration settings
using Diagnostics.
• Try the operation again.
• Power cycle the printer.
If the error continues, replace the main control
board.
• Check the magnetic stripe configuration settings
using Diagnostics.
• Try the operation again.
• Power cycle the printer.
If the error continues, replace the main control
board.
Page 92
Error
Code
Symptom Comments
MS-01435 The magnetic stripe module is
not installed or detected. Make
sure the card creation
application does not send
magnetic stripe data if no
module is installed.
ERR_MS_NOT_INSTALLED
Laminator Errors (OP)
Error
Code
OP-01604 Thermocouple problem in the
L1 laminator.
ERR_OPT1_THERMO_FAILURE
OP-01605 Heater problem in the L1
laminator.
ERR_OPT1_HEATER_FAILURE
Symptom Comments
• The main or magnetic stripe control board may
be defective.
• Power cycle the printer.
If the error continues, replace the main or
magnetic stripe control board.
• Check the thermocouple wire for damage.
• If the th ermo coup le wa s recen tly replac ed, verify
that it is not installed backward.
• Verify that the thermocouple connector is not
unplugged or plugged in backward.
The heater temperature is not what is expected.
• Inspect the heater cable. Make sure it is plugged in
to the board and both ends of the heater.
• U se Diagnostic s to see wha t heater tempera tur e i s
being reported. If the heater is hot but the reported
temperature is low, then the thermocouple is bad.
• If the hea ter is not heating, check/replace the
heater.
OP-01611 The heated roller is not ready
in the L1 laminator
ERR_OPT1_ROLLER_POSITION
OP-01612 A card is stuck in the L1
laminator. Make sure the card
can move then click Retry.
ERR_OPT1_CARD_JAM
OP-01613 The supply material is not
ready in the L1 laminator.
ERR_OPT1_FOIL_INDEX
• Insp ec t the hea ter lift motor and gears.
• Check the heater home sensor.
• Inspect the heater lift cam for damage. Make sure
the sensor flag is not broken off.
The laminator sensor did not clear when expected.
• Make sure the sensor is plugged into the control
board.
• Make sure the sensor is clean and functioning.
The foil index was not seen as expected. This can
also include not seeing a smart card cutout.
• Make sure the sensor is clean and functioning.
• Make sure the sensor is fully inserted in its mounting
slot.
4-30 Troubleshooting
Page 93
Error
Code
Symptom Comments
OP-01614 The supply material is broken in
the L1 laminator.
ERR_OPT1_FOIL_BREAK
OP-01615 Out of supply material in the L1
laminator.
ERR_OPT1_FOIL_OUT
OP-01616 Operational problem in the
laminator.
ERR_OPT1_EE_READ
OP-01619 The L1 laminator is unable to
communicate with the printer.
ERR_OPT1_COMM_ERROR
OP-01620 Please wait while the laminator
reaches temperature.
ERR_PRN_WARMUP
Encoder transitions were not seen when expected.
• Inspect the supply cassette for dama ge to the
encoder wheel.
• Check the function of the encoder sensor.
• Make sure the RFID tag is not reused from another
spool.
• Inspect the supply cassette for dama ge to the
encoder wheel.
• Check the function of the encoder sensor.
• When less than 10% of the supply remains, a broken
ribbon will be reported as out of supply.
Power cycle the printer. If the problem continues,
replace the laminator control board.
The serial communication between the printer and
laminator is not working. Inspect the serial interface
cable.
This is normal, but if the heater is taking more time
than usual to heat up, the heater might be starting to
fail.
OP 01621 Supply material in the L1
laminator is low.
ERR_OPT1_SUPPLY_LOW
OP 01622 The printer cannot identify the
supply material in the L1
laminator. Install a different roll
of material.
ERR_OPT1_SUPPLY_TYPE
Make sure the RFID tag is not reused from another
spool.
• Replace the foil with a new spool. The RFID tag
may be defective.
• Inspect the RFID antenna and cable.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 4-31
Page 94
Error
Code
Symptom Comments
OP 01623 Hardware problem in the
laminator.
ERR_OPT1_HARDWARE_ERR
OP 01624 A card is lost in the L1
laminator.
ERR_OPT1_CARD_LOST
OP-01651 The L2 laminator is not installed
or detected.
ERR_OPT2_NOT_INSTALLED
OP-01654 Thermocouple problem in the
L2 laminator.
ERR_OPT2_THERMO_FAILURE
This is reported if the ambient temperature is out of
range or if the board voltage is out of range.
• If the board voltage is out of range, it is likely that
the second power supply (B0) on a dual laminator
board is disconnected.
• Another symptom of a disconnected B0 power
supply is that the lower duplex moto r wi ll sound as if
it is powered but will not have enough power to
turn.
• There is no way to check or repair an ambient
temperature problem, except for replacing the
laminator control board.
The card was not seen by the card registration
sensor.
• Make sure the sensor is fully seated in the chassis.
• Replace the sensor.
Replace the control board.
• Check the thermocouple wire for damage.
• If the th ermo coup le wa s recen tly replac ed, verify
that it is not installed backward.
• Verify that the thermocouple connector is not
unplugged or plugged in backward.
OP-01655 Heater problem in the L2
laminator.
ERR_OPT2_HEATER_FAILURE
The heater temperature is not what is expected.
• Inspect the heater cable. Make sure it is plugged in
to the board and both ends of the heater.
• U se Diagnostic s to see wha t heater tempera tur e i s
being reported. If the heater is hot but the reported
temperature is low, then the thermocouple is bad.
• If the hea ter is not heating, check/replace the
heater.
OP-01661 The heated roller is not ready
in the L2 laminator.
ERR_OPT2_ROLLER_POSITION
OP-01662 A card is stuck in the L2
laminator.
ERR_OPT2_CARD_JAM
• Insp ec t the hea ter lift motor and gears.
• Check the heater home sensor.
• Inspect the heater lift cam for damage. Make sure
the sensor flag is not broken off.
The laminator sensor did not clear when expected.
• Make sure the sensor is plugged into the control
board.
• Make sure the sensor is clean and functioning.
4-32 Troubleshooting
Page 95
Error
Code
Symptom Comments
OP-01663 The supply material is not
ready in the L2 laminator.
ERR_OPT2_FOIL_INDEX
OP-01664 The supply material is broken in
the L2 laminator.
ERR_OPT2_FOIL_BREAK
OP-01665 Out of supply material for the
L2 laminator.
ERR_OPT2_FOIL_OUT
OP-01669 The L2 laminator is unable to
communicate with the printer.
ERR_OPT2_COMM_ERROR
The foil index was not seen as expected. This can
also include not seeing a smart card cutout.
• Make sure the sensor is clean and functioning.
• Make sure the sensor is fully inserted in its mounting
slot.
Encoder transitions were not seen when expected.
• Inspect the supply cassette for dama ge to the
encoder wheel.
• Check the function of the encoder sensor.
• Make sure the RFID tag is not reused from another
spool.
• Inspect the supply cassette for dama ge to the
encoder wheel.
• Check the function of the encoder sensor.
• When less than 10% of the supply remains, a broken
ribbon will be reported as out of supply.
The serial communication between the printer and
laminator is not working. Inspect the serial interface
cable.
OP 01671 Supply material in the L2
laminator is low.
ERR_OPT2_SUPPLY_LOW
OP 01672 The printer cannot identify the
supply material in the L2
laminator.
ERR_OPT2_SUPPLY_TYPE
OP 01674 A card is lost in the L2
laminator.
ERR_OPT2_CARD_LOST
Make sure the RFID tag is not reused from another
spool.
• Replace the foil with a new spool. The RFID tag
may be defective.
• Inspect the RFID antenna and cable.
• Install a different roll of material.
The card was not seen by the card exit sensor.
• Make sure the sensor is fully seated in the chassis.
• Replace the sensor.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 4-33
Page 96
Print Errors (PR)
Error
Code
PR01703
PR01705
PR01706
PR01710
Symptom Comments
The printhead cam is not in the
correct position to print.
ERR_PRN_HEAD_POSITION
The card is lost in the print area.
ERR_PRN_CARD_LOST
The card is stuck in the print
area.
ERR_PRN_CARD_JAM
Factory settings read problem.
ERR_PRN_FACT_EEREAD
• Check the printhead cam sensor.
• Inspect the cam gear for damage.
• Test the cam motor.
The card was not seen by a sensor when it was
expected.
• If the card is located under a sensor, begin
troubleshooting the sensor.
• Use Diagnostics to verify the function of the
transport.
A sensor did not clear when expected.
• If the card is located under a sensor, the problem is
likely related to the transport system.
• If the card is not located under a sensor, make sure
the sensor is plugged in and operating.
Check the main control board assembly. Possible
failed components are the printhead, the cable, and
the main control board.
PR01715
PR01716
PR01718
PR01719
PR01720
PR01721
The cover was opened during
printing.
ERR_PRN_HEAD_OPEN
The cover is open.
ERR_PRN_HEAD_OPEN_WARNING
The printhead temperature is
too high.
ERR_PRN_HEAD_TEMPERATURE
The printhead is not installed or
detected.
ERR_PRN_HEAD_TYPE
The print ribbon index mark was
not found.
ERR_PRN_NO_RIBBON_INDEX
Operational settings read error.
ERR_PRN_OP_EEREAD
If the cover was not opened, check the sensor for a
loose connection.
This will be reported if the sensor is disconnected. Use
Diagnostics to see if the sensor toggles when
blocked.
• Check the printhead fan and its connections; it
may be defective.
• Check for blocked air flow.
• Check the printhead assembly.
• Check cable connections.
• Replac e the printhead.
• Check the ribbon index sensor for proper
operation.
• Check the main control board assembly. Possible
failed components are the printhead, the cable,
and the main control board.
4-34 Troubleshooting
Page 97
Error
Code
Symptom Comments
PR01722
PR01723
PR01724
Operational settings write error.
ERR_PRN_OP_EEWRITE
General printer fault.
ERR_PRN_PRINTER_FAULT
The print ribbon is broken.
ERR_PRN_RIBBON_BREAK
• Check the main control board assembly. Possible
failed components are the printhead, the cable,
and the main control board.
• Cycle the printer power and try printing again.
• Check the main control board.
• If this occurs while running a firmware update, run
the firmware update again.
If the ribbon is not broken:
• Verify that the print ribbon is no t misrouted and
that the cartridge is properly inserted.
• Check the operation of the ribbon motion sensor.
• Check the ribbon motor using the motor
Diagnostics.
If the ribbon breaks frequently:
• Check the following offsets using Diagnostics:
• Card registration.
• Image clipping
• YMC, K, & T power.
• Check the swingarm assembly; it may not be
secure or may be defective.
PR01726
PR01730
PR01737
PR
01738
Out of print ribbon. Replace the
print ribbon with the same type
and click OK when ready.
ERR_PRN_RIBBON_OUT
Unable to read the printhead
temperature. Power off the
printer and check the
printhead cable.
ERR_PRN_TPH_TEMP
The print ribbon is running low.
ERR_PRN_RIB_LOW
The printer cannot identify the
ribbon installed. Install another
ribbon or click OK to print onecolor (K) cards.
ERR_PRN_RIBBON_TYPE
If the ribbon is not empty:
• Check the ribbon index sensor for proper
operation.
• Verify that the ribbon ID tag was not swapped with
another ribbon.
• Check the printhead assembly. Possible failed
components are the printhead, the cartridge, the
cable, and the main control board.
• Conn ec t cables to the TPH car tridge.
• Make sure the supplies ID was not transferred from
one ribbon spool to another.
• Check antenna board.
• Check antenna cable.
• If the ribbon is a new type, the printer's firmware
may need to be updated to recognize it.
CP80 and CP80 Plus Service Manual 4-35
Page 98
Smart Card Errors (SC)
Error
Code
SC01804
Message text Comments
The smart card module is not
installed or detected. Make
sure the card creation
application does not request
smart card programming.
ERR_IC_NOT_INSTALLED
• Verify that the smart card option is enabled u sing
Diagnostics.
• Check the smart card assembly. Possible failed
components are the sensor, the cable, and the
smart card control board.
• Power cy cle the printer.
4-36 Troubleshooting
Page 99
Chapter 5: Adjustments
This chapter provides instructions for adjusting the CP80 and CP80
Plus card printers.
General Notes___________________________________________________________________ 5-3
Installing Printer Diagnostics______________________________________________________ 5-4
Using Printer Diagnostics _________________________________________________________ 5-6
Parts of the Diagnostics Window_______________________________________________________5-6
Menu Options ________________________________________________________________________5-7
Changing Printer Values_______________________________________________________________5-9
Viewing and Saving Values _______________________________________________________5-10
Working With Scripts______________________________________________________________5-11
Setting Printer Value Parameters______________________________________________________5-12
Printer ID_________________________________________________________________________5-12
Card Registration Offset __________________________________________________________5-12
Card Strip Offset _________________________________________________________________5-13
Ribbon Type _____________________________________________________________________5-13
Ribbon Offset ____________________________________________________________________5-13
Vertical Offset ___________________________________________________________________5-13
Transport Speed__________________________________________________________________5-14
YMC, K, T, & F Strobe Duty ________________________________________________________5-14
YMC, K, T, and F Power and Base Power ___________________________________________5-15
Duplex Infeed Offset _____________________________________________________________5-15
Duplex Home Offset______________________________________________________________5-16
Duplex Print Return Offset_________________________________________________________5-16
Duplex Handoff Offset____________________________________________________________5-16
Smart Card Registration Offset ____________________________________________________5-16
Image Clipping Leading and Trailing ______________________________________________5-17
Setting Printer Options________________________________________________________________5-18
Viewing Printer Status ________________________________________________________________5-19
Testing Motors _______________________________________________________________________5-20
Testing Motor Functions ______________________________________________________________5-21
Setting Up Step Tests for the Printer____________________________________________________5-22
Running a Magnetic Stripe Test Card__________________________________________________5-23
Configuring the Magnetic Stripe Module ______________________________________________5-24
Configuring Custom Track Formats ____________________________________________________5-26
Running Magnetic Stripe Diagnostics__________________________________________________5-27
Testing the Smart Card Option________________________________________________________5-28