Epson LX-300 Plus Service Manual

Service Manual

Service Manual

Service ManualService Manual

EPSON LX-300+

9-pin Serial Impact Dot Matrix Printer

TM-LX300+

EPSON LX-300+

ii

EPSON LX-300+

EPSON

LX-300+ Dot Matrix Printer

Service Manual

iii

EPSON LX-300+

Copyright Notice



2000 Epson America, Inc.

3480 Kilroy Airport Way, Long Beach CA, 90806-2469

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without
the written permission of Epson America, Inc.

Epson America, Inc., assumes no liability for damages resulting from
the use of the information contained herein. While every precaution has
been taken in the preparation of this book, Epson America, Inc.
assumes no responsibility for errors and omissions.

Neither Epson America, Inc., nor its affiliates shall be liable to the
purchaser of this product or third parties for damages, losses, costs, or
expenses incurred by the purchaser or third parties as a result of:
accident, misuse, or abuse of this product or unauthorized
modifications, repairs, or alterations to this product.

Epson America, Inc. shall not be liable for any damages or problems
arising from the use of any options or any consumable products other
than those designated as Original EPSON-Approved Products by Seiko
Epson Corporation.

Trademark Information

EPSON® and ESC/P® are registered trademarks of Seiko Epson.

Epson Connection

General Notice: Other product names used herein are for identification
purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective companies.
EPSON disclaims any and all rights in those marks.

SM

is a service mark of Epson America, Inc.

iv

EPSON LX-300+

FCC Compliance Statement for American Users

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for
a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These
limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful
interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates,
uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and
used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful
interference to radio and television reception.

However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a
particular installation. If this equipment does cause interference to radio
and television reception, which can be determined by turning the
equipment on and off, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interface by one or more of the following measures:

! Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

! Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

! Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that

to which the receiver is connected.

! Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/television technician

for help.

Warning

The connection of a non-shielded equipment interface cable to this
equipment will invalidate the FCC Certification of this device and may
cause interference levels that exceed the limits established by the FCC
for this equipment. It is the responsibility of the user to obtain and use a
shielded equipment interface cable with this device. If this equipment
has more than one interface connector, do not leave cables connected
to unused interfaces.

Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer
could void the user’s authority to operate the printer.

For Canadian Users

This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian
Interface-Causing Equipment Regulations.

Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du
Règlement sur le materiel brouilleur du Canada.

v

EPSON LX-300+

Guide to Using This Manual

Symbols Used in This Manual

Before servicing the EPSON LX-300+, read the precautions on the
following page. Then turn to one of these chapters:

Chapter 1. Product Basics

Lists the main features of the product and describes basic
control panel operations.

Chapter 2. Technical Overview

Explains how the product works.

Chapter 3. Troubleshooting

Tells how to identify and correct common problems.

Chapter 4. Disassembly and Assembly

Provides step-by-step instructions for disassembling the
product.

Chapter 5. Adjustments

Provides instructions for adjusting the platen gap and
bi-directional print alignment.

Chapter 6. Maintenance

Describes routine maintenance procedures.

W A R N I N G

C A U T I O N

R E A S S E M B L Y

Warnings must be followed to avoid personal injury
or death.

Cautions must be followed to avoid damaging the
product.

Reassembly notes provide helpful tips for
reassembly.

Chapter 7. Appendix

Provides additional information for reference:

" Detailed specifications

" Connector pin assignments

" Electrical diagrams

" Parts list

" Exploded diagrams

vi

EPSON LX-300+

General Precautions

W A R N I N G

" When servicing, unplug the unit from the power

outlet and disconnect any attached devices.

" Never touch the primary parts of the power supply

(including the heat sink) when the unit is plugged
in. Its primary circuitry remains live whenever it is
plugged in.

" No work should be performed on the unit by

persons unfamiliar with basic safety measures
familiar to trained electronics technicians.

" When performing testing or troubleshooting

procedures in this manual, do not connect the unit
to a power source until instructed to do so. When
the power supply cable must be connected, use
extreme caution in working on the power supply
board and other electronic components.

C A U T I O N

" Repairs on EPSON products should be performed

only by an EPSON-certified repair technician.

" Make certain that the source voltage is the same

as the rated voltage listed on the serial number
plate. If the unit has a primary AC rating different
from the available power source, do not connect it
to the power source.

" Always verify that the unit has been disconnected

from the power source before removing or
replacing printed circuit boards and other
components.

" To protect sensitive microprocessors and

circuitry, use static discharge equipment, such as
anti-static wrist straps, when accessing internal
components.

" Always replace malfunctioning components with

EPSON components. Introduction of second­source ICs or other non-approved components
may damage the product and void any applicable
EPSON warranty.

vii

EPSON LX-300+

viii

Contents

Chapter 1 Product Basics

1.1 Features ............................................................................................ 13

1.2 Control Panel Operation ................................................................. 14

1.2.1 Control Panel ............................................................................. 14

1.2.1.1 Switches ............................................................................. 14

1.2.1.2 Indicator Lights (LEDs) ....................................................... 15

1.2.1.3 Beeper ................................................................................ 15

1.2.2 Default Setting Mode ................................................................. 16

1.2.3 Bi-D Adjustment ........................................................................ 17

1.3 Accessories ..................................................................................... 17

Chapter 2 Technical Overview

2.1 Printer Mechanism .......................................................................... 21

2.1.1 Printhead ................................................................................... 22

2.1.2 Carriage Mechanism ................................................................. 23

2.1.3 Color Ribbon Mechanism (Optional) ......................................... 25

2.1.4 Platen Gap Adjustment Mechanism .......................................... 26

2.1.5 Paper Feed Mechanism ............................................................ 27

2.2 Electronics ....................................................................................... 28

2.2.1 Main Board ................................................................................ 28

2.2.2 Power Supply Board .................................................................. 29

2.2.3 Initialization ................................................................................ 30

2.2.4 Other Special Functions ............................................................ 30

Chapter 3 Troubleshooting

3.1 Overview .......................................................................................... 33

3.1.1 Precautions ............................................................................... 33

3.2 Printer Self-Diagnostics .................................................................. 33

3.2.1 Indicator LEDs ........................................................................... 33

3.2.2 Self-Test .................................................................................... 34

3.3 Troubleshooting by Printer Symptoms ......................................... 34

3.4 Test Points ....................................................................................... 37

3.4.1 Printhead Check ........................................................................ 37

3.4.2 Motor Check .............................................................................. 38

3.4.3 Sensor Check ............................................................................ 38

3.4.4 Printhead Driver Check ............................................................. 38

Chapter 4 Disassembly and Assembly

4.1 Overview .......................................................................................... 41

4.1.1 Precautions ............................................................................... 41

4.1.2 Tools ......................................................................................... 41

4.2 Disassembly .................................................................................... 42

4.2.1 Preparation ................................................................................ 42

4.2.2 Printhead Removal .................................................................... 42

4.2.3 Upper Housing Removal ........................................................... 43

4.2.4 Printer Mechanism Removal ..................................................... 44

4.2.5 Control Panel Board Removal ................................................... 45

4.2.6 C294MAIN Board Removal ....................................................... 45

4.2.7 Power Supply Board Removal .................................................. 46

4.2.8 Printer Mechanism Disassembly ............................................... 47

4.2.8.1 Carriage (CR) Motor Removal ............................................ 47

4.2.8.2 Platen Removal .................................................................. 48

4.2.8.3 Carriage Removal .............................................................. 49

4.2.8.4 Ribbon Feed Mechanism Disassembly .............................. 50

4.2.8.5 BPE and RPE Sensor Removal ......................................... 51

4.2.8.6 Home Position (HP) Sensor Removal ................................ 51

4.2.8.7 Platen Gap (PG) Sensor Removal ..................................... 52

4.2.8.8 Removing the Tractor Release Lever Sensor .................... 52

4.2.8.9 Paper Feed (PF) Motor Removal ....................................... 53

4.2.8.10 Removing the Tractor Drive Gears ................................... 53

4.2.8.11 Paper Guide Removal ...................................................... 54

Chapter 5 Adjustments

5.1 Platen Gap Adjustment ................................................................... 59

5.2 Bidirectional Adjustment ................................................................ 60

Chapter 6 Maintenance

6.1 Overview ........................................................................................... 67

6.1.1 Cleaning .................................................................................... 67

6.1.2 Lubrication ................................................................................. 67

Chapter 7 Appendix

7.1 Electrical Connections .................................................................... 73

7.1.1 Connector Summary ................................................................. 73

7.1.2 Connector Pin Assignments ...................................................... 73

7.2 Printing Specifications .................................................................... 76

7.2.1 Printing Specification ................................................................. 76

7.2.2 Paper Feeding ........................................................................... 79

7.2.3 Electrical Specification .............................................................. 80

7.2.4 Environmental Condition ........................................................... 80

7.2.5 Reliability ................................................................................... 80

7.2.6 Ribbon Cartridge ....................................................................... 80

7.2.7 Safety Approvals ....................................................................... 81

7.2.8 CE Marking ................................................................................ 81

7.2.9 Acoustic noise ........................................................................... 81

7.2.10 Printable Area .......................................................................... 82

7.3 Interface Specifications .................................................................. 85

7.3.1 Parallel Interface (Forward Channel) ........................................ 85

7.3.2 Parallel Interface (Reverse Channel) ........................................ 87

7.3.3 Serial Interface .......................................................................... 88

7.3.4 Interface Selection .................................................................... 89

7.3.5 Preventing Data Transfer Time-out ........................................... 89

7.3.6 IEEE1284.4 protocol ................................................................. 89

7.4 Control Codes .................................................................................. 90

7.4.1 ESC/P2 ..................................................................................... 90

7.4.2 IBM 2390 Plus Emulation .......................................................... 91

7.4.3 Bi-Directional Commands ......................................................... 92

7.4.3.1 Reply Printer Status ........................................................... 94

7.4.3.2 Packet commands .............................................................. 95

7.5 Paper Specifications ....................................................................... 96

7.6 Physical Specifications .................................................................. 99

7.7 Parts List ........................................................................................ 100

7.8 Exploded Diagrams ....................................................................... 103

7.9 Circuit Diagrams ............................................................................ 105

PRODUCT BASICS

CHAPTER

1

EPSON LX-300+ Product Basics

12

EPSON LX-300+ Product Basics

1.1 Features

The EPSON LX-300+ is a 9-pin serial impact dot matrix printer. Its major
features include:

Printing speed: High speed draft 300 cps at 10 cpi

!

Draft 225 cps at 10 cpi
NLQ 56 cps at 10 cpi

Feeding method: Friction feed (rear)

!

Push tractor feed (rear)
Push and Pull tractor feed (rear)
Pull tractor feed (rear, bottom)

Feeder: Standard: Rear push tractor

!

Optional: Cut sheet feeder bin, Pull tractor, and
Roll paper holder

Paper/ Media: Single sheets, Continuous paper, Multi-part forms,

!

Envelopes, Labels, and Roll paper

Fonts: 2 NLQ and 1 Draft Bitmap typefaces

!

8 Barcode fonts

Character tables: Standard version 13 tables

!

NLSP version 38 tables

Input buffer: 8 Kbytes

!

Acoustic noise: 49 dB(A) (ISO 7779 pattern)

!

Reliability: Total print volume 12 million lines

!

(except printhead)
MTBF 6000 POH (25% Duty)
Printhead life 200 million strokes per pin
Ribbon life 3 million characters

Paper guide cover

Printer cover

Control panel

Parallel interface

Figure 1-1. EPSON LX-300+ Printer Parts

Tractor

Power cord

Paper supports

Paper guide

Tractor release lever

Knob

Ribbon cartridge

Paper thickness

lever

Paper tension unit

Power switch

Interface: Bi-directional parallel interface

!

(IEEE-1284 nibble mode supported)
Serial I/F

Control code: ESC/P and IBM 2380 Plus emulation

!

Copy capability: 1 original + 4 copies

!

(CONTINUED)

13

EPSON LX-300+ Product Basics

1.2 Control Panel Operation

1.2.1 Control Panel

The control panel includes four switches and four LEDs:

Font Indicator LEDs

Tear Off

Draft

Draft Condensed
Roman

Roman Condensed

Sans serif

Sans serif Condensed

: LED On

: LED Blinks

Figure 1-2. Control Panel

Tear Off

Font

LF/FF

Micro Adjust

: LED Off

Load/

Paper

Pause

1.2.1.1 Switches

Operation in normal mode

!

Table 1-1. Operation in Normal Mode

Button Function

• Pauses printing

Pause

Load/Eject

LF/FF

3

Tear Off

Operation at power on

!

Turning the printer on while pressing these buttons executes the
following functions:

• Enables Micro Adjust and Font selection (held down for
3 seconds)

• Loads or ejects paper

• Executes micro feed forward (0.118 mm or 1/216 inch) when
this function is enabled

• Executes line feed (pressed momentarily)

• Executes form feed (held down for 3 seconds)

• Executes micro feed backward (0.118 mm or 1/216 inch) when
this function is enabled

• Advances continuous paper to the Tear-off position; pressing it
a second time returns paper to TOF

• Selects font, when this function is enabled

Table 1-2. Operation at Power On

Button Function

Load/Eject NLQ self test

LF/FF Draft self test

Tear Off Enters default setting mode

Load/Eject & LF/FF Data dump

14

EPSON LX-300+ Product Basics

Table 1-2. Operation at Power On (continued)

Button Function

Clear EEPROM (returns printer to factory default
settings)

Load/Eject & LF/FF & Pause

Tear Off & Load/Eject & LF/FF Clear ribbon usage counter (stored in EEPROM)

Pause

Operation in default setting mode

!

NOTE: Factory default settings aren’t
necessarily correct for your market; use only if
necessary.

Perform Bi-D adjustment (see page 17 and
page 60)

Default setting mode is entered by holding down the Tear Off button and
turning the printer on. The following buttons are used in default setting
mode:

Table 1-3. Operation at Power On

Button Function

Tear Off Changes the setting

LF/FF Selects the Menu

For more information, see “Default Setting Mode” on page 16.

1.2.1.2 Indicator Lights (LEDs)

The Pause and Paper Out lights indicate these conditions:

Table 1-4. Printer Status

Printer Status Pause Paper Out

Pause On ---

Paper out error On On

Release lever error On ---

Paper eject warning On Blink

Micro Adjust Blink ---

When all four lights are blinking, the printer has a fatal error (caused by a
carriage control or power supply failure).

When both Font lights blink, paper is in the tear-off position. When the paper
is positioned for printing, the Font lights indicate the currently selected font:

: Draft

#

"

: Draft Condensed

$

"

: Roman

#

"

: Roman Condensed

##

: Sans serif

#$

: Sans serif Condensed

$

"

: Tear Off

$$

(

: LED On, ": LED Off, $: LED Blinks)

#

1.2.1.3 Beeper

Paper out error: three beeps

!

Release lever operation: three beeps

!

Illegal panel operation: one short beep

!

15

EPSON LX-300+ Product Basics

1.2.2 Default Setting Mode

You can change the printer’s default settings by following these steps:

1. Turn the printer on while pressing Tear Off. The printer prints a set of
instructions.

2. Follow the printed instructions to change these default settings (standard
factory settings are underlined):

Table 1-5. Default Settings

Item Setting / Value *2

3 inch, 3.5 inch, 4 inch, 5.5 inch, 6 inch, 7 inch,

Page length for tractor

Skip over perforation OFF, ON

Auto tear off OFF

Auto line feed OFF, ON

Print direction Bi-d.

Software ESC/P, IBM 2390 Plus

0 slash OFF

High speed draft OFF, ON

8 inch, 8.5 inch, 11 inch
17 inch

, ON

, Uni-d., Auto

, ON

, 70/6 inch, 12 inch, 14 inch,

Table 1-5. Default Settings (continued)

Item Setting / Value *2

Character table Software version

Italic, PC437
BARASCII, Abicomp, Roman8, ISO Latin 1, PC858,
ISO 8859-15

NLSP version
Italic, PC437
PC852, PC857, PC864, PC866, PC869, MAZOWIA,
Code MJK, ISO 8859-7, ISO Latin 1T, Bulgaria,
PC774, Estonia, ISO 8859-2, PC 866 LAT., PC
866UKR, PC APTEC, PC708, PC720, PCAR 864,
PC860, PC865, PC861, PC863, BRASCII, Abicomp,
Roman8, ISO Latin 1, PC858, ISO 8859-15, PC771

International character set
for Italic table

Manual feed wait time 1 second, 1.5 seconds, 2 seconds, 3 seconds

Buzzer OFF, ON

Auto CR (IBM 2380 Plus) OFF, ON

IBM character table Table2

Italic U.S.A.
U.K., Italic Denmark 1, Italic Sweden, Italic Italy,
Italic Spain 1

, PC850, PC860, PC863, PC865, PC861,

, PC850, PC437, Greek, PC853, PC855,

, Italic France, Italic Germany, Italic,

, Table1

I/F mode Auto, Parallel, Option

Auto I/F wait time 10 seconds, 30 seconds

Parallel I/F bidirectional
mode

Packet mode Auto, OFF

Auto CR (IBM 2390 Plus) OFF

A.G.M. (IBM 2390 Plus) OFF, ON

OFF, ON

, ON

16

EPSON LX-300+ Product Basics

1.2.3 Bi-D Adjustment

Users can perform the bi-directional adjustment themselves if they notice
jagged characters or misaligned vertical lines. Follow these steps:

1. Turn the printer on while pressing Pause. The printer prints a set of
instructions along with the first alignment pattern.

2. Follow the printed instructions to adjust the alignment for each of the
following print speeds:

high speed draft mode

"

draft mode

"

NLQ mode

"

3. Turn the printer off.
The settings are stored in the printer’s memory.

To perform the Bi-D adjustment using the adjustment program, see page 60.

1.3 Accessories

Table 1-6. Consumables

Item Description

Ribbon cartridge (Black) #8750

Ribbon pack (Black) #8758

Ribbon cartridge (Color) S015073

Table 1-7. Options

Item Description

Cut sheet feeder C806371

Pull tractor unit C800301

Roll paper holder #8310

Color upgrade kit C832081

17

EPSON LX-300+ Product Basics

18

TECHNICAL OVERVIEW

CHAPTER

2

EPSON LX-300+ Technical Overview

20

EPSON LX-300+ Technical Overview

2.1 Printer Mechanism

The printer’s main components are shown below:

Rear paper end sensor

Bottom paper end sensor

Platen

Adjust lever

Platen gap sensor

Ribbon Feed Mechanism

Carriage

Carriage home position sensor

Ribbon

Printhead

Tractor

Release sensor

Release mechanism

Paper feed

motor

Carriage guide shaft

Timing belt

Carriage motor

Figure 2-1. Printer Mechanism Block Diagram

21

EPSON LX-300+ Technical Overview

2.1.1 Printhead

The printhead’s pins are configured as shown below. (The view is from
behind the printhead, facing the platen.)

Figure 2-2. Pin Configuration

The table below indicates printhead specifications:

Table 2-1. Printhead Specifications

Item Specification

Number of pins 9

Pin diameter 0.29 mm

Coil resistance 33.3 ±3.3 Ω (25°C)

Head drive voltage 35 +2.1/-3.5 V

• Normal: 0.75 A (Standard)

Peak current

Head drive frequency

Head life

Environmental conditions

The printhead also works as the printer’s beeper; to generate sound, the
driver causes the pins to vibrate at a high frequency.

• Copy: 0.85 A (Standard)

1.0 A (Maximum)

• Normal: 1350Hz or less

• Copy: 1350Hz or less

• Black ribbon: 0.2 billion stroke per pin
or more

• Color ribbon: 0.1 billion strokes per pin
or more

• Temperature: 5 to 55°C

• Humidity: 10 to 85%

Table 2-2. Beeper Drive Specifications

Item Specification

Head voltage 35 +2.1/-3.5 V

Drive frequency 2 KHz, 1.5KHz

22

EPSON LX-300+ Technical Overview

2.1.2 Carriage Mechanism

Home Position Sensor

The printer uses a mechanical contact switch to determine when the carraige
is at home position (on the left side of the printer). The switch is OPEN when
the carriage is in home position, and CLOSED when away from home
position.

Carriage Motor

This printer uses a DC stepper motor.

Table 2-3. CR Motor Specifications

Item Specification

Motor type 2-phase, 200-pole hybrid stepper motor

Coil resistance 5.7 Ω ±10% (25°C)

Control method Bi-polar drive

Phase drive 2-2 phase, 1-2 phase, W1-2 phase

Drive voltage 36.75 ±1.75 V

CR feed pitch

Minimum Resolution:

0.212 mm (1/120”) (1-2 phase, 2 pass)

Under certain conditions, the carriage can move at different speeds. For
example, when printing on thicker paper such as multipart forms, the carriage
slows to avoid breaking off printhead pins. When printing blank areas of the
page, the carriage speeds up.

The table on the following page indicates the various speeds at which the
carriage travels.

23

EPSON LX-300+ Technical Overview

The following table indicates the various carriage speed modes:

Table 2-4. Carriage Speed Modes

Carriage

speed

mode

A 3600

B 3375

C 2700

D 2250

E 1800

F 1350 Both 1-2 0.65 0.65 0.59 0.59 0.59 120 1350

G 1125 Both 1-2 0.65 0.65 0.59 0.59 0.59 144 1350 Bit image 144 dpi I low

H 900 Both 1-2 0.65 0.65 0.59 0.59 0.59 180 1350 NLQ 15cpi I low

I 675 Both 1-2 0.65 0.65 0.59 0.59 0.59 240 1350 NLQ 17/20cpi J low

J 450 Both 1-2 0.65 0.65 0.59 0.59 0.59 - low

CR drive

frequency

[Hz]

Printing

mode

Color 2-2 0.79 0.79 0.70 0.70 0.70

BW 2-2 0.70 0.59 0.59 0.59 0.59

Color 2-2 0.79 0.79 0.70 0.70 0.70

BW 2-2 0.70 0.59 0.59 0.59 0.59

Color 2-2 0.79 0.79 0.70 0.70 0.70

BW 2-2 0.70 0.59 0.59 0.59 0.59 Draft 12cpi

Color 2-2 0.79 0.79 0.70 0.70 0.70 1440/21 1286

BW 2-2 0.70 0.59 0.59 0.59 0.59 72 1350 Bit image 72 dpi

Color 2-2 0.79 0.79 0.70 0.70 0.70 80 1200 Bit image 80 dpi

BW 1-2 0.65 0.65 0.59 0.59 0.59 90 1350

Phase

drive
[pps]

Front

rush

Current limit (A/phase) Adjacent

High

speed

Normal

speed

Low

speed

Rear
rush

dot

resolution

[dpi]

45 1350

48 1350

60 1350

Head drive

frequency

[Hz]

Printing speed

High speed draft
10cpi

High speed draft
12cpi

High speed draft
15cpi
Draft 10cpi
Bit image 60 dpi

High speed draft
17cpi

High speed draft
20cpi
Draft 15cpi
Bit image 90 dpi

Draft 20/17cpi
NLQ 10cpi
Bit image 120 dpi

Carriage

speed mode

at power

down

Chigh

Ehigh

Fhigh

F high

Glow

Ilow

High or

low

speed

printing

24

EPSON LX-300+ Technical Overview

2.1.3 Color Ribbon Mechanism (Optional)

The color ribbon mechanism (color shift, or CS, mechanism) shifts the color
ribbon up and down to change the color area of the ribbon.

The mechanism includes a sensor (mechanical contact switch) to detect the
presence of a ribbon cartridge. If one is installed, the output is HIGH; if not
installed, the output is LOW.

To avoid unwanted mixing of colors, composite colors are applied in a
specific order. The following table shows how green, violet, and orange are
composed:

Table 2-5. Color Printing Order

Composite Color First color Second color

Green Yellow Cyan

Orange Yellow Magenta

Violet Magenta Cyan

The color ribbon mechanism uses a stepper motor with these specifications:

Table 2-6. Color Shift Motor Specifications

Item Specification

Motor type 2-phase, 48-pole PM stepping motor

Coil resistance 150 Ω ±5% (25°C, per 1 phase)

Control method uni-polar rated voltage drive

Phase drive 2-2 phase

Ribbon Initialization

During printer initialization, the ribbon is positioned for black printing. At the
same time, the carriage moves to prevent the ribbon from getting caught on
it. This initialization also takes place when the print buffer clears or the printer
is paused.

Color ribbon drive circuit

Ribbon detector

CS motor

CS lever assembly

CS cam

CS lever assembly

Color ribbon

Black

Cyan

Magenta

Yellow

Color cartridge holder

Drive voltage 36.75 ± 1.75 VDC

Consuming current

Drive frequency 500 pps

• Operating, peak current: 245 mA

• Non-operating: 20 mA

CS motor, pinion

CS cam

Figure 2-3. Color Ribbon Mechanism

25

EPSON LX-300+ Technical Overview

2.1.4 Platen Gap Adjustment Mechanism

The platen gap lever changes the distance between the printhead and the
platen. This lets the printer print on thicker paper.

When printing on thick paper or multipart forms, the lever is set to position 1,
2, 3, or 4. The lever trips the platen gap sensor (a mechanical contact switch)
and causes the carriage to move at a slower speed; this prevents printhead
pins from getting lodged in the paper and breaking off.

Table 2-7. PG Sensor Specifications

Item Specification

Electrical rating 0.6 to 1.0 mA, 5 V ±5%

Switching mode

• PG=0: closed

• PG=1-4: open

Parallelism adjust

bushing

PG_SW

Adjust lever

Platen gap

Platen

Carriage guide shaft

Carriage

Parallelism adjust

bushing

Printer mechanism

Printhead

Adjust lever

Carriage

Carriag e guide shaft

Figure 2-4. Platen Gap Adjustment Mechanism

26

EPSON LX-300+ Technical Overview

2.1.5 Paper Feed Mechanism

The are two standard ways of feeding paper through the printer: by friction
feeding and by using the push tractor.

When friction feeding, set the tractor release lever to cut sheet paper.

!

When you insert the paper into the rear loading slot, the RPE sensor
detects the paper and the printer automatically advances it to the TOF
position.

When using tractor feeding, set the tractor release lever to the tractor

!

position. The paper feed motor disengages from the paper feed
rollers and transfers drive to the tractor. The mechanism is shown
below:

Compression spring

Plain

washer

Printer mechanism

Tractor gear

Tractor release

Paper

advance

reduction

gear

lever

Release

detector

The paper feed motor has the following specifications:

Table 2-8. PF Motor Specifications

Item Specification

Motor type 2-phase, 96-pole hybrid stepper motor

Coil resistance 16.0 Ω ±10% (25°C)

Control method Bi-polar rated current drive

Phase drive 1-2 phase, W1-2 phase

Drive voltage 36.75 ±1.75 VDC

Drive current 0.1 to 0.9A

Paper feed pitch

Minimum Resolution:

0.059 mm (1/432”) (1-2 phase, 2 pass)

The printer includes two sensors to detect the end of the paper: the RPE
sensor detects paper fed through the rear paper slot; the BPR sensor detects
paper fed through the bottom paper slot. The sensors have the following
specifications:

Table 2-9. RPE and BPE Sensor Specifications

Item Specification

Type Mechanical contact switch

Electrical rating 0.6 to 1.0 mA, 5 VD±5%

Switching mode

• Paper inside: open

• No paper: closed

PF motor

Figure 2-5. Tractor Release Mechanism

Standard feeding methods allow continuous forms to be fed through the rear
loading slot, using either friction or push-tractor feeding; or cut sheet paper
can be fed through the top loading slot, one sheet at a time, using friction
feeding. Other feeding methods include using the optional cut sheet feeder,
pull tractor unit, and roll paper holder.

The printer also uses a sensor (a contact switch) to detect the position of
the tractor release lever. When friction feeding, the switch is OPEN; when
tractor feeding, the switch is CLOSED.

27

EPSON LX-300+ Technical Overview

2.2 Electronics

2.2.1 Main Board

The components of the main board are diagrammed below and explained on the next page.

Control Panel

HP sensor

RPE Sensor

Release Sensor

BPE Sensor

PG Sensor

Figure 2-6. Main Board Block Diagram

28

EPSON LX-300+ Technical Overview

Table 2-10. Main Board Components

Elements Location Function

RISC C33208 CPU, QFP 128 pin

• Outside clock 19.66 MHz

CPU IC3

*

G/A

PROM IC7

DRAM IC8

EEPROM IC5

RESET IC IC4

CR Motor Driver IC9 LB1847 (SANYO)

PF Motor Driver IC10 LB1847 (SANYO)

Serial I/F Transceiver IC2 HIN202CBN or equivalent

Regulator IC IC11

Regulator IC IC12

Thermistor TH1 Measures temperature of the motor driver.

IC6

Inside clock 39.32 MHz

• 8KB RAM built-in

•DMA

• A/D converter

Approximately 21000 gates, QFP 160 pin

• Bit manipulation

• Clock control

• Interface control (IEEE1284/Type-B I/F)

• Input Buffer control

• Motor control

• Head control

4M / 8Mbit, DIP 40 / 42 pin

• Stores firmware

•CG

1/2/4M bit switching method, SPJ package 40 pin

• Processing buffer

AT93C46, 1kbit, SOP 8pin

• Stores default values and other parameters

M62030 (SANYO), 8 pin

• CPU and G/A reset

BA033 (ROHM) or equivalent

• Generates 3.3V logic voltage

PD494 or equivalent

• 95V rated voltage circuit

• Detects over voltage (over 150V) and sends
OFF signal to the power supply boards.

2.2.2 Power Supply Board

The EPSON LX-300+ uses one of two power supply boards: C294PSB
(100-volt model) and C294PSE (200-volt model). The table below shows the
power supply boards’ input voltage specifications:

Table 2-11. Input Voltage Specifications

Circuit Input voltage Fuse specification

C294PSB 99 - 132VAC ULTSC-2.5A-NI

C294PSE 198 - 264VAC HT 1.25A

Each power supply board supplies power at two voltage levels, as shown
below:

Table 2-12. Output Voltage

Output voltage Usage

35 V +5%/-10% Motor drive

5 V ± 5% Logic circuits

Note that the core voltage of the CPU and G/A on the main board is actually

3.3 volts. This is stepped down from 5 volts using a local regulator built onto
the main board.

* CPU and G/A will be combined in a later version.

29

EPSON LX-300+ Technical Overview

2.2.3 Initialization

Printer initialization can be performed in the following ways:

Power-on initialization

!

This initialization is activated by a power-on or cold-reset command
(remote RS command). Purpose:

to initialize the printer mechanism

"

to execute Operator initialization

"

Operator initialization

!

This initialization is activated by the -INT signal (negative pulse).
Purpose:

to clear all buffers of data

"

to cancel the download character definition

"

to put the printer in stand-by mode, if no errors occur

"

to execute Software initialization

"

Software initialization

!

This initialization is activated by the control code ESC@.
Purpose:

to clear the unprinted data

"

2.2.4 Other Special Functions

Energy Saving Mode

This function saves electricity when the printer is in standby mode. Normally,
the PF motor, CR motor, and CS motor are kept stationary by a holding
current. In energy saving mode, this current is turned off.

Quiet Mode

Quiet mode lowers printing temperature. When this mode is selected, the
carriage speed slows to the power down mode speed. See Table 2-4,
“Carriage Speed Modes,” on page 24.

to set the printer’s default settings

"

30

TROUBLESHOOTING

CHAPTER

3

EPSON LX-300+ Troubleshooting

32

EPSON LX-300+ Troubleshooting

3.1 Overview

Follow these steps to troubleshoot the printer:

1. Before performing component-level troubleshooting, check the printer as
described in

2. Then turn to
as needed for further information.

If you need to check individual components such as motors, sensors, or the
printhead, follow the instructions in

Printer Self-Diagnostics on page 33

Troubleshooting by Printer Symptoms on page 34

Test Points on page 37

3.1.1 Precautions

Always unplug the printer before servicing.

W A R N I N G

C A U T I O N

"

Bear in mind that the printhead and motors may be hot

"

after printing.

Use the tools specified in chapter 4 when disassembling

"

the printerChapter .
Lubricate the printer as needed, using only the specified

"

oil and grease. (See Maintenance
After replacing parts, be sure to perform any indicated

"

adjustments.

on page 65.)

.

.

3.2 Printer Self-Diagnostics

The printer can provide diagnostic information in two ways:

using its LEDs

!

by printing a self-test

!

Refer to the sections below to test the printer.

3.2.1 Indicator LEDs

The LEDs display the printer’s condition, as shown below:

Table 3-1. Indicator LEDs

Printer Condition Pause Paper Out Font LEDs (2) Beeper

Pause ON — — —

Paper Out Error ON ON — Three beeps

Release Lever Error ON — — Three beeps

Paper Eject Warning ON BLINKS — —

Micro Adjust BLINKS — — —

Tear Off — — BLINK —

Fatal Error BLINKS BLINKS BLINK —

release lever error

The
selected. For example, if you change the release lever setting after the printer
has already started feeding paper, this error will occur.

occurs when the wrong release lever position is

A

fatal error

carriage movement is impeded

!

the power supply voltage is abnormal

!

other hardware problems exist

!

can occur if:

33

EPSON LX-300+ Troubleshooting

3.2.2 Self-Test

To perform a self-test, make sure paper is loaded in the printer and positioned
in the TOF position. Then hold down the LF/FF button while turning the
printer on. This prints a self-test in draft mode.

A series of characters prints line-by-line. If it prints correctly, the problem may
lie with the host computer or printer software. If it fails to print, the problem is
most likely with the printer itself; continue on to the next section to take
further troubleshooting steps.

3.3 Troubleshooting by Printer Symptoms

Find the printer’s symptom below and check the referenced table on the
following pages:

No power (the printer doesn’t operate and the LEDs don’t come on)

!

See

Table 3-2

Fatal error (all LEDs blinking)

!

See

Table 3-3

Self-test doesn’t print correctly (faint or badly printed characters)

!

See

Table 3-4

Paper doesn’t feed properly

!

See

Table 3-5

Control panel doesn’t work properly (switches or LEDs don’t work)

!

See

Table 3-6

Self-test okay, but online printing is abnormal

!

See

Table 3-7

on page 35

on page 35

on page 36

on page 36

on page 37

on page 37

34

EPSON LX-300+ Troubleshooting

Table 3-2. No Power

Possible Problem Y/N Solution

Is a fuse on the power supply board
blown out?

Are connectors connected to the
power supply board properly?

Is the power supply properly
connected to CN8 on the main board?

Test the power switch. Is conductivity
of the switch is OK?

Test the power supply board for the
proper output. To do this, disconnect
CN8 on the main board. Pin 9 is the
ground. Is the output 5 V at pin 8 and
35 V at pin 1?

Is the control panel connected
properly to the main board?

— — Replace the control panel.

With the printer off, disconnect
the power supply from CN8 on
the main board. Replace the
fuse and turn the printer back
on. If the fuse blows again,
replace the power supply board.
If the fuse doesn’t blow, check

YES

for problems with the printhead,
printhead driver transistors, PF
motor, and CR motor. (See Test

Points on page 37.) If these

components check out okay,
replace the main board.

NO Reconnect them.

NO Connect CN8 properly.

NO Replace the switch.

Replace the power supply

NO

board.

NO Connect the harness properly.

Table 3-3. Fatal Error

Possible Problem Y/N Solution

Does the carriage move? NO

Does the carriage move before the
printer displays a fatal error?

Test the power supply board for the
proper output. To do this, disconnect
CN8 on the main board. Pin 9 is the
ground. Is the output 5 V at pin 8 and
35 V at pin 1?

— —

YES

NO Replace the power supply board.

Check to make sure the carriage
motor harness is connected
properly to CN10 on the main
board. If that’s not the problem,
test the CR motor and replace it if
necessary. (See Test Points
page 37.) Otherwise, replace the
main board.

Make sure the home position
sensor is connected properly and
working. Replace it if necessary.
If that’s not the problem, replace
the main board.

Check for problems with the
printhead, printhead driver
transistors, PF motor, and CR
motor. (See Test Points
page 37.) If these components
check out okay, replace the main
board.

on

on

35

EPSON LX-300+ Troubleshooting

Table 3-4. Self-Test is Abnormal

Possible Problem Y/N Solution

Is printing too light or weak? YES

Do smudges appear on printed
documents?

Does the ribbon advance when the
carriage moves?

Are all connectors connected
properly to the main board?

Do characters appear jagged or
misaligned when bi-directional
printing is performed?

Are any dots missings from
individual characters?

— — Replace the printer mechanism.

YES

NO

NO Connect them properly.

NO

YES

Adjust the platen gap or replace
the ribbon.

Adjust the platen gap or replace
the ribbon mask if broken.

Replace the ribbon advance
mechanism.

Perform the Bi-D Adjustment as
described in Bidirectional

Adjustment on page 60.

Test the printhead and printhead
driver as described in Test

Points on page 37. If problems

are found, replace the printhead
or main board as needed.

It’s also possible that the
printhead ribbon cable may have
worn out. Inspect it for damage
and replace it if necessary.

Table 3-5. Paper Feeds Improperly

Possible Problem Y/N Solution

Does the paper feed motor turn? NO

When the power is off, can you feed
paper by rotating the platen knob
manually?

Switch the tractor release lever. Do
the tractor and paper feed rollers
engage and disengage properly?

Does the paper travel the correct
distance when loading or feeding?

NO

NO Replace the printer mechanism.

NO

Test the PF motor as described
in Test Points
it’s okay, the driver may be
defective; replace the main
board.

Replace the printer mechanism
or paper loading mechanism
parts.

Check the page length default
setting. If incorrect, reset it.

Check the RPE and BPE sensors.
Are they defective or
improperly connected? Replace
or reconnect the sensors as
needed.

Is the sensor for the release
lever defective or improperly
connected? Replace or
reconnect it as needed.

on page 37. If

36

EPSON LX-300+ Troubleshooting

Table 3-6. Control Panel Does Not Operate

Possible Problem Y/N Solution

Is the control panel harness
connected properly?

— — Replace the control panel.

NO Connect it properly.

Table 3-7. Self-Test is Okay, But Online Printing is Abnormal

Check Point Y/N Solution

Reset any incorrect settings or

Are the default settings correct? NO

Is the interface connected properly? NO

Is the firmware the latest version? NO Replace the firmware.

— — Reinstall the printer software.

— — Replace the main board.

use the EEPROM clear to reset all
setting to the factory default.

Connect it properly, or replace it
if you suspect it of being
damaged.

3.4 Test Points

If you need to check the printhead, the printhead driver, or one of the motors
or sensors, follow the instructions in this section.

W A R N I N G

3.4.1 Printhead Check

Follow these steps to check the printhead coils:

1. Set the multimeter to measure resistance.

2. Connect one of the probes to one of the points C, as shown below.

3. Connect the other probe to each of the other points, 1 through 9.

The meter should read 33.3 ± 3.3
may be shorted out; if it’s too high, the coil may have opened.

Make sure the printer is unplugged before testing.

at 25 °C (77 °F). If it’s too low, the coil

Ω

VIEW FROM POINT A

Looked From Point A

Figure3-1. Printhead Leads

If the printhead checks out okay, the problem may be with the driver. See

Printhead Driver Check on page 38

.

37

EPSON LX-300+ Troubleshooting

3.4.2 Motor Check

Follow these steps to test the carriage and paper feed motors:

1. Set the multimeter to measure resistance.

2. Measure resistance across pins 1 and 3, and then across pins 2 and 4.

The meter should show the values indicated below:

Table 3-8. Motor Coil Resistance

Motor Specification

CR motor

PF motor

To test the CS motor on the optional color ribbon mechanism, follow these
steps:

1. Set the multimeter to measure resistance.

2. Connect one of the probes to the brown wire.

3. Connect the other probe to each of the other four wires (blue, white, red,
and orange).

5.7 Ω ±10%

(at 25°C)

16.0 Ω ±10%

(at 25°C)

3.4.4 Printhead Driver Check

The printhead driver transistors (Q3 through Q11: nine in all) can be tested as
follows:

1. Set the multimeter to measure resistance in the 10,000-ohm range.

2. Touch one probe to the base of each transistor (marked B), and touch the
other probe to its emitter (marked E).

If the transistor is okay, the resistance should be neither zero nor infinity.
(On a test sample, all the transistors read about 6000 ohms.)

± 5% at 25 °C.

In each case, the resistance should measure 150

Ω

3.4.3 Sensor Check

All the sensors in this printer are mechanical contact switches. To test a
sensor, follow these steps:

1. Set the multimeter to measure resistance.

2. To access the sensor, either remove it from the printer so you can touch
the meter’s probes directly to the sensor’s leads, or unplug the sensor’s
cable from the main board and touch the probes to the end of the cable.

3. Toggle the sensor and watch for the meter reading to alternate between
zero and infinity. If this fails to occur, the sensor is defective and must be
replaced.

38

DISASSEMBLY AND ASSEMBLY

CHAPTER

4

EPSON LX-300+ Disassembly and Assembly

40

EPSON LX-300+ Disassembly and Assembly

4.1 Overview

Follow the instructions in this chapter to disassemble and assemble LX-300+.
Unless otherwise noted, reassemble the printer by following the disassembly
steps in reverse.

4.1.1 Precautions

Always unplug the printer before servicing.

W A R N I N G

C A U T I O N

"

Bear in mind that the printhead may be hot after printing.

"

Use the tools specified in this chapter.

"

Lubricate the printer as needed, using only the specified

"

oil and grease. (See “Maintenance” on page 65.)
After replacing parts, be sure to perform any indicated

"

adjustments.

4.1.2 Tools

The table below lists the tools recommended for disassembly, assembly, and
adjustment. All tools are commercially available.

Table 4-1. Recommended Tools

Tool EPSON Part No.

Needle-nose pliers B740400100

Wire cutter B740500100

Tweezers B741000100

Philips screwdriver No.2 B743800200

Hex wrench (7 mm) B741700200

Thickness gauge set B776702201

41

EPSON LX-300+ Disassembly and Assembly

4.2 Disassembly

Follow the steps below to disassemble the printer.

4.2.1 Preparation

Before disassmbling the printer, remove the platen knob, cover assembly,
tractor unit, and paper eject unit. Remove the color upgrade kit if it’s installed.

4.2.2 Printhead Removal

C A U T I O N

1. Remove 1 screw (CPB, 3x14) securing the printhead to the carriage.

2. Lift the printhead a little. Unhook the ribbon cable from the carriage.

3. Remove the ribbon cable from the printhead.

A D J U S T M E N T

R E Q U I R E D

Make sure the printer is unplugged before removing the
printhead.

After putting the printhead back in or replacing it, perform the
platen gap adjustment on page 59.

Carriage

CPB (3x14)

Printhead

Ribbon cable

Figure 4-1. Printhead Removal

42

EPSON LX-300+ Disassembly and Assembly

4.2.3 Upper Housing Removal

1. Set the tractor release lever forward (to tractor feed).

2. Remove 4 screws (CBP, 3x10) securing the upper housing to the lower
housing.

3. Remove the upper housing.

Upper Housing

CPB (3x10)

R E A S S E M B L Y

After reassembly, turn on the printer and make sure the
LEDs are visible through the holes in the upper housing.

Upper Housing

LED

Control Panel

CPB (3x10)

Figure 4-2. Upper Housing Removal

43

EPSON LX-300+ Disassembly and Assembly

4.2.4 Printer Mechanism Removal

Preparation:

Remove the upper housing (see “Upper Housing Removal” on page 43)

1. Remove 5 screws securing the shield cover to the lower housing. Remove
the shield cover.

Shield cover

CBB (3x14) with washer

Printer Mechanism

screws

CBB (3x14) with washer

Printer Mechanism

Main Board

Figure 4-4. Cable Removal

Figure 4-3. Upper Shield Plate

2. Remove 2 screws with washers (CBP, 3x14) securing the printer
mechanism to the lower housing.

3. Tilt the printer mechanism back and remove the cables from the main
board.

4. Remove the printer mechanism.

A D J U S T M E N T

R E Q U I R E D

If you replace the printer mechanism, perform the Bi-D
adjustment on page 60.

44

EPSON LX-300+ Disassembly and Assembly

4.2.5 Control Panel Board Removal

Preparation:

Remove the upper housing (see “Upper Housing Removal” on page 43)

1. Remove the ribbon cable from the connector on the control panel board.

2. Remove 3 screws (CBP, 3x10) securing the control panel board to the
lower housing.

3. Remove the control panel board from the lower housing.

Control Panel Board

CPB (3x10)

Cable

4.2.6 C294MAIN Board Removal

Preparation:

Remove the upper housing (see “Upper Housing Removal” on

!

page 43)

Remove the printer mechanism (see “Printer Mechanism Removal”

!

on page 44)

1. Remove 2 hexagon nuts securing the serial interface connector to the
lower shield plate, then remove the connector from the hole in the shield
plate.

2. Remove 2 screws (CP, M3x6) securing the parallel interface to the lower
shield plate.

3. Remove the ribbon cables from CN12 and CN13 (for the optional color
upgrade kit and control panel).

4. Disconnect the power supply harness from CN8.

5. Remove 3 screws (CBP, 3x10) securing the main board to the lower
housing, and remove the board.

A D J U S T M E N T

R E Q U I R E D

If you replace the main board, perform the destination setting
and Bi-D adjustment on page 60.

Figure 4-5. Control Panel Board Removal

45

EPSON LX-300+ Disassembly and Assembly

4.2.7 Power Supply Board Removal

Lower Shield Plate

CBP (3x10)

CP (M3x6)

Hexagon Nut

CN13

Preparation:

Remove the upper housing (see “Upper Housing Removal” on

!

page 43)

Remove the printer mechanism (see “Printer Mechanism Removal”

!

on page 44)

1. Remove the power cable from CN1 on the power supply board.

CN8

Main Board

CPB (3x10)

Figure 4-6. C294MAIN Board Removal

CN12

2. Slide the power switch out of the lower housing.

3. Remove the harness connecting the power supply board to the main
board (CN8 on the main board).

4. Remove 4 screws (CBP, 3x10) securing the power supply board to the
lower housing.

5. Remove the power supply board.

Power Switch

CBP (3x10)

CN1

CBP (3x10)

CBP (3x10)

Power Supply Board

Figure 4-7. Power Supply Board Removal

CBP (3x10)

46

EPSON LX-300+ Disassembly and Assembly

4.2.8 Printer Mechanism Disassembly

Follow the steps below to disassemble the printer mechanism.

START

4.2.8.1 "Carriage (CR)
Motor Removal"

4.2.8.3 "Carriage

Removal"

4.2.8.5 "BPE and RPE
Sensor Removal"

4.2.8.5 "BPE and RPE
Sensor Removal"

4.2.8.4 "Ribbon Feed
Mechanism

4.2.8.6 "Home

Position (HP) Sensor

4.2.8.7 "Platen Gap

(PG) Sensor Removal"

4.2.8.1 Carriage (CR) Motor Removal

Preparation:

Remove the printer mechanism (see “Printer Mechanism Removal” on
page 44)

1. Remove the tension spring to release tension from the timing belt.

2. Remove the timing belt from the pulley of the CR motor.

3. Rotate the CR motor to remove it.

Timing Belt

Tension Spring, 8.10

4.2.8.9 "Paper Feed

(PF) Motor Removal"

Figure 4-8. Printer Mechanism Disassembly

4.2.8.2 "Platen
Removal"

4.2.8.11 "Paper Guide
Removal"

4.2.8.8 "Removing the
Tractor Release Lever

A D J U S T M E N T

R E Q U I R E D

CR Motor

Base Frame

Figure 4-9. CR Motor Assembly Removal

If you replace the CR motor, perform the Bi-D adjustment on
page 60.

47

EPSON LX-300+ Disassembly and Assembly

4.2.8.2 Platen Removal

Preparation:

Remove the printer mechanism (see “Printer Mechanism Removal” on
page 44)

1. Remove the grounding spring from the platen.

2. Push inward on the hook holding combination gear 17.5, 27 on its shaft
and remove the gear.

To release the gear, push hook inward toward
center of gear, and slide gear off shaft.

Combination gear, 17.5, 27

Gear, 34

Bushing, 11

Platen

Gear, 34

Left frame

Bushing, 11

Grounding spring

Combination gear, 17.5, 27

Right frame

Figure 4-11. Platen Removal

dis20_a

Figure 4-10. Removing Combination Gear 17.5, 27

3. Rotate the left and right bushings to free the platen, then lift the platen
out of the printer mechanism.

48

EPSON LX-300+ Disassembly and Assembly

4.2.8.3 Carriage Removal

Preparation:

Remove the printer mechanism (see “Printer Mechanism Removal”

!

on page 44)

Remove the printhead (see “Printhead Removal” on page 42)

!

1. Remove the timing belt from its attachment on the carriage.

Carriage

Attachment

Timing Belt

Grounding plate

Parallelism adjust bushing

Left frame

Base frame

PG adjust lever

CR guide shaft

Carriage unit

Parallelism adjustment bushin

Oil pad

Right frame

Figure 4-13. Carriage Removal

Figure 4-12. Timing Belt Removal

2. Remove the grounding plate on the left side of the printer, as shown in
Figure 4-13.

3. Rotate the right and left parallelism adjustment bushings so that they
align with the cutouts in the frame, then push them out through the
frame.

49

EPSON LX-300+ Disassembly and Assembly

4. Slide the carriage all the way to the right, then move the platen gap lever
all the way to the rear, as shown below.

PG Lever

Figure 4-14. Platen Gap Lever

5. Remove the platen gap lever by carefully flexing it off the frame. Then
remove the carriage along with the CR guide shaft from the printer
mechanism.

A D J U S T M E N T

R E Q U I R E D

If you replace the carriage, perform the Bi-D adjustment on
page 60.

4.2.8.4 Ribbon Feed Mechanism Disassembly

Preparation:

Remove the printer mechanism (see “Printer Mechanism Removal”

!

on page 44)

Remove the tension spring from the motor bracket to release tension

!

from the timing belt (see “Carriage (CR) Motor Removal” on page 47)

1. Release the 3 hooks securing the cover of the ribbon feed mechanism,
and remove the cover.

RD cover

Combination gear, 51, 16.2

Left frame

RD ratchet

Planetary lever assy.

Timing belt

Timing belt

Driven pulley assy.

Gear, 13.2

Combination gear, 51, 16.2

R E A S S E M B L Y

Be sure to fit the carriage correctly onto the front guide rail
(the front-most part of the metal frame). Part of the carriage
goes over the rail, and part of it goes under.

Base frame

Figure 4-15. Ribbon Feed Mechanism Disassembly

50

EPSON LX-300+ Disassembly and Assembly

4.2.8.5 BPE and RPE Sensor Removal

Preparation:

Remove the printer mechanism (see “Printer Mechanism Removal” on
page 44)

1. Turn the printer mechanism over.

2. Loosen the wires to the BPE and RPE sensors. (Untape them as necessary
and free them from the hook on the metal frame.)

3. Release the hook securing the BPE sensor to the frame (see figure below).

RPE sensor (white)

BPE sensor (yellow)

Push down
on hook to
release it

4.2.8.6 Home Position (HP) Sensor Removal

1. Release the 2 hooks of the HP sensor securing it to the base frame and
remove the sensor.

2. Disconnect the harness from the sensor (black).

HP sensor (black)

Base frame

Hook

Figure 4-17. HP Sensor Removal

Paper guide

Figure 4-16. BPE/RPE Sensor Removal

4. Remove the BPE sensor. (Push in on the sensor’s actuator so that it clears
the frame when removing.)

5. Disconnect the cable from the BPE sensor (yellow).

6. To remove the RPE sensor, unhook it in the same manner, remove the
sensor, and disconnect the cable from the sensor (white).

51

EPSON LX-300+ Disassembly and Assembly

4.2.8.7 Platen Gap (PG) Sensor Removal

1. Release the 2 hooks of the PG sensor securing it to the left frame and
remove the sensor.

2. Disconnect the harness from the sensor (white).

Hook

4.2.8.8 Removing the Tractor Release Lever Sensor

Preparation:

Remove the printer mechanism (see “Printer Mechanism Removal” on
page 44)

1. Loosen the sensor’s cables as necessary, then disconnect the harness
(blue) from the sensor.

2. Release the 2 hooks securing the sensor to the right frame and remove
the sensor.

Release lever position sensor (blue)

Left frame

PG sensor (white)

Figure 4-18. PG Sensor Removal

Figure 4-19. Release Lever Sensor Removal

52

EPSON LX-300+ Disassembly and Assembly

4.2.8.9 Paper Feed (PF) Motor Removal

Preparation:

Remove the printer mechanism (see “Printer Mechanism Removal” on
page 44)

1. Remove the platen grounding spring from the platen.

2. Remove 1 screw (CBP, 3x10) securing the PF motor to the right frame.

3. Release the clip on the right frame securing the PF motor and remove the
motor.

Platen grounding spring PF motor

Positioning pin

CBP (3x10)

4.2.8.10 Removing the Tractor Drive Gears

Preparation:

Remove the printer mechanism (see “Printer Mechanism Removal”

!

on page 44)

Remove the PF motor (see “Paper Feed (PF) Motor Removal” on

!

page 53)

1. Move the tractor release lever to the forward position.

2. Remove the tractor release lever.

Release shaft

Tractor release lever

R E A S S E M B L Y

Clip

Figure 4-20. PF Motor Removal

When installing the PF motor, align it with the positioning
pins shown above.

R E A S S E M B L Y

Figure 4-21. Tractor Release Lever Removal

When installing the release lever, be sure to align the mark on
the lever with the mark on the release shaft, as shown above.

53

EPSON LX-300+ Disassembly and Assembly

3. Release the hook securing gear 27.5 and remove the gear, washer, and
compression spring.

4. Remove combination gear (8.5, 25.2).

Hook securing gear

Combination gear, 8.5, 25.2

Compression spring

Plain washer

4.2.8.11 Paper Guide Removal

Preparation:

Remove the printer mechanism (see “Printer Mechanism Removal”

!

on page 44)

Remove the platen (see “Platen Removal” on page 48)

!

Remove the carriage unit (see “Carriage Removal” on page 49)

!

Remove the PF motor (see “Paper Feed (PF) Motor Removal” on

!

page 53)

Remove the tractor release lever (see “Removing the Tractor Drive

!

Gears” on page 53)

1. Turn the printer mechanism over.

2. Remove any tape securing the RPE and BPE sensor cables to the metal
frame, then free them from the hook on the frame.

3. Release the locking tab securing the paper guide to the metal frame by
pushing it inward.

Locking tab

Gear, 27.5

Figure 4-22. Gear Removal

Figure 4-23. Releasing the Locking Tab

54

EPSON LX-300+ Disassembly and Assembly

4. Slide the paper guide to the left to free the six hooks that hold it on the
frame. (Two of the hooks are shown below.)

Metal Frame

Hooks

Figure 4-24. Paper Guide Removal

5. Turn the printer mechanism right side up. Remove the paper guide along
with its release shaft by lifting it out of the frame.

55

EPSON LX-300+ Disassembly and Assembly

56

ADJUSTMENTS

CHAPTER

5

EPSON LX-300+ Adjustments

58

EPSON LX-300+ Adjustments

5.1 Platen Gap Adjustment

Perform the platen gap adjustment if you:

replace the printhead

!

replace the carriage

!

remove the carriage guide shaft

!

remove a parallelism adjust bushing

!

notice that printing is too light

!

notice the ink ribbon getting jammed too often

!

Follow these steps to perform the adjustment:

1. Remove the upper housing. (See “Upper Housing Removal” on page 43.)

2. Remove the printhead (see “Printhead Removal” on page 42) and then
remove the ribbon mask. (Insert a narrow screwdriver down into each
crease or fold in the ribbon mask to release it from the carriage; then lift
the ribbon mask out of the carriage.)

3. Reinstall the printhead.

4. Slide the carriage all the way to the left.

5. Insert a 0.45 mm thickness gauge (feeler gauge) between the printhead
and the platen.

7. Check that the printhead applies just enough pressure to keep the
thickness gauge from falling down by its own weight. Refer to the
following table:

Table 5-1. Adjustment Guidelines

Ideal Adjustment Borderline Adjustment

0.455 ± 0.015 mm

If the setting is incorrect, move the PG lever all the way forward, then
adjust the left parallelism adjustment bushing. Set the PG lever to the “0”
position again and retest the adjustment.

8. Once the adjustment is correct on the left side of the printer, slide the
carriage all the way to the right. Repeat the adjustment on the right side
of the printer (follow steps 5 through 7, but make the adjustment on the
right parallelism bushing).

9. Slide the carriage to the middle of the printer and check the adjustment. If
it’s incorrect, you’ll have to repeat the adjustment on both the left and
right sides of the printer.

At 0.44 mm, gauge falls down by its own weight.
At 0.47 mm, gauge is held in place.

6. Set the blue platen gap (PG) lever to the “0” position (toward the rear of
the printer).

59

EPSON LX-300+ Adjustments

5.2 Bidirectional Adjustment

Perform the Bi-D adjustment if you:

replace the main board

!

replace the carriage motor

!

replace the entire printer mechanism

!

Follow the steps below to perform the adjustment:

1. Connect the printer to a computer using a parallel cable.

2. Turn on the computer and printer.

3. Load continuous paper in the printer.

4. Start the adjustment program. (It’s referred to as “Q80A10V”; this is the
same adjustment program used by the EPSON LQ570e.)

You see this screen:

You see this screen:

6. Using the arrow keys, make sure

is selected, and press

9 pin

Enter

.

5. Press

Enter

.

60

EPSON LX-300+ Adjustments

You see this screen:

The available destination settings are as follows:

Table 5-2. Destination Setting List

Destination Setting Destination Setting

EAI, EAI (Latin) USASTD EDG(NLSP) NLSP

EURO, EDG, EUL,

EUL (SCANDINAVIA),

EFS, EIS, EIB

EURSTD

EUL (MIDDLE EAST),

EAL, ESP, EHK

DEFSTD

You see this screen:

8. Select

Out Going

and press

Enter

.

7. Select

USASTD

and press

Enter

.

61

EPSON LX-300+ Adjustments

You see this screen:

9. Make sure

80 column

is selected, and press

Enter

You see this screen:

.

10. Make sure

Bi-D Adjust

is selected, and press

Enter

.

62

EPSON LX-300+ Adjustments

You see this screen:

11. Press the
After a delay of several seconds, the printer prints a pattern similar to the
following:

Space bar

to print the first adjustment pattern (in Mode 0).

12. Make sure the characters in the 1st and 3rd lines are aligned with the
characters in the 2nd and 4th lines:

HHHHHHHH

HHHHHHHH

HHHHHHHH

HHHHHHHH

If the characters are not aligned, use the
change the adjustment value and bring the characters into alignment.
Press the
results.

13. After making sure the characters are aligned, use the
arrow keys to switch to Mode 1. Repeat the adjustment (following steps
11 and 12) in this mode, then switch to Mode 4 and repeat the adjustment
again.

14. After performing the adjustment in all three modes, press
times to exit the adjustment program.

Space bar

to print another adjustment pattern and check the

Left

and

arrow keys to

Right

and

Up

Down

Escape

several

15. Turn the printer off to store the adjustment values.

Do not attempt to use the adjustment program to

C A U T I O N

"

perform any operations except those described above.
Using the control panel to clear the EEPROM does not

"

change the Bi-D setting.

63

EPSON LX-300+ Adjustments

64

MAINTENANCE

CHAPTER

6

EPSON LX-300+ Maintenance

66

EPSON LX-300+ Maintenance

6.1 Overview

After disassembling the printer, follow the steps below to clean and lubricate
it as needed.

Unplug the AC cable before performing maintenance.

W A R N I N G

6.1.1 Cleaning

Use a neutral detergent or diluted alcohol to clean the outside of the case.
Vacuum dust or small pieces of paper from the inside of the printer.

C A U T I O N

6.1.2 Lubrication

"

Avoid touching the printhead after printing; it may be hot.

"

Never use thinner, tricren, or ketone solvent, as it may damage
plastic or rubber parts.

Lubricate the printer by referring to the figures below and on the following
pages:

Lubrication Points

RD ratchet shaft

Apply G-26 to the 3 short shafts and
1 boss of the ribbon drive
mechanism.
G-26, 1/2 grain of rice

Apply G-26 to the long shaft of the
RD ratchet.
G-26, 1 grain of rice

Figure 6-1. Ribbon Drive Mechanism (1 of 2)

Apply G-26 to the gear teeth as
shown.
G-26, 1/2 grain of rice

Use only the following types of oil and grease to lubricate the printer:

Table 6-1. Lubricants

Type Name Quantity EPSON Part No.

Grease G-26 40 g B702600001

Oil O-2 40 cc B710200001

C A U T I O N

EPSON has determined the best types of lubricants for this
printer based on extensive testing. Use only the lubricants
listed above. Incorrect lubricants can damage the printer or
hinder performance.

Figure 6-2. Ribbon Drive Mechanism (2 of 2)

67

EPSON LX-300+ Maintenance

Apply G-26 to the end-points on

Apply G-26 to 3 shafts on the right
frame.

PF rollers

each paper feed roller shaft.
Avoid getting grease on the
rollers themselves.

G-26, 1 grain of rice

G-26, 1/2 grain of rice

Figure 6-5. Paper Feed Rollers

Figure 6-3. Shafts on the Right Frame

Lubricate G-26 at 2 places as shown
on the release lever. Make sure
some of the grease lubricates the
inside of the release lever where the
sloped surface contacts the gear.

G-26, 1 grain of rice

Figure 6-4. Tractor Release Lever

Release shaft

Paper guide assembly

Figure 6-6. Paper Release Shaft

Turn the paper guide assembly
upside down and lubricate the
release shaft where it contacts the
frame (4 places).

G-26, 1 grain of rice

68

EPSON LX-300+ Maintenance

Slide the carriage to the middle of
Apply G-26 to the left and right
bushings in which the tractor
shaft rotates.

the printer, then apply G-26 along

the entire front guide rail, both on

top and underneath where the

carriage touches it.
G-26, 1/2 grain of rice

G-26, 40 mm x 2 places

Guide rail

Figure 6-9. Front Guide Rail

Figure 6-7. Tractor Assembly

Oil Pad

If you replace the oil pad (located
under the printhead carriage as
shown), add oil to it as follows:

1. Fill a syringe to 0.30 ml of O-2.

2. Apply the oil to the pad.

Note: Be careful not to over- or
under-lubricate the pad. The correct
amount is 0.28-0.32 cc.

Figure 6-8. Oil Pad

Apply G-26 to the two places
where the carriage motor hooks
onto the base frame, as shown.

G-26, 1/2 grain of rice x 2

Figure 6-10. Carriage Motor

69

EPSON LX-300+ Maintenance

Apply G-26 to the gear shaft
shown at left.

G-26, 1/2 grain of rice

Figure 6-11. Combination Gear 17.5, 27

Apply G-26 to the point where the
grounding spring attaches to the
platen shaft:

G-26, 1 grain of rice.

Apply G-26 to the middle of the
platen drive gear as shown:

G-26, 10mm

Figure 6-12. Platen Grounding Spring and Drive Gear

70

APPENDIX

CHAPTER

7

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

72

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

7.1 Electrical Connections

The figure below illustrates how the primary components are connected.

7.1.1 Connector Summary

The following table summarizes connections to the main board:

Table 7-1. C294MAIN Board Connector Summary

Connector Function Pins

CN1 Parallel I/F 36

CN2 Serial I/F 6

CN3 HP Sensor 2

CN4 PE (Rear) Sensor 2

CN5 Tractor Release Sensor 2

CN6 PE (Bottom) Sensor 2

CN7 Platen Gap Sensor 2

CN8 Power Supply Board C294PSB/PSE 9

CN9 Printhead 12

CN10 CR Motor 4

CN11 PF Motor 4

CN12

CS (Color Shift) Motor (for optional
color ribbon kit)

10

Figure 7-1. Cable Connections

CN13 Control Panel C294PNL 12

7.1.2 Connector Pin Assignments

The following tables define the functions of each connector’s pins:

Table 7-2. HP Sensor- CN3

Pin I/O Signal Name Function

1 I HP Home position signal

2 - GND Signal ground

73

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

Table 7-3. PE (Rear) Sensor- CN4

Pin I/O Signal Name Function

1 I RPE Rear paper end signal

2 - GND Signal ground

Table 7-4. Tractor Release Sensor - CN5

Pin I/O Signal Name Function

1 I RELEASE Release sensor signal

2 - GND Signal ground

Table 7-5. PE (Bottom) Sensor - CN6

Pin I/O Signal Name Function

1 I BPE Bottom paper end signal

2 - GND Signal ground

Table 7-6. Platen Gap Sensor - CN7

Pin I/O Signal Name Function

1 I PG Platen gap (copy mode) sensor signal

2 - GND Signal ground

Table 7-7. Power Supply Board - CN8

Pin I/O Signal Name Function

1 - VH +35VDC

2 - VH +35VDC

3 - GP Signal ground

4 - GP Signal ground

5 O PSC Power save control

6 O POFF Power off signal

7- +5V +5VDC

8 - +5V +5VDC

Table 7-8. Printhead - CN9

Pin I/O Signal Name Function

1 O HD7 Head data 7

2 O HD8 Head data 8

3 O HD9 Head data 9

4 O HD3 Head data 3

5 - HDCOM Common (VP)

6 - HDCOM Common (VP)

7 - HDCOM Common (VP)

8 O HD2 Head data 2

9 O HD9 Head data 9

10 O HD4 Head data 4

11 O HD8 Head data 8

12 O HD6 Head data 6

74

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

Table 7-9. Carriage Motor - CN10

Pin I/O Signal Name Function

1 O CRA Carriage motor phase A

2 O CRA Carriage motor phase A

3 O CRB Carriage motor phase B

4 O CRB Carriage motor phase B

Table 7-10. Paper Feed Motor - CN11

Pin I/O Signal Name Function

1 O PFA Paper feed motor phase A

2 O PFA Paper feed motor phase A

3 O PFB Paper feed motor phase B

4 O PFB Paper feed motor phase B

Table 7-11. Color Shift Motor - CN12

Pin I/O Signal Name Function

1- VH +35VDC

Table 7-12. Control Panel - CN13

Pin I/O Signal Name Function

1- +5V +5VDC

2 O LED5 LED5

3 O LED4 LED4

4 O LED3 LED3

5 O LED2 LED2

6 O LED1 LED1

7I SW1 Switch 1

8 - GND Signal ground

9 - GND Signal ground

10 I SW2 Switch 2

11 I SW3 Switch 3

2 - CS/HOLD +5VDC

3- +5V +5VDC

4 O CSA CS motor phase A

5 O CSXA CS motor phase XA

6 O CSB CS motor phase B

7 O CSXB CS motor phase XB

8 - GP Signal ground

9 I CSSW Color ribbon sensor signal

10 - GND Signal ground

75

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

7.2 Printing Specifications

7.2.1 Printing Specification

Print method: Impact dot matrix

!

Number of pins: 9 pins

!

Print pin arrangement: 9x1

!

Print pin diameter: 0.29 mm (0.0114 inch)

!

Color (Option): Black, Magenta, Cyan, Yellow

!

Print direction: Bi-directional with logic seeking

!

Print speed and printable columns:

!

Table 7-13. Print Speed and Printable Columns

Printing mode

High speed draft 10 80 300

High speed draft
condensed

Draft 10 80 225

Draft condensed 17 137 191

Draft emphasized 10 80 112

Character pitch

(cpi)

12 96 337

15 120 337

17 137 321

20 160 300

12 96 270

15 120 225

20 160 225

Printable

columns

Printing speed

(cps)

Table 7-13. Print Speed and Printable Columns (continued)

Printing mode

NLQ 10 80 56

Character pitch

(cpi)

12 96 67

15 120 56

17 137 47

20 160 56

NOTE: If the power supply voltage drops to the lower limit, the

printer stops printing, and then resumes printing but more
slowly than before.

Resolution:

!

Printable

columns

Printing speed

(cps)

Table 7-14. Resolution

Printing mode

High speed draft 90 72 No

Draft 120 72 No

Draft condensed 240 72 No

Draft emphasized 120 72 Yes

NLQ 240 144 No

Bit image 60, 72, 80, 90 or 120 72 Yes

Control code: ESC/P and IBM 2380 Plus emulation

!

Horizontal density

(dpi)

120 or 240 72 No

(Refer to “Control Codes” on page 90)

Vertical density

(dpi)

Adjacent dot print

76

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

Character tables:

!

Standard version (13 character table)

"

Italic table PC437 (US, Standard Europe)
PC850 (Multilingual) PC860 (Portuguese)
PC863 (Canadian-French) PC865 (Nordic)
PC861 (Icelandic) BRASCII
Abicomp Roman 8
ISO Latin 1 PC858
ISO 8859-15

NLSP version (38 character tables)

"

Italic table PC437 (US, Standard Europe)
PC850 (Multilingual) PC437 Greek
PC853 (Turkish) PC855 (Cyrillic)
PC852 (East Europe) PC857 (Turkish)
PC866 (Russian)
PC869 (Greek) MAZOWIA (Poland)
Code MJK (CSFR) ISO 8859-7 (Latin / Greek)
ISO Latin 1T (Turkish) Bulgaria (Bulgarian)
PC 774 (LST 1283:1993) Estonia (Estonia)
ISO 8859-2 PC 866 LAT. (Latvian)
PC 866 UKR (Ukrania) PC860 (Portuguese)
PC 861 (Icelandic) PC865 (Nordic)
PC APTEC (Arabic) PC708 (Arabic)
PC 720 (Arabic) PCAR864 (Arabic)
PC863 (Canadian-French) Abicomp
BRASCII Roman 8
ISO Latin 1 Hebrew 7
Hebrew 8
PC858 IAO8859-15
PC771 (Lithuania)

International character sets: 13 countries

!

U.S.A France Germany
U.K. Denmark 1 Sweden
Italy Spain 1 Japan
Norway Denmark 2 Spain 2
Latin America

NOTE: The international and legal characters are the following

12 codes:
23H, 24H, 40H, 5BH, 5CH, 5DH, 5EH, 60H, 7BH, 7CH, 7DH,
7EH

Typeface (bit map fonts)

!

EPSON Draft 10cpi, 12cpi, 15cpi
EPSON Roman 10cpi, 12cpi, 15cpi, Proportional
EPSON Sans serif 10cpi, 12cpi, 15cpi, Proportional
EPSON OCR-B 10cpi

*

* Not displayed in default setting mode.

Bar codes

!

EAN-13 EAN-8 Interleaved 2 of 5
UPC-A UPC-E Code 39
Code 128 POSTNET Coda bar (NW-7)
Industrial 2 of 5

*

Matrix 2 of 5

*

*

* Not displayed in default setting mode.

*

*

PC862 (Hebrew)

*

* Not displayed in default setting mode.

77

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

Character tables and typefaces:

!

Table 7-15. Character Tables and Typefaces (continued)

Standard
version

Table 7-15. Character Tables and Typefaces

Character table Bitmap font

Italic table
PC 437 (US, Standard Europe)

PC 850 (Multilingual)
PC 860 (Portuguese)
PC 863(Canadian-

French)
PC 865 (Nordic)
PC 861 (Icelandic)

BRASCII
Abicomp
Roman 8
ISO Latin 1
PC 858
ISO 8859-15

EPSON Draft
EPSON Roman
EPSON Sans serif
EPSON OCR-B

EPSON Draft
EPSON Roman
EPSON Sans serif

Character table Bitmap font

NLSP
version

Italic table
PC 437(US, Standard Europe)

PC 860(Portuguese)
PC 865(Nordic)
BRASCIl
Roman 8
PC437 (Greek)
PC 855 (Cyrillic)
PC 857 (Turkish)

PC 869 (Greek)
Code MJK (CSFR)
lSO Latin 1T (Turkish)
PC774 (LST 1283: 1993)
1SO 8859-2
PC 866 UKR (Ukrania)

PC 708 (Arabic)
PCAR864 (Arabic)

Hebrew 8*
PC 858
PC771 (Lithuania)

PC 850 (Multilingual)
PC 861 (Icelandic)
PC863 (Canadian-

French)
Abicomp
lSOLatin1
PC 853 (Turkish)
PC 852 (East Europe)

PC 866 (Russian)
MAZOWIA (Poland)
lSO 8859-7 (Latin/
Greek)
Bulgaria (Bulgarian)
Estonia (Estonia)
PC 866 LAT. (Latvian)
PC APTEC (Arabic)

PC 720 (Arabic)
Hebrew7*
PC862 (Hebrew)*
ISO 8859-15

* Not displayed in default setting mode.

EPSON Draft
EPSON Roman
EPSON Sans serif
EPSON OCR-B

EPSON Draft
EPSON Roman
EPSON Sans serif

NOTE: ESC R command is effective in all the character tables.

78

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

7.2.2 Paper Feeding

Feeding method: Friction feed (rear)

!

Push tractor feed (rear)
Push and Pull tractor feed (rear)
Pull tractor feed (rear, bottom)

Feeder: Rear push tractor, CSF single-bin (Option),

!

Pull tractor (Option) and Roll paper holder (Option)

Paper path: Manual insertion Rear in, top out

!

CSF Rear in, top out
Push Tractor Rear in, top out
Pull Tractor Rear or bottom in, top out

Line spacing: 4.23 mm (1/6 inch) or programmable

!

in increments of 0.118 mm (1/216 inch)

Feed speed: 4.23 mm (1/6 inch feed) 88 msec

!

Continuous feed 0.76 MPS (m/sec)

[3.0 IPS (inches/sec)]

Input Data Buffer: 8 Kbyte

!

Release lever:

!

The release lever must be set according to the following tables:

Table 7-16. Release Lever in Friction Position

Paper path or feeder Paper or media

Manual insertion (rear) Cut sheet (Single sheet and

Multi part)
Envelope

CSF single-bin Cut sheet (Single sheet)

Roll paper holder (rear) Roll paper

Table 7-17. Release Lever in Tractor Position

Paper path or feeder Paper or media

Push tractor feed (rear) Continuous paper (Single

sheet and Multi part)

Push and Pull tractor feed
(rear)

Pull tractor feed (rear) Continuous paper (Single

Pull tractor feed (bottom) Continuous paper (Single

Paper thickness lever:

!

Continuous paper (Single
sheet and Multi part)

sheet and Multi part)

sheet and Multi part)
Labels

The paper thickness lever must be set at the proper position as shown
below.

Table 7-18. Paper Thickness Lever

Lever

position

0 (0.0024) (0.0071) 0.06 to 0.18

1 (0.0071) (0.0102) 0.18 to 0.26

2 (0.0102) (0.0130) 0.26 to 0.33

3 (0.0130) (0.0154) 0.33 to 0.39

4 (0.0154) (0.0205) 0.39 to 0.52

Paper thickness (inch)

Paper thickness (mm)

Minimum Maximum

79

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

7.2.3 Electrical Specification

120 V version

!

Rated voltage: AC 120V

"

Input voltage range: AC 99 to 132 V

"

Rated frequency range: 50 to 60 Hz

"

Input frequency range: 49.5 to 60.5 Hz

"

Rated current: 0.6 A (max. 1.4 A)

"

Power consumption: approx. 23 W (ISO/IEC 10561 Letter pattern)

"

Insulation resistance: 10MΩ min.

"

(between AC line and chassis, 500 VDC)

Dielectric strength: AC 1000 Vrms. 1 min. or

"

AC 1200 Vrms. 1 sec.
(between AC line and chassis)

230 V version

!

Rated voltage range: AC 220 to 240 V

"

Input voltage range: AC 198 to 264 V

"

Rated frequency range: 50 to 60 Hz

"

Input frequency range: 49.5 to 60.5 Hz

"

7.2.4 Environmental Condition

1

Temperature:5 to 35 °C (operating

!

15 to 25

-30 to 60

Humidity:10 to 80% RH (operating

!

30 to 60% RH (operating
0 to 85% RH (non-operating)

Resistance to shock:1 G, within 1ms (operating)

!

2 G, within 2ms (non-operating

Resistance to vibration:0.25 G, 10 to 55 Hz (operating)

!

0.50 G, 10 to 55 Hz (non-operating

°

C (operating

°

C (non-operating)

*1: without condensation
*2: printing on multipart paper, envelopes, cards, or labels
*3: without shipping container

*1,*

2

)

*1,*

*

)

1

*

)

2

)

3

*

)

3

*

)

7.2.5 Reliability

Total print volume:12 million lines (except printhead)

!

MTBF:6000 POH

!

Printhead life: 400 million strokes / pin (Black)

!

100 million strokes / pin (Color)

Rated current: 0.3 A (max. 0.7 A)

"

Power consumption: approx. 23 W (ISO/IEC10561 Letter pattern)

"

Insulation resistance: 10MΩ min.

"

(between AC line and chassis, 500 VDC)

Dielectric strength: AC 1500 Vrms. 1 min.

"

(between AC line and chassis)

7.2.6 Ribbon Cartridge

Type:Fabric

!

Color:Black
Ribbon life:3 million characters (Draft 10 cpi, 14 dots/character)

Type:Fabric

!

Color:Black, Magenta, Cyan and Yellow
Ribbon life:

Black 1 million characters (Draft 10 cpi, 14 dots/character)

"

Magenta 0.7 million characters (Draft 10 cpi, 14 dots/character)

"

Cyan 0.7 million characters (Draft 10 cpi, 14 dots/character)

"

Yellow 0.5 million characters (Draft 10 cpi, 14 dots/character)

"

80

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

7.2.7 Safety Approvals

120 V version

!

Safety standards: UL1950

"

CSA C22.2 No. 950

EMI: FCC part15 subpart B class B

"

CSA C108.8 class B

230 V version

!

Safety standards: EN60950 (VDE)

"

EMI: EN55022 (CISPR pub.22) class B

"

AS/NZS 3548 class B

7.2.8 CE Marking

230 V version and UPS version

Low voltage directive 73/23/EEC: EN60950

"

EMC Directive 89/336/EEC: EN55022 class B

"

EN61000-3-2
EN61000-3-3
EN50082-1
IEC801-2
IEC801-3
IEC801-4

7.2.9 Acoustic noise

Level: 49 dB(A) (ISO 7779 pattern)

81

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

7.2.10 Printable Area

Cut sheets

!

P r i n t a b l e A r e a

Table 7-19. Printable Area for Cut Sheets

Single Sheet Multi Part

PW (Width) Refer to “Paper

Specifications” on page 96

PL (Length) Refer to “Paper

Specifications” on page 96

LM (Left Margin) When PW<=229 mm:

3 mm or more
When PW=257 mm:
24 mm or more

RM (Right Margin) When PW<=229 mm:

3 mm or more
When PW=257 mm:
24 mm or more

TM (Top Margin) 4.2 mm or more 4.2 mm or more

BM (Bottom Margin) 4.2 mm or more 4.2 mm or more

NOTE: The maximum horizontal printable area is 203.2 mm.

Refer to “Paper
Specifications” on page 96

Refer to “Paper
Specifications” on page 96

When PW<=229 mm:
3 mm or more
When PW=257 mm:
24 mm or more

When PW<=229 mm:
3 mm or more
When PW=257 mm:
24 mm or more

Figure 7-2. Printable Area for Cut Sheets

82

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

Envelopes

!

L M

P r i n t a b l e A r e a

Figure 7-3. Printable Area for Envelopes

Table 7-20. Printable Area for Envelop

Envelope Printable Area

PW (Width) Refer to “Paper Specifications” on page 96

PL (Length) Refer to “Paper Specifications” on page 96

LM (Left Margin) 3 mm or more

RM (Right Margin) 3 mm or more

TM (Top Margin) 4.2 mm or more

BM (Bottom Margin) 4.2 mm or more

NOTE: The maximum horizontal printable area is 203.2mm.

Continuous paper

!

R M

T M

P e r f o r a t i o n

P r i n t a b l e A r e a

B M

P e r f o r a t i o n

Figure 7-4. Printable Area for Continuous Paper

Table 7-21. Printable Area for Continuous Paper

Continuous Paper

PW (Width) Refer to “Paper Specifications” on page 96

PL (Length) Refer to “Paper Specifications” on page 96

LM (Left Margin) When PW<=254mm:

13 mm or more
When PW=254 mm:
24mm or more

RM (Right Margin) When PW<=254mm:

13 mm or more
When PW=254 mm:
24mm or more

TM (Top Margin) 4.2 mm or more

BM (Bottom Margin) 4.2 mm or more

NOTE: The maximum horizontal printable area is 203.2mm.

83

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

P W

Roll paper

!

L M

B M

P r i n t a b l e A r e a

Figure 7-5. Printable Area for Roll Paper

T M

B M

Table 7-22. Printable Area for Roll Paper

Continuous Paper

PW (Width) Refer to “Paper Specifications” on page 96

PL (Length) Refer to “Paper Specifications” on page 96

LM (Left Margin) 3 mm or more

RM (Right Margin) 3 mm or more

TM (Top Margin) 4.2 mm or more

BM (Bottom Margin) 4.2 mm or more

84

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

7.3 Interface Specifications

The LX-300+ has bi-directional 8-bit parallel and serial interfaces. An optional
interface board is not supported on this model.

7.3.1 Parallel Interface (Forward Channel)

Transmission mode:8 bit parallel

!

IEEE-1284 compatibility mode

Adaptable connector:57-30360 (Amphenol) or equivalent

!

Synchronization:STROBE pulse

!

Handshaking:BUSY and ACKLG signals

!

Signal level:TTL compatible

!

(IEEE-1284 level 1 device)

STROBE

Figure 7-6. Data Transmitting Timing

Table 7-23. Electrical Characteristics

I/O Voltage Current Capacitance

Output -0.5 to 5.5 V

Input 0.8 to 2.0 V

0.32 (when V

12 mA (when V

0.32 mA (when VI=2.0V) to
12 mA (when V

* A HIGH logic signal is 2.0 V or less when the printer is off, and 3.0 V or more
when the printer is on. The receiver has an impedance equivalent to 7.5 k

=2.4V) to

O

=0.8 V)

O

=0.8V)

I

50 pF

50 pF

.

Ω

Table 7-24. Min and Max Times for Data Transmission Signals

Parameter Minimum Maximum

t

setup

t

hold

t

stb

t

ready

t

busy

t

reply

ack

t

t

nbusy

t

next

t

* -- 120 nsec

tout

t

* -- 200 nsec

tin

* Rise and fall time of output or input signal

500 nsec --

500 nsec --

500 nsec --

0 --

-- 500 nsec

-- --

500 nsec 10 us

0 --

0--

85

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

BUSY signal is active (HIGH level) under the conditions below:

!

In the process of receiving data

"

In the condition of being input buffer full

"

In the condition of being INT signal active (low level)

"

During hardware initialization

"

In the condition of being ERROR or PE signal is active (low level, high

"

level, respectively)

In the self test mode

"

In the adjustment mode

"

In the default-setting mode

"

ERROR signal is active (low level) under the conditions below:

!

In the condition of a paper-out error

"

In the condition of a release lever error

"

PE signal is active (high level) during

"

a paper-out error

Table 7-25. Pin Signals

Pin
No.

Signal
Name

1 -STROBE 19 In

2 DATA1 20 In

3 DATA2 21 In bit1

4 DATA3 22 In bit2

5 DATA4 23 In bit3

6 DATA5 24 In bit4

7 DATA6 25 In bit5

Return
GND
Pin

In/Out Functional Description

Strobe pulse. Input data is latched at
falling edge of the signal.

Parallel input data to the printer.
bit0:LSB

Pin
No.

16, 33,

19-30

15, 34 NC -- -- Not connected

Signal
Name

10 -ACKNLG 28 Out

11 BUSY 29 Out

12 PE 28 Out

13 SLCT 28 Out

14 -AFXT 30 In Not used

31 -INIT 30 In

32 -ERROR 29 Out

36 -SLIN 30 In Not used

18 Logic H -- Out

35 +5V -- Out

17 Chassis -- -- Chassis GND

NOTE: In/Out indicates the direction of signal flow from the printer’s

point of view.

Table 7-25. Pin Signals (continued)

Return
GND
Pin

GND -- -- Signal GND

In/Out Functional Description

This signal (negative pulse) indicates
that the printer has received data and is
ready to accept next data.

This signal’s high level means that the
printer is not ready to accept data.

This signal’s high level means that the
printer has a paper-out error.

Always at high level when the printer is
powered on.

This signal’s negative pulse initializes
printer.

This signal’s low level means the printer
is in an error state.

This line is pulled up to +5V through

3.9 kΩ resister.

This line is pulled up to +5V through

1.0 kΩ resister.

8 DATA7 26 In bit6

9 DATA8 27 In bit7:MSB

86

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

7.3.2 Parallel Interface (Reverse Channel)

Transmission mode:IEEE-1284 nibble mode

!

Adaptable connector:See 7.3.1 "Parallel Interface (Forward Channel)"

!

Synchronization:Refer to the IEEE-1284 specification

!

Handshaking:Refer to the IEEE-1284 specification

!

Signal level:IEEE-1284 level 1 device

!

See 7.3.1 "Parallel Interface (Forward Channel)"

Data transmission timing:Refer to the IEEE-1284 specification

!

Extensibility request:The printer responds to the extensibility request

!

affirmatively, when the request is 00H or 004H, which means:

00H: Request for nibble mode of reverse channel transfer
04H: Request device ID in nibble mode of reverse channel transfer

Device ID: The printer sends following device ID string when it is

!

requested:

When IEEE1284.4 is enabled:

"

Table 7-26.

[00H][4EH]
MFG: EPSON;
CMD: ESCPL2,PRPXL24,BDC,D4;
MDL: LX-300+;
CLS: PRINTER;
DES: EPSON[SP]LX-300+;

When IEEE1284.4 is disabled:

"

Table 7-27.

[00H][4BH]
MFG: EPSON;
CMD: ESCPL2,PRPXL24,BDC;
MDL: LX-300+;
CLS: PRINTER;
DES: EPSON[SP]LX-300+;

Table 7-28. Pin Signals

Pin
No.

Signal Name

1 HostClk 19 In Host clock signal.

2 DATA1 20 In

3 DATA2 21 In bit1

4 DATA3 22 In bit2

5 DATA4 23 In bit3

6 DATA5 24 In bit4

7 DATA6 25 In bit5

8 DATA7 26 In bit6

9 DATA8 27 In bit7:MSB

10 PtrClk 28 Out Printer clock signal

11

12

13

14 HostBusy 30 In Host busy signal.

31 -INIT 30 In Not used

32

36 1284-Active 30 In 1284 active signal

18 Logic-H -- Out

PtrBusy/

DataBit-3,7

AckDataReq/

DataBit-2,6

Xflag/

DataBit-1,5

-DataAvail/
DataBit-0,4

Return
GND
Pin

29 Out

28 Out

28 Out

29 Out

In/Out Functional Description

Parallel input data to the printer.
bit0:LSB

Printer busy signal and reverse
channel transfer data bit 3 or 7.

Acknowledge data request signal
and reverse channel transfer data
bit 2 or 6.

X-flag signal and reverse channel
transfer data bit 1 or 5.

Data available signal and reverse
channel transfer data bit 0 or 4.

This line is pulled up to +5V

through 3.9 kΩ resister.

87

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

Table 7-28. Pin Signals (continued)

Pin
No.

16, 33,

19-30

15, 34 NC -- -- Not connected.

Signal Name

35 +5V -- Out

17 Chassis -- -- Chassis GND.

GND -- --

* In/Out indicates the direction of signal flow from the printer’s point of view.

Return
GND
Pin

In/Out Functional Description

This line is pulled up tp +5V

through 1.0 kΩ resister.

Signal GND.

7.3.3 Serial Interface

Synchronization: Asynchronous

!

Signal level: EIA-232D

!

MARK (logical 1): -3V to -25V
SPACE (logical 0): +3V to +25V

Word length: Start bit: 1 bit

!

Data bit: 8 bit
Parity bit: Odd, Even, Non, Ignore
Stop bit: 1 bit or more

Table 7-29. Pin Signals

Pin
No.

other NC -- Not used. Not connected.

* In/Out indicates the direction of signal flow from the printer’s point of view.

Signal Name In/Out Functional Description

2 TXD Out Transmit data.

20 DTR Out

11 REV Out Connected directly to the DTR signal.

4 RTS Out

3RXD InReceive data.

7 Signal GND -- Signal GND

1 Chassis GND -- Chassis GND

Indicates that the printer is ready to receive data
or not.

Request to send. Always SPACE level when the
printer is powered on. Pulled up to +12V via

4.7KΩ resistor.

Baud rate: 300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600 or 19200 bps

!

Handshaking: DTR signal and XON/XOFF

!

DTR=MARK, XOFF: indicates that the printer cannot receive data
DTR=MARK, XON: indicates that the printer is ready for data

NOTE: The DTR signal goes to MARK and the XOFF code (DC3, 13H)

is transmitted when the input buffer drops below 256 bytes.
The DTR signal is set to SPACE and the XON code (DC1, 11H)
is transmitted when the input buffer recovers 256 bytes.

Error handling: Parity error only is detected. Overrun error and

!

framing error are ignored.

Connector: 25 pin subminiature D-shell connector (female)

!

88

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

7.3.4 Interface Selection

The printer has two interfaces: parallel and serial. These interfaces can be
selected manually as a Default Setting or selected automatically by the
printer:

Manual Selection

!

One of two interfaces can be selected in Default Setting mode.

Automatic Selection

!

Automatic interface selection is enabled as a Default Setting. In this
mode, the interface that receives data first after printer initialization is
selected. As long as the host sends data or the printer interface is
busy, the selected interface remains the same. When the host stops
sending data and the printer is in standby for the length of time
specified in the default settings, the interface de-selects.

Interface State and Interface Selection

!

When the parallel interface is not selected, it goes into a busy state.
When the serial interface is not selected, it sends an XOFF signal and
then sets the DTR signal to MARK.
When the printer is initialized or returned to the idle state, the parallel
interface goes into the ready state, and the serial interface sends an
XON signal and then sets DTR to SPACE.
Interrupt signals, such as INIT
effective if an interface is not selected.

on the parallel interface, are not

7.3.6 IEEE1284.4 protocol

The packet protocol described by IEEE1284.4 is supported on the parallel
interface. Two function modes of IEEE1284.4 protocol, “Off” and “Auto,” are
available; the desired mode is selected as a default setting. (See “Default
Setting Mode” on page 16.)

Auto:

!

Communication is carried out in the conventional mode until a magic
string (1284.4 synchronous command) is received. This initiates
communication in IEEE1284.4 packet mode.

Off:

!

Communication is carried out in the conventional mode. Magic
strings (1284.4 synchronous commands) are discarded.

NOTE: The packet protocol of IEEE1284.4 allows a device to carry on

multiple exchanges or conversations containing data and
control information with another device across a single point­to-point link. The multiplexed logic channels are independent
of each other, and blocking of one has no effect on the others.
The protocol is not a device control language, but only
provides basic data flow control and multiplexing services.

7.3.5 Preventing Data Transfer Time-out

Generally, host computers abandon data transmission when a peripheral is
busy for a certain length of time. To prevent this, the printer begins receiving
data slowly, several bytes per minute, when the space in the input buffer
drops to several hundred bytes. If the input buffer fills up completely, the
printer enters the busy state.

89

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

7.4 Control Codes

7.4.1 ESC/P2

Table 7-30. ESC/P2

Classification Operation Command

General Operation Initialize Printer ESC@

Unidirectional Printing ESC U

CSF Mode Control ESC EM

Paper feeding Form Feed FF

Line Feed LF

Line Spacing ESC 0, ESC 2, ESC3, ESC A

Carriage Return CR

Page format Page Length ESC C, ESC C0, ESC (C

Left / Right Margin ESC Q, ESC1

Top / Bottom Margin ESC N, ESC O, ESC (c

Define Unit ESC (U

Print position motion Horizontal Print Position ESC$, ESC

Vertical Print Position ESC (V, ESC (v

Tab Horizontally ESC D, HT

Tab Vertically ESC B, VT

¥

Table 7-30. ESC/P2

Classification Operation Command

Font enhancement Double-Width ESC W, DC4, SO

Condensed DC2, SI

Double-height ESC w

Double-Strike ESC G, ESC H

Super-/ Subscript ESC T, ESC S

Underline ESC-

Spacing Intercharacter Space ESC Space

Character handling Character Table ESC t, ESC (t

International Character ESC R

User-Defined Characters ESC%, ESC &, ESC:

Control code selection ESC1

Upper Control Codes ESC6, ESC7

Bit image

8 pin Bit Image

9 pin Bit Image ESC ^

Printing color Select color ESC r

Bar code Bar code ESC (B

Production EEPROM write, etc. ESC|

ESC K, ESC L, ESC Y, ESC Z,
ESC*

Advance paper ESC J

Font selection Typeface ESC k, ESC x, ESC y

Pitch ESC P, ESC M, ESC g, ESC p

Italic Font ESC 4, ESC 5

Bold Font ESC E, ESC F

Master Select ESC!

90

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

7.4.2 IBM 2390 Plus Emulation

Table 7-31. IBM 2390 Plus emulation

Classification Operation Command

General Operation Nop NUL, DC3

Off Line ESC j

Buzzer BEL

Cancellation CAN

Select / Deselect DC1, ESC Q

Initialize Printer ESC [K

Unidirectional Printing ESC U

Select Auto Sheet Feeder ESC [F

Paper feeding Form Feed FF

Line Feed,
Auto Line Feed

Line Spacing

Carriage Return CR

Reverse Line Feed ESC]

Page format Page Length ESC C, ESC C0

Left / Right Margin ESC X

Skip Over Perforation ESC N, ESC O

Set TOF ESC 4

Print position motion Horizontal Print Position ESC d

Initialize Tab Position ESC R

LF, ESC5

ESC A, ESC 0, ESC 1, ESC 2,
ESC3

Table 7-31. IBM 2390 Plus emulation

Classification Operation Command

Font selection Pitch DC 2, ESC P, ESC:

Bold Font ESC E, ESC F

Master Select ESC I

Print Quality ESC [d

Select Font and Pitch ESC [I

Font enhancement Double-Width DC4, SO, ESC SO, ESC W

Enlarge and Life Space ESC [@

Condensed SI, ESC SI

Double-Strike ESC G, ESC H

Super-/ Subscript ESC T, ESC S

Underline ESC -

Line / Score ESC_

Spacing Back Space BS

Space SP

Define Unit ESC [

Character handling Character Table ESC 6, ESC 7, ESC [T

Print Data as Characters ESC ^, ESC

Bit image Bit Image ESC K, ESC L, ESC Y, ESC Z

Bar code Set up Bar code ESC [f

Transfer Bar code ESC [p

Download Download ESC=(only Draft mode)

¥

¥

Tab Horizontally ESC D, HT

Tab Vertically ESC B, VT

Advance paper ESC J

91

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

7.4.3 Bi-Directional Commands

Reply printer ID

!

Reply printer ID: [ESC][SOH]@EJL[SP]ID[CR][LF]
The printer sends the following ID string in reply to this command:

Table 7-32.

@EJL[SP]ID[CR][LF]
MFG: EPSON;
CMD: ESCPL2,PRPXL24,BDC;
MDL: LX-300+;
CLS: PRINTER;
DES: EPSON[SP]LX-300+;
[FF]

Enter / Exit Remote Mode

!

Enter Remote Mode: [ESC](R[08H][00H][00H]REMOTE1

"

Exit Remote Mode: [ESC][NUL][00H][00H]

"

Remote Commands

!

Change Printer Settings: XX[nL][nH][00H][ml]...[mx]

"

Reply Printer Settings: XX[nL][nH][01H][ml]...[mx]

"

XX is a string of 2 ASCII characters defining a feature of the command.
Following [nL][nH] is a two-byte hexadecimal value that denotes the length of
the [00H] and [ml]...[mx] parameters. Last, [m1] ... [mx] parameters are used
to describe the detailed command function and represent printer settings.

The printer sends the following string in reply to the commands of this type:

@BDC[sp]PS[CR][LF]

XX: Reply-Data;

[FF]

Table 7-33 lists the bi-directional commands that can be used with this
printer. The column on the right indicates the parameters that can be saved
by an SV command:

Table 7-33. Bi-Directional Commands

Function Code/ Parameter

Enter Remote-1 ESC”(R”08H 00H 00H “REMOTE1” —

Exit Remote-1 ESC 00H 00H 00H —

Save settings “SV” 00H 00H —

Initialize “RS” 00H 00H —

Load power-on default “LD” 00H 00H —

Select typeface “FO” 02H 00H 00H m1

m1=0(Roman), 1(Sans serif), 5(OCR­B)

Select character pitch “CP” 02H 00H 00H m1

m1=0(10cpi), 1(12cpi), 2(15cpi), 3
(17.1cpi), 4(20cpi), 5(Propotional)

Select draft or NLQ “CQ” 02H 00H 00H m1

m1=0(Draft), 1(LQ), 2(High speed
draft)

Select character table “CT” 02H 00H 00H m1

m1=0 (Table0), 1(Table1)

Assign character table

Select an international
character set

“AT” 04H 00H 00H m1 m2 m3
m1=0(Table0), 1(Table1)
m2, m3=(ESC/P2 Character Table
No.)*4

“IC” 02H 00H 00H m1
m1=0(U.S.A), 1(France), 2(Germany),
3(U.K.)
4(Denmark1), 5(Sweden), 6(Italy),
7(Spain1), 8(Japan), 9(Norway),
10(Denmark2), 11(Spain2), 12(Latin
America)

Parameters
saved

m1= 0 to 1

only

all pa rameters

saved

all pa rameters

saved

See Table

7-34

See
Table 7-34,
Table 7-35,

and Table

7-36

m1 = 0 to 7

only

92

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

Table 7-33. Bi-Directional Commands (continued)

Function Code/ Parameter

Turn 1 inch skip
perforation on/off

Set page length “PG” 05H 00H 00H p1 p2 m1 m2

Set Top margin “TP” 05H 00H 00H p1 p1 m1 m2

Turn unidirectional
mode on/off

Turn auto tear-off on/off “TO” 02H 00H 00H m1

Turn auto line feed on/off “LF” 02H 00H 00H m1

Select control language “PM” 02H 00H 00H m1

Turn printer state reply
on/off

Turn Slash zero on/off “EX” 06H 00H 00H 00H 00H 00H 01H

“SK” 02H 00H 00H m1
m1=0(off), 1(on)

p1=0(Continuous paper), p2=0(Rear),
p1=1(CSF), p2=0(bin1)
p1=2(Manual insertion), p2=0(rear)

-Page legth=m1+256*m2,

0.118mm (1/216inch)
648 (76.2mm(3inch)) <= m1+256*m2
<= 4752(558.8mm(22 inch))

p1=0(Continuous paper), p2=0(Rear),
p1=1(CSF), p2=0(bin1)
p1=2(Manual insertion), p2=0(rear)

-Top margin=m1+256*m2,

0.118mm (1/216inch)
36 (4.2mm) <= m1+256*m2 <= 288
(8.5mm + 25.4mm(1inch))

“PD” 02H 00H 00H m1
m1=0(Bi-d.), 1(Uni-d.)

m1=0(off), 1(on)

m1=0(off), 1(on)

m1=0(ESC/P), 2(IBM 238x Plus
emulation)

“ST” 02H 00H 00H m1
m1=0, 1, 2, 3

m1
m1=0(off), 1(on)

Parameters
saved

all parameters

saved

all parameters

saved

all parameters

saved

all parameters

saved

all parameters

saved

all parameters

saved

all parameters

saved

—

all parameters

saved

Table 7-33. Bi-Directional Commands (continued)

Function Code/ Parameter

Turn Buzzer on/off “EX” 06H 00H 00H 00H 00H 00H 02H

m1
m1=0(enable), 1(disable)

Turn IBM emulation Auto
CR on/off

Set starting data/month/
year

Inquire printer state reply
on/off

Echo parameters “??” nL nH 01H <chr-str>

Inquire starting date/
month/year

Inquire total printing
lines/power on hours

“EX” 06H 00H 00H 00H 00H 00H 04H
m1
m1=0(off), 1(on)

“SD” 04H 00H 00H m1 m2 m3
00<=m1<=99, 01<=m2<=12,
01<=m3<=31

“ST” 01H 00H 01H
“@BDC” SP “PS” CR LF “ST:” <nn>
“;” FF

“@BDC” SP “PS” CR LF “??:” <chr­str> “;” FF

“SD” 01H 00H 01H
“@BDC” SP “PS” CR LF “SD:” <nn1>
<nn2> <nn3>“;” FF

“TL” 01H 00H 01H
“@BDC” SP “PS” CR LF “TL:” “;”
“TPL:”
<nnnnnnnn2>
“;” “TPH:” <nnnn3>”;” “TPR:”
<nnnnnnnn4>
“;” FF

The following tables (referenced above) provide additional information about
certain saved parameters:

Parameters
saved

all pa rameters

saved

all pa rameters

saved

all pa rameters

saved

—

—

—

—

Table 7-34. Saved Parameters (1)

m1 set by AT/CT m2 set by AT m3 set by AT

0 0 0

1 All parameters that can be set

93

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

Table 7-35. Saved Parameters (2): Std and NLSP versions

m2 m3 Character table m2 m3 Character table

00H 00H Italic 19H 00H BRASCII

01H 00H PC437 1AH 00H Abicomp

03H 00H PC850 7FH 01H ISO Latin1

07H 00H PC860 23H 00H Roman8

08H 00H PC863 2CH 00H PC858

09H 00H PC865 1DH 0FH ISO 8859-15

18H 00H PC861

Table 7-36. saved Parameters (3): NLSP version only

m2 m3 Character table m2 m3 Character table

01H 10H PC437 Greek 1CH 00H Code MJK

05H 00H PC853 1DH 07H ISO 8859-7

06H 00H PC855 1FH 00H ISO Latin 1T

0AH 00H PC852 20H 00H Bulgaria

0BH 00H PC857 21H 00H Hebrew 7

7.4.3.1 Reply Printer Status

The printer reports its status every few seconds by sending back one of the
five strings shown below.

“@BDC”SP “ST” CR LF
“ST:” <status code>”;”
[“ER:” <error code>”;”]
[“PP:”<paper_path>”;”]
[”CD:”<printer status codes>”;”]
[“IG:”<nn1><nn2><n3>[“,”...<nnx1><nnx2><nnx3>]”;”]
[“TEC:”<ii1>”;”]
FF

See the following tables to interpret the meaning of the codes:

Table 7-37. Status Codes

Meaning Code

In the error state “00”

In the busy state “02”

In the waiting state “03”

In the idle state “04”

0CH 00H PC862 22H 00H Hebrew 8

0DH 00H PC864 24H 00H PC 774

0EH 00H PC866 25H 00H Estonia

0EH 20H PC866 LAT. 28H 00H PC APTEC

0EH 30H PC866 UKR 29H 00H PC 708

0FH 00H PC869 2AH 00H PC720

0DH 20H PCAR_864 7FH 02H ISO 8859-2

1BH 00H MAZOWIA 2DH 00H PC771

In the pose state “05”

Table 7-38. Error Codes

Meaning Code

Fatal error “00”

Port is not selected “01”

Release lever position error “03”

Paper out “06”

94

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

Table 7-39. Paper Path Codes

Meaning Code

Continuous paper (rear) “0000”

Continuous paper (bottom) “0001”

Cut sheet (rear) “0200”

CSF Single bin “0100”

Table 7-40. Characteristic Status Codes

Location Size Type Refer to

Structure version +0 2bytes “02” fixed —

Starting date +2 6bytes “yy”, “mm, “dd” “SD” command

Total printing line
number

Total power on hour +16 4bytes “nnnn” “TL” command

Total printing number
for ribbon charge
timing

MIB proxy information is reported as follows:

+8 8bytes “nnnnnnnn” “TL” command

+20 8bytes “nnnnnnnn” “TL” command

7.4.3.2 Packet commands

Table 7-41. Packet Commands

Function Code

Device ID request “di” 01H 00H 01H

Device ID reply (*1) “@EJL” SP “ID” CR LF <Device ID string> FF

State-Reply request “st” 01H 00H 01H

State-Reply (*2) “@BDC” SP “ST” CR LF <printer status string> FF

No support
command

NOTES: (*1) The reply string is as same as BDC-ID Reply.

(*2) The reply string is as same as BDC-ST Reply.

“XX

:;” FF

(XX is the invalid command string.)

“1G:”
“0305NA,” Sheet feeder bin 1 (removable), capacity 5mm,

quantity of paper N.A.

“09NANA,” Manual feed rear, capacity N.A., quantity of paper N.A.
“0CNANA;” Tractor rear, capacity N.A., quantity of paper N.A.
“TEC:06;” 9pin SIDM

95

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

7.5 Paper Specifications

The following tables provide specifications for the kinds of paper that can be
used with this printer:

Table 7-42. Cut Sheet (single sheet, not multi-part)

Manual insertion CSF single-bin

Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum

Width

Length

Thickness

Weight

Quality

(inch)
(mm)

(inch)
(mm)

(inch)
(mm)

(g/m2)
(lb.)

3.9

100

3.9

100

0.0025

0.065

52
14

Plain or recycled paper;
should not be curled,
folded, or crumpled

NOTE: Printing on recycled paper is available only under normal

temperature and humidity conditions.

10.1
257

14.3
364

0.0055

0.14

90
24

7.2

182

10.1
257

0.0028

0.07

64
18

Plain or recycled paper;
should not be curled,
folded, or crumpled

8.5

216

14.0
356

0.0055

0.14

90
24

Table 7-43. Cut Sheet (multi-part)

Minimum Maximum

Width

Length

Copies 1 original + 4 copies

Total
Thickness

Weight

(one sheet of
multipart)

Quality

Jointing Glue strip on top or side of form

(inch)
(mm)

(inch)
(mm)

(inch)
(mm)

(g/m2)
(lb.)

Plain or recycled paper
Not curled, folded, or crumpled

3.9

100

3.9

100

0.0047

0.12

52
14

NOTE: Printing on recycled paper is available only under normal

temperature and humidity conditions.

10.1
257

14.3
364

0.015

0.39

90
24

96

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

Table 7-44. Envelopes Table 7-45. Continuous Paper (single sheet and multi-part)

Minimum Maximum

Envelope

Width

(No. 6)

Length

Width

Envelope
(No. 10)

Length

Total Thickness

Weight

Quality

(inch)
(mm)

(inch)
(mm)

(inch)
(mm)

(inch)
(mm)

(inch)
(mm)

2

(g/m
(lb.)

0.0063

0.16

Thickness in the printable area varies no more than

0.25mm (0.0098 inch).

)

Bond, plain, or air mail
No glue at a flap
Not curled, folded, or crumpled

45
12

6.5

165

3.6
92

9.5

241

4.1

105

0.0205

0.52

90
24

NOTE: Printing on recycled paper is available only under normal

temperature and humidity conditions.

Rear Entry Bottom Entry

Min. Max. Min. Max.

Width

Length
(one page)

Copies 1 original + 4 copies 1 original + 4 copies

Total Thickness

Weight
(not multipart)

Weight
(one sheet of
multipart)

Quality

Jointing

(inch)
(mm)

(inch)
(mm)

(inch)
(mm)

(g/m
(lb.)

(g/m2)
(lb.)

2

)

4

101.6

4

101.6

0.0025

0.065

52
14

40
12

Plain, recycled, or
carbonless multipart
paper

Point glue or paper
staple (both sides)

10

254

22

558.8

0.015

0.39

82
22

58
15

4

101.6

4

101.6

0.0025

0.065

52
14

40
12

Plain, recycled, or
carbonless multipart
paper

Point glue or paper
staple (both sides)

10

254

22

558.8

0.015

0.39

82
22

58
15

Table 7-46. Continuous Paper with Labels

Label size

Base sheet width

Base sheet length
(one page)

Base sheet
thickness

(inch)
(mm)

(inch)
(mm)

(inch)
(mm)

Rear Entry Bottom Entry

Min. Max. Min. Max.

--- See the figure below.

--- ---

--- ---

--- ---

4

101.6

4

101.6

0.0028

0.07

10

254

22

558.8

0.0035

0.09

97

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

Rear Entry Bottom Entry

Min. Max. Min. Max.

Total thickness

Label weight

Quality

(inch)
(mm)

(g/m2)
(lb.)

--- ---

---

---

0.0063

0.16

AVERY continuous form
labels, AVERY Mini-Line
labels, or labels of similar
quality

NOTE: Printing on labels is available only under normal

temperature and humidity conditions.

The base sheet of the labels must be continuous paper.

Continuous paper with labels should be inserted from the
bottom entrance.

63.5 mm (2.5 inch) min.

23.8 mm
(15/16 inch)
min.

Label

Radius: 2.5 mm (0.1 inch)
min.

Figure 7-7. Minimum Label Size

64
17

0.0075

0.19

Table 7-47. Roll Paper

Minimum Maximum

Width

Length

Thickness

Weight

Quality Plain paper; not curled, folded, or crumpled

(inch)
(mm)

(inch)
(mm)

(inch)
(mm)

(g/m2)
(lb.)

0.0028

0.07

52
14

8.5

216

- - -

0.0035

0.09

82
22

98

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

With cut sheet feeder:

7.6 Physical Specifications

Without options:

!

Dimensions: 366 x 275 x 159 mm (WxDxH)

"

Mass: Approx. 4.4 kg

"

!

Dimensions: 366 x 441 x 370 mm (WxDxH)

"

Mass: Approx. 4.6 kg

"

Figure 7-8. Dimensions without Options

Figure 7-9. Dimensions with CSF

99

EPSON LX-300+ Appendix

7.7 Parts List

Available printer parts are listed below. The number in the left-hand column
refers to parts shown in the exploded diagrams on the following pages.

Table 7-48. Parts List

Number Parts Name

100 "HOUSING ASSY.,LOWER"

101 INSULATOR;A

102 INSULATOR;B

103 "HOUSING,UPPER"

104 "SHIELDPLATE,LOWER"

105 "COVER ASSY.,PRINTER"

106 KNOB;W

109 SHEET GUIDE ASSY.

111 "SHIELDPLATE,UPPER"

115 "COVER CONNECTOR,CS;W"

116 HEXAGON NUT

117 GROUNDINGPLATE

118 "GROUNDING PLATE,PANEL"

119 EDGING;A

120 LOGO PLATE

123 "FERRITE CORE,FPC-25-20"

124 "SHEET,PROTECT"

125 CONNECTOR LOCK NUT

126 RIVET B-TITE(SCREW TYPE)

127 "C.B.P-TITE,3X10,F/ZN"

128 C.B.S. SCREW

Table 7-48. Parts List (continued)

Number Parts Name

129 "C.B.B-TITE(P(13)),3X14,F/ZN"

130 C.B.(O) SCREW 4X8 F/ZG

131 C.P.SCREW

132 C.B.S. SCREW

180 "GUIDE,STACKER"

200 "BOARD ASSY.,MAIN"

320 HARNESS

300 "BOARD ASSY.,POWER SUPPLY"

400 POWER CABLE ASSY.

450 "BOARD ASSY.,PANEL"

451 "SHEET,PANEL"

500 "PRINTER MECHANISM,M-3M10-100"

501 "FRAME,LEFT"

502 "FRAME,RIGHT"

503 "MOTOR ASSY.,CR"

504 "EXTENSION SPRING,8.10"

505 "LEVER ASSY.,PLANET"

506 "SHAFT,CR,GUIDE"

509 "SPURGEAR,13.2"

510 "COMBINATIONGEAR,5.1,16.2"

511 "MOTOR ASSY.,PF"

512 "COVER,RD"

513 "RATCHET,RD"

514 "DETECTOR,LEAF,B1"

515 "GROUNDING WIRE,PLATEN"

100