Megatron MRSi-x200, MRTi-x200 User Manual

MRSi-x200 & MRTi-x200

3U Metal Box Printer
with paper rewinder

with EPSON dotmatrix

mechanism

• Printing mechanism

• Dot-matrix technology in 144, 192 or 240 dots/line

• 4 or 8 needles shuttle printer

• MRSi: printer with Epson M-160 mechanism

• MRTi: printer with EPSON M-190 mechanism

• Interface

• TTL serial or RS232C from 110 to 19k2 baud

• USB 2.0 Printer Class

• Ethernet

• Power Supply: DC 5 V, DC 9-40 V or Mains

• Characteristics

• 3U Metal Box printer with paper rewinder

• Self-test and hexadecimal dump

• 2 characters fonts

• Graphic curve mode

• Horizontal line graphic mode.

• Real time clock

with summer / winter adjustment

User manual - version 0.3 – English

SUMMARY

1 Generality.......................................................................................................3

1.1 Functioning.............................................................................................3

1.2 Material description................................................................................4

1.3 Part number............................................................................................5

1.4 Technical Data........................................................................................6

2 Printer Operation............................................................................................7

2.1 Start-Up..................................................................................................7

2.2 System Reinitialization (RESET)............................................................7

2.3 Self-test or Hexa Dump..........................................................................7

2.4 3U Rack With Paper Rewinder (MRxi-x2xx)..........................................8

2.4.1 Paper End.......................................................................................9

2.4.2 Status Led......................................................................................9

2.4.3 Replacing of the Ink Cartridge:.....................................................10

2.4.4 Replacing the paper :....................................................................11

2.4.5 Fixing............................................................................................12

2.4.6 Size...............................................................................................13

3 Driver installation..........................................................................................14

3.1 Windows...............................................................................................14

4 Wiring Information........................................................................................17

4.1 Board connections................................................................................17

5 Configuration menu......................................................................................18

6 Fonts & Control codes..................................................................................23

6.1 Character Sets......................................................................................23

6.2 Control codes PCL Raw.......................................................................23

6.3 Control codes ESC/P 9 PINS...............................................................24

6.4 Control code ESC/P Basic...................................................................24

6.5 Control code MRS & MP-181...............................................................25

7 Annexe.........................................................................................................26

7.1 Cables and Consumables....................................................................26

MRSi & MRTi – x2xx v0.3 2

1 GENERALITY

1.1 FUNCTIONING

Most of the printers available on the market allow printing data, text or graphic
supplied by a computer or a PLC. When designing the MRSi and MRTi
printers, we took into account many special requests from our customers in
order to design the most universal O.E.M printer available today.

Several housings are available in order to integrate these printers on
machine front panel or a 3U equipment

With its dotmatrix technology, this printer is the right solution for tracability
applications, when a long preservation of the ticket is required.

Many features are included in the printer software allowing graphic printing
and a lot of special effects:

Bonus:

● Compatibility: with printer language like Epson ESC/P 9 pins,

HP PCL Raw or Megatron MRS

● 2 character fonts in 6x10 and 10x10 matrix

● Selftest and Hexadecimal dump to debugging the interface

● Windows 2K / XP and Vista 32 driver available on our website

www.megatron.fr.

3 MRSi & MRTi – x2xx v0.3

AGREEMENTS

Because of the evolution of standards and technologies and in

a permanent concern of improvement, the contents of this

manual are subject to change without notice.

1.2 MATERIAL DESCRIPTION

The printer is designed around a PSD3434E microprocessor, with 7K-Bytes of
RAM available for buffering datas. An internal watchdog in the microprocessor is
activated to insure an operation in strongly polluted industrial environment.

Printing heads: 2 kinds of head can be used :

- MRSi printers are equipped with Epson M-160 dot-matrix head family with 4
needles allowing slow graphic printings with long delay between lines

- MRTi printers are equipped with Epson M-190 dot-matrix head family with 8
needles allowing fast text or graphic printings

Serial Interface: The printer can be connected in serial in TTL or RS232C levels.
Hardware (RTS/CTS) and software (XON/XOFF) handshakes are simultaneously
supported.

USB 2.0: The printer can be connected in USB 2.0 at full speed. Printer class
(class 7) is supported.

Accessories: Several accessories like Line-Feed button, control LED, paper-end
detector and rewinder are directly managed by MRSi and MRTi printers.

Power Supply: Depending of the model, VCC power supply must be supply in
DC 5 V, DC 9 to 40 V or Mains.

MRSi & MRTi – x2xx v0.3 4

1.3 PART NUMBER

Several versions of the electronics and cases are available. To completely define
your product, it is necessary to add a suffix to the name of the printer to specify
the printer type, the selected computer connection, the power supply and the
clock option.

M R x i - x1x2x3x4- x

c

Head Family

Dot-matrix with 4 needles: M-160 : [S]
Dot-matrix with 8 needles: M-190 : [T]

Characters by line

144 dots / line : [2]
192 dots / line : [3]
240 dots / line : [4]

Kind of case

No case : [0]

3U panel case without paper rewinder : [1]

3U panel case with paper rewinder : [2]

Panel mounting case with drawer : [3]

Black plastic case : [4]

Interface

Serial TTL (level 0-5V) : [1]

Serial RS232C (level ±12V) : [2]

USB 2.0 interface : [6]

Ethernet interface : [7]

Power Supply

DC 5 V : [1]

Mains 230 VAC - 50/60 Hz(*) : [2]

DC 9 to 40 V : [3]

Clock option

installed : [C]

not installed : [ ]

(*)

Mains supply is actually under developpment. Any order of a MRxi-xxx2 will

be temporarily delivered with MRxi-xxx1 with a separated Mains Supply.

5 MRSi & MRTi – x2xx v0.3

1.4 TECHNICAL DATA

Serial Interface TTL serial

RS232C/V24 serial

Handshake Xon/Xoff and RTS/CTS
USB Interface USB 2.0, Printer Class
Working temperature 0 to 50°C

Power supply (model depending) 5 VDC 9-40VDC 5 VDC 9-40 VDC

Consumption at 5V at 12V at 5V at 12V

Waiting < 0,1A < 0,1A < 0,1A < 0,1A

Average 0,8 A 0,5 A 2,5 A 0,7 A

Peak 1,5 A 1 A 5,5 A 2,3 A

Model MRSi MRSi MRTi MRTi

MRSi MRTi

Print Heads 2xxx 3xxx 4xxx 2xxx 3xxx 4xxx

Reference M-160 M-161 M-162 M-190 M-191 M-192

Dots / line 144 192 240 144 192 240

Text printing speed ~ 0,7 l/s ~ 0,5 l/s ~ 0,4 l/s ~ 2,5 l/s ~ 1,9 l/s ~ 1,5 l/s

MCBF (lines) ~ 500K ~ 500K ~ 500K ~ 1 500K ~ 1 100K ~ 900K

Character Set IBM-II
in matrix 6 x 10 dots (v*h)

MRSi & MRTi

2xxx 3xxx 4xxx

Chars/line 24 32 40

Chars. width (mm) 2,0 1,5 1,2

Chars Height (mm) 2,6 2,6 2,6

Character Set IBM-II
in matrix 10 x 10 dots (v*h)

MRSi & MRTi

2xxx 3xxx 4xxx

Chars/line 14 19 24

Chars. width (mm) 3,3 2,5 2,0

Chars Height (mm) 2,6 2,6 2,6

MRSi & MRTi – x2xx v0.3 6

2 PRINTER OPERATION

2.1 START-UP

1. Connect the power supply and connection cables

2. Turn power on

The interface will control its memory, set its parameters according to the data
menu stored in its Flash memory, look for the possible presence of a clock
circuit and moves the printing head for one line to determine the dot number
of the connected head. At the end of this initialization cycle, the printer is
ready for receiving characters.

2.2 SYSTEM REINITIALIZATION (RESET)

The printer is designed with a watchdog which makes a reset at power-up
authorizing the use of a slow ascent supply. About 300 milli-seconds after the
controller is powered-up, this one is ready for operation, having ended its
reset cycle.

2.3 SELF-TEST OR HEXA DUMP

If, after a reset or at power-up, the linefeed
button is maintained pushed, a self-test
cycle is run. The printer prints its name.
At this time if you :

● continue pressing the LF button,

the hexadecimal dump mode is
invoked. A message 'DUMP HEXA
MODE' is printed. Release the LF
button. Now the value of all the
received data will be printed in
Hexadecimal followed by their
ASCII value if printable. Power-off
the printer to leave this mode.

● release the LF button, all the

parameter settings and the
character set are printed. At the end
of the self-test the printer will work

normally.
The self-test gives only a probability of correct operation of the printer; indeed,
the self-test procedure does not use transmission, this one can only be tested
in real mode.

7 MRSi & MRTi – x2xx v0.3

2.4 3U RACK WITH PAPER REWINDER (MRXI-X2XX)

This case is a small mono-block case
integrating a printing head, a paper roll
support and a paper rewinder.

This case is compatible with the EURODIN
standard and can be directly installed in a
3U system rack.

The interface is fixed at the back of the
case making an autonomous and
compact product. The front door can be
opened to give access to the paper roll.
The ink cartridge can be changed by
removing the first part of the door.

The dimensions of this printer are identical to those of the previous printer.

The same printer exists without a paper rewinder. For more information about
this product, refer to MRSi-x1xx and MRTi-x1xx documentation.

MRSi & MRTi – x2xx v0.3 8

2.4.1 Paper End

If a paper-end occurs, the red LED will blink

and the printout is hanging.
Depending of the « No Paper » menu setting,
the paper defect can :

● be totally ignored (ignored)

● stop the printout but can accept the

data until the buffer is full (Fill Buff.)

● stop the printout and stop the data

transmission (Set Busy)

2.4.2 Status Led

A status LED informs the user of the possible defects of operation.
When this led is out, it indicates a correct operation, a blinking LED indicates
an abnormal status which is explained in the table below:

LED Cycle Description System

Ä

l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l

Å Correct operation No

Ä

l¡l¡l¡l¡l¡l¡l¡ l ¡

Å

Paper End No

Ä

l l l l l l l l l ¡l ¡ l ¡l ¡

Å Printing head defect Yes

Ä

l l l l l l l l l ¡l ¡ l l l l

Å

RAM memory defect Yes

Ä

l l l l l l l l l ¡l l l l l l

Å Menu activated Yes

LED period : 80 msec .
The user can drive directly the red LED with the software command.
But the 'system' status is priority and can't be inhibited.

9 MRSi & MRTi – x2xx v0.3

To open the case,

unscrew these two screws

below