Printek 8000 User Manual

FormsMaster 8000 Series

High Performance

Serial Matrix Printers

Operator’s Manual

©Printek, Inc. 1997

1517 Townline Road

Benton Harbor, MI 49022

616-925-3200

Part Number 4339

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A Digital Device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.

The user is cautioned that any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise emissions as set out by the ICES-003 standard, of the Canadian Department of Communications.

Cet appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectroiques depassant les limites de Classe A prescrites dans la norme NMB-003 Édictée par le Ministre des Communications du Canada.

Acknowledgments: IBM, Proprinter, and IPDS are registered trademarks of International Business

Machines Co.; DEC is a registered trademark of Digital Equipment Corporation; Epson is a registered trademark of Seiko Epson; QMS is a registered trademark of Quality Micro Systems, Inc.; IGP is a registered trademark of Printronix Corp.; Printek is a registered trademark of Printek, Inc.

Specifications are subject to change without notice.

Introduction

Models and Options 1 Manual Contents 1

Getting Started

Installation 3 Interface Set Up 4 Installing The Ribbon Cartridge 8

Why Use Only Printek® Brand Ribbons 8 Ribbon Installation 10

Loading Paper 13

FormsMaster 8000 Single Tractor Model 13 FormsMaster 8003 TriTrak™ Model 14

Printer Self-test 17

Daily Operation

Introduction 19 Control Panel Features 20

LCD Display and Online Indicator 20 Push Buttons 21

Selecting and Loading Forms 25

Selecting a Form Already Loaded in the Tractors 25

Loading a New or Different Form In the Tractors 25 Ejecting and Tearing Off a Form 30 Installing a New Ribbon Cartridge 32 Aligning Print 34 Common Error Conditions 36

Check Paper 36

No Paper to Load 36

Too Much Paper to Unload 37

Selected Form is not Loaded 37

No Ribbon or Wrong Ribbon 37

Ribbon Lid Open 37

Paper Door Open 37

Change Ribbon 38

iii

Printer Configuration

Introduction To Setup 39

Setup Buttons 39 Entering Setup 40 Using the MENU Button 40 Using the SUBMENU Button 40 Using the ITEM and VALUE Buttons 41 Exiting Setup 41

Forms Menu 42

Forms Menu Items 43

Interface Menu 49

Automatic Port Switching 49 RS-232C Serial Interface Items 51 Parallel Interface Items 55 Ethernet 10BaseT LAN Interface Items 57 Coaxial/Twinaxial Interface Items – Coax Configuration59 Coaxial/Twinaxial Interface Items – Twinax Configuration

63 IPDS Coax Interface Items 67 IPDS Twinax Interface Items 72 Imager and ImagerPlus Interface Items 74

Options Menu 79 Test Menu 82

Form Construction and Layout Tips

Form Construction 85 Form Layout Considerations 85

Maintenance and Troubleshooting

Messages 87 Preventive Maintenance 88 Obtaining Service 88

Advanced Setup Features 89 Using Remote Setup 91 Using the Optional Setup Module 99 Printer Reset Conditions 105 Control Code and Escape Sequence Summaries

ANSI X3.64 Emulation 107 Epson FX Emulation 109 IBM Proprinter Emulation 111 LA-120 Emulation 113 Simple TTY Emulation 115 Printek Emulation 116

ASCII Character Tables 117 Specifications 121 Glossary of Terms 127

Introduction

Thank you for purchasing a Printek FormsMaster 8000 Series Printer.

This printer has been designed to provide years of service handling your most demanding printing requirements.

The FormsMaster 8000 Series printers offer higher throughput than all other printers in its class. In addition, an easy to use front panel combined with the ability to store ten different form configurations makes handling multiple forms as simple as a button press for the operator.

Models and Options

The FormsMaster 8000 and the FormsMaster 8003 differ only in the number of tractor paths available, one path or three.

Options available for both models include:

Coaxial and Twinaxial Interface Coaxial IPDS Interface Twinaxial IPDS Interface Ethernet 10BaseT Interface Imager Bar Code Coprocessor ImagerPlus Bar Code Coprocessor Print Stand (required for reduced sound levels) Internal FormsCutter Setup Module

Manual Contents

• Getting Started provides instructions for installation, setting up

the computer interface, installing the ribbon cartridge, loading paper, and performing a printer self-test.

• Daily Operation provides more detailed descriptions of the features

that are used most frequently. These include the “every day” buttons and indicators on the control panel, selecting or loading new forms, ejecting forms, changing the ribbon cartridge, aligning

I N T R O D U C T I O N

print with preprinted forms, and causes for common error conditions.

• Printer Configuration provides detailed information on how to

use Setup to permanently store parameters for each of the ten forms, parameters for the standard and optional interfaces, and parameters for other options.

• Specifying Forms provides tips for form construction and layout.

• Maintenance and Troubleshooting lists more serious error

messages than discussed in the Daily Operation section, preventive maintenance, and how to obtain service.

• Advanced Setup Features provides information on how to set

menu security.

• Using Remote Setup describes how to “set up” default parameters

from a host computer.

• Using the Setup Module describes how the optional Setup

Module can be used to copy Setup parameters from one printer to another.

• Printer Reset Conditions describes the state of the printer after

power up or reset.

• Control Code and Escape Sequence Summaries lists the

commands supported for each printer emulation.

• ASCII Character Tables show the characters for each character set.

• Specifications lists the operating ranges and ratings of the printer.

• Glossary of Terms provides definitions for terms used in this

manual.

Getting Started

This chapter will use the fewest possible steps to get the first time user up and running quickly. You will be guided through the following steps:

Finding a suitable location and installing the printer Setting up a host interface if necessary Installing the ribbon cartridge Loading paper Performing a printer self-test

INSTALLATION

Before installation, a suitable site must be chosen. Suitable sites include offices, computer rooms, and most factory environments. The Printek FormsMaster printers have been designed to be rugged, heavy duty printers. As such, they will handle most harsh environments, but should not be placed in direct sunlight or in areas that will exceed the rated temperature, humidity, or power requirements. For details, refer to “Specifications” on page 121.

Once a site has been selected, the printer should be placed on a Printek Print Stand. The Printek print stand is especially recommended for the FormsMaster 8003 and is required to meet the low noise rating of the printer. Of course, another sturdy print stand or table with a slotted top for feeding paper into the bottom of printer may be used.

The print stand should be located in an area large enough to provide easy access to both the front of the printer and the rear for accessing printed output. Unpack the printer as described in the “FormsMaster 8000 Unpacking Instructions” and place the printer on the print stand.

Note: Placing the printer on the print stand is best accomplished with two

people. Proper lifting technique should be observed.

Caution: Before connecting or turning on power, make sure that all

shipping materials have been removed. These materials include

G E T T I N G S T A R T E D

a cable tie that secures the print head carriage (open ribbon lid to access) and two cardboard tubes placed over the tractor shuttle shafts in the FormsMaster 8003 (open paper door on front of unit to access).

Next, connect the power cord supplied with the printer to the printer and an appropriate power outlet. Now connect the computer cable(s) to the appropriate interface. The picture below shows the location of the standard Parallel and RS-232C interface connectors on the rear panel of the printer. The area where an optional CX/TX, ICX, ITX, or LAN interface may be installed is also indicated.

Interface Connectors on Rear of Printer

INTERFACE SET UP

Depending upon which interface is being used to connect the printer to the host computer, some set up may or may not be required. Regardless of which interface is used, the FormsMaster 8000 will automatically detect which port is receiving data and make that port active. This is true of the standard parallel or serial ports and any optional interface that may be installed. For more information, see “Automatic Port Switching” on page

49.

G E T T I N G S T A R T E D

The factory default settings for each interface should work well for most installations. However, the following paragraphs provide some basic information about each interface and also refer to the page number in the Configuration chapter where all the details for each interface are described. If you need to make changes to the default settings, please refer to “Introduction to Setup” on page 39 for instructions on how to access the printer’s Setup menus.

Once you are comfortable that the interface settings match those required by your computer, proceed to the next section, “Installing the Ribbon Cartridge” on page 8.

RS-232C Serial Interface

This interface uses a 25 pin “D” connector as described below. The default settings are 9600 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, and no parity with hardware handshake on pin 11. The default printer emulation is Epson. For a complete description of all the default settings for this interface, refer to page

51.

Pin Signal

Chassis ground.

Transmit data. (Printer output).

Receive data. (Printer input).

Request to send (set). (Printer output).

Clear to send (ignored). (Printer input).

Data set ready (ignored). (Printer

input).

Signal ground.

Carrier detect (ignored). (Printer input).

Printer busy. (Printer output). Data terminal ready. (Printer output).

RS-232C Serial Interface Connector.

G E T T I N G S T A R T E D

Parallel Interface

This interface uses the standard 36 pin parallel connector as shown below. The default printer emulation is Epson. For a complete description of all the default settings for this interface, refer to page 55.

Pin Signal Pin Signal

____________________

DATA STROBE

DATA STROBE RTN

DATA 1

DATA 1 RETURN

DATA 2

DATA 2 RETURN

DATA 3

DATA 3 RETURN

DATA 4

DATA 4 RETURN

DATA 5

DATA 5 RETURN

DATA 6

DATA 6 RETURN

DATA 7

DATA 7 RETURN

DATA 8

DATA 8 RETURN

_______________________

ACKNOWLEDGE

ACKNLG RETURN

BUSY

BUSY RETURN

PAPER ERROR

SELECT

________________

AUTO FEED

±0V

CHASSIS GROUND

+5V at 200mA Max.

______

INIT

INIT RTN

_________

FAULT

+5V LOGIC HIGH

______________

SELECT IN

Parallel Interface Connector

G E T T I N G S T A R T E D

Ethernet 10BaseT

This interface uses a standard RJ-45 connector and the default printer emulation is Epson. For a complete description of all the default settings for this interface, refer to page 57. For additional software installation and operational information, please refer to the Axis manuals shipped with the unit (disregard the Axis physical installation information).

Coax/Twinax Interface

This interface automatically sets itself for either Coax Mode or Twinax Mode depending upon which adapter cable (coax BNC or twinax smart “T”) is attached to the 15 pin “D” connector when the printer is powered on. Only the choices for the detected mode are available in the Setup menus.

For Coax Mode, the default emulation is for a 3287 printer. For a complete description of all the default settings for the Coax interface, refer to page 59.

For Twinax Mode, the default emulation is for a 4214 printer. For a complete description of all the default settings for the Twinax interface, refer to page 63.

IPDS Coax Interface

This interface uses a coax BNC adapter connected to the 15 pin “D” connector on the rear of the printer. The default values should work in most cases. For a complete description of all the default settings for this interface, refer to page 67.

IPDS Twinax Interface

This interface uses a twinax smart “T” adapter connected to the 15 pin “D” connector on the rear of the printer. The default values should work in most cases. For a complete description of all the default settings for this interface, refer to page 72.

G E T T I N G S T A R T E D

INSTALLING THE RIBBON CARTRIDGE

The Printek FormsMaster printer has been designed to make installing Printek brand ribbons a simple, clean process. Unlike other printers, there is no need to touch the ribbon fabric or deal with difficult to position ribbon guides. The following sections explain why the use of Printek brand ribbons should be important to you and will guide you through installing the ribbon cartridge.

Why Use Only Printek® Brand Ribbons

REORDER NUMBER 90729

FOR NEAREST DISTRIBUTOR

CALL 1-800-368-4636

Printek® Brand Ribbon Label

Printek brand ribbons can be identified by the above label on each ribbon. There are many reasons to use only Printek brand ribbons in your FormsMaster 8000 series printer. First of all, using only Printek brand

ribbons will automatically extend the print head warranty to two years instead of one year.

The reason this is possible is that Printek brand ribbons are manufactured to much higher quality standards than those offered by other manufacturers. This provides not only longer print head life, but also longer ribbon life… 23 million characters as compared to only 15 million characters from some generic ribbons.

Remember that using only Printek brand ribbons is important because the wear that is started and the contamination that remains from even one inferior ribbon will continue to damage the print head. Also, damage to other printer components which is caused by the use of non-Printek ribbons will not be covered by the printer’s warranty.

Using inferior ribbons would be like using poor quality fuel in your automobile. Premature engine failure and poor performance leading up to the failure would be the best you could expect.

G E T T I N G S T A R T E D

Other useful features available only with the use of Printek brand ribbons are that the printer will not allow printing if a ribbon is not installed, and the printer will alert the operator when a ribbon needs to be changed.

G E T T I N G S T A R T E D

Ribbon Installation

1. Open the ribbon lid on top of the printer and position the print head

for ribbon loading by lifting the ribbon loading handle as indicated in the following picture.

Opening the Ribbon Loading Handle

2. Remove the new ribbon from its plastic bag and make sure the ribbon

fabric is taut by turning the knob on top of the ribbon cartridge in a counterclockwise direction as indicated by the arrow on the cartridge.

G E T T I N G S T A R T E D

3. With the right hand end of the ribbon tilted down, insert the tab on the end of the cartridge into the opening in the ribbon tray.

Installing the Ribbon Cartridge

4. Now lower the left end of the cartridge down while guiding the ribbon fabric between the nose of the print head and the ribbon guide pins. Continue to lower the cartridge until the tab on the left end of the cartridge snaps into place.

Ribbon Guided Between the Print Head

and Guide Pins

G E T T I N G S T A R T E D

5. Finally, lower the ribbon loading handle to its original position.

Closing the Ribbon Load Handle

6. Close the ribbon lid on top of the printer.

G E T T I N G S T A R T E D

LOADING PAPER

When shipped from the factory, the basic configuration for all ten forms is an eleven inch form, six lines per inch, and ten characters per inch. If the forms you are loading do not match these requirements, please refer to the “Printer Configuration” chapter on page 39 and review the “Using Setup” and “Forms Menu” sections.

Please refer to the appropriate section below for loading paper in the FormsMaster 8000 or FormsMaster 8003.

FormsMaster 8000 Single Tractor Model

1. Make sure the printer is powered on and that the printer is off line (ONLINE indicator flashing red).

2. Lift open the paper door on the front of the printer to expose the paper feed tractors as shown below.

FormsMaster 8000 Tractors

3. Open the doors on each tractor.

4. Feed the paper up through the bottom of the printer and position the holes in the edge of the paper over the pins in the left tractor while making sure that the paper will not extend above the top of the tractors. Then close the tractor door.

G E T T I N G S T A R T E D

Note: The left tractor position is not adjustable. If it is necessary to

adjust where printing begins, refer to “Aligning Print” in the “Daily Operation” section of this manual.

5. Now position the paper in the right tractor in the same fashion. If necessary, the position of the right tractor may be adjusted. To do so, move the lever on the side of the tractor down to unlock the tractor and slide the tractor sideways on the shafts. If necessary, the paper guides between the tractors may be slid in either direction to accommodate the form width. Make sure that the guides are spaced evenly between the tractors.

After the paper is placed in the tractor and the door is closed, position the tractor far enough to the right so that there is no buckle in the paper between the tractors, but not so tight that the holes in the paper are distorted. Lock the tractor in place by returning the lever to the up position.

6. Close the paper door.

7. Press the LOAD button.

8. Place the printer on line by pressing the ONLINE button.

FormsMaster 8003 TriTrak™ Model

The following instructions will guide you through loading all three tractor paths.

1. Make sure the printer is powered on and that the printer is off line (ONLINE indicator flashing red).

2. Press the UNLOAD button to move the tractor shuttle forward to the load position.

3. Lift open the paper door on the front of the printer to expose the paper feed tractors as shown in the following picture.

G E T T I N G S T A R T E D

FormsMaster 8003 Tractors

Loading the Front Tractors

4. Open the doors on each tractor.

5. Feed the paper up through the bottom of the printer and position the holes in the edge of the paper over the pins in the left tractor while making sure that the paper will not extend above the top of the tractors. Then close the tractor door.

Note: The left tractor position is not adjustable. If it is necessary to

adjust where printing begins, refer to “Aligning Print” in the “Daily Operation” section of this manual.

6. Now position the paper in the right tractor in the same fashion. If necessary, the position of the right tractor may be adjusted. To do so, move the lever on the side of the tractor down to unlock the tractor and slide the tractor sideways on the shafts. If necessary, the paper guides between the tractors may be slid in either direction to accommodate the form width. Make sure that the guides are spaced evenly between the tractors.

After the paper is placed in the tractor and the tractor door is closed, position the tractor far enough to the right so that there is no buckle in the paper between the tractors, but not so tight that the holes in the paper are distorted. Lock the tractor in place by returning the lever to the up position.

G E T T I N G S T A R T E D

Loading the Center Tractors

7. Tilt the front tractors forward by pulling the green lever on the right hand side of the front tractor assembly forward.

8. Repeat steps 4 through 6 above.

Front Tractors Tilted Forward for Access to Center Tractors

Loading the Rear Tractors

9. Tilt the center tractors forward by pulling the green lever on the center tractor assembly forward.

10.Repeat steps 4 through 6 above.

Selecting Which Form to Print

11.Close the paper door.

12.Press the FORM SELECT button until the desired form is displayed and then press the LOAD button. The printer will now move the selected form into position for printing.

13.Place the printer on line by pressing the ONLINE button.

G E T T I N G S T A R T E D

PRINTER SELF-TEST

The printer performs many self diagnostics each time power is turned on. If you wish to perform an actual printing test, use the following steps.

1. Make sure the printer is powered on with ribbon and paper loaded.

2. Take the printer off line (the ONLINE indicator will be flashing red).

3. Press the SETUP/MENU button four times to display TEST MENU on

the front panel.

4. Press either of the ITEM buttons until Test Mode is displayed on the

top line.

5. Press either of the VALUE buttons until Barber Pole is displayed on

the bottom line.

6. Press the ONLINE button.

7. The printer will now exit Setup and begin printing a rotating character pattern. To stop or restart printing the test pattern, press the ONLINE button.

8. To take the printer out of the test mode, stop the test by pressing the ONLINE button.

9. Press the SETUP/MENU button four times to display TEST MENU.

10.Press either of the ITEM buttons until Test Mode is displayed on the

top line.

11.Press either of the VALUE buttons until Off is displayed on the bottom

line.

12.Press the ONLINE button.

Daily Operation

INTRODUCTION

This chapter describes how to use the “everyday” features of the FormsMaster 8000. The items covered are:

Control Panel Features – describes the most commonly used

features of the printer’s control panel.

Selecting and Loading Forms – describes how to insert paper

or forms into the tractors and how to inform the printer of which forms are “loaded”.

Ejecting and Tearing Off a Form – describes how to remove

printed documents from the printer.

Installing a New Ribbon Cartridge – describes first time

installation of the ribbon cartridge.

Aligning Print – describes how to precisely align where data is

printed on a form.

Common Error Conditions – describes errors that may occur

during normal printing operations.

D A I L Y O P E R A T I O N

CONTROL PANEL FEATURES

The following picture shows the printer’s control panel. The control panel consists of a two line LCD display, an ONLINE status indicator, nine push button switches or “buttons”, and a speaker. Each of these items is described below

FORM

SETUP

ALIGN

SUB-

LCD

DISPLAY

ITEM

VALUE

Control Panel

LCD Display and Online Indicator

LCD Display This two line by sixteen character display is

used to convey several types of information. When the printer is on line and printing, or ready to print, the display will show the currently selected tractor path and the form currently loaded in that path. When the printer is off line, the display will continue to show this information, additional information based upon other buttons being pressed by the operator, or error conditions such as “Check Paper”.

SELECT

UNLOAD

FORM

FEED

LOAD

ON LINE

ONLINE Status Indicator

This is a multicolored LED which is used to display the following information:

Green: The printer is on line and ready to print.

Flashing Green: The printer is in the process of going back on

line. Typically occurs after a new form has been loaded while the printer is confirming which forms are loaded in the tractors.

D A I L Y O P E R A T I O N

Flashing Red: The printer is currently off line and cannot

print. This may be due to the operator taking the printer off line or the printer may have detected an error condition, such as running out of paper, which requires operator intervention. If due to an error condition, the cause of the error will periodically be shown on the LCD display. After the cause of an error condition has been resolved, press the ONLINE button to clear the error. This will also place the printer back on line and allow printing to resume.

Yellow: The printer is in the process of exiting the

Setup mode and saving Setup values, or the printer is currently busy performing an operation with the optional Setup Module.

Flashing Yellow: The user has pressed the SETUP button and

entered the Setup mode (may be exited by pressing the ONLINE button after the desired changes have been made). For more information, see the chapter on “Printer Configuration”.

Speaker This device produces various tones to alert the

operator when different error conditions occur. It may also be used to produce a tone when a bell character (ASCII BEL) is received from a host computer.

Push Buttons

ONLINE This button toggles the printer between the on

line and off line state. When the printer is on line, it may be printing or may begin printing at any time. To stop the printing or prevent printing from starting, use this button to take the printer off line (see “ONLINE Status Indicator” above). The printer must be off line

D A I L Y O P E R A T I O N

in order to use the other control panel buttons. This button is also used to place the printer

back on line following any error condition (ONLINE indicator is flashing Red), such as paper out. When pressed to go on line, the printer will first attempt to clear any errors. For example, if there is a paper out condition, the printer will attempt to load the form in the currently selected tractors and, if successful, go on line.

FORM FEED /LOAD

This button performs a number of different form feeding functions. The printer will automatically select the correct function to perform based upon the current position of the form.

LOAD:

• Loads the form that has been selected with the FORM SELECT button.

If a the selected form is already recognized as “loaded” in the tractors, the printer will position the tractors if necessary (FormsMaster 8003) and advance the form to the print position.

If the selected form is not currently considered to be loaded in the tractors (display shows <Not Loaded>), this button will change the status of this form to “loaded” and the bottom line of the display will show the path(s).

FORM FEED:

• If a form is currently loaded and perhaps partially printed, this button will advance the bottom of the current form to the tear bar so that it may be torn off.

• If a form has already been advanced to the tear bar, this button will advance the next

D A I L Y O P E R A T I O N

form to the tear bar.

FORM SELECT /UNLOAD

This button is used to access up to ten different forms which have been previously configured with the Setup menus (see the chapter on Printer Configuration for more information).

When this button is pressed, one of two functions will be performed.

UNLOAD:

• If a form is currently in position to be

printed, this button will pull the form down until the top of the form is below the top of the tractors. In the FormsMaster 8003 this will also cause the tractor shuttle to move forward for easy access to all tractors.

FORM SELECT:

• If the form has already been pulled down

to the tractors as described above, this button will cycle through all the available form choices. Forms which are not considered to be “loaded” in the tractors will flash <not loaded> on the bottom line of the display. In the FormsMaster 8003 the not loaded message will alternate with the tractor path assigned to that form. For more information, see the following section on “Selecting and Loading Forms”.

ALIGN PRINT This button will access the horizontal and

vertical print adjustment settings for the currently selected form.

When ALIGN PRINT is pressed, the horizontal adjustment is shown first. Pressing the VALUE buttons will move the print position on the line left or right by 0.01 inches for each press

D A I L Y O P E R A T I O N

of a button as indicated on the display. The arrows to the side of the number will indicate the direction the print will be moved.

To access the vertical adjustment, press either ITEM button. Pressing the VALUE buttons will now move the print up or down on the page by 0.01 inches for each press of a button as indicated on the display. The arrow to the right of the number will indicate the direction the print will be moved.

For a more detailed description, see “Aligning Print” later in this chapter.

SETUP This button is used to set up the various

operating parameters of the printer for forms, interfaces, etc. This button is not used on a daily basis. For more information see the chapter on “Printer Configuration”.

+ 105 hidden pages

Printek 8000 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Table of Contents

Introduction

Models and Options

Manual Contents

Getting Started

INSTALLATION

INTERFACE SET UP

INSTALLING THE RIBBON CARTRIDGE

Why Use Only Printek® Brand Ribbons

Ribbon Installation

LOADING PAPER

FormsMaster 8000 Single Tractor Model

FormsMaster 8003 TriTrak™ Model

PRINTER SELF-TEST

Daily Operation

INTRODUCTION

CONTROL PANEL FEATURES

LCD Display and Online Indicator

Push Buttons