SATO 10e User Manual

M10e

Thermal Transfer Printer

OPERATOR

MANUAL

PN 9001101 Rev. A

SATO America, Inc.

10350A Nations Ford Road

Charlotte, NC 28273

Main Phone: [phone]

Tech Support Hotline: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

E-Mail: [e-mail]

www.satoamerica.com

© Copyright 2003

SATO America, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or issued to third parties in any

form whatsoever without the express permission of SATO America, Inc. The materials in this
document is provided for general information and is subject to change without notice. SATO
America, Inc. assumes no responsibilities for any errors that may appear.

Preliminary 11/12/02

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section 1. Printer Overview

Introduction..................................................................................................1-1

Specifications...............................................................................................1-2

Section 2. Installation

Introduction..................................................................................................2-1

Installation ...................................................................................................2-1

Dimensions ..................................................................................................2-2

Components .................................................................................................2-3

Media Loading.............................................................................................2-5

Label Sensing...............................................................................................2-7

Operation Panel............................................................................................2-8

Dip Switch Panel .........................................................................................2-9

Section 3. CONFIGURATION

Printer Dip Switch Configuration ................................................................3-1

Default Settings............................................................................................3-7

Switch Selections.........................................................................................3-7

Potentiometer Adjustments..........................................................................3-8

Pitch .............................................................................................................3-8

LCD Panel Printer Configuration ................................................................3-10

Section 4. CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE

Introduction..................................................................................................4-1

Adjusting the Print Quality ..........................................................................4-1

Cleaning the Print Head, Platen and Rollers................................................4-2

Cleaning the Label Edge and Paper End Sensors ........................................4-4

Cleaning the Auto Load Sensor ...................................................................4-5

Replacing the Print Head .............................................................................4-6

Section 5. Troubleshooting

Initial Checklist............................................................................................5-1

Using the IEEE1284 Parallel Interface........................................................5-1

Using the RS232C Serial Interface..............................................................5-2

Using The Universal Serial Bus (USB) Interface........................................5-3

Using the Lan Ethernet Interface .................................................................5-3

Error Signals ................................................................................................5-6

SATO M10e PN 9001101 Rev. A i

Table of Contents

Section 6. Interface Specifications

Introduction..................................................................................................6-1

Interface Types ............................................................................................6-1

The Receive Buffer......................................................................................6-2

IEEE1284 Parallel Interface ........................................................................6-3

RS232 Serial Interface .................................................................................6-5

Universal Serial Bus (USB) Interface..........................................................6-7

Local Area Network (LAN) Optional Interface...........................................6-8

BiDirectonal Communications ....................................................................6-8

Section 7. Label Sheet Commands

Label Size ....................................................................................................7-2

Label Start....................................................................................................7-3

Label Format................................................................................................7-4

SLabel Variable Data...................................................................................7-5

Label Print Quantity.....................................................................................7-6

Section 8. Optional Accessories

PCMCIA Memory Cards .............................................................................8-1

Plug-in Interface Modules ...........................................................................8-2

Cutter ...........................................................................................................8-3

ii PN 9001101 Rev. A SATO M10e

SECTION 1.

PRINTER OVERVIEW

INTRODUCTION

The SATO M10e printer is a wide carriage thermal printer designed specifically to address need
for large high resolution labels. It can print labels as large as 10.5” x 16.5” with a resolution of
305 dpi (dots per inch) at speeds up to 5 inches per second, making it ideal for large compliance
label applications.All printer parameters are user programmable using the front panel controls
and DIP switches. All popular bar codes and 14 human readable fonts, including vector and two
raster fonts, are resident in memory providing literally thousands of type styles and sizes.

The M10e is available in two versions. The M10eDT is a direct thermal only version and must use
thermally sensitive paper to print. The M10eTT is a thermal transfer model and has provisions for
using a thermal transfer ribbon. It can also print in a direct thermal mode if the ribbon is not used.

This manual will help you understand the basic operations of the printer such as setup, installa­tion, configuration, cleaning and maintenance.

The M10e uses the standard SATO Printing Language command codes. The only differences
between it and other SATO printers are the allowable values representing the print positions on
the label. These values are specified in “dots” and vary depending upon the resolution of the
printer and the amount of memory available for imaging the label. The allowable ranges for the
M10e are specified in the SATO “e” Printer Programming Reference. This commonality makes it
easy to convert labels from one SATO printer without having to create an entirely different com­mand stream. There are some caveats that must be observed though to compensate for the differ­ent resolution print heads. The effects of the different print resolutions are best illustrated by
taking a label designed for a 305 dpi printer and sending the command stream to a 609 dpi printer.
The label printed will be an exact one half scale, including the fonts, bar code dimensions and line
length/widths. The only exceptions are the Postnet bar code and OCR-A and OCR-B fonts that
have only one legal size and the printer resolution is automatically compensated for by the various
printers. Conversely, a label designed for a 609 dpi printer and sent to its 305 dpi cousin will be
twice as large. It probably will be “truncated” if the resulting size is larger that the maximum
allowable for the printer.

SATO M10e PN 9001101 Rev. A Page 1-1

Section 1: Overview

GENERAL PRINTER SPECIFICATIONS

SPECIFICATION M10e

PRINT

Method Direct or Thermal Transfer

Speed (User Selectable) 2 to 10 ips

Print Module (Dot Size) ..0033 in.

Resolution 309 dpi

Maximum Print Width 10.5 in.

Maximum Print Length 16.5 in.

MEDIA

Minimum Width 5.16 in.

Minimum Length 1.7 in.

Maximum Width 11.8 in.

Type Roll or Fan-Fold Die Cut Labels

Thermally Sensitive for M10eDT

Maximum Caliper 0.008 in.

50 to 125 mm/s

.083 mm

12 d/mm

266 mm

420 mm

131 mm

43 mm

300 mm

0.21 mm

Roll OD (max) Face-In 7.8 in.

200 mm

Core ID (min) 3 in

76.2 mm

SENSING

See-Thru Fixed, 0.9 in. (22.5 mm) left of center

Reflective Eye-Mark Fixed, 0.2 in. (5 mm) from left label edge

Continuous Form Not Used

RIBBON

Widths 6.5 in. (165 mm), 8.7 in. (220 mm), 10.7 in.(273 mm)

Length (max) 984 ft. (300 m)

Thickness 4.5 micron, Wound Face-In

Page 1-2 PN 9001101 Rev. A SATO M10e

SPECIFICATION M10e

CONTROLS AND INDICATORS

Power Green LED

On-Line Green LED

Error Red LED

LCD Panel 2 Line x 16 Character

Auto-Load (Rear Panel) Green LED

Power On/Off Switch Front Casework

On/Off-Line Key Front Panel

Feed Switch Key Front Panel

Cursor Control Keys Front Panel

Enter Key Front Panel

Section 1: Overview

POTENTIOMETER ADJUSTMENTS

Print Darkness Top Panel

Offset Top Panel

Pitch Top Panel

Display Top Panel

INTERFACE CONNECTIONS

(1)

Parallel IEEE1284 Standard

Serial RS232C (9600 to 57600 bps) Standard

RS422/485 (9600 to 57600 bps) Optional

Ready/Busy or X-On/X-Off Flow Control

Bi-directional Status

Universal Serial Bus USB Ver. 1.1 Standard

Ethernet 10/100BaseT

PROCESSING

CPU 32 Bit RISC

Flash ROM 4 MB

SDRAM 16 MB

Receive Buffer 2.95 MB

Memory Expansion See Options and Accessories

(1) Only one interface module can be installed in a printer at a time.

SATO M10e PN 9001101 Rev. A Page 1-3

Section 1: Overview

SPECIFICATION M10e

MATRIX FONTS

U Font 5 dots W x 9 dots H

S Font 8 dots W x 15 dots H

M Font 13 dots W x 20 dots H

XU Font 5 dots H x 9 dots H (Helvetica)

XS Font 17 dots H x 17 dots W (Univers Condensed Bold)

XM Font 24 dots H x 24 dots W (Univers Condensed Bold)

OA Font 22 dots W x 33 dots H (OCR-A)

OB Font 30 Dots W x 36 dots H (OCR-B)

AUTO SMOOTHING FONTS

WB 18 dots W x 30 dots H

WL 28 dots H x 52 dots H

XB 48 dots H x 48 dots W (Univers Condensed Bold)

XL 48 dots W x 48 dots H (Sans Serif)

VECTOR FONT

Proportional or Fixed Spacing

Font Size 50 x 50 dots to 999 x 999 dots

Helvetica, 10 Font Variations

AGFA® RASTER FONTS

Font A CG Times ®, 8 pt to 72 pt

Font B CG Trimvirate®, 8 pt to 72 pt

DOWNLOADABLE FONTS

Bit Mapped TrueType® Fonts with Utility Program

CHARACTER CONTROL

Expansion to 12X in either X or Y coordinates

Character Pitch control

Line Space control

Journal Print facility

0°, 90°, 180° and 270° Rotation

Page 1-4 PN 9001101 Rev. A SATO M10e

BAR CODE M10e

SYMBOLOGIES

Linear Bar Codes Bookland (UPC/EAN Supplemental)

EAN-8/EAN-13

CODABAR

CODE 39

CODE 93

CODE 128

Interleaved 2 of 5 (I 2/5)

Industrial 2 of 5

Matrix 2 of 5

MSI

Section 1: Overview

POSTNET

UCC/EAN-128

UPC-A/UPC-E

Two Dimensional Data Matrix

Maxicode

PDF417

Micro PDF

Truncated PDF

QR Code

1:2, 1:3, 2:5, User Programmable

Bar Height 4 to 999 dots, User Programmable

Rotation 0°, 90°, 180° and 270° Rotation

OTHER FEATURES

Sequential Numbering Sequential numbering of both numerics and bar codes

Custom Characters RAM storage for custom designed characters

Graphics Dot addressable, SATO Hex/Binary, BMP or PCX formats

Forms Overlay Overlay of predesigned forms in image buffer

SATO M10e PN 9001101 Rev. A Page 1-5

Section 1: Overview

SPECIFICATION M10e

PHYSICAL

Wide 18.7 in. (475 mm)

Deep 12.3 in. (313.4 mm)

High 12.6 in.(319.2 mm)

Weight 50.7 lb. (23 kg)

POWER

Input Voltage Autoswiching 100-240 VAC +/-10%, 60 Hz

Power Consumption 560W Operating, 40W Idle

ENVIRONMENTAL

Operating Temperature 41° to 104°F (5° to 40°C)

Storage Temperature (-5° to 60°C)

Storage Humidity 30 to 90% RH Non-Condensing

Operating Humidity 30 to 80% RH Non-Condensing

Electrostatic Discharge

REGULATORY APPROVALS

Safety UL, CSA, TUV

RFI/EMI FCC Class B

Page 1-6 PN 9001101 Rev. A SATO M10e

ACCESSORIES AND OPTIONS

Section 1: Overview

PCMCIA MEMORY
EXPANSION

CALENDAR An internal Date/Time clock that can be used to date/time stamp labels at

LABEL CUTTER An attachment allowing labels to be cut at specified intervals. Controlled

COAX/TWINAX
INTERFACE

PARALLEL INTERFACE IEEE1284 Bi-Directional Plug-In Interface Module

SERIAL INTERFACE High Speed RS232 Plug-In Interface Module

USB INTERFACE Universal Serial Bus Plug-In Interface Module

ETHERNET INTERFACE 10/100 BaseT Plug-In Interface Module

One slot for PCMCIA Memory Card (up to 4 MB SRAM or 16 MB Flash
ROM). Can be used for graphic file storage, print buffer expansion, format
storage and downloaded fonts.

the time of printing.

through programming.

Coan/Twinax Plug-In Interface module. Coax interface emmulates an IBM
3287-2 printer with a stndard Type A BNC connector. Twinax interface
emulates IBM 5224, 5225, 5226 or 4214 printers with auto-terminate/cable
through capabilities.

All specifications subject to change without notice.

SATO M10e PN 9001101 Rev. A Page 1-7

Section 1: Overview

This page left intentionally blank.

Page 1-8 PN 9001101 Rev. A SATO M10e

INTRODUCTION

This section of the manual has been written to help you install the SATO M10e printers and to
get started as quickly as possible. It is recommend to read each chapter in this manual before
the installation or the use of the print modules.

INSTALLATION

Remove the M10e from its packing container. The Top Cover is shipped unattached in a
separate compartment. Check to mae sure you have the following accessory items:

SECTION 2.

INSTALLATION

Careful consideration must be given when selecting the location of the printer, especially to
environmental considerations. To obtain optimum results from the M10e, always try to avoid
operation locations influenced by:

• Direct or bright sunlight, as this will make the label sensor less responsive and may
cause the label to be sensed incorrectly.

• Locations which have extremes of temperature, as this can create electrical problems on
the circuits within the printer.

• The installed location of the printer should ideally be in areas free from dust, humidity
and sudden vibrations.

CONSUMABLES

Always use SATO carbon ribbons or equivalent in the thermal transfer models. The use of
incorrect materials may cause malfunctions of the printer and void the warranty.

SATO M10e PN 9001101 Rev. A Page 2-1

Section 2. Installation

DIMENSIONS

.

Width: 18.7 inches 475 mm

Depth: 12.3 inches 313.4 mm

Height:, M10eTT: 12.6 inches 319.2 mm

Height, M10eDT 10.8 inches 274.2 mm

Page 2-2 PN 9001101 Rev. A SATO M10e

COMPONENTS

Section 2. Installation

Operator Panel

Power Switch

Top Cover

Paper ExitLCD Panel

Left Ribbon
Supply Spindle

Left Ribbon
Take Up Spindle

Empty
Ribbon Core

SATO M10e PN 9001101 Rev. A Page 2-3

Spring Loaded
Ribbon Supply
Spindle

Spring Loaded

RibbonTake Up
Spindle

Head Release
Lever

Section 2. Installation

Configuration Panel

Interface
Card Slot

EXT Port
Connector

Media Width Adjust Thumbscrews

PCMCIA Card Slot

PowerSwitch To turn power On or Off

Operator Panel To set up the various configurations and to display dispensing

Configuration Panel Potentiometers and DIP switches to configure the printer and

AC Input Connector To input 115V 50/60 Hz. Use the power cable provided.

Interface Slot Slot for installation of Plug-In Interface Module.

EXT Connector This is an external signal connector external control of print cycle.

PCMCIA Card Slot Connector for Optional PCMCIA Memory Card.

AC Input Connector

Media Loaded LED

quantity and the various alarms.

make setup adjustments.

Page 2-4 PN 9001101 Rev. A SATO M10e

MEDIA LOADING

Ribbon Loading (not applicable for the M10eDT)

1. Open the Top Cover to expose the ribbon
mechanism..

2. Open the Print Head by pulling forward on the
purple Head Latch lever on the right hand side
of the ribbon mechanism.

3. Lift the Print Head by rotating it upward and to
the rear.

4. The right hand Ribbon Supply Spindle is
spring loaded. Press outward on the spring
loaded spindle and place the new ribbon on the
left hand spindle, making sure the notches in
the core line up with the tangs on the spindle.

5. Place the ribbon on the right hand ribbon
Supply Spindle, again making sure the notches
in the core line up with the tangs on the
spindle. Release the spring loaded spindle.

Section 2. Installation

6. Route the ribbon around the Print Head and up
to the take up core as shown in the ribbon
loading diagram in the Top Cover.

7. Place an empty ribbon core on the Ribbon
Take Up Spindle. The right hand spindle is
spring loaded. Press outward to provide
clearance to install the core.The ribbon leader
is attached to the ribbon by an adhesive strip.
Carefully pull the leader free and pull about 18
inches of leader from the new ribbon. The
ribbon should come off the top of the roll, ink
side (dull side) down.

8. Route the ribbon as shown in the Ribbon
Routing Diagram on the inside of the Top
Cover.

9. Attach the leader to the take up core by
pressing the adhesive strip on the leader firmly
onto the core (if the adhesive strip does not
adhere, use a small piece of tape).

10. Manually wind approximately three turns of
ribbon on the core.

Load ribbon supply
TBA

Ribbon Supply

Core

Center Justified Ribbon

Tape to co re
TBA

Drive Tang

11. Inspect the ribbon to make sure it is not folded
over or excessively wrinkled as it passes over
the print head.

Ribbon Take Up Core

SATO M10e PN 9001101 Rev. A Page 2-5

Section 2. Installation

12. Close the Print Head by rotating it forward and down. Press firmly on each end of the
ribbon mechansim at the points labeled “PUSH” until the Print Head latches firmly in
place.

Loading the Label Stock

The M10e has an automatic media loading feature, making it extremely easy to load.

1. Select the proper media sensing method
using the DIP switches on the Configuration
Panel. The printer comes from the factory set
up for label gap detection (DS2-2 and DS3-3
both in the Off position). If Eye-Mark labels
are to be used, DS2-2 should be placed in the
On position.

2. Apply power to the printer.

3. Release the Print Head by pulling forward on
the Head Latch Lever.

4. Check to make sure that nothing is in the
media path. Remove any media that may
have been left in the printer.

5. Adjust the Label Width Guides by losening
the thumbscrew and moving the guides in or
out to match the media width. The guides are
interlocked so that adjusting one will
automatically adjust the other side to
maintain a center justified label path. Tighten
the thumbscrews.

6. Note that the Green Media Loaded LED on
the back panel is off.

7. Thread the media into the back of the printer
between the label guides. When it is correctly
positioned, the Green Media Loaded LED
will be on.

8. Close the Top Cover.

9. Place the printer Online by pressing the
LINE key.

10. The printer will automatically feed the media
into the printer until it is correctly positioned
for printing.

Label Width Adjustment

Thumbscrews

Load Paper
TBA

Media Loaded LED

Page 2-6 PN 9001101 Rev. A SATO M10e

LABEL SENSING

The M10e can position labels using either a label gap (transmissive) or an Eye-Mark
(reflective) sensor. The sensor used is selected by DSW2-2. The sensor position are fixed and
cannot be adjusted. In addition, the signals from the sensors can be adjusted using the LCD
panel to compensate for different liner opacities and/or Eye-Mark reflectance values.

Section 2. Installation

Cut Position

Print Position

Platen Roller

Auto Load Sensor

Auto Load Sensor

Feed Roller

Label Sensor

Eye Mark Sensor

Label Gap Sensor

Paper End Sensor

Label Feed Direction

All dimensions are in mm

SATO M10e PN 9001101 Rev. A Page 2-7

Section 2. Installation

OPERATION PANEL

.

LCD Display 2 Line x 16 Character display.

POWER LED Illuminated when power is applied.

ERROR LEDs Illuminated when errors have occurred.

ON-LINE LED Illuminated when printer is On-Line.

LINE Key Switches the printer On-Line or Off-Line. It can also be used as a

Pause function key to stop label during the printing process. Also
used as an UP cursor control.

FEED Key To feed one blank label. When On-Line the printer will print

another copy of the last label. Also used as a DOWN cursor
control.

RIGHT CURSOR >> To move the cursor to the right.

LEFT CURSOR << To move the cursor to the left

ENTER Selects setting

Page 2-8 PN 9001101 Rev. A SATO M10e

DIP SWITCH PANEL

The DIP Switch panel is located inside the cover and contains two 8-position DIP switches
and three adjustment potentiometers. Adjustment procedures for these are listed in Section 3:
Configuration.

Section 2. Installation

Print

Offset

Display

Pitch

DSW2

DSW3

SATO M10e PN 9001101 Rev. A Page 2-9

Section 2. Installation

This lage left intentionally blank.

Page 2-10 PN 9001101 Rev. A SATO M10e

SECTION 3.

CONFIGURATION

PRINTER DIP SWITCH CONFIGURATION

DIP SWITCH PANELS

There are two DIP switches (DSW2 and DSW3) located on the leftside of the printer under a
flip-up cover. Raise the Top Cover for access to these switches. In addition, a third DIP switch
is located on the RS232C Serial Adapter card and is used to set the RS232C transmit/receive
parameters. These switches can be used to set:

• Thermal transfer or direct thermal mode

• Label sensor enable/disable

• Head check mode

• Hex dump mode

• Single Job or Multi-Job Receive buffer

• Operation mode

Each switch is an eight section toggle switch. The ON position is always to the left. To set the
switches, first power the unit Off, then position the DIP switches. Finally, after placing the
switches in the desired positions, power the printer back on. The switch settings are read by
the printer electronics during the power up sequence. They will not become effective until the
power is cycled.

RS232 TRANSMIT/RECEIVE SETTING

Data Bit Selection (DSW1-1). This switch sets the printer to receive either 7 or 8 bit data bits
for each byte transmitted.

DSW1-1 SETTING

Off 8 Data Bits

On 7 Data Bits

DSW1

ON

OFF

12345678

Parity Selection (DSW1-2, DSW1-3. These switches select the type of parity used for error
detection.

DSW1-1 DSW1-3 SETTING

Off Off No Parity

Off On Even

On Off Odd

On On Not Used

DSW1

ON

OFF

12345678

SATO M10e PN 9001101 Rev. A Page 3-1

Section 3. Configuration

Stop Bit Selection (DSW1-4). Selects the number of stop bits to end each byte transmission.

DSW1-4 SETTING

Off 1 Stop Bit

On 2 Stop Bits

DSW1

ON

OFF

12345678

Baud Rate Selection (DSW1-5, DSW1-6). Selects the data rate (bps) for the RS232 port.

DSW1-5 DSW1-6 SETTING

Off Off 9600

Off On 19200

On Off 38400

On On 57600

DSW1

ON

OFF

12345678

Protocol Selection (DSW1-7, DSW1-8). Selects the flow control and status reporting
protocols. See Section 6: Interface Specifications for more information. (* Will select the
Status 2 protocol if DSW2-8 is ON).

DSW1-7 DSW1-8 SETTING

Off Off Rdy/Bsy

Off On Xon/Xoff

On Off Bi-Com 3

On On Bi-Com 4

DSW1

ON

OFF

12345678

PRINTER SET UP

Print Mode Selection (DSW2-1). Selects between direct thermal printing on thermally
sensitive paper and thermal transfer printing using a ribbon.

DSW2-1 SETTING

Off Therm Xfr

On Direct Therm

DSW2

ON

OFF

12345678

Page 3-2 PN 9001101 Rev. A SATO M10e

Section 3. Configuration

Sensor Type Selection (DSW2-2). Selects between the use of a label gap or a reflective Eye­Mark detector.

DSW2-2 SETTING

Off Gap

On Eye-Mark

DSW2

ON

OFF

12345678

Head Check Selection (DSW2-3). When selected, the printer will check for head elements
that are electrically malfunctioning.

DSW2-3 SETTING

Off Disabled

On Enabled

DSW2

ON

OFF

12345678

Hex Dump Selection (DSW2-4). Selects Hex Dump mode (see page 3-21).

DSW2-4 SETTING

Off Disabled

DSW2

ON

On Enabled

OFF

12345678

Receive Buffer Selection(DSW2-5). Selects the operating mode of the receive buffer. See

Section 6.Interface Specifications for more information.

DSW2-5 SETTING

Off Single Job

On Multi Job

DSW2

ON

OFF

12345678

If a 10/100BaseT LAN card is installed, DS2-5 has the following definitions:

DSW2-5 SETTING

Off ENQ Response

On Periodic Response

SATO M10e PN 9001101 Rev. A Page 3-3