SATO CT410, CT400 User Manual

CT 400 and CT410

Desk Top Printers

Operator and Technical

Reference Manual

PN9001069A

SATO UK Limited

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 UK Ltd. The information provided in this document is for general purpose only and is subject to change without prior notice. Sato UK Ltd. assumes no responsibilities for any errors that may appear.

Valley Road, Harwich

Essex CO12 4RR

Tel: 01255 240000

Fax: 01255 240111

Tech Support Hotline: 01255 252828

Email: techsupport@satouk.com

www.satouk.com

SATO UK Limited

Warning: This equipment complies with the requirements in Part 15 of FCC rules for a Class A computing device. Operation of this equipment in a residential area may cause unacceptable interference to radio and TV reception requiring the operator to take whatever steps are necessary to correct the interference.

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 responibilities for any errors that may appear.

PREFACE

CT SERIES PRINTER OPERATOR’S MANUAL

The CT Series Printer Operator’s Manual contains basic information about the printer such as setup, installation, cleaning and maintenance. It also contains complete instructions on how to use the operator panel to configure the printer. The following is a brief description of each section in this manual.

SECTION 1. PRINTER OVERVIEW

This section contains a discussion of the printer specifications and optional features.

SECTION 2. INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION

This section contains instructions on how to unpack and set up the printer, load the labels and ribbon, and how to use the operator panel to configure the printer.

SECTION 3. CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE

This section contains instructions on how to clean and maintain the printer.

SECTION 4. PROGRAMMING

This section introduces the SATO printer programming language. It contains the commands that are used with the printer to produce labels with bar codes, alphanumeric data and graphics.

SECTION 5. INTERFACE SPECIFICATIONS

This section contains the printer’s interface specifications, which include detailed information on how to properly interface your printer to the host system.

SECTION 6. TROUBLESHOOTING

This section contains troubleshooting procedures to follow in the event you have printer problems.

SATOCTSeriesPrinters9001069A Page-i

Preface

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A: Command Code Quick Reference

APPENDIX B: Bar Code Specifications

APPENDIX C: Custom Characters and Graphics

Page-ii9001069A SATOCTSeriesPrinters

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1. PRINTER OVERVIEW

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

General Printer Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

Character Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Bar Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Physical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

Optional Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7

SECTION 2. INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION

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

Unpacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

Setting Up the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Loading Ribbon (CT4XXTT Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Loading Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7

Label Sensing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10

Operator Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11

Rear Connector Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-12

Configuration Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13

Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16

Potentiometer Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-16

Hex Dump Diagnostic Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19

Print Test Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-20

Preface

SECTION 3. CTEANING AND MAINTENANCE

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Adjusting the Print Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Darkness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

Print Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Cleaning the Print Head, Platen and Rollers . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Replacing the Print Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

Cleaning the Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

SATOCTSeriesPrinters9001069A Page-iii

Preface

SECTION 4. PROGRAMMING

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

The SATO CT Programming Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

Protocol Control Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

Using Basic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2

The Print Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4

Rotated Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6

Command Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6

Command Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6

Bar Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-9

Bar Codes, Expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-14

Bar Codes, Variable Ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-15

Base Reference Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17

Characters, Custom Designed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29

Character Expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-21

Character, Fixed Spacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-23

Character Pitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-24

Character, Proportional Spacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-26

Clear Print Job(s) and Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-27

Continuous Forms Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-28

Copy Image Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29

Cut Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-31

Cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-32

Cut Last . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-33

Fonts, U, S, M, OA, OB, XU, XS and XM . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-34

Font/Graphic Recall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36

Font, Raster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-37

Fonts, Vector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-38

Fonts, WB,WL, XB and XL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-40

Form Overlay Recall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-42

Form Overlay Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-43

Graphics, Custom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-44

Job ID Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-46

Journal Print . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-47

Lines and Boxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-48

Job Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-50

Label/Tag Select . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-51

Line Feed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-52

Media Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-54

Off-Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-55

Postnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-56

Print Darkness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-57

Print Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-58

Print Quantity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-60

Print Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-61

Repeat Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-62

Replace Data (Partial Edit) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-63

Reverse Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-65

Rotate, Fixed Base Reference Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-67

Page-iv9001069A SATOCTSeriesPrinters

Sequential Numbering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-68

Start/Stop Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-70

Two-Dimensional Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-71

Data Matrix, Data Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-72

Data Matrix, Data Print . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-74

Dat Matrix Sequential Numbering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-75

Maxicode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-77

PDF417 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-79

Printer Configuration Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-81

Protocol Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-82

Printer Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-83

Print Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-86

Print Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-87

Pitch Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-88

Sensor Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-89

Serial Interface Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-90

SECTION 5. INTERFACE SPECIFICATIONS

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

Interface Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-1

The Receive Buffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2

RS232C Serial Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3

IEEE 1284 Parallel Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3

Optional RS232 Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5

General Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5

Electrical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5

Pin Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5

Ready/Busy Flow Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6

X-On/X-Off Flow Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-57

Optional Universal Serial Bus (USB) Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7

Optional Local Area Network Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8

Bi-Directional Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8

Preface

SECTION 6. TROUBLESHOOTING

Initial Checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1

Using the IEEE 1284 Parallel Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1

Using the RS232C Serial Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3

Error Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4

SATOCTSeriesPrinters9001069A Page-v

Preface

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A: Command Code Quick Reference

APPENDIX B: Bar Code Specifications

Bar Code Symbologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1

Codabar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2

Code 39 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3

Interleaved Two of Five (I 2/5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-4

UPC-A/EAN-13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-5

EAN-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-6

Industrial Two of Five . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-8

Matrix Two of Five . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-9

Code 128 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-10

MSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-11

Code 93 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-12

UPC-E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-13

Bookland (UPC/EAN Supplements) . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-14

UCC-128 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-15

Postnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-17

Data Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-18

Maxicode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-20

PDF417 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-21

Code 128 Character Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-22

APPENDIX C: Custom Characters and Graphics

Custom Designed Characters Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-1

Custom Graphics Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-4

PCX Graphics Example . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-8

Page-vi9001069A SATOCTSeriesPrinters

INTRODUCTION

The SATO CT Series Thermal Transfer Printers are complete, high-performance on-site labeling systems. All printer parameters are user programmable using software commands or the utility program provided. All popular bar codes and 15 human-readable fonts, including a vector font and two raster fonts, are resident in memory providing literally thousands of type styles and sizes. Additional fonts can be downloaded into memory.

The Operator’s Manual will help you understand the basic operations of the printer such as setup, installation, configuration, cleaning and maintenance.

The major differences in the CT400 and the CL410 printers is the resolution of the head. The CT400 with its 203 dpi head provides an economical labeling solution for most applications. It can print labels up to four inches wide. The CT410’s higher 305 dpi resolution provides greater detail for graphics and small point size text.

The CT Series printers use a subset of the standard SATO Command Language. The CT400 and CT410 share the same command set, the only differences are the allowable values representing the print positions on the label. These values are specified in “dots” and will vary depending upon the resolution of the printer and the amount of memory available for imaging the label. The allowable range for each printer is specified in a table for those command codes.

SECTION 1.

PRINTER OVERVIEW

This commonalty makes it very easy to convert labels from one CT printer to another 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 effect of the different printer resolutions are best illustrated by taking a label designed for a 203 dpi printer and sending the command stream to its 305 dpi counterpart. The label printed will be an exact two-thirds scale, including the fonts, bar code dimensions and line lengths/widths. The only exceptions are PostNet and Maxicode which have only one legal size and the printer resolution is automatically compensated for by the printer. Conversely, a label designed for a 305 dpi printer and sent to its 203 dpi cousin will be one-third larger. It probably will be “truncated” if the label size is larger than the maximum allowable for the printer.

The following general information is presented in this section:

• General Printer Specifications

• Optional Accessories

SATOCT SeriesPrinters9001069A Page 1-1

Section 1. Printer Overview

GENERAL PRINTER SPECIFICATIONS

SPECIFICATION CT400 CT410

Method Direct or Thermal Transfer Speed (User Selectable) 2 to 6 ips

50 to 150 mm/s

Print Module (Dot Size) .0049 in.

.125 mm

Resolution 203 dpi

8 dpmm

Maximum Print Width 4.1 in.

104 mm

Maximum Print Length 15.6 in.

400 mm

MEDIA

Minimum Width .90 in. (23 mm) Minimum Length .60 in. (15 mm) Maximum Width 4.6 in. (118 mm) Type Die Cut Labels, Fan-Fold, Tag Stock or Continuous Caliper 0.003 to .0075 in. (0.08 to 0.19 mm) Roll OD (max) 4.3 in. (110 mm), Face-Out Wind Core ID (min) 1.5 in. (40 mm)

2 to 4 ips

50 to 100 mm/s

.0033 in. .083 mm

305 dpi

12 dpmm

SENSING

See-Thru for labels or tags Fixed, 0.25" (6.3 mm) from left label edge Reflective Eye-Mark Fixed, 0.20" (5 mm) from left label edge Continuous Form Sensor not used

RIBBON

Maximum Width 4.4 in. (111 mm) Length 325 ft. (100 m) Core ID 0.5 in. (12.7 mm) Thickness 4.5 micron, Face-Out Wind

All specificationssubject to change without notice.

Page 1-29001069A SATOCTSeriesPrinters

Section 1. Printer Overview

SPECIFICATION CT400 CT410

CONTROLS AND SIGNALS

On-Line LED Green Power LED Green Error LED Red LED Display Panel 7 Segment Single Character On/Off-Line Switch Front Panel Label Feed Switch Front Panel Power On/Off Switch Front Panel

POTENTIOMETER ADJUSTMENTS

Pitch Offset/Print Darkness Front Panel Reflective Sensor Adjustment Front Panel See-thru Sensor Adjustment Front Panel

INTERFACE CONNECTIONS

Parallel (Standard) IEEE 1284 Serial (Option) RS232C (9600 to 57.6K bps)

Hardware Flow Control (Ready/Busy)

Software Flow Control (X-On/X-Off)

Bi-directional Status

USB (Option) USB Specification Version 1.0

PROCESSING

CPU 32 Bit RISC EEPROM 8KB SDRAM 8MB Flash ROM 2MB Flash ROM Option 8MB Receive Buffer 2.95MB

All specifications subject to change without notice.

SATOCT SeriesPrinters9001069A Page 1-3

Section 1. Printer Overview

CHARACTER FONTS

SPECIFICATION CT400 CT410

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 W x 9 dots H) Helvetica XS Font (17 dots W x 17 dots H) Univers Condensed Bold XM Font (24 dots W x 24 dots H) Univers Condensed Bold OA Font (15 dots W x 22 dots H) OCR-A (22 dots W x 33 dots H) OCR A OB Font 20 dots W x 24 dots H) OCR-B (30 dots W x 36 dots H) OCR B

AUTO SMOOTHING FONTS

(1)

WB WL

(1)

WB Font (18 dots W x 30 dots H)

WL Font (28 dots W x 52 dots H) XB XB Font (48 dots W x 48 dots H) Univers Condensed Bold XL XL Font (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

RASTER FONTS

(1)

A Font B Font

(1)

CG Times

CG Triumvirate

DOWNLOADABLE FONTS

TrueType Fonts with Utility Program

CHARACTER CONTROL

Expansion up to 12X in either the X or Y coordinates

Character Pitch control

Line Space control

Journal Print facility

0°, 90°, 180° and 270° Rotation

(1) Not available on early models. All specifications subject to change without notice.

Page 1-49001069A SATOCTSeriesPrinters

Section 1. Printer Overview

BAR CODES

SPECIFICATION CT400 CT410

SYMBOLOGIES

Bookland (UPC/EAN Supplemental)

EAN-8, EAN-13

CODABAR

Code 39 Code 93

Code 128

Interleaved 2 of 5

Industrial 2 of 5

Matrix 2 of 5

MSI

POSTNET

UCC/EAN-128

UPC-A and UPC-E

Data Matrix

Maxicode

PDF417

Micro PDF

Truncated PDF Ratios 1:2, 1:3, 2:5 User definable bar widths Bar Height 4 to 600 dots, User programmable Rotation 0°, 90°, 180° and 270°

OTHER FEATURES

Sequential Numbering Sequential numbering of both numerics and bar codes Custom Characters RAM storage for special characters Graphics Full dot addressable graphics, SATO Hex/Binary and PCX Form Overlay Form overlay for high-speed editing of complex formats.

(1) Not available on early models. All specifications subject to change without notice.

(1)

format

SATOCT SeriesPrinters9001069A Page 1-5

Section 1. Printer Overview

PHYSICAL

SPECIFICATION CT400 CT410

DIMENSIONS

Wide 7.8 in. (198 mm) Deep 9.1 in. (230 mm)

High 6.5 in. (181 mm) WEIGHT 6.6 lbs (3 Kg) POWER REQUIREMENTS

Voltage

Power Consumption 150W Operating at 30% density ENVIRONMENTAL

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

Storage Temperature -0° to 104°F (-20° to 40°C)

Operating Humidity 30-80 % RH, non-condensing

Storage Humidity 20-80% RH, non-condensing

Electrostatic Discharge 8KV

REGULATORY APPROVALS

Safety UL, CSA

RFI/EMI FCC Class B

All specifications subject to change without notice.

110 V (±10 %)

220V (±10 %)

50/60 Hz (±1%)

Page 1-69001069A SATOCTSeriesPrinters

Section 1. Printer Overview

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES

ACCESSORY CT400 CT410

LABEL CUTTER Internaloption allowing labels to be cut at specified intervals.

Controlled through programming. Factory installed only.

LABEL DISPENSER Internal option allowing labels to be peeled from backing for

immediate (on demand) application. Factory installed only. LABEL REWINDER External accessory rewinds labels onto a roll after they are printed. SERIAL INTERFACE High Speed RS232 Interface option, 9600 to 57.6KB. Factory

installed only. ETHERNET INTERFACE TCP/IP Protocol Interface option. Factory installed only. USB INTERFACE Universal Serial Bus Interface option. Factory installed only. COAX/TWINAX INTERFACE External Coax/Triax I/F Interface accessory. Coax I/F emulates an

IBM 3287-2 printer with a standard Type A BNC connector. Twinax

I/F emulates IBM 5224, 5225, 5226 or 4214 printers with

auto-terminate/cable-thru capabilities.

All specifications subject to change without notice.

SATOCT SeriesPrinters9001069A Page 1-7

Section 1. Printer Overview

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Page 1-89001069A SATOCTSeriesPrinters

INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION

INTRODUCTION

This section is to assist you in taking the CT Series printer from the shipping container to the application environment.

The following information is provided in this section:

SECTION 2.

• Unpacking and Parts Identification

• Setting Up the Printer

• Loading Labels or Tags

• Loading the Ribbon (CT4XXTT only)

• Control Panel

• Printer Configuration

SATOCT SeriesPrinters9001069A Page 2-1

UNPACKING

Consider the following when unpacking the printer:

In addition to this manual, verify that you have the following materials when unpacking:

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

• The box should stay upright.

• Lift the printer out of the box carefully.

• Remove the plastic covering from the printer.

• Remove the accessory items from their protective containers.

• If the printer has been stored in a cold environment, allow it to reach room

temperature before applying power.

• Set the printer on a solid flat surface. Inspect the shipping container and

printer for any signs of damage that may have occured during shipping.

Printer

Power Module AC Power Cord

Ribbon/Core

CD-ROM

Page 2-29001069A SATOCTSeriesPrinters

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

SETTING UP THE PRINTER

Consider the following when setting up the printer/

• Locate a solid flat surface with adequate room to set the printer. Make sure

the Power Module can be located so that the power connecting cable can be attached to the printer and the AC Power Cable can be connected to an AC power outlet.

• The location should be near the host or computer terminal. The maximum

distance is:

- 10 feet for the Parallel interface. To fully utilize the capabilities of the printer, a cable meeting IEEE 1284 specifications must be used.

- 18 feet for the optional Serial RS232 Interface.

- 10 feet for the optional USB interface without hub.

- the optional 10baseT Ethernet Interface depends upon the LAN cabling.

• For imformation on interfacing the printer to a host system, see Section 5.

Interface Specifications.

Follow these steps to set up your printer:

1. Make sure the power switch on the Operator Panel is in the OFF (0) position and place the Power Module in a safe and secure location, taking into consideration the location of the AC outlet and the host in relation to the printer.

2. Connect the Input Power connector to the printer. This connector is keyed and must be turned approximately 3/4 turn clockwise to secure it to the printer.

3. Connect the AC Power Cable to the proper AC Outlet supply.

4. Connect the interface cable to the host system. A parallel IEEE1284 interface cable must be used to realize the high data transfer rate of the printer’s parallel port. If an optional interface is installed, the appropriate cable should be used.

Input Power

Connector

Host I/F

Connector

5. Load the ribbon and media following the instructions in this section.

6. Configure the printer for label width and operating mode using the instructions in this section.

SATOCT SeriesPrinters9001069A Page 2-3

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

7. Apply power to the printer by placing the AC Power switch in the ON (1) position.

8. Print a test label to verify the printer is set up and operating correctly.

Page 2-49001069A SATOCTSeriesPrinters

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

LOADING RIBBON (CT4XXTT only)

The SATO CT Series ribbons come shrink-wrapped with a 12" (305 mm)leader pre-attached to a takeup core. There are three widths of ribbon available for the CT Series printers; 4.3" (110 mm), 3" (76 mm) and

1.75" (45 mm).

1. Remove power from the printer.

Ribbon

Spindle

2. Open the Top Cover by by pressing

on cover the release points located on each side of the printer. This releases the cover latch and allows it to swing upward on the rear mounted hinge points.

3. Release the Print Head Assembly by pressing the Head Latch to the rear. This allows the assembly to rotate upward to the left allowing easy access for ribbon routing. Rotate the assembly until it is vertical.

4. Press down on the Ribbon

Assembly Latch. This allows the Paper Roller to swing downward

for ribbon routing.

5. Press down on the Ribbon Positioning button while simultaneously pulling upward on the Ribbon Spindle Unit. The Ribbon Spindle Unit should slide off.

Head Latch

Ribbon

Position

Button

Ribbon Ass’y

Latch

Head Latch

Ribbon Ass’y

Latch

6. Remove the shrink wrap from the ribbon and unwind approximately

Paper Roller

6" of the leader. Press the Ribbon Supply core all the way onto the rear spindle of Ribbon Spindle Unit. Press the attached take-up

Ribbon Supply

Spindle

Ribbon

Position

Button

core on the front spindle. Make sure each of the cores is fully seated on the spindles and there is enough ribbon leader to go down around the print head.

Note: CT Series ribbons are wound face (ink side) out. Make sure the dull (ink)

SATOCT SeriesPrinters9001069A Page 2-5

Ribbon Take-Up

Spindle

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

side of the ribbon will be in contact with the paper and the supply core is on the rear spindle.

7. Slide the Ribbon Spindle Unit over the Ribbon Drive

Spindles until the Head Positioning Latch snaps into

position. The first position corresponds to a 4.3" ribbon width. If you are using a narrower ribbon, press the Head Position Latch while sliding the Ribbon Spindle Unit to the correct position. There are three latch positions, one for a 4.3" wide ribbon, one for a 3" wide ribbon and one for a 1.75" wide ribbon.

8. The ribbon should be center justified (i.e., the center of the ribbon roll should be aligned with the center of the print head). If it is not, reposition the Ribbon

Spindle Unit on the Drive Spindles until the Ribbon Position Latch is is in the

correct position.

Ribbon Drive

Spindles

Ribbon Ass’y

Latch

9. Route the ribbon leader under the print head and between the Ribbon Assembly and the Paper Roller. Rotate the take-up spindle until the

leader is completely wound onto the take-up core.

10. Push the Ribbon Assembly Latch to the up or locked position. Rotate the Paper Roller upward and latch it by pushing the Ribbon Assembly Latch into the upward position.

11. Latch the Print Head Assembly in the closed

Ribbon Path

position by pushing downward on the “PUSH” tabs on both sides of the assembly until it latches in position.

Page 2-69001069A SATOCTSeriesPrinters

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

LOADING MEDIA

The CT Series printers can use die-cut labels, tag stock or continuous media. The media supply can be either roll or fanfold.

Roll Media

Roll media should be between 0.90" (23 mm) and 4.5" (115 mm) in width and wound face-out on a core with a minimum ID of 1.6" (40 mm).

1. Remove power from the printer by

placing the Power Switch in the OFF (0) position.

2. Open the Top Cover by by pressing

on cover release points located on each side of the printer. This releases the cover latch and allows it to swing upward on the rear mounted hinge points.

3. Release the Print Head Assembly by pressing the Head Latch to the rear. This allows the assembly to rotate upward to the left allowing easy access for media routing. Rotate the assembly until it is vertical.

4. With the Print Head Assembly in the up position, press the Paper Guide Release while adjusting the Paper Guides until they allow a media roll to fit between them. A millimeter scale is molded into the case to provide a guide when making the adjustment. The Paper Guides are center justified and interact with each other so that each moves an equal distance.

5. Make sure the Roll Holders are in the released position. If they are not, lift up on each one and they will snap to the open position.

Paper

Sensor

Roll Holders

Millimeter

Scale

Head

Latch

Paper Guide

Release

6. Unwind approximately 12" of label material from the roll. The labels should be wound face-out (printing side to the outside of the roll). Drop the roll in between the Paper Guides so that the labels

SATOCT SeriesPrinters9001069A Page 2-7

come off the top of the roll. The Paper Guides will automatically position the Roll Holders to suspend the roll.

7. Route the label material through the

Paper Sensor Assembly and over the Platen. Note that the Sensor is part of the left Label

Roll Guide so that the Paper Sensor is always positioned in the

same location relative to the left edge of the label.

8. Close and latch the Print Head Assembly.

9. Press the LINE key so that the printer is in the OFF LINE mode and then press the FEED key. The label should advance to the next index (label gap or eye-mark) position.

Fanfold Media

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

Platen

Paper Sensor

1. Place the fanfold media behind the printer with the printing surface up.

2. Open the Top Cover by by pressing on cover release points located on each side of the printer. This releases the cover latch and allows it to swing upward on the rear mounted hinge points.

3. Carefully break out the Fanfold Access Panel from the back of the Top Cover.

4. Release the Print Head Assembly by pressing the Head Latch to the rear. This allows the assembly to rotate upward to the left allowing easy access for ribbon routing. Rotate the assembly until it is vertical.

Break Out for

Fanfold Paper

5. With the Print Head Assembly in the up position, press the Paper Guide Release while adjusting the Paper Guides until they allow a media to fit between them. A millimeter scale is molded into the case to provide a guide when making the adjustment. The Paper Guides are center justified and interact with each other so that each moves an equal distance.

6. Route the label material through the Sensor Assembly and over the Platen.

Page 2-89001069A SATOCTSeriesPrinters

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

7. Close and latch Print Head Assembly.

8. After loading the ribbon and media, it is recommended that you run a Test Print to make sure the labels and ribbon (for CX4XXTT only) are correctly loaded. See Section 2 for instructions on how to run test prints.

Route Paper under the Sensor

SATOCT SeriesPrinters9001069A Page 2-9

LABEL SENSING

The CT Series printers can use either label Gap (see-thru) or Eye-Mark (reflective) sensing. The Sensor Assembly is located on the left edge of the media and is automatically positioned by the Paper Guides.

The printer is shipped from the factory with the default sensing method set for label gap. The setting can be overridden by using the <ESC>IG command (Section 4) however it will be reset to the default when power is cycled. The default setting can be changed using the <ESC>PG command (Section 4) or the Printer Configuration Utility program on the CD-ROM.

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

Miminum Eye-Mark Size

.12 in (3 mm) W x .5 in. (12 mm) L

0.20" (5 mm) Eye-Mark Sensor

0.25" (6.3 mm) Gap Sensor

Label

Feed

Direction

Inter-Label Gap

Min. 0.12" (3 mm)

Max. 0.20" (5 mm)

Backing

Paper Inside

Edge

Label Inside Edge

CT Series Printer Label Sensor Positioning

Eye-Mark

Roll Paper

Eye-Mark

Fanfold Paper

Page 2-109001069A SATOCTSeriesPrinters

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

OPERATOR PANEL

The Operator Panel consists of three LED indicators and three switches.

POWER

LED

ERROR

LED

ON LINE

LED

ON LINE

Key

FEED

Key

POWER

Switch

POWER Green LED, illuminated when power is applied. ERROR Red LED, illuminated when there is a system fault

such as an open print head.

ON LINE Green LED, illuminated when the printer is ON LINE

and ready to receive data. The printer is placed ON LINE and OFF LINE by toggling the ON LINE key.

ON LINE KEY If the ONLINE LED is illuminated, pressing this switch

will place the printer in the OFFLINE mode. Pressing the switch again will place the printer back in the ONLINE mode. If this switch is pressed while the printer is printing, the printing process is suspended. To resume printing, press this switch again. When the printer is ON LINE, it is ready to receive data from the host. When it is OFF LINE, the printer will not receive data from the host or print.

FEED KEY Feeds one label when pressed in the OFFLINE mode.

If this switch is held in the depressed position while power is applied, a printer status label will be printed.

POWER A two position switch that applies power to the printer.

When the “0" position is pressed, power is removed from the printer. When the ”1" position is pressed, power is applied to the printer.

SATOCT SeriesPrinters9001069A Page2-11

REAR CONNECTOR PANEL

All of the printer cable connectors are located on the Rear Connector Panel.

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

Fanfold Paper

Slot

Optional I/F

Connector

IEEE1284 Parallel

IF Connector

Power

Connector

Power DC Power input to the printer. From Power Module. Parallel Interface IEEE1284 Parallel Interface Connector.. Optional Interface

Connector for any installed optional interface.

(if Installed) Fanfold Paper Slot Slot for fanfold paper. Panel must be removed to route

fanfold paper into the printer.

Page 2-129001069A SATOCTSeriesPrinters

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

CONFIGURATION PANEL

The Configuration Panel can be accessed by opening the Top Cover. It consists of an eight position DIP switch, three adjustment potentiometers and a seven segment LED Error display. Receptacles for connecting the Dispenser and Cutter options are also located on this panel.

Configuration

Switch

VR1

Potentiometer

Paper Handling

Print Mode

Head Check

VR1 Adjust

Hex Dump

I/F Select

Error

Display

CONFIGURATION SWITCH

An eight position DIP switch is utilized for setting the operating conditions of the printer.

Paper Handling (DSW1-3). Selects the method used for controlling the paper handling.

Continuous - Does not use the sensor for paper indexing. The paper movement will stop after all the label data has been printed.

Tear Off - Paper is fed out to the cut/tear off position after printing is complete. Before the next label is printed, the paper is pulled back in to the first print line position.

Cutter Mode - Enables the Cutter option if installed.

Dispenser Mode - Enables the Label Taken sensor if the Dispenser option is

installed.

DSW1 DSW2 DSW3 SETTING

Off Off Off Continuous On Off Off Tear Off Off On Off Cutter Mode On On Off Dispenser

OFF

Configuration Switch

12345678

SATOCT SeriesPrinters9001069A Page2-13

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

Font/Graphic Download (DS1-3). Enables the downloading of fonts and/or graphics to printer memory.

DSW1 DSW2 DSW3 SETTING

Off On On Enable

OFF

Configuration Switch

12345678

Print Method (DSW4). Selects Direct Thermal or Thermal Transfer print mode for a CT4XXTT printer.

Configuration Switch

DSW4 SETTING

Off Direct On Transfer

OFF

12345678

Head Check (DSW5). When selected, the printer will check for head elements that are electrically malfunctioning.

Configuration Switch

DSW5 SETTING

Off Disabled On Enabled

OFF

12345678

VR1 Potentiometer Function (DSW6). Select the function adjusted by VR1. When placed in the Off position, VR1 will adjust the pitch offset value over a range of +/- 3.75 mm. When placed in the On position, VR1 will adjust the print darkness range.

DSW6 SETTING

Off Pitch On Darkness

OFF

Configuration Switch

12345678

Hex Dump (DSW7). When ON, the printer will print out the hex value for each character received. When OFF, the printer will accept and process the data stream in a normal fashion.

DSW7 SETTING

Off Normal On Hex

OFF

Configuration Switch

12345678

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