SATO M-8400RV User Manual

M-8400RV

Thermal Transfer Printer

®

Operator and Technical

Reference Manual

PN9001041Rev.D

SATO America, Inc.

10350-A Nations Ford Rd.

Charlotte, NC 28273

MainPhone:[phone]

Fax:[phone]

Technical SupportHotline:[phone]

E-Mail:[e-mail]

© Copyright 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999

SATO America, Inc.

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.

SATOM-8400RVPN9001041Rev.D

PREFACE

M-8400RV PRINTER OPERATOR’S MANUAL

The M-8400RV 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.

SATOM-8400RV9001041Rev.DPage-i

Preface

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A: Command Code Quick Reference

APPENDIX B: Bar Code Specifications

APPENDIX C: Custom Characters and Graphics

APPENDIX D: Optional Features

APPENDIX E: Custom Protocol Command Codes

Page-ii9001041Rev.DSATOM-8400RV

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1. PRINTER OVERVIEW

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

Compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

General Printer Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

Character Fonts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Bar Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

Physical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7

Optional Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8

SECTION 2. INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION

Preface

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

Unpacking and Parts Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

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

Loading Labels, Tags and Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5

Operator Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10

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

Switches and Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-13

Label Sensor Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-14

Printer DIP Switch Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-15

Printer Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-19

Potentiometer Adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-33

Printing Hex Dump Diagnostic Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-35

SECTION 3. CLEANING 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 . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

Cleaning the Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

Replacing the Print Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

SATOM-8400RV9001041Rev.DPage-iii

Preface

SECTION 4. PROGRAMMING

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

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

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

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

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

Rotated Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8

Command Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8

Command Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-10

Bar Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-11

Bar Codes, Expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-16

Bar Codes, Variable Ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-17

Base Reference Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-19

Characters, Custom Designed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-21

Character Expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-23

Character, Fixed Spacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-25

Character Pitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-26

Character, Proportional Spacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-28

Clear Print Job(s) and Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-29

Continuous Forms Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-30

Copy Image Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-31

Cutter Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-33

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

Fonts, Vector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-36

Fonts, WB,WL, XB and XL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-38

Form Feed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-40

Form Overlay Recall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-41

Form Overlay Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-42

Graphics, Custom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-43

Graphics, PCX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-45

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

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

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

Line Feed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-50

Mirror Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-52

Off-Line/Pause . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-54

Postnet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-55

Print Darkness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-56

Print Length, Expanded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-57

Print Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-59

Print Quantity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-61

Print Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-62

Repeat Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-63

Replace Data (Partial Edit) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-64

Reverse Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-66

Rotate, Fixed Base Reference Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-68

Rotate, Moving Base Reference Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-70

Sequential Numbering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-72

Start/Stop Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-74

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Preface

Calendar Option Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-75

Calendar Increment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-76

Calendar Print . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-78

Calendar Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-80

Memory Card Option Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-81

Clear Card Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-82

Expand Memory Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-83

Fonts, TrueType Recall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-85

Fonts, TrueType Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-86

Format/Field Recall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-87

Format/Field Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-88

Graphics, Custom Recall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-89

Graphics, Custom Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-90

Graphics, PCX Recall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-92

Graphics, PCX Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-93

Initialize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-94

Slot Select . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-95

Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-96

Custom Protocol Codes Download . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-97

Two-Dimensional Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-99

Data Matrix, Data Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-100

Data Matrix, Print Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-102

Data Matrix Sequential Numbering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-103

Maxicode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-105

PDF417 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-107

SECTION 5. INTERFACE SPECIFICATIONS

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

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

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

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

General Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3

Electrical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3

Pin Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4

Ready/Busy Flow Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-4

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

Bi-Directional Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6

Centronics Parallel Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9

Electrical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-9

Accessory (EXT) Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10

Pin Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10

External Output Signals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-11

SATOM-8400RV9001041Rev.DPage-v

Preface

SECTION 6. TROUBLESHOOTING

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

Using the Centronics (Parallel) Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1

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

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

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

APPENDIX D: Optional Accessories

Label Rewinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-1

Label Cutter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-2

Label Dispense Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-3

Memory Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-5

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-7

Page-vi9001041Rev.DSATOM-8400RV

APPENDIX E: Custom Protocol Command Codes

Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-1

Download Command Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-1

Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-2

Download Procedure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-2

Preface

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Preface

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Page-viii9001041Rev.DSATOM-8400RV

INTRODUCTION

The SATO M-8400RV Thermal Transfer Printer is a complete, high-performance
on-site labeling systems. All printer parameters are user programmable using the
front panel controls and the DIP switches. All popular bar codes and 12
human-readable fonts, including a vector font, are resident in memory providing
literally thousands of type styles and sizes.

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

The M-8400RV has a resolution of 203 dpi and can print labels up to four inches wide.

The M-8400RV uses the standard SATO RISC printer command codes. The only
differences between it and other RISC printers 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 the M-8400RV is specified in a table for
those command codes.

SECTION 1.

PRINTER OVERVIEW

This commonality makes it very easy to convert labels from one RISC 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 the
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 exception is the
PostNet bar code which has 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:

COMPATIBILITY

The M-8400RV was designed to be compatible with the standard M-8400. If all of the
rules for command usage were followed when designing labels for an M-8400, then
the same command stream should create the same label on an M-8400RV. However,
the older M-8400 was more lenient in allowing the user to “bend” the rules,
especially in the area of the allowable sequence of commands. Because the thruput of

• Compatibility Information

• General Printer Specifications

• Optional Accessories

SATOM-8400RV9001041Rev.DPage1-1

Section 1 . Printer Overview

the M-8400RV is much greater than the older M-8400, it must receive the commands
in the sequence it is anticipating.

There are some other minor differences in how the M-8400RV responds to certain
commands. For example, the M-8400RV can print at speeds up to 10 inches per
second whereas the older M-8400 had a maximum print speed of only 6 inches per
second. Therefore, if you send it a <ESC>CS5 command, it interprets it as a
command to print at 10 ips whereas an M-8400 would interpret it as a command to
print at 6 ips. There is also a difference in how the newer M-8400RV handles graphic
files. When an <ESC>A3 or <ESC>R rotate commands is sent to an M-8400RV, it
rotates all fields, including graphic images. The older M-8400 on the other hand
would only rotate the text and bar code fields and not graphic fields. To compensate
for these differences, a Compatibility setting can be selected using DSW2-8. When it
is placed in the ON position, the M-8400RV will respond to these commands the
same as an M-8400 would.

NOTE: Even when DSW2-8 is in the ON position, the M-8400RV expects the
command sequences to follow the rules specified in the Programming Reference.

When printing labels designed for an M-8400 on the newer M-8400RV, the following
procedure is recommended.

1. First try printing the label with DSW-8 in the OFF position. If it prints all the fields
correctly but the print quality needs improvement, try adjusting the Print Darkness
using the front panel potentiometer.

2. If the print quality is still lacking, try changing the print speed and/or heat setting
using the front panel LCD controls. After each change, reprint the label using the
FEED key (printer must be ON LINE). If you resend the label to the printer,

any old software commands will override the changes you made with the
LCD controls. The M-8400RV uses a new intelligent print head that compensates to

a great degree for print quality variations due to print speed. Therefore, you should
not see as much variation in print quality due to print speed as was present with the
older M-8400.

3. If a new LCD setting solves the problem, then make the appropriate changes in the
command stream.

4. If the field placement is incorrect or if the printer “beeps” indicating it did not accept
the command stream, place DSW2-8 in the ON position, cycle power to make the
printer recognize the new switch setting and resend the label.

5. If the printer still does not accept the command stream, then something in the
command stream is not correct. It must be examined carefully to make sure it
conforms with all of the rules for usage outlined in Section 4: Programming
Reference.

If any problems are encountered with M-8400 compatibility, please contact the SATO
Technical Support department.

Page1-29001041Rev.DSATOM-8400RV

GENERAL PRINTER SPECIFICATIONS

SPECIFICATION M-8400RV

PRINT

Method Direct or Thermal Transfer
Speed (User Selectable) 2 to 10 ips

50 to 250 mm/s

Print Module (Dot Size) .0049 in.

.125 mm

Resolution 203 dpi

8dpmm

Maximum Print Width 4.1 in.

104 mm

Section 1. Printer Overview

Maximum Print Length
(Expanded Print Length)

Maximum Print Length
with 2MB Memory Card

MEDIA

Minimum Width .87 in. (22 mm)
Minimum Length .63 in. (16 mm)
Maximum Width 5.0 in. (128 mm)
Type Die Cut Labels, Fan-Fold, Tag Stock or Continuous
Maximum Caliper .010 in. (.25 mm)
Roll OD (max) 8.6 in. (218 mm), Face-In Wind
Core ID (min) 1.5 in. (38 mm)
Core ID (Recommended) 3 in. (76 mm)

SENSING

See-Thru for labels or tags Movable
Reflective Eye-Mark Movable

14 in.

356 mm

49.2 in.

1249 mm

Continuous Form Sensor not used

RIBBON

Maximum Width 4.4 in. (111 mm)
Length 1475 ft. (450 m)
Thickness 4.5 micron, Ink-In Wind

All specifications subject tochange without notice.

SATOM-8400RV9001041Rev.DPage1-3

Section 1 . Printer Overview

SPECIFICATION M-8400RV

CONTROLS AND SIGNALS

On-Line Green LED
Power Green LED
Label Red LED
Ribbon Red LED
Error Red LED
LCD Panel 2 Line x 16 Character
On/Off-Line Switch Front Panel
Label Feed Switch Front Panel
Power On/Off Switch Front Panel

POTENTIOMETER ADJUSTMENTS

Print Darkness Front Panel
Pitch Front Panel
Offset Front Panel
Display Front Panel

INTERFACE CONNECTIONS

Parallel Centronics Compatible Standard
Serial RS232C (2400 to 19.2K bps) Standard

RS422/485 (2400 to 19.2K bps) Optional

Serial Protocol Hardware Flow Control (Ready/Busy)

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

Bi-directional (ENQ/Response)

Data Transmission ASCII Format

PROCESSING

CPU 32 Bit RISC
ROM 1M byte (4M bit x 2)
DRAM 2 MByte

All specifications subject to change without notice.

Page1-49001041Rev.DSATOM-8400RV

Section 1. Printer Overview

CHARACTER FONTS

SPECIFICATION M-8400RV

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 Wx 17 dots H) Univers Condensed Bold
XM Font (24 dots W x 24 dots H) Univers Condensed Bold
OAFont (15dotsWx22dotsH)OCR-A
OB Font 20 dots W x 24 dots H) OCR-B

AUTO SMOOTHING FONTS

WB WB Font (18 dots W x 30 dots H)
WL WL Font (28 dot W x 52 dots H)
XB XB Font (48 dots W x 48 dots H) Univers Condensed Bold
XL XL Font (48 dot 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

DOWNLOADABLE FONTS

TrueType Fonts w ith Optional Memory Card

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

All specifications subject to change without notice.

SATOM-8400RV9001041Rev.DPage1-5

Section 1 . Printer Overview

BAR CODES

SPECIFICATION M-8400RV

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
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 or .PCX

formats

Form Overlay Form overlay for high-speed editing of complex formats.

All specifications subject to change without notice.

Page1-69001041Rev.DSATOM-8400RV

PHYSICAL

SPECIFICATION M-8400RV

DIMENSIONS

Wide 10.4 in. (265 mm)
Deep 17.1 in. (435 mm)

High 13.4 in. (341 mm)
WEIGHT 39.6 lbs (18 Kg)
POWER REQUIREMENTS

Section 1. Printer Overview

Voltage

Power Consumption 50W Idle

ENVIRONMENTAL

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

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

Operating Humidity 15-85 % RH, non-condensing

Storage Humidity Max 90% RH, non-condensing

Electrostatic Discharge 8KV
REGULATORY APPROVALS

Safety UL, CSA

RFI/EMI FCC Class A

All specifications subject to change without notice.

100-115V,±10 % (Default Setting)

220V , ±10 %

50/60 Hz, ±1%

130W Operating

SATOM-8400RV9001041Rev.DPage1-7

Section 1 . Printer Overview

OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES

ACCESSORY M-8400RV

MEMORY EXPANSION Two slots for PCMCIA Memory Cards (up to 2MB each). Can be used

for graphic file storage, print buffer expansion, format storage and
downloaded TrueType fonts.

CALENDAR An internally mounted Date/Time clock that can be used to date/time

stamp labels at the time of printing.

LABEL CUTTER An internally mounted attachment allowing labels to be cut at

specified intervals. Controlled through programming.

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

immediate (on demand) application. Backing is not rewound.
LABEL REWINDER External option that rewinds labels onto a roll after they are printed.
COAX/TWINAX INTERFACE Coax/Twinax adapter card must be installed. 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. Allows the Centronics interface

to remain operational.

All specifications subject to change without notice.

Page1-89001041Rev.DSATOM-8400RV

INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION

INTRODUCTION

This section is provided to assist you in taking the M-8400RV 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

• Operator Panel

• Printer Configuration

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 2-1

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

UNPACKING AND PARTS IDENTIFICATION

Consider the following when unpacking the printer:

• The box should stay right-side up.

• 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 powering it on.

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

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

NOTE: The following illustrations are representative only. Your printer may not be
packed exactly as shown here, but the unpacking steps are similar.

M-8400RV Packing

Page 2-29001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

Verify that you have the following materials when unpacking:

• Printer

• Power Cord

• Extra Ribbon Core

• Operator’s and Technical Reference Manual

Printer

Operator Manual

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

there is enough room at the top and right-hand (facing the printer) side to
provide clearance for the label access door to swing open.

Power Cable

Extra Ribbon Core

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

distance for RS232 cables is 50 feet and six feet for Centronics Parallel
cables. Cables can be purchased locally, and their configuration will depend
upon the host system being used.

• For information on interfacing the printer to a host system, see

Section 5: Interface Specifications.

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 2-3

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

Top Access

Door

LCD

Display

DIP Switch

Cover

Power Switch

Ribbon Rewind

Spindle

Ribbon Supply

Spindle

Side Access

Door

Label Roll Retainer

Label Supply Spindle

Label Guide

Print Head

Head Latch

Platen

Page 2-49001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

LOADING LABELS, TAGS AND RIBBON

LOADING LABELS OR TAGS

1. Open the Top Access Door by

swinging it up and to the left. Open
the Side Access Door by
swinging it to the rear of the
printer.

2. Open the Print Head Assembly by
pushing the Head Latch toward
the rear of the printer. The Print
Head Assembly is spring-loaded
and will automatically open as
soon as the Head Latch is
disengaged.

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

Top Access Door

Side Access

Door

Label Roll

Retainer

Print Head

3. Loosen the Label Edge Guide and
push it to the outside of the printer
to give the maximum label width.

4. Remove the Label Roll Retainer.

Sensor

Assembly

Head Latch

Label Hold Down

Label
Edge

Guide

Label Guide

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 2-5

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

5. If using roll labels (or tags), load the

roll onto the Label Supply
Spindle so that the printing side
of the labels faces upwards as it
unwinds from the roll. The labels
should be wound face-in. Push the
roll all the way to the inside of the
printer and push the Label Roll
Retainer snugly against the
outside of the label roll.

6. If using fanfold labels (or tags) set
them on a flat surface behind the
printer. Pass the labels (printing
side up) through the slot in the
rear of the printer.

7. Make sure the labels are routed
under the Label Guide and
through the Sensor Assembly.

Label Roll

Label Roll Retainer

8. Open the Label Hold-Down by
squeezing the green tab and the
release tab together. The Label
Hold Down is spring loaded and
will open automatically when the
latch is disengaged. Feed the
labels under the Label Guide,
under the Label Hold Down,
through the Sensor Assembly
and out the front of the printer.

9. Inspect the label routing and verify
that the path matches that
illustrated in the Label Loading
diagram. Set the Adjustable
Label Guide to keep the labels
against the inside of the printer.

10. Close the Label Hold-Down by
pushing downward on the green
tab until it latches closed.

Print

Head

Label

Guide

NOTE: If the Label Dispenser option has been purchased, see Appendix D, for
proper label routing instructions.

Page 2-69001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

Inside Label

Edge Guides

Sensor

Assembly

Label Hold

Down

Sensor Positioning

Adjustment

11. Adjust the outside Label Edge
Guide until it touches the outside

edge of the label and tighten the
thumb screw. Make sure the labels
are also touching the inside edge
guides.

Adjustable Label

Edge Guide

Route under
Label Guide

CAUTION: Using media narrower
than the maximum print width may
cause excess head wear due to the
label edge. See page 2-9 for
precautions.

12. If the ribbon is already loaded,
close the Print Head by rotating
the black Head Latch toward the
front of the printer until it latches
closed.

13. If the ribbon is not loaded, see the
following description for loading
instructions.

14. Close both the Access Doors.

Head Latch

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 2-7

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

LOADING THE RIBBON

Ribbon Rewind

Spindle

Head Latch

Dispensed

Labels

Label

Backing

Sensor

Assembly

Ribbon Path

Label Hold

Down

Ribbon Roll

Label Path

1. Open the Top Access Door by

swinging it up and to the left and
the Side Access Door by
swinging it toward the rear of the

Top Access Door

Side

Access

Door

printer.

2. Open the Print Head by rotating
the Head Latch toward the rear
of the printer. The Print Head is
spring-loaded and will
automatically open as soon as the
Head Latch is disengaged.

3. Locate the Extra Ribbon Core
supplied with the printer. Place the core on the Ribbon Rewind Spindle,
pushing it all the way to the inside of the spindle. Note that the new empty core of

each subsequent roll becomes the next rewind core.

4. Load the ribbon onto the Ribbon Supply Spindle, also pushing it all the way to
the inside of the spindle. The dull side of the ribbon should be facing down as it
travels through the Print Head Assembly.

5. Feed the leader portion of the ribbon through the Print Head Assembly and up
to the Ribbon Rewind Spindle following the routing shown in the diagram.

Page 2-89001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

6. Load the ribbon behind and over

the top of the Ribbon Rewind

Tape

Spindle and tape it to the Extra
Ribbon Core. Make sure it

matches the ribbon path shown in
the diagram.

Ribbon

Core

7. Manually turn the Rewind
Spindle to wrap the ribbon onto

the core one to two turns to
secure it.

Ribbon
Rewind
Spindle

8. If the labels or tags are already loaded, close the Print Head Assembly by

pushing downward on the green tab until it latches closed.

NOTE: Run a test print to ensure that the labels and ribbons were loaded correctly.
See the “User Test Print” section of this chapter on page 2-30 for instructions on
how to run test prints.

CAUTION: If your labels are less than the full width of the print head, the outside
edge will eventually wear out a small portion of the print head, resulting in an area
that will not print. Special care must be taken if you plan to use multiple widths of
labels, since the damaged portion of the print head caused from edge wear on a
more narrow label may affect the printing on a wider label. We suggest you plan
your print formats carefully to avoid using the area of possible damage on the print
head when using a wider label. The small area of damage will have no effect on
printing with the undamaged part of the print head.

Damage from a label edge is physical damage and is unavoidable. It is not covered
by warranty. It is possible to delay such damage by always ensuring that the ribbon
used is wider than the label stock. This will help to protect the print head from label
edge damage.

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 2-9

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

OPERATOR PANEL

LCD

DISPLAY PANEL

LINE

POWER
LABEL
RIBBON
ERROR

ON LINE

DSW2DSW1 DSW3

FEED

PRINT
OFFSET

PITCH
DISPLAY

The M-8400RV Operator Panel consists of five LED indicators, two momentary
contact switches, three DIP switches, four adjustment potentiometers and one LCD
Display. All of these are accessible from the front of the printer. They are used to set
the printer operating parameters and to indicate the status of the printer to the
operator. After you power on the printer, familiarize yourself with the keys and
indicators as it will help you understand the configuration process.

PRINT: Potentiometer to adjust print darkness (fine tuning).
OFFSET: Potentiometer to adjust amount of back/forward feed

for dispenser/cutter/tear-off bar position (+/-3.75 mm)

PITCH: Potentiometer to adjust home position of the label

(+/- 3.75 mm). Affects stop position of label feed, print
position and dispense position.

DISPLAY: Potentiometer to adjust the contrast of the LCD.
POWER: LED, illuminated when the power is on.
LABEL: LED, illuminated when label supply is out.

Page 2-109001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

RIBBON: LED, illuminated when ribbon motion sensor does not

detect any ribbon motion (ribbon out).

ERROR: LED, illuminated when there is a system fault such as

an open print head.

ON LINE: LED, illuminated when printer is ready to receive data.

It is turned on and off by toggling the LINE key.

LINE: Momentary switch. Pressing this key toggles the

printer between the on-line and off-line mode. When
the printer is on-line, it is ready to receive data from
the host. This key acts as a pause during a print job by
taking the printer off-line. It can also be used as a

Pause

function key to stop the printer during the

printing process.

FEED: Momentary switch. Pressing this key feeds one blank

label through the printer when it is off-line. When the
printer is on-line, another copy of the last label will be
printed.

DSW: DIP switch array to set operational parameters of the

printer.

LCD: 2 Line x 16 Character LCD display. Used for setting

operational parameters of the printer and displaying
error conditions.

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 2-11

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

REAR PANEL

AC Input: Input 115V 50/60 Hz connector. Use the cable

AC Fuse: Input power protection. Type 3A/250V.
Serial Interface: RS232C serial port connector, DB-25P.
Parallel Interface: Centronics parallel port connector, AMP 57-40360.
Memory Card Slot: Two connectors for optional PCMCIA Memory Cards.

EXT: External signal connector, AMP 57-60140.
DC 5V: Power for accessory items.

provided.

(Inside Side Cover)

Fan-Fold

Access

Panel

AC Connector

+5V

Connector

EXT Port

Connector

Parallel Port

Connector

Serial Port Connector

Fuse

Page 2-129001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

SWITCHES AND SENSORS

Ribbon End Sensor: This sensor is a motion detector that signals the printer

Head Open Switch: When the print head is opened, this switch is activated

Label Sensor Unit: This sensor unit contains two types of sensors, one for

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

when the ribbon supply is turning.

and the printer will stop printing.

label gap and one for Eye-Mark sensing. The sensors
are adjustable over a limited range.

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 2-13

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

LABEL SENSOR ADJUSTMENT

The Label Sensor Assembly can be positioned to match the location of the label
registration hole/gap/edge. The diagram below illustrates the relative position of
each sensor along the Label Sensor Unit and its range of movement. To position the
sensors, use the adjustment knob located outside and below the print head assembly.

Eye-Mark
on bottom

of liner

Reflective Sensor

14mm

min

Reflective

7mm to 54 mm

Label Gap

17mm to 64mm

Label Gap Sensor

The range of sensor adjustment can be
increased to allow the Gap sensor to be
positioned as close as 3mm from the inside label
edge. Contact SATO for information on how to
make this modification.

Page 2-149001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

PRINTER DIP SWITCH CONFIGURATION

DIP Switch Panels

There are three DIP switches (DSW1, DSW2 and DSW3) located underneath a
snap-on cover on the front panel. These switches can be used to set:

• RS232C transmit/receive parameters

• Thermal transfer or direct thermal mode

• Label sensor enable/disable

• Head check mode

• Hex dump mode

• Receive buffer size

• Operation mode

Each switch is an eight section “toggle” switch. The ON position is always to the top.
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.

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

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

DSW1-1 SETTING

Off 8 data bits
On 7 data bits

ON

OFF

12345678

Parity Selection (DSW1-2, DSW1-3). These switches select the type of parity

used for error detection.

DSW1-2 DSW1-3 SETTING

Off Off No Parity
Off On Even
On Off Odd
On On Not Used

ON

OFF

12345678

DSW1

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

ON

OFF

12345678

DSW1

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 2-15

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

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 4800
On On 2400

Protocol Selection (DSW1-7, DSW1-8). Selects the flow control and status

reporting protocols. See Section 5: Interface Specifications for more information.

DSW1

ON

OFF

12345678

DSW1-7 DSW1-8 SETTING

Off Off Rdy/Bsy
Off On Xon/Xoff
On Off Bi-Com
On On Not Used

ON

OFF

12345678

DSW1

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

ON

OFF

12345678

DSW2

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

reflective Eye-Mark detector. See page 2-16 for the location of these sensors.

DSW2-2 SETTING

Off Gap
On Eye-Mark

ON

OFF

12345678

DSW2

Head Check Selection (DSW2-3). When selected, the printer will check for head

elements that are electrically malfunctioning.

DSW2

DSW2-3 SETTING

Off Disabled
On Enabled

ON

OFF

12345678

Hex Dump Selection (DSW2-4). Selects Hex Dump mode (see page 2-35).

DSW2-4 SETTING

Off Disabled
On Enabled

Page 2-169001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

ON

OFF

12345678

DSW2

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

Receive Buffer Selection(DSW2-5). Selects the operating mode of the receive
buffer. See Section 5: Interface Specifications for more information.

DSW2-5 SETTING

Off Single Job
On Multi Job

ON

OFF

12345678

DSW2

Protocol Code Selection (DSW2-7). Selects the command codes used for
protocol control. Refer to Appendix E for more information.

DSW2-7 SETTING

Off Standard
On Non-Std

ON

OFF

12345678

DSW2

M84XX Emulation Mode (DSW2-8). For emulating M-8400 software. Should be
used only if problems are encountered when using existing M-8400 software.

DSW2-8 SETTING

Off Off
On M-8400

ON

OFF

12345678

DSW2

Mode Selection (DSW3-1 and DSW3-2). Selects the operating mode of the
printer. Batch/Continuous disables the label taken (dispense option) sensor.

DSW3-1 DSW3-2 SETTING

Off Off Batch/Continuous
Off On Tear Off
On Off Cutter
On On Dispenser

ON

OFF

12345678

DSW3

Label Sensor Selection (DSW3-3). Enables or disables the Label Pitch Sensor. If
the Sensor is enabled, it will detect the edge of the label and position it
automatically. If it is disabled, the positioning must be under software control using
Line Feed commands for continuous media printing.

DSW3-3 SETTING

Off Sensor Used
On Not Used

ON

OFF

12345678

DSW3

Back-Feed Selection (DSW3-4). When Back-Feed is enabled, the printer will
position the label for dispensing/cutting and retract it before printing the next label.
See page 2-34 for information on setting the amount of offset.

DSW3

DSW3-4 SETTING

Off Enabled
On Disabled

ON

OFF

12345678

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 2-17

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

External Signal Interface. See Section 5: Interface Specifications for information

on the External Signals.

EXT Print Start Signal Selection (DSW3-5). Allows an external device to

initiate a label print. See page 5-10 for a description of signal requirements.

DSW3-5 SETTING

Off Disabled
On Enabled

ON

OFF

12345678

DSW3

Note: This switch must be in the On position if a VeriScan is used to control the
printer via the EXT connector.

External Signal Type Selection (DSW3-6, DSW3-7). Selects the type of

output signal. See page 5-11 for a definition of signal types.

DSW3-6 DSW3-7 SETTING

Off Off Type 4
Off On Type 3
On Off Type 2
On On Type 1

ON

OFF

12345678

DSW3

Repeat Print via External Signal (DSW3-8). Allows an external device to
control the reprint of the label in the print buffer. See page 5-11 for a description of
the signal requirements.

DSW3-8 SETTING

Off Disabled
On Enabled

ON

OFF

12345678

DSW3

Reserved for Future Use (DSW2-6)

Note: The Centronics (Parallel) communications port on the M-8400RV is always
enabled regardless of the settings for the RS232 port. There are no settings for
Centronics! Both the Centronics and RS232 ports are active at all times. Care
should be taken to ensure that data is not transmitted to both ports simultaneously
as the received message will be corrupted.

Default Settings

Switch Selections - All switches are placed in the Off position (default) for shipping.
This will result in the following operating configuration:

Page 2-189001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

Communications:
Protocol:
Sensor:
Receive Buffer:
Mode:
Label Sensor:
Backfeed:
External Signals:

Software Default Settings - The printer stores any software settings upon receipt from
the host and uses them until they are again changed by receipt of a command
containing a new setting. These settings are stored in non-volatile RAM and are not
affected by powering the printer off. The printer may be reset to use the default
software settings by depressing the LINE and FEED keys simultaneously while
powering the printer on. This will result in the following default configuration:

Parameter Default Settings

Print Darkness “3”
Print Speed 6 in. per sec.
Print Reference Vertical = 0001, Horizontal = 0001
Zero Slash

8 data bits, no parity, 1 Stop bit, 9600 Baud
Ready/Busy
Gap Sensor
Single Job
Batch/continuous
Sensor Used
Disabled
Disabled

Auto On Line Enabled

Once the default operation is completed, a “SATO DEFAULT COMPLETED” message
will be displayed on the LCD panel and a single “beep” will be heard. The printer
should be powered off while this message is being displayed. This saves the default
settings in the EEPROM where they will be automatically loaded the next time the
printer is powered on.

PRINTER ADJUSTMENTS

The LCD Panel on the M-8400RV is used in conjunction with the LINE and FEED
switches by the operator to manually enter printer configuration settings. Many of the
settings can also be controlled via software commands and in the case of conflict
between software and control panel settings, the printer will always use the last valid
setting. If you load a label job that includes software settings and then enter a new
setting via the Operation Panel, the manually set values will be used by the printer. If
you set the values manually and then download a job with software settings, the
software settings will be used.

SATO DEFAULT
COMPLETED

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 2-19

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

POWER ON

Normal/User Mode

POWER

Print Test Labels

POWER + FEED

Advanced Mode Settings and Adjustments

POWER + LINE

ON LINE

QTY:000000

Page 2-28

USER TEST PRINT

LARGE SMALL

Page 2-21

ADVANCED MODE

SETUP

Page 2-30

Load SATO Default Settings

POWER + FEED + LINE

Download User Defined Protocol Codes

POWER + LINE + DSW2-7=ON

Reset to SATO Default Protocol Codes

POWER + LINE + FEED + DSW2-7=ON

Print Hex Dump Label

POWER , then DSW2-4=ON

SATO DEFAULT
COMPLETED

Page 2-19

USER DOWNLOAD

Page E-2

ALT PROTOCOL
DEFAULT COMPLETE

Page E-2

Print Buffer

Hex Dump Label

Page 2-35

Print Hex Dump Label

POWER + DSW2-4=ON

Page 2-209001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

Receive Buffer

Hex Dump Label

Page 2-35

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

Normal Mode

When the printer is powered on, the readout should display the following message:

ON LINE

QTY:000000

The LCD Panel will display the Online status on the top line of the display. The
bottom line will contain the label quantity (QTY) status. The ON LINE message will
be changed to OFF LINE whenever the printer is switched offline by depresing the
LINE key. As soon as a print job is received, the QTY message will indicate the
number of labels to be printed. As soon as the label job begins to print, the display
will indicate the number of labels remaining in the print job that remain to be printed.

User Mode

To enter the USER mode:

1. The printer is first taken offline by pressing the LINE key once. The display will

change to:

OFF LINE

000000

2. When the display changes to OFF LINE, press the FEED and LINE keys

simultaneoulsy for more than one second.

The printer now displays the first USER mode adjustment (Print Darkness).

Print Darkness Setting

There are five Darkness (or heat range) settings on M-8400RV. The higher numbers
represent darker settings. The current setting is indicated by an underline under one
of the range settings. To change the setting:

PRINT DARKNESS

12

1. Use the LINE key to step the underline cursor to the desired setting.

2. Once the correct setting is underlined, press the FEED key to accept the setting and

advance to the next adjustment.

345

Note: This setting can be overriden by software (see Print Darkness Page 4-56).

After setting the heat range with this command, finer adjustments can be made using
the PRINT potentiometer adjustment on the Adjustment panel. See Section 3:
CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE, for additional information on how to make this
adjustment for optimum print quality.

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 2-21

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

Print Speed Adjustment

There are five SPEED settings on the M-8400RV. The setting is listed on the bottom
line of the display. The current setting is indicated by an underline under one of the
speed settings. To change the setting:

PRINT SPEED

12345

DSW2-8 OFF DSW2-8 ON

Print Speed

Setting

1. Use the LINE key to step the underline cursor to the desired speed setting.

2. Once the correct setting is underlined, press the FEED key to accept the setting and

advance to the next adjustment.

Note: This setting can be overriden by software (see Print Speed, Page 4-62).

See Section 3: CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE, for additional information on how to
make this adjwill cause the jmum print quality.

Pitch Offset and Direction

The label Pitch is the distance from the leading edge (the edge that comes out of the
printer first) of a label and the leading edge of the next label. The leading edge
position of the label can be adjusted relative to the print head +/- 49 mm in
increments of 1 mm using the following procedure. Once the position is set, it can be
adjusted +/- 3.75mm using the PITCH potentiomenter on the Adjustment panel (see
page 2-33).

1 = 2 ips
2 = 4 ips
3 = 6 ips
4 = 8 ips

5 = 10 ips

1 = 2 ips
2 = 3 ips
3 = 4 ips
4 = 5 ips
5 = 6 ips

ABCDEFG

ABCDEFG

Sensor Position

Label Feed Direction

Page 2-229001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

ABCDEFG

Must be moved
with Minus (-)
Offset to print
on leading
edge of label

Leading Edge of Label as
detected by the sensor

Original First
Line Print
Position

Moved with
Positive (+) Offset
to print on trailing
edge of label

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

PITCH DIRECTION

+-

1. Use the LINE key to step the underline cursor to either the positive (+) or negative

(-) selection. A positive selection increases the label pitch while a negative
selection decreases the label pitch.

2. Once the correct setting is underlined, pressing the FEED key will accept the

setting and advance to the Pitch Offset adjustment.

PITCH OFFSET

+0

0mm

3. Use the LINE key to step the counter to the desired position. The display will
increment one step for each time the LINE key is pressed. If the LINE key is held
pressed for more than two seconds, it will automatically go into the fast scroll
mode. The reading will advance to a setting of 49 mm after which it will
automatically wrap and start at “00” again. The Pitch Direction set in the previous
step will be displayed in front of the Offset setting.

4. Once the setting is correct, pressing the FEED key will accept the setting and
advance to the Cancel Print Job display.

5. You may wish to check your settings by printing a test label after you have
completed the adjustments to ensure that they are correct. See Page 2-30 for
instructions on how to print a test label.

Cancel Print Job

If the printer has a print job(s) loaded in memory, selecting YES will cause the job(s)
to be cleared. The default selection is NO. Make sure that you want to cancel the
print job before selecting YES as the job cannot be recovered and will have to be
retransmitted to the printer.

CANCEL PRINT

NO YES

1. Use the LINE key to step the underline cursor to either the YES or NO selection.

2. Once the correct setting is underlined, pressing the FEED key will accept the
setting and terminate the User Mode of operation and return you to the Normal
Mode OFF LINE display.

If you wish to change any of the settings, you must enter the User Mode again by
simultaneously pressing FEED and LINE keys for more than one second.

Advanced Mode Settings and Adjustments

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 2-23

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

An Advanced Mode is provided to make adjustments that require only occasional
adjustments. Since they affect the basic operation of the printer, the procedure for
entering this mode is designed to prevent someone from accidently changing the
settings.

To enter the Advanced Mode, the printer is powered on while pressing the LINE
key. The printer will “beep” one time and display the first configuration selection on
the LCD panel.

From the Advanced Mode display, the Advanced settings are accessed in sequence by
pressing the FEED key.

Zero Slash Setting

This setting determines if a zero is printed with a slash or without a slash. This setting
can also be controlled via software commands. When YES is selected, the U, S, M,
WB, WL, XU, XS, XM, XB, XL and vector fonts will have a slash through the center of
the zero character.

ZERO SLASH

YES NO

1. Use the LINE key to step the underline cusor to either the YES or NO selection.

2. Once the correct setting is underlined, pressing the FEED key will accept the

setting and advance the display to the Auto Online display.

Auto Online Setting

This setting determines the mode in which the printer powers up. If the YES selection
is made, the printer powers up in the ON LINE mode and is ready to print. If NO is
selected, the printer powers up in the OFF LINE mode and must be manually placed
in the ON LINE mode by pressing the LINE key before it is ready to print.

AUTO ONLINE

YES NO

1. Use the LINE key to step the underline to either the YES or NO selection.

2. Once the correct setting is underlined, pressing the FEED key will accept the

setting and advance the display to the Vertical Offset display.

Vertical Offset Setting

Vertical Offset is the distance down from the leading edge (the edge of the label that
comes out of the printer first) to the first vertical print position. It is always a positive
setting since making it negative would move it up and off the printable label. This
setting changes the base reference point for all subsequent label jobs. It’s effect is
identical to the <ESC>A3 Base Reference point command (see Page 4-19). Since the
printer moves the label in discrete steps equal to the size of the print dot, the units of

Page 2-249001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

measure for Vertical Offset distance is dots. The maximum value that can be set is
1424(2848 in Expanded mode).

VERT. OFFSET

V:000

Note: This setting can be overriden by the Base Reference Point Command, Page
4-19).

1. Use the LINE key to step the counter to the desired setting. The display will
increment one step for each time the LINE key is pressed. If the LINE key is held
pressed for more than two seconds, it will automatically go into the fast scroll
mode. The reading will advance to the maximum setting (the maximum vertical
offset) after which it will automatically wrap and start at “0000” again.

2. Once the setting is correct, pressing the FEED key will accept the setting and
advance to the Horizontal Direction display.

Note: The printers will not “wrap” images that extend beyond the print area. Any
part of the image that extends beyond the print area will be truncated.

Horizontal Offset and Direction

Horizontal Offset is the distance that the label image is shifted either to the right or
left on the label. The image is shifted to the left (towards the inside edge of the label)
for a positive setting and it is shifted to the right (towards the outside edge of the
label) for a negative setting. This setting changes the base reference point for all
subsequent label jobs. It’s effect is identical to the <ESC>A3 Base Reference point
command (see Page 4-19)Since the printer can only print in discrete steps equal to
the size of the print dot, the units of measure for the Horizontal Offset distance is
dots.

0

Note: This setting can be overriden by the Base Reference Point Command, Page
5-19).

HOR. DIRECTION

+-

1. Use the LINE key to step the underline to either the positive (+) or negative (-)
selection. A positive selection increases moves the horizontal reference point for
the label to the right edge of the label, towards the outside, while a negative
selection moves the horizontal reference point for the label to the left, towards
the inside of the printer.

2. Once the correct direction setting is underlined, pressing the FEED key will accept
the setting and advance to the Horizontal Offset adjustment.

HOR. OFFSET

H+ 000

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 2-25

0

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

3. Use the LINE key to step the counter to the desired setting. The display will
increment one step for each time the LINE key is pressed. If the LINE key is held
pressed for more than two seconds, it will automatically go into the fast scroll
mode. The reading will advance to the maximum setting (the maximum
Horizontal Offset is 832) after which it will automatically wrap and start at “000”
again. The Horizontal Direction set in the previous step will be displayed in front
of the Offset setting.

Note: The M-8400RV printer will not “wrap” images that extend beyond the
print area. Any part of the image that extends beyond the print area will be
truncated.

4. Once the setting is correct, pressing the FEED key will accept the setting and
advance to the Sensor Threshold display.

ABCDEFG

Original Print
Line Position

Moved with both

ABCDEFG

Vertical and (+)
Horizontal Offset

Inside Label Edge

Label Feed Direction

Sensor Threshold Level

The M-8400RV printer determines the location of the leading edge of the label by
measuring the difference between light levels when it sees either a label edge or a
black “EYE” mark. This adjustment allows you to manually set the threshold voltage
level, between the maximum and minimum light levels. DIP switch DSW2-2 selects
the sensor type. If DSW2-2 is in the OFF position, the setting will be for a See-Thru
(or Gap) sensor and the LCD will display “GAP” on the top line along with the
current setting. If DSW2-2 is in the ON position, the LCD will display “EYE” on the
top line with its current setting. If the value entered for the bottom line setting is
“0.0V”, then the printer will automatically calculate the setting when the first label is
fed after the printer is powered on or the head is closed. There are some instances
where the automatically calculated value must be adjusted to ensure reliable label

Page 2-269001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

feeding, such as when the backing opacity or the reflectance of the EYE mark varies
significantly within a roll of labels or between label rolls. In these instances the value
should be set using the following procedures.

GAP (X.XV)
INPUT (X.

GAP - When setting the “gap” threshold, the voltage shown on the top line of the

display must be measured with nothing but the backing in the sensor and then again
with a label still attached to the backing. The formula to be used for setting the
threshold is:

(High Voltage Level + Low Voltage Level) x 0.5 = Start Value

1. Insert a label still attached to the backing into the sensor (see page 2-14 for
location of the sensors) and close the Label Hold-Down. Record the voltage
shown on the top line of the LCD panel. This line should have the message “GAP”
on the top line (DIP switch DSW2-2 = OFF). Make sure the label is all the way
under the sensor.

2. Strip the label from the backing and insert the backing strip under the sensor and
close the Label Hold-Down. Record the voltage shown on the top line of the LCD
panel. The voltage ranges measured should be within the following ranges:

Backing with Label Label Backing Only

2.0V to 3.5V Less than 1.0V

XV)

If the measured values are outside this range, you may have trouble in finding a value
that will work properly under all conditions. If this is the case, a higher quality
label material may be needed to get adequate performance.

3. Calculate the starting point voltage using the formula shown above.

4. Use the LINE key to step the counter to the desired setting. The display will
increment one step for each time the LINE key is pressed. If the LINE key is held
pressed for more than two seconds, it will automatically go into the fast scroll
mode. The reading will advance to a setting of 4.9 (the maximum voltage) after
which it will automatically wrap and start at “0.0” again. If a value of “0.0” is set,
the printer will automatically set the level half way between the two measured
voltages each time the printer is powered on with labels loaded.

5. Once the setting is correct, pressing the FEED key will accept the setting and
advance to the Calendar Set display.

6. Repeat this procedure using values slightly higher or lower until the optimum
performance is obtained. If you cannot find a setting between the high and low
readings that gives adequate performance, then the label stock has too much
variation in its opacity and a better quality stock should be used.

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 2-27

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

EYE - When setting the “eye” threshold, the voltage must be measured with nothing

but the label under the sensor and then again with the printed “eye” mark under the
sensor. The formula for this is:

(High Voltage Level + Low Voltage Level) x 0.5 = Start Value

1. Insert a label into the sensor (see Section 3: Cleaning and Maintenance for location
of the sensors) and close the Label Hold-Down. Make sure the printed “eye” mark
is not under the sensor. Record the voltage shown on the top line of the LCD
panel. This line should have the message “EYE” on the top line (DIP switch
DSW2-2 = ON).

2. Now pull the label forward until the “eye” mark is positioned under the sensor (the
voltage reading should be at its highest point). Record the voltage shown on the
top line of the LCD panel. The voltage ranges measured should be within the
following ranges:

Label Only Eye Mark

Less than 1.0V 2.5V to 3.5V

If the measured values are outside this range, you may have trouble in finding a value
that will work properly under all conditions. If this is the case, a higher quality
label may be needed to get adequate performance.

3. Calculate the starting point voltage using the formula.

4. Use the LINE key to step the counter to the desired setting. The display will
increment one step for each time the LINE key is pressed. If the LINE key is held
pressed for more than two seconds, it will automatically go into the fast scroll
mode. The reading will advance to a setting of 4.9 (the maximum voltage) after
which it will automatically wrap and start at “0.0” again. If a value of “0.0” is set,
the printer will automatically set the level each time the printer is powered on
with labels loaded or the head is closed.

5. Once the setting is correct, pressing the FEED key will accept the setting and
advance to the Calendar Set display.

6. Repeat this procedure using values slightly higher or lower until the value that
gives adequate performance is found. If adequate performance cannot be
obtained, then the label stock or printed “Eye” mark has too much variation in its
reflectance and a better quality stock should be used.

Calendar Set

If the Calendar Option is installed in the printer, the date and time can be set
manually using the LCD Display or via the <ESC>WT Calendar Set command (see
Page 4-80). The last setting, set either manually via software command, received by
the printer will be the value used.

CALENDAR ENABLED

NO YES

Page 2-289001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

To enable the Calendar feature (if installed) press the LINE key until the underline
cursor is beneath the YES. If the Calendar feature is to be disabled, press the LINE
key until the underline cursor is beneath the NO. When the desired setting is
selected, press the FEED key.

The format of the display is YY/MM/DD hh:mm (Year/Month/Day/hours:minutes).
The date format is fixed and cannot be changed.

CALENDAR
00/00/00 00:00

1. Year - The first display shown will have the two digit year selection underlined. You
can scroll through the dates by pressing the LINE key. The year number will
increase by one each time the LINE key is pressed until it reaches its maximum
legal value (i.e., “99” for the year digits) at which point it will wrap around to the
“00” setting.

2. Month - After you have set the correct year, pressing the FEED key will advance
the underline cursor to the two digit Month position. You can scroll through the
numbers corresponding to the month by pressing the LINE key. The month
number will increase by one each time the LINE key is pressed until it reaches a
value of “12” at which point it will wrap around to the “01” setting.

3. Day - After you have set the correct month, pressing the FEED key will advance the
underline cursor to the two digit Day position. You can scroll through the
numbers corresponding to the month date by pressing the LINE key. The date
number will increase by one each time the LINE key is pressed until it reaches a
value of “31” at which point it will wrap around to the “01” setting.

4. Hour - After you have set the correct date, pressing the FEED key will advance the
underline cursor to the two digit Hour position. You can scroll through the
numbers corresponding to the hour (using a 24 hour clock) by pressing the LINE
key. The hour number will increase by one each time the LINE key is pressed
until it reaches a value of “24” at which point it will wrap around to the “01”
setting.

5. Minute- After you have set the correct hour, pressing the FEED key will advance
the underline cursor to the two digit Minute position. You can scroll through the
numbers corresponding to the hour by pressing the LINE key. The minute
number will increase by one each time the line key is pressed until it reaches a
value of “60” at which point it will wrap around to the “01” setting.

6. After you have set the calendar, pressing the FEED key will accept the setting and
advance to the CR/LF display.

Ignore CR/LF

This selection tells the printer to strip out all carriage return/line feed pairs (CRLF )
from the data stream, including graphics and 2D bar codes. It is used primrily to
maintain compatibility with earlier models of SATO printers.

1. Use the LINE key to step the underline cusor to either the YES or NO selection.

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 2-29

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

IGNORE CR/LF

2. Once the correct setting is underlined, pressing the FEED key will accept the

setting and advance the display to the Print Darkeness display.

Print Darkness Type

This selection provides a dual level heat control. The normal setting is Type 1 which
provides head energy control for normal label printing, such as typical shipping
labels. The Type 2 selection provides better control of the head heat for high print
density labels.

print darkness

YES NO

type

1. Use the LINE key to step the underline cusor to either the “1” or “2” selection.

2. Once the correct setting is underlined, pressing the FEED key will accept the

setting and advance the display to the Exit Advanced Mode display.

Exit Advanced Mode

1

EXIT advanced MODE

NO YES

1. Use the LINE key to step the underline cusor to either the YES or NO selection.

2. Once the correct setting is underlined, pressing the FEED key will accept the

setting. If you selected No, the display will return to the initial Advanced Mode
Setup display.

3. If you selected Yes, the printer will return to the normal OFFLINE mode.

Advanced Mode Counters

The Advanced Counters Mode is provided for reading and clearing internal counters.
These counters allow the user to keep track of the number of centimeters of label
material that has passed through the printer, how many labels have been dispensed
or how many lables have been cut. The Advanced Mode Counters in entered by
pressing the LINE key once.

advanced mode

Counters

The Counters display allows you to select the counter to be viewed or cleared.

Page 2-309001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

COUNTERs

hd dsp cut life

The counters are identified in the display as:

HD: Head Counter
DSP: Dispense Counter
CUT: Cutter Counter
LIFE: Life Counter

1. Use the LINE key to select the counter to be accessed, the Head (HD) counter,
Dispenser (DSP) counter or the CUT (Cutter) counter. Use the FEED key to
display the values stored for that particular counter.

HEAD COUNTER

0.0

2. Pressing the FEED key again will bring up the counter Clear display. To clear the
counter, press the FEED key until the underline cursor is beneath the YES. If you
do not want to clear the counter, press the LINE key until the underline cursor is
beneath the NO. Pressing the FEED key will clear the selected counter if YES was
chosen and bring you to the Exit Advanced Mode Setup display. Note that the
LIFE counter cannot be cleared.

HEAD CNTR CLEAR

NO YES

Exit Mode

This allows you to exit the Advanced Mode or to recycle through the selections again.

1. Use the LINE key to step the underline cursor to either the YES or NO selection.
The default position is NO.

2. Once the correct setting is underlined, pressing the FEED key will advance the
display to the OFF LINE mode if YES was underlined or back to the Zero Slash
display if NO was selected.

USER TEST PRINT

This option allows you to print a test label. It is recommended that you print a test
label after you have changed any of the settings in the Advanced Mode. The test label
allows you to verify that you indeed did make the desired changes. To enter the User
Test Print Mode, power the printer on while pressing the FEED key. The printer will
“beep.” Release the FEED key and the printer will display the following message on
the LCD panel:

1. Use the LINE key to step the underline cursor to either the LARGE or SMALL

selection. If LARGE is underlined, a label will be printed for a maximum width label.
The default position is LARGE.

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 2-31

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

USER TEST PRINT

LARGE SMALL

If LARGE was selected, a label containing a head check pattern and the current
printer setting information will be printed.

2. Once the desired label size setting is underlined, pressing the FEED key will cause

a label to be printed if LARGE was underlined. If SMALL was underlined, the
display will advance to the Print Size display.

Print Size

If SMALL was selected, the Print Size message will be displayed. You must enter the
size of the label. The minimum label size that can be selected is 4 cm (1.6") and the
maximum size is 10 cm (4").

Pressing the LINE key will increment the setting by 1 cm for each time the key is

pressed. Once the maximum size is reached, the display will wrap arond and start
incrementing at 04 cm again. Once the correct label width is selected, pressing the
FEED key will initiate the print. The SMALL label only contains a head check pattern.

PRINT SIZE

0

4cm

If you wish to pause the printer after its starts to print a test label, press the LINE key
to place it Off Line. Pressing the LINE key again will palce the printer back On Line
and the test label will resume printing. If you wish to stop the test label print, pause
the printer and then turn power off without placing it On Line.

Page 2-329001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

POTENTIOMETER ADJUSTMENTS

PITCH

After the pitch has been set, it is sometimes desirable to make minor adjustments.
This can be done using the PITCH potentiometer on the front panel. This
potentiometer is set at the factory so that it has a range of +/- 3.75 mm. The
midpoint setting should have no effect on the pitch. Turning the potentiometer all the
way clockwise should move the print position 3.75 mm up towards the top edge of
the label. Turning it all the way counterclockwise should move the print position
down 3.75 mm.

1. While depressing the LINE key on the front panel, power the printer on.

2. When you hear one beep from the printer, release the LINE key and the printer
will begin printing Test Labels continuously.

3. Select the a Large or Small label width using the LCD display lanel and the LINE
key. If Small is selected, you must also set the appropriate width. See Page 2-31,
“Print Size.”

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

4. Adjust the PITCH potentiometer on the front panel until the first print position is
at the desired location on the label. If the potentiometer does not have enough
range, then you will have to change the pitch setting using the front panel display.

5. Press the FEED key to stop the printer.

Adjusting the PITCH potentiometer will affect the stop position of the label and the
cut/dispense/tear-off position.

ABCDEFG

ABCDEFG

ABCDEFG

Moved with
Minus (-) Offset

Original Print
Line

Moved with
Positive (+) Offset

Label Feed Direction

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 2-33

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

OFFSET

When the printer is in dispense mode, the Feed Offset is used to correctly position the
label for dispensing/cutting. Once the correct Feed Offset is obtained, the printer will
position the label for dispensing/cutting and then reposition the next label before
printing.

The amount of backfeed is controlled by the OFFSET potentiometer on the front
panel. When turned all the way clockwise, the amount of backfeed adjustment is
+3.75 mm, and -3.75 mm when it is turned all the way counterclockwise.

1. Turn the printer on.

2. Press the LINE key to place the printer in the Off Line condition.

3. Press the FEED key to feed out a blank label.

4. Adjust the position using the OFFSET potentiometer on the front control panel and
feed another label by depressing the FEED key.

5. When the adjustment is correct, turn the printer off.

DISPLAY

This potentiometer is used to adjust the contrast of the LCD display for optimum
viewing under various lighting conditions.

Page 2-349001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

HEX DUMP DIAGNOSTIC LABELS

In addition to the User Test Print Labels (see Page 2-30), the printer contents of the
receive and print buffers can be examined using the Hex Dump Test Labels.

Print Buffer Hex Dump

The contents of the Print Buffer can be examined using the Hex Dump mode. The
label numbers each line of data received in the left-hand column, the data in
hexadecimal format in the center columns followed by the same data in ASCII format
in the right-hand column.

1. Turn the printer on.

2. Send and print label.

3. Place the printer in the Off Line mode by pressing the LINE key. The LINE LED

should go out.

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

4. Place DSW2-4 in the On position.

5. Press the LINE key to place the printer back in the On Line status.

6. Press the FEED key.

7. A label should be printed containing the contents of the print buffer in Hexadecimal
format.

8. Return DSW2-4 to the off position.

9. Turn the printer off and then back on to place it back in the normal print mode.

Receive Buffer Hex Dump

The data that is being received by the printer (before it is placed in the Print Buffer)
can be examined by using the Hex Dump Mode. The label numbers each line of
data received in the left-hand column, the data in hexadecimal format in the center
columns followed by the same data in ASCII format in the right-hand column.

1. Turn the printer off.

2. Place DSW2-4 in the on position.

3. Turn the printer on.

4. Transmit the data to the printer.

5. The data received is printed out on a label in hexadecimal format.

6. Return DSW2-4 to the off position.

7. Turn the printer off and then back On to place it back in the normal print mode.

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 2-35

Section 2. Installation and Configuration

Hex Dump Label

Page 2-369001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE

INTRODUCTION

This section provides information on user maintenance for the M-8400RV. This
section contains the following information.

• Adjusting the Print Quality

• Cleaning the Print Head, Platen and Rollers

• Replacing the Print Head

• Replacing the Fuse

PROCEDURES

ADJUSTING THE PRINT QUALITY

The M-8400RV printer is equipped with two different methods of adjusting the
quality of the print: print darkness and speed. When adjusting the printer for
optimum print quality, a bar code verifier system should be used. The human eye is a
poor judge of the relative widths of the bars in a symbol, a characteristic that is
extremely important for good bar code quality.

SECTION 3.

Darkness (Print)

This adjustment allows the user to control (within a specified range) the amount of
power that is used to activate the individual print head heat elements. It is important
to find a proper print darkness level based on your particular label and ribbon
combination. The printed images should not be too light nor should the ink from the
ribbon “bleed.” The edges of each image should be crisp and well defined.

The Print Darkness range can be set using the front panel LCD panel (see Page 2-21)
or by downloading the setting using the Print Darkness software command (see Page
4-56). There are three ranges, 1 (Low), 2 (Medium) and 3 (High). Once the range
has been selected, the PRINT Potentiometer on the front panel can be used to make
finer adjustments.

SATOM-8400RV9001041Rev.DPage3-1

Section 3 : Cleaning and Maintenance

Print Potentiometer

The fine adjustment for Print Darkness is the PRINT potentiometer on the operator
panel. It provides a continuous range of adjustment, allowing you to make precise
changes. Use a small cross-point screwdriver, turning clockwise for darker print and
counterclockwise for lighter print.

NOTE: The PRINT potentiometer adjustment will affect the darkness in all of the
command code speed ranges, i.e. if the PRINT potentiometer is adjusted for lighter
print, the darkness will be lighter in all speed ranges selected by the command code.

Print Speed

The other method of controlling print quality is by controlling the speed at which the
label is printed. This adjustment is made only on an individual label basis using either
the Print Speed command code or the LCD display panel. For more details on this
command, see Page 4-62 in Section 4: Programming. Changing the print speed allows
the user to control the amount of time allowed for print element cooling before the
media is stepped to the next print position. It is especially critical when printing
“ladder” bar codes (bar codes printed with the bars parallel to the print line). When
printing a “ladder” bar code, it is important to allow the head to cool sufficiently
before stepping to the next position. If it does not have sufficient time to cool, the bar
will be “smeared” on the trailing edge.

The Print Speed can be set to 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10 inches per second (with DSW2-8 Off)or
2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 inches per second(DSW2-8 On) using the LCD panel (see Page 2-22) or
with the Print Speed command code (see Page 4-62). The software command will
override the any setting entered using the LCD panel.

Page3-29001041Rev.DSATOM-8400RV

Section 3 : Cleaning and Maintenance

CLEANING THE PRINT HEAD, PLATEN AND ROLLERS

Supplies needed: SATO SA070 Cleaning Kit

Cleaning the Print Head and Platen

1. Turn the printer off and remove the power
cable.

2. Open the Top Access and Side Access
doors.

3. Open the Print Head by pushing the Head

Latch toward the rear of the printer. The
Print Head is spring-loaded and will
automatically open as soon as the Head
Latch is disengaged. Remove the ribbon.

Print Head

4. Apply SATO Thermal Print Head Cleaner to a

Platen

Head Latch

cotton swab.

5. The Print Head faces downward along the front edge of the assembly. Pass the
end of the dampened swab along the entire width of the Print Head (you may
need to move the ribbon out of the way to do this).

6. Check for any black coloring or adhesive on the swab after cleaning.

7. Repeat if necessary until the swab is clean after it is passed over the head.

8. The head should be cleaned at least every time the ribbon is changed and more
often in harsh environments.

9. Apply SATO Thermal Print Head Cleaner to one of the cotton swabs.

10. The Platen is the rubber roller directly below the Print Head. It should be
cleaned of any ribbon or label residue.

SATOM-8400RV9001041Rev.DPage3-3

Section 3 : Cleaning and Maintenance

Cleaning the Rollers and Guides

1. The Label Load Drive is located
underneath the Label Hold-Down.It
should be cleaned of any label residue or
foreign material. The Label Hold Down
Roller is located on the underneath side of
the Label Hold Down. It should also be
cleaned of any residue or foreign material.

2. There are two Label Edge Guides used in
guiding the labels through the printer. They
should be cleaned of any residue or foreign
material.

3. Repeat when necessary. The rollers and
guides should be cleaned whenever foreign matter such as dust or adhesive is
present.

CLEANING THE SENSORS

There are two sensors that are used to control the positioning of the label. One is a
transmissive see-thru sensor that detects the edge of the label by looking through the
backing paper which is translucent and detecting the presence of the opaque label.
The other is a reflective sensor that detects the light reflected from the bottom of the
label liner. When a printed black Eye-Mark passes through the beam, the light is no
longer reflected back to the sensor detector, indicating to the printer that it should
use this position as the start of a new label. When dust, dirt or other foreign matter
interferes with the light path of either of these sensors, the results is erratic label
positioning. These sensors should be cleaned regularly, at least every two rolls of
labels. They are both located on an adjustable assembly in the throat of the printer
between the Label Hold Down and the Print Head.

Label Edge

Guides

Label Hold

Down Roller

Label Drive

Roller

Sensor

Assembly

1. Turn the printer off and remove the power cable.

2. Open the Top Access and Side Access doors.

3. Open the Print Head by pushing the Head Latch toward the rear of the printer.
The Print Head is spring-loaded and will automatically open as soon as the
Head Latch is disengaged. Remove the ribbon.

4. Apply SATO Thermal Print Head Cleaner to a cotton swab.

5. Carefully insert the swab between the top and bottom portions of the Sensor
Assembly. The location of the sensors is identified by two marks on the front of
the assembly.

6. Move the swab back and forth to clean any residue from the sensors (see Page 2-14
for location of sensors).

Page3-49001041Rev.DSATOM-8400RV

REPLACING THE PRINT HEAD

The print head on the M-8400RV printers is a user-replaceable item. If it becomes
damaged for any reason, it can be easily removed and replaced. Contact your local
SATO representative for information on obtaining a new print head.

Supplies needed: No. 2 Phillips screwdriver (a magnetic tip is helpful)

1. Turn the printer off and remove the power cable.

2. Open the Top and Side Access doors.

3. Open the Print Head by pushing the Head Latch toward the rear of the printer.
The Print Head is spring-loaded and will automatically open as soon as the
Head Latch is disengaged.

4. Remove the ribbon from the Ribbon Rewind Spindle if necessary.

5. Remove the Label Cover Assembly by removing the securing screw from the
assembly.

Section 3 : Cleaning and Maintenance

Label Cover

securing screw

Label Cover

SATOM-8400RV9001041Rev.DPage3-5

Section 3 : Cleaning and Maintenance

Print Head

Print Head

Mounting Screw

Head Latch

Print Head

Connector

6. View the Print Head from the front of the printer. Locate the center mounting

screw on the top of the assembly. Unscrew this screw and set it aside.

7. The Print Head should now be loosened from the top of the assembly by grasping

either side and carefully pulling it down.

8. Disconnect the signal and power cables from the print head connectors and set the

Print Head aside.

DO NOT

remove the two outside screws (painted red) on either side of the center
mounting screw. The Print Head is pre-aligned and if these screws are lossened, it
will have to be re-aligned for proper print quality.

9. Carefully attach the new print head to the connectors, using caution to make sure

the connector keys are correctly positioned.

NOTE: Be careful not to scratch the printing surface of the print head while installing
it. Scratching the surface will cause permanent and irreparable damage and is not
covered by the warranty!

10. Locate the mounting screw in the top plate assembly and align it with the tapped

hole in the new print head.

11. Re-secure the print head by tightening the screw.

Page3-69001041Rev.DSATOM-8400RV

Section 3 : Cleaning and Maintenance

CAUTION:

For your protection, SATO printers have been tested and listed by the
Underwriters Laboratories. These tests include the printer and certain electrical
components which are an integral part of the printer as approved. These important
parts include the Print Head, PC Boards, Power Supply and Motor. It is a violation of
the UL listing to replace any of these parts with parts other than those approved as
part of the UL listing.

PLEASE NOTE THAT IF A PART OTHER THAN THESE GENUINE SATO PARTS
IS INSTALLED IN THE PRINTER, THE UL LISTING IS VOID AND THE
APPROVAL LABEL MUST BE REMOVED FROM THE PRINTER.

We strongly suggest that if someone attempts to install such a part on your SATO
printer or, sell you such a part, that you have a written statement from them
indicating that they are aware that installation of the part in question voids the UL
listing and requires the removal of the indication of this listing from the printer.

Finally, we call your attention to the fact that many legal jurisdictions, cities and/or
counties, in the United States prohibit the installation of products such as SATO
printers without a listing by an agency such as Underwriters Laboratories.

REPLACING THE FUSE

Supplies needed: 250V 3A Fuse

1. Turn the printer power off and remove the power cable.

2. On the back of the printer, locate the Fuse Cap on the right-hand side of the AC

connector.

3. Unscrew the cap and remove the defective fuse.

4. Replace with a new 250V 3A fuse.

5. Screw the cap back onto the printer and replace the power cord.

SATOM-8400RV9001041Rev.DPage3-7

Section 3 : Cleaning and Maintenance

This page left intentionally blank.

Page3-89001041Rev.DSATOM-8400RV

INTRODUCTION

This section presents the commands that are used with the SATO RISC Series printers
to produce labels with logos, bar codes and alphanumeric data. All of the RISC
commands use the same syntax. Some commands reference a physical point on the
label using horizontal and vertical dot reference numbers. The allowable range for
these references is dependent upon the particular printer to accomodate different
print widths and resolutions. These differences are noted in tables under the
commands affected.

The following information is presented in this section:

SECTION 4.

PROGRAMMING

• The SATO RISC Programming Language

• Selecting Protocol Control Codes

• Using Basic

• The Print Area

• Command Codes

THE SATO RISC PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE

A programming language for a printer is a familiar concept to most programmers. It is
a group of commands that are designed to use the internal intelligence of the printer.
The commands, which are referred to as RISC Command Codes, contain
non-printable ASCII characters (such as <STX>, <ETX>, <ESC>) and printable
characters. These commands must be assembled into an organized block of code to be
sent as one data stream to the printer, which in turn interprets the command codes
and generates the desired label output. The programmer is free to use any
programming language available to send the desired data to the SATO RISC Series
printer.

The command codes used by the SATO RISC Series Printers are based upon “Escape”
(1B hexadecimal) sequences. Typically there are four types of command sequences:

<ESC>{Command}

These commands generally tell the printer to perform a specific action, like “clear the
memory.”

<ESC>{Command} {Data}

Commands with this format tell the printer to perform a specific action which is
dependent upon the following data, like “print X labels”, where the value for X is
contained in the data.

<ESC>{Command} {Parameter}

SATOM-8400RV9001041Rev.DPage4-1

Section 4 . Programming Reference

These commands set the operational parameters of the printer, like “set the print
speed to 3.”

<ESC> {Command} {Parameter} {Data}

Some commands can contain both Parameter and Data elements, such as “print a
Code 39 symbol containing the data”.

SELECTING PROTOCOL CONTROL CODES

Protocol codes are the special control characters that prepare the printer to receive
instructions. For example, the <ESC> character tells the printer that a command
code will follow and the <ENQ> character asks for the printer status.

There are two pre-defined different sets of Protocol Control codes to choose from.
Each set is made up of six special characters. The Standard Protocol Control codes are
non-printable characters, and the Non-Standard Protocol Control codes are printable
characters. The Non-Standard set may be useful on host computers using protocol
converters or in an application where non-printable ASCII characters cannot be sent
from the host. This manual uses the Standard Protocol Control codes for all of the
examples. Alternately, the user may define and download a set of custom Protocol
Control Codes (see Appendix E).

The Protocol Control codes are selected by a DIP switch DSW2-7 on the front panel
(see Section 2: Printer DIP Switch Configuration, Page 2-15).

CHARACTER

USING BASIC

It may be useful to test your printer using a BASIC program on a PC. You may also
write your actual production programs in BASIC. Whatever the reason, if you will be
working in BASIC, some of the following hints may help you get started:

1. Set the WIDTH of the output device to 255 characters to avoid automatically sending

<CR> and <LF> characters after every line. The command string should be
continuous and uninterrupted by <CR> and/or <LF> commands. The examples
given in this manual are printed on separate lines because they will not fit on one line
and do not contain any <CR> and/or <LF> characters. If these characters are
needed, they are explicitly noted by the inclusion of <CR> and <LF> notations.

CONTROL

STX 02 Hex 7B Hex = { Start of Data
ETX 03 Hex 7D Hex = } End of Data
ESC 1B Hex 5E Hex = ^ Command code to follow

~ 7EHex 7EHex=~ Cuttercommand
ENQ 05 Hex 40 Hex = @ Get printer status, Bi-Com mode
CAN 18 Hex 21 Hex = ! Cancel print job, Bi-Com mode

Off-Line 40 Hex 5D Hex = ] Take printer Off-Line

STANDARD

DSW2-7 OFF

NON-STANDARD

DSW2-7 ON

DESCRIPTION

Page4-29001041Rev.DSATOM-8400RV

Section 4. Programming Reference

2. If you are using the printer’s RS232 interface, it is necessary to set the COM port on the
PC such that the CTS and DSR signals will be ignored. Send your OPEN “COM”
statement in the following way:

OPEN “COM1:9600,E,8,1,CS,DS” AS #1

This sets the RS232 communication parameters of the host PC’s COM1 port for 9600
baud, Even parity, 8 Data bits, 1 Stop bit and directing the port to ignore the CTS
and DSR control signals.

3. You may want to minimize keystrokes and program size by assigning the <ESC>
character to a string variable since this character is used quite often.

The following two examples in BASIC show a typical example using these hints. Both
of these examples use the Standard Protocol codes.

Printing with the Parallel Port

5 REM Parallel Example: Identifies the program as a parallel port

print label. The “REM” prevents this
data from being sent to the printer and
displays it only on the screen.

10 E$=CHR$(27) Sets the “E$” string as an <ESC>

character

20 WIDTH “LPT1:”,255 Sets the width of the output to 255

characters

30 LPRINT E$;"A"; Sends an “<ESC>A” command code to

the LPT1 parallel port

40 LPRINT E$;"H400";E$;"V100";E$;"XL1SATO"; Sends the data “SATO” to be to be

placed 400 dots horizontally and 100
dots vertically on the label and printed in

the “XL” font.
50 LPRINT E$;"Q1"; Instructs the printer to print one label.
60 LPRINT E$; “Z”; Tells the printer that the last command

has been sent. The printer can now

create and print the job.

Printing with the RS232 Port:

5 REM RS232 Example Identifies the program as an RS232

port print label. The “REM” prevents this

data from being sent to the printer and

displays it only on the screen.
10 E$=CHR$(27) Sets the “E$” string as an <ESC>

character.
20 OPEN “COM1:9600,N,8,1,CS,DS” AS #1; Opens the COM1 port for output and

sets the parameters as 9600 baud, No

parity, 8 Data bits, 1 Stop bit and

instructs the port to ignore the CTS and

DSR control signals.
30 PRINT #1,CHR$ (2); Sends an <STX> (ASCII Code a

decimal “2”) to the printer instructing it

to prepare to receive a message.

SATOM-8400RV9001041Rev.DPage4-3

Section 4 . Programming Reference

50 PRINT #1,E$;"A"; Sends an “<ESC>A” command code to

60 PRINT #1, E$;"H400",E$;"V100";E$;"XL1SATO"; Sends the data “SATO” to be placed

50 PRINT #1, E$;"Q1"; Instructs the printer to print a quantity of

60 PRINT #1, E$; “Z”; Tells the printer that the last command

70 PRINT #1,CHR$ (3); Sends an <ETX> (ASCII Code decimal

THE PRINT AREA

The maximum print area for the M-8400RV is listed in Table 4.1 on Page 4-5. Most of
your label applications will not require labels that fill the entire print area, therefore
it is important to understand how to work with labels that do not use the entire print
area. The goal is to help you avoid printing where no label exists, which may lead to
print head damage, not to mention frustration when you cannot see the printed
output.

Print Port #1 opened by statement 20
above.

400 dots horizontally and 100 dots
vertically on the label and printed in the
“XL” autosmoothed font.

one label.

has been sent. The printer can now
create and print the job.

“3”) to the printer telling it that this is the
end of the message.

The diagram below illustrates the maximum print area and a sample 2 inch wide by 3
inch long label placed within this area. As can be seen, your label will be oriented
against the inside left edge of the printer as viewed from the front of the printer. The
normal reference point is located at the H1, V1 position of the print area in the
normal print orientation (no rotation).

Max

Print

Max. Print

Length

3"

Width

Print Area

2"

Your

Label

Label

Feed

Direction

Normal

Reference

Point

H1, V1

Max. Print

Width minus 2"

Page4-49001041Rev.DSATOM-8400RV

Section 4. Programming Reference

Table 4.1, Print Area

M-8400RV

Resolution 203 dpi

8dpmm

Max Print Width 832 dots

4.1 in.

104 mm

Max Label Width 5.0 in.

128 mm

Std Print Length 1424dots

7.0 in.

178 mm

Expanded Print Length
using <ESC>AX
command

Expanded Print Length Using Memory Card

128 Kbyte 1257 dots

512 Kbyte 5038 dots

1 Mbyte 9999 dots

2 Mbyte 9999 dots

(1). Limited by number of digits in command field.
(2). When a Memory Card is used to expand the print length, the card capacity is used
instead of the internal memory, not in addition to the internal memory.

(2)

2848 dots

14.0 in.

356 mm

6.2 in.

157 mm

24.8 in.

629 mm

(1)

49.2 in.

1249 mm

(1)

49.2 in.

1249 mm

There are two methods available to make sure your printed output will appear
correctly on your label. They are as follows:

1. Send the Base Reference Point command as part of your data to the printer to set a new
base reference point for your label.

Calculate the distance (in dots) from the normal base reference point to the closest edge
of the label. For an 8 dpmm printer, this would be:

Label Width = 2" x 25.4 mm/in x 8 dpmm = 406 dots

The new Base Reference Point then becomes:

New Base Reference Point = Maximum Print Width - Label Width

SATOM-8400RV9001041Rev.DPage4-5

Section 4 . Programming Reference

For the M-8400RV, the new Base Reference Point is:

New Base Reference Point = 832 dots minus 406 dots = 426 dots

Issue the Base Reference Point command <ESC>A3 after the Start command in your
data stream.

This resets the reference point for all the following data.

2. Use the normal base reference point from the print area and use the horizontal position
for each field to properly locate it on the label.

Calculate the distance (in dots) from the normal base reference point to the closest edge
of the label For an 8 dpmm printer:

Label Width = 2" x 25.4 mm/in x 8 dpmm = 406 dots
New Base Reference Point = Maximum Print Width - Label Width

<ESC>A<ESC>A3H426V0001......

For the M-8400RV printer, this becomes:

New Base Reference Point = 832 dots - 406 dots = 426 dots

Each <ESC>H command would have the value “426” added to it to correctly position
each field.

Note: The <ESC>A3 Base Reference Point command (Page 4-19) can also shift the
reference point in a negative direction (toward the outside edge of the label).

The Command Code subsection contains a sample label output for each command
code. These samples reflect how the printed information would appear on a five inch
wide label. If you want to test any of the sample label outputs and are using labels
less than five inches in width, we suggest that you add the Base Reference Point
command to the data stream in order for the images to print on your labels.

You must be careful not to print off the label surface as the label provides a heat sink
for the print head elements. Doing so will cause irreparable damage to the head. This
damage is not covered under the print head warranty. The addition of the Base
Reference Point command to the sample data stream may help to adjust the print for
your labels. See the following two examples or refer to the Base Reference Point
command description.

For example, the following illustrates a sample data stream for a M-8400RV printer
and the resulting label assuming a 4 inch wide label:

<ESC>A
<ESC>H0050<ESC>V0100<ESC>L0303<ESC>XMSATO
<ESC>H0050<ESC>V0200<ESC>B103100*SATO*
<ESC>H0070<ESC>V0310<ESC>L0101<ESC>XUSATO
<ESC>Q1
<ESC>Z

Page4-69001041Rev.DSATOM-8400RV

Section 4. Programming Reference

Label

4"

If you are using a 2 inch wide label, the entire image may not appear on your label.
By adding the following Base Reference Point command to the second line of the data
stream, the base reference point will be changed, causing the image to be shifted over
toward the inside of the printer where it can be printed on the narrower label.

<ESC>A
<ESC>A3H406V0001
<ESC>H0050<ESC>V0100<ESC>L0303<ESC>XMSATO
<ESC>H0050<ESC>V0200<ESC>B103100*SATO*
<ESC>H0170<ESC>V0310<ESC>L0101<ESC>XUSATO
<ESC> Q1
<ESC>Z

The image is moved horizontally to the right 2 inches (406 dots) so that it can be
printed on a 2 inch wide label.

For more information, see the Base Reference Point command description.

Label

2"

H=50

V=100

SATO

V=200

*SATO*

V=310

SATOM-8400RV9001041Rev.DPage4-7

*SATO*

*SATO*

H=70

4.0"

Section 4 . Programming Reference

SATOSATO

ROTATED FIELDS

The CL Series printers can rotate each print field in 90° increments using the Rotate
command. There are two variations of this command.

• <ESC>% - The field rotates, but the base reference point for the field

• <ESC>R - The field and the base reference point rotate.

The following data stream will rotate the print field but will not change the base
reference point of the field:

remains the same.

*SATO*
*SATO*

*SATO*
*SATO*

2" Label

4.0"

<ESC>A

The following data stream will rotate both the field and the base reference point for
that field:

<ESC>A

COMMAND DEFAULT SETTINGS

There are some types of commands that must have a value specified before a label
can be printed. If the data stream does not contain these commands, a “default” value
is assumed. The commands and the corresponding default values are:

COMMAND DEFAULT NOTE

Print Rotation 0° (1)
Vertical Reference Point 0 (1)
Horizontal Reference Point 0 (1)
Character P itch 2 (1)
Base Reference Point H=0, V=0 (2)

<ESC>%1<ESC>V800<ESC>H200<ESC>L0202<ESC>XB1E<ESC>Q1<ESC>Z

<ESC>R<ESC>V0200<ESC>H0100<ESC>L0202<ESC>P02<ESC>XB1E<ESC>Q1<ESC>Z

Page4-89001041Rev.DSATOM-8400RV

Section 4. Programming Reference

Base

Ref

Point

V=800

H=200

Label

Feed

Direction

E

Base

Ref

“%1”

Character Expansion 1 (1)
Print Darkness 2 (1)
Print Speed DSW2-8 On 6 ips (2)
Print Speed DSW2-8 Off 4 ips (2)
Proportional Spacing Enabled (1)
Cutter Command Disabled (1)

Point

V=200

E

“R”

H=100

NOTES:

(1) The settings for these commands will revert to the default value when the printer

receives an <ESC>Z or an <ESC>*.

(2) The values transmitted with these commands will remain in effect until a new

command is received.

SATOM-8400RV9001041Rev.DPage4-9

Section 4 . Programming Reference

COMMAND CODES

This section contains all the RISC printer Command Codes. The commands must be
sent to the printer in an organized fashion in order for the label(s) to print.

The purpose of this section is to:

1. Explain the different commands and provide examples of their usage.

2. To provide a detailed reference for programming the CL Series Printers.

Each command begins on a separate page with its own heading. A uniform layout is
used to help you find key information about each command. For each Command
Code in this section, there will be a sample data input stream to the printer and the
expected print output. By studying the examples, you can learn how to use the
particular command within a whole block of printer code. Pay particular attention to
the “Special Notes” with each command to learn other important information.

The subject commands are highlighted in bold letters in the Reference Sheets. There
are two parts of most, but not all, commands. The first is the command character
which immediately follows the <ESC> code. It is always an upper case alpha or a
special character (such as an “&” or a “%”). It is never a lower case alpha character. If
the command requires additional variable information, it is represented by a group of
lower case alpha characters immediately following the command character. For
example, if an aaaabb is listed following the basic command, the printer will look
for six characters immediately following the command. The first four would represent
the value of aaaa and the next two the value of bb.

The maximum number of characters defined in a parameter is represented by the
number of characters shown in the command structure. For example, a command
followed by an aaaa can have up to four characters. In general, commands with only
one parameter following the command can be entered without the leading zeroes.
However, certain commands require the exact number of matching characters. A
command with two parameters listed following the command code without a comma
delimiter, such as aaaabbbb require the exact number of digits to be entered. If the
value of aaaa is “800” and the value of bbbb is “300”, then the parameters must be
entered as “08000300”. It is recommended that you make it a practice to always
enter leading zeros to prevent any mistakes.

NOTE: These examples assume the use of the Standard Protocol Command Codes,
a parallel interface and a 4 inch wide label in an M-8400RV printer. The labels for all
other printers will be similar, but, because of different resolutions and print widths
may be larger or scaled differently.

An alphabetical listing of the command codes is contained in Appendix A: Command
Code Quick Reference.

Page4-109001041Rev.DSATOM-8400RV

Section 4. Programming Reference

Bar Codes

Command Structure 1:3 narrow/wide bar ratio:<ESC>Babbcccd

2:5 narrow/wide ratio: <ESC>BDabbcccd
1:2 narrow/wide bar ratio: <ESC>Dabbcccd

a = Bar Code Symbol

0 Codabar
1 Code 39
2 Interleaved 2 of 5 (I 2/5)
3 UPC-A / EAN-13
4 EAN-8
5 Industrial 2 of 5
6 Matrix 2 of 5
7 reserved
8 reserved
9 Code 128
A MSI
B reserved
C Code 93
D reserved
E UPC-E
F Bookland
G Code 128

I UCC 128
bb = Number of dots (01-12) for narrow bar and narrow space
ccc = Bar height in dots (001-600)
d = UCC 128 only. Not used for other bar code types

0 No human readable text

1 Human readable at top

2 Human readable at bottom
Example: <ESC>BD103200
Placement: Immediately preceding data to be encoded
Default: None

Command Function To print bar code images on a label. With this command, there are 13

standard bar code symbologies available to be printed and three two
dimensional symbols (see Two Dimensional bar code symbols
starting on Page 4-99). Each of the bar codes are unique, and it is
important to know the differences. See Appendix B for specific
information on using each individual bar code symbol.

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 4-11

Section 4. Programming Reference

Input to Printer

<ESC>A
<ESC>H0025<ESC>V0025<ESC>B103100*CODE39*
<ESC>H0155<ESC>V0130<ESC>XS*CODE39*
<ESC>H0025<ESC>V0200<ESC>BD20210045676567
<ESC>H0075<ESC>V0310<ESC>XM45676567
<ESC>H0025<ESC>V0375<ESC>BD30215001234567890
<ESC>H0025<ESC>V0600<ESC>BD50210012345
<ESC>H0175<ESC>V0710<ESC>XS12345
<ESC>H0025<ESC>V0775<ESC>BD60210012345
<ESC>H0105<ESC>V0885<ESC>XS12345
<ESC>H0025<ESC>V0950<ESC>BA03100123455
<ESC>H0095<ESC>V1060<ESC>XS12345
<ESC>H0025<ESC>V1125<ESC>BC03100081234ABCD
<ESC>H0080<ESC>V1240<ESC>XS1234ABCD
<ESC>H0525<ESC>V0025<ESC>B002100A12345B
<ESC>H0565<ESC>V0135<ESC>XS12345
<ESC>H0475<ESC>V0200<ESC>BD303100123456789012
<ESC>H0525<ESC>V0375<ESC>BD4031001234567
<ESC>H0525<ESC>V0550<ESC>DE03100123456
<ESC>H0500<ESC>V0600<ESC>OB0
<ESC>H0533<ESC>V0655<ESC>OB123456
<ESC>H0350<ESC>V0725<ESC>D30315009827721123
<ESC>L0101<ESC>H0320<ESC>V0800<ESC>OB0
<ESC>H0365<ESC>V0878<ESC>OB98277
<ESC>H0505<ESC>V0878<ESC>OB21123
<ESC>H0665<ESC>V0760<ESC>BF0313021826
<ESC>H0680<ESC>V0730<ESC>OB21826
<ESC>H0425<ESC>V1125<ESC>D30315000633895260
<ESC>L0101<ESC>H0395<ESC>V1200<ESC>OB0
<ESC>H0440<ESC>V1278<ESC>OB06338
<ESC>H0580<ESC>V1278<ESC>OB95260
<ESC>H0730<ESC>V1155<ESC>BF0314024
<ESC>H0745<ESC>V1125<ESC>OB24
<ESC>H0325<ESC>V0950<ESC>BG03100>GAB>B789>C123456
<ESC>H0435<ESC>V1055<ESC>XSAB789123456
<ESC>Q1<ESC>Z

Note: Carriage Returns and Line Feeds have been added to the command listing
for clarity and should not be included in the actual data stream.

Page 4-129001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

Printer Output

Section 4. Programming Reference

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 4-13

Section 4. Programming Reference

UCC-128 Without Incrementing

<ESC>A
<ESC>H0100<ESC>V0100<ESC>BI07150101234567000000001
<ESC>Q2<ESC>Z

With Incrementing

<ESC>A
<ESC>H0100<ESC>V0100<ESC>F001+001<ESC>BI07150101234567000000001

<ESC>Q2<ESC>Z

Page 4-149001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

Section 4. Programming Reference

Special Notes 1. UPC and EAN bar codes are not affected by the different types of

narrow to wide ratios. Instead, the <ESC>D command adds
descender bars to these codes where needed to meet UPC
specifications. The <ESC>BD command puts decender bars and
human readable text below the symbol.

2. The Code 128, UCC 128, MSI, and Code 93 bar codes are not

affected by the narrow to wide ratios.

3. The Codabar, Code 39, Industrial 2 of 5, and Matrix 2 of 5 bar

codes are affected by the Character Pitch command. This
command must be placed before the Bar Code command.

4. See Appendix B for more specific instructions and detailed

information regarding individual bar code symbols.

5. Because of their unique characteristics, two-dimensional symbols

are covered separately (see page 4-99).

6. For UCC128, the FNC1 code is automatically inserted and the Mod

10 and Mod 103 check digits are automatically calculated.

7. For the MSI bar code, the check digit is not automatically calculated.

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 4-15

Section 4. Programming Reference

Bar Codes, Expansion

Command Structure <ESC>BWaabbb

aa = Expansion factor by which the width of all bars and spaces

will be increased (01-12)
bbb = Bar height by dot (004-600 dots)
Example: <ESC>BW02100
Placement: Immediately follows the <ESC>BT command and

precedes data to be encoded.

Default: None

Command Function This command works together with the <ESC>BT command to

specify an expansion factor and the bar code height for the particular
symbol being printed.

Input to Printer:

Printer Output:

<ESC>A
<ESC>H0050<ESC>V0050<ESC>BT001030103<ESC>BW04100*1234*

<ESC>Q1<ESC>Z

Special Notes 1. This command must be preceded by the Variable Ratio Bar Codes

<ESC>BT command (see Page 4-17).

2. The following bar codes will be affected by the Character Pitch

command: Codabar, Code 39, Interleaved 2 of 5, Matrix 2 of 5.

Page 4-169001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

Bar Codes, Variable Ratio

Command Structure <ESC>BTabbccddee

a = Bar Code Symbol:

0 Codabar
1 Code 39
2 Interleaved 2 of 5
5 Industrial 2 of 5
6 Matrix 2 of 5

bb = Narrow space in dots (01-99)
cc = Wide space in dots (01-99)
dd = Narrow bar in dots (01-99)
ee = Wide bar in dots (01-99)

Section 4. Programming Reference

Example: <ESC>BT101030103
Placement: Following print position commands and preceding

<ESC>BW

Default: Current setting

Command Function To print a bar code with a ratio other than those specified through the

standard bar code commands (B,BD, and D). This is done through
individual control of each of the bar code elements (bars, spaces) as
shown above. Remember that this command only applies to the five
bar code types shown.

Input to Printer:

Printer Output:

<ESC>A
<ESC>H0050<ESC>V0050<ESC>BT001030103 <ESC>BW03100*1234*
<ESC>Q1<ESC>Z

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 4-17

Section 4. Programming Reference

Special Notes 1. This command must be immediately followed by the <ESC>BW Bar

Code Expansion command (see Page 4-16).

2. You may use only one variable ratio bar code per label.

3. If the data specified in this command is incorrect, the command is

ignored and the ratio used will be based on the previous setting.

4. See Appendix B for more specific instructions and details regarding

individual bar code symbols.

Page 4-189001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

Base Reference Point

Command Structure <ESC>A3H-aaaaVbbbb

- = This character is optional. When present, it specifies that
the horizontal offset is in the negative direction. If it is left out
the offset direction is positive.

aaaa = Horizontal Print Offset (see Note 5 for field range)
bbbb = Vertical Print Offset (see Note 5 for field range)
Example: <ESC>A3H100V0050
Placement: Preceding all images that are based on the new base

reference point

Section 4. Programming Reference

Default: Current V and H offset setting in the printer configuration

Command Function To establish a new base reference point for the current label. The

base reference point is the top left corner or “origin” from where all
print position commands are based.

This command may be very helpful when using labels less than four
inches wide to place images on the printable label surface. It may
also be used to move images past preprinted fields on a label.

Input to Printer:

Printer Output:

<ESC>A<ESC>L0202
<ESC>H0025<ESC>V0025<ESC>WB0NORMALREFERENCE POINT
<ESC>A3H0300V0075
<ESC>H0100<ESC>V0050<ESC>WB0NEWREFERENCE POINT
<ESC>Q1<ESC>Z

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 4-19

Section 4. Programming Reference

Special Notes 1. Use of this command will set the Vertical/Horizontal Offset setting of

the printer configuration until a new Base Reference Point
command is issued or the setting is changed from the operator
panel. See Section 2: Printer Configuration.

2. This command may be used more than once in a print job.

3. An alternative to using this command is to make changes to your
current Horizontal and Vertical Print Position commands (see
Page 4-59).

Example:

Let’s say the current base reference point is H=1, V=1 and you
wish to move all the fields on your label downward vertically by
150 dots. You could either (1) add the Base Reference Point
command or (2) change all the vertical position commands by an
additional 150 dots.

4. For a more detailed example of the Base Reference Point
command, see “Print Area” in this section (Page 4-4).

5. The allowable field ranges for this command are:

M-8400RV

Horizontal

aaaa

Vertical

bbbb

-0832 to 0832

0001 to 1424

Page 4-209001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

Characters, Custom-Designed

Command Structure Store Command: <ESC>Tabcc

Recall Command: <ESC>Kab90cc
a = 1 16x16 matrix

2 24x24 matrix

b = Specifies the character encoding method for the data stream

H Hexadecimal characters
B Binary characters

cc = Memory location to store/recall the character. Valid memory

locations are 21 to 52 (counting in Hex) or “!” to “R” in Binary

(data) = Data to describe the character

Section 4. Programming Reference

Example: <ESC>T1H3F

<ESC>K1H903F
See Appendix C for a more detailed explanation

Placement: The Store command is typically sent in its own data

stream to the printer, between the Start/Stop commands.
The Recall command is sent in a secondary data stream
to print the character,and follows any necessary position
or size commands.

Default: None

Command Function To allow for the creation, storage, and printing of custom characters,

such as special fonts or logos. Up to 50 individual characters may be
stored in the custom character volatile memory.

Printer Input See Appendix C for a detailed explanation.

<ESC>A
<ESC>T1H3F
0100038007C00FE01FF03FF87FFCFFFE07C007C007C007C007C007C007C007C0
<ESC>Z

<ESC>A
<ESC>H150<ESC>V100<ESC>L0505<ESC>K1H903F
<ESC>H350<ESC>V100<ESC>L1010<E SC>K1H903F
<ESC>Q1<ESC>Z

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 4-21

Section 4. Programming Reference

Printer Output

Special Notes 1. When printing the custom character using the Recall command, the

character is affected by the following commands:

Character Expansion (see Page 4-23)
Character Pitch (see Page 4-26)
Line Feed (see Page 4-50)
Rotate, Fixed Base Reference Point (see Page 4-68)
Rotate, Moving Base Reference Point (see Page 4-70)

2. The characters are stored in volatile memory and must be reloaded
if the printer power is lost.

3. Do not use ASCII <CR> or <LF> characters (carriage return or line
feed) as line delimiters within the graphic data or the actual image
will not be printed as specified.

Page 4-229001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

Section 4. Programming Reference

Character Expansion

Command Structure <ESC>Laabb

aa = Multiple to expand horizontally (01-12)
bb = Multiple to expand vertically (01-12)

Example: <ESC>L0305
Placement: Preceding the data to be expanded
Default: <ESC>L0101

Command Function To expand characters independently in both the horizontal and

vertical directions. The command allows you to enlarge the base size
of each font (except the vector font) up to 12 times in either direction.
Expanded characters are typically used for added emphasis or for
long distance readability.

Input to Printer

Printer Output

<ESC>A
<ESC>A<ESC>H0100<ESC>V0100<ESC>XMSATO
<ESC>H 0100<ESC>V0200<ESC>L0402<ESC>XMSATO
<ESC>H0100<ESC>V0300<ESC>L0204<ESC>XMSATO
<ESC>Q1<ESC>Z

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 4-23

Section 4. Programming Reference

Special Notes This command will expand the following fonts:

1. Fonts U, S, M, XU, XS, XM, OA & OB (see Page 4-34) and fonts
WB, WL, XB and XL (see Page 4-38).

2. This command will also affect the following commands:

Character Pitch (see Page 4-26)
Characters, Custom-Designed (see Page 4-21)

3. The Character Expansion value is in effect for the current print job
until a new expansion command is specified.

4. The Line and Box command, if used within the data stream, may
return all subsequent text to the default expansion of 1 x 1.
Therefore, either send the Character Expansion command before
all printed data, or send Line and Box commands last, preceding
the <ESC>Q Quantity command.

Page 4-249001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

Section 4. Programming Reference

Character, Fixed Spacing

Command Structure <ESC>PR

Example: See Above
Placement: Preceding the data
Default: The default is Proportional Spacing.

Command Function To reset proportional spacing and place the printer back to fixed

spacing.

Printer Input

Printer Output

Special Notes 1. This command only works with the proportionally spaced fonts XU,

<ESC>A
<ESC>H0025<ESC>V0050<ESC>PS
<ESC>L0202<ESC>XMPROPORTIONALSPACING
<ESC>H0025<ESC>V0130<ESC>PR
<ESC>L0202<ESC>XMFIXED SPACING
<ESC>Q1<ESC>Z

XM, XS, XL and XB.

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 4-25

Section 4. Programming Reference

Character Pitch

Command Structure <ESC>Paa

aa = Number of dots between characters (00-99)
Example: <ESC>P03
Placement: Preceding the text to be printed
Default: <ESC>P02

Command Function To designate the amount of spacing (in dots) between characters.

This command provides a means of altering character spacing for
label constraints or to enhance readability.

Input to Printer:

Printer Output:

<ESC>A
<ESC>H0025<ESC>V0025<ESC>L0202<ESC>XB1M-8400RV
<ESC>H0025<ESC>V0125<ESC>L0 202<ESC>P20<ESC>XB1M-8400RV
<ESC>H0025<ESC>V0225<ESC>L0202<ESC>P40<ESC>XB1M-8400RV
<ESC>Q1<ESC>Z

Page 4-269001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

Section 4. Programming Reference

Special Notes 1. This command is affected by the <ESC>L Character Expansion

command (see Page 4-23). The character pitch is actually the
product of the current horizontal expansion multiple and the
designated pitch value.

Example:

<ESC>L0304
<ESC>P03
Pitch = (03) x (03) = 9 dots

2. To avoid confusion, you may want to include the <ESC>L
Character Expansion command and this command together in
your program.

3. This command affects fonts U, S, M, XU, XS, XM, OA & OB (see
Page 4-34, fonts WB, WL, XB and XL (see Page 4-38), and the
vector font (see Page 4-36).

4. Character Pitch will always revert to the default value unless it is
specified before each new font command in the data stream.

5. This command also affects Codabar, Code 39 and Industrial
2 of 5 bar codes.

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 4-27

Section 4. Programming Reference

Character, Proportional Spacing

Command Structure <ESC>PS Set to proportional spacing

<ESC>PR Reset to fixed spacing
Example: See above
Placement: Preceding the data to be proportional spaced
Default: <ESC>PS

Command Function To specify the printing of proportional or fixed spacing for

proportionally spaced fonts.

Printer Input

Printer Output

Special Notes 1. Once this command is sent in the data stream, it is in effect until the

<ESC>A
<ESC>H0025<ESC>V0050<ESC>PS
<ESC>L0202<ESC>XMPROPORTIONALSPACING
<ESC>H0025<ESC>V0130<ESC>PR
<ESC>L0202<ESC>XMFIXED SPACING
<ESC>Q1<ESC>Z

end of the print job unless a reset command is sent.

Page 4-289001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

Clear Print Job(s) & Memory

Command Structure <ESC>*a

a = If the “a” parameter is not included with this command and

a = If “a” is included with this command, it specifies the internal

Example: <ESC>*

Section 4. Programming Reference

the printer is in the multi-buffer mode, this command clears
all print jobs in the printer memory, including the current
print job.

memory section to be cleared
T To clear the custom character memory
& To clear the form overlay memory
X To clear all internal memory

<ESC>*X

Placement: This command should be sent to the printer as an

independent data stream.

Default: None

Command Function To clear individual memory or buffer areas of the printer.

Input to Printer:

Printer Output: There is no printer output as a result of this command. The current

Special Note 1. See Memory Card Functions for variations of this command used to

<ESC>A
<ESC>*
<ESC>Z

print job in the buffer will be terminated and all other print jobs in the
buffer cleared.

clear data from the memory card (Page 4-82).

2. It is not necessary to clear the printer’s memory between each print
job.

3. The primary purpose of this command is to clear all print jobs in the
multi-buffer mode. The “a” parameter can be used in either the
multi-buffer or single job mode to clear specific parts of the
memory.

4. When the “a” parameter is used, the section of memory specified
will not be cleared until the label is printed.

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 4-29

Section 4. Programming Reference

Continuous Forms Printing

Command Structure None

The printer locates the end of an adhesive label by sensing the
backing between labels or through the use of an eye-mark (black
rectangle on the reverse side of the backing). It locates the end of a
tag from a notch, eye-mark, or a hole between tags. Both sensors
should be disabled when printing continuous forms by placing the
Label Sensor Selection switch (DSW3-3) in the ON position. See

Section 2: Printer Configuration

printer using the front panel DIP switch array.

If you will be using continuous labels or tags, the printer must be told
to stop feeding in another manner. The length is determined by the
position of the last printed image on the label or tag. The printer will
stop feeding when this last field is finished printing. The length may
be increased with printed spaces (20 hexadecimal) if necessary.
There is no command code to control label length.

for instructions on configuring the

Page 4-309001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

Section 4. Programming Reference

Copy Image Area

Command Structure <ESC>WDHaaaaVbbbbXccccYdddd

aaaa = Horizontal position of the top left corner of the area to be copied
bbbb = Vertical position of the top left corner of the area to be copied
cccc = Horizontal length of the image area to be copied
dddd = Vertical length of the image area to be copied

Example: <ESC>WDH0100V0050X0600Y0400
Placement: Anywhere within the data stream, after specifying the

location of the duplicate image.

Default: None

Command Function To copy an image from one location to another on the same label.

This may be useful for duplicating individual fields or entire sections
of the label with only one command.

Input to Printer:

<ESC>A
<ESC>H0050<ESC>V0050<ESC>E010<ESC>XM
SATOSATOSATOSATOSATOSATOSATO
SATOSATOSATOSATOSATOSATOSATO
SATOSATOSATOSATOSATOSATOSATO
SATOSATOSATOSATOSATOSATOSATO
<ESC>H0180<ESC>V0250<ESC>WDH0165V0050X0400Y0200
<ESC>Q1<ESC>Z

Printer Output:

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 4-31

Section 4. Programming Reference

Special Notes 1. Use the Print Position commands (V and H) to locate the new area

for the duplicate image (see Page 4-59).

2. Position of the new target area must not be inside the original

image.

3. If you use the Rotate command, V, H, X and Y axis will be reversed.

4. If the reference area of the target image exceeds the print area, it

will not be printed.

5. The allowable ranges for these fields are as follows:

M-8400RV

Horizontal

aaaa

cccc

Vertical

bbbb
dddd

0001

to

0832
0001

to

1424

Page 4-329001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

Section 4. Programming Reference

Cutter Command

Command Structure <ESC><NUL>aaaa

<ESC>~aaaa
aa = Number of labels to print between each cut (01-9999)
Example: <ESC>~0002
Placement: Following the Print Quantity command <ESC>Q
Default: <ESC><NUL>0001 (if cutter enabled)

Command Function To control the cutting of labels when using a SATO cutter unit with

the printer printer. This command allows the cutting of a multi-part tag
or label at a specified interval within a print job.

Input to Printer:

Printer Output: This set of commands will print 6 labels (3 x 2) with two labels

Special Notes 1. You must have the optional printer Cutter to use this function.

<ESC>A
<ESC>H0020<ESC>V0020<ESC>WB1TESTLABEL<ESC>Q3
<ESC>~0002
<ESC>Z

between each cut.

Contact your SATO representative for more information.

2. To use this command, the printer configuration must have the cutter
option enabled. See Printer Configuration in Section 2 of this
manual.

3. If the cutter option has been enabled in the printer configuration
and the cut value (aaaa = 0000), the cutter is inactive.

The <NUL> represents the ASCII 00 Hex character and can be
interchanged with a tilde character.

4. When using the Cutter command, the total number of labels printed
is the product of the cut value and the print quantity. For example,
if the cut value is 2, and the print quantity is 20, then 20 sets of
two labels will be printed.

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 4-33

Section 4. Programming Reference

Fonts U, S, M, OA, OB, XU, XS & XM

Command Structure Font XU: <ESC>XU Font U: <ESC>U

Font XS: <ESC>XS Font S: <ESC>S
Font XM: <ESC>XM Font M: <ESC>M
Font OA: <ESC>OA Font OB: <ESC>OB

Example: See above
Placement: Preceding the data to be printed
Default: None

Command Function To print text images on a label. These are eight of the built-in fonts

available on the printer. All matrices include descenders.

NON-PROPORTIONAL PROPORTIONAL

U 5W x 9H dot matrix XU 5W x 9H dot matrix
S 8W x 15H dot matrix XS 17W x 17H dot matrix
M 13W x 20H dot matrix XM 24W x 24H dot matrix
OA OCR-A font 15W x 22H dot matrix
OB OCR-B font 20W x 24H dot matrix

(1) These fonts will be printed with proportional spacing only if preceded by an
<ESC>PS command.

Input to Printer <ESC>A<ESC>PS

<ESC>H0001<ESC>V0100<ESC>L0202<ESC>XUSATO
<ESC>H0001<ESC>V0175<ESC>L0202<ESC>XSSATO
<ESC>H0001<ESC>V0250<ESC>L0202<ESC>XMSATO
<ESC>H0001<ESC>V0325<ESC>L0101<ESC>OASATO
<ESC>H0001<ESC>V0400<ESC>L0101<ESC>OBSATO
<ESC>H0300<ESC>V0100<ESC>L0202<ESC>USATO
<ESC>H0300<ESC>V0175<ESC>L0202<ESC>SSATO
<ESC>H0300<ESC>V0250<ESC>L0202<ESC>MSATO
<ESC>Q1<ESC>Z

Printer Output

(1)

Page 4-349001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

Section 4. Programming Reference

Special Notes 1. Characters may be enlarged through the use of the Character

Expansion command (see Page 4-23).

2. Character spacing may be altered through the use of the Character
Pitch command (see Page 4-26). The default is 2 dots between
characters. It is recommended to use a spacing of 5 dots for
OCR-A and 1 dot for OCR-B.

3. You may also create custom characters or fonts. See the <ESC>T
Custom-Designed Characters command (Page 4-21).

4. A font must be defined for each field to be printed. There is no
default font.

5. Fonts U, S, M, OA and OB are identical to fonts U, S, M, OA and
OB on the SATO M-8400 printer.

6. The proportionally spaced fonts XU, XS, XM, XL and XA can be
printed with fixed spacing using the <ESC>PS Proportional Space
command.

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 4-35

Section 4. Programming Reference

Font, Vector

Command Structure Specify Vector Font: <ESC>$a,b,c,d

Data for Vector Font: <ESC>$=(data)
a = A Helvetica Bold (proportional spacing)

B Helvetica Bold (fixed spacing)

b = Font width (50-999)
c = Font height (50-999 dots)
d = Font variation (0-9) as follows:

0 Standard
1 Standard open (outlined)
2 Gray (mesh) pattern 1
3 Gray (mesh) pattern 2
4 Gray (mesh) pattern 3
5 Standard open, shadow 1
6 Standard open, shadow 2
7 Standard mirror image
8 Italic
9 Italic open, shadow

Example: <ESC>$A,100,200,0<ESC>$=123456
Placement: Immediately preceding data to be printed.
Default: None

Command Function To specify printing of the unique SATO vector font. The vector font

allows large characters to be printed with smooth, round edges. Each
character is made of a number of vectors (or lines), and will require
slightly more printer compiling time.

Input to Printer

<ESC>A
<ESC>H0100<ESC>V0100<ESC>$A,100,100,0<ESC>$=SATO AMERICA
<ESC>H0100<ESC>V0200<ES C>$=VECTOR FONT
<ESC>H0100<ESC>V0350<ESC>$A,200,300,8<ESC>$=SATO
<ESC>Q1<ESC>Z

Page 4-369001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV

Printer Output

Section 4. Programming Reference

Special Notes 1. The Pitch command can be used with Vector fonts.

2. If the font size designation is out of the specified range, a default
value of 50 is used.

4. The font width and height values include asenders, desenders and
other space.

5. A font must be defined for each field to be printed. There is no
default font.

SATOM-8400RV9001041 Rev. DPage 4-37

Section 4. Programming Reference

Fonts WB, WL, XB & XL

Command Structure Font WB: <ESC>WBa Font XB: <ESC>XBa

Font WL: <ESC>WLa Font XL: <ESC>XLa
a = 0 Disables auto-smoothing of font

1 Enables auto-smoothing of font (see notes below)

Example: <ESC>WB1123456
Placement: Preceding the data to be printed
Default: None

Command Function To print text images on a label. These are the four auto-smoothing

fonts available on the printer.

NON-PROPORTIONAL PROPORTIONAL

WB 18W x 30H dot matrix XB 48W x 48H dot matrix
WL 28W x 52H dot matrix XL 48W x 48H dot matrix

(1) These fonts will be printed with proportional spacing only if preceded by an
<ESC>PS command.

Input to Printer: ESC>A<ESC>PS

<ESC>H0001<ESC>V0100<ESC>WB0SATO
<ESC>H0001<ESC>V0185<ESC>WB1SATO
<ESC>H0001<ESC>V0270<ESC>WL0SATO
<ESC>H0001<ESC>V0355<ESC>WL1SATO
<ESC>H0300<ESC>V0100<ESC>XB0SATO
<ESC>H0300<ESC>V0185<ESC>XB1SATO
<ESC>H0300<ESC>V0270<ESC>XL0SATO
<ESC>H0300<ESC>V0355<ESC>XLSATO
<ESC>Q1<ESC>Z

Printer Output:

(1)

Page 4-389001041 Rev. DSATOM-8400RV