Zebra QLN420, QLN220, QLN320 User Manual

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QLn Series

Mobile Printers

P1028026-005 Rev. A

User Guide

QLn Series User Guide

Table of Contents

Proprietary Statements......................................................................................5

Document Conventions......................................................................................7

Cautions, Important, and Note...........................................................................7

Introduction to the QLn™ Series Printers........................................................8

QLn Series Technology......................................................................................9

Smart Battery......................................................................................................9

Printing Technology...........................................................................................10

Direct Thermal....................................................................................................10

QR Code..............................................................................................................11

Made for iPhone (MFi)........................................................................................11

Near Field Communication (NFC)..................................................................... 11

QLn Series Overview..........................................................................................12

Getting Ready to Print........................................................................................16

Installing the Battery..........................................................................................16

Battery Safety.....................................................................................................17

Charger Safety....................................................................................................17

Charging Status Indicators...............................................................................18

Battery Health Indicator.....................................................................................18

SC2 Dimensions.................................................................................................19

Model UCLI72-4 Quad Charger (AC18177-5).....................................................19

AC Power Adapter (p/n P1031365-024).............................................................21

Ethernet and Charging Cradles.......................................................................22

Printer Operation with Cradle...........................................................................26

Loading Media Procedure.................................................................................27

Loading Media in Peel-off Mode (QLn220/320)...............................................29

Loading Media in Peel-off Mode (QLn420)......................................................30

QLn Healthcare Printers....................................................................................31

Standard Control Panel.....................................................................................33

LCD Control Panel.............................................................................................35

Status Bar Icons ................................................................................................36

Main Menu Screen (QLn320/220)......................................................................38

Programmable LCD Settings............................................................................39

Home Menu Screen (QLn420 and QLn Healthcare Printers)..........................40

Verify the Printer is Working.............................................................................44

Printing a Conguration Label..........................................................................44

Connecting the Printer......................................................................................45

Cable Communication.......................................................................................46

RS-232C Communications.................................................................................46

USB Communications........................................................................................46

Providing Strain Relief for Communications Cable.........................................47

QLn Series User Guide

Wireless Communications with Bluetooth.....................................................49

Bluetooth Networking Overview......................................................................49

WLAN Overview.................................................................................................52

Setting Up the Software....................................................................................52

Setting Up the Software....................................................................................53

Near Field Communication (NFC).....................................................................53

QLn Series Accessories....................................................................................55

Swivel Belt Clip..................................................................................................55

Soft Case............................................................................................................56

Hard Case...........................................................................................................56

Adjustable Shoulder Strap................................................................................57

Hand Strap..........................................................................................................58

Preventive Maintenance....................................................................................59

Extending Battery Life.......................................................................................59

General Cleaning Instructions..........................................................................59

Troubleshooting.................................................................................................62

Front Control Panel............................................................................................62

LCD Control Panil Indicators............................................................................63

Troubleshooting Topics....................................................................................64

Troubleshooting Tests......................................................................................66

Printing a Conguration Label.........................................................................66

Communications Diagnostics...........................................................................66

Specications.....................................................................................................71

Printing Specications......................................................................................71

Memory and Communications Specications ...............................................71

Label Specications..........................................................................................72

CPCL Font and Bar Code Specications and Commands.............................73

ZPL Font and Bar Code Specications and Commands................................74

Communication Ports........................................................................................75

Physical, Environmental and Electrical Specications..................................76

QLn Series Accessories....................................................................................80

QLn Series Accessories cont...........................................................................81

Appendix A.........................................................................................................82

Interface Cables (RS-232 Cables).....................................................................82

USB Cables.........................................................................................................83

Appendix B.........................................................................................................84

Media Supplies...................................................................................................84

Appendix C.........................................................................................................84

Maintenance Supplies.......................................................................................84

Appendix D.........................................................................................................85

Appendix E.......................................................................................................104

QLn Series User Guide

Appendix F.......................................................................................................105

Battery Disposal..............................................................................................105

Product Disposal.............................................................................................105

Appendix G......................................................................................................106

Alert Messages................................................................................................106

Appendix H.......................................................................................................107

Using Zebra.com..............................................................................................107

Appendix I.........................................................................................................109

Product Support ...............................................................................................109

QLn Series User Guide

Proprietary Statements

This manual contains proprietary information of Zebra Technologies Corporation. It is intended solely for the information and use of parties operating and maintaining the equipment described herein. Such proprietary information may not be used, reproduced, or disclosed to any other parties for any other purpose without the expressed written permission of Zebra Technologies Corporation.

Product Improvements

Since continuous product improvement is a policy of Zebra Technologies Corporation, all specifications and signs are subject to change without notice.

Agency Approvals and Regulatory Information

Design Safety certified by TUV EN55022 Class B European Electromagnetic

EN60950-1: 2nd Ed. Safety Standard EN55024: European Immunity Standard

NOM (Mexico) RCM (Australia/NZ)

FCC part 15 Class B RoHS II

Canadian STD RSS-210

Liability Disclaimer

Inasmuch as every effort has been made to supply accurate information in this manual, Zebra Technologies Corporation is not liable for any erroneous information or omissions. Zebra Technologies Corporation reserves the right to correct any such error s and disclaims

liability resulting therefrom.

No Liability for Consequential Damage

In no event shall Zebra Technologies Corporation or anyone else involved in the creation, production, or deliver y of the accompanying product (including hardware and software) be liable for any damages whatsoever (including, without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business information, or other pecuniary loss) arising out of the use of or the results of use of or inability to use such product, even if Zebra Technologies Corporation has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Because some states do not allow the exclusion of liability for consequential or incidental damages, the above limitation may not apply to you.

Copyrights

The copyrights in this manual and the label print engine described therein are owned by Zebra Technologies Corporation. Unauthorized reproduction of this manual or the sof tware in the label print engine may result in imprisonment of up to one year and fines of up to $10,000 (17 U.S.C.506). Copyright violators may be subject to civil liabilit y. This produc t may contain ZPL®, ZPL II®, and ZebraLinktm programs; Element Energy Equalizer® Circuit; E3®; and AGFA fonts. Software © ZIH Corp. A ll rights reserved worldwide. ZebraLink and all produc t names and number s are trademarks, and Zebra, the Zebra logo, ZPL, ZPL II, Element Energy Equalizer Circuit, and E3 Circuit are registered trademarks of ZIH Corp. All rights reserved worldwide.

Monotype®, Intellifont® and UFST® are trademarks of Monotype Imaging, Inc. registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Of fice and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. AndyTM , CG PalacioTM, CG Century SchoolbookTM, CG TriumvirateTM, CG TimesTM, Monot ype KaiTM, Monot ype MinchoTM and Monotype SungTM are trademarks of Monotype Imaging, Inc. and may be registered in some jurisdictions. HY Gothic HangulTM is a trademark of Hanyang Systems, Inc. AngsanaTM is a trademark of Unity Progress Company (UPC) Limited. Andale®, Arial®, Book Antiqua®, Corsiva®, Gill Sans®, Sorts® and Times New Roman® are trademarks of The Monotype Corporation regis tered in the United States Patent and Trademark Off ice and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. Century Gothic™, Bookman Old StyleTM and Century SchoolbookTM are trademarks of The Monot ype Corporation and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. HGPGothicB is a trademark of the Ricoh company, Ltd. and may be regis tered in some jurisdictions.

Radiation Standard

QLn Series User Guide

UniversTM is a trademark of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, which may be registered in certain jurisdictions, exclusively licensed through Linotype Library GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG. Futura® is a trademark of Bauer Types SA registered in the United St ates Patent and Trademark Off ice and may be registered in some jurisdictions. Tru eTy p e® is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Of fice and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. All other product names are the propert y of their respective owners.

“Made for iPod”, “Made for iPhone”, and “Made for iPad” mean that an electronic accessory has been designed to connect speci fically to iPod, iPhone, or iPad, respectively, and has been certified by the developer to meet Apple per formance standards. Apple is not responsible for the operation of this device or its compliance with safety and regulatory standards. Please note that the use of this accessor y with iPod, iPhone, or iPad may affect wireless performance.

Bluetooth® is a registered trademark of the Bluetooth SIG.

All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

2015 ZIH Corp.

Certified by:

QLn Series User Guide

Document Conventions

The following conventions are used throughout this docu-

ment to convey certain information:

Cautions, Important, and Note

Caution • Warns you of the potential for electrostatic discharge.

Caution • Warns you of a potential electric shock situation.

Caution • Warns you of a situation where excessive heat could cause

a burn

Caution • Advises you that failure to take or avoid a specific action

could result in physical harm to you.

Caution • Advises you that failure to take or avoid a specific action

could result in physical harm to the hardware.

Important • Advises you of information that is essential to complete a

task.

Note • Indicates neutral or positive information that emphasizes or

supplements important points of the main text.

QLn Series User Guide

Introduction to the QLn™ Series Printers

Thank you for choosing our Zebra® QLn™ Series Mobile Printers. You will find these rugged printers will become a productive and efficient addition to your workplace thanks to their innovative design and state of the art features. Zebra Technologies is the leader in industrial printers with worldclass support for all of your bar code printers, software, and supplies.

This user’s guide gives you the information you will need to operate the QLn420, QLn320, and QLn220 printers, including QLn Healthcare and Made for iPhone® (MFi) printers. MFi printers provide Apple co-processor (MFi) support which allows an Apple device such as an iPhone or iPad® to authenticate and connect over Bluetooth®.

These printers use CPCL and ZPL programming languages. To create and print labels using the CPCL and ZPL languages, refer to the Programming Guide for CPCL and ZPL (p/n P1012728-008). See Appendix G for instructions on how to access manuals on zebra.com.

QLn Series Software Utilities:

• Zebra Net Bridge™ : printer configuration, fleet management

• Zebra Setup Utility: single printer configuration, quick setup

• Zebra Designer Pro: label design

• Zebra Designer Drivers: Windows® driver

• OPOS Driver: Windows driver

• Multiplatform SDK

(These utilities can be found on the Zebra website at

http://www.zebra.com/us/en/support-downloads.html.

See Appendix G.)

QLn Series User Guide

Unpacking and Inspection

• Check all exterior surfaces for damage.

• Open the media cover (refer to “Loading the Media” in the Getting Ready to Print section) and inspect the media compartment for damage.

In case shipping is required, save the carton and all packing ma-

terial.

Reporting Damage

If you discover shipping damage:

• Immediately notify and file a damage report with the shipping company. Zebra Technologies Corporation is not responsible for any damage incurred during shipment of the printer and will not cover the repair of this damage under its warranty policy.

• Keep the carton and all packing material for inspection.

• Notify your authorized Zebra re-seller.

QLn Series Technology

The QLn420, QLn320 and QLn220 use several technologies made popular in other Zebra Mobile Printer product lines, as well as newer technologies.

Smart Battery

The QLn Series battery pack is a high capacity, smart Lithium Ion battery that contains electronics which allow the printer to monitor its operating parameters. Among these are the number of charge cycles it has undergone and its date of manufacture. Using these parameters, the printer’s software can monitor the battery’s condition and alert the user when to recharge or remove the battery from service.

Operating Temperature Charging Temperature Storage Temperature

-200C to +550C (-4oF to 131oF)

The QLn Series printers will only function properly with genuine Zebra

smart battery packs.

00C to +400C

(32oF to 104oF)

-250C to +650C (-13oF to 149oF)

QLn Series User Guide

The smart battery’s health has three states: GOOD, REPLACE, and POOR. The battery health factor determines whether or not the printer can operate and what is communicated to the user via the display.

# of Charge Cycles Health Power-up Message

<300 GOOD None

>300 but <550 REPLACE “Battery Diminished

Consider Replacing” *

>550 but <600 REPLACE “Warning-Batter y

Is Past Useful Life” *

>600 POOR “Replace Battery

Shutting Down” **

* Warning accompanied by one long beep.

** Warning will flash on and off accompanied by beeping at a rate of once per second. After 30 seconds the printer will shut down.

Note • Power down the printer before removing the battery to minimize

the risk of corruption.

Printing Technology

The QLn Series printers use the Direct Thermal method to print human readable text, graphics and barcodes. It incorporates a sophisticated print engine for optimal printing under all operational conditions.

Direct Thermal

Direct thermal printing uses heat to cause a chemical reaction on specially treated media. This reaction creates a dark mark wherever a heated element on the printhead comes in contact with the media. Since the printing elements are arranged very densely at 203 d.p.i. (dots per inch) horizontal and 200 d.p.i. vertical, highly legible characters and graphic elements may be created a row at a time as the media is advanced past the printhead. This technology has the advantage of simplicity, as there is no requirement for consumable supplies such as ink or toner. However, since the media is sensitive to heat, it will gradually loose legibility over long periods of time, especially if exposed to environments with relatively high temperatures.

QLn Series User Guide

QR Code

The QR barcode includes human readable text (URL) which links the user to printer information and short videos on topics such as buying supplies, features overview, loading media, printing a configuration report, cleaning instructions, and accessory information. (See Page 13 for each printer’s URL address.)

Made for iPhone (MFi)

QLn printers support communication with Apple devices

running iOS 5 or later over a standalone Bluetooth 3.0 radio

and the BT3.0 radio included with the 802.11n (dual) radio.

Only printers with the “M” in the ninth digit spot of the part

number support this feature, i.e. QNx-xxxxxMxx-xx.

Near Field Communication (NFC)

A passive NFC tag with the Bluetooth printer address will provide instant access to printer-specific information via an NFCenabled smartphone.

QLn Series User Guide

QLn Series Overview

Figure 1: QLn320 Shown

1. Platen Roller

2. Black Bar Sensor

3. Media Support Disks

4. Tear Bar

5. Label Presence Sensor

6. Peeler Lever

7. Peeler Bail

8. Latch Release Lever

9. Key Pad

10. Strap Post

11. Status Screen

12. Printhead

13. Media Cover

14. Gap Sensor

15. Belt Clip

16. Battery

17. USB/RS-232 Comm Por ts

18. MAC Address Label

19. Docking Contacts

20. DC Input

21. NFC (Print Touch Icon)

QLn Series User Guide

Note: Scanning the QR code with a smartphone will provide printer-

specific information at www.zebra.com/qln220-info and

www.zebra.com/qln320 -info.

Note: Tapping the Zebra Print TouchTM icon with a Near Field

Communication (NFC) enabled smartphone will provide instant access to printer-specific information. For more information about NFC and Zebra products, go to

http://www.zebra.com/n fc

. Bluetooth pairing applications via NFC is also possible. Please see Zebra Multi-platform SDK for more information.

QLn Series User Guide

Figure 2: QLn420 Shown

1. Platen Roller

2. Black Bar Sensor

3. Media Support Disks

4. Tear Bar

5. Label Presence Sensor

6. Peeler Lever

7. Peeler Bail

8. Latch Release Lever

9. Key Pad

10. Strap Post

11. Status Screen

12. Printhead

13. Media Cover

14. Gap Sensor

15. Belt Clip

16. Battery

17. DC Input

18. MAC Address Label

19. Docking Contacts

20. USB/RS-232 Comm Ports

QLn Series User Guide

Note: Scanning the QR code with a smartphone will provide printer-

specific information at www.zebra.com/qln420-info.

QLn Series User Guide

Getting Ready to Print

Battery

Installing the Battery

Important • Batteries are shipped in sleep mode to preserve their

maximum capacity while in storage prior to initial use. Plug in the AC adapter (see Pg. 19) or insert the bat tery into the Smart Charger 2 or Quad Charger (see Pg. 17) to wake it up before using for the first time.

1. Locate the battery compartment on the bottom of the printer.

2. Swivel the belt clip (if present) to access battery compart-ment.

3. Insert the battery into the printer as shown in Figure 1. (It is not possible to insert the pack in an incorrect orientation.)

4. Rock the battery into the compartment as shown until it locks in place.

When the battery is first installed, the control panel indicators may briefly turn on and then go off which indicates the battery is not fully charged.

Figure 3: Installing the Battery (QLn220 Shown)

Belt Clip

Battery

QLn Series User Guide

Battery Safety

Caution • Avoid accidental short circuiting of any battery. Allowing

battery terminals to contact conductive material will create a short circuit which could cause burns and other injuries or could start a fire.

Important • Always refer to the Important Safety Information data

sheet shipped with each printer and the Technical Bulletin shipped with each battery pack. These documents detail procedures to ensure maximum reliability and safety while using this printer.

Important • Always dispose of used batteries properly. Refer to

Appendix E for more battery recycling information.

Caution • Use of any charger not approved specifically by Zebra for

use with its batteries could cause damage to the battery pack or the printer and will void the warranty.

Caution • Do not incinerate, disassemble, short circuit, or expose to

temperatures higher than 65oC (149oF).

Charger Safety

Do not place any charger in locations where liquids or metallic

objects may be dropped into the charging bays.

QLn Series User Guide

Smart Charger-2 (SC2) Single Battery Charger (P1031365-063)

The Smart Charger-2 (SC2) is a charging system for use with the 2-cell and 4-cell lithium-ion smart batteries used in the QLn Series printers.

Charging Status Indicators

The SC2 uses a LED indicator to indicate the charge state in either Green, Yellow, or Amber as detailed below.

DC Power Input Indicator Battery Status

Present Green Battery not present

Present Green Fully charged

Present Yel l ow Charging

Present Amber Fault

Present Off Present and Battery

Health = POOR

There will also be a battery charging graphic to indicate that this LED is the charging status indicator .

Battery Health Indicator

The SC2 features a tri-color (Yellow/Green/Amber) LED to indicate the health of the battery pack. An evaluation of the battery health begins upon insertion of the battery in the charger and results in the appropriate LED being illuminated as shown below. The LED will remain illuminated as long as input power is applied.

Battery Indicator Health Status

None or non-smart Off

Smart battery present Green GOOD

Smart battery present Yell ow CAPACITY DIMINISHED

Smart battery present Flashing yellow PAST USEFUL LIFE

Smart battery present Amber UNUSABLE-REPLACE

(discard per Instructions in

Appendix E

Note • For detailed information on the SC2, refer to the

Smart Charger 2 User Guide (p/n P1040985-001).

QLn Series User Guide

Figure 2: Smart Charger-2 (SC2)

Smart Battery

Charge Status Icon Health Status Icon

SC2 Dimensions

Charg e S tat us

LED Indicator

Health Status

LED Indicator

Height Width Length

65.1 mm (2.56 in.) 101.5 mm (4 in.) 120.9 mm (4.75 in.)

Model UCLI72-4 Quad Charger (AC18177-5)

The UCLI72-4 Quad Charger is designed to charge up to four (4) QLn Series battery packs simultaneously. Batteries must be removed from the printer to be charged in the Quad Charger.

1. Ensure that the charger has been installed properly per the Quad Charger instruction manual. Ensure that the power indicator on the front panel is on.

2. Plug a battery pack into any one of the four charging bays as shown in Figure 3, noting the orientation of the battery pack. Slide the battery pack into the charging bay until it stops and then rock the battery pack back until it snaps into place. The amber indicator directly under the battery being charged will turn on if the battery is properly inserted.

QLn Series User Guide

The indicators under the battery will allow you to monitor the

charging process per the table below:

Amber Green Battery Status

On Off Charging

On Flashing

Off On Completely Charged

Flashing Off Fault-Replace

Important • A fault condition is caused by a problem with the battery.

The charger may indicate a fault because the battery is too hot or cold to charge reliably. Try to charge the battery again when it returns to the room’s ambient temperature. If the amber indicator starts flashing on the second attempt, the battery should be discarded. Always dispose of batteries in a proper manner as described in Appendix F.

Figure 3: Quad Charger

80% charged (O.K. to use)

Battery

1. Slide Battery Pack into Charger bay.

2. Rock Battery Pack into place.

Amber Indicator

Green Indicator

Power Indicator

Quad Charger Cycle Times :

Battery Status Standard Pack Extended Pack

Battery 80% Charged <2 Hrs. <4 Hrs.

Battery Fully Charged < 3 Hrs. <5 Hrs.

Note • These times are for completely discharged batteries.

Power Supply

Charger Bay

QLn Series User Guide

Battery packs which are only partially discharged will take less time to reach their charged state. Batteries which have reached 80% of their charge capacity may be used, however, it is recommended that you allow the batteries to reach a full charge to maintain maximum battery life.

The UCLI72-4 Quad Charger has a safety feature which stops charging a

battery after six hours regardless of its charge state. If not fully charged, it might be indicative of a battery that needs to be replaced.

Use care when installing the UCLI72-4 Quad Charger so that you do not block the ventilating slots on the top and bottom covers. Ensure that the charger is plugged into a power source which will not accidently be turned off if you will be charging batteries overnight.

AC Power Adapter (p/n P1031365-024)

Figure 4: Charging the Battery Pack with the AC Power Adapter

AC Adapter

DC Input

QLn Series User Guide

AC Power Cord (varies with geographic

location)

• Open the protective cover on the printer to expose the DC input charger jack.

• Connect the appropriate AC power cord for your location to

the adapter and then plug the power cord into an AC receptacle.

• Plug the barrel plug from the AC adapter into the charger jack on the printer.

• The printer will power up and begin charging. The printer can be left on or turned off at this point. Charging will continue in either state.

Note • Batteries are shipped in sleep mode to preserve their maximum

capacity while in storage prior to initial use. Plug in the AC adapter (see Pg. 19) or insert the battery into the Smart Charger 2 or Quad Charger (see Pg. 17) to wake it up before using for the first time.

While it’s possible to charge the battery when using the printer, charge

times will increase under this condition.

Ethernet and Charging Cradles

The cradle is an expansion base intended for use with the QLn Series printers. There is a four bay cradle (QLn-EC4) or a single bay option (QLn-EC) for use with the QLn220 and 320, as shown on pages 23 and 24. There is also a single bay Ethernet and charging option for the QLn420 (QLn420-EC) as shown on page 24. The QLn-EC/EC4 cradles provide charging power to the docked printer as well as providing a standard 10/100Mb/S Ethernet port for communication to the printer. The QLn420EC also provides charging power to the docked printer, as well as a standard 10/100Mb/T Ethernet port for communication to the printer. All cradles also supply battery charging power to the docked printer and acts as a supplemen-

tary power source for a functioning QLn printer.

All QLn Ethernet cradles feature two LED’s to indicate the status of the cradle: Solid green to indicate when power is provided to the input of the cradle; and blinking green to indi-

cate Ethernet activity.

The cradle allows the user to dock the printer easily and re-

move it with the push of a button. The printer shall remain

QLn Series User Guide

operable while docked, i.e. display is viewable, charge LED status is viewable, and printer controls and data entry are available. The printer will still print while docked and the user shall be able to replace the media as well.

LED Status Indication

Solid Green Power On

Blinking Green Ethernet Activity

Note • Remove the “Docking Cradle Access” label on the bottom of the

QLn320 or QLn220 printers before docking the printer in the cradle.

DOCKING CRADLE ACCESS

Note • Clean the docking contacts with a Zebra cleaning pen to remove

any residue lef t behind by the label.

The QLn420 does not use the above label over the docking

contacts, but instead includes a plastic docking contacts cover

secured by two screws. Remove the screws to remove the

docking contacts cover from the printer and expose the docking

contacts (as shown below).

Docking Contacts

Docking Contacts Cover

QLn Series User Guide

Figure 5: Ethernet Cradle (4-Bay for QLn220/320)

Docking Bay

Ethernet Status Indicator

Release Button

Power Status Indicator

Height Width Length

66,7 mm (2.62 in.) 579,9 mm (22.83 in.) 150,57 mm (5.93 in.)

Note • The QLn220 and 320 extended battery capacity is not compatible

with the QLn-EC and EC4 cradles.

QLn Series User Guide

Figure 6: Ethernet Cradle Single Bay (QLn220/320)

Release Button

Ethernet Status

Release Button

Indicator

Cradle Height Width Length

QLn-EC 66,7 mm

(2.62 in.)

QLN420-EC 66,2 mm

(2.60 in.)

171,28 mm (6.74 in.)

137,7 mm

(5.42 in.)

Figure 7: Ethernet Cradle (QLn420)

Release Button

150,57 mm (5.93 in.)

219,6 mm

(8.64 in.)

AC Adapter

Ethernet Status Indicator

Power Status Indicator

QLn Series User Guide

Printer Operation with Cradle

• All QLn Series printers will charge when placed in their supported cradles.

• Only QLn Series printers that have the Ethernet option in-

stalled

will connect to an Ethernet network. Check the PCC code on the back of the printer (see Appendix D for location). Codes of the form QNx-xxxxx0xx-xx do not support Ethernet, and codes of the form QNxxxxxxExxxx or QNx-xxxxxMxx-xx do support Ethernet (where “x” means don’t care). You can also check the “Communications” sub-menu on the LCD (see Main Menu Screen on page 38). After selecting this sub-menu, any communication options not installed will be so indicated.

• When power is applied to the cradle and the printer is docked, the printer charge LED indicates the charge status of the printer (see Figure 18).

• Docking the printer in the cradle will automatically turn the printer on to ensure it is available to be managed remotely.

• When the printer detects input power from the cradle, and the presence of a live Ethernet link, it will automatically reboot and connect to the Ethernet network.

• For printers with an 802.11 radio, this interface will be turned off when the Ethernet link is active. It will turn back on if the Ethernet link is no longer active.

• For printers with a Bluetooth radio, this interface will remain active while the printer is in the cradle.

• The serial and USB ports will remain active while the printer is in the cradle.

• The DC input barrel jack connector (see Figure 7) cannot be used while the printer is in the cradle. The DC barrel jack should be plugged directly into the cradle instead.

Note • The printer provide over voltage protection such that no damage

occurs when voltages from 0-36V are applied at the DC Power jack. Upon application of voltage greater than 36V, the DC line fuse will permanently open to reduce fire hazard. The battery is only charged when 12VDC is applied using the Zebra AC adapter.

QLn Series User Guide

Loading the Media in the QLn Series Printers

You can operate QLn Series printers in one of two different modes: Tear-Off or Peel-Off. Tear-Off mode allows you to tear off each label (or a strip of labels) after it is printed. In Peel-Off mode, the backing material is peeled away from the label as it is printed. After you remove this label, the next one is printed.

Loading Media Procedure

1. Open the printer (Refer to Figure 7).

• Press the Media Cover Button on the side of the printer as shown in “1” below. The Media Cover will open automatically.

• Rotate the Media Cover back completely as shown in “2”, exposing the media compartment and adjustable media supports.

Figure 8: Opening the Printer

Media Cover

Media Compartment

Media Supports (opposite support not visible)

Latch Release Lever

QLn Series User Guide

2. Pull the media supports apart as shown in Figure be-

low. Insert the roll of media (in the orientation shown) between the supports and let the supports secure the media in place. The supports will adjust themselves to the width of the media, and the media roll should be able to spin freely on the supports.

Figure 9: Loading Media

3. If you plan to use the printer in tear-off mode, close the

media coveras shown below.

Pull Media out of Printer

Close Media Cover

Note • Please refer to the Programming Guide (P1012728-xxx) for

information on changing the setting to adjust the media feed length via a Set-Get-Do (SGD).

QLn Series User Guide

Loading Media in Peel-off Mode (QLn220/320)

• If you plan to use the printer in the peel-off mode, peel a few labels off of the media and load the media as previously described.

• Push the peeler lever forward to release the peeler bail into the “up” position as shown at “3” and “4” in Figure 10.

• Close the media cover to lock the peeler bail in place. The media will feed between the peeler bail and platen.

Figure 10: Activating Peeler Bar (QLn320 Shown)

Peeler Bail (Pull up and ip down if using media in pell-o mode

Peeler Lever

Latch Release Lever

• Turn on the printer or press the Feed button on the front of the printer if the printer is already on. The printer will advance the media to the next label, if printing labels. If you are printing on journal media, the printer will advance a short strip of media.

To disengage the peeler bail, first open the media cover as pre-

viously described. The peeler bail will automatically return to the

Up position. Press straight down on the peeler bail to lock it in place in its

original home position.

QLn Series User Guide

Loading Media in Peel-off Mode (QLn420)

• If you plan to use the printer in the peel-off mode, peel a

few labels off of the media and load the media as previously described.

• Close the media cover.

• Lift up on the peeler lever located on the side of the printer

below the media cover button.

• Lock the peeler lever in the “up” position to fully engage

the peeler bail.

Figure 11: Activating Peeler Bar (QLn420 Shown)

Peeler Bail

Media Cover Button

Peeler Lever

• Turn on the printer or press the Feed button on the front

of the printer if the printer is already on. The printer will advance the media to the next label, if printing labels. If you are printing on journal media, the printer will advance a short strip of media.

Note • Peeler will not work with most synthetic label stock since that

media is softer and tends to adhere to its liner. However, the QLn420 printer is fully capable of printing on synthetic labels.

QLn Series User Guide

• To disengage the peeler bail, press the peeler release

while pressing straight down on the peeler lever. This will disengage the peeler bail and return it to its original home position.

Note • Before disengaging the peeler, be sure there are no peeled labels

present on the peeler bail. This could cause a label jam if you were to disengage with the peeled label present.

QLn Healthcare Printers

Zebra QLn Healthcare 2” and 3” printers are designed to meet the specific and unique needs of the healthcare environ-

ment. The healthcare application is based on the QLn220 and

QLn320 printers primarily for barcode label printing, but also retaining the QLn’s ability to print receipts.

The QLn220 and 320 Healthcare printers also offer a few key enhancements to these existing printers:

• Provide printers with distinctive gray and white healthcare

colors (see Page 32) and performance plastics that can also be disinfected with the most common cleaners used in hospitals.

• Leverage the technology advancements made on the QLn

platform, i.e. new User Interface, NFC, QR code.

• Add the MFi chip to the QLn main logic board to support

Bluetooth connectivity between the printer and an iOS device as Apple devices are expected to grow in popularity in this segment.

QLn Series User Guide

Figure 12: QLn Healthcare Printers

Since the QLn220 and 320 Healthcare are based on the QLn220 and 320 platform, they are designed to be direct ther-

mal printers which support variable print widths. They will

provide a print experience compatible to the QLn220 and 320, specifically in the following areas:

• They will support the same barcodes, barcode quality, and visual print quality.

• They will offer equal wireless performance in terms of range, reliability, and speed.

• They will be compatible with all QLn220 and 320 accessories.

Due to the nature of the healthcare environment, QLn Healthcare printers feature more rugged plastics designed and tested to withstand constant cleaning with all major hospital cleaners for the life of the printer.

Note • Refer to the Guide to Disinfecting and Cleaning QLn Healthcare

Printers (P1066640-001) for detailed cleaning instructions.

Note • Refer to the QLn Healthcare Printers Quick Start Guide (P1067208-

001) for more detailed information on these printers.

QLn Series User Guide

Operator Controls

The QLn Series printers come equipped with a keypad control panel and LCD graphical user interface. The standard control panel is illustrated in Figure 13, 13a, and 14. The LCD interface allows easy display and selection of many printer functions as detailed on following pages.

Standard Control Panel

The standard control panel has multiple control buttons and two multipurpose indicators.

• The Power Button turns the printer on and off.

Note • When turning on the QLn420 printer, press and hold the Power

Button between 1.5 and 2.5 seconds. When the LCD illuminates, release the Power Button. To turn off the printer, press and hold the Power Button until the printer shuts down.

• The Media Feed Button advances a length of media which

is determined by the type of media being used. Label media will be advanced to the next gap or bar sense marker. Journal (plain) media will be advanced by a length determined by the printer’s software.

• The LED Charge Indicator shows solid Yellow when charging,

solid Green when fully charged, and is turned off when there’s a fault condition and the printer is plugged in.

• Four Way Navigation Buttons allow the user to scroll between

functions on the LCD user space. (The Navigation Buttons do not apply to the Status Bar and Navigation Bar.)

• Enter Button allows the user to select the desired function

highlighted on the LCD interface and is indicated by the word “O K”.

• Two software defined function keys allow the user to select

a function listed on the navigation bar.

QLn Series User Guide

Figure 13: Standard Control Panel (QLn320/220)

LED Charge Indicator

Solid Yellow: Charging

Solid Green: Fully charged

Off: No DC P ower A pplied

Off: Wi th DC Po wer Ap plied: Charge Fault

Power Button

Press to turn unit on. There will be a 10 second boot up time.

Press again to turn unit off

Figure 13a: Standard Control Panel (QLn420)

LED Charge Indicator

Solid Yellow: Charging

Solid Green: Fully charged

Off: No DC P ower A pplied

Off: Wi th DC Po wer Ap plied: Charge Fault

Power Button

Press to turn unit on. There will be a 10 second boot up time.

Press again to turn unit off

Feed Button

Press to advance a blank label or a software

determined length of journal media.

Feed Button

Press to advance a blank label or a software

determined length of journal media.

QLn Series User Guide

LCD Control Panel

The 240x128 pixel LCD control panel allows the user to view the status of the QLn Series printer and have access to various printer alerts and messages. It also has multi-directional keys which allow navigation and selection of menu options affecting printer functions. These keys allow scrolling through the various options and settings. The “OK” button allows selection of the option or function displayed on the screen. The top of the screen has a row of status icons, or a Status Bar, which indicate the state of various printer functions. The Status Bar is located above the Status Screen shown below along with a Navigation Bar. The Status Screen is the default display and is shown at power up. When navigating the menus, the printer will automatically return to this screen when the user is done navigating after an appropriate delay.

Figure 14: LCD Control Panel (QLn320/220)

Printer Status Bar

Indicates the status of several

printer functions.**

Select Button

Press to select a menu choice on the Status Screen.

Soft Keys

Press to select a function on the Navigation Bar.

** Not every icon will be displayed on the Status Bar at one time, only those applicable to the printer’s configuration.

QLn Series User Guide

Status Screen

Default screen the printer will display when the user is not navigating the main menu screen.

Navigation Bar

Displays user-selectable options.

Four Way Navigation Buttons

Scroll through menu choices on Status Screen Press “OK” to enter.

Status Bar Icons

Indicates Bluetooth® connection status. The icon will blink to show that the printer is receiving label data via Bluetooth, and is solid when link is established. This icon appears only on printers with the Bluetooth wireless option installed.

Indicates that the printer is connected to a radio network via 802.11 protocols. The antenna icon will blink with no parentheses when looking for an access point. One set of solid parentheses with blinking antenna indicates WLAN is associated and attempting authentication. Two sets of solid parentheses and solid antenna indicate the printer is successfully connected to the WLAN. The icon and two parentheses will blink to show the printer is receiving printer data via WLAN. The four (4) bars indicate the strength of the WLAN connection to the access point. These icons appear only with the

802.11 radio installed.

The Ethernet icon will blink when the printer is receiving label data via the Ethernet connection. It will not be displayed on the status bar when the Ethernet is inactive. This icon appears only when the Ethernet option is installed and the printer is docked in Ethernet cradle.

The Data icon indicates data being sent to the printer, i.e. the icon will blink when there is a label data transmission via the serial or USB ports.

The Media Out icon will blink when there is no media in the printer and will not blink when there is media in the printer.

The Head Latch icon indicates if the media cover is closed or not properly latched. It will appear unlocked and blinking if open and will not appear if the cover is closed.

QLn Series User Guide

The Error icon will be displayed and blink if an error condition exists. The icon will not be displayed if no printer error exists. Since there are separate icons for Media Out and Head Latch Open, these two alerts do not apply to the Error icon.

The Battery Charge Level icon indicates the reported state of charge from the battery pack. In a non-charging state, four (4) bars indicates the battery level is greater than 80%. Three (3) bars indicates if the battery level is less than or equal to 80% but greater than 60%. Two (2) bars indicates if the level is less than or equal to 60% but greater than 40%. One (1) bar indicates if the battery level is less than or equal to 40% but greater than 20%. And zero (0) bars indicates if the level is less than or equal to 20%.

While the battery is charging, a lightning bolt will appear in the

battery icon to indicate that charging is taking place. When the battery is charging and fully charged, four bars will be displayed. When the battery is charging and the level is greater than 80%, the battery icon will alternate between four bars and three bars. When the battery is charging and the level is less than or equal to 80% but greater than 60%, the icon will alternate between three bars and two bars. When the battery is charging and the level is less than or equal to 60% but greater than 40%, the icon will alternate between two bars and one bar. When the battery is charging and the level is less than or equal to 40% the icon will alternate between one bar and zero bars.

QLn Series User Guide

Main Menu Screen (QLn320/220)

The user can select options on the Main Menu screen by pressing the soft key located beneath the Menu option on the navigation bar. The Main Menu screen displays graphical options including Communication, Display, Media, Settings, Battery, and Help.

Note • The QLn Healthcare printers feature a different menu system. See

Page 40 for details.

Figure 15: Main Menu Screen (QLn320/220)

Info (Help) Icon

The user can scroll between icons using the four-way arrow buttons. When an icon is highlighted, its text description will be displayed in the middle of the navigation bar, and can be selected by pressing the “OK” button. This will take the user to the screen with status information specific to that option. The Info (or Help) menu provides useful information on a variety of topics. Please explore this menu to become more familiar with your printer and how it operates. The QLn Series printers will also display various alerts, such as “Media Out”, “Media Cover Open”, or “Battery Low”. The user can respond to questions by pressing one of the soft keys to indicate that an action has been taken to address the alert in question. Once the condition causing the alert has been addressed (i.e. loading media), the alert message will be cleared. (See Appendix H for a complete list of alerts for the QLn Series printers.)

QLn Series User Guide

Soft Keys

Programmable LCD Settings

In addition to the status icons, the LCD control panel can display other printer settings and functions as text. Applications

can be written to allow the user to view and /or modify these

settings using the scroll and select keys on the display. The

menu that comes with the printer provides access to the most

commonly used parameters. Refer to the Programming Guide

(p/n P1012728-008) for a complete list of the parameters, and

for details on how to change the front panel display at

www.zebra.com/manuals).

The LCD backlighting option allows viewing of the screen in a dark environment, or provides better contrast in a very bright environment. The QLn320 and QLn220 can be programmed to enter a low power mode (Backlight Off) during periods of front panel inactivity. While in low power mode, the screen is populated with menus and status icons, data which may or may not be readable depending on ambient light conditions. The QLn Series printers provide a configurable time delay from the time the backlight is turned on to when it turns off. The time range for this delay is 5 to 1200 seconds with a default time of 10 seconds. The backlight can be activated within one second after any of the cursor, select, or soft keys is pressed. (The feed button does not activate the backlight.) The status bar icons, the user space content, and the navigation bar will remain on the screen with the backlight off. Extensive use of the display backlight will decrease the time the printer can run between charges. Refer to the section “Extending Battery Life” for more information.

QLn Series User Guide

Home Menu Screen (QLn420 and QLn Healthcare Printers)

The QLn420 and QLn Healthcare printers share the same control panel. The printer’s control panel includes a display where the user can view the printer’s status or change its operating parameters. After the printer completes the power-up sequence, it moves to the Idle Display screen (Figure 21). This screen includes the printer’s current status, information such as firmware version and IP address, and a

Home menu shortcut.

The Home Menu for the printer uses a different set of icons than the standard QLn320 and QLn220, uses larger fonts for enhanced readability, and also provides support for multiple languages. The Home Menu screen displays graphical parameter options including Settings, Tools, Network, Battery, Language, Sensors, Ports, and Bluetooth (as shown in Figure

22). These options allow the user to view the printer’s status or change its operating parameters.

Figure 16: Idle Display Screen (QLn420 and QLn Healthcare)

PRINTER READY

V68.18.3z

Home Icon

Current Status

The printer’s operating parameters are sorted into eight (8) user menus, which you can access through the printer’s Home menu (Figure 22). Click on the Home icon located on the Idle Display screen to proceed to the Home Menu.

QLn Series User Guide

Figure 17: Home Display Screen (QLn420 and QLn Healthcare)

SETTINGS

Icon Parameter

See Settings menu in Appendix D

See Toolss menu in Appendix D

See Network menu in Appendix D

See Battery menu in Appendix D

See Language menu in Appendix D

See Sensors menu in Appendix D

See Ports menu in Appendix D

See Bluetooth menu in Appendix D

QLn Series User Guide

Whereas the QLn320 and 220 printers have multiple line

items per screen, the QLn420 and QLn Healthcare printers display one setting per screen using larger fonts (as shown below). In order to navigate to the next setting, click on the right arrow button. Click on the soft key below the Home icon to return to the Home Menu screen to choose a different parameter.

Figure 18: Print Settings Example

DARKNESS

-49

Some parameter settings have a scroll option to view multiple setting choices. This option is identifiable by the presence of up and down arrows located on either side of the display (Figure 24). For example, the Tools parameter has a Help option for many printer functions such as media, battery icon, error icon, latch icon, media icon, receive data icon, ethernet icon, signal icon, WLAN icon, Bluetooth icon, power LED, printhead, and battery.

QLn Series User Guide

Press the up and down arrows on the keypad to scroll through a setting’s various options. Press the left and right arrows to scroll to the next setting.

Figure 19: Scroll Option (Help Settings)

HELP FOR

Scroll

Indicator

Keypad

MEDIA

GET HELP

Scroll Indicator

Soft Key

Press the soft key beneath the “GET HELP” command on the display in this example to receive basic help information for loading media in the printer (Figure 20).

Figure 20: Scroll Details (Help For Media)

1: Open media cover by pressing down on the gold release button on right hand side of the printer.

BACK

Press the soft key beneath “BACK” to return to the previous screen.

QLn Series User Guide

Verify the Printer is Working

Before you connect the printer to your computer or portable data terminal, make sure that the printer is in proper working order. You can do this by printing a configuration label using the “two key” method. If you can’t get this label to print, refer to “Troubleshooting”.

Printing a Configuration Label

1. Turn the printer off. Load the media compartment with

journal media (media with no black bars printed on the

back)

2. Press and hold the Feed Button.

3. Press and release the Power button and keep the Feed

button pressed. When printing starts, release the Feed

button. The unit will print a line of interlocking “x” characters to

ensure all elements of the print head are working, print out the

version of software loaded in the printer and then print the

report.

Note that the report can also be printed from the Info (Help)

menu on the LCD.

The report indicates model, serial number, baud rate, and more

detailed information on the printer’s configuration and

parameter settings. (See the Troubleshooting Section for

sample printouts and a further discussion on how to use

the configuration label as a diagnostic tool.)

QLn Series User Guide

Connecting the Printer

The printer must establish communications with a host

terminal which sends the data to be printed. Communications

occur in four basic ways:

• QLn Series printers can communicate by cable via either

RS-232C or USB 2.0 protocols. USB drivers are included

in the Zebra Designer Driver which can be downloaded

from www.zebra.com/drivers.

• By means of a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) per

802.11 specifications. (Optional)

• By means of the Ethernet when docked on the Ethernet

cradle. (Optional)

• By means of a Bluetooth short range radio frequency link.

(Optional)

• WinMobile®, Blackberry®, and Android® devices use

standard Bluetooth protocol.

• QLn Series printers are compatible with iOS devices,

therefore printing via Bluetooth to an Apple® device is

possible.

QLn Series User Guide

Cable Communication

Caution • The printer should be turned off before connecting or

disconnecting a communications cable.

The QLn Series printers can communicate by cable; the

specific cable supplied with your printer will vary with the host

terminal and your model printer.

RS-232C Communications

The 14-pin serial connector on your communications cable

plugs into the serial communications port on the side of the

printer. QLn Series printers also have a USB port.

USB Communications

The small 5-pin connector on the USB cable plugs into the

printer. The connectors are keyed to assure correct alignment;

do not try to force the cable if it does not plug in.

Figure 21: Communication Options (QLn320 Shown)

Communications Port

RS-232C or USB Communications Cable to Computer. (Refer to Appendix A for part #’s.

QLn Series User Guide

Communications Cable to Terminal. Part #’s vary. Refer to Appendix A.

The other end of the cable must be plugged into the host terminal as shown in Figure 21, or to a serial or USB port on a computer (Figure 21). The QLn Series is configured with the USB Open HCI interface driver allowing it to communicate with Windows® based devices. USB drivers are included in the Zebra Designer Driver which can be downloaded from the Zebra Web site. Other terminals or communications devices may require the installation of special drivers to use the USB connection. Consult the factory for further details.

Providing Strain Relief for Communications Cable

If you are connecting either a USB or RS-232 communications cable to the printer permanently, access the communications port on the side of the printer next to the latch release lever. Plug the connector into the appropriate port and align the plastic locking cap with the cut outs shown below. Rotate the locking cap clockwise to lock the cable in place. (Turn counter clockwise to unlock the cable.) Once locked in place, this provides strain relief for the cable and will prevent the cable from disconnecting from the printer.

Note • Only one cabel can be present in the USB/RS-232

communications port at a time for strain relief purposes.

Figure 22: Communications Port (QLn420 Shown)

Align locking connector with these cut-outs.

USB Port

Align locking connector with these cut-outs.

QLn Series User Guide

RS-232 Port

Figure 23: Communications Port Strain Relief (QLn420 Shown)

Rotate locking cap in a clockwise direction to lock cable in place..

QLn Series User Guide

Wireless Communications with Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a worldwide standard for the exchange of data between two devices via radio frequencies. This form of point- topoint communication does not require access points or other infrastructure. Bluetooth radios are relatively low powered to help prevent interference with other devices running at similar radio frequencies. This limits the range of a Bluetooth device to about 10 meters (32 feet). Both the printer and the device it communicates with must follow the Bluetooth standard. Other than conditions specified elsewhere in this manual, only one of the radio options can be installed in the printer at one time and the antenna used for these transmitters must not be co-located or must not operate in conjunction with any other antenna.

Bluetooth Networking Overview

Each Bluetooth enabled QLn Series printer is identified by a unique Bluetooth Device Address (BDADDR). This address resembles a MAC address whereby the first three bytes are vendor, and the last three bytes are device (e.g. 00:22:58:3C:B8:CB). This address is labeled on the back of the printer via a barcode for ease of pairing. (See Page 34.) In order to exchange data, two Bluetooth enabled devices must establish a connection.

Bluetooth software is always running in the background, ready to respond to connection requests. One device (known as the master or the client) must request/initiate a connection with another. The second device (the slave or the server) then accepts or rejects the connection. A Bluetooth enabled QLn Series printer will normally act as a slave creating a miniature network with the terminal sometimes referred to as a “piconet”.

Discovery identifies Bluetooth devices that are available for pairing whereby the master device broadcasts a discovery re- quest and devices respond. If a device is not discoverable, the master cannot pair unless in knows the BDADDR or has previously paired with the device.

Bluetooth 2.1 or higher uses Security Level 4 Secure Simple Pairing (SSP), a mandatory security architecture that features four (4) association models: Numeric Comparison, Passkey Entry, Just Works (no user confirmation), and Out of Band (pairing info transmitted OOB, e.g. via Near Field Communication).

QLn Series User Guide

Figure 24: Bluetooth Security Modes

Security Mode 1

If a BT>/= 2.1 device is pairing with a BT</= 2.0 device, it falls back to BT 2.0 compatibility mode and behaves the same as BT 2.0. If both devices are BT >/= 2.1, Secure Simple Pairing must be used according to the BT spec.

Security Mode 2

If a BT >/= 2.1 device is pairing with a BT </= 2.0 device, it falls back to BT 2.0 compatibility mode and behaves the same as BT 2.0. If both devices are BT >/= 2.1, Secure Simple Pairing must be used according to the BT spec.

Security Mode 3

If a BT >/= 2.1 device is pairing with a BT </= 2.0 device, it falls back to BT 2.0 compatibility mode and behaves the same as BT 2.0. If both devices are BT >/= 2.1, Secure Simple Pairing must be used according to the BT spec.

Security Mode 4: Simple Secure Pairing

Simple Secure Pairing: a new security architecture introduced supported in BT >= 2.1. Service-level enforced, similar to mode 2. Mandatory when both devices are BT >= 2.1. There are four association models currently supported by mode 4. Security requirements for services must be classified as one of the following: authenticated link key required, unauthenticated link key required, or no security required. SSP improves security through the addition of ECDH public key cryptography for protection against passive eavesdropping and man-inthe-middle (MITM) attacks during pairing.

Numeric Comparison Passkey Entry Just Works Out of Band (OOB)

Designed for situation where both devices are capable of displaying a six-digit number and allowing user to enter “yes” or “no” response. During pairing, user enters “yes” if number displayed on both devices matches to complete pairing. Differs from the use of PINs in legacy (BT<=2.0) pairing because the number displayed for comparison is not used for subsequent link key generation, so even if it is viewed or captured by an attacker, it could not be used to determine the resulting link or encryption key.

Designed for situation where one device has input capability but no display (e.g. keyboard), while other device has a display. The device with a display shows a six-digit number, then the user enters this key on the device with input. As with numeric comparison, the six-digit number is not used in link key generation.

Designed for situation where one (or both) of the pairing devices has neither a display nor keyboard for entering digits (e.g. Bluetooth headset). It performs authentication step 1 in the same manner as as numeric comparison, but the user cannot verify that both values match, so MITM (man-in-the-middle) protection is not provided. This is the only model in SSP that does not provide authenticated link keys.

Designed for devices that support a wireless technology other than Bluetooth (e.g. NFC) for the purposes of device discovery and cryptographic value exchange. In the case of NFC, the OOB model allows devices to pair securely by simply tapping one device against the other, followed by the user accepting the pairing via a single button push. Security against eavesdropping and MITM attacks is dependant on the OOB technology.

Each mode, except for Just Works, has Man-In-The-Middle (MITM) protection, meaning no third device can view the data being passed between the two devices involved. The SSP mode is usually negotiated automatically based on the capabilities of both the master and slave. Lower security modes can be disabled via the bluetooth.minimu m _ security _ mode SGD. The bluetooth.minimu m _ security _ mode SGD sets the lowest security level at which the printer will establish a Bluetooth connection. The printer will always connect at a higher security level if requested by the master device. To change the security mode and security settings in the QLn Series printers, use Zebra Setup Utilities.

QLn Series User Guide

Figure 25: Bluetooth Minimum Security Modes

BT Version of Master Device (>2.1)

bluetooth.minimum_security_mode=1

bluetooth.minimum_security_mode=2

bluetooth.minimum_security_mode=3

bluetooth.minimum_security_mode=4

bluetooth.bluetooth_PIN

Secure Simple Pairing

Just Works/Numeric Comparison

Secure Simple Pairing

Just Works/Numeric Comparison

Secure Simple Pairing

Numeric Comparison

Secure Simple Pairing

Numeric Comparison

Not Used

bluetooth.minimu m _ security _ mode sets the lowest security

level at which the printer will establish a Bluetooth connection. The printer will always connect at a higher security level if requested by the master device.

The QLn Series printers also feature bonding for Bluetooth. The printer caches pairing info so devices stay paired through power cycles and disconnects. This eliminates the need to re- pair on every connection establishment.

The bluetooth.bonding SGD is on by default.

Note • For detailed information on Bluetooth, please refer to the

Bluetooth Wireless User Guide (P1068791-001) at:

http://www.zebra.com/us/en/support-downloads.html

In addition, the QLn Series printers support Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. Using the “Print Touch” feature located on the side of the printer, end-users can automatically connect via Bluetooth from a handheld device that supports NFC technology. The NFC tag has the printer’s BDADDR encoded in a URL on the tag. Simply touching the NFC handheld device to the “Print Touch” icon on the printer will connect and pair the handheld device to the printer.

QLn Series User Guide

WLAN Overview

QLn Series printers can be equipped with a radio that uses the industry standard 802.11 protocols. They will have the FCC ID number on the serial number label on the back of the unit.

• QLn Series Wireless Network Printers with the Zebra

802.11 WLAN radio module can be identified by the text “Wireless Network Printer” on the serial number label on the back of the printer.

• These printers allow communication as a node within a wireless local area network (WLAN). Methods of establishing communications to the printer will vary with each application.

More information and LAN configuration utilities are included in the Zebra Net Bridge™ program (version 2.8 and later). Zebra Setup Utilities (ZSU) can also be used to configure WLAN communications settings. Both Net Bridge and ZSU may be downloaded from the Zebra Web site.

Setting Up the Software

QLn Series printers use Zebra’s CPCL and ZPL Programming languages which were designed for mobile printing applications. CPCL and ZPL are fully described in the ZPL Programming Guide (p/n P1012728-008) available on-line at www.zebra.com/manuals.

You can also use Designer Pro, Zebra’s Windows® based label creation program which uses a graphical interface to create and edit labels in either language.

Refer to Appendix F for tips on downloading the Designer Pro application from Zebra’s Web site.

QLn Series User Guide

Setting Up the Software

You can also use Designer Pro, Zebra’s Windows® based label creation program which uses a graphical interface to create and edit labels in either language.

Refer to Appendix G for tips on downloading the Designer Pro application from Zebra’s Web site.

Near Field Communication (NFC)

Much like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technologies, Near Field Communication (NFC) allows wireless communication and data exchange between digital devices like smartphones. Yet NFC utilizes electromagnetic radio fields while technologies such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi focus on radio transmissions instead.

NFC is an offshoot of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), with the exception that NFC is designed for use by devices within close proximity to each other, i.e. a smartphone and a QLn Series printer. NFC allows these devices to establish communication with each other by touching them together or bringing them into proximity, usually no more than 7.62 centimeters (3 inches). Three forms of NFC technology exist: Type A, Type B, and FeliCa. All are similar but communicate in slightly different ways. FeliCa is commonly found in Japan.

Devices using NFC may be active or passive. A passive device, such as a QLn Series printer with an NFC tag, contains information that other devices can read but does not read any information itself.

An active device, such as a smartphone, can read the information on the printer’s NFC tag, but the tag itself does nothing except transmit the info to authorized devices.

QLn Series User Guide

Active devices can read information and send it. An active NFC device, like a smartphone, would not only be able to collect information from NFC tags, but it would also be able to exchange information with other compatible phones or devices. An active device could even alter the information on the NFC tag if authorized to make such changes. To ensure security, NFC often establishes a secure channel and uses encryption when sending sensitive information.

Figure 26: Near Field Communication (NFC) Pairing

http://www.zebra.com/nfc

Note • Tapping the Zebra Print TouchTM icon with a Near Field

Communication (NFC) enabled smartphone will provide instant access to printer-specific information. For more information about NFC and Zebra products, go to http://www.zebra.com/nfc.Bluetooth pairing applications via NFC is also possible. Please see Zebra Multi-platform SDK for more information.

QLn Series User Guide

QLn Series Accessories

Swivel Belt Clip

Most QLn Series printers have a plastic swivel belt clip installed as a standard feature. (It should be noted that QLn220 & 320 printers with extended capacity battery do not come equipped with a belt clip.) To use: hook the clip over your belt, and ensure that the clip is securely attached to the belt. The belt clip will pivot to allow you to move freely while wearing the printer. The QLn420 also provides a more rigid metal belt clip as an option. In order to install or remove the plastic Belt Clip you will need to remove the battery pack.

Figure 27: Using the Belt Clip (QLn420 Shown)

Metal Belt ClipPlastic Belt Clip

Clip printer to

belt

Printer can pivot freely

QLn Series User Guide

Soft Case

QLn Series printers have soft case options that also allow you to carry the printer from your belt. The QLn420 soft case can be ordered through accessory kit number P1050667-017, the QLn320 is P1031365-029, and the QLn220 accessory kit is P1031365-044.

Figure 28: Using the Soft Case

Hard Case

The QLn420 printer has a two piece hard case option that also allows you to carry the printer from your belt, while also providing increased protection for the printer. It pivots via a hinge located on the back and snaps into place in front as shown above. The metal belt clip is mounted to the hard case and printer with two screws. If no belt clip is used, two shorter screws are used to hold the printer to the hard case.

Figure 29: Using the QLn420 Hard Case

QLn Series User Guide

Adjustable Shoulder Strap

Refer to Figure 30 if your printer is equipped with the shoulder strap option (p/n P1031365-092).

Figure 30: Using the Optional Shoulder Strap

1. Insert the end of the shoulder strap behind the post on the front side of the printer and loop it around the post.

2. Slide the end of the strap under the plastic buckle (circled).

3. Slide the end of the strap under the opposite side of the plastic buckle (as shown). Pull to tighten the strap inside the buckle.

4. Repeat the same steps on the opposite side of the printer.

QLn Series User Guide

Hand Strap

The QLn Series hand strap accessory (p/n P1031365-027) attaches to the printer’s cut-outs as does the shoulder strap to provide the user with a convenient and secure method of carrying the printer. To attach the hand strap to the printer:

• Insert the end of the strap through the cut out on the front of the printer as shown below.

• Loop the end of the strap back around the cut out and secure it over the button.

• Repeat this process for the opposite end of the strap.

Figure 31: Hand Strap (QLn420 Shown)

The QLn Series printers also feature two mounting holes on the base of the printer to accommodate future mounting options. Refer to RAM Mount Installation Procedure (p/n AA17518-003) on zebra.com.

QLn Series User Guide

Preventive Maintenance

Extending Battery Life

• Never expose the battery to direct sunlight or temperatures

over 40° C (104° F) when charging.

• Always use a Zebra charger designed specifically for LithiumIon batteries. Use of any other kind of charger may damage the bat ter y.

• Use the correct media for your printing requirements. An authorized Zebra re-seller can help you determine the optimum media for your application.

• If you print the same text or graphic on every label, consider using a pre-printed label.

• Choose the correct print darkness, and print speed for your media.

• Use software handshaking (XON/XOFF) whenever possible.

• Remove the battery if the printer won’t be used for a day or more and you’re not performing a maintenance charge.

• Consider purchasing an extra battery.

• Remember that any rechargeable battery will lose its ability to maintain a charge over time. It can only be recharged a finite number of times before it must be replaced. Always dispose of batteries properly. Refer to Appendix E for more information on battery disposal.

General Cleaning Instructions

Caution • Avoid possible personal injury or damage to the printer. Never

insert any pointed or sharp objects into the printer. Always turn off the printer before performing any cleaning procedures. Use care when working near the tear bars as the edges are very sharp.

Warning • The printhead can get very hot after prolonged printing. Allow

it to cool off before attempting any cleaning procedures.

Only use a Zebra cleaning pen (not supplied with the printer) or a cotton

swab with 90% medical grade alcohol for cleaning the printhead.

Caution • Use only cleaning agents specified in the following tables.

Zebra Technologies Corporation will not be responsible for damage caused by any other cleaning materials used on this printer.

QLn Series User Guide

QLn Series Cleaning

Area Method Interval

Printhead Use a Zebra cleaning pen

Platen Surface (Linered)

Platen Surface (Linerless)

Scraper (Linerless Units Only)

Tear Bar Clean thoroughly with 90%

Printer Exterior Water-dampened cloth or

to swab the thin gray line on the printhead, cleaning the print elements from the center to the outside edges of the printhead.

Rotate the platen roller and clean it thoroughly with a fiber-free swab, or lint free, clean, damp cloth lightly moistened with medical grade alcohol (90% pure or better) (Fig. 32a/Fig. 32b).

Rotate platen roller and clean with a fiber-free swab and 1 part liquid soap (Palmolive or Dawn) and 25 parts water. Use pure water to clean after soap/water mixture.

Use adhesive side of media to clean scraper on linerless units. (Fig. 32b)

medical grade alcohol and a cotton swab. (Fig. 32a)

90% medical grade alcohol wipe.

After every five rolls of media (or more often, if needed). When using linerless type media, cleaning is required after every roll of media.

After every five rolls of media (or more often, if needed)

Clean platen only if there is an issue during printing, i.e. media not releasing from the platen. (*See Note below.)

After every five rolls of media (or more often, if needed).

As needed

Printer Interior Gently brush out printer.

Interior of units with Linerless Platens

Note: This is an emergency procedure only to remove foreign

Ensure the Bar Sensor and Gap Sensor windows are free of dust. (Fig. 32a)

Clean thoroughly with 90% medical grade alcohol and a fiber-free swab. (See Fig. 32b for specific target areas for interior cleaning.)

As needed

After every five rolls of media (or more often, if needed).

contaminates (oils, dirt) from the platen that can damage the printhead or other printer components. This procedure will shorten or even exhaust the linerless platen’s useable life. If the linerless media continues to jam after cleaning and feeding 1 to 2 meters (3 to 5 feet) of media, replace the platen.

QLn Series User Guide

Important: The above cleaning procedures are not for QLn Healthcare

printers. Refer to the Guide to Disinfecting and Cleaning QLn Healthcare Printers (p/n P1066640-001) for detailed cleaning instructions.

Figure 32a: Cleaning the QLn Series Printers (Linered)

Peeler Bar

Platen Roller

Bar Sensor

Gap Sensor

Printhead Elements

Tear Bar

Peeler Bail

Figure 32b: Cleaning the QLn Series Printers (Linerless)

Platen Roller

Platen Holder

Media Support Disk

Media Support

QLn Series User Guide

Label PresenceSensor

Scraper

Printhead Elements

Media Support Disk

Media Support

Troubleshooting

Figure 33: Control Panels

Front Control Panel

QLn420

Green/Yellow LED

QLn320/220

Status Icons

LCD Control Panel

Front Control Panel

If the printer is not functioning properly, refer to the chart below to find the state of the LED charge indicator on the Front Control Panel. Then refer to the Troubleshooting topic referenced in the chart to resolve the problem. Please note that the charge LED is only on when DC power is applied to the printer. If no DC power is applied the LED is off, which does not apply to the table below.

Green Yellow Indication Ref. to Topic

Solid Off Fully Charged n/a

Off Solid Charging n/a

Off Off Fault 1

QLn Series User Guide

LCD Control Panel Indicators

The top of the display shows several icons which indicate the status of various printer functions. Check the indicator status, then refer to the Troubleshooting topic referenced in the chart to resolve the problem.

Icon Status Indication

On Bluetooth link established

Not Present Bluetooth link inactive

Blinking Connecting or transmitting labels

Antenna Blinking Looking for AP

Antenna Blinking/1 Parenthesis

Steady

Antenna and 2 Parentheses

Steady

Antenna and 2 Parentheses

Blinking

Not Present No Radio Present

4 Bars >80% charged

3 Bars 60%-80% charged

2 Bars 40%-60% charged

1 Bar 20%-40% charged

0 Bars Low Battery

4 Blinking w/ Lightning Bolt Charging >80% Capacity

WLAN Associated & Attempting

Authentication

WLAN Associated and

Authenticated

Receiving Data

3 Blinking w/ Lightning Bolt Charging 60-80% Capacity

2 Blinking w/ Lightning Bolt Charging 40-60% Capacity

1 Blinking w/ Lightning Bolt Charging 20-40% Capacity

0 Bars w/ Lightning Bolt Charging <20% Capacity

Blinking Media cover open

Blinking Receiving data

Steady Ethernet Connected

Not Present No Ethernet Connection

Blinking Data processing in

Steady No data being processed

QLn Series User Guide

progress

Blinking Out of Media

Steady Media present

Blinking Error exists (excluding

Not Present No error exists

4 Bars 802.11 signal strength

3 Bars 802.11 signal strength

2 Bars 802.11 signal strength </= 50% but

1 Bar 802.11 signal strength

0 Bars No Signal Strength

Media Out and Head

Latch Open)

> 75%

</= 75%

>25%

</= 25%

Troubleshooting Topics

1. No power:

• Check that battery is installed properly.

• Recharge or replace battery as necessary.

Caution: Always dispose of batteries properly. Refer to Appendix F for

more information on proper battery disposal.

2. Media does not feed:

• Be sure media cover is closed and latched.

• Check spindle holding media for any binding.

• Ensure most recently printed label is removed (only in peel mode).

• Ensure label sensor is not blocked.

3. Poor or faded print:

• Clean print head.

• Check quality of media.

4. Partial or missing print:

• Check media alignment.

• Clean print head.

• Ensure media cover is properly closed and latched.

QLn Series User Guide

5. Garbled print:

• Check baud rate.

6. No print:

• Check baud rate.

• Replace battery.

• Check cable to terminal.

•Establish RF Link and/or restore LAN associativity.

•Invalid label format or command structure. Place printer in Communications Diagnostic (Hex Dump) Mode to diagnose problem.

7. Reduced battery charge life:

• If battery is older than 1 year old, short charge life may be due

to normal aging.

• Check battery health.

• Replace battery.

8. flashing:

• Flashing Data icon is normal while data is being received.

9. or flashing:

• Check that media is loaded and that the media cover is closed

and securely latched.

10. Communication error:

•Check baud rate.

•Replace cable to terminal.

11. Label jam:

•Open head release latch and media cover.

•Remove and reinstall media.

12. Skip Labels:

• Check media for top of form sense mark or label gap.

• Check that the maximum print field has not been exceeded

on label.

• Ensure bar or gap sensor is not blocked or malfunctioning.

QLn Series User Guide

13. Blank LCD screen:

• Make sure printer is turned on.

• No application loaded or application corrupted: reload pro-

gram.

14. No NFC Connectivity

• Ensure smartphone is positioned 3 inches (7.62 cm) or closer to the Print Touch icon on the side of the printer.

Troubleshooting Tests

Printing a Configuration Label

To print out a listing of the printer’s current configuration fol-

low these steps:

1. Turn the printer off. Load the media compartment with

journal media (media with no black bars printed on the back).

2. Press and hold the Feed Button.

3. Press and release the Power button and keep the Feed

button pressed. When printing starts, release the Feed button.

Note: The configuration report can also be printed from the Info (Help)

menu on the LCD.

Refer to Figures 34, 34a, and 34b for sample configuration print-

outs.

Communications Diagnostics

If there is a problem transferring data between the computer and the printer, try putting the printer in the Communications Diagnostics Mode (also referred to as the “DUMP” mode). The printer will print the ASCII characters and their text representation (or the period ‘.’, if not a printable character) for any data received from the host computer.

To enter Communications Diagnostics Mode:

1. Print a configuration label as described above.

2. At the end of the diagnostics report, the printer will print:

“Press FEED key to enter DUMP mode”.

3. Press the FEED key. The printer will print: “Entering DUMP

mode”.

QLn Series User Guide

To enter Communications Diagnostics Mode:

1. Print a configuration label as described above.

2. At the end of the diagnostics report, the printer will print:

“Press FEED key to enter DUMP mode”.

3. Press the FEED key. The printer will print: “Entering DUMP

mode”.

Note • If the FEED key is not pressed within 3 seconds, the printer will

print “DUMP mode not entered” and will resume normal operation.

4. At this point, the printer is in DUMP mode and will print the ASCII hex codes of any data sent to it, and their text representation (or “.” if not a printable character).

Additionally, a file with a “.dmp” extension containing the

ASCII information will be created and stored in the printer’s memory. It can be viewed, “cloned” or deleted using the Net Bridge application. (Refer to the Net Bridge documentation for more information.)

To terminate the Communications Diagnostics Mode and return the printer to normal operations:

1. Turn the printer OFF.

2. Wait 5 seconds.

3. Turn the printer ON.

Contacting Technical Support

If the printer fails to print the configuration label, or you encounter problems not covered in the Troubleshooting Guide, contact Zebra Technical Support. Technical Support addresses and phone numbers for your area can be found in Appendix H of this manual. You will need to supply the following information:

• Model number and type (e.g. QLn320)

• Unit serial number (Found on the large label on the back of the

printer, also found in the configuration label printout.

• Product Configuration Code (PCC) (15 digit number found on

the label on the back of the unit)

QLn Series User Guide

Figure 34: QLn320 Configuration Label

Printhead Test

Identies Printer as a QLn320

Printer Serial Number

QLn Series User Guide

MFi Supported

Figure 34a: QLn320 Configuration Label (cont.)

802.11 radio option /n installed. This section details the radio’s network settings

Ethernet Information

Network Information

QLn Series User Guide

Peripherals Installed

Figure 34b: QLn320 Configuration Label (cont.)

Flash and RAM Memory Installed

Maximum Label Size

Resident Human Readable Fonts Installed

Files loaded in printer memory (includes prescaled or scalable fonts)

QLn Series User Guide

Specifications

Note • Printer specifications are subject to change without notice.

Printing Specifications

Parameter QLn320 QLn220 QLn420

Print Width Up to 74 mm

(2.91 in.)

Print Speed 101.6 mm (4 in.)/sec-

ond without peeler

50.8 mm (2 in.)/second with peeler

Up to 48 mm

(1.89 in.)

Same Same

Up to 104 mm

(4.1 in.)

Printhead Burn Line to Tear Edge Distance

Printhead Life

Print Density

5.08 mm (0.20 in.) 4.31 mm (0.17 in.) 4.06 mm (0.16 in.)

2 million inches of

paper feed

203 dots/in. or better Same Same

Same Same

Memory and Communications Specifications

Parameter QLn Series Printers

Flash Memory 256 MB

RAM Memory 128 MB

Standard Communications

Optional Wireless Communication

Real Time Clock (RTC)

Ethernet 10 or 100 mps Ethernet auto detect when docked in

RS-232 serial port (14 Pin serial connector)

Configurable Baud rate (from 9600 to 115.2 Kbps),

parity and data bits.

Software (X-ON/X-OFF) or hardware (DTR/

STR) communication handshake protocols.

USB 2.0 Full Speed Interface (12 Mbps)

Bluetooth v2.1 compatible 2.4 GHz SRRF link

Optional wireless LAN capabilities comply with

802.11a/b/g/n protocols

QLn420: BT 3.0 and 802.11a/b/g/n

Time and date under application control. Refer to

ZPL Programming Manual, available at

www.zebra.com/manuals for RTC commands.

cradle.

1. Memory configuration on your printer may be ascertained by printing a configu-

ration label as detailed on page 66.

QLn Series User Guide

Label Specifications

Parameter QLn320 QLn220 QLn420

Max Media

Width

Max/Min Label

Length

Black Bar Sen-

sor to Printhead

Burnline Dis-

tance

Label Thickness 0.058 to 0.165 mm

25.4 to 79.4 mm (1.0 to 3.125 in.)

12.7 to 812.8 mm (0.5 to 32 in.)

maximum

15.87 mm (0.62 in.) +/-

0.635 mm (0.025 in.)

(0.002 to .0065 in.)

16 to 55.37 mm

(.63 to 2.18 in.)

Same Same

13,46 mm (0.53 in.) 15.87 mm (0.62 in.)

0.058 to 0.140 mm (0.002 to .0055 in.)

50.8 to 111.76 mm (2.0 to 4.4 in.)

0.635 mm (0.025 in.)

0.061 to 0.190 mm

(0.0024 to 0.0075 in.)

+/-

Max Tag/Receipt

Thickness

Max Label Roll

Outer Diameter

Inner Core

Diameters**

Black Mark

Location

Black Mark

Dimensions

0.152 mm (0.006 in.)

66.8 mm (2.6 in.) 55.8 mm (2.2 in.) 66.8 mm (2.6 in.)

19 mm (0.75 in.) or

35.05 mm (1.38 in.) min. for linered

35.05 mm (1.38 in.)

min. for linerless

The reflective media

black marks should

be centered on

media roll

Minimum mark

width: 12,7 mm (0.5 in.) perpendicular to

inside edge of

media,

centered within the

width of the roll.

Mark length: 3-11

mm (0.12 to 0.43 in.)

parallel to inside

edge

of media.)

0.152 mm (0.006 in.)

Same Same

0.190 mm

(0.0075 in.)

Note • Use Zebra brand direct thermal media that is outside wound. Media

may be reflective (black mark) sensing, or transmissive (gap) sensing, diecut, continuous or linerless. For die-cut labels, use only full auto dies.

** QLn Series printers support coreless media which is 19 mm (0.75 in.) in

inner diameter.

QLn Series User Guide

CPCL Font and Bar Code Specifications and Commands

Standard Fonts

Available Optional Fonts

Linear Bar Codes Available

2-D Bar Codes Available

Rotation Angles

25 bit-mapped fonts; 1 scalable font (CG Trimvirate Bold Condensed*) *Contains UFST from Agfa Monotype Corporation Downloadable optional bit-mapped & scalable fonts via Net Bridge software.

Optional International character sets: Chinese 16 x 16 (trad), 16 x 16 (simplified),24 x 24 (simplified); Japanese 16 x 16, 24 x 24

Barcode (CPCL Command)

Aztec (AZTEC) Codabar (CODABAR, CODABAR 16) UCC/EAN 128 (UCCEAN128) Code 39 (39, 39C, F39, F39C) Code 93 (93) Code 128 (128) EAN 8, 13, 2 and 5 digit extensions (EAN8, EAN82, EAN85, EAN13, EAN132, and EAN135) EAN-8 Composite (EAN8) EAN-13 Composite (EAN13) Plessey (PLESSEY) lnterleaved 2 of 5 (I2OF5) MSI (MSI, MSI10, MSI1110) FIM/POSTNET (FIM) TLC39 (TLC39) UCC Composite A/B/C (128(Auto)) UPCA, 2 and 5 digit extensions (UPCA2 and UPCA5) UPCA Composite (UPCA) UPCE, 2 and 5 digit extensions (UPCE2 and UPCE5) UPCE Composite (UPCE) MaxiCode (MAXICODE) PDF 417 (PDF-417) Datamatrix (using ZPL emulation) (DATAMATRIX) QR Code (QR)

RSS-14 (RSS-Subtype 1) RSS-14 Truncated (RSS-Subtype 2)

RSS:

RSS-14 Stacked (RSS-Subtype 3) RSS-14 Stacked Omnidirectional (RSS-Subtype 4) RSS Limited (RSS-Subtype 5) RSS Expanded (RSS-Subtype 6)

0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°

QLn Series User Guide

ZPL Font and Bar Code Specifications and Commands

Standard Fonts

Available Optional Fonts

Linear Bar Codes Available 2-D Bar Codes Available

Rotation Angles

15 bit-mapped fonts; 1 scalable font (CG Trimvirate Bold Condensed*) Downloadable optional bitmapped & scalable fonts via Net Bridge software.

Zebra offers font kits covering multiple languages including Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Hebrew/Arabic, and others.

Barcode (CPCL Command)

Aztec (^B0) Codabar (^BK) Codablock (^BB) Code 11 (^B1) Code 39 (^B3) Code 49 (B4) Code 93 (^BA) Code 128 (^BC) DataMatrix (^BX) EAN-8 (^B8) EAN-13 (^BE) GS1 DataBar Omnidirectional (^BR) Industrial 2 of 5 (^BI) lnterleaved 2 of 5 (^B2) ISBT-128 (^BC) LOGMARS (^BL) Micro-PDF417 (^BF) MSI (^BM) PDF-417 (^B7) Planet Code (^B5) Plessey (^BP) Postnet (^BZ) Standard 2 of 5 (^BJ) TLC39 (^BT) UPC/EAN extensions (^BS) UPC-A (^BU) UPC-E (^B9) Maxi Code (^BD) QR Code (^BQ)

0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°

QLn Series User Guide

Communication Ports

RS-232C

Pin # Signal Name Type Description

1 CTS input Clear To Send from host

2 TXD output Tra n smit Data

3 RXD input Receive Data

4 DSR input Data Set Ready: low to high transition

turns printer on, high to low transition turns printer off (if enabled)

5 GND Ground

6 DTR output Data Terminal Ready: set high when

printer is on. Switched 5V (300mA

max)

7 N/A Do Not Use

8 RTS output Request To Send set high when print-

9 N/A Do Not Use

10 N/A Do Not Use

11 N/A Do Not Use

12 N /A Do Not Use

13 N/A Do Not Use

14 N/A Do Not Use

er is ready to accept a command or data

Figure 35: RS-232C Communications Port

QLn Series User Guide

USB

Pin # Signal Name Type Description

1 VBUS - USB Bus Power

2 USB- bi-directional I/O signals

3 USB+ bi-directional I/O signals

4 USB_ID - Identifies A/B connector

5 Return Ground

Figure 36: USB Communications Port

Physical, Environmental and Electrical Specifications

Parameter QLn320 QLn220 QLn420

Weight w/ battery 1.6 lbs. (0.75 kg) 1.35 lbs. (0.61 kg) 2.2 lbs. (0.99 kg)

Temperature

Operating: -20 °C to

50 °C

(-4 °F to 122 °F)

(Healthcare is 0 °C to 50

°C (32 °F to 122 °F

Operating:-20 °C to

55 °C

(-4 °F to 131 °F) (Healthcare is 0 °C to 50 °C (32 °F to 122 °F

Operating: -20 °C to

50 °C

(-4 °F to 122 °F)

Storage: -25 °C to 65 °C

(-13 °F to 149 °F)

Charging: 0 °C to 40°C

(32 °F to 104 °F)

Relative Humidity Operating/Storage:

Battery

Intrusion

Protection (IP)

Rating

10% to 90%

non-condensing

Smart Battery (2 or 4

cell) Lithium-Ion, 7.4

VDC (nominal);

2.45 AHr min.

4 cell Extended Smart

Battery

(Optional)

IP43 (without

optional

environmental case)

IP54 (with case)

QLn Series User Guide

Same Same

4 cell Extended Smart

Battery

(Optional)

IP43 (without

optional

environmental case)

IP54 (with case)

IP43 (without

optional

environmental case)

IP54 (with case)

Figure 37: QLn420 Overall Dimensions

82.5 mm (3.25 in.)

Height

186.7 mm (7.35 in.)

165.1 mm (6.5 in.)

LengthWidth

QLn Series User Guide

Figure 38: QLn320 Overall Dimensions

76.9 mm (3.15 in.)

Height

173.7 mm (6.85 in.)

117.9 mm (4.65 in.)

Width Length

QLn Series User Guide

Figure 39: QLn220 Overall Dimensions

72.4 mm (2.85 in.)

Height

170.9 mm (6.73 in.)

91.4 mm (3.5 in.)

Width Length

QLn Series User Guide

QLn Series Accessories

Part # Description

P1031365-006 KIT ACC QLn220 RUBBER DOOR I/O (15)

P1031365-018 KIT ACC QLn320 RUBBER DOOR I/O (15)

P1031365-019 KIT ACC QLn220/QLn320 RUBBER DOOR DC JACK (15)

P1031365-022 KIT ACC QLn220/320 PLATEN GEAR 48P 22T (25)

P1031365-024 KIT ACC Mobile AC ADAPTER US (type A) cord

P1031365-027 KIT ACC QLn HAND STRAP

P1031365-028 KIT ACC QLn BELT CLIP REPLACEMENT (20)

P1031365-029 KIT ACC QLn320 SOFT CASE (Includes Shoulder Strap)

P1031365-033 KIT ACC QLn-EC AC ADAPTER US (type A) CORD (see

P1031365-038 KIT ACC QLN-EC

P1031365-044 KIT ACC QLn220 SOFT CASE (Includes Shoulder Strap)

P1031365-045 KIT ACC QLN-EC4 AC ADAPTER US CORD (see Sales for

P1031365-050 KIT ACC EC4 WALL MOUNT

Sales for other countries)

other countries)

P1031365-052 KIT ACC QLn Serial Cable (with strain relief) QL Adapter

P1031365-053 KIT ACC QLn Serial Cable, 6’ (with strain relief) PC-DB9

P1031365-054 KIT ACC QLn Serial Cable (with strain relief) to MC9000

P1031365-055 KIT ACC QLn PC-USB Cable, 6’ (with strain relief)

P1031365-056 KIT ACC QLn Serial Cable (with strain relief) RJ45 to Telzon

P1031365-057 KIT ACC QLn Serial Cable (with strain relief) to LS2208

P1031365-058 KIT ACC QLn 16 PIN Serial Cable (with strain relief) to

P1031365-059 KIT ACC QLN220/QLN320 Spare Battery Smart

P1031365-060 KIT ACC QLn 11 PIN Serial Cable (with strain relief) to

P1031365-061 KIT ACC QLn Serial DEX Cable (with strain relief)

P1031365-062 KIT ACC QLn Serial Cable (with strain relief) to RJ45

P1031365-063 Kit ACC SC2 Li-ION Smart Charger, US (type A) cord (see

P1031365-069 KIT, Acc QLn220/320 and ZQ500 Series Spare Extended

P1031365-092 KIT ACC QLn SERIES SHOULDER STRAP

(female DIN)

Adapter

Scanner

MC3000

Sales for other countries)

Battery with LED’s

QLn Series User Guide

QLn Series Accessories cont.

P1031365-104 KIT ACC QLn Serial Cable (with strain relief) to LS2208

P1050667-007 KIT ACC QLn420 RUBBER DOOR I/O (15)

P1050667-010 KIT ACC QLn420 RUBBER DOOR DC JACK (15)

P1050667-016 KIT ACC QLn420 SPARE BATTERY

P1050667-017 KIT ACC QLn420 SOFT CASE (Includes Shoulder Strap)

P1050667-018 KIT ACC QLn420-EC AC ADAPTER US (type A) CORD (see

P1050667-026 KIT ACC QLn420-VC – 15V – 60V to 12V

P1050667-029 KIT ACC QLn420-EC (NO ADAPTER, NO CORD

P1050667-030 KIT ACC QLn420-VC (no adapter, no cord)

P1050667-031 KIT ACC QLn420 METAL BELT CLIP

P1050667-032 KIT ACC QLn420 Handi-Mount (compact, flexible RAM arm)

P1050667-033 KIT ACC QLn420 Handi-Mount (compact, flexible RAM arm)

P1050667-034 KIT ACC QLn420 ASSY HARD CASE W/METAL BELT CLIP

P1050667-035 KIT ACC QLn420 Mobile Mount for Forklifts (with U-arm

P1050667-036 KIT ACC QLn420 SCREEN SCRATCH PROTECTOR OVERLAY

P1050667-037 KIT ACC QLn420 MOBILE MOUNT PLATE

P1050667-038 KIT ACC QLn420 DESKTOP STAND

P1050667-039 KIT ACC QLn420 SOFT CASE W/O SHOULDER STRAP

Scanner Extended

Sales for other countries)

with Base Plate

without Base Plate

bracket and fanfold bin)

(25)

P1050667-040 KIT ACC QLn420 BATTERY ELIMINATOR WITH POWER

P1050667-041 KIT ACC QLn420 BATTERY ELIMINATOR NO ADAPTER

P1050667-042 KIT, Acc Power Adapter for Mobile Battery Eliminator,

P1050667-047 KIT ACC QLn420 RAM MOUNT PLATE

P1024458-002 BELT,CLIP,QLN,HC

AC18177-5 Model UCLI72-4 Quad Battery Charger (US line cord, see

P1051378-002 BATTERY,PACK,LITHIUM,SMART,QLN HC

ADAPTER

12~48V, open ended

Sales for others)

Note • Refer to Appendix A for additional information on Data I/O cables.

QLn Series User Guide

Appendix A

Interface Cables (RS-232 Cables)

Part Number P1031365-053; DB-9 to 14-Pin Serial

Part Number P103136 5 - 0 52; 8-Pin DIN to 14-Pi n Serial Cable

QLn Series User Guide

USB Cables

Part Number AT17010-1; USB A to USB Mini B Cable

- GND

- D+

- D-

- VBUS

- D-

- D+

- NC

- GND

Part Number P1031365-055; 4 Position USB Mini to 4-Pin USB

(w/ Strain Relief)

Note • Visit the Zebra website at: www.zebra.com/accessories for a

listing of interface cables for all Zebra mobile printers.

QLn Series User Guide

Appendix B

Media Supplies

To insure maximum printer life and consistent print quality and performance for your individual application, it is recom-

mended that only media produced by Zebra be used.

Advantages include:

• Consistent quality and reliability of media products.

• Large range of stocked and standard formats.

• In-house custom format design service.

• Large production capacity which services the needs of many large and small media consumers including major retail chains world wide.

• Media products that meet or exceed industry standards.

For more information go the Zebra website (www.zebra.com) and select the Products tab, or refer to the CD included with the printer.

Appendix C

Maintenance Supplies

In addition to using quality media provided by Zebra, it is

recommended that the printer be cleaned as prescribed in the

maintenance section. The following item is available for this

purpose:

• Cleaning Pen (12 pack): p/n 105950-035

QLn Series User Guide

Appendix D

Note • The following menus in this Appendix apply only to QLn420 and

QLn Healthcare printers.

SETTINGS Menu

Set the darkness to the lowest setting that provides good print quality. If you

DARKNESS

-49

PRINT SPEED

4.0

set darkness too high, the label image may print unclearly, bar codes may not scan correctly, or the printhead may wear prematurely.

Select the speed for printing a label (given in inches per second). Slower print speeds typically yield better print quality.

MEDIA TYPE

MARK

TEAR OFF

Select the type of media that you are using.

If necessary, adjust the position of the media over the tear-of f bar after printing.

QLn Series User Guide

PRINT WIDTH

576

Specify the width of the labels being used. The default value is the maximum width for the printer based on the printhead’s DPI value.

PRINT MODE

REWIND

LABEL TOP

LEFT POSITION

Select a print mode that is compatible with your printer options.

If necessary, shift the print position horizontally on the label. Positive numbers move the left edge of the image toward the center of the label by the number of dots selected, while negative numbers move the left edge of the image toward the left edge of the label.

REPRINT MODE

OFF

When reprint mode is enabled, you can reprint the last label printed either by issuing certain commands or by pressing the DOWN ARROW on the keypad.

QLn Series User Guide

LABEL LENGTH MAX

LANGUAGE

Set the maximum label length to a value that is at least 1.0 in. (25,4 mm) greater than the actual label length plus the interlabel gap. If yu set the value to one that is smaller than the label length, the printer assumes that continuous media is loaded, and the printer cannot calibrate.

If necessary, change the language that the printer displays.

ENGLISH

Note • The selections for this

parameter are displayed in the actual language to make it easier to find one that you are able to read.

When reprint mode is enabled, you can reprint the last label printed either by issuing certain commands or by pressing the LEFT ARROW on the keypad.

QLn Series User Guide

TOOLS Menu

HELP FOR

MEDIA

GET HELP

Use scrolling feature to select from a variety of help topics including how to load media, location and removal of battery, and cleaning the printhead. There are also explanations of various icons including bat tery, error, latch, media, RCV data, Ethernet, signal, WLAN, and Bluetooth.

PRINT INFORMATION

SETTINGS

LCD CONTRAST

LCD BACKLIGHT

Prints a printer configuration label, sensor profile, barcode information, font information, images, formats, two-key report, and network settings..

Changes the contrast on the printer’s display (i.e. the higher the number, the darker the contrast).

Allows the user to turn the LCD backlight on or off.

QLn Series User Guide

BACKLIGHT TIMEOUT

IDLE DISPLAY

FW VERSION

Sets the duration of the LCD backlight in seconds.

Select the information shown on the printer’s display when the printer is idle.

POWER UP ACTION

NO MOTION

HEAD CLOSE ACTION

FEED

LABEL LENGTH CAL

Set the action for the printer to take during the power-up sequence, i.e. no motion, calibrate, etc.

Set the action for the printer to take when you close the printhead, i.e. feed, calibrate, etc.

QLn Series User Guide

DIAGNOSTIC MODE

ENABLED

Use this diagnostic tool to cause the printer to output the hexadecimal values for all data received by the printer.

ZBI ENABLED?

This menu item indicates if the Zebra Basic Interpreter (ZBI 2.0TM.) option is enabled on your printer.

QLn Series User Guide

NETWORK Menu

ACTIVE PRINT SERVER

NONE

Informs the user of the presence of an active server. Only one print server can be installed at a time, therefore the print server installed is the active print server.

WLAN STATUS

NOT ASSOCIATED

WLAN IP ADDRESS

0.0.0.0

WLAN SUBNET MASK

255.255.255.0

Informs the user if WLAN is associated or not associated.

View, and if necessary, change the printer’s WLAN IP address.

View, and if necessary, change the WLAN subnet mask.

WLAN GATEWAY

0.0.0.0

View, and if necessary, change the default WLAN gateway.

QLn Series User Guide

WLAN IP PROTOCOL

ALL

This parameter tells if the user or the server selects the WL AN IP address.

WLAN MAC ADDRESS

00:19:70:7A:20:44

ESSID

DSF802LESS54

AP MAC ADDRESS

00:05:9A:3C:78:00

View the WLAN Media Access Control (MAC) address of the wireless print server that is installed in the printer.

The Extended Service Set Identification (ESSID) is an identifier for your wireless network. This setting, which cannot be modified from the control panel, gives the ESSID for the current wireless configuration.

View the AP MAC address associated with the printer.

CHANNEL

View the network channel.

QLn Series User Guide

SIGNAL

View, and if necessary, change the printer’s network signal.

WIRED IP ADDRESS

0.0.0.0

WIRED SUBNET MASK

255.255.255.0

WIRED GATEWAY

0.0.0.0

View, and if necessary, change the printer’s wired IP address.

View, and if necessary, change the printer’s wired subnet mask.

View, and if necessary, change the wired gateway setting.

WIRED IP PROTOCOL

ALL

This parameter tells if the user (permanent) or the server (dynamic) selects the IP address. If a dynamic option is chosen, this parameter tells the method(s) by which the wired or wireless server receives the IP address from the server.

QLn Series User Guide

WIRED MAC ADDRESS

00:07:4D:3F:D3:B2

View, and if necessary, change the printer’s network signal.

IP PORT

6101

IP ALT PORT

9100

View, and if necessary, change the printer’s wired IP address.

View, and if necessary, change the printer’s wired subnet mask.

QLn Series User Guide

BATT ERY Menu

BATTERY ELIMINATOR

INSTALLED

HEALTH

GOOD

CYCLE COUNT

Indicates if a bat tery eliminator has been installed.

Indicates the current health of the battery, i.e. Good, Past Useful Life, etc.

View the current cycle count of the bat-

tery.

FIRST USED

7-12-2012

SERIAL NUMBER

1509

View the date on which the battery was first used in the printer.

View the serial number of the battery pack.

QLn Series User Guide

TIMEOUT

0 SECONDS

View, and if necessary, change the battery timeout.

VOLTAGE

8.39

WARNING

6.87 (176)

DTR CONTROL

OFF

View the current voltage level of the battery pack.

QLn Series User Guide

LANGUAGES Menu

LANGUAGE

ENGLISH

COMMAND LANGUAGE

HYBRID_XML_ZPL

ZPL OVERRIDE

DISABLED

If necessary, change the language that the printer displays.

Note • The selections for this

parameter are displayed in the actual languages to make it easier to find one that you are able to read.

Enable this menu item to allow certain ZPL commands to override the printer’s current settings.

COMMAND CHAR

^ (5E)

CONTROL CHAR

~ (7E)

Set the format command character to match what is used in your label formats.

Set the control prefix character to match what is used in your label formats.

QLn Series User Guide

DELIMETER CHAR

, (2E)

Set the delimiter character to match what is used in your label formats.

ZPL MODE

ZPL II

VIRTUAL DEVICE

NONE

Select the mode that matches what is used in your label formats.

QLn Series User Guide

SENSORS Menu

MEDIA STATUS

LABEL LENGTH CAL

TAKE LABEL

Informs the user of the presence or absence of media in the printer.

Important • This value is set

during sensor calibration. Do not change this setting unless you are told to do so by Zebra Technical Support or by an authorized service technician.

QLn Series User Guide

PORTS Menu

BAUD RATE

19200

DATA BITS

PARITY

NONE

Select the baud value that matches the one being used by the host computer.

Select the data bits value that matches the one being used by the host computer.

Select the parity value that matches the one being used by the host computer.

STOP BITS

HOST HANDSHAKE

RTS/CTS

Select the stop bits value that matches the one being used by the host computer.

Select the handshake protocol that matches the one being used by the host computer.

100

QLn Series User Guide

Zebra QLN420, QLN220, QLN320 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Proprietary Statements

Document Conventions

Cautions, Important, and Note

Introduction to the QLn™ Series Printers

QLn Series Technology

Smart Battery

Printing Technology

Direct Thermal

QR Code

Made for iPhone (MFi)

Near Field Communication (NFC)

QLn Series Overview

Getting Ready to Print

Installing the Battery

Battery Safety

Charger Safety

Charging Status Indicators

Battery Health Indicator

SC2 Dimensions

Model UCLI72-4 Quad Charger (AC18177-5)

AC Power Adapter (p/n P1031365-024)

Ethernet and Charging Cradles

Printer Operation with Cradle

Loading Media Procedure

Loading Media in Peel-off Mode (QLn220/320)

Loading Media in Peel-off Mode (QLn420)

QLn Healthcare Printers

Standard Control Panel

LCD Control Panel

Status Bar Icons

Main Menu Screen (QLn320/220)

Programmable LCD Settings

Home Menu Screen (QLn420 and QLn Healthcare Printers)

Verify the Printer is Working

Printing a Configuration Label

Connecting the Printer

Cable Communication

RS-232C Communications

USB Communications

Providing Strain Relief for Communications Cable