AMT Datasouth 4600 manual

Fastmark 4600 PLUS Series Thermal T ransfer Barcode Printer U ser ’ s Guide Document #140106A March 201 1[...]

1 Getting St arted .................................................................................................... 2 Unp ac king ....................................................................................................... 2 Package Content s ........................................................................................... [...]

2 A ppendix A : Printer St atus .............................................................................. 64 A ppendix B: St and-alone Ke y board a nd Barcode Reader ............................ 65 Keyboard ....................................................................................................... 65 Form Control Functions ........[...]

1 IMPORT A NT S AFETY INSTRUCTIONS A ND OT HER NOTICES  This printer complies with the requirements in Part 15 o f FCC rules for a Class A com puting device. Operation of this equipment in a residential area may cause unaccepta ble interface to radio and TV reception, requir ing the operator to take whatev er steps are necessary to correct the i[...]

2 Getting S t arted Congratulations on choosing the AMT Datasouth Fastmark 4600 PLUS Series industrial barcode printer . This user ‟s man ual describing the FM 4600 PLUS Series printer models will help you get to know your new printer . The manual includes a guide to operate the printer as well as related information on troubleshooting, maintenan[...]

3 Package Conten t s 1. 4600 PLUS Series Printer 2. Installation Quick S tart Guide 3. CD Rom (User Guides, Utility Software & Drivers) 4. AC Power Cord 5. Sample Ribbon 4 5 3 2 1[...]

4 Placing the P rinter Before setting up and connecting the printer you should consider the following. W AR NING! Do not operate the printer in an area where it might get wet.  Find a solid flat surface with adequate room f or the printer and enough space above for media and ribbon ac cess.  P lace the printer within cable dist ance of the ho[...]

5 Getting to Kno w Y our Printer The illustrations below describe par ts and features of the FM 4600 PLUS Series printer . Front Panel Control Panel LED‟ s and Switches LCD M essage Display T op Access Door Front Access Door The front p anel includes:  3 LED indicators (READY , MEDIA a nd RIBBON)  3 buttons (FEED, P AUSE and CANCEL)  L C[...]

6 LED Indicato rs There are three LED indicators on the front pa nel, READY , MEDIA and RIBBON. These indicators display the operation status o f the p rinter . READY On – Normal operation Off – Pri nter error MEDIA On – Normal operation Blinking – Install new media Printhead overheat The printer i s paused, RIBBON On – thermal transfer m[...]

7 Notes: 1. Y ou should per fo rm a media calibration after installation and when changing to a dif ferent type or size of media. 2. Before calibration, you must load the media and ribbon properly and move the label sensor to the correct position avoiding holes. 3. After calibration the printer saves parameters to FLASH. W ithout correct calibratio[...]

8 FM 4603 PLUS Series If a barcode reader is connected, the display shows: FM 4602 PLUS Series FM 4603 PLUS Series If an abnormal condition occurs, a related message is displayed. For ex ample: Setting Display Language The printer ‟s LCD display supports six languages: English, French, Ger man, Italian, S panish, and Portuguese. T o select a lang[...]

9 Changin g Settings from the Pan el Y ou may change setting s using the front pa nel buttons of the 4600 PLUS series printer models . I n addition you may also change settings via software Utility and data stream commands. Buttons Function FEED+P AUSE Press to enter setting mode. (Don‟t press over 1 second) FEED+CANCEL Press to show next feature[...]

10 Basic Printer Fea tures and Parameter Settings , PPLA/PP LB. NOTE: Features can vary based on printer model. Do not cha nge settings during printing or communication. Feature Parameter Factory Default Remarks PRINT MODE Thermal transfer / Direct thermal Thermal transfer AUTO CALIBRA TE MODE Mode 1~4 Mode 1 Calibrates on demand. CUT/PEEL OFFSET -[...]

11 Feature Parameter Factory Default Remarks P ARITY (RS232) NONE EVEN ODD NONE LENGTH (RS232) 8 DA T A BITS 7 DA T A BITS 8 DA T A BITS CLEAR FLASH YES/NO NO PRINTERS WITH ETHERNET DHCP ENABLE DISABLE ENABLE IP ADDRESS ###.###.###.### SUBNET MASK ###.###.###.### DEF AUL T GA TEWA Y ###.###.###.### MAC ADDRESS ####.####.#### Printer Feature s and P[...]

12 Feature Parameter Factory Default Remarks PEELER INST ALLED YES NO NO COUNTING UP DOWN DOWN MEDIA SENSOR TYPE GAP BLACK BAR GAP Select for media characteristics. Once changed make sure to calibrate before printing. PRESENT DIST ANCE .0~ 040 ” .87” Appears only when BACKFEED enabled. ABS DARKNESS 0~30 0 Setting darkness TRIM DARKNESS -30~30 0[...]

13 Ribbon Pick-up Spindle Ribbon Supply S pind le Media Supply S pindle Rear Feed Slot Head Latch Thermal Printhead Paper Sensor Guide Internal Part s and Featu res Paper Drive Roller[...]

14 Cutter Module Peeler Option[...]

15 Loading Ribbon and Media This section describes how to load ribbon and media. Loading a Ribbon Note: This section can be referred to, when transfer thermal printing is used . The steps below are based on ribbon wound ink-side in a s an exam ple. 1. Lift the top cover and front access door to expose the media compart ment. (Figure 1) 1 Front A cc[...]

16 2. T u rn the head latch co unter -clockwise and open the bracket. (Fig ure 2) 3. Unwrap the ribbon and separate the ribbon roll from the bare core. Insert the ribbon roll onto the ribbon supply spindle. (Fig ure 3) Bracket 2 Head Latch 3 Ribbon Supply S pindl e[...]

17 4. Lead the ribbon through the print head module. (Figure 4) 5. Attach the edge of the ribbon onto the bare core and wind it a bit onto the core. Make sure the coating side of the ribbon is face down. 6. Insert the core onto the ribbon pick-up spindle. (Figure 5) 7. T u rn the pick-up spindle to ensure the ribbon i s tightly wound. Bar Core Prin[...]

18 Loading Media The 4600 PLUS series printers of fer three diff erent loading modes: standard, peel -of f , or with a cutter .  S tandard mode allows y ou to collect each label freely .  Peel-off mode peels backing material aw ay from the label as it prints. After the label is removed, the next label prints.  Cutting mode automatically cu[...]

19 2. T u rn the head latch co unter -clockwise and open the bracket. Remov e the outside media guide. (Fig ure 7) Head Latch Bracket Out side Media Guide 7[...]

20 3. Lead the media through the print head module and under the paper sensor guide. (Figure 8) 4. Return the outside media guide, close the br acket, and hook the head latch. (Figure 9) 9 Head Latch Out side Media Guide Bracket 8 Print Head Module Paper Sensor Guide Module[...]

21 5. Close the top cover and the front access door and turn on the printer , or press the “FEED” button if the printer is already on. (Fig ure 10) 10[...]

22 Peel Off Mode Follow steps 1 to 3 in “ Loading the Media – S t a ndard Mode” above. 1. From the leading end of the media roll remove enough labels to exp ose 6-inches of backing/liner . (Figure 1 1) Backing Paper 11 Remove labels[...]

23 2. Lead the media backing/liner through the print head module. (Figure 12) 3. Push down the peel-off mechanism release lev er and lead the media backing/liner under the peeler module. (Figure 13) 13 1 1 Dispenser Module Peel Lever 12 1 1 Print Head Module Media Backing/Liner Media Backing/liner[...]

24 4. Close the peeler module using the peel-off mechanism release lev er . (Figure 14) 5. Close the top access door and turn on the printer or press the FEED button if the printer is already on. (Figure 15) Notes:  The FEED button does not make the printer peel. For peeling to occu r when the panel setting is pro perly enabled.  Make sure th[...]

25 Cutting Mode Follow steps 1 to 3 in “ Loading the Media – S t andard Mode” above. 1. Insert the media into the print head module and under the paper sensor guide. (Figure 16) Paper Sensor Guide Print Head Module 16 Cutter Module[...]

26 2. Return the outside media guide, close the br acket, and hook the head latch. (Figure 17) 3. Close the top access door and turn on the printer or press the FEED button if the printer is already on. T he printer w ill then feed the labels through the cutter automatically . (Figure 18) Note: The FEED button does not make the printer cut. For cut[...]

27 P AL TM Print and Program Ov ervie w Printers featuring P AL TM Print and Program ability can be used in sev eral ways in any given environment. This section describes 3 common way s this advanced capability is used. For help and assist ance determinin g the best w ay to use this ability in your situation, please consult your sales represent ati[...]

28 Using a P AL TM Print and Program capable pri nter solves this problem. In this case a P AL TM program is written which interprets a data stream normally sent to the legacy device being replaced. This program is stored on the printer and is automatically executed each time the printer is powered on. This program is ab le to produce a new label f[...]

29 The S tandalone Application program is stored in the printer memory and can accept input from a PS/2 keyboard, bar code scanner , or other serial devices such as an electronic scale. These programs may use the printer ‟s LCD to prompt for user input and may also include datab ases. Unlike other bar code printers that allow basic static forms t[...]

30 Calibration & Configuration This section discusses calibration, printing configuration and resetting the printer to factory defaults. Performing Cali bration After the media is loaded, please perform media calibration to calibrate the label sensor in advance. 1. T u rn of f the printer 2. Press and hold the P AUSE button and turn on the powe[...]

31 Printing a Confi guration Report T o pe rform a sel f -test and print a configuration report: 1. T u rn of f the printer . 2. Press and hold the FEED button while turning on the pow er . 3. When “SELF - TESTING …” is displayed on the LCD and the READY indicator blinks, release the FEED button. NOTE: Printers with Ethernet will take 20 seco[...]

32 Resetting to Factor y Default Se ttings T o reset the printer to factory default settings: 1. T u rn of f the printer . 2. Press and hold the CANCEL button and turn on the printer . 3. When “E2PROM RESET …” is displayed on the LCD and the READY indicator blinks, release the CANCEL button. NOTE: Printers with Ethernet will take 20 second fo[...]

33 Computer Connec tions This printer comes with USB interface, a sta ndard Centronics parallel inter face, and a nine-pin Electronics Industries Association (EIA) RS-232 serial data interface. USB Interface R equirement s The Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface is version 2.0 and 1.1 compliant and provides a full-speed (12Mb/s) interface that is [...]

34 Serial (RS-232) Port The required cable must have a nine -pin "D" t ype male connector on one end, which is plugged into the mating serial port located on the back of the printer . The other end of the cable connects to a serial po rt on the host computer . For technical and pin-out information, please refer to the T echnical Reference[...]

35 Ethernet Module St atus Indica tors LED S tatus Description Both Off No Ethernet lin k detecte d. Blinking The printer w aits for printer rea dy . It will ta k e about 20 seco nds to be ready . Green S peed LED On: 100 Mbp s link Of f: 10 Mbps l ink A mber Link/Activi ty LED On: link up Off: link dow n Flash: activ ity PC PC PC Centronics Parall[...]

36 Ethernet LED Indicators Amber LED Green LED[...]

37 Communicat ing w ith the Printer The bundled printer driver can be applied to all applications under W indows 2000/ 2003/ XP/ Vist a / Windows 7, supporting 32-bit/ 64-bit operation systems. W it h this driver you can operate any popular Windows softw a re applications including Bartender editing software or MS Word, etc., to print to this print[...]

38 1. T urn off the printer . P lug the pow er cable into the power socket on the wall, and then connect the other end of the cable to printer's power socket. Connect an interface cable (i.e USB, Parallel or Serial) from the printer to the PC. 2. T urn on the printer . If the printer supports Plu g- and -Play , and you have successfully connec[...]

39 5. Assign the directory to keep Seagull driver , (for example : C:Seagull) and click "Next". 6. Click "Finish".[...]

40 7. Select Install printer driv e rs and Click "Next" 8. Select model & emulation : TIA- 230 TIA- 230E TIZ- 230[...]

41 9. Select the port of the printer and click "Next". 10. E nter Printer name and select "do not share this printer”, and click "Next". Argox X-3200 PPLB[...]

42 11. Che ck all the data on the showing screen, if it is correct, click "Finish". 12. After the related files have been copied to your system, click "Finish" . Argo x X-1000VL PPLB Not Shared L T1 YES TIA- 230E 7.1.8_M-0 Installing printer „ FM4602 PPLB‟…[...]

43 13. After driver installation is complete, click "Close". The driver should now be installed. Installed printer TIA-230E PPLB[...]

44 T roubles hooting Normally , if the printer is in not working properly , the "READY" LED blinks continuously , and printing an d communication between the host and printer stops. LED and LCD Diagn osis Blinking LEDs indicate a problem. Check the LEDs and the LCD dis play and refer to the following solutions: Media Problems LED/LCD Indi[...]

45 Ribbon Problems LED/LCD Indication READY and RIBBON LEDs Blinking LCD Display RIBBON OUT Possible Problems So lutions Remarks Ribbon out Supply the ribbon roll Not applicable to direct thermal. Ribbon jam Recover the jam Ribbon sensor error Replace ribbon sensor Note: If you use direct thermal, set with panel, Windows driver or comm a nd. Other [...]

46 Light /Missing Print Print quality can be adjusted when light or missing print is primarily observed on the right or left side o f the media. If the print discrepancy is as shown in Fig. 1, turn the Fine Adjustment Knob clockwise one setting (adjust counter clockwise for Fig. 2 correction), then try printing again to justify the print quality im[...]

47 Miscellaneous If the host shows "Printer T ime out" 1. Check if the communication cable (parallel or serial) is connected securely to your parallel or serial port on the PC and to the connector on the printer at the other end. 2. Check if the printer pow er is turned on. If the data has been sent, but there is no outp ut from the print[...]

48 For unstable ribbon roll rotation, check the label p ath and make sure the head latch is securely closed. Poor printout quality:  The ribbon may not be qualified.  The media may not be qualified.  Adjust the Darkness (heat temperature).  Slow down the print speed.  Refer to the following and clean the related sp a re part s. Recov[...]

49 Caring for Y our Printer Clean the following components of the printer using a cotton bud dampened with alcohol. Do not soak the cotton bud excessiv ely . Note: Turn off the printer before cleaning. Cleaning the Pr int Head Clean the print head as follows 1. T u rn of f the printer . 2. Open the top cover to access the print head module 3. Remov[...]

50 Cleaning the Ro l ler Using a cotton bud moistened with alcohol, clean the roll and remov e any attached glue. Note: Clean the roller after it has been in contact with foreign materials such as dust or adhesives. Cleaning the Med ia Comp artment Clean the media comp artment with a cotton bud that has been moistened with a mild detergent. Every t[...]

51 T echnical Re ference General S pecificat io ns FM4602 PLUS / IE FM4603 PLUS Printing Method Direct Thermal and Thermal T ransfer Printing Resolution 203 dpi (8 dots/.04”) 300 dpi (12dots/.04”) Printing W id th Max 4.09” Printing Length Max. 50” Max. 100” Max. 50” Printing S pe ed 2 ~ 6 ips 1 ~ up to 5 ips Memory 8MB DRAM (7MB User A[...]

52 Display LED indicator x 3 LED indicator x 3, Back-lit LCD Display 16 x 2-line, Multilingual Communi cation interfaces Centronic s parallel, RS - 232 serial, USB Centronics parallel, RS -232 serial, USB, PS/2 keyboard Ethernet (4602 IE / 4603 IE) Maximum Label Roll Diameter 8”(203mm) OD on a 3”(76mm) ID core 7”(178mm) OD on a 1.5”(38mm) I[...]

53 Agency Listing CE, UL, CUL, FCC class A Operating T emperatur e 40  F~100  F (4  C~38  C) S torage T emperatur e -4  F~122  F (- 20  C~50  C) Driver Operating Systems W in 2 000/ 2003/ XP/ V ista/ W indow s 7 Printer Languages PPLA, PPLB P AL/PPLZ Real T ime Clock (R TC) optional standard Options and Accessories Cutter Di[...]

54 Font s, Bar Codes and Graphics S pecification The specifications of fonts, bar codes an d graphics depends on the printer emulation. The emulation is a printer programming language through which the host can communicate with your printer . There are three printer programming languages, PPLA, PPLB and P AL/PPLZ. Printer Programming Language A , P[...]

55 Printer Programming Language B, PPLB S pecification 4600 PLUS Series General Fonts 5 fonts with dif fe rent point sizes Symbol Sets (Code Pages) 8 bits: code p age 437, 850, 852, 860, 863, and 865 7 bits: USA, British, Ge rman, French, Danish, Italian, S panish, Swedish and Swiss. Soft Fonts Downloadable soft font s Font Expandability 1x1 to 24x[...]

56 Notes: 1. Since the font board and flash modules use the same connector, they cannot function at the same time. 2. All printer models connect to the ArgoKee through the RS-232 serial port. 3. Only 4602 PLUS and 4603 PLUS can connect to a PC keyboard thro ugh a PS/2 port. Printer Programming Language Z, PPLZ S pecification 4600 PLUS Series Genera[...]

57 Interface S pecific ations This section presents the inter f ace specifications of IO port s for the printer . These include pin assignments, protocols and detailed information about h ow to properly interface your printer with your host or terminal. USB Pin Signal Name 1 VBUS 2 D - 3 D+ 4 GND 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 USB series “B” Recep tacle Inter[...]

58 Serial Interface The RS-232 connector on the printer side is a female, DB- 9. Pin Direction Definition 1 In DSR 2 In RxData 3 Out TxData 5 - Ground 6 Out DTR 7 Out R TS 8 In CTS 9 Out +5V Note: Pin 9 is reserved for a KDU (keyboard device unit). Do not connect this pin if you use a general host such as a PC .[...]

59 Connectio n with Host: Host 25S Printer 9P Host 9S Printer 9P (PC or compatible) (PC or compatible) DTR 20 …… 1 DSR DTR 4 …… 1 DSR DSR 6 …… 6 DTR DSR 6 …… 6 DTR TX 2 …… 2 RX TX 3 …… 2 RX RX 3 …… 3 TX RX 2 …… 3 TX CTS 5 …… 7 RTS CTS 8 …… 7 RTS R TS 4 …… 8 CTR R TS 7 …… 8 CTS GND 7 …… 5 GND GND 5[...]

60 The simplest way to connect to other hosts (n ot PC compatible) or terminals is: Printer T e rminal/Host Pin 2- RxData ……… TxData Pin 3- Tx Data ……… RxData Pin 5- Ground ……… Ground In general, as long as the data quantity is not too large and you use Xon/Xoff as flow control, it will be problem free. Baud rat e: 1200, 2400, 480[...]

61 Parallel (Cen tronics) The parallel port is a st a ndard 36-pin Centronics connector . Pin assignments are as follows: Pin Direction Definition Pin Direction Definition 1 In /STROBE 13 Out SELECT 2 In Data1 14,15 NC 3 In Data 2 16 - Ground 4 In Data3 17 - Ground 5 In Data4 18 6 In Data5 19~30 - Ground 7 In Data6 31 NC 8 In Data7 32 Out /Fault 9 [...]

62 Ethernet Interface The following port complies with Ethernet communication. Pin Signal 1 T ran smit+ 2 T ran smit- 3 Receive+ 4 Reserved 5 Reserved 6 Receive- 7 Reserved 8 Reserved[...]

63 ASCII T ABLE NUL 0 @ P ' P SOH XON ! 1 A Q a q STX " 2 B R b r XOFF # 3 C S c s $ 4 D T d t NAK % 5 E U e u ACK & 6 F V f v BEL ‛ 7 G W g w BS ( 8 H X h x ) 9 I Y i y LF * : J Z j z ESC + ; K [ k { FF , < L l I CR - = M ] m } SO RS . > N ^ n ~ SI US / ? O _ o DEL[...]

64 Appen dix A: Printer St atus LCD display Blinking LED Description P AUSE READY Printer is paused. Pres s P AUSE or CANCEL to return to normal. MEDIA OUT MEDIA READY Media is uninstalled or used up. Load new media to the printer . RIBBON OUT RIBBON READY Ribbon is uninstalled or end- of -ribbon occurred. Load new ribbon to the printer . SERIAL IO[...]

65 Appendix B: S tand-alone Keyboard and Barcode Reader This appendix covers stand-alone operation with keyboard or barcode reader . Keyboard T o use the printer in stand-alone operation with a keyboard follow the procedure described below: 1. Make a form for the key boar d. (The form should include “ZS” command to store to flash memory . Refer[...]

66 Example: Making a Keybo ard Form 1. Make a command file for the form, KBD.FRM. Command Description ZS FK"KBDFORM" FS"KBDFORM" V00,15,N,"Product Name ?" C0,10,N,+1,"Product No. ?" Q50,24 q816 S2 D8 ZT A550,20,0,4,1,1,R,"ABC COMP ANY" B550,60,0,2,2,4,40,B,C0 A540,150,0,3,1,1,N,V00 FE ZN Enable stor[...]

67 3. T u rn of f the printer , connect the keyboard and then turn on the printer . The LCD displays this message: READY (203,PPLB) <ESC> FOR KEYBD 4. Press <ESC> to enter the keyboard mode and the form name appe ars. Press <ENTER> to select the form. 5. Key-in the product name and number . 6. Input the label count and copy count.[...]

68 7. Press <ENTER> to continue to the next label and repeat ste ps 5 ~ 7, or <ESC> to exit. Outp ut ENTER to go on, Or ESC to return[...]

69 Barcode Reader T o use the printer in stand-alone operation with a barcode reader (scanner) , follow the procedure described below 1. Make a form for barcode reader . (Note that the form na me must be “READER” The form should include “ZS” command to store to flash memory .) 2. T u rn on the printer; do wnload the form from PC to printer [...]

70 Example: Making a Barcode Reade r Form 1. Make a command file for a form, READER.FRM . Command Description ZS FK"READER" FS"READER" V00,15,N,"Product Name ?" C0,10,N,+1,"Product No. ?" Q50,24 q816 S2 D8 ZT A550,20,0,4,1,1,R,"ABC COMP ANY" B550,60,0,2,2,4,40,B,C0 A540,150,0,3,1,1,N,V00 P A1 FE ZN [...]

71 4. The form READER is automatically ex ecuted. Scan product name and number from printed bar codes using the barcode reader . 5. A label is printed. The copy count depends on the P A command for the READER form. S tep 4 is automatically repeated. Output Notes: 1. To return to normal operation, press and hold the CANCEL button a nd turn on the pr[...]

72 Appendix C: Cutter Installation Refer to the following steps to i nstall the cutter ki t onto printers: 1. T u rn of f the printer . 2. Remove the top covers on both lef t and right sides. 3. Install the Cutter Baby Board to the main board JP17 socket of 4602 PLUS series / JP15 socket of 4603 PLUS series. 4. Secure the two screws for the cutter [...]

73 5. Loosen and remove the two screw s (4) from bracket (5). 6. Insert the left side o f cutter bracket (7) and secur e the two screws (6) to the TPH module. 7. Thread the cutter cable through hole (8) and route it to the JP16 connector (CUTTER) on the 4602 PLUS series main boards, or to the JP14 connector (CUTTER) on the main board of 4603 PLUS s[...]

74 After the cutter is inst alled, install media and ribbon. 1. Put the media end on the roller . 2. Close the TPH latch. 3. Hold the P AUSE button and turn on the printer . 4. Release the button when the cutter st arts cutt ing. 5. After cutting, the printer wi ll feed the label for 8 inches. Note: The procedure above is for first time installatio[...]

75 Appendix D: Dispe nser Install ation Install a dispenser into the pri nter as follows: 1. T u rn of f the printer . 2. Remove the top cover on both lef t and right sides. 3. Assemble the related components for both left and rig ht sides. Check below:[...]

76 4. Connect the Peeler sensor to main board JP15 socket of 4602 PLUS series/ JP12 socket of 4603 PLUS series. Secure the dispenser boa rd onto printer case. 5. Insert the left side o f d ispenser bracket and s ecure the three screws to the TPH module.[...]

77 6. Install the ribbon and media. 7. Turn on the printer . 8. For the 4600 PLUS series models, set the parameter of “DISPENSER INST ALLED” on the LCD to the ON position.[...]

78 Appendix E: Adjusting Ribbon T ension The ribbon shaft has its user-friendly feature to allow users to adjust the tension of ribbon shaft by rotating the knob. User can reset to factory default tension by adjusting the ribbon shaft while the black line w a s aligned to the marked arrows. Ap pendix F: Sw itching Ribbon W ound Ink-side out or Ink-[...]

79 2. After the adjust ment, ribbon wound ink -side in can be use. Then install the ribbon: 3. If ribbon wound ink-side out is in use, pull and move the SHAFT RIBBON ADJ into the Outside. Then in st all the ribbon:[...]

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