User`s guide

Chapter

Menu Commands

A menu lets the user control the printer at print time through a set of

predefined choices. Menus are typically used when the printer is

connected to a simple controlling device, such as a keyboard/display

unit.

IMPORTANT!

Menu programming is inherently complex, and is only useful if the user must

control the printer with a non-programmable device (such as a dumb terminal

or keyboard). As a general rule, Cognitive does not recommend programming

menus in the printer if there is processing power available in the host.

Menus are stored objects. Familiarize yourself with the proper use of stored

objects before attempting to program menus.

Menu Operation

During menu execution, the printer sends text descriptions associated

with menu items ("prompts") to the printer serial port and waits for

user input. The user responds to the menu by making a selection, which

the controller then sends back to the printer by way of the serial port.

Choose a menu using one of the following methods:

Scroll to the item and selecting it using keys as defined by the MENU

CONTROL command.

Enter the number of a menu item. All menu items have a single-digit

number associated with them. The printer assigns this number

automatically, based upon the menu item location within the menu.

Menu items that do not have a visible prompt are still selectable by item

number.

The printer executes printer commands contained in the menu

definition based on the user's selection. Each menu item can have one or

many standard printer commands associated with it; thus, the printer

can perform complex tasks in response to a menu selection. They can

even call printer commands without any user-selectable menu items,