Chapter 5 Paper Load Peel-Off, cont'd. 7 Thread the backing paper around the tear-off edge and back under the print mechanism and guide shaft. 9 This diagram shows the path of the label web. Intermec EasyCoder F4 – Installation & Operation Ed. 2 8 Insert the end of the backing paper under the lip of the rewinder, then rotate the rewinder counter-clockwise a few turns.
Chapter 5 Paper Load Peel-Off, cont'd. 11 Adjust the position of the green paper guide so the paper is guided with a minimum of play. 12 Close the side door. 13 Adjust the paper feed by pressing the Feed key. 38 Intermec EasyCoder F4 – Installation & Operation Ed.
Chapter 5 Paper Load External Supply The EasyCoder F4 can print on labels, tickets, tags, and paper strip in various forms. This chapter describes the case the paper supply is placed behind the printer, usually in the form of fan-folded tickets and tags. External supply can be used in connection with tear-off operation – preferably with Quick-Load. External supply can be used with both short and long side doors and there is no need to remove the paper roll hanger.
Chapter 6 Setting Up the Printer Description The setup is used to control the printer in regard of serial communication, paper feed and print speed, and to specify which type of paper is loaded in the printer. Check the list of default setup values below to see if the printer's setup matches your requirements.
Chapter 6 Setting Up the Printer Default Setup The printer is by default set up according to the list below: Ser-Com "uart1:" Baudrate: Character length: Parity: Stop bits: RTS/CTS: ENQ/ACK: XON/XOFF, data to host: XON/XOFF, data from host: New line: Receive buffer: Transmit buffer: 9600 bps 8 bits None 1 bit Disable Disable Disable Disable CR/LF 300 bytes 300 bytes Feedadjust: Startadjust: Stopadjust: 0 0 Media: X-start: Width: Length: Media Type: Label Constant: Label Factor: Contrast: 24 832 1200
Chapter 6 Setting Up the Printer Setup Parameters Serial Communication • Baudrate • Character Length • Parity • Stop Bits • Flow Control • New Line • Receive Buffer • Transmit Buffer The serial communication setup controls the communication between the printer and the connected computer or other devices on the standard serial channel "uart1:" and the optional serial channels "uart2:" and "uart3:". The latter channels require an optional interface board to be fitted.
Chapter 6 Setting Up the Printer Setup Parameters, cont'd. Serial Communication, cont'd. Character Length The character length specifies the number of bits in a character. For most purposes 7 bits will be sufficient, but if special characters or characters specific for other languages are to be used, 8 bits are recommended. Refer to the Intermec Fingerprint 7.xx Reference Manual for information on which characters are available in various combinations of character length and character set.
Chapter 6 Setting Up the Printer Setup Parameters, cont'd. Serial Communication, cont'd. • ENQ/ACK In this protocol, the communication is controlled by the special characters ENQ (ASCII 05 dec.) and ACK (ASCII 06 dec.) being transmitted on the same line as the data. The sending unit transmits ENQ at regular intervals. If the response ACK is not received the transmission is held up awaiting an ACK character from the receiving unit. By default, ENQ/ACK is disabled.
Chapter 6 Setting Up the Printer Setup Parameters, cont'd. Net Communication • New Line New Line Only shown if an optional EasyLAN 100i interface board is fitted and used to select the character(s) transmitted from the printer, to specify the switching to a new line. There are three options: • CR/LF • LF • CR Feedadjust • Startadjust • Stopadjust ASCII 13 dec. + ASCII 10 dec. ASCII 10 dec. ASCII 13 dec.
Chapter 6 Setting Up the Printer Setup Parameters, cont'd. Media • Media Size • Media Type • Paper Type • Testfeed • Contrast The media setup tells the firmware the characteristics of the of media that will be used, so the printout will be positioned correctly on the paper and get the best quality possible. Media Size The size of the printable area is defined by three parameters; X-Start, Width, and Length. X-Start X-start specifies the position of the origin along the dots on the printhead.
Chapter 6 Setting Up the Printer Setup Parameters, cont'd. Length, cont'd. • The length setup also decides the amount of paper feed when using “fix length strip”. • The length setup creates an “emergency stop”, which works when the printer is set up for “Label (w gaps)”, “Ticket (w mark)”, or “Ticket (w gaps)”. If the LSS has not detected a gap or mark within 150% of the set length, the paper feed is automatically stopped to avoid feeding out a whole roll of paper, because of e.g. a blocked or faulty LSS.
Chapter 6 Setting Up the Printer Setup Parameters, cont'd. Media, cont'd. Media Type The Media Type setup controls how the LSS and the paper feed work. There are five different media types: • Label (w gaps) is used for adhesive labels mounted on backing paper. • Ticket (w mark) is used for labels, tickets, or strip provided with black marks at the back of the paper web. • Ticket (w gaps) is used for tickets and tags with detection slits.
Chapter 6 Setting Up the Printer Setup Parameters, cont'd. Media, cont'd. Recommended Settings Intermec recommends the paper type and print speed settings listed below to produce the highest possible print quality under normal conditions and to ensure maximum lifetime of the printhead. Use the EasySet bar code wand for easy media setup. Label materials are available from Intermec either in standardized types and sizes, or in special materials and sizes on request.
Chapter 6 Setting Up the Printer Setup Parameters, cont'd. Media, cont'd. Contrast The contrast setup is used to make minor adjustments of the blackness in the printout, e.g. to adapt the printer to variations in quality between different batches of the same paper quality. 11 options are displayed in an endless loop from -10% to +10%. Default value is 0%. The contrast is reset to default (±0) whenever a new paper type is specified, regardless which method has been used.
UART1 9600-8-N-1 RTS/CTS DISABLE ENQ/ACK DISABLE XON/XOFF DATA TO HOST DISABLE DATA FROM HOST DISABLE NEW LINE CR/LF REC BUF 300 TRANS BUF 300 PRINT CONFIG STARTADJ 0 STOPADJ 0 XSTART 24 WIDTH 808 LENGTH 1800 MEDIA TYPE LABEL (w GAPS) PAPER TYPE DIRECT THERMAL LABEL CONSTANT 85 LABEL FACTOR 40 CONTRAST +0% TESTFEED 12 3 HEAD RESIST 681 PRINT SPEED 100 Odometer [km] 0 Model F4 Hardware version 3.0 Ram 4096 ( k) Flash 0+2048 +1016 (k) External 0 (k) c: 1819504 bytes free FIRMWARE Fingerprint 7.
Chapter 6 Setting Up the Printer Setup Parameters, cont'd. Print Defines, cont'd. Print Speed The print speed is variable between 100 and 200 mm/sec. Generally, the lower the speed, the better the printout quality. This is especially the case when printing bar codes with the bars running across the paper web (“ladder style”), when printing on demanding face materials, and when printing at low ambient temperatures. Refer to the tables under “Media” earlier in this chapter for maximum print speed values.
Chapter 7 Setup Mode Entering Setup Mode at Installation The method of entering the Setup Mode depends on whether the printer is fitted with some kind of startup file, a subject that was more thoroughly discussed in the chapter 4 “Starting Up” earlier in this manual, to which the alphabetic references below refer. A. EasyCoder F4 with Intermec Shell • Turn on the power. • When the display shows the message “Enter=Shell; x sec.”, press .
Chapter 7 Setup Mode Navigating in Setup Mode While going through the setup procedure, you are guided by texts in the printer's display. You can step between setup menus, acknowledge displayed values, select or type new values etc. by means of some of the keys on the printer's keyboard. Note! An external keyboard cannot be used inside the Setup Mode. Move one menu to the left on the same level1. Move one menu to the right on the same level1. Display error message at test labels printing failure.
Chapter 7 Setup Mode Setup Mode Overview, Part 1 (Intermec Fingerprint 7.31) SETUP: SER-COM,UART1 SER-COM,UART1: BAUDRATE SETUP: SER-COM,UART2 See Overview Part 3 SETUP: SER-COM,UART3 See Overview Part 4 SETUP: NET-COM,NET1 See Overview Part 5 DETECTION: SETUP: FEEDADJ BAUDRATE: 9600 19200 38400 57600 115200 300 600 1200 2400 4800 LEGEND: Boxes with thick lines indicate default setup Boxes with dotted lines indicate menus related to optional interface boards.
Chapter 7 Setup Mode Setup Mode Overview, Part 2 (Intermec Fingerprint 7.
Chapter 7 Setup Mode Setup Mode Overview, Part 3 (Intermec Fingerprint 7.
Chapter 7 Setup Mode Setup Mode Overview, Part 4 (Intermec Fingerprint 7.
Chapter 7 Setup Mode Setup Mode Overview, Part 5 (Intermec Fingerprint 7.31) If an optional an EasyLAN 100i interface board is fitted, additional menus will be displayed.
Chapter 8 Intermec Shell Startup Program Introduction Intermec Shell is a so called startup program (also called “autoexecfile”), i.e. a program that automatically starts running when the printer is turned on. Intermec Shell helps the operator to choose between a number of standard or custom-made application programs and to start certain useful facilities, as listed below.
Chapter 8 Intermec Shell Startup Program Starting Up with Intermec Shell A few seconds after you have turned on the power to the printer and the initialization is completed, the countdown menu of the Intermec Shell program will be displayed: ENTER=SHELL 5 sec. v.4.4 Now you have 5 seconds to enter Intermec Shell by pressing the key.
Chapter 8 Intermec Shell Startup Program Starting Up with Intermec Shell, cont'd. In Intermec Shell, the options are presented in stacks of menus, organized as infinite loops, where you can select the desired option, as illustrated by the diagram below. Select Application The Select application option allows you to enter a stack of menus showing the various application programs in the printer's memory. • Current appl.
Chapter 8 Intermec Shell Startup Program Starting Up with Intermec Shell, cont'd. Select Other Facilities As an alternative to selecting an application, you can step through a number of other useful facilities: • Setup allows you to enter the Setup Mode to set up the printer by means of its built-in keyboard, see chapter 7 “Setup Mode”. • Print Setup allows you to produce a printout of the printer's current setup values (test label #5).
Chapter 8 Intermec Shell Startup Program Intermec Shell 4.4 Diagram ENTER=SHELL 5 sec. v.4.4 SHELL SEL. APPLICATION SEL. APPLICATION CURRENT APPL. ENTER=SHELL 4 sec. v.4.4 SEL. APPLICATION LABELSHOP ENTER=SHELL SEL. APPLICATION 3 sec. WINDOWS DRIVER v.4.4 Last selected application is started The Windows driver option requires an optional Centronics interface pcb. ENTER=SHELL SEL. APPLICATION STD I/O CHANNEL 2 sec. Fingerprint 7.31 UART1 SEL.
Chapter 8 Intermec Shell Startup Program Terminal Setup Starting Terminal Setup The Terminal Setup program in Intermec Shell allows the operator to control the whole Intermec Shell program remotely from a host computer or terminal and also to read or change the printer's setup. Obvious prerequisites are that there must be a working two-way (serial) communication between printer and host, and that the host runs a suitable communication program (e.g.
Chapter 8 Intermec Shell Startup Program Terminal Setup, cont'd. Using Terminal Setup The Terminal Setup program is self-instructing by means of prompts. You can move around in Intermec Shell in the same manner as when you control Intermec Shell manually by means of the printer's display and keyboard. The Setup part of Terminal Setup follows the same structure as setup files, see later in this chapter.
Chapter 8 Intermec Shell Startup Program Terminal Setup, cont'd. Selecting an Application This example shows how you for example can select the Intermec Fingerprint application: ---------------SHELL SEL. APPLICATION ---------------(Y / N / B):Y ---------------SEL. APPLICATION CURRENT APPL. ---------------(Y / N / B):N ---------------SEL. APPLICATION LABELSHOP ---------------(Y / N / B):N ---------------SEL. APPLICATION WINDOWS DRIVER ---------------(Y / N / B):N ---------------SEL.
Chapter 8 Intermec Shell Startup Program Terminal Setup, cont'd. Changing the Setup To set up the printer or use any other of the facilities, answer N (=No) to the “Select Application” prompt. The following example illustrates how to enter the Setup Mode: ---------------SHELL SEL.
Chapter 8 Intermec Shell Startup Program Terminal Setup, cont'd. Exiting Terminal Setup To exit the Terminal Setup program, e.g.
Chapter 8 Intermec Shell Startup Program Line Analyzer The Line Analyzer (LINE_AXP.PRG) is a program written in the Intermec Fingerprint programming language and intended to help solving possible communication problems. As the name implies, the Line Analyzer captures all incoming characters on a specified communication channel and prints them on one or several labels.
Chapter 9 Options Introduction The EasyCoder F4 is designed to provide a high degree of flexibility by means of a modular design. By adding a collection of optional devices to the basic concept, the printer can be adapted for a variety of applications. Most options can easily be installed by the operator whereas some options should be installed by an authorized service technician, or are only available as factory-installed options.
Chapter 9 Options Side Doors The EasyCoder F4 comes with either a short side door, that only covers the print unit, or with a long side door, that encloses the entire paper compartment. The long side door has a slot for external paper supply. The long side door is generally illustrated throughout this manual, but pictures of the short side door can be found at the start of this chapter and in chapter 5 “Paper Load/Quick-Load”. Rewind Unit The rewind unit is an optional device for peel-off operation, i.
Chapter 9 Options Quick-Load Guides For Quick-Load operation (see chapter 5 “Paper Load”), a set of paper guides is fitted at the rear of the print unit instead of the standard guide ring. The outer guide is adjustable for different paper widths. The quick-load guides are included as standard in the delivery (either factory-fitted or loose). They can easily be fitted by the operator: 1. Open the upper paper guide (see illustration in chapter 11 “Maintenance/Cleaning the Paper Guides”). 2.
Chapter 9 Options Interface Boards A number of different interface boards are available for use with the EasyCoder F4. The interface boards are either factory fitted or can easily be fitted by an authorized service technician. The EasyCoder F4 can accommodate one such interface board.
Chapter 10 Troubleshooting Use this list to correct possible printout troubles or flaws in printout quality, and to decide when assistance from the Service dept. of the nearest Intermec distributor is required. Note that most problems are due to operating errors or normal wear of the printhead.
Chapter 11 Maintenance Printhead Cleaning Cleaning of the printhead on a regular basis, preferably in connection with each ribbon or paper load, is important for the life of the printhead and for the printout quality. Below is a description of how to clean the printhead by means of Cleaning Cards. If additional cleaning is required, e.g. for removing adhesive residue from the platen roller or tear-off edge, use a cotton swab moistened with isopropyl alcohol.
Chapter 11 Maintenance Printhead Cleaning, cont'd. 4 3 Remove the paper, if any. 5 Insert most of the cleaning card under the printhead (1). Close the printhead (2). Intermec EasyCoder F4 – Installation & Operation Ed. 2 Open the cleaning card envelope and pull out the cleaning card. Read the warning text. 6 Pull out the cleaning card (1) and open the printhead (2).
