Axiohm A758 User manual

A758 Thermal Receipt and
Impact Slip Printer
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A758-D100
TM

A758 Owner’s Guide
September 1999
Legal Notices
Disclaimer
Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Consult your Axiohm
sales representative for information that is applicable and current. Axiohm reserves the
right to improve products as new technology, components, software, and firmware
become available.
No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, for any purpose without the express written permission of
Axiohm.
Copyright
Copyright © 1999 by AXIOHM
Ithaca, New York USA
All rights reserved
Printed in USA
Confidential, Unpublished
Property of AXIOHM
Trademarks
AXIOHM is a trademark. Other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of
their respective holders.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Radio Frequency Interference Statement
Warning
Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for
compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the equipment.
Note
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital
device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide
reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a
commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio
frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction
manual, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this
equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the
user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.
Information to the User
This equipment must be installed and used in strict accordance with the manufacturer's
instructions. However, there is no guarantee that interference to radio communications
will not occur in a particular commercial installation. If this equipment does cause
interference, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is
encouraged to contact Axiohm immediately.
Axiohm is not responsible for any radio or television interference caused by unauthorized
modification of this equipment or the substitution or attachment of connecting cables and
equipment other than those specified by Axiohm. The correction of interferences caused
by such unauthorized modification, substitution or attachment will be the responsibility
of the user.

A758 Owner’s Guide
September 1999
In order to ensure compliance with the Product Safety, FCC and CE marking
requirements, you must use the power supply, power cord, and interface cable which is
sold for use with this product or which meets the following parameters:
Power Supply
UL Listed (QQGQ), Class 2 power supply with SELV (Secondary Extra Low Voltage),
non-energy hazard output, limited energy source, input rated 100-240 Vac, 1.5/0.8 A,
50/60 Hz, output rated 24 Vdc, 2.3 A.
Use of this product with a power supply other than the Axiohm power supply will
require you to test the power supply and Axiohm printer for FCC and CE mark
certification.
Communication Interface Cable
A shielded (360-degree) interface cable must be used with this product. The shield must
be connected to the frame or earth ground connection or earth ground reference at EACH
end of the cable.
Use of a cable other than described here will require that you test the cable with the
Axiohm printer and your system for FCC and CE mark certification.
Power Cord
A UL listed, detachable power cord must be used. For applications where the power
supply module may be mounted on the floor, a power cord with Type SJT marking must
be used. For applications outside the US, power cords that meet the particular country’s
certification and application requirements should be used.
Use of a power cord other than described here may result in a violation of safety
certifications that are in force in the country of use.
Industry Canada (IC)
Radio Frequency Interference Statement
This Class A digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-
Causing Equipment Regulations.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe A respecte toutes les exigences du Règlement sur le matériel
brouilleur du Canada.
Voluntary Control Council for Interference (VCCI)
Radio Frequency Interference Statement
This is a Class A product based on the standard of the Voluntary Control Council for
Interference by Information Technology Equipment (VCCI). If this equipment is used in a
domestic environment, radio disturbance may arise. When such trouble occurs, the user
may be required to take corrective actions.

A758 Owner’s Guide Contents
September 1999 iii
Contents
Chapter 1: About the Printer.............................................................. 1
Introducing the A758 Printer ....................................................... 2
Standard Features.......................................................................... 3
Connectivity Features ............................................................ 3
Advanced Interface Design................................................... 3
Electronics and Firmware......................................................3
Thermal Receipt Printer......................................................... 4
Impact Slip Printer.................................................................. 4
Options............................................................................................ 5
Connectivity Options ............................................................. 5
Thermal Receipt Printer Options..........................................5
Impact Slip Printer Options................................................... 5
Electronics and Firmware Options....................................... 5
Model Identification Key.............................................................. 6
Chapter 2: Setup Guide ...................................................................... 7
Unpacking the Printer................................................................... 8
Choosing a Location...................................................................... 9
Remove the Packing Restraints.................................................... 10
Connecting the Cables................................................................... 12
Communication Cable ........................................................... 12
Cash Drawer Cables............................................................... 13
Power Supply Cable............................................................... 13
Loading Receipt Paper..................................................................14
Putting In the Ribbon Cassette..................................................... 15
Testing the Printer ......................................................................... 16
Chapter 3: Using the Printer.............................................................. 18
Printer Controls.............................................................................. 19
Changing the Receipt Paper......................................................... 20
Replacing the Ribbon Cassette..................................................... 21
Printing on Forms or Checks........................................................ 23
Verifying and Validating Checks ................................................ 25
Clearing Check Flip Paper Jams .................................................. 27
Testing the Printer ......................................................................... 29
Printer Configuration.................................................................... 30
Configuring the Printer.......................................................... 31
Communication Interface...................................................... 33
Diagnostic Modes ................................................................... 33
Emulation/Software Options ............................................... 37
Hardware Options.................................................................. 37
Basic Troubleshooting................................................................... 39
Printer Beeps ........................................................................... 40
Printer Will Not Print............................................................. 41
On-Line, Paper Status, Error LED Flashes.......................... 42
Poor Forms Print Quality....................................................... 43
Poor Receipt Print Quality..................................................... 44
Slip Station, MICR and Flip Problems.................................45
Knife Does Not Operate......................................................... 46
Other Serious Problems ................................................................ 47

A758 Owner’s Guide Contents
September 1999 iv
Contacting a Service Representative........................................... 47
Returning a Printer........................................................................ 48
Chapter 4: Printer Media & Supplies............................................... 50
Ordering Thermal Paper............................................................... 51
Thermal Paper Specifications................................................ 51
Manufacturers......................................................................... 51
Ordering Parts and Supplies........................................................ 52
Ordering Cash Drawers......................................................... 52
Ordering Power Supply Cord and Adapters...................... 52
Ordering Communication Cables......................................... 53
Forms Specifications............................................................... 53
Check Specifications............................................................... 53
Ordering Ribbon Cassettes.................................................... 54
Ordering Extended Slip Tables............................................. 55
Ordering Documentation ...................................................... 55
Chapter 5: Technical Specifications.................................................56
Functional Description.................................................................. 57
Standard Slip Features...........................................................57
Standard Receipt Features..................................................... 60
Optional Features ................................................................... 62
Reliability........................................................................................ 63
Certifications .................................................................................. 64
Physical and Operating Environment......................................... 65
Temperature and Humidity.................................................. 65
Electrical................................................................................... 65
Slip Media................................................................................ 66
Receipt Media.......................................................................... 66
Migration ........................................................................................ 67
Performance Requirements .......................................................... 68
Slip Printing............................................................................. 68
Character Format.................................................................... 70
Receipt Printing ...................................................................... 71
Interface Description..................................................................... 76
Human Interfaces ................................................................... 76
Power Requirements.............................................................. 78
Electrical Interfaces................................................................. 78
Switch Settings........................................................................ 79
Character Sets.......................................................................... 79
Dimensions and Weight................................................................ 88
Chapter 6: Communication Interface...............................................89
Communication Overview ........................................................... 90
Using DOS to Send Commands............................................90
Using BASIC to Send Commands........................................ 90
RS-232C Interface........................................................................... 91
Print Speed and Timing......................................................... 91
RS-232 Communications........................................................ 92
XON/XOFF Protocol.............................................................. 93
DTR/DSR Protocol................................................................. 93
Connector Pin-outs................................................................. 94
Parallel Interface ............................................................................ 96

A758 Owner’s Guide Contents
September 1999 v
Chapter 7: Programming Guide........................................................ 97
Command Conventions................................................................ 98
List of Commands and Location.................................................. 99
By Command Code ................................................................ 99
By Function.............................................................................. 103
Comparison to A756...................................................................... 109
New Features .......................................................................... 109
Comparison Chart .................................................................. 111
Command Descriptions ................................................................ 112
Printer Function Commands................................................. 112
Vertical Positioning and Print Commands.......................... 121
Horizontal Positioning Commands...................................... 127
Print Characteristic Commands............................................ 134
Graphics Commands.............................................................. 146
Status Commands................................................................... 154
Bar Code Commands............................................................. 175
Page Mode Commands..........................................................179
Macro Commands .................................................................. 186
MICR Commands................................................................... 188
Check Flip Command ............................................................ 197
User Data Storage Commands..............................................198
Flash Download Commands................................................. 202
Index................................................................................................ 206

September 1999 1
Chapter 1: About the Printer
♦
Introducing the A758 Printer
♦
Standard Features
♦
Options
♦
Model Identification Key

A758 Owner’s Guide Chapter 1: About the Printer
September 1999 2
Introducing the A758 Printer
The A758 is an extremely fast, quiet, and reliable point-of-sale printer. It consists
of two specialized printers in one compact package: a thermal printer on top that
prints receipts, and an impact slip printer in front to print on forms and checks
that you insert. The thermal printer is optimized for ease-of-use in busy
environments. There is no ribbon or ink cartridge to change, and you load the
paper by simply dropping in a new roll. The impact printer provides the power
and flexibility necessary to print on checks or multi-part forms up to five plies, in
a wide variety of sizes and orientations.
The A758 easily fits in anywhere. It connects to any host computer that uses the
standard RS-232C interface. Other interfaces are also available. The printer’s
standard command set allows it to work with software written for Axiohm, or
other ESC/POS™ compliant printers. A variety of sensors enable the printer to
communicate its status, and the printer’s journal is kept electronically by the host
computer.
Several state-of-the-art check-handling options are also available. The Magnetic
Ink Character Recognition (MICR) option enables the printer to read the special
codes printed on checks and send this information to the host computer to verify
the check. The Check Flip option saves transaction time by making check
handling a one-step process—after reading the front of the check and printing on
the back, the printer is able to flip the check over and print on the front of the
check.
This section describes the printer’s features and options in more detail.

A758 Owner’s Guide Chapter 1: About the Printer
September 1999 3
Standard Features
Connectivity Features
♦Industry standard RS-232C interface for communication with the host
computer; other interfaces are available as options.
♦Cash drawer kickout connector and software support for up to two cash
drawers.
Advanced Interface Design
♦Sensors detect whether any of the covers are open, the paper is low in the
receipt printer, or the paper is positioned properly in the slip printer.
♦Software-controlled audible tone for various alerts.
♦Online Configuration Menu—the printer guides the user through its
configuration settings by printing instructions and a menu on receipt paper.
Electronics and Firmware
♦Industry-standard command set makes the printer compatible with existing
software, yet enables new features.
♦Remote diagnostics capability tracks important printer data.
♦512K flash memory with 192K available for multiple logos, graphics, user-
defined character set, and user data storage. The printer is also available with
1 MB or 2 MB flash memory for additional user memory.
♦16-bit electronics architecture.
♦Communication rate up to 115,200 baud.
♦Flash download mode lets the user upgrade the printer’s firmware.

A758 Owner’s Guide Chapter 1: About the Printer
September 1999 4
Thermal Receipt Printer
♦Extremely fast and quiet thermal printhead.
♦No ribbon or ink cartridge to change.
♦Drop-in paper loading.
♦Double high, double wide, bold, inverse, underlined, superscript and
subscript, italics, scalable and rotated print modes.
♦Resident character sets: Code Pages 437 (US), 850 (Multilingual), 852 (Slavic),
858 (with Euro symbol), 860 (Portuguese), 863 (French-Canadian), and 865
(Nordic) and 866 (Cyrillic).
♦Prints standard bar codes: Code 39, UPC-A, UPC-E, JAN8 (EAN), JAN13
(EAN), Interleaved 2 of 5, Codabar, Code 93, Code 128, and PDF-417 two-
dimensional code. Also prints “ladder” bar codes.
♦Host-selectable 44 or 56 columns on 80 mm wide “POS grade” thermal
paper.
♦8 dots/mm print resolution.
♦Up to 130 mm/second print speed.
♦Optional receipt cutter.
Impact Slip Printer
♦Bi-directional impact printhead designed for a very long life.
♦Snap-on ribbon cassette.
♦Prints on forms up to five plies.
♦Horizontal flatbed slip table with an optional extension (which is standard
with the MICR check reader option).
♦Form insertion flexibility: insert forms in front or from the side.
♦Form alignment sensors and LED indicator.
♦Double wide and rotated print modes; a double strike print mode improves
contrast.
♦Software selectable pitch: either standard (13.9 characters per inch, 66
columns) or compressed (17.1 characters per inch, 80 columns).
♦290 lines-per-minute print speed.
♦Optional check handling features (see “Impact Slip Printer Options” on next
page).

A758 Owner’s Guide Chapter 1: About the Printer
September 1999 5
Options
Connectivity Options
♦A standard plug-in printed circuit board allows the printer to use an RS-232C
communication interface. Optional plug-in boards are available for other
communications interfaces.
♦Communication cables are available for the various communication
interfaces.
♦Power supplies are available in 55 Watt or 75 Watt versions.
♦3-pin to 6-pin power connection adapter to allow previous version power
supplies (or terminal cables) to be connected to the A758.
Thermal Receipt Printer Options
♦The optional receipt cutter.
Impact Slip Printer Options
♦The slip table is available in either standard or 2 extended sizes. An extended
slip table is standard with the MICR check reader and flip options.
♦The Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) check reader is built into the
slip station. It reads checks that use standard E13B or CMC7 MICR fonts.
♦Check Flip Option: after reading the MICR line on the front of the check and
printing on the back, the printer is able to flip the check over and print on the
face of the check.
Electronics and Firmware Options
♦1 MB or 2 MB Expanded flash memory are available as factory
configurations.

A758 Owner’s Guide Chapter 1: About the Printer
September 1999 6
Model Identification Key
A758 Model ID Key
A 7 5 8 - X X X X
1 = no knife
5 = knife
0 = no MICR
1 = MICR
2 = MICR and check flip
5 = check flip
0 = 512K Flash memory (standard)
1 = 1MB Flash memory
2 = 2MB Flash memory
1 = standard color
The set of options installed on a particular printer can be determined by looking
at the printer's model number. The printer's model number appears on a label on
the right side of the printer. Four-digit model numbers are assigned to the
various A758 models based on the following formula:
♦The first digit indicates the release vintage and color of the printer's case.
♦The second digit indicates the amount of flash memory installed in the
printer.
♦The third digit indicates whether the printer has the MICR and/or check flip
features.
♦The fourth digit indicates whether the printer has a knife for cutting receipts.
For example, a printer with model number A758-1015 has a standard color case,
512K of flash memory, the MICR feature, and a knife for cutting receipts.

September 1999 7
Chapter 2: Setup Guide
♦
Unpacking the Printer
♦
Choosing a Location
♦
Removing the Packing Restraints
♦
Connecting the Cables
♦
Loading Receipt Paper
♦
Putting in the Ribbon Cassette
♦
Testing the Printer

A758 Owner’s Guide Chapter 2: Setup Guide
September 1999 8
Unpacking the Printer
Save all packing materials in case you need to repack the printer. Check that the
materials shipped with the printer match.
♦Printer enclosed in a plastic bag and foam pack
♦Thermal receipt paper roll (inside receipt bucket)
♦Test printout protecting the printhead (inside receipt bucket)
♦Cardboard support for cantilever (on slip table)
♦Foam restraint for carriage (behind front cover)
♦Power supply with cable connecting to printer and power supply cord
connecting to power outlet (only if ordered with the printer)
♦Ribbon cassette
♦Installation report card (please complete this form and return to Axiohm)
♦A758 Thermal Receipt and Impact Slip Printer: Setup Guide
♦Communication cable, if ordered with the printer (from host computer to
printer)
To report any missing materials, or to report a printer that was damaged during
shipping, call your supplier or call an Axiohm representative at 1-[phone].

A758 Owner’s Guide Chapter 2: Setup Guide
September 1999 9
Choosing a Location
178 mm
(7.0 in.)
280 mm
(11.0 in.)
229 mm (9.0 in.) 264 mm (10.4 in.)
347 mm (13.7 in.)
Extended
Slip Table
Receipt
Cover
The A758 printer takes up relatively little counter space and may be set on or
near the host computer. With the RS-232C interface, you can place the printer up
to 50 feet from the host computer and power supply.
Place the printer on a level surface, and make sure there is enough room to open
the receipt cover to change the paper and to open the front cover to change the
impact printer’s ribbon cassette. Leave several inches around the printer for
connecting and accessing the cables.
If the printer has an optional Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) check
reader installed, you may need to make additional adjustments to the printer’s
location. Because devices such as CRT monitors or large metal surfaces affect the
printer's magnetic field, they can cause intermittent check reading errors.

A758 Owner’s Guide Chapter 2: Setup Guide
September 1999 10
Remove the Packing Restraints
Front
Cover
Cardboard
Support
Carriage
Foam
Restraint
1. Open the front cover, remove the foam restraint holding the carriage.
2. Remove the cardboard support from the slip path.

A758 Owner’s Guide Chapter 2: Setup Guide
September 1999 11
Receipt
Cover
Paper
Roll
Paper Roll
Supports
Test
Printout
3. Open the receipt cover and remove the test printout.
4. Lift the thermal paper roll out of the paper bucket and remove the paper roll
supports.

A758 Owner’s Guide Chapter 2: Setup Guide
September 1999 12
Connecting the Cables
Caution: Connect the cables to the printer before plugging in the power supply.
If power is received from the host computer, turn it off before connecting any
cables.
Back of
Printer
Strain Relief
DIP
Switches Communication
Connector
(9-pin connector
shown)
Power
Supply
Connector
Cash
Drawer
Connector
Note: Depending on your printer configuration, the connector panel may vary
from the above illustration.
Communication Cable
The communication cable connects the printer to the host computer. To install the
communication cable:
1. Turn off the host computer.
2. Secure the communication cable to its connector under the printer in the
location previously shown.
3. Connect the cable to the host computer.

A758 Owner’s Guide Chapter 2: Setup Guide
September 1999 13
Cash Drawer Cables
The cash drawer cable connects the printer to one or two cash drawers.
1. Plug the cable into the cash drawer connector (standard phone jack) located
at the rear of the printer.
Printer
Y-Cable
Drawer
Drawer
Printer Connector
(Standard Phone Jack)
Note:
a. If your system has two cash drawers, attach a Y-cable to the printer’s cash
drawer connector as shown.
b. Leave some slack in the cord to route through the strain relief at a later time.
Power Supply Cable
Connect the power supply cable last.
1. Plug the power cord into the power supply.
Communications
Cable
To the
Communications
Connector
Strain
Relief
Cash Drawer
Cable
Power
Supply
or Adapter
Cable
Cash Drawer
Cable
2. Route the cash drawer and the power supply cables through the stain relief
as shown.
3. Plug the power cord into the power supply, then plug the power supply into
an outlet. The Green LED on the top cover will light up.

A758 Owner’s Guide Chapter 2: Setup Guide
September 1999 14
Loading Receipt Paper
1. Tear off the end of the roll so that the edge is loose.
2. Place the roll into the paper bucket with the paper unrolling from the bottom
of the roll, and with a few inches of paper extending over the cabinet front.
Note: Paper must unroll from the bottom of the roll to insure that the image will
print.
3. Close the cover while holding the paper over the front of the cabinet.
4. Remove the excess paper by tearing it against the tear-off blade.
5. Press the Paper Feed Button to advance the paper.