Datecs LP-50 User manual

1 DATECS, Bulgaria
User’s Manual
LABEL PRINTER
MODEL LP-50

1 DATECS LP-50
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THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT CANNOT BE REPRODUCED IN ANY
MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL OR ELECTRONIC WAY AND UNDER ANY
CIRCUMSTANCES WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT FROM DATECS LTD.
Sofia 1784 - BULGARIA, tel: [phone], fax: [phone],
e-mail: [email protected]
VERSION 02 / EN

User’s Manual
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CONTENTS:
1. OUTLINE ...................................................................................................... 1 3
1.1. Features ................................................................................... 1 3
1.2. Unpacking ............................................................................... 1 4
2. BASIC RULES FOR OPERATING THE LP-50 ...................................... 1 5
3. OUTER VIEW - CONTROL ....................................................................... 1 6
3.1. General description of the LP-50 ....................................... 1 6
3.2. Operating the printer ............................................................. 1 6
3.3. DIP switches and buttons .................................................... 2 0
3.4. Indicators ................................................................................ 2 1
3.5. List of commands ................................................................... 2 1
4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE COMMANDS ............................... 2 5
4.1. Setting the printer’s functional mode ................................. 2 5
4.2. Working with variables and counters ................................ 2 9
4.3. Generating a graphic images ............................................. 3 1
4.4. Working with forms ................................................................40
4.5. Working with graphic files ................................................... 4 2
4.6. Working with loadable fonts ................................................ 4 3
4.7. Clearing the memory ............................................................ 4 5
4.8. Print .......................................................................................... 4 6
4.9. Diagnostics and returning of data ...................................... 4 7
4.10. Direct printing of a text ....................................................... 4 9
5. WORKING WITH THE LOCAL KEYBOARD EKP-30 ........................... 5 0

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User’s Manual
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IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
yRead all of these instructions and save them for future reference.
yFollow all warnings and instructions marked on the product.
yUnplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use
iquid or aerosol cleaners. Use a damp cloth for cleaning.
yDo not use this product near water.
yDo not place this product on an unstable cart, stand or table. The
product may fall, causing serious damage to the product.
ySlots and openings on the back or cover these openings. The
openings should never be blocked by placing the product on a
bed, sofa, rug of other similar surface.
yThis product should never be placed near or over a radiator or heater.
yThis product should not be placed in an built-in installation unless
proper ventilation is provided.
yThis product should be operated from the type of power source
indicated on the marking label. If you renot sure of the type of power
available, consult your dealer or local power company.
yDo not allow anything to rest on the power cord. Do not place this
product where the cord will be walked on.
yIf an extension cord is used with this product, make sure that the total
of the ampere ratings of the products plugged into the extension cord
oes not exceed the extension cord ampere rating. Also, make sure that
the total of all products plugged into the wall outlet does not exceed
15 amperes.
yNever push objects of any kind into this product through cabinet slots
as they may touch dangerous voltage points or short ouf parts that
could result in a risk of fire or electric shock. Never spill liquid of any
kind on the product.
yExcept as explained elsewhere in this manual, do not attempt to
service this product by yourself. Opening and removing the covers that
are marked
y“Do Not Remove” may expose you to dangerous voltage points or
other risks.
yRefer all servicing on those compartments service to service personnel.
yUnplug this product from the wall outlet and refer servicing to qualified service
personnel under the following conditions:
A. When the power cord or plug is damaged or frayed.

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B. If liquid has been spilled into the product.
C. If the product has been exposed to rain or water.
D. If the product does not operate normally when the operating
instructions are followed. Adjust only those controls that are covered
be the operating instructions since improper adjustment of other
controls may result in damage and will often require extensive work
by a qualified technician to restore the product to normal operation.
E. If the product has been dropped or the cabinet has been damaged.
F. If the product exhibits a distinct change in performance, indicating
a need for service.
yPlease keep the poly bag which this equipment is packed in away from
children or throw it away from children or throw it away to prevent
children from putting it on. Putting it on may cause suffocation.
CAUTIONS
yPrior to using the equipment, be sure to read this User’s Manual thoroughly.
Please keep it handy for reference whenever it may be needed.
yThe information contained herein may be changed without prior notice.
yReproduction of part or all of this User’s Manual without permission is
strictly prohibited.
yNever service, disassemble, or repair parts that are not mentioned
in this User’s Manual.
yNote that we will not be responsible for damages attributable to a user’s
incorrect operation/handling or an improper operating environment .
yOperate the equipment only as described in this User’s Manual; otherwise
accidents or problems may result.
yData are basically temporaty; they cannot be stored or saved permanently or
for a long time. Please note that we will not be responsible for damages or
sses of profit resulting from losses of the data attributable to accidents,
repairs, tests, and so on.
yIf you have any questions or notice any clerical errors or omissions regarding
the information in this manual, please contact our office.
yPlease note that, notwithstanding them 8 above, we will not be responsible for
any effects resulting from operation of the equipment.

User’s Manual
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SAFETY PRECAUTIONS – BE SURE TO OBSERVE
In order to prevent hazards to an operator or other persons and
damage to property, be sure to observe the following precautions.
yThe following describes the degrees of hazard and damages that
can occur if the given instructions are neglected or the printer is
incorrectly operated.
WARNING
Negligence of this precaution may result in death or serious injury.
CAUTION
Negligence of this precaution may result in injury or damage to
property.
This is an illustration mark used to alert your attention.
This is an illustration mark used to indicate such information
as an instruction or the like.
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WARNING
y Never handle the equipment in the following manners, as it may break, become out of
order, or overheat causing smoke and resulting in fire or electric shock. If the equip
ment is used in an abnormal condition, such as when broken, then problems, smoke
emission, abnormal odor/noise, and fire can result. If an abnormal condition exists, be
sure to disconnect the power plug from a plug socket, and contact our dealer. Never
repair the equipment on your own – it is very dangerous.
yDo not allow the equipment to receive a strong impact or shock, such as
kicking, stomping, hitting, dropping, and the like.
yInstall the equipment in a well-ventilated place. Do not use it in such a manner
that its ventilation port will be blocked.
yDo not install the equipment in a place like a laboratory where chemical
reactions are expected, or in a place where salt or gases are contained
in the air.
yDo not connect/disconnect a power cord or a data cable, while holding
the cable.
yDo not pull, install, use, or carry the equipment in such a manner that force will
be applied to the cables.
yDo not drop or insert any foreign substances, such as clips or pins, into the
equipment.
yDo not spill any liquid or spray any chemical-containing liquid over the
equipment. If any liquid is spilled on it, turn off power, disconnect the power
cable and power cord from the plug socket, and contract our dealer.
yNever disassemble or remodel the equipment. Negligence of this may cause
fire or electric shock.
yUse the equipment only with the specified commercial power supply and DC/AC
adapter. Negligence of this may result in fire, electric shock, or problems.
yIf you drop or break the AC adapter, or if water or the like gets inside it, unplug
it immediately from the socket and contact your dealer.
yDo not damage, break, process, bend/pull by force, twist, or head an DC/AC
dapter cord. Also, do not put a heavy substance on it or heat it. The DC/AC
adapter cord could be broken, resulting in fire, electric shock, or trouble. If the
C adapter cord is damaged, contact our dealer.
yDo not connect/disconnect the DC/AC adapter with wet hands.
yDo not overload a single electrical outlet, using a table tap or a current
tap socket.
yAn equipment packing bag must be discarded or kept away from children.
A child can suffocate if the bag is placed over the head.
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User’s Manual
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PRECAUTIONS FOR INSTALLATION
yDo not use or store the equipment in a place exposed to fire, moisture, or direct
sunshine, or in a place near a heater or thermal device where the prescribed
operating temperature and humidity are not met, or in a place exposed to
much oil, iron powder, or dust. The equipment may become out of order, emit
smoke, or catch fire.
yDo not install or use the equipment in a place like a laboratory where chemical
reactions are expected, or in a place where salt or gases are contained in the
air. There is a danger of fire or electric shock.
yInstall the printer on a flat, stable desk or table that is free from vibration, in a
well-ventilated place.
yDo not install the printer at a location where its operation could be hindered.
yDo not place anything on the printer or leave small objects, like a clip or pin,
around it. A foreign object could cause trouble if it gets inside.
yDo not use any sharp-pointed object, such as a pen, for example, to touch the
operation panel of the printer. It could cause trouble.
yDo not use the equipment near a radio or TV receiver. Do not share the power
from a plug socket a radio or TV receiver is connected to. It may cause a
reception problem.
yUse the equipment only at the specified power supply, voltage and frequency.
Otherwise, it may emit smoke and catch fire or cause other problems.
yConnect only the specified power source. Use of an unspecified power source
could cause trouble or smoke/fire.
yConfirm that a plug socket used for connection has sufficient capacity.
yAvoid connecting a power cable to a plug socket shared by other devices or
extending the wiring too far. It may result in the cable catching fire or a power
outage. Also, do not step on or apply an excessive force (Pull, Load) to the
cable, and do not use the printer with such a force applied to it.
yNever connect a grounding cable (Frame ground) to a gas pipe. There is a
danger of explosion. When connecting or disconnecting the grounding cable,be
sure to disconnect the power cable and the power plug from the plug socket.
yWhen connecting/disconnecting the cables, be sure to turn off the power first,
including the connected side, and then connect/disconnect them, holding a
plug and a connector. Pulling the cable itself could cause it to snap or become
damaged.
yConnect a power cable or a connector cable securely. If a reverse-polarity
connection is a made, internal elements may be broken or a mating device
may be ad versely affected.
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yUse a shielding wire or twisted pair wire for a signal line, in order to minimize
noise effect. Do not route the cable too long or connect it to a noisy device.
Connection to a noisy device could cause erroneous printing due to corrupt
data, and so on.
yUse the equipment in an environment where there is s plug socket near the
main body and you can easily disconnect the power plug from it, to shut off the
power.
yWhen the equipment will not be used for a long period of time, unplug it and
remove the paper roll from it.
yWhen transporting the equipment, remove the paper roll from paper holder.

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PRECAUTIONS FOR HANDLING
Do not handle the equipment in the following manners, because
problems may result.
yDo not use any other power source besides the accessory DC/AC adapter.
Also, do notg use the AC adapter for other purposes.
yDo not print without paper.
yDo not drop or put any foreign object, such as a clip, pin, or the like, inside the
printer.
yDo not spill any liquid or spray any chemical-containing liquid
over the equipment.
yNever use a pointed object, such as a pen, to operate the operation panel.
yDo not use Scotch tape to fasten paper together for continuous use. It could
damage the printing head.
yNever pull the set paper forcibly. When Opening/closing the printer cover,
take care that the paper will not be caught. It could cause the paper to jam.
yBe sure to use the specified paper. Use of other paper could deteriorate the
print quality or cause a problem with the printing head.
To Prevent and Spreading of Damage
yNever touch the printing head motor, or paper cutting blade. Your finger may
be cut.
yDuring power-on or immediately after printing, do not touch electrical parts or
moving parts, such as the mechanism, motor, internal dear, etc. They may be
very hot and can bum your hand/finder.
yBe careful to avoid bodily injure or damaging other objects with an edge of
sheet metal.
yShould any error occur while operating the equipment, stop it immediately
and disconnect the power plug from the plug socket.
yOnly a qualified serviceman is allowed to disassemble or repair the printer.
yShould a problem occur, leave solving it to our serviceman. Do not disas
semble the equipment on your own.
yWhen opening/closing the printer cover, and so on, be careful not to catch
your hand or finger on the equipment.
yAfter using the equipment, turn off the power switch and unplug the AC
adapter from a plug socket.
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DAILY MAINTENANCE
yAt the time of maintenance, be sure to turn off the power switch of the printer
and unplug it from the socket.
yUse a dry soft cloth to wipe off stains and dust from the surfaces of the main
body case. For severe soiling, dip the cloth in water and wring it, for wiping off
the soil. Never use organic solvents, such as alcohol, thinner, trichlene,
benzene, ketone, or chemical dusters.
yIf the equipment is contaminated with paper powder, use a soft brush
to clean it. Be careful not to damage the printing head.
yCleaning the Printing Head
1. Moisten gauze slightly with alcohol, and clean the heating surface of the
printing head with it.
2. Reattach the platen roller unit.
The printing head and motor are very hot. Be careful not to touch
them immediately after printing. Do not touch the heating sur-
face of the head with a bare hand or metal. When detaching or
reattaching the platen roller unit, be sure to raise up the printing
head, otherwise, they could be damaged. Handle the detached
platen roller unit carefully so as not to damage it.
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CAUTION

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1. OUTLINE
This small line thermal printer is designed for various types of data
communication terminals and measuring instrument terminals. Its
abundant built-in features allow you to widely use this printer for different
applications. Prior to using it, read and understand this manual thoroughly.
1.1. Features
1. Small, lightweight and installable in a narrow area
2. High speed and low noise, owing to line thermal print
3. Long-life printing head and high reliability, owing to the simple
mechanism
4. Easy paper-loading, owing to the auto-loading function
5. Built-in input buffer
6. Capable of printing a bar code

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1.2. Unpacking
When unpacking the package, confirm that the following parts are provided:
yPrinter body ...................... 1 unit
ySample paper roll ............ 1 roll
yAC adapter ....................... 1 piece
yUser’s manual .................. 1 copy
yDisc ................................... 1 piece
CAUTION
yInstall the printer body on a flat and stable desk or mount it onto
the wall, etc., using a hook, etc.
yDo not install the printer near a heater or in a place exposed to
the direct sunshine.
yDo not use the printer in a high-temperature, high-humidity, or
contaminated environment.
yDo not allow dew condensation to form on the printer. If such
condensation should form, do not turn on the power until it has
completely gone away.
yUse only the accessory DC/AC adapter. Do not use it for an
other purpose.
yIf you do not use the printer for a long period, disconnect the
power cable from the socket.
yKeep this manual carefully at hand for ready reference.
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•The LP–50 is operated ONLY with its own DC/AC adapter.
•Attempts to print on other types of paper, stickers, folio not specified
as acceptable in this MANUAL may seriously damage your printer.
•When inserting the paper roll be careful not to let any pins, paper
clips or other hard objects fall inside the printing mechanism.
•Do not spill liquids of any kind on the device.
•Print only on specified thermal paper-rolls.
•Don’t force paper out from the printing mechanism.
•Should the printer behave unusually during operation immediately
turn it off!
•Printer repairs are performed only by service technicians. Do not
attempt to repair the unit yourself.
2. BASIC RULES FOR OPERATING THE LP-50
FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS CLOSELY.
MAY CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE UNIT.
The printer operates with paper rolls with sizes:
•roll with labels: width 58 mm;
•maximum diameter of roll: 83 mm
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CAUTION
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3. OUTER VIEW – CONTROL
3.1. General description of the LP-50
The LP-50 is a thermal printer designed to print small sized labels and
graphics on thermo-sensitive paper. It is particularly useful when printing
information, arranged in a template form, which has to be partially modified
under customer demand.
The memory of the printer contains a command file which stores data
for the arrangement and design of the separate graphic elements, easing
your work considerably when you have to print a greater number of labels.
On the other hand it supports the PCX format and gives you the opportunity
to design the graphics of parts of the label with an appropriate program
under Windows and store it in the memory of the printer in advance. The
built-in 6 matrix fonts with different sizes, as well as the freely selectable
option for additional scaling and rotation, gives you greater freedom in
designing the inscriptions on your labels. If those fonts do not satisfy your
requirements you are free to load additional fonts in the memory of the
device.
The device may be used to print information from Windows (Word,
Notepad or other programs) after the installation of the necessary driver.
In conclusion, the LP-50 offers fast and flexible printing at a quality
which is very similar to that of most contemporary laser printers (printing
density - 203 dpi).
3.2. Operating the printer
The functions of the printer are controlled by commands, sent via a
serial interface. It is able to maintain 7 baud rates set up by adjusting the
configuration keys: 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600 and 115200
bps, 8 bits, no parity bit. The printer uses a hardware protocol, which
permits its direct control under DOS but can also support Xon/Xoff protocol.
Each printer command consists of one line of text ending with a LF
(0Ah). Commands are made up of one or two letters followed by a different
number of parameters divided by a comma. Intervals MUST NOT BE
ENTERED in these commands – this will be treated as syntax error.

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Capital and small letters are identified. A detailed description of the
commands follows but it must be underlined that if a command starts with
“;” it will not generate any action on the part of the printer. This command
may be used for comments if we register the commands in a text file.
The fastest and easiest way to work with this printer is to use the
accompanying program DATECS Label Editor (LPeditWH.EXE) with
the help of which you can arrange the elements of the label and see its
final appearance on the computer screen even before loading it into the
printer. You can also print it out as a test trial. In order to work with the
program successfully you will only need to have a general idea about the
functions of the printer.
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3 No special knowledge of the command language will be needed.
It is, of course, possible to prepare the information for printing in
advance in a text file and send this over the serial interface. Here is a
description of one possible option for preparing a label. It includes the
following stages.
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3 When working under DOS, the setup of the PC serial port is done
with the MODE COMn command in parallel to the setup of the printer, the
format of this command being:
MODE COMn: BaudRate,n,8,1 where “n” is the number of the serial
port and “BaudRate” is the set up speed of the printer.
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3 Select a name for the form. In any case it is advisable that the first
line of the text file should include the command for deleting a form of the
same name (FK) - if such exists, it will be deleted and replaced with the
new one. You may then proceed with the loading of a new form
(command FS).
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3 The length of the label is defined as well as the distance between
the separate labels. When using paper rolls these distances may be
arbitrarily selected and set but when working with self-adhesive labels,
the length of the label must be set as close to its actual dimensions as
possible or the result may be incomplete printouts or empty labels. The
command Q, with all demanded parameters, is placed at the beginning of
the text file. Other commands may also be located here - starting point (R),
select code table (I), print density (D) and printing speed (S).

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3 Designing the appearance of the label. Setting the elements, which
will not be subject to changes - they will need no counters or variables.
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3 Setting and defining the elements subject to changes for each
label. When some of them are whole numbers and will change at regular
rates a counter may be defined for them. The rest must be variables.
Depending on the case in question the information on a given inscription
or bar code may be set in several different variables and/or counters.
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3 Defining variables and counters includes an assessment of their
maximum possible length, alignment if and when the text is shorter than
the maximum length, rate of growth of the counters. The selection of the
initiating text is important too if it is not informative operating with the forms
later on may be difficult. A line with the command “V” or “C” is added in the
text file for each counter or variable.
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3If we wish to insert graphics in the label, we must select a name and
position for this element and add a command for its layout in the text file
(GG). The PCX file must be prepared in advance on a PC and loaded into
the printer prior to the execution of the form. Before sending it to the printer
its length must be verified and noted because the loading command GM
will demand this information. One possible way for doing this is by sending
the file from a terminal program with the DOS command COPY FileName
COMn: /B (sending the file as binary in this case is obligatory) - “n” is the
number of the serial port.
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3Selecting the position, font, size and orientation of the inscriptions
on the label. “A” commands are added for this purpose and if necessary,
the inclusion of text modifiers for the counters and the variables for
receiving the necessary strings for printing.
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3Selection of the type, position, size and orientation of the bar codes
- if there will be such - where modifiers may also have to be used.
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3 If drawing of lines and frames is needed the following commands
may be added - LE, LO, LW, X.

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3 At the end of the file the command FE is added - “Form End”.
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3 The ready file is then sent to the printer: the form should be loaded
into the memory and be printed out in the list with the FI command.
With the FR command the form may become active. Values of the
variables and counters are added with the command “?” from a terminal
program.
The forms, the graphics and loadable fonts use a common memory of
the printer, i.e., if we enter more graphic information there will be less
memory left for forms and vice-versa. This memory restriction comes for
two reasons: on one hand not more than 512 forms, graphic files and fonts
can be stored in the memory, irrespective of how small they happen to be.
On the other hand is the restriction related to the volume of the memory
itself, which is 506 kB. It must be remembered that the memory intended
for storing forms and graphics is distributed in parts of 256 bytes each
meaning, that even a form of only 10 bytes will take up 256 bytes of the
volume of the memory.
The maximum length of the printed label is defined by the size of the
graphic buffer - 4000 dots (500 mm). The maximum width is 384 dots (48
mm) given complete width of the paper roll - 58 mm.
When the printer is used for longer printing sessions the printing head
unit may heat considerably and printing is interrupted for cooling off. It is
for this reason that when printing labels with larger black areas the printer
must be switched off at shorter interval for cool off.

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3.3. DIP switches and buttons
3.3.1. Configuration switches
Sw1 Sw2 Sw3 Baud rate (bps)
OFF OFF OFF Local keyboard
ON OFF OFF 2 400
OFF ON OFF 4 800
ON ON OFF 9 600
OFF OFF ON 19 200
ON OFF ON 38 400
OFF ON ON 57 600
ON ON ON 115 200
OFF ON
Sw4 Hardware protocol XON / XOFF protocol
Sw6 Paper roll printing Sticker label
Sw8 Normal operation mode LP-50 compatible
3.3.2. Operation buttons
The FEED button extracts paper until it is released. In the “sticker
type labels” mode positions the printing head over the next label.
If you keep the button pressed when printer is switched off and switch
it on in the meantime it will print out diagnostic information and then will
enter the dump mode. After this operation the printer MUST be switched
off and on again to return to normal mode!
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CAUTION