Intermec 3600 User manual

Maintenance
Manual
3600 Bar Code Label Printer
P/N 062905-001

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IntermecCorporation
6001 36th Avenue West
P.O. Box 4280
Everett, WA 98203-9280
U.S. technical and service support: 1-800-755-5505
U.S. media supplies ordering information: 1-800-227-9947
Canadian technical and service support: 1-800-688-7043
Canadian media supplies ordering information: 1-800-268-6936
Outside U.S. and Canada: Contact your local Intermec service supplier.
The information contained herein is proprietary and is provided solely for the purpose of allowing
customers to operate and/or service Intermec manufactured equipment and is not to be released,
reproduced, or used for any other purpose without written permission of Intermec.
Information and specifications in this manual are subject to change without notice.
1995 by Intermec Corporation
All Rights Reserved
The word Intermec, the Intermec logo, Label Debut, and CrossBar are trademarks of Intermec
Corporation.
The name Centronics is wholly owned by GENICOM Corporation.
IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
Throughout this manual, trademarked names may be used. Rather than put a trademark ()
symbol in every occurrence of a trademarked name, we state that we are using the names only in an
editorial fashion, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement.
The software contained in the 3600 printer and the accompanying materials are copyrighted.
Unathorized copying of the software, including software that has been modified, merged, or
included with other software, or the written materials is expressly forbidden without the prior
written consent of Intermec. All right, title, and interest in all copies of this software are and shall at
all time remain the sole and exclusive property of Intermec. Customer may be held legally
responsible for any copyright infringement that is caused or encouraged by its failure to abide by
these terms.

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Contributors
Technical Writer:Robert Shaw
Editor: Craig Thompson
Technical Illustrator: George Wilson
Technical Reviewers: Cathy Aragon
Pixie Austin
Daniel Clark
John Cramer
Allen Crowe
Stephen Eckert
Pat Helton
Laura McCluer
Ed Millet
Art Millican
Matt Roberts
Joe Wade

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Contents
Before You Begin xi
Safety Summary xi
Warnings and Cautions xii
Purpose of This Manual xii
Additional Information xv
General Information
Overview of the 3600 Printer 1-3
3600 Features 1-4
3600 Printer Specifications 1-4
Dimensions (no options installed) 1-4
Electrical Requirements 1-4
Printing Methods 1-4
Printing Speed 1-5
Printhead Specifications 1-5
Media Specifications 1-5
Ribbon Specifications 1-5
Environment 1-5
Self-Strip Specifications 1-5
Communications 1-6
Fonts and Graphics 1-6
Character Sets 1-6
Memory 1-6
Factory Default Settings 1-7
3600 Printer Options 1-7
Memory Expansion 1-7
Twinax Interface 1-7
Coax Interface 1-8
Parallel Interface 1-8
Network Connectivity 1-8
Kanji/Katakana Character Support 1-8
Batch Takeup 1-8
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Principal Functional Parts 1-9
Basic Printer Setup and Operation 1-11
Front Panel Operation 1-11
Over-Temperature 1-11
Media or System Faults 1-12
Feed/Pause Pushbutton 1-12
Checking the Printer Configuration 1-12
DIP Switch Settings 1-13
Connecting the Printer to a Computer 1-13
Printing 1-14
Using Label Debut 1-14
Using Third-Party Software 1-14
Using the Printer Command Set 1-15
Preventive Maintenance
Preventive Maintenance Actions and Intervals 2-3
Inspecting the Printer 2-4
Cleaning the Printer 2-4
Removing the Media Cover 2-5
Cleaning the Printhead 2-6
Cleaning the Rollers and Tear Bar 2-8
Cleaning the Media Guides and Media Path 2-9
Cleaning the Label and Ribbon Sensors 2-11
Cleaning the Printer Covers 2-12
Testing and Adjusting
Testing the Printer 3-3
Running Test and Service Mode at the Printer 3-4
Setting DIP Switches 3-4
Printing Test Labels 3-7
Running Test and Service Mode From a Host Computer 3-11
Testing Printer and Host Communications 3-12
2
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Adjusting the Printer 3-13
Adjusting the Print Bias for Print Quality 3-14
Adjusting the Print Intensity 3-15
Adjusting the Printhead Adjustment Lever for Print Quality 3-16
Adjusting the Label Mark Sensor 3-17
Adjusting the Label Gap Sensor 3-19
Adjusting the Label Taken Sensor 3-20
Aligning the Printer 3-21
Aligning the Rollers 3-22
Aligning the Printhead 3-23
Aligning the TTR Supply Hub 3-25
Troubleshooting
About Troubleshooting and Repair 4-3
Troubleshooting Tips 4-3
Where to Start 4-3
Repair 4-3
Troubleshooting Checklist 4-4
Error Handling 4-5
Syntax Errors 4-5
Parameter Errors 4-5
Image Overrun Errors 4-5
Invalid Numeric Character Errors 4-6
Insufficient Storage RAM Errors 4-6
Error Codes 4-6
Printer Operation Problems 4-9
Print Quality Problems 4-10
Communications Problems 4-12
Environmental Problems 4-13
Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) 4-13
Electromagnetic and Radio Frequency Interference 4-14
Ground Loops Between Equipment 4-14
Inadequate Earth Ground 4-14
AC Power Problems (Surges, Sags, Spikes, Noise, and Outages) 4-15
Miscellaneous Problems 4-16
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Remove and Replace Procedures
Replacing Printer Components 5-3
Replacing the Lithium Battery 5-4
Replacing the Printhead 5-5
Replacing the Bezel PCB 5-6
Replacing the Main PCB 5-8
Replacing the Kanji/Katakana Option PCB 5-9
Replacing the Label Mark Sensor 5-10
Replacing the Label Taken Sensor 5-12
Replacing the Label Gap Sensor 5-13
Replacing the TTR Drive Roller and Gear/Pulley 5-15
Replacing the TTR Takeup Hub, Clutch/Pulley, and Belt 5-18
Replacing the TTR Supply Hub and Adjusting Plate 5-20
Replacing the Platen Roller and Gear 5-22
Replacing the Liner Drive and Takeup Components 5-24
Replacing the Stepper Motor 5-30
Replacing the AC Plug/Input Filter 5-31
Replacing the Power Switch/Circuit Breaker 5-32
Replacing the Transformer 5-33
PCB Drawings and Schematics
Replacement Parts
5
6
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Appendix
Functional Description of the 3600 Mechanics A-3
Functional Description of the 3600 Electronics A-4
Power Supply A-4
+5V A-4
+40V A-4
+24V A-4
Power Fail Detection A-5
Battery A-5
Battery Life Calculations A-5
Reset A-5
Motor Driver A-6
Processor A-7
Chip Selects A-7
TPU A-7
QSM A-8
Interrupt Priority Levels A-8
Crystal A-8
Memory A-9
Static RAM A-9
EPROM A-9
DRAM A-9
Communications Interface A-10
A/D Converter A-10
DIP Switches A-10
ASIC and I/O Option Interface A-10
Address/Data Multiplexor A-10
Chip Select Generation A-11
I/O Option Connector A-11
FIFO A-11
Front Panel Interface A-11
Debug Interface A-11
Functional Description of the 3600 Software A-14
Band Buffering and Font Caching A-14
Image Band Buffering A-14
Image Band Example A-15
Font Caching A-18
Print Energy Compensation A-18
Digital Thermal Compensation A-18
Global Compensation A-18
A

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Before You Begin
This section describes the purpose and arrangement of this manual to you. It is
intended to bring to your attention, important general safety concerns, specific
warnings and cautions, and sources of additional information.
Safety Summary
Your safety is extremely important. Read and follow all of warnings and
cautions in this book before handling and operating Intermec equipment. You
can be seriously injured, and equipment and data can be damaged if you do
not follow the safety warnings and cautions.
Do Not Repair or Adjust Alone Do not repair or adjust energized equipment
alone under any circumstances. Someone capable of providing first aid must
always be present for your safety.
First Aid Always obtain first aid or medical attention immediately after an
injury. Never neglect an injury, no matter how slight it seems.
Resuscitation Begin resuscitation immediately if someone is injured and stops
breathing. Any delay could result in death or permanent injury. To work on or
near high voltage, you should be familiar with approved industrial first aid
methods.
Energized Equipment Never work on energized equipment unless you are
authorized by a responsible authority. Energized electrical equipment is
dangerous. Electrical shock from energized equipment can cause death. If you
must perform authorized emergency work on energized equipment, be sure
that you comply strictly with approved safety regulations.

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Warnings and Cautions
The warnings and cautions in this manual use the following format and
address the issues described:
WARNING
Warnin
g
A warning alerts you of an operating procedure, practice, condition,
or statement that must be strictly observed to avoid death or
serious injury to the persons working on the equipment.
CAUTION
Caution
A caution alerts you to an operating procedure, practice, condition,
or statement that must be strictly observed to prevent equipment
damage or destruction, or corruption or loss of data.
Purpose of This Manual
The purpose of this maintenance manual is to provide the information you
need to clean, adjust, and repair the Intermec 3600 Bar Code Label Printer.
Who Should Read This Manual?
This manual is written for experienced electronic technicians trained by
Intermec, who will service and, if necessary, repair the 3600 printer. Detailed
operating instructions and specific related information is provided in the 3600
Bar Code Label Printer User’s Manual.
This document is not intended to support user operations or persons untrained
in troubleshooting and repair. You should have a working knowledge of
electronics with an advanced understanding of PCs, DOS, data
communications, and bar code applications. It is assumed that you are familiar
with the installation, programming, and operation of the Intermec 3600 Bar
Code Label Printer and all of its options, including a working knowledge of the
Label Debut (or Label) software tool.

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How This Manual Is Organized
You will find the following information in the referenced section:
For information about: Refer to:
A basic description of the 3600 Chapter 1 - An illustrated overview of
the 3600 printer; listing printer
features, specifications, and options,
identifying primary parts, and
summarizing some setup and
operating information.
Scheduled cleanings and checks Chapter 2 - Actions, intervals, and
illustrated preventive maintenance
procedures.
Making sure the printer is operating
correctly and providing quality results Chapter 3 - Procedures for running
printer tests printing test labels,
printing out the configuration settings,
and for making printer adjustments
and alignments.
Problem solving Chapter 4 - Information for
identifying, duplicating, isolating, and
eliminating conditions or failures in
the printer environment or the printer
components.
Removing and replacing components Chapter 5 - Instructions for the
removal and replacement of key
components.
Main PCB drawings and diagrams Chapter 6 - Engineering drawing and
schematic diagram of the main PCB.
Spare parts Chapter 7 - Two lists of the spare
parts: one in ascending part number
sequence and one alphabetically by
description, keyed to exploded
illustrations of the printer. Part
numbers for tools and documentation
are also provided.
Theory of operation Appendix - functional descriptions of
the 3600 mechanics, electronics, and
firmware.

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Terms and Conventions
The following terms and conventions occur throughout this manual. A
complete glossary of terms is provided in the 3600 Bar Code Label Printer User’s
Manual.
Terms
• “Backing” (or liner) refers to the silicon release portion of the media that
carries the label.
• “Host” refers to any computer that the printer is connected to.
• “TTR” refers to the thermal transfer ribbon used when the printer is in
thermal transfer rather than direct transfer mode.
• “Media” is the stock on which the printer prints labels. Media can be made
of plain paper, polyester, thermally reactive paper, or other materials with
adhesive backing.
Conventions
The following conventions are used throughout this manual for operating
procedures and descriptions of the printer.
• Downloaded commands appear in the order that you enter them into the
printer with the following conventions:
Convention Description
< > Angle brackets < > enclose mnemonic representations of
ASCII control characters. For example, <ETX> represents
the ASCII “End of Text” control character.
{ } Braces {} enclose variable data. For example, {n} signifies a
variable for which you can designate a constant value.
[ ] Brackets around a word or letter represent a key on your
keypad. For example, [Tab] represents the Tab key and [M]
represents the letter M key.
[ ]-[ ] When two keys are joined with a dash, press them
simultaneously. For example, if you see the command
[Ctrl]-[C], press the two keys at the same time.
E3;F3 Enter all characters not enclosed in brackets by pressing an
individual keypad key. For example, E3;F3; is entered as
[E][3][;][F][3][;] with the E and the F in uppercase.

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Additional Information
The following documents may be of interest or help to you in servicing the
3600 printer.
3600 Bar Code Label Printer User’s Manual (P/N 062732)
Label Debut User’s Manual (P/N 062982)
Data Communications Reference Manual (P/N 044737)
The Bar Code Book by Roger C. Palmer

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General Information
1

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1
This chapter identifies basic features, options, and technical specifications of the
3600 printer. It names principal functional parts and reviews basic printer setup and
operation.
Overview of the 3600 Printer
The Intermec 3600 is a microprocessor-based thermal printer that prints
standard bar code or 2D symbology, human-readable characters, graphics,
lines, and borders on 3-inch (7.62 cm) to 6.6-inch (16.8 cm) wide continuous
feed label stock.
The 3600 prints directly to thermal label media or can print on regular label
media with the use of a thermal transfer ribbon (TTR).
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
3600M.001
O
I
Power
Intermec
3600
Alert
Feed/Pause
Empty/Pause
The 3600 supports applications that need a wider print capability than the
Intermec 3400 Bar Code Label Printer can provide.

3600 Printer Maintenance Manual
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3600 Features
The 3600 printer’s features are summarized in the following list:
• Print speed from 2 to 5 ips
• Programmable, nonvolatile printer configuration
• Bitmap font capabilities
• Outline/vector font support
• User selectable gap feature for fonts
• 2D symbology support (Code One, PDF 417, and Maxicode)
• 128k (standard), 512k (optional) storage memory
• Autoselection of Intermec protocols
• Printable control characters
• Image banding and memory management
• Dot-by-dot digital thermal compensation
• Self-strip or continuous print (with internal rewind)
• Media sensitivity numbering system
• Wide range of label media
• Label DebutTM label design software
3600 Printer Specifications
The specifications and performance parameters for the 3600 printer are
itemized in this section.
Dimensions (no options installed)
Height 11 inches (27.9 cm)
Width 12 inches (30.5 cm)
Length 17 inches (43.2 cm)
Weight 45 pounds (20.3 kg)
Electrical Requirements
Input Voltage 100, 115, or 230 VAC ±10%
Frequency 47 to 63 Hz
Printing Methods
Direct Thermal
Thermal Transfer (thermal transfer ribbon (TTR) required)