Intermec EasyCoder 4420 User manual

EasyCoder
™
4420 and 4440 Printers
P/N 066394-002
Getting Started Guide

Intermec Technologies 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.
©1998 by Intermec Technologies Corporation
All Rights Reserved
The word Intermec, the Intermec logo, JANUS, IRL, TRAKKER, Duratherm, Adara, Antares,
EZBuilder, Precision Print, PrintSet, EasyCoder, Virtual Wedge, and CrossBar are trademarks of
Intermec Corporation.
Kimdura is a registered trademark of Kimberly Clark.
Kapton is a registered trademark of Dupont.
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 (TM)
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 4420 and 4440 printers and the accompanying materials are
copyrighted. Unauthorized 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 times 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.
Related Manuals That You Can Order Intermec Part Number
4420 and 4440 Bar code Label Printer User’s Manual 066392
IPL Programming Reference Manual 066396
Data Communications Reference Manual 044737
Electrical ratings:
~100V 2A 50-60 Hz
~120V 2A 50-60 Hz
~200V 1A 50-60 Hz
~230V 1A 50-60 Hz

Contents
Unpacking the Printer 5
Understanding the Printer Front Panel 6
Connecting the Printer to a Power Supply 7
Loading a Roll of Media 8
Loading Thermal Transfer Ribbon 11
Testing Printer Operation 14
Connecting the Printer to Your System 15
Connecting the Printer to a PC 15
Connecting the Printer to a Network, AS/400, or Mainframe 16
Configuring the Serial Port for Communications 17
DIP Switch Settings 18
Communicating With the Printer 19
Using the PrintSet Software 19
Using the Intermec Printer Language (IPL) Command Set 19
Using Third-Party Software 19
Printing a Test Label to Test Communications 20
Troubleshooting the Printer 21
Setting the Media Sensitivity Number 22
Cleaning the Printhead 25
Correcting Uneven Print Quality 27
Fine-Tuning the Top of Form Position 28
Adjusting the Print Darkness 31

5
Unpacking the Printer
Remove the accessories, packing material, and the printer from the shipping container. Save the
shipping container and packing materials in case you need to move or ship your printer.
Verify the contents of the shipping container against the list below:
14420 or 4440 printer
2AC power cord
3PrintSet installation software disk
4Core-locking brackets for plastic ribbon cores
5Ribbon core
64420 and 4440 Bar Code Label Printer Getting Started Guide
7Media support
8Media envelope
Note: Make sure you remove all packing material from the printer before you proceed.
44XXG.001
Feed/Pause
Power/Data
Alert
Empty/Pause
4420
EasyCoder
EasyCoder
™
4420 and 4440 Printers
P/N 054324
Getting Started Guide
Printer Install Tool
Free Software Inside!

6
Understanding the Printer Front Panel
On the front panel of your printer, you will find one Feed/Pause button and three light emitting
diodes (LEDs). Use the front panel LEDs to monitor the status of the printer:
The Feed/Pause button performs the following functions depending on the status of the printer:
Printer Mode You Want To What To Do
Idle Feed out one label or a Press and release the Feed/Pause button.
small amount of media.
Continuously feed media. Press and hold the Feed/Pause button. When
you release the button, the media stops feeding.
Take the printer offline. Press the Feed/Pause button twice. Press the
button again to bring the printer online.
Printing Pause the printer. Press and release the Feed/Pause button. Press
and release the button again to resume printing.
Cancel the current print Press and hold the Feed/Pause button until the
job. printer stops printing.
Power up Print the hardware Press and hold the Feed/Pause button during
configuration test label. power up. See “Testing Printer Operation” later
in this guide for more information
44XXG.002
1
2
3
1 Power/Data Off
On
Flashing
Power Off
Power on
Receiving data
Number LED State Indication
2 Alert Off
Flashing
On
Printing or idle
Over-temperature
System fault
3 Empty/Pause Off
Flashing
On
Printing or idle
Paused
Media fault

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
O
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
I
OI
44XXG.004
7
Connecting the Printer to a Power Supply
O
I
44XXG.003
O
I
44XXG.005
O
I
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12
34
When you power on the printer, the green LED on the front panel lights, the yellow and orange
LEDs flash, and the platen roller advances. The yellow LED then stays on until you load media.

44XXG.006
Feed/Pause
Power/Data
Alert
Empty/Pause
4420
EasyCoder
8
Loading a Roll of Media
44XXG.009
➤
44XXG.008
➤
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➤
12
3
5
44XXG.014
6
120066102605140
120066102605140
44XXG.016
4

44XXG.029
9
44XXG.012
➤➤
➤
7
44XXG.011
8
44XXG.013
➤
44XXG.015
11
910

4420
EasyCoder
Feed/Pause
Power/Data
Alert
Empty/Pause
44XXG.022
44XXG.037
44XXG.021
➤
13
44XXG.048
14 15
12
10
Loading a Roll of Media (continued)

44XXG.006
Feed/Pause
Power/Data
Alert
Empty/Pause
4420
EasyCoder
44XXG.041
Loading Thermal Transfer Ribbon
44XXG.008
➤
SENSITIVITY NUMBER
5✩7
44XXG.033
44XXG.032
2
3
7
44XXG.039
4
1
65
11

➤ ➤
44XXG.040
12
44XXG.017
➤
44XXG.018
910
44XXG.021
➤
12
11
44XXG.036
8
44XXG.030
7
Loading Thermal Transfer Ribbon (continued)

4420
EasyCoder
Feed/Pause
Power/Data
Alert
Empty/Pause
44XXG.022
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
O
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
I
OI
44XXG.019
13
44XXG.037
14
15
Note: The next time that you replace the thermal transfer ribbon roll, use the empty thermal transfer ribbon
core as the new rewinder core.
13

14
44XXG.011
Testing Printer Operation
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O
I
O
I
44XXG.051
1
5
44XXG.024
O
I
4
44XXG.026
4420 Hardware Configuration
: 256 kilobytes : 517 kilobytes : 0KB : 0 : 0 : 0 : 896 : 5.0 : 255 : none : none : none : 066197 : 0.8
Memory Installed
Flash Storage
Image RAM
Flash SIMM
Mileage Inches Processed
Inches Burned Labels Cut
Printhead Width
Dot Size
Burn Pot Setting Hardware Options I / O Option Internal Option External Option Program Version
2
3

15
44XXG.025
5 6 7 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
O
I
Connecting the Printer to Your System
You can connect your printer to a PC, a local area network, an AS/400 (or other midrange system),
or a mainframe. Use this section to connect the printer to your system.
Connecting the Printer to a PC
You can connect your printer to either a serial port or a parallel port on your PC. You must pro-
vide the correct cables to connect the printer.
To connect the printer to your PC serial port, you need a shielded EIA RS-232, RS-422, or RS-485
electrical interface with a 25-pin D-style connector. To connect the printer to your parallel port, you
need an IEEE 1284 compatible parallel cable. You can purchase the parallel cable from Intermec
(Part No. 590124) or purchase a compatible cable from your local computer store.
Contact your Intermec representative for ordering assistance if you do not have the appropriate
cables.
ASerial port
BParallel port
O
I
44XXG.042
12
Note: If you are connecting the printer to a serial port on your PC, you may need to change the serial port
configuration of your PC to match the printer. For help, see “Configuring the Serial Port for
Communications” later in this guide for the default printer configuration settings.

16
Connecting the Printer to a Network, AS/400, or Mainframe
You can connect your 4420 or 4440 printer to Novell NetWare networks, token ring networks, or
other TCP/IP networks. You can also connect your printer to an AS/400 (or other midrange
system) or an IBM mainframe.
•To connect the printer to a network, you must have a network interface adapter (for
example, Ethernet). The network interface adapter connects to the parallel port of the printer.
•To connect the printer to an AS/400 or a mainframe, you need to have an interface adapter card
installed in the optional I/O board port of your printer.
For Connecting To You Need Intermec Part Number
Network Network interface adapter Contact Intermec or purchase separately
AS/400 Twinax adapter card 056835
Twinaxial cable Purchase cable equivalent to IBM part
number 7362267 or 7362062
Mainframe Coax adapter card 056836
Coaxial cable Purchase cable equivalent to IBM part
number 2577672 or 1833108

17
44XXG-035
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
O
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
I
O
I
Configuring the Serial Port for Communications
If you are using the serial port, you need to configure the serial port of the 4420 or 4440 printer to
match the serial port settings of your PC or network controlling device. If the default settings of
the printer do not match, use the DIP switch settings table on the next page to configure the serial
port.
These are the serial port parameters and their descriptions:
Parameter Description
Baud rate The rate, in bits per second, at which the host exchanges data with the
printer.
Parity Adds one bit (1 or 0) to the character to make the sum of bits always odd
or even.
Data bits The number of bits that represent the ASCII characters.
Batch Takeup Enables or disables self-strip/batch takeup motor.
Multi-Drop address Unique address for each device connected with Multi-Drop protocol.
Protocol The transmission standards for communication between the printer and
each connecting device.
Media type Enables the printer to work with either direct thermal or thermal transfer
media.
Note: You need to configure the printer serial port for 8 data bits if you want to print code pages or 8-bit
ASCII character sets. Also, use XON/XOFF protocol for Ready/Busy buffer control.
Determine which parameters you need to change and which DIP switches you need to set. Use
the DIP switch table on the following page.
Note: Make sure all Multi-Drop switches are set to off if you are not using a Multi-Drop network.
O
I
O
I
44XXG.055
12

18
DIP Switch Settings
44XXG.027
ON
O = OFF
1 = ON
Multi-drop Address Selection
*A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
0
1
2
3
4
5
Protocol
XON/XOFF
*
Intermec
XON/XOFF
No status
*
Status
Media Type
Direct Thermal
*
Thermal Transfer
O
1
O
1
O
1
O
1
O
1
O
1
O
1
O
1
O
1
O
1
O
1
O
1
O
1
O
1
O
1
O
1
O
O
1
1
O
O
1
1
O
O
1
1
O
O
1
1
O
O
1
1
O
O
1
1
O
O
1
1
O
O
1
1
O
O
O
O
1
1
1
1
O
O
O
O
1
1
1
1
O
O
O
O
1
1
1
1
O
O
O
O
1
1
1
1
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
O
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
O
1
Default settings are noted with an *
Bottom Bank Switch Number
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
OFF
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
O = OFF
1 = ON
O
1
O
1
O
1
O
1
O
O
1
1
O
O
1
1
O
O
O
O
1
1
1
1
O
1
O
O
O
1
O
1
O
O
1
Default settings are noted with an *
Top Bank Switch Number
ON
OFF
Baud Rate Selection
19,200
9,600*
4,800
2,400
1,200
38,400
57,600
115,200
Parity Selection
Even*
Odd
None
Number of Data Bits
7 Bit*
8 Bit
Reserved
Batch Takeup
Disabled*
Enabled
O
1
O
1

19
Communicating With the Printer
You are now ready to print labels by downloading data from the host to your 4420 or 4440 printer.
Downloading is the universal term used to describe the transfer of information from the host to any
connected peripheral device, such as your printer. When you transfer data from your printer to
the host, you are performing a process called uploading.
You can use several methods to download information in your data collection system. The follow-
ing sections describe different ways to communicate with the printer.
Using the PrintSet Software
Use the PrintSet application software supplied with your printer to easily configure your printer
from your PC. You can also use PrintSet to:
• download graphics and fonts (including TrueType).
• print test labels.
• download configuration files.
Refer to the PrintSet online help for information on using PrintSet.
Using the Intermec Printer Language (IPL) Command Set
You can create labels by downloading formats (designs) and data with IPL commands. You can
use IPL commands to perform any function or activate any feature of the printer except for those
features or functions that you set with the DIP switches. For help using IPL commands, see the
IPL Programming Reference Manual. You can find the IPL Programming Reference Manual on the
Internet at www.intermec.com/manuals/manuals.htm.
Using Third-Party Software
You can also use third-party software to set many of the printer parameters. You can configure
additional parameters by using the IPL command set or the printer’s DIP switches.
Use your third-party software to create label formats and convert graphics into a user-defined
character (UDC) format that your printer can interpret. Refer to your third-party documentation
that came with your software and the IPL Programming Reference Manual for more information.

20
Printing a Test Label to Test Communications
If you would like to test your communications by downloading a label, follow the example below.
Use the PrintSet application software to send a test label to the printer.
To print a test label
1. Start PrintSet on your PC.
2. Click the Test Print button.
3. Select the Test Label option button.
4. Select either the Text or the Bar Code option button.
•If you select to print text, you can choose a font in the Select Printer Font list box.
•If you select to print a bar code, you can choose a symbology in the Select Symbologies list
box.
5. Click on the Print button. Your 4420 or 4440 printer prints out your selected test label.
For example, if you choose to print a bar code with the Code 39 symbology, your printer will
print out a label similar to this one:
1234567
*0123456789*
¥ *0123456789*
*0123456789*
*0123456789*
44XXG.020