Intermec EasyCoder PF4i User manual

User’s Guide
EasyCoder PF4i
Bar Code Label
Printer
(Fingerprint Version)

Intermec Technologies Corporation
Corporate Headquarters
6001 36th Ave. W.
Everett, WA 98203
U.S.A.
www.intermec.com
The information contained herein is proprietary and is provided solely
for the purpose of allowing customers to operate and 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 contained in this document are subject to
change without prior notice and do not represent a commitment on the
part of Intermec Technologies Corporation.
© 2004 by Intermec Technologies Corporation. All rights reserved.
The word Intermec, the Intermec logo, Norand, ArciTech, CrossBar,
Data Collection Browser, dcBrowser, Duratherm, EasyCoder, EasyLAN,
Enterprise Wireless LAN, EZBuilder, Fingerprint, i-gistics, INCA (under
license), InterDriver, Intermec Printer Network Manager, IRL, JANUS,
LabelShop, Mobile Framework, MobileLAN, Nor*Ware, Pen*Key,
Precision Print, PrintSet, RoutePower, TE 2000, Trakker Antares, UAP,
Universal Access Point, and Virtual Wedge are either trademarks or regis-
tered trademarks of Intermec Technologies Corporation.
Throughout this manual, trademarked names may be used. Rather than
put a trademark (™ or ®) 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 infringe-
ment.
There are U.S. and foreign patents pending.
The name Centronics is wholly owned by GENICOM Corporation.
Kimdura is a registered trademark of Kimberly Clark.
Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Torx is a registered trademark of Camcar Division of Textron Inc.
TrueDoc is a registered trademark of Bitstream, Inc.
TrueType is a trademark of Apple Computer Inc.
Unicode is a trademark of Unicode Inc.
Valeron is a registered trademark of Valéron Strength Films, an ITW
Company.
Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

Intermec EasyCoder PF4i—User’s Guide (Fingerprint version) iii
Document Change Record
This page records changes to this document. The document was origi-
nally released as version -00.
Version Date Description of Change
-00 May 2003 Supports original Fingerprint version (v8.00).
-01 Oct. 2003 Revised to support Fingerprint v8.10. Information about
EasyLAN Wireless interface added.
-02 Feb. 2004 Revised to support Fingerprint v8.20 and Intermec Shell
v8.1. Information on Intermec Readiness Indicator added.
New method for returning to factory default added. New
setup node for LSS test added. More bar codes supported.

iv Intermec EasyCoder PF4i—User’s Guide (Fingerprint version)
FCC Notice (United States of America)
WARNING
This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy
and if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions manual,
may cause interference to radio communications. It has been tested and
found to comply with the limits for a Class A computing device pursu-
ant to Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC Rules, which are designed to provide
reasonable protection against such interference when operated in a com-
mercial environment. Operation of this equipment in a residential area
is likely to cause interference in which case the user at his own expense
will be required to take whatever measures may be required to correct the
interference.
DOC Notice (Canada)
Canadian Dept. of Communication
REGULATIONS COMPLIANCE (DOC-A)
This digital apparatus does not exceed the class A limits for radio noise
emissions from a digital apparatus as set out in the radio interference
regulations of the Canadian Department of Communication.
Ministère des Communications du Canada
CONFORMITE DE REGLEMENTS (DOC-A)
Le présent appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radio-électriques
dépassant les limites applicables aux appareils numériques de classe A
prescrites dans le règlement sur brouillage radioélectrique édicté par le
Ministère des Communications du Canada.
GS Notice (Germany)
ALLGEMEINE VORSCHRIFT
Reparaturen oder sonstige Eingriffe, die sich nicht auf normale Bedi-
enung der Maschine beziehen, dürfen ausschließlich nur von einem
ausgebildeten, zuständigen Fachmann vorgenommen werden.
EU Standard EN 55022 (The European Union)
WARNING
This is a Class A ITE product. In a domestic environment this product
may cause radio interference in which case the user may be required to
take adequate measures.

Intermec EasyCoder PF4i—User’s Guide (Fingerprint version) v
Declaration of Conformity (CE)
We,
Intermec Printer AB
Box 123
S-431 22 Mölndal
Sweden
declare under our sole responsibility1that the product
EasyCoder PF4i
to which this declaration relates is in conformity
with the following standards
EMC:
EN 61000-6-4:2001
EN 61000-6-2:2001
Electrical Safety:
EN 60 950
following the provisions of Directives
89/336/EEC and 73/23/EEC
Mölndal 2003-03-12
...................................................................
Per-Ove Jacobsson
1/. Intermec assumes no responsibility regarding the CE Directive if the
printer is handled, modified, or installed in other manners than those
described in Intermec’s manuals.

vi Intermec EasyCoder PF4i—User’s Guide (Fingerprint version)

Intermec EasyCoder PF4i—User’s Guide (Fingerprint version) vii
Contents
Contents
FCC Notice (U.S.A.) ................................................................... vii
DOC Notice (Canada) ................................................................ vii
GS Notice (Germany).................................................................. vii
EU Standard EN 55022 (The European Union).......................... vii
Declaration of Conformity (CE)................................................. viii
1 Introduction
Description of EasyCoder PF4i......................................................2
Safety Summary .............................................................................3
Product Identification ....................................................................3
2 Installation
Unpacking the Printer....................................................................6
Front View.....................................................................................7
Rear View ......................................................................................8
Media Compartment .....................................................................9
Description......................................................................9
Media Supply Roll Post .................................................10
Media Supply Positions..................................................11
Print Mechanism..........................................................................12
Connections ..................................................................12
Power ............................................................................12
Computer......................................................................12
Controls and Indicators ...............................................................14
Indicator Lamps ............................................................14
Display ..........................................................................15
Keyboard ....................................................................... 15
Beeper ...........................................................................16
3 Starting Up
Startup Files .................................................................................18
Memory Card ..............................................................................19
Switching On the Printer .............................................................20

viii Intermec EasyCoder PF4i—User’s Guide (Fingerprint version)
Contents
4 Media Load
Tear-Off (Straight-through) .........................................................22
Tear-Off (Straight-through) with Quick-Load..............................26
Cut-Off........................................................................................29
Peel-Off (Self-strip) ......................................................................33
External Supply (Fanfold) ............................................................38
5 Thermal Transfer Printing
Ribbon Load................................................................................40
6 Setting Up the Printer
Description. .................................................................................46
Default Setup...............................................................................47
Reading the Current Setup...........................................................48
Setup Parameters..........................................................................49
Serial Communication...................................................49
Baud Rate .......................................................49
Character Length ............................................50
Parity...............................................................50
Stop Bits..........................................................50
Flow Control...................................................50
New Line ........................................................51
Receive Buffer .................................................51
Transmit Buffer...............................................51
Feed Adjust....................................................................52
Start Adjust .....................................................52
Stop Adjust .....................................................52
Recommended Feed Adjustments....................53
Media ............................................................................54
Media Size.......................................................54
Media Type .....................................................56
Paper Type.......................................................57
Contrast..........................................................59
Testfeed...........................................................59
Print Defines .................................................................59
Head Resistance ..............................................59
Testprint..........................................................59
Print Speed......................................................61
LSS (Label Stop Sensor) ..................................61

Intermec EasyCoder PF4i—User’s Guide (Fingerprint version) ix
Contents
LTS (Label Taken Sensor)................................61
Returning to Factory Default Setup .............................................62
7 Setup Mode
Entering the Setup Mode at Installation.......................................64
Navigating in Setup Mode ...........................................................65
Setup Mode Overviews ................................................................67
8 Intermec Shell Startup Program
Introduction ................................................................................76
Starting with Intermec Shell.........................................................78
Intermec Shell Overview ..............................................................82
Line Analyzer ...............................................................................83
9 Options
Introduction ................................................................................86
DTP Model .................................................................................87
Side Doors and Megatop..............................................................87
Paper Cutter.................................................................................87
Integral Liner Takeup Unit...........................................................87
Media Supply Hub.......................................................................88
3-inch Adapter.............................................................................88
Label Taken Sensor ......................................................................88
Real Time Clock ..........................................................................88
CompactFlash Protection Plate ....................................................89
Special Printheads ........................................................................89
Interface Boards ...........................................................................89
10 Troubleshooting
Intermec Readiness Indicator .......................................................92
Troubleshooting List ....................................................................95
11 Maintenance
Printhead Cleaning ......................................................................98
External Cleaning ......................................................................101
Cleaning the Media Guides........................................................102

x Intermec EasyCoder PF4i—User’s Guide (Fingerprint version)
Contents
Printhead Replacement ..............................................................103
Media Jams ................................................................................106
12 Adjustments
Narrow Media............................................................................108
Label Stop Sensor ......................................................................110
Printhead Pressure......................................................................113
Ribbon Break Shaft....................................................................114
Installing the Quick-Load Guides ..............................................115
Label Taken Sensor ....................................................................116
A Technical Specifications
Technical Data ...........................................................................118
B Media Specifications
Media Roll Size ..........................................................................122
Media ........................................................................................124
Non-Adhesive Strip .....................................................124
Self-Adhesive Strip.......................................................125
Self-Adhesive Labels.....................................................126
Tickets with Gap .........................................................128
Tickets with Black Mark..............................................130
C Interfaces
RS-232 Interface........................................................................134
USB Interface ............................................................................135
Bar Code Wand Interface...........................................................136
Optional Interfaces ....................................................................137
D Intermec Supplies
Direct Thermal Media ...............................................................140
Thermal Transfer Media.............................................................141
Transfer Ribbons........................................................................142
Bar Code Directions ..................................................................143
Recommended Paper Type Settings (Europe) .............................144
Recommended Paper Type Settings (North America).................146

Intermec EasyCoder PF4i—User’s Guide (Fingerprint version) xi
Before You Begin
Before You Begin
This section provides you with safety information, technical support
information, and sources for additional product information.
Safety Summary
Your safety is extremely important. Read and follow all warnings and
cautions in this document 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 circum-
stances. 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 breath-
ing. Any delay could result in death. 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 authorized by a responsible
authority. Energized electrical equipment is dangerous. Electrical shock
from energized equipment can cause death. If you must perform autho-
rized emergency work on energized equipment, be sure that you comply
strictly with approved safety regulations.

xii Intermec EasyCoder PF4i—User’s Guide (Fingerprint version)
Before You Begin
Safety Icons
This section explains how to identify and understand dangers, warnings,
cautions, and notes that are in this document. You may also see icons
that tell you when to follow ESD procedures.
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.
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.
This icon appears at the beginning of any procedure in this
manual that could cause you to touch components (such as
printed circuit boards) that are susceptible to damage from
electrostatic discharge (ESD). When you see this icon, you
must follow standard ESD guidelines to avoid damaging
the equipment you are servicing.
Note: Notes either provide extra information about a topic or
contain special instructions for handling a particular condition
or set of circumstances.

Intermec EasyCoder PF4i—User’s Guide (Fingerprint version) xiii
Before You Begin
Global Services and Support
Warranty Information
To understand the warranty for your Intermec product, visit the
Intermec web site at http://www.intermec.com and click Service &
Support. The Intermec Global Sales & Service page appears. From the
Service & Support menu, move your pointer over Support, and then
click Warranty.
Web Support
Visit the Intermec web site at http://www.intermec.com to download
our current documents in PDF format. To order printed versions of the
Intermec manuals, contact your local Intermec representative or distribu-
tor.
Visit the Intermec technical knowledge base (Knowledge Central) at
http://intermec.custhelp.com to review technical information or to
request technical support for your Intermec product.
Telephone Support
Contact your local Intermec representative. To search for your local rep-
resentative, from the Intermec web site, click Contact.
Related Documents
The Intermec web site at http://www.intermec.com contains our current
documents that you can download in PDF format. To order printed ver-
sions of the Intermec manuals, contact your local Intermec representative
or distributor.

xiv Intermec EasyCoder PF4i—User’s Guide (Fingerprint version)
Before You Begin

Intermec EasyCoder PF4i—User’s Guide (Fingerprint version) 1
1 Introduction
This chapter introduces the EasyCoder PF4i printer.
The chapter covers the following topics:
• Description of EasyCoder PF4i
• Safety summary
• Product identification

2 Intermec EasyCoder PF4i—User’s Guide (Fingerprint version)
Chapter 1—Introduction
Description of EasyCoder PF4i
The EasyCoder PF4i is a sturdy medium-duty thermal transfer printer
with a printhead resolution of 8 dots/mm = 203.2 dot/inch (standard) or
11.81 dots/mm = 300 dpts/inch (option) and a maximum print width
of 104 mm (4.095 inches) or 105.7 mm (4.161 inches) respectively. It
offers a large number of useful features, such as:
• Flash memory SIMMs for firmware, fonts, bar codes, and application
programs
• Built-in Compact Flash memory card adapter
• Built-in RS-232 and USB interfaces
• Provision for extra interface boards including wired and wireless
EasyLAN connections
• Keyboard and display with backlight for improved user interface.
A large number of factory-installed or field-installable options are avail-
able, so the printer can be configured for a wide range of applications.
See Chapter 9 and Appendix A for more information.
The EasyCoder PF4i supports the unique and flexible Intermec Finger-
print v8.20 programming language, which allows the user or third-party
developer to create custom-made application programs and label formats
in a BASIC-like environment.
EasyCoder PF4i is also designed to work with the Intermec Direct
Protocol programming language, the Intermec InterDriver and Intermec
Labelshop. The InterDriver allows you to print labels from standard MS
Windows applications, for example Microsoft Office.
Intermec LabelShop is a series of label-design programs that work under
various versions of MS Windows.
The EasyCoder PF4i supports 15 scaleable Unicode TrueType and
TrueDoc fonts as standard. Additional fonts can be downloaded into the
printer’s Flash memory, or be plugged in using a CompactFlash card.
The Unicode standard allows the use of special characters for various
languages including non-Latin fonts, such as Arabic, Cyrillic, Chinese,
Japanese, Korean, Hebrew, and similar.
A version of EasyCoder PF4i, that supports the Intermec Programming
Language (IPL), is described in a special User’s Guide.

Intermec EasyCoder PF4i—User’s Guide (Fingerprint version) 3
Chapter 1—Introduction
Safety Summary
Intermec assumes no responsibility regarding the CE Directive if the
printer is handled, modified, or installed in any way other than that
described in Intermec’s manuals.
• Read this manual carefully before connecting the printer.
• Moving parts are exposed when the side door is open, so ensure that
the door is closed before you operate the printer.
• Do not open the front/left-hand cover. Dangerous voltage!
• Do not remove the bottom plate. Dangerous voltage!
• Do not put your fingers inside the print mechanism when the power is
on.
• Place the printer on an even surface which can support its weight of
approximately 7 to 8 kg (15.5 to 17.7 pounds) plus supplies.
• Do not spray the printer with water. If you are using a hose to clean
the premises in an industrial environment, remove the printer or pro-
tect it carefully from spray and moisture.
• Carefully read the warning text on the envelope before using a clean-
ing card.
Product Identification
The machine label is attached to the printer’s rear plate and contains
information on type, model, and serial number as well as AC voltage. It
also contains various signs of approval.

4 Intermec EasyCoder PF4i—User’s Guide (Fingerprint version)
Chapter 1—Introduction

Intermec EasyCoder PF4i—User’s Guide (Fingerprint version) 5
2 Installation
This chapter explains how to unpack and install
the EasyCoder PF4i printer and also describes the
printer’s various parts in detail. It covers the following
topics:
• Unpacking the printer
• Parts on the printer’s front
• Parts on the printer’s rear plate
• Parts in the media compartment
• Parts in the print mechanism
• Connecting the printer
• Using the controls and understanding the indica-
tors

6 Intermec EasyCoder PF4i—User’s Guide (Fingerprint version)
Chapter 2—Installation
Unpacking the Printer
Before you install the printer, examine the package for possible damage
or missing parts:
• Open the box and lift the printer out.
• Check that the printer has not been visibly damaged during transpor-
tation. Keep the packing materials in case you need to move or reship
the printer.
• Check the label on the printer’s rear plate, which gives the voltage, the
part number, and the serial number.
• Check that any options you ordered are included.
• Check that all the accessories are included. As standard, the box con-
tains:
- Intermec EasyCoder PF4i printer
- Two sets of Quick-Load Guides (wide and narrow)
- Power cord
- Quality check card
- Cleaning card
- Short strip of labels
- Starter pack of thermal transfer ribbon
- This User’s Guide
- Supporting software and product information on CD.
• Check that the type of power cord is appropriate for the local stan-
dard. The printer works within 90 to 265 VAC, 50 to 60 Hz.
If the printer has been damaged in any way during transportation, com-
plain to the carrier immediately.
If the delivery is incorrect or any parts are missing, report it immediately
to the distributor.