Meteor BRAVA User manual

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METEOR
SOUND 110
Direct thermal and thermal transfer
BRAVA
Direct thermal
Meteor s.r.l.
Via Delle Macchine 24
30038 Spinea VE
Italy
Tel. [phone]
Fax [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
Web: www.meteorbarcode.it

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1. PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
This label printer is a high-performance, low-cost direct thermal/thermal transfer labeling system. Its user-friendly design and
affordable price set a new standard for the Desktop Label Printer in retail, office and industrial applications.
The printer is designed with the most efficient memory management technology - True Speed and prints at a speed of 2 ~ 3 inches
per second. When bundled with its smart printer driver, the user can easily print out bar codes, texts and graphics from any editing
application (e.g. CodeSoft, BarTender) under Windows 95, 3.1 and NT. All popular bar codes and fonts are resident in the printer
memory to handle versatile applications.
The solidly designed mechanism allows quick and easy media(paper) and ribbon loading. The optional Dispenser and Cutter
provide the alternatives of fan-fold label and continuous paper handling.
This printer is a compact, highly integrated, high performance and high resolution on-site labeling system.
The User’s Manual will help you understand basic operations of the printer such as setup, installation, configuration and
maintenance. Before reading the manual you should first identify your printer model.
General Printer Specifications
Specification Model BRAVA Model SOUND Model SOUND
300 DPI
Print method Direct thermal Direct thermal and thermal transfer
Resolution 203 DPI
(8 dots/mm) 300 DPI (12 dots/mm)
Maximum print
width 4.2 in. (107 mm) 4.10 in. (104 mm)
Maximum print
length 43 in. (1090 mm)** 29 in. (736 mm)**
Maximum print
speed
2 inches (50.8 mm)
per second
3 inches (76.2 mm)
per second
2 inches (50.8 mm)
per second
Onboard RAM 512 K bytes 2 M bytes
Media type I. Direct thermal:
paper or vinyl, vinyl, visible light and infrared scannable
label, tag stock, butt cut or die cut, with various adhesives.

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II. All above media, plus thermal
transfer paper or vinyl labels and tags,
butt cut or die cut, with various
adhesives.
Maximum label
roll diameter 4 in.(102mm) outside diameter, 1 in.(25.4mm) inside diameter
Label indexing Black stripe and gap
Ribbon types Wax, Wax/resin and Resin
Ribbon size OD 1.45 in. (37 mm); ID 0.5 in. (12.7mm)
Interface RS-
232 serial and Centronics parallel ports, auto polling for
both ports
Dimension W7.3 in. x D10.9 in. x H6.0 in.
(W186 mm x D278 mm x H153mm)
Weight 1.7 kg (3.74 lbs) 1.9 kg (4.1 lbs)
FCC class B FCC class AElectrical
CE, UL and CUL approved. Input 19 VAC or 24 VDC (min.
2.5 A), 50/60 Hz
Operating
temperature 40°~ 140°F (5°~ 38°C)
Storage
temperature -40°~ 140°F (-40°~ 60°C)
Humidity 15~85% RH
Windows driver for Win 95, 98, NT4, 2000, XP
Rotation 0o, 90o, 180o and 270 o , 4 direction rotations
Fonts, Bar Codes and Graphics
The specifications of fonts, bar codes and graphics depend on the printer emulation. The emulation is a printer programming
language, through which the host can communicate with your printer. There are two printer programming languages for models
204/214/314, they are PPLA and PPLB.
Printer Programming Language A, PPLA
Specification Model BRAVA Model SOUND Model SOUND
300 DPI
General fonts 7 alpha-numeric fonts, OCR A and OCR B
ASD smooth fonts 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 18 points 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14,
and 18 points
Symbol sets for
smooth fonts
USASCII, UK, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Swedish,
and Danish/Norwegian
Courier fonts 8 symbol set (PC, PC-A, PC-B,
EAMA-94, Roman8, Legal, Greek and
Russian)
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Soft fonts Downloadable PCL fonts
Font expandability 1x1 to 24x24
Bar code types Code 39, Code 93, Code 128/subset A,B,C, Codabar,
Interleave 2 of 5, UPC A/E/2 and 5 add-on, EAN-8/13,
UCC/EAN-128, Postnet, Plessey, HBIC, Telepen and FIM.
MaxiCode and PDF417 (2D symbologies).
Graphics PCX, BMP, IMG and HEX formats
Printer Programming Language B, PPLB
Specification Model BRAVA Model SOUND Model SOUND
300 DPI
General fonts 5 fonts with different point sizes

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Symbol sets
(Code pages) 8 bits: code page 437, 850, 852, 860, 863 and 865. 7 bits: USA, British, German, French, Danish, Italian,
Spanish, Swedish and Swiss.
Soft fonts Downloadable soft fonts
Font expandability 1x1 to 24x24
Bar code types Code 39(checksum), Code 93, Code 128/subset A,B,C,
Codabar, Interle
ave 2 of 5(checksum), Matrix 25, UPC A/E
2 and 5 add-on, EAN-8/13, Code 128UCC, UCC/EAN,
Postnet, German Postcode.
MaxiCode and PDF417 (2D symbologies).
Graphics PCX and binary raster
Optional Accessories
♦Serial(RS232) cable
♦External media stacker (for media roll with max. 8-inch OD)
♦Dispenser
♦Cutter
♦Flash memory
♦Font board
♦Extension RAM ++ (0.5M for models Sound/Brava and 1M for models Sound/Brava 300 DPI)
Notes:
** :
Since this printer uses band buffer technology the maximum print length
depends on the printout contents. Ifyou just print texts or bar codes the maximumlength can be more than 30 inches, whereas
if you print manygraphics the maximum can be about 10 inches in length under standard 512K RAM.
++ :
The dispenser, cutter, expansion RAMand flash memory options are all
installed at factory.
As the extension RAM, font board and flash modules use the same connector
they cannot function simultaneously.
Unpacking and Inspection
This printer is packed in a heavyweight carton and custom recyclable foam for environmental protection. Inspect the shipping
carton and contact the carrier directly to report any suspected damage.
Consider the following when unpacking:
♦The container should stay right-side up.
♦Lift the printer out of the box carefully.
♦Remove the accessory items.
♦Set the printer on a solid, flat surface. Inspect the shipping container and printer for any damage that may have occurred
during shipping.
Verify that you have the following materials when unpacking:
a. Printer
b. User’s and technical reference manual
c. Media spindle (with paper guide)
d. Power adapter (AC to AC)
e. Driver CD rom for Windows 95/98/NT4/Win2000/XP.

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2. OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
Switch, Indicators and Connections
Table 1 summarizes the functions of the various printer switches(buttons), indicators and connections.
Table 1. Switches, Indicators and Connections
No
Device name Function Usage
1
On/Off switch
(power
switch)
Controls printer
power On –normal operation Off –loading paper and ribbon
2
FEED button Advances the
media stock to
first printing
position of next
label
Press -to advance a label
Press and hold while turning on power
-to print out the self test pattern
Press -
to continue printing when READY
LED is blinking
Press -to resume printing
3
READY
indicator Shows the printer
status Green -printer is ready to operate Blinking -printer is paused; press
“FEED” button to continue
operation
4
POWER
indicator Shows the power
and error status Off - printer power off Green -printer power on
Blinking -error has occurred
6
Power jack Connected to
power adapter
Connected with power supply transformer
plug
5
RS232 serial
port Communication Connected to host (either 9 or 25 pin RS232 COM port), terminal or KDU
7
Parallel port Communication Connected to host (Centronics )
8
Top cover Protects the
printer media and
ribbon
Lift and reach the media/ribbon
compartment

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Setting up the Printer
Before setting up the printer you should first consider the following:
♦Find a solid flat surface with adequate room for the printer. Make sure
there is enough room on the top side for the media and ribbon access.
♦The location should be near the host or terminal. Consider the distance between host and printer for the communication cable
(serial or parallel cable)
♦Clear the ground and isolate from other electrical cables for the power adapter.
Connecting the Power Cord
1. Leave the power switch at the ”O” position.
2. Connect the power supply plug to the power jack and the other end to your AC source.

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Note : When plugging into power jack, make sure that you avoid the 36 pin parallel connector.
Connecting the Printer to Your Host
1. You can connect the printer with any standard Centronics cable to the parallel port of the host computer.
2. Alternatively you can connect the printer with a serial cable to the RS232C port of your computer or terminal. (for PC
compatibles, the RS232C port is COM1, COM2 or COM3.)
Note : Using Centronics allows for a much higher communication speed than the use of a serial.

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1. If you use the serial port be sure that the speed(baud rate) and protocol are consistent between printer and host.
The factory default parameters of serial port are:
Speed (baud rate) 9600
Data format 1 start bit, 8 data bits and
1 stop bit.
Parity None
Handshaking
(Flow control) XON/XOFF as well as RTS/CTS
Notes :
1. It is not necessary to set the switch or send any command for the parallel and serial port selection. The printer can
automatically detect it.
2. The default settings can be read from the self test page.
Loading the Ribbon
1.Lift the printer top cover and keep it at the open position
2.Release the print head module and raise it to the vertical position
3.Unwrap the ribbon roll and place the supply roll into the supply holder of the print head module. (first insert the left end of the
ribbon core into the holder shaft, then insert the right end)
4.Place the pick-up core into the take-up holder of the print head module. (first insert the left end of the pick-up core into holder
shaft, then insert the other end)
Note : This procedure is not necessary when direct thermal media is used.

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Loading Media
1. Lift the printer top cover and keep it in the open position.
2. Slide the two print head latches toward the rear and unlock the module.
3. Raise the print head module.
4. Insert the media spindle into core of the label media(the guide should be on the right). Insert the spindle and media into the
slots in the printer. Slide the media to the far left and slide in the guide snug with the media.
5. Pull out 6 inches of media and thread the end of the media between the guides(adjusters) located under the print mechanics.
Slide in the right guide snug(adjuster) with the media. Thread the media over the roller until 2” of the media shows out of the
printer. (ENSURE THAT THE LABELS ARE FACING UP.)
6. Press the print head module down firmly until it snaps into place.
7. Close the top cover.
8. Turn on the printer.
9. If you are using die-cut media, press the ”FEED” button to advance the first label into the standby position.

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Loading Media When Dispenser is Equipped
1. Follow the same procedure as above for steps 1~5.
2. Peel off, remove 6-inch labels and route the label backing through the dispenser bar into roller gap between the feeding
roller and dispenser roller.
3. Turn on the power to “1” position.
4. Press “FEED” button and the label backing will advance to dispensing position.

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5. Pull down the print head module until it is secure.
6. Close the top cover.
Loading Media When Cutter is Equipped
Follow the same procedure as “Loading Media” except for step 5.
After you thread the media over the roller, find the horizontal gap at the cutter module, and route the media through this gap.

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Performing the Label Sensor Calibration and Self Test
1. Power the printer on while pressing the button on the front panel.
2. 2 seconds later, the printing motor will be activated.
3. Do not release the “FEED” button.
4. After feeding 12-inch blank media, the printer will print out the configuration and font list automatically.
5. You can check the firmware version, ROM checksum, RS232, thermal transfer/direct thermal settings, hardware
configuration and font types from the self test page.
6. At PPLB emulation the printer will enter character dump mode. To exit fromdump mode you just press the feed button again.
Notes:
This step is veryimportant and must always be carried out after installation and everytime the media type is changed. Failure to
do so will result in the gap and label-empty detection being incorrect.
Self Test Pattern for PPLB
Resetting the Printer to Factory Default Settings
If you would like to reset the printer to its factory defaults after certain commands have been sent or settings changed:
1. Press and hold the “FEED” button for about 10 seconds.
2. The “READY” LED will turn off.
3. Release the “FEED” button.
4. When both LEDs turn on again, the printer is already reset to the factory default condition.
Note : All settings are stored in non-volatile E2PROM and cannot be destroyed even by turning the printer off.