Printek FormsMaster 8000se Series User manual

FormsMaster 8000se
Series
Operator’s Manual
©Printek, Inc. 2003
1517 Townline Road
Benton Harbor, MI 49022
269-925-3200

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Part Number 5613

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This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A
Digital Device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is
operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can
radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the
instruction manual, may cause harmful interference in which case the user will be
required to correct the interference at his own expense.
The user is cautioned that any changes or modifications not expressly approved by
the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the
equipment.
This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise emissions as
set out by the ICES-003 standard, of the Canadian Department of Communications.
Cet appareil numérique n’émet pas de bruits radioélectroiques depassant les limites
de Classe A prescrites dans la norme NMB-003 Édictée par le Ministre des
Communications du Canada.
Acknowledgments:
IBM and Proprinter are registered trademarks of International Business Machines
Co.; DEC is a registered trademark of Digital Equipment Corporation; Epson is a
registered trademark of Seiko Epson; QMS is a registered trademark of Quality Micro
Systems, Inc.; IGP is a registered trademark of Printronix Corp.; Printek is a registered
trademark of Printek, Inc.
Specifications are subject to change without notice.

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Read all setup and operating instructions before
proceeding with operation.
Operate printer only on a firm, solid surface.
Do not operate in an enclosure unless properly ventilated. Make sure no
ventilation openings are blocked or obstructed, which may result in the
printer overheating.
Do not operate near a heat source.
No user-serviceable parts inside. Refer service or repairs
to a qualified service professional.
Use of genuine Printek replacement parts is required to warrant proper,
safe operation.
Any alteration or modification of this device voids the user warranty and
may make the product unsafe to operate.
The printhead and motors get hot during use. Wait until they cool before
touching them.
Make certain the printer is disconnected from AC power before removing
any covers or performing any required cleaning or maintenance.
Connecting this printer to an ungrounded receptacle can result in electrical
shock.
Never place the printer near inflammable or explosive substances. Do not
operate near liquid or spill liquid into the printer at any time.

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Lesen Sie vor der Inbetriebnahme die Aufbau-und
Bedienungsanleitung.
Der Drucker muss zum Betrieb auf einer festen, soliden Oberfläche stehen.
Betreiben Sie den Drucker nicht in einem kleinen, geschlossenen Raum, es
sei denn dieser wird ordnungsgemäß belüftet. Achten Sie darauf, dass die
Lüftungen nicht blockiert oder versperrt sind, denn dies kann zum
Überhitzen des Druckers führen.
Nehmen Sie den Drucker nicht in der Nähe einer Wärmequelle in Betrieb.
Enthält keine Teile, die vom Bediener instandgesetzt
werden können. Bitte wenden Sie sich bei Instandsetzung oder Reparatur
an qualifiziertes Kundendienstpersonal.
Die Verwendung von echten Printek Ersatzteilen ist notwendig, um
ordnungsgemäßen, sicheren Betrieb zu gewährleisten.
Änderungen oder Modifikationen dieses Geräts machen die Garantie
ungültig und können den sicheren Betrieb des Produkts gefährden.
Während des Druckens werden Druckerkopf und Motoren heiß. Warten
Sie, bis sich die Teile abgekühlt haben, bevor Sie sie berühren.
Vergewissern Sie sich, dass der Drucker nicht mehr an die Stromquelle
angeschlossen ist, bevor Sie Abdeckungen abnehmen oder das Gerät
reinigen bzw. warten.
Schließen Sie diesen Drucker nicht an eine ungeerdete Steckdose an; dies
kann zum Elektroschock führen.
Setzen Sie den Drucker niemals in die Nähe von feuer-oder
explosionsgefährlichen Stoffen. Betreiben Sie den Drucker nicht in der

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Nähe von Flüssigkeiten und lassen Sie keine Flüssigkeiten in den Drucker
gelangen.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 1
Models and Options 1
Manual Contents 2
GETTING STARTED 5
Installation 5
Interface Set Up 6
RS-232C Serial Interface 7
Parallel Interface 8
Ethernet 10/100BaseT 9
Wireless Ethernet Print Server 9
Installing the Ribbon Cartridge 10
Why Use Only Printek®Brand Ribbons 10
Ribbon Installation 12
Loading Paper 15
FormsMaster 8000se Single Tractor Model 15
FormsMaster 8003se TriTrak™ Model 16
Printer Self-Test 19
DAILY OPERATION 21
Introduction 21
Control Panel Features 22
LCD Display and Online Indicator 22
Control Panel Buttons 24
Selecting and Loading Forms 27
Selecting a Form Already Loaded in the Tractors 27
Loading a New or Different Form In the Tractors 27
Ejecting And Tearing Off A Form 32
Installing a New Ribbon Cartridge 34
Removing the Old Ribbon Cartridge 34
Installing the New Ribbon Cartridge. 35
Aligning Print 36

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Common Error Conditions 38
Check Paper 38
No Paper to Load 39
Too Much Paper to Unload 39
Selected Form is Not Loaded 39
No Ribbon or Wrong Ribbon 39
Ribbon Lid Open 40
Paper Door Open 40
Change Ribbon 40
Other Errors 40
PRINTER CONFIGURATION41
Introduction To Setup 41
Setup Buttons 41
Entering Setup 42
Using the MENU Button 42
Using the SUBMENU Button 42
Using the ITEM and VALUE Buttons 43
Exiting Setup 43
Forms Menu 44
Forms Menu Items 45
Interface Menu 51
Entering the Interface Menu 51
RS-232C Serial Interface Items 52
Parallel/LAN Interface Items 57
Options Menu 60
ImagerPlus Graphic Card 65
Test Menu 69
FORM CONSTRUCTION 73
Form Construction 73
Form Layout Considerations 74
MAINTENANCE AND TROUBLESHOOTING 75
Error Messages 75
Preventive Maintenance 76
Obtaining Service 76
ADVANCED SETUP FEATURES 79
Security Menu 79
USING REMOTE SETUP 83
Remote Setup via Windows Application 83
Remote Setup via Generic Text File 83

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USING THE OPTIONAL SETUP MODULE 91
Introduction 91
Setup Module Installation 91
PRINTER RESET CONDITIONS 95
CONTROL CODE AND ESCAPE SEQUENCE
SUMMARIES 97
Genicom 3840 and 3410 Emulation 97
ANSI x3.64 Emulation 98
Epson FX Emulation 99
IBM Proprinter Emulation 101
LA-120/210 EMULATION 102
Simple TTY Emulation 103
Printek Emulation 104
ASCII CHARACTER TABLES 105
SPECIFICATIONS 111
GLOSSARY OF TERMS 117

1
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing a Printek FormsMaster 8000se Series
Printer. This printer has been designed to provide years of service handling
your most demanding printing requirements.
The FormsMaster 8000se Series printers offer higher throughput than all
other printers in its class. In addition, an easy to use front panel combined
with the ability to store ten different form configurations makes handling
multiple forms as simple as a button press for the operator.
Models and Options
The FormsMaster 8000se and the FormsMaster 8003se differ only in the
number of tractor paths available, one path or three.
Options available for both models include:
•Ethernet 10/100BaseT Print Server
•Wireless Ethernet Print Server
•Imager Bar Code Co-processor
•ImagerPlus Bar Code Co-processor
•Print Stand (required for reduced sound levels)
•Internal FormsCutter
•Setup Module

INTRODUCTION
2
Manual Contents
*Unless specifically noted, all instructions and information herein is
valid for all models in the 8000se series.
•GETTING STARTED provides instructions for installation, setting up
the computer interface, installing the ribbon cartridge, loading paper,
and performing a printer self-test.
•DAILY OPERATION provides more detailed descriptions of the
features that are used most frequently. These include the “every day”
buttons and indicators on the control panel, selecting or loading new
forms, ejecting forms, changing the ribbon cartridge, aligning print with
preprinted forms, and causes for common error conditions.
•PRINTER CONFIGURATION provides detailed information on how
to use Setup to permanently store parameters for each of the ten
forms, parameters for the standard and optional interfaces, and
parameters for other options.
•SPECIFYING FORMS provides tips for form construction and layout.
•MAINTENANCE AND TROUBLESHOOTING lists more serious
error messages than discussed in the Daily Operation section,
preventive maintenance, and how to obtain service.
•ADVANCED SETUP FEATURES provides information on how to set
menu security.
•USING REMOTE SETUP describes how to “set up” default
parameters from a host computer.
•USING THE SETUP MODULE describes how the optional Setup
Module can be used to copy Setup parameters from one printer to
another.
•PRINTER RESET CONDITIONS describes the state of the printer
after power up or reset.
•CONTROL CODE AND ESCAPE SEQUENCE SUMMARIES lists
the commands supported for each printer emulation.

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•ASCII CHARACTER TABLES show the characters for each
character set.
•SPECIFICATIONS lists the operating ranges and ratings of the printer.
•GLOSSARY OF TERMS provides definitions for terms used in this
manual.

5
GETTING STARTED
This chapter will use the fewest possible steps to get the first time user up
and running quickly. You will be guided through the following steps:
•Finding a suitable location and installing the printer
•Setting up a host interface if necessary
•Installing the ribbon cartridge
•Loading paper
•Performing a printer self-test
Installation
Before installation, a suitable site must be chosen. Suitable sites include
offices, computer rooms, and most factory environments. The Printek
FormsMaster printers have been designed to be rugged, heavy duty
printers. As such, they will handle most harsh environments, but should not
be placed in direct sunlight or in areas that will exceed the rated
temperature, humidity, or power requirements. For details, refer to
“SPECIFICATIONS” on page 111.
Once a site has been selected, the printer should be placed on a Printek
Print Stand. The Printek print stand is especially recommended for the
FormsMaster 8003se and is required to meet the low noise rating of the
printer. Of course, another sturdy print stand or table with a slotted top for
feeding paper into the bottom of printer may be used.
The print stand should be located in an area large enough to provide easy
access to both the front of the printer and the rear for accessing printed
output. Unpack the printer as described in the “FormsMaster 8000se
Unpacking Instructions” and place the printer on the print stand.

GETTING STARTED
6
Note: Placing the printer on the print stand is best accomplished
with two people. Proper lifting technique should be observed.
Caution:Before connecting or turning on power, make sure that all
shipping materials have been removed. These materials include
a cardboard brace with a foam insert that secures the print head
(open the ribbon lid to access), a cardboard brace placed at the
rear of the printer and a cardboard brace placed over the
tractor shuttle in the 8003se (open the paper door on the front
of the unit to access). Refer to UNPACKING
INSTRUCTION in the box for more details.
Next, connect the power cord supplied with the printer to the printer and an
appropriate power outlet. Now connect the computer cable(s) to the
appropriate interface. The picture below shows the location of the standard
Parallel and RS-232C interface connectors on the rear panel of the printer.
Interface Connectors on Rear of Printer
Interface Set Up
Depending upon which interface is being used to connect the printer to the
host computer, some set up may or may not be required. This is true of the
PARALLEL I/O
SERIAL I/O

GETTING STARTED
7
standard parallel or serial ports and any optional interface that may be
installed.
The factory default settings for each interface should work well for most
installations. However, the following paragraphs provide some basic
information about each interface and also refer to the page number in the
Configuration chapter where all the details for each interface are described.
If you need to make changes to the default settings, please refer to
“Introduction to Setup” on page 41 for instructions on how to access the
printer’s Setup menus.
Once you are comfortable that the interface settings match those required
by your computer, proceed to the next section, “Installing the Ribbon
Cartridge” on page 10.
RS-232C Serial Interface
This interface uses a 25 pin “D” connector as described below. The default
settings are 9600 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, and no parity with hardware
handshake on pin 11. The default printer emulation is Epson. For a
complete description of all the default settings for this interface, refer to
page 52.
Pin
Signal
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
11
20
Chassis ground.
Transmit data. (Printer output).
Receive data. (Printer input).
Request to send (set). (Printer output).
Clear to send (ignored). (Printer input).
Data set ready (ignored). (Printer input).
Signal ground.
Carrier detect (ignored). (Printer input).
Printer busy. (Printer output).
Data terminal ready. (Printer output).
RS-232C Serial Interface Connector

GETTING STARTED
8
Parallel Interface
This interface uses the standard 36 pin parallel connector as shown below.
The default printer emulation is Epson. For a complete description of all the
default settings for this interface, refer to page 57.
Pin
Signal Pin
Signal
1
19
2
20
3
21
4
22
5
23
6
24
7
25
8
26
9
27
____________________
DATA STROBE
DATA STROBE RTN
DATA 1
DATA 1 RETURN
DATA 2
DATA 2 RETURN
DATA 3
DATA 3 RETURN
DATA 4
DATA 4 RETURN
DATA 5
DATA 5 RETURN
DATA 6
DATA 6 RETURN
DATA 7
DATA 7 RETURN
DATA 8
DATA 8 RETURN
10
28
11
29
12
13
14
16
17
18
31
30
32
35
36
_______________________
ACKNOWLEDGE
ACKNLG RETURN
BUSY
BUSY RETURN
PAPER ERROR
SELECT
________________
AUTO FEED
±0V
CHASSIS GROUND
+5V at 200mA Max.
______
INIT
INIT RTN
_________
FAULT
+5V LOGIC HIGH
______________
SELECT IN
Parallel Interface Connector

GETTING STARTED
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Ethernet 10/100BaseT
This interface uses a standard RJ-45 connector and the default printer
emulation is Epson. For a complete description of all the default settings for
this interface, refer to Parallel/LAN Interface Items on page 57. For
additional software installation and operational information, please refer to
the Troy XCD Quick Install Manual shipped with the unit
Wireless Ethernet Print Server
This interface is intended to be used for 802.11b wireless connectivity. It
may also be used with conventional CAT-5 twisted pair wiring, using the
standard RJ-45 connector. The interface automatically senses when a
CAT-5 connection is present and will disable the wireless capability.
For additional software installation and operational information, please refer
to the Printek Wireless Ethernet Print Server Manual shipped with the unit.

GETTING STARTED
10
Installing the Ribbon Cartridge
The Printek FormsMaster printer has been designed to make installing
Printek brand ribbons a simple, clean process. Unlike other printers, there
is no need to touch the ribbon fabric or deal with difficult to position ribbon
guides. The following sections explain why the use of Printek brand ribbons
should be important to you and will guide you through installing the ribbon
cartridge.
Why Use Only Printek®Brand Ribbons
Printek®Brand Ribbon Label
Printek brand ribbons can be identified by the above label on each ribbon.
There are many reasons to use only Printek brand ribbons in your
FormsMaster 8000se series printer. First of all, using only Printek
brand ribbons willautomatically extend the print head warranty to
two years.
The reason this is possible is that Printek brand ribbons are manufactured to
much higher quality standards than those offered by other manufacturers.
This provides not only longer print head life, but also longer ribbon life… 23
million characters as compared to only 15 million characters from some
generic ribbons.
Remember that using only Printek brand ribbons is important because the
wear that is started and the contamination that remains from even one
inferior ribbon will continue to damage the print head. Also, damage to
other printer components which is caused by the use of non-Printek ribbons
will not be covered by the printer’s warranty.
REORDER NUMBER 90729
FOR NEAREST DISTRIBUTOR
CALL 1-800-368-4636

GETTING STARTED
11
Using inferior ribbons would be like using poor quality fuel in your
automobile. Premature engine failure and poor performance leading up to
the failure would be the best you could expect.
Other useful features available only with the use of Printek brand ribbons
are that the printer will not allow printing if a ribbon is not installed, and the
printer will alert the operator when a ribbon needs to be changed.

GETTING STARTED
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Ribbon Installation
1. Open the ribbon lid on top of the printer and position the print head
for ribbon loading by lifting the ribbon loading handle as indicated in
the following picture.
Opening the Ribbon Loading Handle
2. Remove the new ribbon from its plastic bag and make sure the
ribbon fabric is taut by turning the knob on top of the ribbon
cartridge in a counterclockwise direction as indicated by the arrow
on the cartridge.