Star Micronics LC-6211 User manual

USERS MANUAL
LC-6211
HF 80825040
DOT MATRIX PRINTER

Trademark acknowledgments
LC-6211, LC-10, LC-90, LC-100, NX-1000, NX-1010, NX-1040, SPC-8K: Star Micronics Co. Ltd.
EX-800, FX-850, LX-810, LX-850: Seiko Epson Corporation
IBM PC: International Business Machines Corporation.
MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, Windows 3.1: Microsoft Corporation
Notice
• All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part of this manual in any form whatsoever, without STAR’s express
permission, is strictly forbidden.
• The contents of this manual are subject to change without notice.
• All efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this manual at the time of printing. How-
ever, should any errors be found, STAR would greatly appreciate being informed of them.
• The above notwithstanding, STAR can assume no responsibility for any errors in this manual.
© Copyright 1995 Star Micronics Co., Ltd.

About this manual
This manual describes how to set up, use, and care for the Star LC-6211 printer.
The following is a list of what you can expect to find in each chapter.
Chapter 1 Choosing a place for your printer, unpacking and setup,
ribbon cassette installation, loading paper, connecting to
your printer
Chapter 2 How to use the control panel
Chapter 3 How to use the printers Electronic DIP Switch (EDS)
Mode to set up the printer to match the needs of your
system and software
Chapter 4 Selecting the best type of paper, adjusting for paper
thickness, manual sheet feeding, clearing paper jams
Chapter 5 How to set up for printing with MS-DOS
Appendix A How to deal with printing problems
Appendix B Specifications
Appendix C Interface information
Appendix D Character sets
Appendix E Printer control codes
Appendix F Glossary

Contents
Chapter 1: Printer Setup … 1
Choosing a place for the printer … 1
Unpacking the printer … 2
General guide … 3
Installing the platen knob … 4
Opening the front cover … 4
Installing the ribbon cartridge … 5
Removing the ribbon cartridge … 6
Connecting to a power outlet and turning power on and off … 7
Loading paper … 8
Printing on fanfold paper … 12
Parking fanfold paper … 12
Unparking fanfold paper … 13
Using the tear-off function … 13
Connecting to your computer … 14
Chapter 2: Control Panel Operations … 16
Switching between on-line and off-line … 16
Paper loading … 17
Line feed … 17
Paper eject (cut-sheet paper) … 17
Form feed (fanfold paper) … 17
Parking fanfold paper … 18
Micro feed … 18
Setting the top of form position … 18
Clearing a top of form setting … 18
Setting the printing speed … 19
Tear-off function … 19
Chapter 3: Using the EDS Mode … 20
Entering the EDS Mode … 21
EDS Mode Settings … 22
RAM Usage … 22
Graphics Direction … 22
Tear-off … 22
Auto LF with CR … 22

Paper Out … 23
Line Spacing … 23
Strobe Timing … 23
Print Mode … 23
Banking Character … 24
Zero style … 24
Character Table … 24
Page Length … 24
Chapter 4: Paper Handling … 25
Selecting paper types … 25
Cut-Sheet Paper … 25
Fanfold Paper … 25
Adjusting for paper thickness … 26
Automatic fanfold feeding … 27
Manual sheet feeding … 27
Clearing paper jams … 30
Chapter 5: Using the Printer with MS-DOS … 31
Setting up for printing with MS-DOS … 31
Appendix A: Troubleshooting … 32
Appendix B: Specifications … 41
Appendix C: Interface Pin Outs … 43
Appendix D: Character Sets … 44
Appendix E: Printer Control Codes … 46
Appendix F: Glossary … 50

1
Chapter 1: Printer Setup
This chapter contains important information on setting up your printer. Be sure
to read this chapter carefully before using the printer for the first time. In this
chapter you will learn about:
❏Choosing a place for the printer
❏Unpacking and setting up the printer
❏Installing the ribbon cassette
❏Loading paper
❏Connecting to your computer
Choosing a place for the printer
Before actually unpacking the printer, you should take a few minutes to think
about where you plan to use it. Remember the following points when doing this.
✓Choose a firm, level surface where the printer will not be exposed to
vibration.
✓The power outlet you plan to connect to for power should be nearby and
unobstructed.
✓Make sure that the printer is close enough to your computer for you to
connect the two with your printer cable.
✓Allow six inches (15 centimeters) of free space on either side of the printer.
If you are going to use fanfold paper, make sure that there is adequate space
for paper behind the printer.
✓Make sure that the printer is not exposed to direct sunlight.
✓Make sure that the printer is well away from heaters.
✓Make sure that the surrounding area is clean, dry, and free of dust.
✓Make sure that the printer is connected to a reliable power outlet. It should
not be on the same electric circuit as copiers, refrigerators, or other
appliances that cause power spikes.
✓Use a power outlet that matches the power rating noted on the label affixed
to the bottom of your printer.
✓Make sure that the room where you are using the printer is not too humid.

2Printer Setup
Unpacking the printer
Check to make sure that the carton contains each of the items shown in the
following illustration.
If anything is missing, contact the store where you bought the printer and ask
them to supply the missing part.
A serial-to-parallel interface converter (SPC-8K) is also available as an option.
Consult with your dealer for details.
Note:
It is a good idea to keep the original box and all the packing materials just in
case you later need to pack the printer up again and send it somewhere at a
later date.
Printer
Users manual
Platen knob Ribbon cartridge

General guide 3
General guide
The following illustrations show the major component parts of the your printer.
Front cover
Adjustment lever
Paper guide
Power switch
Control panel Interface connector
Platen knob
Tractor unit
Release lever

4Printer Setup
Installing the platen knob
The platen knob is packed into a recess in the packaging material.
❏Install the knob on the shaft located inside the large hole on the right side of
the printer. Make sure that the flat side of the shaft is aligned with the
corresponding flat surface inside the knob’s spindle. Press the knob
carefully but firmly into place as far as it will go.
Opening the front cover
❏Hook your fingers under the two small tabs on either side of the front cover
and pull forward and up to swing the front cover open.
Front cover