Star Micronics LC-8021 User manual

LC-8021
USER’S MANUAL
DOT MATRIX PRINTER
PBA10HK 80825130

Trademark acknowledgments
IS-NP192, LC-8021, LC-8211, LC24-30, LC24-300, NX-2450, NX-2480, SPC-8K : Star Micronics Co. Ltd.
LQ-850, LQ-860, LQ-1050, LQ-1060 : Seiko Epson Corporation
IBM PC, IBM Proprinter X24E, IBM Proprinter XL24E, IBM Proprinter X24, IBM Proprinter XL24 :
International Business Machines Corporation.
MS-DOS : 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 1997 Star Micronics Co., Ltd.

About this manual
This manual describes how to set up, use, and care for the Star LC-8021 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 computer
Chapter 2 How to use the control panel
Chapter 3 How to use the printer’s Electronic DIP Switch (EDS)
Mode to set up the printer to match the needs of your
system and software
Chapter 4 How to set up for printing with MS-DOS
Chapter 5 Selecting the best type of paper, manual sheet feeding,
print area
Chapter 6 Optional accessories that are available for your printer
Appendix A Troubleshooting
Appendix B Specifications
Appendix C Interface pin outs
Appendix D Character sets
Appendix E Printer control codes
Appendix F Glossary
Appendix G Control panel operation guide

Contents
Chapter 1: Printer Setup ... 1
Choosing a place for the printer ... 1
Unpacking the printer ... 2
General guide ... 3
Opening the front cover ... 4
Removing the front cover ... 4
Removing the protective materials ... 5
Installing the ribbon cartridge ... 6
Removing the ribbon cartridge ... 8
Connecting to a power outlet and turning power on and off ... 9
Loading paper ... 10
Connecting to your computer ... 11
Chapter 2: Control Panel Operations ... 15
Switching between on-line and off-line ... 15
Selecting a font ... 16
Line feed ... 16
Form feed ... 16
Paper eject ... 16
Micro feed ... 16
Changing the auto load position ... 17
Clearing the printer’s buffer ... 18
Initializing the printer ... 18
Entering the Multi-part Mode ... 18

Chapter 3: Using the EDS Mode ... 19
About EDS Mode settings ... 19
Entering the EDS Mode ... 19
Selecting a bank ... 20
Selecting a switch ... 21
Changing a switch setting ... 21
Printing the current switch settings ... 21
Exiting the EDS Mode ... 21
EDS-1 Settings ... 22
EDS-2 Settings ... 31
Chapter 4: Using the Printer with MS-DOS ... 34
Setting up for printing with MS-DOS ... 34
Chapter 5: Paper Handling ... 35
Selecting paper types ... 35
Feeding a passbook into the printer ... 36
Feeding cut-sheet paper into the printer ... 37
Print area ... 38
Chapter 6: Optional Accessories ... 39
Serial Interface Unit (IS-NP192) ... 39
Serial-to-Parallel Interface Converter (SPC-8K) ... 40
Appendix A: Troubleshooting ... 41
Short test ... 41
Long test ... 41
Hexadecimal dump ... 42
Adjusting the dot alignment ... 42
Troubleshooting guide ... 44
Checking system software settings in MS-DOS ... 49

Appendix B: Specifications ... 50
Appendix C: Interface Pin Outs ... 52
Appendix D: Character Sets ... 53
Appendix E: Printer Control Codes ... 65
Appendix F: Glossary ... 74
Appendix G: Control Panel Operation Guide ... 75

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.
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 and in the
back of 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.

2 Printer 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. Note that it is a good idea to keep the original
box and all the packing materials just in case you need to pack the printer up
again and send it somewhere at a later date.
Important!
There are several versions of this printer designed for different voltages. It is
not possible to change the voltage of a printer. If the voltage shown on the label
on the bottom of your printer does not match the voltage for your area, contact
your dealer immediately.
Printer Ribbon cartridge
User's manualPower code

General guide 3
General guide
The following illustrations show the major components of the your printer.
Front cover
Platen knob
Control panel
Power switch
Document table
Document 
table 
extension
Power terminal
Serial interface 
connector
Parallel interface
connector

4 Printer Setup
Opening the front cover
❏
Pull on the left and right corners of the front cover to and swing it down
until it is fully open.
Removing the front cover
❏
Once the front cover is fully open, carefully lift it straight up to remove it.
To replace the front cover, lower the slots on the left and right of the cover
onto the tabs provided on the printer case.
Front cover