Star Micronics LC-8521 User manual

LC-8521
USER’S MANUAL
DOT MATRIX PRINTER

CE
Manufacturer's Declaration of Conformity
EC Council Directive 89/336/EEC of 3 May 1989
This product, has been designed and manufactured in accordance with the International Standards EN 50081-1/01.92
and EN 50082-1/01.92, following the provisions of the Electro Magnetic Compatibility Directive of the European
Communities as of May 1989.
EC Council Directive 73/23/EEC and 93/68/EEC of 22 July 1993
This product, has been designed and manufactured in accordance with the International Standards EN 60950, follow-
ing the provisions of the Low Voltage Directive of the European Communities as of July 1993.
The above statement applies only to printers marketed in EU.
Ambient Noise Statement
Machine Noise Information Ordinance 3. GSGV, January 18, 1991: The sound pressure level at the operator position
is equal or less than 70 dB(A) according to ISO 7779.
The above statement applies only to printers marketed in EU.
Trademark acknowledgments
LC-8521, 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.
TrueType : Apple Computer Inc.
MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, Windows 3.1, Windows 95 : 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-8521 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 Microsoft Windows 3.1,
how to prepare for printing, how to print a document
Chapter 5 How to set up for printing with Microsoft Windows 95,
how to prepare for printing, how to print a document
Chapter 6 How to set up for printing with MS-DOS
Chapter 7 Selecting the best type of paper, adjusting for paper
thickness, manual sheet feeding, clearing paper jams
Chapter 8 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
Removing the protective materials ... 4
Installing the platen knob ... 5
Opening the front cover ... 5
Installing the ribbon cassette ... 6
Removing the ribbon cassette ... 7
Connecting to a power outlet and turning power on and off ... 9
Loading fanfold paper ... 10
Printing on fanfold paper ... 14
Parking fanfold paper ... 15
Unparking fanfold paper ... 15
Using the tear-off function ... 15
Connecting to your computer with a parallel cable ... 16
Connecting to your computer with a serial cable ... 18
Chapter 2: Control Panel Operations ... 20
Switching between on-line and off-line ... 20
Selecting a font ... 21
Entering the Font Lock Mode ... 21
Setting the character pitch ... 22
Entering the Pitch Lock Mode ... 22
Line feed ... 23
Paper eject (cut-sheet paper) ... 23
Form feed (fanfold paper) ... 23
Parking fanfold paper ... 23
Micro feed ... 23
Setting the top of form position ... 24
Tear-off function (fanfold paper) ... 24
Selecting the Quiet Print Mode ... 24
Changing the auto load position ... 25

Saving a macro ... 26
Clearing the printer’s buffer ... 26
Initializing the printer ... 27
Entering the Multi-part Mode ... 27
Chapter 3: Using the EDS Mode ... 28
About EDS Mode settings ... 28
Entering the EDS Mode ... 28
Selecting a bank ... 29
Selecting a switch ... 30
Changing a switch setting ... 30
Printing the current switch settings ... 30
Exiting the EDS Modes ... 30
EDS Modes Settings ... 30
EDS-1 Settings ... 31
Chapter 4: Using the Printer withWindows 3.1 ... 42
Setting up for printing with Microsoft Windows 3.1 ... 42
Getting ready to print ... 44
Printing a document ... 45
Installing TrueType fonts ... 46
Selecting fonts in Windows applications ... 47
Chapter 5: Using the printer withWindows 95 ... 48
Setting up the printer in Windows 95 ... 48
Preparing to print ... 51
Printing a document ... 53
Installing TrueType fonts ... 54
Chapter 6: Using the Printer with MS-DOS ... 56
Setting up for printing with MS-DOS ... 56

Chapter 7: Paper Handling ... 57
Selecting paper types ... 57
Adjusting for paper thickness ... 58
Automatic fanfold feeding ... 59
Manual sheet feeding ... 60
Clearing paper jams ... 62
Chapter 8: Optional Accessory ... 63
Serial-to-Parallel Converter (SPC-8K) ... 63
Connecting the Interface Converter ... 64
Setting the converter’s DIP switches ... 65
Push Tractor Unit (CT-15HA) ... 67
Removing the push tractor unit from the back of the printer ... 68
Installing the push tractor unit ... 69
Appendix A: Troubleshooting ... 70
Short test ... 70
Long test ... 70
Hexadecimal dump ... 71
Adjusting the dot alignment ... 71
Troubleshooting guide ... 73
Checking system software settings in Windows ... 79
Checking system software settings in MS-DOS ... 80
Appendix B: Specifications ... 81
Appendix C: Interface Pin Outs ... 83
Appendix D: Character Sets ... 84
Appendix E: Printer Control Codes ... 96

Appendix F: Glossary ... 102
Appendix G: Control Panel Operation Guide ... 103

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.

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.
A serial-to-parallel interface converter (SPC-8K) and a push tractor unit (CT-
15HA) are also available as an option. Consult your dealer for details.
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
User,s manual
Platen knob Ribbon cassette
3.5" Floppy disk