thermal printer rs232 communication

emence

thermal printer rs232 communication

in Integration and Hardware • 2 years ago

Hello!

I am trying to communicate with an ftp628DSL600 Fujitsu thermal printer.

As I understand it there should be no difference in programming to to more common epson printers as they both work with ESC commands.

I connected the rs232 Port from the printer to the pc via a serial to usb converter. rx is connected to tx and tx to rx(tried both ways tough) The additional /SLCTIN, /INPRM, and /ATF pin in my understanding can be used to control the hardware via a microcontroller - i hooked them up to ground.

This sample programm should initialize the printer according to the manual. Somehow nothing works.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance!

myPort = new Serial(this, Serial.list()[1], 19200);
// Send a capital A out the serial port:
myPort.write(0x1B); //ESC POS command
myPort.write('@'); //ESC POS initialize followed after command
myPort.write("Hello World"); //Print "Hola Epson" to buffer

myPort.write(0xA); //Print and Line Feed from B

Replies(2)

emence

Re: thermal printer rs232 communication

2 years ago

I got my hands on one of those http://in.rsdelivers.com/product/able-systems/ap863f/ap863-mod-thermal-printer-24-32-42-col/2986833.aspx

cant communicate with this one either. even tried the dos command line in the documentation.

somehow i think my rs232 to usb converter is faulty.

regarding the fujitsu printer though - i installed the usb drivers so i can print via usb directly. the data seems to be transmitted properly according to a usb port monitor. but the motor wont even get warm. so i guess the motor for the fujitsu printer is damaged.

but again... any ideas would be helpfull!

emence

Re: thermal printer rs232 communication

2 years ago

Hmm... both printers work now. via rs232. i don't now exactly why but i try to explain - maybe someday someone cares.

AP863:

The Printer wasn't in the factory default (being 9600,N,8,2). Therefore nothing i sent was received properly.(All I got was some ? and x and a lot of ----)

In the manual ( http://uk.rs-online.com/web/2986833.html) it states, that by double pressing the button on the front it would print a demonstration with all setup-data. This didn't work the whole day until I initialized the serial Port via the DOS-Prompt

MODE COM5:9600,N,8,2

and then sent data

DIR >COM5:

this somehow made the the printer crash and the next time i double pressed the button it told me everything.

boud was 2400,E,7,2 btw (would have never figured that out)

After that I was able to communicate with the printer through my processing code (even without! sending the initial ESC @ command)

I changed the boud rate and now everything is fine.

FTP628DSL601:

It looks like i din't initialize it properly.

Kinda solution:

connecting rx, tx and gnd

connect 5V and GND

ONLY after that connect the two +VH and the two -VH

sometimes this still is not enough to initialize the printer.

if so connect the /SLCTIN to GND

the /ATF to 5V

and the /INPRM needs to change from GND to 5V - this should trigger a testpage

It also worked to connect the /INPRM to GND and use the /ATf cable to provoke a LF by switching from GND to 5V.

Well thats my story. Maybe someone can use that information. Im happy now.

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