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Citizen CLP-6401 User Manual

Citizen systems user's manual printer clp-6401
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CLP-6401
User's Manual
C. ITOU

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Summary of Contents for Citizen CLP-6401

  • Page 1 CLP-6401 User’s Manual C. ITOU...

  • Page 2: Fcc Compliance Statement For American Users

    FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT FOR AMERICAN USERS 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.

  • Page 3: Emi Compliance Statement For Canadian Users

    EMI COMPLIANCE STATEMENT FOR CANADIAN USERS This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and if not installed and used properly, that is, in strict accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, may cause interference to radio and television reception. This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications.

  • Page 4: Important Safety Instructions

    Important Safety Instructions 1. Read all of these instructions and save them for later reference. 2. Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the product. 3. Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use liquid or aerosol cleaners.

  • Page 5: Notice

    7. We are not liable for any damage caused by user's erroneous use of the printer and inadequate environment. 8. Data residing in the printer is temporary. Therefore, all data will be lost if power is lost. We are not liable for any damage or loss of profits caused by data loss due to failures, repairs, inspections, etc.

  • Page 6: Safety Signs

    SAFETY SIGNS ¾ ¾ ¾ ¾ must be strictly observed ! To prevent personal injury or property damage, the following shall be strictly observed. The degree of possible injury and damage due to incorrect use or improperly following instructions is described below. WARNING CAUTION This is a mark to call attention to the reader.
  • Page 7 · Do not jolt or impact to the printer by stepping on, dropping or hitting the printer. · Do not place the printer in a poorly ventilated area, or shut off the air vent of the printer. · Do not place the printer where chemical reactions occur, such as in laboratories or where air is mixed with salt or gas.

  • Page 8: General Precautions

    When cleaning the surface of the printer case, do not use the cloth that is soaked in thinner, trichloroethylene, benzine, ketone or similar chemicals. Do not use the printer where there is a lot of oil, iron particles, or dust. Operate the control panel properly. A careless, rough handling may cause problems or malfunction.

  • Page 9: Precautions When Installing The Printer

    Never allow the printer's air vent to be blocked by a wall or other object. Do not place anything on the top printer. Do not place the printer near a radio or television, and do not use the same wall outlet for the printer and radio or television. Radio or television reception could be adversely affected.
  • Page 10 Chapter 2 Control Panel Describes the necessary items for operations, such as the control panel, printer settings and indications on the LCD/LEDs. Chapter 3 Preparation for Printing Describes the procedures for loading the paper and ribbon and includes notes on the use of paper and ribbons.

  • Page 11: Table Of Contents

    LCD/LED Indications and Adjustment Controls . . Normal Operating Mode Printer Setup Mode ... . Self-Test Mode ... . .
  • Page 12 3.10 Cleaning ....Chapter Troubleshooting Error Messages ... . 4.1.1 Error descriptions and indications ..4.1.2 Error indications and corrective actions Power Troubleshooting .
  • Page 13 - xii -...

  • Page 14: Chapter 1 Setup

    Chapter 1 Setup Confirmation of Carton Contents Part Names and Functions Connection to Power Connection to a Computer...

  • Page 15: Confirmation Of Carton Contents

    1.1 Confirmation of Carton Contents CAUTION Check that the following accessories are included with the printer in the carton. · Power cord · Paper core · User's manual (this booklet) · Ink ribbon · Label paper · Roll holder · Roll guide ·...

  • Page 16: Part Names And Functions

    1.2 Part Names and Functions FRONT VIEW n Control panel The printer has two LED indicator lights and an LCD screen that displays printer messages. ① LEDs One LED is the power indicator and the other is the error indicator.
  • Page 17 INSIDE VIEW ① Cover ④ Roll holder ⑤ Roll guide ⑥ Paper holder ② Ribbon holder ③ Ribbon ⑧ Offset verification window ⑦ Open lever...
  • Page 18 n Names and functions of each part · When opening the cover, open it all the way. CAUTION · Be careful of the edge of the cover when the cover · Be careful of the edges of the plates so injury or ①...
  • Page 19 SIDE VIEW n Interface connectors To connect the interface cable. n PCMCIA memory card cover To protect the PCMCIA memory card from exposure to dust and foreign matter. To install a PCMCIA memory card, first unhook this cover, then slide it out. n Power switch To turn on/off the power.

  • Page 20: Connection To Power

    Connect to an AC outlet as follows: Check that the power switch on the printer is set to OFF. Connect the connector of the power cord to the power inlet on the printer. Insert the plug of the power cord in the AC outlet.

  • Page 21: Connection To A Computer

    Connect the connector of one end of the interface cable to the interface connector at the lower side of the printer and secure it with screws. Connect the connector of the other end of the interface cable to the interface...

  • Page 22: Chapter 2 Control Panel

    Chapter 2 Control Panel Control Panel LCD/LED Indications and Adjustment Controls Normal Operating Mode Printer Setup Mode Self-Test Mode System Maintenance Mode...

  • Page 23: Control Panel

    2.1 Control Panel The control panel, on the front of the printer, consists of three control keys (Pause, Feed and Stop), two LED indicator lights (Power, Error), and a LCD message screen. On the left side of the control panel there are three adjustment controls (paper gap, black line and LCD contrast).

  • Page 24: Lcd/Led Indications And Adjustment Controls

    (reflective type) sensor sensitivity, and LCD contrast. 2.3 Normal Operating Mode When the power is turned on, the printer enters normal operating mode. The control keys function as follows: Pause key Temporarily pauses printing. "Pause" is displayed on the LCD screen.

  • Page 25: Printer Setup Mode

    2.4 Printer Setup Mode To enter the Printer Setup Mode, press and hold down the Pause key then press the Feed key and release both keys. In a few seconds you will hear a beep and see Transfer or DirectTM displayed on the LCD screen. The functions of the control keys are described below.
  • Page 26 Hex and ASCII the contents of the data stream received at the printer. You can use this to test both the actual fact of communication with the printer, and the exact contents of the data stream being sent.

  • Page 27: System Maintenance Mode

    After you press the Stop key, the printer will display RESET in the LCD screen and, a few seconds later, On Line. Note: Do not turn off the printer until you see ‘On Line’ in the display, or your changes may be lost. Mode item ¯...
  • Page 28 Adjust the Black Line sensor (the middle hole on the front left-hand side of the printer (see illustration on page 2-2)) to read between 3.00V to 3.30V. Open the printer cover and draw the media under the sensor guide, until a the Black Line is positioned under the sensor, close the cover.
  • Page 29 Printer Default Values RS-232C setting Print Mode Setting Optional Functions Paper Sensor Setting Adjustable sensor Model Baud Rate: 9600 Data Length: 8 bit Thermal Transfer Peeling: Auto-cutter: Tear-off: Edge AJSensOF Native ON...

  • Page 30: Preparation For Printing

    Chapter 3 Preparation for Printing Kinds of Paper Specification of Label and Tag Paper Setting Ribbon Ribbon Setting Head Offset Adjustments Head Pressure Adjustments Ribbon Tension Adjustments Adjustable Sensor 3.9.1 Exterior view and part names 3.9.2 How to operate adjustable sensor 3.9.3 Specification of paper (for adjustable sensor) 3.10 Cleaning...

  • Page 31: Kinds Of Paper

    Max. printing length: Max. outer diameter of roll paper: Paper core inner diameter: 3.2 Specification of Label and Tag The position of a label or tags is detected by the printer's transparent-type and reflective-type photosensors. Transparent-type photosensor: Reflective-type photosensor: n Specification of paper 25.4 mm-118 mm (1 in-4.65 in)
  • Page 32 Label width Liner width Label left-side edge position Label paper-gap length Label length Label pitch Liner thickness Paper thickness Notch right-side edge position Notch left-side edge position Notch length Black line right-side edge position Black line left-side edge position Black line width ·...
  • Page 33 Units for position and length The print positions may be specified in either inch or metric system. Switching between the two systems is accomplished through software. The print positions can be freely designated within the maximum label size, regardless of which system you use. Inch system Basic unit (point): 0.01 in (0.254 mm)
  • Page 34 Reference line and points The reference line and points are described here. The position of 2.5 mm from the left edge of the paper is the reference line for paper. Always the left bottom is the reference point for printing characters and bar codes.

  • Page 35: Paper Setting

    9 Close the printer cover. 10 Turn on the power to the printer. The LCD screen on the control panel will display "On line." Press the Feed key. The paper will advance to the next label and stop.
  • Page 36 ② ⑩ ① ⑩ ① Roll paper ③ Roll paper Reference plane ⑧ Notch for alignment ⑤ ④ ⑥ ⑤ ④ ⑥ ③ ⑦ ⑨...

  • Page 37: Ribbon

    3.4 Ribbon Kinds of ribbon This printer uses a melt ink ribbon. 1) Wax: multipurpose ribbon. 2) Wax resin: multipurpose higher-quality ribbon. 3) Resin: special ribbon with weather resistance. When using resin ribbon, print speed must be slower and the printing energy must be greater.

  • Page 38: Ribbon Setting

    Press it until it clicks. Close the printer cover. Turn on the power to the printer. The LCD screen on the control panel will display "On line." Press the Feed key. The paper will advance to the next label and stop there.

  • Page 39: Head Offset Adjustments

    3.6 Head Offset Adjustments CAUTION The printer has already been factory-set to the proper print quality when using the recommended label paper. If the print quality is inferior because of the paper, adjust it according to the following: For standard label paper and thermal paper: a) Look through the offset verification window.
  • Page 40 Heating element 3-11...

  • Page 41: Head Pressure Adjustments

    3.7 Head Pressure Adjustments The printer has already been factory-set with the label width of 118 mm. When using paper with a different width, adjust the head pressure in the following way: a) Look through the verification window on the upper frame, adjust the mark to the value in mm that represents the width of the label by turning the head pressure adjustment screw.

  • Page 42: Ribbon Tension Adjustments

    When the ribbon slips or wrinkles during printing, adjust the ribbon tension. The printer has already been factory set with the ribbon width of 114 mm. When using ribbon with a different width, adjust it according to the following procedure: a) Hold the ribbon roll with one hand so that it does not turn.

  • Page 43: Adjustable Sensor

    3.9 Adjustable Sensor 3.9.1 Exterior view and part names Adjust-knob 192.4 Mark (Yellow) Guide rail upper Exterior view and part names 3-14...

  • Page 44: How To Operate Adjustable Sensor

    3.9.2 How to operate adjustable sensor Move the adjustable sensor unit to your required position by turning the adjust-knob. First measure the position to detect, then align the mark of the measure on the guide rail upper with the sensor position mark (yellow) on the upper sensor to set to the position to detect.

  • Page 45: Specification Of Paper (For Adjustable Sensor)

    3.9.3 Specification of paper (for adjustable sensor) Label width Liner width Label left-side edge position Label paper-gap length Label length Label pitch Liner thickness Paper thickness Notch right-side edge position Notch left-side edge position Notch length Black line right-side edge position Black line left-side edge position Black line width ·...

  • Page 46: Cleaning

    3.10 Cleaning Wipe off any foreign matter such as dust, ribbon residue, and adhesive substance stuck to the thermal head, ribbon guide roller, and platen with a soft cloth soaked in ethyl alcohol. Periodic cleaning of the thermal print head is essential to guarantee quality printing and extended print head life.

  • Page 47: Troubleshooting

    Chapter 4 Troubleshooting Error Messages 4.1.1 Error descriptions and indications 4.1.2 Error indications and corrective actions Power Troubleshooting Paper Feed Troubleshooting Ribbon Feed Troubleshooting Print Troubleshooting Interface Troubleshooting 4-10 4-11...

  • Page 48: Error Messages

    4.1 Error Messages When there is a problem with the printer: A buzzer sounds The error indicator lights up An error message is displayed on the LCD screen Error descriptions and corrective actions are shown below. 4.1.1 Error descriptions and indications...
  • Page 49 Description Paper out (paper position can't be detected) Error contents and sensor information repeatedly displayed M command: Sets length for detection miss checking with system command M Maximum: Max. value of sensor reading voltage Minimum: Min. value of sensor reading voltage Ribbon end PCB overheat (PCB or sensor abnormality)

  • Page 50: Error Indications And Corrective Actions

    Automatically returned after displaying the error for a certain time. Raise the temperature around the printer. Print density becomes low and print quality becomes inferior when the head temperature is low.
  • Page 51 Indication Description OverHeat Head overheat Cooling Stop Stop key pressed Cancel Stop command reception (communication control) HeadOpen Mechanism head open PaperEnd Paper end (no paper left) PaperErr Paper out (paper position can't be detected) Corrective actions Wait until the head temperature goes down. When the temperature becomes low, the remaining printing resumes.
  • Page 52 Check that the ribbon winds fully. Correct the faulty setting of the print mode (direct-thermal or thermal-transfer). Turn off the power and reset the printer. If this recurs, contact our service personnel. Check for the fan stop caused by the problems such as foreign matter entered in the air vent.

  • Page 53: Power Troubleshooting

    4.2 Power Troubleshooting Problem No power even • Power cord is not with power switch properly connected to the turned ON. outlet. • Power cord is not properly connected to the power inlet. • Input voltage is not correct; input voltage is greater or less than the rated voltage.

  • Page 54: Paper Feed Troubleshooting

    4.3 Paper Feed Troubleshooting Problem ･ Wrong paper path. Paper doesn't feed. ･ Mechanism head is open. ･ Paper end is not in Paper skew. contact with the paper guide. ･ Roll guide is not in contact with the roll paper.

  • Page 55: Ribbon Feed Troubleshooting

    4.4 Ribbon Feed Troubleshooting Problem ･ Print mode is set to Ribbon doesn't wind. direct-thermal printing. ･ Wrong ribbon path. ･ Ribbon wind direction is reversed. ･ Ribbon wind tension is not correct. ･ Tension of ribbon holder Ribbon wrinkles. and ribbon winder is not correct.

  • Page 56: Print Troubleshooting

    4.5 Print Troubleshooting Problem ･ Power to the printer is off. Printing doesn't start. ･ Printer is not properly connected to computer. ･ Printer setting is not correct. ･ Print head connector Missing lines. connection failure. ･ Print head is dirty.
  • Page 57 4-11...

  • Page 58: Interface Troubleshooting

    4.6 Interface Troubleshooting Problem Printer doesn't The following are the probable causes: print. ･ Interface cable is not Print disordered. properly connected. Error message is ･ Interface cable is not the displayed and printer doesn't standard type. print. ･ Communication parameter setting is not correct.
  • Page 59 4-13...

  • Page 60: Peeler Unit

    Chapter 5 Options Factory or Reseller (Dealer) Options: Auto-Cutter Unit Peeler Unit User Options: PCMCIA Memory Card...
  • Page 61 5.1 Auto-Cutter Unit The cutter mechanism is a rotary cutter designed to handle paper, labels, ticket and tag stock. It has an extremely durable mechanism designed for in excess of 1,000,000 cuts. See the Cutter User’s Manual for details. Specifications ･...

  • Page 62: Pcmcia Memory Card

    Store downloaded HP Soft fonts. Installation Turn off the power to the printer. Remove the PCMCIA memory card cover at the bottom of the printer (see figure). Insert the memory card (make sure the card is not inverted). Replace the PCMCIA memory card cover.

  • Page 64: Chapter 6 Specifications

    Chapter 6 Specifications Main Specifications Interface 6.2.1 System configuration 6.2.2 Specification of interface 6.2.3 RS-232C loopback test 6.2.4 RS-232C protocol 6.2.5 Interface pin assignment Outline of Command System Example of Connection to a Computer Tear-Off Function 6.5.1 Turning Tear ON/OFF 6.5.2 Tear-off when printing 6.5.3 Tear-off when feeding 6.5.4 Tear-off and type of data...

  • Page 65: Main Specifications

    6.1 Main Specifications Item ･ Direct-thermal or thermal-transfer printing Printing ･ 400 dpi (16 dots/mm) print head (Main scanning line density: (Subscanning line density: ･ Max. print width: ･ Max. paper width: ･ Max. print length: ･ 2, 3, and 4 inches/seconds Print speed ･...
  • Page 66 Item ･ Font No. 0-6 (fixed pitch, alphanumeric) Standard fonts ･ Font No. 7-8: OCR-A, OCR-B ･ Font No. 9: CG Triumvirate smooth font; 3 pt, 4 pt, 5 pt, 6 pt, 8 pt, 10 pt, 12 pt, 14 pt, 18 pt, 24 pt, 30 pt, 36 pt, and 48 pt Character set is in accordance with code page 850 ･...
  • Page 67 Power ･ Input voltage 220V-240V: Standards 120V: 220V-240V: Description Power and error Displays printer status, error contents, mode switch contents, etc Pause, Feed and Stop For parameter setting for switching between direct-thermal and thermal- transfer, communication, etc. ･ Peeler unit ･...
  • Page 68 Item ･ Operating conditions: Environment ･ Storage: ･ Ventilation: ･ Dust: Description Temperature: 5-35°C (41-95°F) Humidity: 30-80% (noncondensing) Temperature: -20-60°C (-4-140°F) Humidity: 5-85% Convective circulation. Air vent must be away from wall etc (to prevent fire) Free from conductive or corrosive matter...

  • Page 69: Interface

    6.2 Interface 6.2.1 System configuration The printer is connected to a computer and prints labels according to the command from the computer. Two methods of interface with a computer are as follows: (1) Serial interface: RS-232C (standard) (2) Parallel interface: Centronics (standard)

  • Page 70: Specification Of Interface

    7- or 8-bit Fixed When printer receives data, stop bit is fixed at 1, and when printer transmits data, stop bit is fixed at 2. But computer can transmit and receive data, regardless of stop bit at 1 or 2...

  • Page 71: Rs-232C Loopback Test

    6.2.3 RS-232C loopback test After connector wiring as shown in the figure, the test mode is turned on. The printer will receive data that has been transmitted by printer itself and the test of receiving and transmitting data will be performed.

  • Page 72: Rs-232C Protocol

    Even if each code is ready for output, the same code cannot be transmitted twice successively (except when the power is turned on or the printer is reset from the control panel). Receive buffer size = 32K bytes 4K bytes...
  • Page 73 ･ When the Receive buffer has less than 2K bytes available. When this condition is detected, the printer keeps the DTR signal “Low” until the Receive buffer has at least 4K bytes available. ･ When a printer alarms occurs (i.e. when the printer is switched to "off line"). 6-10...

  • Page 74: Interface Pin Assignment

    No connection Signal ground +5 V (max. load 100 mA) No connection No connection No connection No connection No connection Output RS-232C data transmission (busy) on printer permitted No connection No connection No connection No connection No connection 6-11 Description...
  • Page 75 8-bit parallel signal Output 8-bit data request signal Output Signal specifying printer busy Output Signal specifying paper absence Output Signal specifying printer "on line" (printing) or "off line" (pause) Input Invalidness (ignorance) No use Signal ground Frame ground Output Signal specifying peripheral logic high...

  • Page 76: Outline Of Command System

    For details about command system, see the Command Reference manual available separately. Commands for this printer consist of a string of ASCII code and end with "CR" (decimal: 13, hex: 0D). Generally, commands are classified into two types, system-level commands and label format commands.

  • Page 77: Example Of Connection To A Computer

    6.4 Example of Connection to a Computer When RS-232C is used: IBM PC compatible Communication control: XON/XOFF or CTS/DTR Pin 20 should be DTR on Printer side (when high good, when low not ready) Busy – Busy high is not ready no print. “PC” (DB25P)

  • Page 78: Tear-Off Function

    When this function is turned on, paper will be fed to the manual tear position after printing. The printer will feed back paper to the start print position when the next print job is sent. If data is transmitted continuously from the computer, the tear-off function will be suppressed to increase throughput.

  • Page 79: Tear-Off When Feeding

    ･ When manual tearing is needed, tear the label at this time. ･ Performs next label printing. When next print data is transmitted from the computer, the printer feeds back paper to the previous print completed position and resumes printing.

  • Page 80: Tear-Off And Type Of Data

    6.5.4 Tear-off and type of data When the tear-off is valid, the printer monitors the print data for 0.5 second during or after printing. If print data is transmitted within 0.5 second during or after printing, the printer will start next printing without tear-off. (When data is received during printing, the time of monitoring 0.5 second is not inserted.)

  • Page 81: When "Fnnn" Command Is Executed While Tear Is Off

    "fnnn > Onnnn" value is set by using the "fnnn" command. This function can be used in such cases as another device is incorporated in the printer. 6.5.7 Priority order The following three functions (optional) cannot be performed simultaneously.
  • Page 82 6-19...
  • Page 83 Citizen America Corporation 831 S. Douglas Street, Suite 121 El Segundo, CA 90245 (310) 643-9825 U.S.A. Citizen Systems Europe Ltd. Mettinger Strasse 11 73728 Esslingen Germany 337 Bath Road, Slough Berkshire, SL1 5PR United Kingdom JE99409-01 (70903831) Printed in Japan...

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