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Monarch PATHFINDER Ultra Equipment Manual

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®
MONARCH
DOS-based
®
®
PATHFINDER
Ultra
System
TC6035EZEM Rev. C 10/98
©1998 Monarch Marking Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Summary of Contents for Monarch PATHFINDER Ultra

  • Page 1 ® MONARCH DOS-based ® ® PATHFINDER Ultra System TC6035EZEM Rev. C 10/98 ©1998 Monarch Marking Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
  • Page 2 Each product and program carries a respective written warranty, the only warranty on which the customer can rely. Monarch reserves the right to make changes in the product and the programs and their availability at any time and without notice. Although Monarch has made every effort to provide complete and accurate information in this manual, Monarch shall not be liable for any omissions or inaccuracies.
  • Page 3 FITNESS FOR BUYER’S PURPOSES. THERE IS NO WARRANTY WHICH EXTENDS BEYOND THE LIMITED WARRANTY. The Monarch product covered by this limited warranty is warranted to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one (1) year from the date of shipment to the original purchaser.

  • Page 5: Table Of Contents

    T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S Laser Scanner Safety Information ........i-1 INTRODUCTION.
  • Page 6 Using Lower-case Alpha Mode ......4-10 Special Key Combinations ....... . 4-10 Using Function Key Mode .
  • Page 7 TROUBLESHOOTING ........... 8-1 Problems and Solutions .

  • Page 8: Introduction

    I N T R O D U C T I O N The Monarch® DOS-based PATHFINDER® Ultra® printer can act as a data collection device, a printer, or both. You can scan bar codes, verify them against data in a database via a radio in your printer (if you have this option), and return new data to print a label.

  • Page 9: Printer Features

    P r i n t e r F e a t u r e s The printer features alphanumeric keypad on-demand and continuous printing adjustable supply width capabilities clock/calendar Datalight® ROM-DOS™ 6.22 operating system RS-232 communications graphic printing capabilities display backlight low-power shutdown to conserve the battery radio communication (factory-installed option) laser scanner (factory-installed option)

  • Page 10: Getting Started

    G E T T I N G S T A R T E D After you unpack your printer, charge the battery handle first and then attach it to the printer. Tu r n i n g o n t h e P r i n t e r When you first turn on the printer, our logo appears.
  • Page 11 Extremely hot or cold environments will change the discharge rate. Charge the battery handle only when it is drained. If you charge a battery that already contains a charge, you decrease the battery’s charge capacity and life. Always fully discharge and charge the battery handle.
  • Page 12 Charge time may vary depending on the type of battery and the degree to which the battery was drained. For example, high capacity batteries may take one or two hours longer to charge. When using or storing the charger: Do Not wrap the cord around the charger. Do Not pull or put unusual stress on the cord.
  • Page 13 To charge the battery handle with the fast charger: 1. Turn the printer off. 2. Remove the battery handle (see "Changing the Battery Handle"). 3. Plug the round connector of the charger into the socket on the battery handle. 4. Plug one end of the power cable into the charger and the other end into a grounded (three prong) electrical outlet of the correct voltage.

  • Page 14: Charging The Backup Battery

    C h a r g i n g t h e B a c k u p B a t t e r y The printer has a rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery that backs up the battery handle. If both batteries are completely drained when you turn on the printer, a CMOS error occurs.

  • Page 15: Changing The Battery Handle

    The best bet for a quick recharge is to place a powered-on printer on a fast charger and leave it alone for eight hours. C h a n g i n g t h e B a t t e r y H a n d l e To change the battery handle: 1.

  • Page 16: Loading Supplies

    L O A D I N G S U P P L I E S The printer uses thermal supplies: synthetic labels paper labels and tags specialty paper. See Appendix B, "Specifications and Accessories," for available supply sizes. There are two methods for loading supplies: Peel mode is for labels only.

  • Page 17: Loading For Peel Mode

    L o a d i n g f o r P e e l M o d e Peel mode separates labels from the backing paper, which allows you to print and apply labels immediately. You must load labels in this mode when the on-demand sensor is enabled.
  • Page 18 4. Pull back the supply lock tab. 5. Squeeze or pull apart the supply holder at its base so it adjusts to the size of your supply roll. You can set it at 1.2", 1.5", and 2.0". Do not move the supply holder without pulling back the supply lock tab first.
  • Page 19 6. Press the supply lock down to lock the supply holder in place. 7. Remove the seal from the supply roll. Peel and discard the first four inches of labels from the backing paper. Tear evenly across the supply strip. 8.
  • Page 20 10. Feed all four inches of the backing paper over the peel bar and under the applicator roller and the label deflector. Applicator Roller Peel Bar Label Deflector 11. Push the label deflector up until it snaps into place. 12. Partially close the supply cover to the first position (until it clicks once).

  • Page 21: Printing In On-Demand Mode

    13. Hold the supply edge between the feed and pinch rollers, and then press the trigger or a key assigned by your System Administrator until all slack is removed. Discard the extra labels that feed. Feed Roller Pinch Roller 14. Close the supply cover completely. P r i n t i n g i n O n - D e m a n d M o d e In on-demand mode, the printer prints a label each time you remove the previously printed label.
  • Page 22 Most likely, the application you are running will have you print labels in on-demand mode as follows: 1. Press the trigger (or other key your System Administrator assigns). 2. Apply the label. Subsequent labels print automatically after you apply each label. As each prints, apply the label.

  • Page 23: Loading For Non-Peel Mode

    L o a d i n g f o r N o n - P e e l M o d e Non-peel mode feeds the supply through the printer in one continuous strip. Use non-peel mode to print strips of labels, tags, or specialty paper.
  • Page 24 4. Pull back the supply lock tab. 5. Squeeze or pull apart the supply holder at its base so it adjusts to the size of your supply roll. You can set it at 1.2", 1.5", and 2.0". Do not move the supply holder without pulling back the supply lock tab first.
  • Page 25 6. Press the supply lock down to lock the supply holder in place. 7. Remove the seal from the supply roll. 8. Place the supply roll as shown in the supply holder so that it feeds labels from the bottom. The black marks on the labels should be facing down.

  • Page 26: Printing In Continuous Mode

    P r i n t i n g i n C o n t i n u o u s M o d e In continuous mode, the printer prints one supply or a strip of supplies all at once. Supplies may be thermal labels, tags, or specialty paper.
  • Page 27 3-12 Loading Supplies TC6035EZEM Rev. C 10/98...

  • Page 28: Basic Operations

    B A S I C O P E R A T I O N S This chapter gives you information about the display the keypad the data entry modes. A b o u t t h e D i s p l a y Each display line contains 20 characters.
  • Page 29 When none of the indicators are on, the printer is in Normal Mode. This mode is current when you first turn the printer on. See "About Data Entry Modes" for more information. 4-line/33 Key Printer. Indicators appear along the left side of the display to show the mode the printer is in.

  • Page 30: About The Keypad

    A b o u t t h e K e y p a d Information about the keypad and the function of the keys is for domestic models only. 4 - l i n e / 3 3 K e y P r i n t e r Your printer may have a keypad as shown.
  • Page 31 Invokes a code or command designated by the application. Invokes the function keys as designated by the application. Invokes a code or command designated by the application. Moves the cursor to the left while deleting one character at a time. Invokes a code or command designated by the application.
  • Page 32 8 - l i n e / 4 8 K e y P r i n t e r Following is a diagram of the keypad. DEL and the symbols appearing on the face of the number keys do not appear on the keypad.
  • Page 33 Description Toggles Function Key mode on/off. Ctrl Toggles Control mode on/off. Toggles Alt mode on/off. Shift Toggles Upper-case Alpha mode on/off. Bksp Moves the cursor one position to the left, then deletes the character. Enter Accepts a DOS prompt command, application-specific data, or menu selections.

  • Page 34: 4-Line/33 Key Printer

    A b o u t D a t a E n t r y M o d e s There are six data entry modes: Numeric/Normal mode (default) Upper-case Alpha mode Lower-case Alpha mode Function Key mode Delete mode Alt and Ctrl Key mode. See "Reading the Printer Status"...

  • Page 35: Using Numeric/Normal Mode

    The modes are not mutually exclusive. In different cases, you can have more than one in effect. U s i n g N u m e r i c / N o r m a l M o d e Numeric/Normal mode is the default mode when the printer is turned on.

  • Page 36: Using Upper-Case Alpha Mode

    U s i n g U p p e r - c a s e A l p h a M o d e Upper-case Alpha mode works differently on the two printers. 4 - l i n e / 3 3 K e y P r i n t e r This mode allows you to enter upper-case letters or spaces.

  • Page 37: Using Lower-Case Alpha Mode

    U s i n g L o w e r - c a s e A l p h a M o d e 4-line/33 Key Printer Only. This mode allows you to enter lower-case letters. When you are in Lower-case Alpha mode, the cursor is an underscore and the r indicator appears on the left side of the display as shown.

  • Page 38: Using Function Key Mode

    To switch modes temporarily, use the keys shown in this table. Mode you are in You need Press + Hold Press (4-line/33 Key (8-line/48 Key Printer) Printer) Numeric/Normal Upper-case s or f Alpha then s Lower-case The letter as Alpha needed Upper-case Lower-case...
  • Page 39 To use the function key: 1. Press f . 2. Press a character or number key. (For example, press f and then 0 to invoke the F10 function.) You must press f for each character you want to enter. On 4-line/33 Key Printer, use the function key to activate the character shown in the upper left corner of each key position in the table below.

  • Page 40: Using Delete Mode

    U s i n g D e l e t e M o d e To use the Delete mode: 1. Press f. On the 4-line/33 Key Printer, the cursor is an underscore, and a vertical line appears on the left side of the display.

  • Page 41: Restarting The Printer

    4 - l i n e / 3 3 K e y P r i n t e r When you press the h key, the cursor is an underscore and a vertical line appears on the left side of the display. 8 - l i n e / 4 8 K e y P r i n t e r When you press the h key, the cursor is an underscore and a C appears on the status line.

  • Page 42: Using The Laser Scanner

    U S I N G T H E L A S E R S C A N N E R Your printer may have a built-in scanner. This product is certified to be a Class II laser product with the United States DHHS Center for Devices and Radiological Health.

  • Page 43: Scanning A Bar Code

    S c a n n i n g a B a r C o d e The application you are running controls when you can scan a bar code. When it indicates to scan: 1. Attach the safety strap to your wrist. 2.

  • Page 44: Cleaning The Scanner Window

    C l e a n i n g t h e S c a n n e r W i n d o w CAUTION Do Not use solvents (e.g., alcohol or acetone) or abrasive cleaners to clean the scanner window. This will damage the finish.
  • Page 45 5-4 Using the Laser Scanner TC6035EZEM Rev. C 10/98...

  • Page 46: Care And Maintenance

    C A R E A N D M A I N T E N A N C E This chapter tells you how to clear supply jams. clean the printhead. clean the platen roller. clean the sensors. store the printer. Care and Maintenance 6-1 TC6035EZEM Rev.

  • Page 47: Clearing Supply Jams

    C l e a r i n g S u p p l y J a m s When clearing a supply jam, check the label deflector feed and pinch rollers To clear a supply jam: 1. Press the latch buttons and open the supply cover completely. Label Deflector 2.
  • Page 48 4. Gently remove any jammed supply and close the deflector. Do Not pull the jammed supply out through the front of the label deflector. Do Not use sharp objects to remove jammed supplies. 5. Check the feed and pinch rollers for jammed supply. Pinch Roller (Feed roller is behind it) 6.

  • Page 49: Cleaning The Printhead

    Do Not use silicone to clean or lubricate. Use any of the following items to clean the printhead: soft cloth moistened with isopropyl alcohol Monarch Cleaning Pen #114226 Monarch 6076 Cleaning Kit Do Not use sharp objects to remove adhesive or label particles from the printhead area.

  • Page 50: Cleaning The Platen Roller

    C l e a n i n g t h e P l a t e n R o l l e r You can use any of the following items to remove adhesive buildup from the platen: soft cloth moistened with isopropyl alcohol Monarch Cleaning Pen #114226 Monarch 6076 Cleaning Kit Do Not use sharp objects to clean the printer.
  • Page 51 To clean the platen roller: 1. Turn the printer off and open the supply cover. 2. Remove your supply. See "Removing Supplies" in Chapter 3. 3. Open the label deflector by gently pressing down with two fingers. 4. Clean the platen roller and remove any adhesive buildup. Platen Roller 5.

  • Page 52: Cleaning The Sensors

    C l e a n i n g t h e S e n s o r s To clean the on-demand sensor: 1. Turn the printer off and open the supply cover. 2. Open the label deflector by gently pressing down with two fingers.
  • Page 53 To clean the black mark sensor: 1. Turn the printer off, open the supply cover and remove the supplies. 2. Clean the black mark sensor with a soft cloth moistened with water. Black Mark Sensor 6-8 Care and Maintenance TC6035EZEM Rev. C 10/98...

  • Page 54: Storing The Printer

    S t o r i n g t h e P r i n t e r Store the printer with a handle attached. Do Not store the printer in or near magnetic fields wet or damp areas dirty or dusty areas areas of intense vibration or shock.
  • Page 55 6-10 Care and Maintenance TC6035EZEM Rev. C 10/98...

  • Page 56: Using Diagnostics

    U S I N G D I A G N O S T I C S Only Service or a System Administrator should use diagnostics. You can use diagnostics to check display characteristics check keyboard connections test the serial port test the scanner check the speaker check the printer...
  • Page 57 To access these options, you need to use the Diagnostic program. To start the Diagnostic program: 1. 4-line/33 Key Printer Only. From the DOS prompt, press s(if not already in Shift mode). 2. Type DIAG and press e. You will see: DOS Ultra Diagnostic Display Keyboard...

  • Page 58: Checking Display Characteristics

    C h e c k i n g D i s p l a y C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s The Display diagnostic menu provides the following selections: Backlight Turns the backlight on and off to ensure it is functioning properly.

  • Page 59: Checking Keyboard Connections

    C h e c k i n g K e y b o a r d C o n n e c t i o n s The Keyboard diagnostic function displays a keypad replica to test keyboard connections. To check keyboard connections: 1.

  • Page 60: Testing The Scanner

    2. Insert the loopback plug and press any key (except b) to start the test. Press b to exit. 3. When the test finishes, you will see Press Esc to cont. Testing speed: XX Testing parity: XX Testing ctrls: XX where XX is OK or err.

  • Page 61: Checking The Speaker

    Trigger Scanner displays directions for running that test. If you detect a problem scanning, please make a note and call Service. Configuration displays a menu of selections. Refer to the Programmer’s Manual for descriptions of the selections. Scroll with the arrow keys until you highlight the feature you want to enable/disable.

  • Page 62: Checking The Printer

    C h e c k i n g t h e P r i n t e r The Printer diagnostic function provides the following selections: Machine Totals Displays the total amount of supplies printed in inches or the number of tags printed. Hardware Test Displays a sub-menu for testing Printing, Sensors, Printhead, Battery, and Motor.

  • Page 63: Displaying Machine Totals

    D i s p l a y i n g M a c h i n e To t a l s To display machine totals: 1. From the Printer menu, scroll with the arrow keys until you highlight Machine Totals. Press e. You will see: Select item Inches Printed Tags Printed...
  • Page 64 When calling Service, be sure to provide the exact results. To perform Hardware Tests: 1. From the Printer menu, scroll with the arrow keys until you highlight Hardware Test. Press e. You will see: Select item Printing Sensors Printhead 2. Scroll with the arrow keys until you highlight the hardware test you want.
  • Page 65 To check the printing, scroll until you highlight printing on the Hardware Test menu. Press e. You will see: Select item Test Pattern Print Speed Gray Scale To print the test pattern: 1. Load supplies in non-peel mode. 2. From the Printing sub-menu, scroll with the arrow keys until you highlight Test Pattern.
  • Page 66 To run the Print Speed test: 1. Load supplies in non-peel mode. 2. From the Printing sub-menu, scroll with the arrow keys until you highlight Print Speed. Press e. You will see: Ready to print 3. Press eto print the test sample. Press b to exit. 4.
  • Page 67 3. Press eto print the test sample. Press b to exit. Test Sample with voids The test sample should be uniformly gray across the supply. If you see voids, especially on the edges as in the example, save your test sample and call Service. To Adjust Contrast: 1.
  • Page 68 2. Scroll with the left arrow until you highlight the stock type you want: synthetic, paper, or fax. Press e. You will see: Barcode Type: 1) Serial 3. Scroll with the left arrow until you highlight the bar code type you want: Serial, Maxicode, Parallel/Serial, or Parallel.
  • Page 69 To run the On-Demand test: 1. From the Sensors sub-menu, scroll with the arrow keys until you highlight On-Demand. Press e. If the sensor is clear, you will see: On Demand = ### Clear Values must be less than 288. If sensor is blocked, you will see: On Demand = ### Blocked...
  • Page 70 To run the Black Mark test: 1. From the Sensors sub-menu, scroll with the arrow keys until you highlight Black Mark. Press e. When the black mark is not positioned over the sensor, you will see: Black Mark = ### White Values must be greater than 480.
  • Page 71 C h e c k i n g t h e P r i n t h e a d The Printhead menu provides the following selections: Dot Resistance Checks each dot on the printhead (takes approximately four minutes). Temperature Checks the working temperature range of the printhead.
  • Page 72 2. Press e. You will see: Dot# XX GOOD Value = ### Valid values are 244-308 (inclusive). If the value is not within range, please make a note and call Service. The test continues (with results displayed on the screen) until each dot resistance has been tested and the results displayed.
  • Page 73 If the printhead value is under 116, do not print anything. Open the cover and let the printer cool. If the printhead value is between 117 and 136 (inclusive), you cannot print strips of labels. Open the cover and let the printer cool.

  • Page 74: Service Diagnostics

    C h e c k i n g t h e M o t o r The motor test verifies the functionality and speed of the motor by discharging labels. To test the motor: 1. From the Hardware Test sub-menu, press e. The motor will run and dispense labels.

  • Page 75: Checking Hardware Version Information

    4. Scroll with the left arrow until you highlight the stock type you want: synthetic, paper, or fax. Press e. Two or three labels (depending on the supply position) are fed and the motor turns off (unless you choose fax). If you chose fax in step 4, the procedure ends.

  • Page 76: Checking Software Version Information

    2. Scroll with the down arrow until you highlight the option you want. Press e. If you select Print Engine Board, you will see: Print Engine Version If you select MCS Library, you will see: MCS Library Version 3. Press b to exit. C h e c k i n g S o f t w a r e V e r s i o n I n f o r m a t i o n At the Main menu, scroll with the arrow keys until you highlight About.

  • Page 77: Exiting The Diagnostics Program

    E x i t i n g t h e D i a g n o s t i c s P r o g r a m 1. At the Main menu, scroll with the arrow keys until you highlight Exit.

  • Page 78: Troubleshooting

    T R O U B L E S H O O T I N G This chapter includes information about printer problems and solutions. P r o b l e m s a n d S o l u t i o n s Some common printer problems and their solutions are listed on the following pages.
  • Page 79 When you first turn on the Turn off the printer. Then, turn it back on printer, the line moving while holding down the f key. When across the bottom of the messages appear, release the key. Note screen stops and the logo the message on the screen when the screen never disappears.
  • Page 80 When calling for support, you may need to tell Service the identification data for the radio and memory cards. Use the information in this table or from the label inside the unit. Option Label Aironet 2.4 U.S. A24US Aironet 2.4 U.K. A24UK Aironet 2.4 France A24FR...
  • Page 81 8-4 Troubleshooting TC6035EZEM Rev. C 10/98...

  • Page 82: Reference Information

    R E F E R E N C E I N F O R M A T I O N C a b l e P i n o u t s The cable pinouts on the mini-DIN connector on the printer are set as shown.
  • Page 83 A-2 Reference Information TC6035EZEM Rev. C 10/98...

  • Page 84: Specifications And Accessories

    S P E C I F I C A T I O N S A N D A C C E S S O R I E S S p e c i f i c a t i o n s Weight: 2.64 lbs.

  • Page 85: Supply Sizes

    S u p p l y S i z e s The printer can use supply lengths from .55" (14 mm) to 4.0" (102 mm). The standard label widths are: 1.2 inch (30 mm) 1.5 inch (38 mm) 2.0 inch (51 mm) A c c e s s o r i e s RS-232 Cables: 9-pin straight cable #116587-14...

  • Page 86: Glossary

    G L O S S A R Y Following is a list of terms that you’ll need to know to operate the printer. Application The computer program that runs on the printer and controls how you print, scan, and enter data. Backlight A light that, when on, enables you to see the printer’s display better.
  • Page 87 On-Demand A sensor that determines when a tag or label has just Sensor been printed and removed. Peel Mode The printing mode where labels are automatically removed from their backing paper. Pixel An individual element on the display that, when filled (in conjunction with other elements), makes displayed characters or symbols.

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