Star Micronics LC-500 User Manual
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Star Micronics LC-500 User Manual

Star Micronics LC-500 User Manual

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USER'S MANUAL
LC-500
DOT MATRIX PRINTER
CFA10EC 80826160

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  • Page 1 USER’S MANUAL LC-500 DOT MATRIX PRINTER CFA10EC 80826160...
  • Page 2 All efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this manual at the time of going to press. However, should any errors be detected, STAR would greatly appreciate being informed of them. The above notwithstanding, STAR can assume no responsibility for any errors in this manual. © Copyright 2003 Star Micronics Co., LTD.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Contents 1. Printer Setup ..........1 Choosing a place for the printer ............1 Unpacking the printer ............... 2 Printer Components ................3 Installing the paper guide ..............4 Opening the printer cover ..............4 Removing the printer cover .............. 5 Connecting the Power Cord and turning the power ON and OFF..
  • Page 4 Control panel functions in on-line mode ........25 Control panel functions in off-line mode ........27 4. Using the EDS Mode........ 30 About EDS Mode settings .............. 30 Entering the EDS Mode ..............30 Selecting a EDS number ..............31 Selecting a bank ................

  • Page 5: Printer Setup

    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 unpacking the printer from the box, plan the installation location of your printer.

  • Page 6: Unpacking The Printer

    Unpacking the printer Check that the package contains the following items. Ribbon cassette User s manual Ferrite Core Fastener Printer Paper guide If any item 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 packing materials in case you need to transport the printer at a later date.

  • Page 7: Printer Components

    Printer Components The following illustrations show the major components of your printer. Printer cover Control panel Power switch Paper guide Platen knob Adjustment lever Parallel interface connector Power cord – 3 –...

  • Page 8: Installing The Paper Guide

    Installing the paper guide 1. Hold the paper guide at a slight angle and slide the two slots on either side of the paper guide into the tabs provided on the printer case. 2. Press the paper guide firmly against the tabs until it clicks, and then lower the table to a horizontal position.

  • Page 9: Removing The Printer Cover

    Removing the printer cover Swing the printer cover so that it is at an angle as shown in the figure below and lift the cover to remove it. To replace the printer cover, lower the two slots on either side of the cover onto the tabs provided on the printer case.

  • Page 10: Connecting The Power Cord And Turning The Power On And Off

    Connecting the Power Cord and turning the power ON and OFF 1. Check that the power switch on the front panel of the printer is in the OFF position (O). 2. Plug the power cord to a power outlet whose voltage matches the power rating noted on the label affixed to the bottom of your printer.

  • Page 11: Installing The Ribbon Cassette

    Installing the ribbon cassette 1. Turn the power on. The carriage moves to the left most position. You will hear beeps when the carriage reaches this position. Carriage Caution! Do not move the carriage by hand while the printer is turned on. Doing so can damage the printer.
  • Page 12 3. Set the adjustment lever to the highest position. Adjustment lever 4. Open the printer cover. 5. Remove the ribbon cassette from the package and rotate the knob on the cassette counterclockwise to take up any slack in the ribbon. Knob –...
  • Page 13 6. While holding the printer cassette at an angle, insert the two round tabs on either side of the ribbon cassette into the two slots inside the printer. Then, press the lower half of the cassette inward to a vertical position until it snaps securely into place.

  • Page 14: Removing The Ribbon Cassette

    Removing the ribbon cassette When replacing the ribbon cassette, use the following procedure to remove the old ribbon cassette from the printer. 1. Open the printer cover. 2. Turn the power on. The carriage moves to the left most position. You will hear beeps when the carriage reaches this position.

  • Page 15: Ferrite Core Installation

    Ferrite Core Installation 1. Strap the fastener into the parallel interface cable as shown in the illustration below. 2. Cut off the surplus part of the fastener. Ferrite Core Cable 12 to 15 cm Fastener 3. With a regular screwdriver, unlatch and open the ferrite core. 4.
  • Page 16 Important! Make sure that the printer is unplugged from the AC outlet and that the computer is turned off before connecting the parallel cable. 1. Connect one end of the parallel cable to the parallel port of your computer. The parallel port is usually labeled “Printer,” “Parallel,” “PRN,”...

  • Page 17: Paper Handling

    2. Paper Handling This chapter describes the different types of paper you can print on and how to setup the printer for each type. Selecting paper types Use the following information when selecting paper. Cut-sheet paper Width: 125 to 257 mm / 4.9 to 10.12 inches Length: 85 to 364 mm / 3.3 to 14.33 inches Paper Sizes:...

  • Page 18: Loading Cut-Sheet Paper

    Loading cut-sheet paper This section describes the procedure for loading cut-sheet paper. You can also use fanfold paper. For details on using fanfold paper, see “Loading fanfold paper” on page 18. If the fanfold paper is currently loaded, first park the fanfold paper using the procedures described in “Parking fanfold paper”...
  • Page 19 The following table provides a general guide for setting the adjustment lever. Experiment with different settings until you find the one that gives you the print quality you want. Recommended Paper Type Weight Per Sheet Thickness Position Single-sheet 30 g/m 0.05 mm 64 g/m 0.08 mm...
  • Page 20 4. Insert the paper from the front of the printer as far as it will go, sliding the left side of the paper against the paper edge. Insert the paper facing up, with the top towards the printer. Control panel Paper Peper guide Adjustment lever...

  • Page 21: Printing On Cut-Sheet Paper

    Printing on cut-sheet paper The following shows the recommended print area for cut-sheet paper. Cut-sheet paper 4.23 mm 3 mm 3 mm 6.35 mm Max. 203.2 mm (Max. 8 inches) – 17 –...

  • Page 22: Loading Fanfold Paper

    Loading fanfold paper This section describes the procedure for loading fanfold paper. You can also use cut-sheet paper. For details on using cut-sheet paper, see “Loading cut-sheet paper” on page 14. 1. Position the stack of paper behind the printer. The following figure shows the correct path for fanfold paper.
  • Page 23 4. Set the adjustment lever to the value that matches the thickness of the paper you are using. The setting for normal paper is 1. Set the lever to a larger value for thicker paper, or to a smaller value for thinner paper.
  • Page 24 7. Now move the tractor on the right to the approximate position of the right side of the paper you are using. Pull its gray lever up to unlock it, and push the lever back down to lock it into place. Also move the sheet guide so that it is approximately halfway between the two tractors.
  • Page 25 9. Close the tractor covers. At this point you can make final adjustments to the paper position by releasing the gray levers and moving the tractors. The paper should lie flat with no buckling or bulging (tractors too close) or no stretching or elongation of the holes (tractors too far apart).

  • Page 26: Printing On Fanfold Paper

    Printing on fanfold paper When printing on fanfold paper, take care not to print too close to the perforations that separate each sheet. The following shows the recommended print area for fanfold paper and cut-sheet paper. Fanfold paper Cut-sheet paper 4.23 mm 4.23 mm First page...

  • Page 27: Parking Fanfold Paper

    Parking fanfold paper It is not necessary to remove fanfold paper currently loaded in the printer in order to print on cut-sheet paper. Instead, simply use the following procedure to park the fanfold paper. 1. Press the control panel’s ON LINE button to put the printer off-line. 2.

  • Page 28: Control Panel Operations

    3. Control Panel Operations The control panel gives you push-button control over the printer’s operations. It also includes indicator lights, which tell you the current status of the printer at a glance. SET/PARK/EJECT button LINE FEED button ON LINE button MODE TEAR OFF ON LINE...

  • Page 29: Switching Between On-Line And Off-Line

    Switching between on-line and off-line • Press the ON LINE button to switch the printer between on-line and off-line modes. • When the printer is on-line, the ON LINE indicator is lit and the printer can receive data from the computer. Make sure that the printer is on-line whenever you are trying to print.
  • Page 30 Panel lock mode When the printer is in the panel lock mode, the mode settings you make on the control panel are used even if your software tries to override the mode. Use the following procedure to enter the panel lock mode. 1.

  • Page 31: Control Panel Functions In Off-Line Mode

    Control panel functions in off-line mode Line feed Press the LINE FEED button once to feed the paper one line. Holding down the LINE FEED button continually feeds the paper, 1/6” (default) at a time, until you release the button. The line feed is executed using the current line feed value.
  • Page 32 Micro paper feed Use the following procedure to feed the paper in 1/60-inch increments. This function can be used to align the print head exactly where you want it. Press the LINE FEED button while holding down the ON LINE button to execute micro paper feed.
  • Page 33 Pressing the LINE FEED button The printer executes micro forward paper feed, and the auto loading value is increased. Pressing the SET/PARK/EJECT button The printer executes micro reverse paper feed, and the auto loading value is decreased. The auto loading value must be greater than 0 inch. If the auto loading value is less than 14/360 inch, the micro reverse paper feed is not executed.

  • Page 34: Using The Eds Mode

    4. Using the EDS Mode EDS stand for Electronic DIP Switches. Just like the small DIP switches that are used by computers, printers, and other devices, the EDS lets you configure the printer for your application. This chapter describes how to enter the printer’s EDS Mode and provides details about available settings and how to change them.

  • Page 35: Selecting A Eds Number

    Selecting a EDS number In the EDS Modes , use the control panel’s LINE FEED button, while holding down SET/PARK/EJECT button to select a EDS number. When pressed the button, current setting of the bank is printed. Selecting a bank While in the EDS Modes , use the control panel’s SET/PARK/EJECT button to select a bank.
  • Page 36 Use the information in the following table to change the EDS settings. < EDS-1> BANK FUNCTION ( Reserved ) ( Reserved ) Print mode (x1) * OFF ON Draft (x3) Character pitch 10 CPI * OFF 12 CPI OFF ON 15 CPI OFF OFF 17 CPI OFF ON...
  • Page 37 Printer mode The relation between the printer quality and the printer speed is as follows: Printer quality LQ > Draft Printer speed Draft > LQ The values inside the parentheses are print speed ratios with respect to LQ. Character table / IBM character set See Appendix B, “Character set”...
  • Page 38 < EDS-2> BANK FUNCTION Input buffer Large ( 54.5 K bytes ) * Small ( 1K byte ) Auto CR with LF Enabled * Disabled Auto LF with CR Disabled * Enabled Buzzer Enabled * Disabled Saving Control Panel Status Panel Macro * Auto Saving Quiet mode...
  • Page 39 Auto CR with LF When auto CR (carriage return) with LF (line feed) is enabled, the printer automatically performs a carriage return whenever it receives a LF code from the computer. This moves the print position to the beginning of the next line.
  • Page 40 Multi-part mode When the printer is in the Multi-part Mode, the print head prints with greater impact. It should be noted, however, that printing in the Multi- part Mode also reduces the life of the print head. Because of this, you should use the Multi-part Mode only for printing on four or five-ply paper.
  • Page 41 Print direction This function selects bi-directional printing or uni-directional printing. Printing is normally bi-directional, but uni-directional printing allows for precise vertical printing alignment. Print direction command When disabled (ON), the preset printing direction overrides the print direction commands sent by your software. CR centering at top of form This function is used to improve the paper feed precision when inserting paper, ejecting paper, printing at the top or bottom edge of a paper, and...
  • Page 42 < EDS-3> BANK FUNCTION International character U.S.A * OFF France OFF ON Germany OFF OFF England OFF ON Denmark-1 OFF ON OFF Sweden OFF OFF ON Italy OFF OFF OFF Spain-1 OFF ON Japan OFF ON OFF Norway OFF ON OFF ON Denmark-2 OFF ON...

  • Page 43: International Character Set

    International character set See Appendix C, “Character set” for details. Code page A code page is the set of symbols and characters that your printer can print. Your printer converts ASCII hexadecimal data according to a code page to print symbols and characters. By supporting different code pages, the printer can print in a variety of different languages.
  • Page 44 < EDS-4> BANK SW FUNCTION Page length (Cut-sheet paper) OFF ON 3.5 inch OFF OFF 11/3 inch OFF ON 4.0 inch OFF ON 5.5 inch OFF OFF ON 6.0 inch OFF OFF OFF 7.0 inch OFF ON 8.0 inch OFF ON 8.5 inch OFF ON OFF ON...
  • Page 45 < EDS-5> BANK SW FUNCTION Page length (Fanfold paper) ( 11/4 inch ) ( 3.0 inch ) OFF ON ( 3.5 inch ) OFF OFF ( 11/3 inch ) OFF ON ( 4.0 inch ) OFF ON 5.5 inch OFF OFF ON 6.0 inch OFF OFF OFF 7.0 inch...

  • Page 46: Control Codes List

    5. Control Codes List < ESC/P mode> Command HEX code Function Beeper Backspace Tab horizontally Line feed Tab vertically Form feed Carriage return Select Double-width printing (1 line) Select Condensed printing Cancel Condensed printing Cancel Double-width printing (1 line) Cancel line Delete last character in buffer ESC SO 1B 0E...
  • Page 47 ESC : 0 n 0 1B 3A 30 n 30 Copy standard character ROM font into ESC < 1B 3C Select Unidirectional mode (1 line) ESC = 1B 3D Set MSB to 0 ESC > 1B 3E Set MSB to 1 ESC ? n m 1B 3F n m Reassign Bit-image mode...
  • Page 48 ESC k n 1B 6B n Select Type style family Roman Sanserif OCR B ESC l n 1B 6C n Set left margin ESC p n 1B 70 n Turn proportional mode on / off Returns to current fixed character pitch Selects proportional spacing ESC q n 1B 71 n...

  • Page 49: Troubleshooting

    6. Troubleshooting The appendix will provide help if you experience problems with your printer. It tells you how to test the printer, how to check system software settings, and how to adjust the vertical alignment. In addition, there is information on actions to take for specific problems, and on the meanings of printer beep tones.

  • Page 50: Long Test

    Long test Use the following procedure to test the printer to make sure that everything is working correctly. 1. Make sure that paper is loaded in the printer. 2. Turn off the printer. 3. While holding down the control panel’s LINE FEED button, turn the printer back on.

  • Page 51: Adjusting The Dot Alignment

    Adjusting the dot alignment You may never have to use the procedure described in this section, but after you have been using your printer for some time you may find that the dots of some graphics do not align correctly. For example, what should look like: may come out looking like one of the following: or like this This is caused when mechanical parts of the printer get out of alignment.

  • Page 52: Troubleshooting Guide

    Troubleshooting guide Use the following table to help track down the causes of problems and to determine the best solution to deal with them. Problem Possible Cause Recommended Action Check whether the power The ON LINE indicator does The printer is not receiving cord is correctly plugged into not light.
  • Page 53 Problem Possible Cause Recommended Action Set up the printer for the Line spacing is incorrect. Jamming paper. paper thickness you are using. See "Adjusting for paper thickness table" on page 15. Choose a different line The line spacing or leading spacing or leading setting selected in your application from your application.
  • Page 54 Problem Possible Cause Recommended Action Switch off the printer and let it Printer case is hot. The printer’s air vents are cool. Check the air vents on blocked or obstructed. the bottom of the printer to see if they are blocked. Remove the obstruction if possible.
  • Page 55 Problem Possible Cause Recommended Action Remove all paper from the Left margin moves to the The paper is not loaded printer and reload it. Try right during printing. correctly, causing the print printing again. head to jam. Make sure that the ribbon The ribbon cassette is not cassette is installed correctly.
  • Page 56 Problem Possible Cause Recommended Action Choose different settings in Some characters are printed Inappropriate settings are your application. incorrectly. selected by your application program. Return the printer to your Wires are missing from the dealer for repair. print head. Check to make sure that the Printer behaves erratically.

  • Page 57: Appendix A. Specifications

    Appendix A: Specifications Printing System Serial Impact Dot-Matrix Printing Speed (Character per Sec.) Draft (When using Normal mode) 10CPI 12CPI 15CPI 17.1CPI 20CPI Print Direction Draft: Uni-directional/ bi-directional logic seeking (selectable) Uni-directional/ bi-directional logic seeking (selectable) Bit-Image: Uni-directional/ bi-directional logic seeking (selectable) Print Head Number of pins:...
  • Page 58 Paper Cut-sheet paper Width: 125 to 257 mm / 4.9 to 10.12 inches Length: 85 to 364 mm / 3.3 to 14.33 inches Paper Sizes: 105 x 148 mm (Landscape) 128.5 x 182 mm (Portrait, Landscape) 148 x 210 mm (Portrait, Landscape) 182 x 257 mm (Portrait, Landscape) 210 x 297mm (Portrait) 257 x 364mm (Portrait)

  • Page 59: Parallel Interface

    Parallel Interface Connector Signals Name Function STROBE Goes low for 0.5 s when active. DATA0 These signals represent information for the 1st DATA1 through 8th bit of parallel data, respectively. Each DATA2 signal is HIGH when data is logical 1, and LOW DATA3 when logical 0.

  • Page 60: Appendix B. Character Sets

    Appendix B: Character Sets IBM Graphics Character Set #2 Code Page #437 (U.S.A.) Italic Character Set #2 – 55 –...
  • Page 61 IBM Graphics Character Set #1 Italic Character Set #1 – 56 –...
  • Page 62 Code Page #737 Code Page #772 Greek Lithuanian Code Page #774 Code Page #850 Lithuanian Multi-lingual Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. – 57 –...
  • Page 63 Code Page #851 Code Page #852 Greek Latin-2 Code Page #858 Code Page #860 Multi-lingual with Euro Portuguese Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. – 58 –...
  • Page 64 Code Page #861 Code Page #863 Icelandic Canadian French Code Page #865 Code Page #866 Nordic Russian Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. – 59 –...
  • Page 65 Code Page #869 Code Page #928 Greek Greek Code Page #2001 Code Page #3001 Lithuanian-KBL Estonian-1 Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. – 60 –...
  • Page 66 Code Page #1001 Arabic Code Page #3002 Code Page #3011 Estonian-2 Lavian-1 Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. – 61 –...
  • Page 67 Code Page #3012 Code Page #3021 Lavian-2 Bulgarian Code Page #3031 Code Page #3041 Hebrew Maltese Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. – 62 –...
  • Page 68 Code Page #3840 Code Page #3841 IIBM-Russian Gost Code Page #3843 Code Page #3844 Polish Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. – 63 –...
  • Page 69 Code Page #3845 Code Page #3846 Hungarian Turkish Code Page #3847 Code Page #3848 Brazil-ABNT Brazil-ABICOMP Other characters are the same as those for Code Page #437. – 64 –...
  • Page 70 International Character Set – 65 –...

  • Page 71: Appendix C. Control Panel Operation Guide

    Appendix C. Control Panel Operation Guide TEAR OFF ON LINE POWER P.E. : Push SET/PARK LINE FEED EJECT FORM FEED : Hold MICRO FEED Print mode Tear off (Page) OFF-LINE Panel lock (Print mode) Panel Macro (Print mode & Panel Lock) ON-LINE Set / Park / Eject Line Feed...
  • Page 72 STAR MICRONICS ASIA LTD. HEAD OFFICE EUROPEAN OFFICE Rm. 1901-6, 19/F., Enterprise Square Two, C.P. 58, CH-6914 Carona, 3 Sheung Yuet Road, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong Ticino, Switzerland TEL: +852-2796-2727 TEL: +41-91-630.62.08 FAX: +852-2799-9344 FAX: +41-91-630.62.09 E-mail: smh@starhkg.com.hk E-mail: Gaudenz.Juon@dial.eunet.ch...

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