Section 2. Command Codes - SATO E series Programming Manual

This section contains the basic Command Codes for the SATO "e" and PRO Series
printers. Commands for the oprions and specialized functions are provided in the
following sections. Commands must be sent to the printer in an organized fashion in
order for the label(s) to print.
The purpose of this section is to:
• Explain the different commands and provide examples of their usage.
• To provide a detailed reference for programming the printers.
Each command begins on a separate page with its own heading. A uniform layout is
used to help you find key information about each command. For each Command
Code in this section, there will be a sample data input stream to the printer and the
expected print output. By studying the examples, you can learn how to use the
particular command within a whole block of printer code. Pay particular attention to
the "Special Notes" with each command to learn other important information.
The subject commands are highlighted in bold letters in the Reference Sheets. There
are two parts of most, but not all, commands. The first is the command character
which immediately follows the <ESC> code. It is always an upper case alpha or a
special character (such as an "&" or a "%"). It is never a lower case alpha character. If
the command requires additional variable information, it is represented by a group of
lower case alpha characters immediately following the command character. For
example, if an aaaabb is listed following the basic command, the printer will look for
six characters immediately following the command. The first four would represent the
value of aaaa and the next two the value of bb.
The maximum number of characters defined in a parameter is represented by the
number of characters shown in the command structure. For example, a command
followed by an aaaa can have up to four characters. In general, commands with only
one parameter following the command can be entered without the leading zeroes.
However, certain commands require the exact number of matching characters. A
command with two parameters listed following the command code without a comma
delimiter, such as aaaabbbb require the exact number of digits to be entered. If the
value of aaaa is "800" and the value of bbbb is "300", then the parameters must be
entered as "08000300". It is recommended that you make it a practice to always enter
leading zeros to prevent any mistakes.
NOTE: These examples assume the use of the Standard Protocol Command
Codes, a parallel interface and a 5 inch wide label in a M-8400RVe printer.
The labels for all other printers will be similar, but, because of different
resolutions and print widths may be larger or scaled differently.
An alphabetical listing of the command codes is contained in Appendix A:Command
Code Quick Reference.
SATO Programming Reference
SECTION 2.
COMMAND CODES
Page 2-1