Avery Dennison RFID - Manual (Page 23)

HowToRFID
Revision: 13 Date: 31 August 2009
Page 23 of 53
3.1.4 Chip protection
Another useful feature that can be activated on demand is “Chip protection”. Chips are part of the RFID inlay inside
a smart label. Most often they are much thicker than label material. Printing means putting pressure and heat to foil
and label. This might damage the chip. To prevent damage to the area where the chip resides, the print head can
be lifted in this area. Any printed output within the protected area is prevented.
Different implementations of chip protection
In printers without the capability for lifting the print head the chip protection features defines an unprintable area.
Any output in the chip protection area is suppressed so it stays blank. If you don’t use the chip protection keep in
mind that printing at the edges and on the inlay itself results in lower print quality due to the changes of thickness of
material.
Printer Effects
AP 5.4 Chip protection area is defined as unprintable area.
The head can’t be lifted.
The chip protection feature can be used to avoid printing inside the area of the inlay which may
result in lower printing quality because of the alternating thickness.
64-0x Chip protection area is defined as unprintable area.
Additionally the head will be lifted before the start of the chip protection area to ensure the path is
open when the chip passes the print line. The area is enlarged by the way the head physically
needs to lift completely and go back down. The enlargement depends from the print speed (higher
speed – higher enlargement)
DPM / ALX Same as 64-0x
PEM n/a
How to control the chip protection feature
EasyPlug: the #IM command gives full control over the chip protection feature. A value of 0 for the chip
position/offset disables the chip protection feature, a value greater than zero activates the chip protection feature.
Providing no value is identical to providing zero (which disables the feature).
Using the menu:
Parameter Effects
Chip protection Enable this parameter if you would like to activate chip protection. (See note below)
Chip size Visible if and only if parameter “Chip protection” is enabled. Defines size of area in regard to
printing direction that is excluded from printing.
For calculation of the protected area the chip size is centered around the the chip position (so the
size counts one times only) + a print speed depending offset for head up and down movement.
Chip offset Visible if and only if parameter “Chip protection” is enabled. The offset defines the beginning of the
chip protection area.
Note: The setting from the #IM command has highest priority. It activates (> 0) or deactivates (=0) the chip
protection feature depending from its value. After the #IM command was used in a job the menu reflects the last
setting from #IM command. De facto the menu setting “chip protection” can be seen as an informative / read only
parameter.
3.1.5 Recommendations for web / material handling
Adjusting the material pressure rollers
Please take care the pressure rollers don’t run over the RFID chip. Doing so will destroy the RFID inlays.