Microcom 438 - Manual (Page 81)

Printer Commands Chapter 5
5-34 438 Operator’s Manual - 880052-0100
1. With the head mechanism latched in its normal print position, the user
inserts new media until it stops at the drive roller.
2. The printer senses the new media and waits the programmable amount of
time set by the ^D120 command (default is 1.5 seconds).
3. After the ^D120 time delay, the printer advances the media until the first
registration mark is sensed based on the current or previously executed
form size.
4. Label printing will resume if a job is pending.
Set ^D25 bit #6 to “1” to enable the use of AutoLoad + Form Feed.
The Autoload + FF may be used in conjunction with a saved format that acts as a template
for the form size used by the autoload feature. This method assures that the correct form
size used is loaded at power up enabling the autoload feature to be used when the printer is
powered on before sending print jobs. The saved format or template is typically a format
with the header configured for the media size/type being used and is configured to not print
automatically. Below is an example of a format that is being saved into memory that is used
as an autoload template and sent to the printer as part of the printer’s configuration.
Autoload+FF power up format example:
^A1^D131
(Deletes data saved into memory slot 1)
^A1^D130 (Save format into slot 1)
^D57 (A label format is coming.)
1,1280,900,19,38,7,0,1,385,0,0 (Header Information.)
1,1,1,,6,,,,1,1,,,,,0 (Field #1 format information (line draw).)
^D56 (Signals the end of the label field definition.)
^D2 (Text data is coming.)
. (Text data string #1.)
^[ (Used to mark the end of save format)
This would example saves the format into Flash memory slot 1. This format stored in slot 1
may know be selected as a power-up format that will be processed every time the printer is
power on. This is accomplished by using the ^D21 command bits 5-8; ^ABxxxx1001^D21.
It should be noted that the format example does not contain a print command. This is done
this way so that the saved template does not automatically execute when the printer is
turned on. Basically, the printer powers up and processes the format and is awaiting a print
request before executing the stored label. When using this as an autoload template, the
format does not have to print; it simply needs to load the correct media size to be used as
the alignment format.
5.5.2 AutoLoad + Top-Of-Form
This command is used on printers that are configured with a “Top-Of-Form” (TOF) sensor
option used to detect the leading edge of the media. AutoLoad with a TOF sensor prevents
the loss of the first label as in AutoLoad + FF.
Soft switch #5, bit #3 selects the type of TOF sensor. The TOF may a REFLECTIVE style,
or it may use a TRANSMISSIVE sensor for more accurate sensing.