Microcom 48-466 - Manual (Page 51)

Chapter 5 Printer Commands
48-466 Operators Manual 45
5.3.6 SAVING FORMAT COMMANDS
The printer has the capability to store up to 128 format files in RAM without processing them. Later,
these files can be accessed repeatedly at very high speeds, because access is now a direct
memory fetch. With the use of battery backed RAM socket, the printer will retain these format files
after the removal of power. The printer can be configured through software dip switch 2 (see section
5.3), to automatically process the file at power up. The printer treats these files exactly as if they
were sent through the communication port.
The maximum number of stored files depends on the size of the files and the amount of memory
installed in the printer. The standard 512K RAM configuration offers 320K of format storage area .
^A ^D Command
XX 54 Send Saved Format File to Serial Port: ^A selects which one (1-128).
XX 58 Process Saved Format: ^A selects which user entered format (1-128) is to be
printed.
XX 59 Save Format File: ^A selects which slot (1-128) in which the user entered format
is to be placed. The format file must be terminated by an ESC (1B hex) character.
100 Clear User RAM: This command will clear all downloaded fonts, graphics, and
stored label formats. This command must be issued before saving format files or
when saved format files need to be changed. There is no way to erase or change a
single slot.
USAGE:
Before sending the first downloadable format file, graphic, or font, the RAM must be initiated
by sending ^D1005. When this command is issued, all previously saved files will be erased.
Therefore, it also works as a memory clear operation. Only use this command before
sending the first file or when a total RAM clear is needed.
Next send the ^A1^D595 command sequence. This indicates to the printer that file #1 of a
possible 128 is being sent to the printer. After this command, follows the format file.
The format file must be terminated with an escape character (1B hex) so that the printer
knows that the complete file has been sent down. The printer will not accept an ASCII
representation of the escape character (^[).
To access the stored file, serially send ^A1^D585, where ^A1 indicates the number of the file
that is accessed. The printer will now process the stored file.
All proceeding files sent to the printer to be saved also receive the ^AX^D59 command,
where X denotes the number of the file. Be sure that the ^D100 command is not sent again.
This will erase all stored files.
It is important to note that the saved format file mode works very well with variable text.
Configure the format file with all the positioning data, header information and fixed text.
Terminate the file with an escape character. Select the saved format and send the variable
data as normal. It may be the difference between sending a few lines of data versus the
entire format! Access is very fast.