DA-590 INK JET PRINTER OPERATION MANUAL Part # M-3021 Revision Date: 2/97
RENA Systems, Inc. 136 Green Tree Rd Ste 140 PO Box 1069 Oaks, PA 19456-1069 Telephone: 610/650-9170 Fax: 610/650-9171 E-Mail: rena@enter.net Web Site: http://www.renausa.com Every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of this manual. RENA Systems shall not be held liable for any errors contained herein or for any consequential or incidental damages incurred as a result of acting on information contained in this manual. Technical specifications may change due to design advances.
Important Notes on Safety PLEASE READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY KEEP THEM WITHIN EASY REACH FOR LATER USE All direction and warning labels on the printer must be observed. Setting up the printer Electrical safety • When setting up the printer, make sure that it is positioned securely and is level. If it is allowed to tilt, roll away or drop, injuries may result. • The printer must be protected from moisture.
Let your RENA service technician check the printer! Parts IN THE FOLLOWING CASES, DISCONNECT THE PRINTER FROM THE POWER SUPPLY ! • • • • The power cable or power socket are damaged. Liquid has penetrated the printer. The printer was exposed to moisture. If the printer does not function as described in the operating instructions, or there is no improvement with the aid of these instructions. • The printer was dropped and/or the housing is damaged. • If the printer shows clear signs of a defect.
CONTENTS Page Important information on safety Power connection N.1 Voltage selection Changing fuses 1. 2. N.1 N.2 Introduction What can the the DA 590 printer do? 1.1 The parts of the DA 590 printer 1.2 Technical data 1.3 Operating the printer Connecting the printer 2.1 Interface cable Power cable 2.1 2.1 Turning the printer on 2.2 What does the display show ? 2.3 What do the keys mean ? 2.4 When are the keys active ? 2.5 On-line mode Off-line mode 3. 2.5 2.
4. Defining the print position 3.4 Rotating the address block 3.4 Setting the left margin 3.5 Setting the top margin 3.5 Setting the side guides 3.5 Setting the horizontal elevation guide 3.6 Setting the vertical elevation guide 3.7 Aligning the exit rollers 3.8 Feeding without printing 3.8 Printing The Print Head 4.
Menu overview 5.3 An explanation of the menu fields A programming example Initializing the printer 6. 5.4 5.12 5.12 Interface Centronics parallel interface 6.1 Pin assignment 6.2 Signal description 6.3 Circuit extract 6.3 7. Fonts Terminology 7.1 Type Face Serif and Sans Serif font types 7.1 7.1 Spacing 7.2 Fixed spacing Proportional spacing Pitch \text\da590\contents 7.2 7.2 7.2 Point size 7.3 Char. Height 7.3 Char. Width 7.3 Char. Spacing 7.4 Quality 7.4 I.
NLQ LQ 7.4 7.4 Character set 7.5 7-bit character set 8-bit character set 8. 7.5 7.5 Error messages and solutions Note on maintenance 9. 8.2 Appendix Character sets 9.1 7-bit character sets 8-bit character sets 9.1 9.12 Software considerations 9.19 DOS Form Feeds Windows HP Deskjet 500 driver Automatic barcode feature DA-590 control commands \text\da590\contents 9.19 9.19 9.20 9.21 9.23 9.24 I.
Introduction Introduction What can the DA-590 printer do? The DA-590 is an inkjet cartridge printer that gives a true 300 dpi (dots per inch) print-out. The DA-590 prints on envelopes, catalogues , brochures, self-mailers, magazines and cards. It will print on any media that will accept ink from a cartridge. The DA-590 can print on a single thickness of 20lb. paper up to media 5/32” (more than 1/8”) thick. The DA-590 has three internal fonts, Cour12 (Courier 12 Pt. 10 cpi), Helv14 (Helvetica 12 Pt.
Introduction The parts of the DA-590 printer: 1. Inner side guide (326.0.101) 2. Outer side guide (326.0.100) 3. Material to be printed 4. Guide block 5. Elevation guide 6. Power input and power switch 7. Parallel interface (36-pin ) 8. Paper thickness setting 9. Controls (see next page) 10. Lock for separators 11. Fine adjustment for separators 12. Exit rollers 13. Inkjet print head \text\da590\introduction 1.
Introduction Technical Data Dimensions L x W x H (mm) (inches - approx.) 372 x 347 330 (14.6 x 13.7 x 13) Media size Length (mm) (inches - approx.) Width (mm) (inches - approx.) 75 - 500 (3 - 19.7) 70 - 435 (2.8 - 17.1) Media thickness (mm) (inches - approx.) 4 (.16) Thickness difference (mm) (inches - approx.) maximum 1 (.04) (from one side to the other) Media types Envelopes. self-mailers, documents, single sheets, booklets, catalogues, cards.
Introduction Automatic changeover Technical Data (continued) \text\da590\introduction 1.
Introduction \text\da590\introduction Printing speed 115 chars/sec Pitch Cour12: 10 cpi Helv14: proportional font TmsRmn12: proportional font Print width 6.
Introduction Technical Data (continued) Fuses \text\da590\introduction Power input 220,240V: 2 x 1.6A (slow) 100,120V: 2 x 2.5A (slow) Printer electronics (110, 220V) 2 x 3.15A (slow) Noise < 55 dB at 1 m (39”) distance (ISO 9296) Certification GS for 3 years (European) 1.
2. Operating the printer Connecting the printer Interface cable Power cable Plug a parallel printer cable from your computer into jack (7) and secure it. CAUTION ! The DA-590 is a class 1 safety device Use grounded circuits only! Plug the power cable into (6). Κ | The parallel interface cable should not be longer than 6’. \text\da590\operation 2.
Operating the printer Turning the printer on Switch the printer on with the power switch (6a). 1=ON, 0 = OFF The following display appears briefly, to indicate printer initialization. DA 590 Initialization Inkjet The printer is now in off-line mode, with this display: 100% Off Cour12 LQ Set1U 000000 Nor These displays are described on the following page. \text\da590\operation 2.
Operating the printer What does the display show ? What do the keys mean ? \text\da590\operation 2.
Operating the printer The four keys in the middle have a dual meaning depending on the operating mode (on-line or off-line)! “start” key The “start” key is used to toggle between on-line and off-line mode. “pap” key The “pap” key feeds in or ejects media. “test” key The “test” key feeds in one document, prints a test address on it and ejects it. “prog” key The “prog” key puts the printer into programming mode.
Operating the printer “ð” key The right “ð” arrow key adjusts the print start position toward the leading edge of the media. “ ” key Press this key (backspace) once for each address to be reprinted (maximum 10). “ ” key Pressing this key will rotate the printing direction by 180°. “start”+ “pap” keys “test” + “pap” keys Pressing these two keys at the same time resets the address counter to “0”.
3. Setting up to print Printing Gap For postcards and thin documents you can work with the smallest space between the print head and the material (the printing gap). If the print head smudges the print, or if the material is particularly thick (such as a booklet), the gap between the print head and the material should be increased. Setting the material thickness \text\da590\printing - Turn the knob (8) to the most open setting (see arrow).
printing Setting up the paper feed - Turn each of the two outside knurled screws (11) about half a turn away from the stop, towards the middleposition (see figure on right). - Unlock the center knurled screw (10), lift it up and lock it again in its raised position (see arrow). - Place the thickest part of one piece of the material (3) between the separators and the input feed roller (see arrow below). \text\da590\printing 3.
printing - Unlock the center knurled screw (10), and let the separators drop down onto the material. When the center knurled screw (10) is locked again, the separators are set. - If the material is skewing when it is fed in, you can make fine adjustments by turning either of the two outside knurled screws (11) without unlocking the center knurled screw (10). \text\da590\printing 3.
printing Defining the print position Before beginning to print, you must decide where you want to print on the material. The printing area is indicated by arrows on the decal on the housing above the print head. The printing area is 6.5” (165 mm ) from the inside, where the print head housing meets the body of the printer, out to where the operator stands. Rotating the address block The optimal printing direction depends on the size of the piece and where you want to print on it.
printing Setting the left margin The left margin is the distance between the edge of the printer’s print area and the first printed character. (See the decal on top of the print head housing.) The default setting for the left margin is 0 mm. Use programming mode to set the left margin 0-150 mm (0-5.9 in.). See Sect. 5 in the “Left Margin” menu). Setting the top margin The top margin is the distance between the leading edge of the material and the first printed line.
printing Setting the horizontal elevation guide adjustment \text\da590\printing Loosen the knurled screw (a) and align the elevation guide (5) more or less in the middle of the material (3) being used. 3.
printing Setting the vertical elevation guide adjustment - Place two pieces of the material (3) on the elevation guide so that they rest against the separators (b) and the guide block (4). - Slide the guide block so that the bottom of the block just barely touches the top edge of the top piece of material. - Fan the material so that the bottom piece sticks out more than the top piece. - Adjusting the elevation guide angle: The optimum angle of the elevation guide depends on the length of the material.
printing Aligning the exit rollers Align the two exit rollers (12) so that the material is gripped evenly. The printed area must not pass under the exit rollers. Check the set-up by running several pieces through without printing. Feeding without printing Κ \text\da590\printing Press the “pap” key: a single piece should be fed in. Press the “pap” key again and a single piece should be ejected and the next single piece should be fed in.
Printing 4. Printing Print head Printing is performed with a standard commercial inkjet cartridge print head. When the ink is used up, the print head is replaced. Which print heads to use RENA Klick Kit inkjet cartridge system RENA Remanufactured inkjet cartridge Hewlett Packard 51626A inkjet cartridge When must the print head be replaced ? When 0% appears in the top left of the display.
Printing Changing the print head and resetting the ink status counter - Press the “start” key to go into off-line mode. Press the “prog” key. Press the “prev” key to get to the “HEAD RESET” menu. Press the “enter” key twice: The print head will move away from the “park” position. Press the leaf spring (d) in the direction of the arrow to eject the print head (13). -Remove the print head by tilting it out towards the exit side of the printer. -Follow the instructions supplied with the new print head.
Printing Cleaning the print head nozzles The print head nozzles are cleaned automatically - before each test print. after switching from off-line to on-line. after approximately every 100 printed addresses. when no data is received after end of printing. The print head nozzles should be cleaned manually if it has not been used for several days. - To do so, remove the print head from the printer (see diagram above). - Slide a piece of paper across the print head nozzles back and forth several times.
Printing Counting addresses Every printout is counted after the material has been ejected. The number can be seen in the upper right of the display. The printer performs two different and independent types of address counting. Counting printed addresses This count occurs after each address is printed. The count is maintained while the printer is in on-line mode. The number remains visible in the display until you go off-line and press the “test” key.
5. Printer functions Programming mode The printer is delivered with factory default menu settings. To change the print quality, for example, you must go into programming mode. What is programming Programming mode is used for the manual setting of specific parameters via the control panel. mode for ? The “menu overview” section lists the menu fields and their options. Κ The printer set-up can be changed by using the RENASET program, by sending escape sequences from software , or in programming mode.
Printer functions What does the display show in programming mode? How the keys function in programming mode. In programming mode, the top line of key descriptions are active (end, next, prev, enter). “enter” key Use “enter” to toggle between displaying the menu field and the option field. The currently active field blinks. The last setting is always saved. “next” key Use “next” to move to the next active field choice. “prev” key Use “prev” to move to the previous active field choice.
Printer functions “end” key \text\da590\printer functions Use “end” to leave programming mode and return to normal mode. 5.
Printer functions Menu overview - the underlined values are the factory default settings: \text\da590\printer functions Menu Option SETTING No 0 No 1 ... No 9 FONT Cour12 Helv14 TmsRm12 PRINT QUALITY LQ NLQ CHAR. SPACING 0 1 2 ... 29 30 CHAR. HEIGHT norm doub trip CHAR. WIDTH off doub trip LINE SPACING 1 2 ... 6 ... 10 (lines per inch) LEFT MARG.
Printer functions An explanation of the menu fields SETTING Selection of a user-defined set-up. You may create various set-ups yourself and store these as a “setting”. Nine of the ten setting options, “No 1” - “No 9” are available for user defined set-ups. The first option, “No 0”, is reserved for factory default settings. If you select setting “No 0”, programming mode is terminated immediately after pressing the “enter” key. You cannot make any changes to setting “No 0”.
Printer functions LEFT MARG. This allows you to define the spacing between the edge of the print area and the first printed character. The range is 0-150 mm. By pressing and holding down the “prev” or the “next” key, the margin change is performed in cm-steps (1 cm = 10 mm), instead of in mm-steps. TOP MARGIN This allows you to define the spacing between the leading edge of the material and the first printed line. The range is 0-400 mm.
Printer functions SELECT ZIP SEARCH British postal barcode, kix Dutch postal barcode, 2/5I 2 of 5 interleave industrial barcode or ean industrial barcode. If the “enter” key is pressed while “ZIP” is flashing the following option is offered: “ZIP SEARCH : off” You may choose between the options “off”, “zip” and “dpbc”. In the setting “zip” the nine (or five) digits of the ZIP code from the last line of the address are recognized and the corresponding postnet barcode (with check sum) is printed.
Printer functions The values for LEFT MARGIN and TOP MARGIN can be changed to your requirements to match the position of the address on the envelope. Κ PRINT MODE EJECT DELAY When selectiong conv (convntional lower right) for automatic barcode placement, always use a USPS template to check for the proper positioning of the barcode.
Printer functions HEX TO ASCII HEX TO ASCII conversion off/on If conversion is switched on, the printer interprets the per-cent symbol “%” as a non-printable control character. The two characters following the “%” symbol are interpreted as Hexadecimal values and combined into a single character. Example: LINE MODE %0C = 0C = Form Feed Line mode off / 1 - 99 lines This creates a form feed after a specific number of line feeds.
Printer functions EMULATION Κ SETTING LOCKED The DA-590 printer can be operated with software programs that were created for other RENA printers. To do so, the relevant printer must be selected in the menu option "Emulation". Not all control instructions of the other printers are recognized, such as graphics instructions ! You may “lock” each setting individually. This means that the corresponding set-up cannot be changed via software escape sequences.
Printer functions Κ For the following service points, letter size paper must be loaded for under the print head for printing! Head Test print in which the print head nozzles are individually fired. Char Printout of the currently selected character set. HexD Hex-Dump causes all received characters to be printed from the receive buffer in hexadecimal. Κ The Hex-Dump prints out only in Cour12 ! Pressing the “prog”, “end” or “start” keys terminate Hex-Dump.
Printer functions The following is an example of a SetD print out: DA590 SETTING FONT PRINT QUALITY CHAR. SPACING CHAR. HEIGHT CHAR. WIDTH LINE SPACING LEFT MARG. [mm] TOP MARGIN [mm] ORIENTATION CHARACTER SET BIT8 SET TO BARCODE SELECT ZIP SEARCH ZIP POSITION PRINT MODE EJECT DELAY PAPER SPEED AUTO LF HEX TO ASCII LINE MODE DELIMITER < > CARRIAGE CORR. EMULATION SETTING LOCKED ADDRCOUNTER PROM SETTINGS No 3 Cour12 LQ 0 norm off 6 33 50 Nor PC8 Bit8 zip dpbc top aut.
Printer functions A programming example You want to change the set up from 6 lines per inch to 8 lines per inch. - Switch the printer on. Programming mode - Press the “prog” key. Activate required menu field - Use the “prev” or the “next” key to move to the “LINE SPACING” menu choice. “LINE SPACING” is blinking. Changing from menu field to option field - Press the “enter” key. The option field on the right with a “6” is blinking.
6. Interface The DA-590 printer is equipped with a standard data communication interface. The interface connection socket is Centronics parallel. It allows the printer to be connected to a terminal or a computer. Centronics parallel interface This interface is most frequently used for connecting to a personal computer. This interface usually requires no special instructions or configurations for the printer or computer. The Centronics parallel interface cable allows fast data transmission.
Interfaces Pin assignment PIN assignment of the 36-pin connector PIN Signal PIN Signal 1 _______ STROBE 19 GND 2 DATA 1 20 GND 3 DATA 2 21 GND 4 DATA 3 22 GND 5 DATA 4 23 GND 6 DATA 5 24 GND 7 DATA 6 25 GND 8 DATA 7 26 GND DATA 8 ______________ 10 ACKNOWLEDGE 27 GND 28 GND 11 BUSY 29 GND 12 PE 30 13 SELECT 31 14 --- 32 GND ____ INIT _____ ERROR 15 --- 33 GND 16 GND 34 --- 17 Chassis-GND 35 --- 18 + 5V 36 --- 9 The signal description is
Interfaces Signal description \text\da590\Interface PIN associated GND 1 19 2-9 Signal Signal- Meaning In./Out. STROBE E This pulse (0.
Interfaces Circuit extract \text\da590\Interface 6.
7. Fonts Terminology A font is a collection of characters and symbols with the same type face and spacing, the same height, line thickness and characteristics (Italic, Bold etc.). Type Face A Type Face is a set of characters and symbols of a specific design. Cour Helv TmsRm Serif and sans serif Serifs are small cross-lines above or below characters (known font types as "feet" in the Antiqua fonts). Cour (Courier) and TmsRm (Times Roman) are Serif fonts. Fonts without serifs are known as Sans Serif.
Fonts Spacing Fixed spacing Spacing refers to the relative position of the characters of a font. Character spacing may be either fixed or proportional. With fixed character spacing, each character of a font assumes the same width and has the same spacing as the adjacent characters. fixed spacing of each character Proportional spacing With proportional character spacing, the spacing depends on the width of a character.
Fonts Point size CHAR. HEIGHT CHAR. WIDTH \text\DA590\fonts Point size refers to the height of a font from the bottom of the lowest descending character (i.e. j or y) to the top of the highest character (i.e. F or T). Point size is measured in pica points. One point corresponds to approximately 1/72 of an inch. A 12 point font is 1/6” high. You can print (e.g. for large envelopes)a font two or three times normal height while maintaining the character width and spacing.
Fonts CHAR. SPACING To bring single words out more clearly, you can expand the spacing between letters and words without changing the character size itself. The word E x a m p l e is printed adding character spacing. Quality Quality refers to the number of dots printed per inch. Letter Quality prints 300 dots per inch. Near Letter Quality prints 150 dots per inch. Near Letter (NLQ) Near Letter Quality is used for faster printing with lower ink consumption. (2-2.
Fonts Character set A character set consists of characters and symbols that contain all elements of a language (country-specific characters), including punctuation marks and numerals. 7-bit character set The 7-bit character sets correspond to the definitions of the “International Standards Organization” (ISO) and the “American Standard Code for Information Interchange” (ASCII). 7-bit character sets contain 128 characters. An example of a 7-bit character set is shown below.
8. Error messages and solutions Error message Cause Solution Setting locked !! Configuration is blocked. Select the option “Setting locked:” “no” in programming mode No addresses !! No addresses stored, hence address cannot be repeated. Transmit data to printer. Too many characters !! Address contains too many Restrict the address size to 1.5 characters, therefore it cannot Kbytes. be repeated. Out of paper. Insert more forms (see Sec. 3). Paper jam.
Error messages and solutions Error message NO FORMFEED RECEIVED ERROR LCA !! CALL SERVICE CHECKSUM ERROR !! MAKE DEFAULT RESET Cause Solution No form feed character (0C hex) was received after an address was sent. Check the program setup in your software. Error in loading the LCA module. Call for service ! Error in buffered RAM Switch the printer off. Perform a default reset. Sec. 5). (see Error in the buffered RAM for ink status counter.
Appendix Software Considerations Here are a few of the basics regarding printing to the RENA DA-590 inkjet printer. • • • • • The DA-590 is an ASCII printer. This means that it expects to receive ASCII text information from a program. If fonts are sent to the DA-590 using the appropriate printer driver, the printer will print the font as a graphic. Graphic information is very voluminous and takes a very long time to download to the printer. The through-put of the printer will be reduced enormously.
Appendix One method of creating a form feed after each address is to turn on a feature called Line Mode . Line Mode will automatically force a form feed after a specific number of lines that you set up in the menu of the printer. For instance, if every address in a list has four lines, you would program in four lines in the Line Mode selection of the DA-590 menu and the printer would form feed after printing four lines.
Appendix \text\da590\appendix Manual 9.20 DA590 Instruction The HP DeskJet 500 driver is called HPDSKJET.DRV. For details, re-read the process for copying the Generic/Text Only driver above. All HP printer drivers reset a printer to factory defaults before formatting and sending information to the printer. We suggest that you send your top and left margins from your software, when using the HP DeskJet 500 driver. Using the Windows 3.
Appendix fonts are called Courier 10 pitch (use 12 pt. only), Helv (use 14 pt. only), Tms Rmn (use 12 pt. only). You may not use any other point size or other features such as Bold, Italic or Underline. 9.
Appendix You can use either the File Manager or a DOS Copy command to copy the file to a diskette. Place the diskette into the floppy drive of your Windows®95 computer. \text\da590\appendix Manual 9.
Software Use either Windows Explorer or the DOS Copy command to copy this file over the HPDSKJET.DRV file in the \Windows\System subdirectory. Open your application. When selecting the HP DeskJet 500 as the default printer in your application program be sure to select one of the internal fonts of the DA-590 as the default font. These fonts will be available in the listing of fonts available in Windows®. These are not True Type fonts.
Appendix DA-590 CONTROL COMMANDS Note: There should be NO SPACES between characters sent. The spacing below is for clarity ONLY! Printer Initialization Setting: # = 0-9: Font: Courier Helvetica Times Roman Print Quality: NLQ LQ Char. Spacing: # = 1-30 Char. Height: Single Height Double Height Triple Height Char. Width: Single Width Double Width Triple Width Line Spacing: # = 1-10 lpi Left Margin [mm]: # = 1-150mm Left Margin in [Columns]: # = columns (2.
Appendix DA-590 CONTROL COMMANDS Note: There should be NO SPACES between characters sent. The spacing below is for clarity ONLY! ASCII Bit 8 Set To: unchanged (Bit8) Esc ! $ 0 B set to 0 (Fix0) Esc ! $ 1 B set to 1 (Fix1) Esc ! $ 2 B Esc ! $ # D Eject Delay: # = 0 - 99 1 = .1 sec., 99 = 9.9 sec.
Appendix DA-590 CONTROL COMMANDS Note: There should be NO SPACES between characters sent. The spacing below is for clarity ONLY! Barcoding Codes ASCII Type of Bar-code: Zip (Postnet) Esc ( 15 Y 2 of 5 (Opt.
Power connection WARNING ! After changing the voltage, the fuses must also be changed ! (Fuse values can be read off the letterplate.) Changing fuses - Open the (housing) lid as described on the preceding page. Screw the recessed head screw (e) out, by one turn. First push the fuse mount (f) out horizontally and then lift it out. European fuses [2 fuses (d)] US fuse [1 fuse (d)] - \text\da590\power For a US fuse turn the fuse mount (f) upside down.
Power connection Power connection CAUTION ! Before plugging the power cable into the back of the printer check for the correct voltage setting on the power input module. If the setting is correct, go on to the sub-section on the “power cable”. Voltage selection - Remove the power cable! - Open the (housing) lid (a) at the slit (see arrow) with a small screwdriver or similar tool and place the fuse mount carefully to one side.
