Welch Allyn Spot Vital Signs LXi

Service Manual Technical Overview

63

Printer Description

All models of the Ap1300 printer use an industry standard RS-232 interface. The default parameters are 9600 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, and no parity.

Serial data is expected in standard RS-232C format with -12 Volt meaning ‘mark’ or ‘1’ and

+12 Volt a logical ‘0’, with reference to the common ground. The serial data output line,

TxD, transmits XON/XOFF and status information to the host at the same Baud rate and in the same format as the serial data input. The hardware busy line is true (nominal -12 Volt) when busy. Both serial output lines will relax to approximately 0 Volt when the Ap1300 is in sleep mode and the user must allow a short period after awakening before relying on the values of these signals.

The Ap1300 has three operating modes, when not actually printing.

Idle Mode

Sleep Mode

Spool Mode

Ready to accept data, but no data are in the buffer awaiting printing and the printer motor is not running.

Effectively switched off.

Active, but storing data for later printing.

Different color combinations on the front-panel LED indicate the modes. No light is emitted in sleep mode.

Table 14. LED Pattern Table

Pattern

Constant Green

Fast Flashing Green

Long Green - Short Red

Short Green - Short Red

Short Green - Long Orange

Battery

Running

Running

Battery Low

Battery Low

Trickle Charging

Long Orange Flash

Fast Flashing Orange

Fast Flashing Red

Trickle Charging

Fast charging

Error Condition

No Light Flat or in sleep mode

* Spool may have resulted from Paper Out or Head Up conditions)

Buffer Mode

Normal

Spool *

Normal

Spool *

Normal

Spool *

Spool (Printing prohibited)

Spool (Printing prohibited)

No hardware power switch is fitted, as power control is either automatic or by command from the host computer. To save power, the printer enters sleep mode after a period of inactivity, factory-set to 30 seconds, but prorammable from the host. It can also be programmed to stay idle indefinitely or to go to sleep on command.

The Ap1300 utilizes Fujitsu FTP-628MCL 103 printer mechanism, with a fixed (parallel) print head with 384 horizontally-arranged thermal elements. A stepper motor advances the paper and the printing takes place in a single-dot row for each step of the paper. Each printed dot is approximately 1/8 mm square. The printing speed and dot density are controlled according to the battery voltage and the head temperature.