Printronix P5000 - Service Manual

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Quick Reference Manual404 pages

Questions and Answers

K
Kelly DanielSep 23, 2025
What does '31 PAPER OUT TIMEOUT' mean on Printronix Printer and how can I fix it?
- C
  Cory HintonSep 23, 2025
  The '31 PAPER OUT TIMEOUT' message indicates that, in the CT emulation with a coax interface, a time-out message is sent to the host if paper is not loaded within 10 minutes after CLEAR was pressed to clear a paper out fault. Load paper and run a print test. If the message persists, replace the paper detector switch assembly. If the message continues, replace the controller board.
L
linancyNov 24, 2025
How to fix 'CLEAR PAPER JAM' on Printronix Printer?
- J
  Joshua McguireNov 24, 2025
  The 'CLEAR PAPER JAM' message on your Printronix Printer indicates a paper jam. First, inspect the paper path for jams and clear any obstructions. Then, load paper. Press PAPER ADVANCE to check that forms feed without erratic motion, noise, or pin-hole damage. Press VIEW to ensure forms move up and that the forms thickness lever isn't too tight. Press VIEW again to check that the forms thickness lever rotates and the paper moves down. Check the paper tension between the tractors, adjusting the right tractor for slight tension. Inspect the ribbon mask for bends or deformation. Check and adjust the platen open belt. Inspect the tractors and tractor door springs for damage. Check the condition and tension of the paper feed belt, adjusting as needed. Check and adjust the platen gap. Clean the ...
B
Bobby JohnsonNov 24, 2025
How to resolve 'RIBBON STALL TIMEOUT' on Printronix Printer?
- A
  anewtonNov 24, 2025
  The 'RIBBON STALL TIMEOUT' message on your Printronix Printer indicates the ribbon has not moved for 10 minutes after CLEAR was pressed. First, set the forms thickness lever to match the paper thickness, but not too tightly. Inspect the ribbon guides for ink buildup and clean the printer. Inspect the hammer bank cover/ribbon mask for bending or damage. Check the platen gap and adjust if too small. Power off the printer, remove the paper path or pedestal top cover, and disconnect P106 and P107 from the controller board. Check the resistance of LRIB M in P106 and RRIB M in P107. If ribbon motor resistance is not correct, replace the motor. If the resistance is correct, disconnect the ribbon motor cables from the motors and check continuity, replacing a cable if it fails. If the message persi...
E
Evan ChambersNov 25, 2025
How do I fix a 'PAPER JAM TIMEOUT' error on my Printronix Printer?
- W
  William JordanNov 25, 2025
  The 'PAPER JAM TIMEOUT' message on your Printronix Printer indicates that paper motion has not occurred for 10 minutes after CLEAR was pressed to clear a paper jam fault. First, clear any paper jam and press CLEAR. Press PAPER ADVANCE several times to check that forms feed without erratic motion, noise, or pin-hole damage. Press VIEW once to check that forms move up, ensuring the forms thickness lever is not set too tightly. Press VIEW again to check that the forms thickness lever rotates and the paper moves down. Check the paper tension between the tractors, adjusting the right tractor so it holds the paper under slight tension. Inspect the ribbon mask for bends or deformation. Check the condition and tension of the platen open belt, adjusting it as needed. Inspect the tractors and tracto...
A
alexandralamNov 25, 2025
What does 'CLOSE PLATEN' mean on my Printronix Printer and how to fix it?
- T
  Tammy GonzalesNov 26, 2025
  The 'CLOSE PLATEN' message on your Printronix Printer indicates that the forms thickness lever is open. First, load paper and close the forms thickness lever. Power off the printer, remove the paper path or pedestal top cover, and disconnect connector P107 from the controller board. Check continuity of the platen interlock switch from P107/PLO to the switch. Replace the switch assembly if it fails the continuity test. With the forms thickness lever closed (position A), hold a 0.011 inch (0.028 cm) feeler gauge between the switch and the body of the forms thickness lever, gently press down on the switch, and tighten the two screws. Check and adjust the platen open belt. Replace the belt if it is damaged. Disconnect connector P106 from the controller board and check the resistance of connect...
K
kara06Dec 1, 2025
What does 'COIL HOT' mean on my Printronix Printer and how can I fix it?
- B
  bettyprestonDec 1, 2025
  The 'COIL HOT' message on your Printronix Printer indicates that one or more hammer coils are overheating. Move the printer to a cooler, cleaner location. If the user is running very dense graphics and layouts, advise the user to run jobs in smaller batches. Power off the printer, remove the paper path or pedestal top cover, and check all fan cable connections. Power on the printer and verify that all fans operate, replacing any that do not. Inspect vents and fan airways for obstructions. Install the paper path or pedestal top cover, load paper, and run the “All E’s” print test for 5 to 10 minutes. If the message persists, replace the shuttle frame assembly. Run the “All E’s” print test for 5 to 10 minutes. If the message persists, replace the controller board. If the printer is a 1500 lpm...
J
Joel ChenSep 4, 2025
How to resolve '23.5V CTL FAIL*' error on Printronix Printer?
- C
  Cheryl JosephSep 4, 2025
  The '23.5V CTL FAIL*' message indicates a voltage failure on the controller board. Cycle Power and run the print job again. If the message persists, download the emulation software again. Cycle power and run the print job again. If the message persists, replace the flash memory. If the message continues, replace the controller board. If the message persists, replace the power supply board. If the message continues, replace the shuttle frame assembly.
K
Kyle KingAug 25, 2025
What to do if my Printronix Printer displays '48V PWR FAIL*'
- D
  Dr. Sheryl Shaw DDSAug 25, 2025
  The '48V PWR FAIL*' message on your Printronix Printer indicates an internal power failure. Start by powering off the printer and removing the paper path or pedestal top cover. Check that the power supply connector P101 is fully seated in connector J101 on the controller board. If the printer has the expansion-CT board, ensure the 60-pin expansion adapter is correctly and fully seated in the controller board and the CT board. If the message appears, replace the hammer bank logic cable assembly (P108) and the power cable assembly (P105). If the message persists, replace the power supply board, the controller board, or the shuttle frame assembly.
W
wgilmoreAug 27, 2025
How to troubleshoot '48V CIRCUIT*' error on Printronix Printer?
- B
  Brian KruegerAug 27, 2025
  The '48V CIRCUIT*' message on your Printronix Printer indicates that the power supply isn't generating the correct voltage, or the controller board isn't detecting it. First, ensure the power supply board is correctly connected to the controller board. If the message persists, replace the power supply. If the message continues, replace the controller board.
D
Danielle WalkerAug 28, 2025
How to fix 'HB NOT INSTALLD*' error on Printronix Printer?
- M
  Michael MooreAug 28, 2025
  The 'HB NOT INSTALLD*' message on your Printronix Printer indicates that the self-test routines do not detect hammer coils at printer start-up. First, install the shuttle frame assembly. Remove the paper path or pedestal top cover. Verify that the hammer bank logic cable is connected to connector J108 on the controller board and to the shuttle frame assembly. If the message persists, replace the hammer bank logic cable. If the message continues, replace the shuttle frame assembly. If the message still appears, replace the controller board.

Summary

1 Maintenance Overview

About The Printer

Overview of the Printronix P5000 line matrix printers and their architecture.

P5000 Printers

Details on specific P5000 models, controller boards, and compatibility notes.

H-Series Printers

Description of H-Series printers, their character sets, and region compatibility.

Make Sure You Order The Correct Spares

Guidance on ordering correct spare parts for P5000 printers.

How To Identify A Printer

Explanation of how to interpret P5000 printer model numbers.

Important Maintenance Notes

Key maintenance principles to ensure printer performance and avoid damage.

About This Manual

Description of the manual's purpose and scope, and other related manuals.

Safety Notices

Hinweise zur Sicherheit

Controls And Indicators

Electrical Controls, Cabinet Models

Description and function of electrical controls for cabinet model printers.

Electrical Controls, Pedestal Models

Mechanical Controls, All Models

Tools, Test Equipment, And Supplies

Plugging In The Printer

Printronix Customer Support Center

Maintenance Training Available For Printronix Products

2 Preventive Maintenance

Cleaning The Printer

General instructions for cleaning the printer and its components.

Cleaning The Outside Surfaces

Step-by-step procedure for cleaning the printer's external surfaces.

Cleaning The Shuttle Frame Assembly

Cleaning The Card Cage Fan Assembly

3 Troubleshooting

Introduction

Overview of the troubleshooting chapter and its contents.

Troubleshooting Aids

List of aids provided in the manual to help isolate printer malfunctions.

Start Here...

List Of Messages

Troubleshooting Display Messages

Explanation of different message types and how they appear on the LCD.

List Of Messages

Table listing messages, their explanations, and suggested solutions.

Troubleshooting Other Symptoms

General Symptom List

Lists printer problems not indicated by LCD messages with corresponding troubleshooting procedures.

Power Failures

Printer Does Not Initialize

Power Stacker

Printer does not detect presence of power stacker

Troubleshooting steps when the printer does not detect the power stacker.

Stacker “chatters” at upper or lower limit

Stacker does not stack properly

Stacker elevator does not move

Stacker elevator moves by itself

Stacker limit switch check

Stacker motor check

Print Quality

Characters or dots are missing, smeared, too light, or too dark.

Troubleshooting steps for common print quality issues like missing or smeared characters.

Characters are compressed on first line of a form

Horizontal misalignment of characters

Vertical misalignment of characters

Printer Operation Issues

Downloads Consistently Fail

Troubleshooting steps when printer downloads consistently fail or show erratic messages.

Flash SIMM Won’t Copy

Steps to resolve issues when copying flash SIMMs or encountering errors.

Paper Feeds Poorly

Power On Hang Condition

Printer Does Not Print From Host

Printer Does Not Print Self Tests

Reverse Paper Feed: Platen Does Not Open

TOF is Lost Repeatedly

Ribbon Issues

Ribbon Folding or Feed Problems

Troubleshooting steps for issues related to ribbon folding or feeding.

Shuttle Mechanism Issues

Shuttle Does Not Move

Troubleshooting steps when the shuttle mechanism fails to move or moves at the wrong speed.

Shuttle is Noisy

3 Communications Failures

Table 4. Communications Problems

Table detailing common communication problems, their causes, and solutions.

3 Diagnostic Printer Tests

Selecting And Running Diagnostic Printer Tests

Procedure for selecting and executing diagnostic tests via the printer's control panel.

Printing The E-Net Test Page

Boot Diagnostics Menu

Activating The Boot Diagnostics Menu

Steps to access the printer's boot diagnostics menu.

Exiting The Boot Diagnostics Menu

Methods for exiting the boot diagnostics menu, including resetting the printer.

Hex Code Printout

How To Print A Hex Dump

Step-by-step procedure for generating a hex dump printout from the printer.

ASCII Character Set

Soft vs. Hard Reset

The Power On Sequence

Controller Board Handshake Sequences

Description of the controller board's hardware initialization during power-on.

DC Software Initialization And Power Up

Details on the DC software initialization and power-up sequence of the printer.

4 Adjustment and Test Procedures

Adjustments and Tests

List of available adjustments and tests covered in this chapter.

Preparing The Printer For Maintenance

Essential steps to prepare the printer safely before performing any maintenance.

Returning The Printer To Normal Operation

Steps to follow after servicing to return the printer to normal operational status.

Belt, Paper Feed Timing, Adjustment

Procedure for adjusting the timing belt for proper paper feed.

Belt, Platen Open, Adjustment

Procedure for adjusting the platen open belt tension.

Paper Scale Alignment

Procedure for aligning the paper scale with the printer's output.

Platen Gap Adjustment

Procedure for adjusting the platen gap, critical for print quality.

Ribbon Guide Alignment

Procedure for aligning the ribbon guides to ensure proper ribbon tracking.

Paper Out Adjustment

Procedure to set the distance for the LOAD PAPER fault message trigger.

Hammer Phasing Adjustment

Procedure for adjusting hammer phasing to ensure vertical dot alignment.

Loading Flash Memory

Loading Through The Serial Or Parallel Port

Procedure for loading software via serial or parallel ports using specific commands.

Loading Through the Network Interface Card (NIC)

Procedure for loading software via the network interface card (NIC).

Coil Temperature Adjustment

Dynamic Paper Tension Adjustment

Tractor Belt Tension Adjustment

Shuttle Electrical Short Check

Hammer Bank Power Cable Shorts Test

Cable Shorts Test

Main Wire Harness Test Diagnostic

5 Replacement Procedures And Illustrated Parts Lists

Organization Of This Chapter

Outline of the chapter's two main sections: Replacement Procedures and Illustrated Parts Lists.

Section I: Replacement Procedures

Written procedures for removing and installing field-replaceable components.

Section II: Illustrated Parts Lists

Drawings of printer assemblies with lists of illustrated parts and their part numbers.

List Of Removal; Installation Procedures

List of components and their corresponding page numbers for removal/installation procedures.

Belt, Paper Feed Timing

Belt, Platen Open

Circuit Breaker

Connector Coupling Shrouds

Control Panel Assembly, Cabinet Models

Control Panel Assembly, Pedestal Models

Controller Board (CMX And CFX)

Cover Assembly, Hammer Bank; Ribbon Mask

Cover Assembly, Shuttle

Cover Assembly, Top, Pedestal Models

Dashpot

Expansion-CT

Fan Assembly, Cabinet Exhaust

Fan Assembly, Card Cage

Fan Assembly, Hammer Bank

Hammer Spring Assembly

Magnetic Pickup (MPU) Assembly

Memory And Security Modules

NIC (Network Interface Card) Assembly

10;100 Base-T LEDs And DIP Switches

Paper Feed Motor

Paper Ironer

Paper Path

Platen

Platen Open Motor

Power Supply Board

Resistors, Terminating

Ribbon Drive Motor

Ribbon Guide Assembly (L;R)

Ribbon Hub

Shaft, Splined

Shaft, Support

Shuttle Frame Assembly

Spring, Extension, Hammer Bank

Switch Assembly, Paper Detector

Switch Assembly, Platen Interlock

Tractor (L;R)

Section II: Illustrated Parts Lists

Illustrations of Printer Components

List of figures showing printer components with corresponding part numbers.

6 Principles Of Operation

Line Matrix Printing

Explanation of how the printer creates characters and graphics using line matrix printing technology.

Printing Rates

Explanation of how printing speed is measured and factors affecting it.

Printing Mechanism

Overview of the printer's printing mechanism subassemblies.

Paper Transport System

Ribbon Transport System

Logical Control Of The Printer

Control Panel

Description of the control panel's user interface, keys, LCD, and status indicator.

Controller Board

The DC is responsible for:

Functions managed by the Data Controller (DC), including host I/O and image generation.

The EC is responsible for:

Functions managed by the Engine Controller (EC), including print mechanism and power.

Data Controller

68 EC030 Microprocessor

Details on the 40 MHz Motorola 68EC030 microprocessor used in CMX/CFX boards.

Flash Memory

Explanation of flash memory for storing programs and emulations, its characteristics and usage.

DRAM

NVRAM

VX ASIC

Engine Controller

80 C166 Microcontroller

Details on the Siemens SAB 80C166 microcontroller used as the EC.

EC Flash Memory

Characteristics of the EC's fixed flash memory for boot code and program storage.

Power Supply Board

AC Power

Specifications for the power supply's AC input voltage and frequency tolerance.

DC Power

Description of the DC power supply systems for logic and motors.

Printer Interface

Graphics

A Wire Data

Interconnection Diagram

Diagram showing the electrical connections between printer components.

Power Distribution Diagram

Diagram illustrating how power is distributed throughout the printer.

Main Wire Harness Test Tables

Tables providing resistance values for testing various wire harnesses and motors.

CMX Controller Board

CFX Controller Board

Power Supply Board

Expansion-CT

SureStak Power Stacker PCBA

Cable Routing

Cabinet Model

Diagram illustrating cable routing for cabinet model printers.

Cabinet Model, Mechanism Base

Diagram showing cable routing on the mechanism base for cabinet models.

Pedestal Model

Diagram illustrating cable routing for pedestal model printers.

Pedestal Model, Mechanism Base

Diagram showing cable routing on the mechanism base for pedestal models.

Cable Assembly, Centronics I;O

Cable Assembly, Centronics-to-Dataproducts Adapter

Cable Assembly, Dataproducts Long Lines I;O

Cable Assembly, Twinax Auto-Termination

Cable Assembly, 2-Pin Jumper, 0.1 Ctr

Cable Assembly, AC In, Power Supply

Cable Assembly, AC Power Input

Cable Assembly, Card Cage Fan

Cable Assembly, Control Panel

Cable Assembly, Exhaust Fan

Cable Assembly, Hammer Bank Logic

Cable Assembly, Hammer Bank Power

Cable Assembly, MPU

Cable Assembly, Ribbon Guide Kit

Cable Assembly, Ribbon Motor, Extension

Cable Assembly, Shuttle Motor Drive

Frame Cable, Power Stacker

Logic Cable, Power Stacker

Power Cable, Power Stacker

Rail Cable, Power Stacker

Elevator I;O Cable, Power Stacker

Fan Assembly, Hammer Bank

Magnetic Pickup (MPU) Assembly

Switch Assembly, Paper Detector

Switch Assembly, Platen Interlock

B Abbreviations And Signal Mnemonics

C Metric Conversion Tables

D Noise Suppression Devices

E SureStak Power Stacker

Introduction

Overview of the SureStak Power Stacker option and its purpose.

Stacker Operation

Explanation of how the SureStak Power Stacker mechanically directs paper to the stack.

Setting Up The Power Stacker

Procedure for setting up the power stacker and its initial configuration.

Loading And Starting The Power Stacker

Steps for loading paper and starting the power stacker operation.

Stacker Problems

Troubleshooting guide for common power stacker issues like jams, faults, and motor problems.

Removing The Power Stacker

Procedure for safely removing the entire power stacker assembly from the printer.

Installing The Power Stacker

Procedure for installing the power stacker assembly, including all cable connections.

Constant Force Spring

Procedure for replacing the constant force spring in the stacker assembly.

Timing Belts

Procedure for removing and installing the timing belts in the power stacker.

Illustrated Parts Breakdown

Exploded drawings and parts lists for the power stacker assembly and subassemblies.

F Paper Specifications And Forms Design

Introduction

Overview of paper specifications and their importance for print quality and printer operation.

General Paper Specifications

Minimum paper specifications for optimal printer performance, including size and weight.

Paper Guidelines

Definitions of terms used to describe and discuss continuous form paper.

Terms And Definitions

Environmental Considerations

Form Types

Form Weight

Form Thickness

Form Evenness

Tractor Pin Engagement

Methods Of Forms Attachment

Chaff Content

Cut-To-Tie Ratio

Perforation Intersections

Form Design Checklist

Summary

Storage And Handling

Principles for proper packaging, handling, and storage of paper for optimal performance.

G Maintenance Information About Other P5000 Printers

Printronix P5000 Specifications

General

Print Width	4.09 inches
Dimensions	9.5 x 12.5 x 8.5 inches
Weight	12.5 lbs
Connectivity	Serial, Parallel, Ethernet
Interface	Serial, Parallel, Ethernet
Noise Level	55 dB