SATO CL608 - Initial Troubleshooting Checklist; Centronics Interface Troubleshooting

PN 9001024
Rev. B Jan. 2000
Page 8-2
SATO CL608 & CL612 SERVICE MANUAL
SECTION 8 – Troubleshooting
8-2 Initial Check List
If you are unable to produce output on your printer, check the following before deciding
you're unable to proceed any further.
1. Is the printer powered up and ON-LINE?
2. Is the ERROR light on the front panel OFF? If this light is ON, it may mean the print
head assembly is open or another error condition exists.
3. Is the Print Head and the Label Hold Down in the down and latched position?
Other areas that may need looking at include:
8-3 Troubleshooting the Centronics (Parallel) Interface
1. Is the IBM compatible parallel printer cable connected securely to your parallel port
(DB25S Female) on the PC and to the Centronics connector on the printer?
WARNING: Never connect or disconnect interface cables (or use a switch box) with power
applied to either the printer or the host. This may cause damage to the interface circuitry
and is not covered by warranty.
2. Is there more than one parallel interface port on your PC (LPT1, LPT2, etc.)? If so,
make sure you are sending data out the correct port.
3. When you send the print job to the printer, and it does not respond, do you get an
error message on your PC that says "Device Fault" or something similar?
This may mean that the computer doesn't know the printer is there. Verify that:
a. Both ends of the cable are securely inserted into their respective connectors.
b. The printer is ON-LINE.
c. The cable is not defective. There are other things that can cause this error
message on your computer, but at this stage, a defective cable may be one of the
reasons.
4. When you send the print job to the printer and it does not respond, and there is no
error message on the PC:
a. Check you data stream for some of the basics. Is your job framed as follows?
<ESC>ADATA<ESC>Z
b. Verify that you've included all required parameters in the data stream.