Maintenance Guildelines
Cleaning the Printer
Clean the outside of the cabinet as needed to remove dust and finger marks. Use any household cleaner made for plastics. Test it first on a small unseen area. Clean the printer paper bucket with a clean, damp cloth.
The cabinet materials and finish are durable and resistant to the following items:
- Cleaning solutions
- Cooking oils
- Lubricants
- Ultraviolet light
- Fuels
Cleaning the Thermal Printhead
Do not clean the inside of the printer with any cleaner. Do not allow cleaning spray to come in contact with the thermal printhead. Damage to the internal electronics or thermal printhead could occur.
The thermal printhead does not normally require cleaning when recommended paper grades are used. If non-recommended paper is used over an extended period, attempting to clean the printhead will have little effect on the print quality.
- Turn off the printer and POS computer.
- Unplug the printer from the POS computer and the cash drawer, if connected.
- Wipe the printhead with a cotton swab moistened with rubbing alcohol.
Do not use rubbing alcohol to clean any internal parts of the printer other than the printhead. Damage will occur.
If spotty or light printing problems persist after cleaning the thermal printhead, the entire thermal mechanism may need to be replaced.
Using non-recommended paper over an extended period of time can result in printhead failure.
Troubleshooting
Diagnostics
The printer performs three primary diagnostic tests that provide useful information about the printer’soperating status:
- Startup diagnostics, performed during the printer’s startup cycle
- Runtime diagnostics
- Remote diagnostics, maintained during normal operation and reported in the print test
Startup Diagnostics
When the printer receives power or performs a hardware reset, it automatically performs the startup diagnostics (also known as level 0 diagnostics) during the startup cycle. The printer:
- Turns off the motors
- Performs boot CR check of the firmware ROM, test external SRAM, test EEPROM, and test main program CRC
Failure causes startup diagnostics to stop; the printer beeps and the LED flashes a set number of times, indicating the nature of the failure. The following table describes the specific tone and LED sequences.
LED Behavior | Failure |
|---|---|
| One blink | Boot CRC error |
| Two blinks | RAM failure |
| Three blinks | EEPROM failure |
| Four blinks | Memory initialization failure |
To resolve:
- Check if paper is present
- Return the knife to the home position; failure causes a fault condition
- Check if the rear cover is closed; failure does not interrupt the startup cycle
When the startup diagnostics are complete, the printer makes a two-tone beep (low then high frequency), the paper feed button is enabled, and the printer is ready for normal operation.
If the printer has not been turned on before, or a new EEPROM has been installed, the default values for the printer functions will be loaded into the EEPROM during startup.
Runtime Diagnostics
Runtime diagnostics (sometimes called level 2 diagnostics) run during normal printer operation. When the following conditions occur, the printer automatically turns off the appropriate motors and disables printing to prevent damage to the printer.
- Paper out
- Rear cover open
- Knife unable to home
- Printhead too hot
- Voltages out of range
The LED on the operator panel will signal when these conditions occur as well as indicate printer state or mode.
LED Behavior | Printer Status |
|---|---|
| Off | No power |
| Fast blink | Firmware download |
| Fast blink | Level 0 diagnostics (occurs at power on, and on reset) |
| Slow blink | Paper low, temperature error or voltage error |
| Steady on | All other issues |
Remote Diagnostics
Remote diagnostics (sometimes called level 3 diagnostics) keep track of the following tallies and prints them on the receipt during the print test. These tallies can be used to determine the printer’s state of health.
- Model number
- Serial number
- CRC number
- Number of lines printed
- Number of knife cuts
- Number of hours the printer has been on
- Number of flash cycles
- Number of cutter jams
- Number of times the cover is opened
- Maximum temperature reached
Solving Common Problems
The following table lists possible problems, the possible cause of each problem, and the recommended solutions.
| Problem | Possible Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Green LED, quick continuous flashing. | Paper is out. | Load a new paper roll. Refer to Setting Up the Printer. |
| Receipt cover open. | Close the cover. | |
| Knife unable to home. | Stop using the printer. Check the knife to see if it needs to be replaced. Contact your regional HP authorized service provider for HP Point of Sale System products. | |
| Green LED, slow steady flashing. | Paper is low (if paper low senor is installed). | Load a new paper roll. Refer to Setting Up the Printer. |
| Continuos printing of graphics has overheated the printhead. | Reduce the demand on the printer. | |
| Other problems may be indicated. | Stop using the printer. Contact your regional HP authorized service provider for HP Point of Sale System products. | |
| Continuous flashing of LED | DIP switchis in ON position, indicating flash download mode. | Put the DIP switch in the OFF position for normal operation. |
| Printer beeps (two-tone - low frequency, high frequency). | Printer has been turned on and is ready to operate. | No action required. |
| Printer beeps and flashes green LED in various combinations. | Indicates serious conditions. | Stop using the printer. Contact your regional HP authorized service provider for HP Point of Sale System products. |
| Colored stripe is on the receipt. | Paper is low. | Change the paper roll. |
| Double beep, double LED flash. | SRAM test failure. | Run the startup diagnostics again. If this does not work, contact your regional HP authorized service provider for HP Point of Sale System products. |
| Triple beep, triple LED flash. | EEPROM test failure. | Run the startup diagnostics again. If this does not work, contact your regional HP authorized service provider for HP Point of Sale System products. |
| Two-tone beep (high frequency, low frequency.) | Main program CRC test failure. | Run the startup diagnostics again. If this does not work, contact your regional HP authorized service provider for HP Point of Sale System products. |
| Receipt does not come out all the way. | Paper is jammed. | Open the receipt cover, inspect the knife, and clear the jammed paper. |
| Printer starts to print, but stops while the receipt is being printed. | Paper is jammed. | Open the receipt cover, inspect the knife, and clear the jammed paper. |
| Problem | Possible Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Receipt is not cut. | Paper is jammed. | Open the receipt cover, inspect the knife, and clear the jammed paper. |
| The knife is not enabled. | Enable the knife in the configuration menu. Refer to Operating the Printer. | |
| Print is light or spotty. | Paper roll is loaded incorrectly. | Check that the paper is loaded properly. |
| Thermal printhead is dirty. | Clean thermal printhead with rubbing alcohol. Use the recommended thermal receipt paper. Refer to Technical Specifications on in this guide for paper specifications and recommendation. If paper has been used which is not on the recommend paper list, resulting in a dirty printhead, the printhead may require cleaning prior to switching back to recommended paper. See Technical Specifications for a list. If non-recommended paper is used over an extended period, attempting to clean the printhead will have little effect on print quality. Do not try to clean within the printer except as indicated in Maintenance Guidelines. | |
| Variations in paper. | Increase the print density in “Set Hardware Options” of the printer configuration menu to 110% or 120% as needed. | |
| Color print is light. | Variations in paper. | Increase energy level of printhead in “Color Density Adj” of the printer configuration menu. |
| Inconsistent printing, no two-color print. | Paper type used and paper type setting do not match. | Print the diagnostic form and verify setting paper type setting to type 0, 1, 4, or 5. |
| Vertical column of print is missing. | Printhead is defective or indicates a serious condition with the printer electronics. | Stop using the printer. Contact your regional HP authorized service provider for HP Point of Sale System products. |
| One side of the receipt is missing. | Printhead is defective or indicates a serious condition with the printer electronics. | Stop using the printer. Contact your regional HP authorized service provider for HP Point of Sale System products. |
| Printout has missing characters or wrong characters. | Wrong type of serial cable is being used. | You must use a null modem serial cable for the printer to function properly. |
| Problem | Possible Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Printer does not function when turned on. | The printer is not plugged in. | Check that printer cables are properly connected at both ends. Check that the POS computer is turned on. |
| Receipt cover is not fully closed. | Close and latch the receipt cover. | |
| DIP switch 2 has been left in the ON position. | Return DIP switch 2 to the OFF (up) position. | |
| Printer is not correctly configured. | Check the printer’s configuration and reconfigure if necessary. Refer to Operating the Printer. | |
| Power supply voltage is out of range. | The voltage should be 24V +/-10%. | |
| Printhead has overheated because operating environment is above recommended temperature. | Adjust room temperature or move the printer to a cooler location. | |
| Printhead has overheated because of continuous printing or graphics. | Reduce the demand on the printer. | |
| Printhead has gotten too cool because the operating environment is below recommended temperature. | Adjust the room temperature or move the printer to a warmer location. The printer will shut off when it is above or below recommended temperature. | |
| Interrupted data signal over USB connection. | Ensure the USB cable is not more than 5 meters long, with no extensions; eliminate hubs. | |
| Faulty USB port. | Plug cable into another USB port on the POS computer. | |
| Faulty serial port. | Plug cable into another serial port on the POS computer. | |
| Wrong type of serial cable is being used. | You must use a null modem serial cable for the printer to function properly. | |
| Printer stops functioning. | Printhead has overheated. | Allow printhead to cool down. |
| Interrupted data signal over USB connection. | Ensure the standard USB cable is no more than 5 meters long with no extensions; eliminate hubs. | |
| Faulty USB port. | Plug cable into another USB port on the POS computer. | |
| Faulty serial port. | Plug cable into another serial port on the POS computer. | |
| Printer goes off-line (red LED on USB connector is on or off). | USB or serial cable is not connected properly. | If printer does not auto-recover after 5-20 seconds, reconnect the USB or serial cable, reset the printer, reboot the POS computer, check that the USB or serial cable is properly connected at both ends |
Online Technical Support
For the online access to technical support information, self-solve tools, online assistance, community forums or IT experts, broad multivendor knowledge base, monitoring and diagnostic tools, go to http://www.hp.com/support.
Preparing to Call Technical Support
HP provides hardware break/fix support for this product. If you can not solve a problem using the troubleshooting tips in this section, you may need to call technical support. Contact your regional HP authorized service provider for HP Point of Sale System products. Refer to the HP Technical Support Phone Numbers on the HP Point of Sale System Software and Documentation CD. Have the following information available when you call:
- Serial number of the HP accessory located on the label underneath the product
- Purchase date on invoice
- Spares part number located on the label underneath the product
- Condition under which the problem occurred
- Error messages received
- Hardware configuration
- Hardware and software you are using
Ordering Paper Rolls
To order paper rolls, contact MicroBiz sales at (702) 749-5353 or email them at sales@microbiz.com.
Technical Specifications
| Printer Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Reliability | |
| MCBF Printlines | 59 million |
| MCBF Knife Cuts | 1.75 million |
| Interface | Powered USB (some models) USB or Serial (some models) |
| Memory | 4 MB flash memory, 512K RAM |
| Power Requirements | |
| Operating Voltage | 24Vdc +/- 10% +5 volts for logic circuit |
| Power Consumption | 2.3 Amps maximum current draw |
| Temperature | |
| Operating Temperature | 5°C to 28°C (41°F to 82°F) 28°C to 45°C (82°F to 113°F) |
| Operating Humidity | 10% to 90% 5% to 40% |
| Storage: Temperature Humidity | 10°C to 50°C (14°F to 122°F) 5% to 90% |
| Transit: Temperature Humidity | 40°C to 60°C (-40°F to 140°F) 5% to 95% |
| Condensation | Condensation may occur when the printer is moved from cold to warm areas after shipment. The printer’s design permits operation after drying out and stabilizing at room temperature. |
| Dimensions and Weight | |
| Height | 134 mm (5.34”) |
| Width | 144 mm (5.66”) |
| Depth | 184 mm (7.24”) |
| Weight | 1.3 kg (2.9 lbs) |
| Printing Specification | |
| Speed - Monochrome | 250 mm/sec |
| Two-color capability | Yes |
| Receipt - columns | 44/56 |
| Paper roll size | 80 mm x 90 mm |
| Paper low | Standard (out and low) |
| Resolution | 203 DPI |
| Knife | Standard (ceramic, rotary) |