Element Path: <cwt><PRINTER><flowbirdPrinter>
Printer settings for the Flowbird Printer can be specified in this element.
The first part gives some definitions and a global description of the printing process with and without blackmarks
The next part Parameters explained goes into details in commonly used parameters and how to use them in combination with each other.
The last part Parameters provides a complete list of parameters.
Definitions
Ticket: the size (width) of the ticket to be printed. the ticket is stored and printed as an image. The length of the ticket in pixels is specified in the TICKET element attribute "width" (for both landscape and portrait mode).
See Using width, height, and orientation attributes for the effect of these values on the orientation for the Flowbird printer.
Page: the length of the paper where the ticket is printed on. The length of a page is specified in parameter 7, in steps.
Steps are equal to pixels in size. 1 step equals 1/8 of a millimetre. A standard ticket of 70 mm will therefore be configured to be 560 steps.
Flowbird printer layout landscape with blackmark and printer margins (in green) example
Printing in an S5 terminal
The S5 terminal or upgraded CWT or MP 104 terminal to an S5 has a ticket outlet that limits the ticket length to 100 millimetre that equals to 800 steps.
Note: The Strada S5 terminal does not have this limit. |
Longer tickets might cause paper jams due to limited space in the ticket outlet.
The collection ticket cannot be printed in an S5 terminal with a closed door due to the size of the ticket outlet! |
Standard ticket lengths
70 mm = 560 steps
100 mm = 800 steps
The collection ticket is 200 mm = 1600 steps
one step is 1/8 mm
Paper with blackmark
•Parameter 0 must be set to 1
•When using blackmark, the paper will be cut on the first blackmark plus specified white-space after the printed ticket.
•The page length in Parameter 7 is ignored!
•The exact cutting location can be adjusted with Parameter 8
•Parameter 9 specifies the length of the blackmark itself.
•Parameter 10 specifies the length of the first paper near end marker. There are 500 tickets left on the roll.
•Parameter 11 specifies the length of the second paper near end marker. There are 200 tickets left on the roll.
•Parameter 13 is used for finding the next blackmark. The printer tries to find the blackmark even during printing. If the blackmark is not found within the specified range, a "blackmark not found" event is triggered and the terminal goes out of order if a ticket shall be printed.
Setting the value to the exact length between 2 blackmarks may cause an event trigger when the printer slips the slightest for just a single step.
If the paper slips a fraction when the blackmark is under the sensor you may get a "paper near end" or "Blackmark not found" event depending on the amount the paper slips.
If the paper is stuck you will always get "Blackmark not found"
If the value for P13 is set to large you will never get a "Blackmark not found" event
•Parameter 21 must be set to the distance, in 1/8 mm steps, between the leading edges of the blackmarks
Paper without blackmark
The value of Parameter 13 must be calculated according the formula:
BM distance <= P13 <= P5+ ticket width + P6 + P15 - P5
•With Parameter 0 set to zero (0), parameter 7 specifies the page length where to cut the paper. If needed 2 or more pages are used.
•With Parameter 0 set to two (2), parameter 5 and 6 specify the white space before and after the text before the paper is cut. Parameter 7 is ignored.
•Parameter 0 cannot be set to 1!
•Parameters 9, 10, and 11 are ignored.
•Set the expected total number of tickets on a roll in the service menu. The "Paper Near End" warning level is set in the ticketsLeftWhenPNEWarning attribute in in the CORE element in the configuration file.
