FARGO electronic C16 service manual Printer Components Centronics-Type Parallel Interface

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Printer Components: Centronics-Type Parallel Interface

The Card Printer is equipped with a standard 8-bit centronics-type parallel interface port. This communication port is the means through which the Printer receives data from the computer. This section describes the pin assignments and signal specifications for this port.

•Parallel Interface: The Centronics-type parallel interface is the most widely used Printer interface due to its simplicity, speed and standardization throughout the PC industry.

•Parallel Interface Connector: The Printer's parallel interface connector is a standard 36-pin Amp type with two metal-wire retaining clips and is ECP (Extended Capabilities Port) compatible. It mates with a standard, bi-directional PC to Printer parallel cable. To ensure optimal communications, keep the interface cable to 6 feet in length or under.

Printer Components: Print Ribbons

The Card Printer utilizes both dye-sublimation and/or resin thermal transfer methods to print images directly onto blank cards. Since the dye-sublimation and the resin thermal transfer print methods each provide their own unique benefits, print ribbons are available in resin- only, dye-sublimation-only and combination dye-sublimation/resin versions.

To make it easier to remember which print ribbons are which, a letter code has been developed to indicate the type of ribbon panels found on each ribbon. This letter code is as follows:

= Dye-Sublimation Yellow Panel

= Dye-Sublimation Magenta Panel

= Dye-Sublimation Cyan Panel

= Resin Black Panel

= Dye-Sublimation Black Panel = Clear Protective Overlay Panel

(Note: Reference Technical Update No. 66 (dated 04/27/2003), there is a Firmware improvement to the Persona￿ C16 Card Printer. The ribbon-queuing improvement makes the ribbon handling more robust to ensure the maximum number of prints from our color ribbons.)

Persona￿ C16 Card Printer Service Manual (Rev. 5.0) 14