How to configure a printer

Prerequisites

Software version: ONYX 9.0 or higher on Linux or Windows.

Introduction

Configuring printers in Onyx server allows you to connect many types of printers to the Mapping spooler. Different configuration parameters depending on the type of printer connected. In all cases, the reliability of the information displayed in the spooler depends on the quality of the information returned by the printer. The information return is based on the SNMP protocol.

Queue: Onyx server object which receives the list of files to print and puts them on hold (based on priorities). The queue does not make any connection with a printer, it is an object which manages only a list of files. It is linked to at least one device which will connect to the physical printer. It can be in the Ready or Stop state (in this case, the files are not processed by the device). The name of a queue must be unique.

Device: Onyx Server object responsible for communication with the printer (depending on the IP address, protocol, etc. parameters). It must be attached to one (and only one) queue. It can be in the Ready, Stop or Error state (in these last 2 cases, the files are not processed by the device). Several devices can be connected to a single queue. The name of a device must be unique.

Printer configuration

Print driver: this only concerns the part connecting to the printer for sending data. The configuration of the Mapping print driver is independent of the printing controls (error feedback, querying the printer status).

Print driver

Login

LPR (default and recommended value): This is the standard connection for a network printer. The spooler connects

to the printer's lpr port (515) and sends the data. The protocol incorporates several intermediate connection controls.

It works with almost all printers and also allows you to communicate with print servers.

• RAW: The RAW protocol is used: connection on a given port (to be specified elsewhere), sending of data, disconnection. No controls are managed by this protocol.
• SHELL: The device is not connected to a printer but to a program (bat or shell depending on the OS).
• RULES: The device is not connected to a printer but to the rules engine and the Workflow.
• USB: The printer must be connected to a USB port. The port name must also be specified.
• SERIAL: The printer must be connected to a serial port. The port name must also be specified.
• LOCAL OS SPOOLER (under Windows only): The device sends the files to a printer declared on the Windows print server. You must then select the name of the Windows printer in the Remote_queue parameter.
• DUMMY: Test type connection. The files are not processed.
• IPDS: The protocol used is IPDS, it allows you to print AFPDS flows with bidirectional communication with the
• printers.
• EMAIL: Email type device for sending electronic mail. Consult specific printer documentation
• Email type.

Print Type

• DEFAULT: Default protocol
• MAPPING: To be used to send data to a Mapping spooler. In particular, it allows files to be compressed before sending to the remote server.
• AXHIOM (available for RAW and USB protocols only): Protocol specific to AXHIOM printers.
• ESCPOS (available for RAW and SERIAL protocols only): Protocol specific to EPSON cash register printers.
• SAMSUNG (available for RAW protocol only): Protocol specific to SAMSUNG cash register printers.
• ZEBRA (available for RAW protocol only): Protocol specific to ZEBRA cash register printers (for ZEBRA thermal printers, use the LPR protocol by default).

Font resolution

Resolution of files for creating and sending AFPDS fonts. Value expressed in dpi (240 or 300). Parameter concerning IPDS type connections.

Enable Log

Enabling IPDS traces. They are created in the \afpds\ipds subdirectory of the Mapping base directory. Parameter concerning IPDS type connections.

XPS Compatibility

This is the conversion profile to use for sending XPS type files. The displayed profile is included in the <label> parameter of the XPSConfig.conf file.

If the file to be printed is in XPS format, the selected conversion profile will be applied (for PCL, ZPL conversion, etc.). If the file is not in XPS format, the setting will be ignored and no conversion performed.

If no conversion profile is provided, the file will be sent without conversion (note, sending an XPS file to a

A printer that does not support it generally produces illegible characters continuously until the trays are completely emptied.

of the printer….) Parameter concerning LPR type connections.

IP

This is the destination address of the printer (or print server). You can enter either the hostname or the address

Device IP. Parameter concerning LPR, RAW, IPDS type connections.

Remote Queue

Name of the internal queue of the printer (or print server). The name of the queue depends on the manufacturer

printer, the most common is PASS but it can also be RAW, PR1, PR0, PR3, TEXT, mp or other. Please note, this parameter is generally case sensitive.

In the case of a print server, this is the destination queue on this server (for the case of a Mapping server:

the name of the queue, for a Windows print server: the name of the printer, for an iSeries: the name of the OUTQ….)

For a LOCAL OS SPOOLER type connection, you must select the name of the printer declared in the Windows spooler.

Parameter concerning LPR and LOCAL OS SPOOLER type connections.

Port

Port for connecting to the printer (or print server). 515 by default. In IPDS type connection, set 9100 or 2501.

Parameter concerning LPR, USB, SERIAL and IPDS type connections.

Deadline

Time allowed for complete sending of the file to the printer including receipt of acknowledgments of receipt. The value to indicate

depends on maximum file size and available network bandwidth (no need to choose 10 seconds if you have

files of 10,000 pages: the printer will not have sufficient time to absorb the file completely).

If at the end of the deadline, the final acknowledgment of receipt (ensuring that the entire file has been sent correctly) has not been received, the print will be considered unsuccessful.

Translations:ONYX:9.0:Usage:Configuring printers/33/en The value * means that we do not check the acknowledgment of receipt of the printer and that it therefore never fails.

Parameter concerning LPR, USB, SERIAL, LOCAL OS SPOOLER type connections

Shell

Full path to the shell to be executed by the device (a .bat on Windows OS, a .sh on Unix or Linux OS). Parameter concerning SHELL type connections.

Rules set

Name of the Workflow to be used by the device. Parameter concerning RULES type connections.

Customized

This parameter allows you to add custom parameters (metadata) when sending to lpr. The available parameters are those of

the map_lpr command (be careful not to use an already existing parameter: see the queue log for more details on the

map_lpr command executed).

Example: -sleep:10 to pause 10 seconds between each file.

State

This involves activating or not monitoring the printer status for display in the spooler interface. This is independent of the print check which is carried out in addition to sending data to check for errors.

Using status monitoring assumes that the destination printer (or device) is capable of return this type of information.

Please note, if your printer is connected to the network using an additional box (AXIS or HP box type JetDirect), the feedback will be provided by the box and not by the printer. The returned state will therefore be that of case and not that of the printer.

By activating the status check, the spooler web interface will be able to display the status of the printer (ready, offline, paper jam, etc.).

Note: Unless automatic refresh is requested, the spooler retrieves the status of a printer only at the time of sending of a file. The information displayed in this case corresponds to the state of the printer during the last printing by Mapping.

Protocol

• NONE: No query is made on the status of the printer.
• SNMP: The SNMP protocol is used to monitor status. This is the most reliable and complete protocol. He is very good

supported by the majority of recent printers. SNMP notably manages the page counter, which makes it possible to verify that all the pages of a file have been printed. Recommended mode.

• LPQ: The LPQ protocol allows basic feedback on the status of the printer: only the status (active or inactive) is displayed.
• PJL: Printer status is returned using the PJL protocol. This protocol is quite complete but unreliable because the

protocol is not very standardized (the implementation of PJL is different depending on the manufacturer or even the printer model). THE error messages are not standardized (hence the parameters for calling a PJL message file and a language). Deprecated mode (retained only for backward compatibility reasons).

Delay

Time allowed to receive printer status. If you use automatic refresh, be careful not to set the delay too short so as not to send too many network frames.

Auto refresh

Allows you to automatically refresh the printer status even when there is no printing. This is useful for an operator who manages the entire fleet and wants to control the general condition of the printer fleet.

Print control

Protocol

Print control is used to verify that a file has been completely printed and also to perform automatic restarts if necessary.

• SNMP: The SNMP protocol is used to monitor status. This is the most reliable and complete protocol. It is very well supported by the majority of recent printers. SNMP notably manages the page counter, which makes it possible to verify that all the pages of a file have been printed. Recommended mode.
• LPQ: The LPQ protocol provides basic feedback on the status of the printer. The page counter is not

not managed, which means that automatic recovery can only be done on the entire file.

On error

• Default: Default operation depending on the [DAEMON_NO_HOLD_ON_ERROR] parameter of the mapping.conf.
• Stop: In the event of an error, the current spool goes into error state. The device Mapping also fails: any printing on this printer is stopped until the device Mapping is restarted (in the Web interface or by command). If a backup printer is defined, the following files will be printed by the backup device.
• Ignore: Errors are ignored, the current spool is considered processed, the next spool is sent to the printer.
• Continue: The device remains in the ready state, the current spool goes into error. The next spool is sent to the printer.

Auto Resume

If the box is checked, the spooler will send the file back to the printer in the event of an error. In this case, a maximum time limit must be specified.

for recovery and a recovery mode: complete or partial. During the recovery time, the device goes into error but the spool

remains printing. If automatic recovery fails, the spool will also go into error. If it succeeds, the device will return to the ready state.

- Delay: The delay is the maximum time during which the spooler will restart printing. It should be compared to the delay defined at the printer driver level: if the delay at the driver level is 1 minute, the file will be sent every minute until the recovery time expires (30 minutes for example ). Please note: some printers can print the file several times.

- Mode defines the file recovery type:

Complete: the complete file is returned from page 1

Min page: the file is returned from the last known printed page minus n pages (n being defined in the length of the paper path)

Max page: the file is returned from the last known printed page plus n pages (n being defined in the length of the paper path)

The information on the number of pages returned by the printer is not always 100% reliable. Some printers count pages at

from the moment they are received in the buffer and not physically printed: if printing is cut off during

processing and the printer counter reads 50 pages, only 47 pages may have been physically printed (the 3

others being somewhere between the input and output tray: the famous paper path).

On other (rarer) printers, the counter is “late” compared to the number of pages actually printed and you have to count down a few pages.

Examples:

If the last page is page 50 and min page has been selected with a paper path length of 3 pages, the reissue will start on page 47.

If the last page is page 50 and page max was selected with a paper path length of 3 pages, re-editing will start on page 53.

Wait

The wait parameter (default mode) defines that the spooler waits for the final print acknowledgment of the spool in course before sending the next one. This is the default mode. If the parameter is not activated, the counting of pages is no longer effective.

Page unit

The page unit depends on the printer type (and counter) and is used to verify that all pages in a spool have been printed. If the printer is of the cutsheet type, i.e. almost all workgroup laser printers, the printer has physical pages. There is therefore no problem of compatibility with Mapping which also counts on the page. The page unit is therefore 1 (default). On the other hand, for continuous paper printers which use rolls of paper (continuous paper laser, dot matrix printers or thermal), the counter is defined in printed distance (generally in inches). It is therefore necessary to “calibrate” the size of the paper by specifying the page unit. For example, on a thermal printer printing 4-inch long labels, you should set a page unit of 4.

Enable banners

Banners are separator pages that are added before and after the print file. Consult the specific documentation on the creation and use of banners.