How send to a printer a bar code

Hi!
Is my first time that I post in this forum, I´m from mexico.
Someone can help me or guide to print a bar code form plc to a printer Zebra ZM400. What I have is a Micrologix 1100, The serial port is free in the PLC.I already read that the instrucion properly to print is AWA directly to a printer.
And is better to configurate the printer just to receive some commands ASCII and do all the job.... is correct?
Give some tips to star to make this project

Regards!!

Zebra printers have their own language - ZPL I'm sure that if you google it enough, you'll find an example of how to send numbers/bar codes (IIRC - most zebra printers will make a bar code out of any nmber, you just need to tell it which kinda of barcode (I2of5, Code128...) you need, a size/location, then send it the number and the printer will make it work.

I was a hardware guy when I worked with some a few years ago.

-John

I've printed labels from SLC's before. I've tried to attach a screen shot of the code. The string table contains the data in the Zebra code. You should be able to figure it out from the Zebra manual.

The AWT instructions send strings 18:0 through 18:10 to the printer that was plugged into the serial port. If you reuse the string table i've posted, it should print a small barcode label.

Thanks for your tip

All the information that send the PLC is for specific bar code is correct?
At the begining in the branch has the Input or bit follow by one shot? becuase if always are true the rung it could always printing is correct?

Thanks for your help !!!

Question!!

All the information that send the PLC is for specific bar code is correct?
At the begining in the branch has the Input or bit follow by one shot? becuase if always are true the rung it could always printing is correct?

Thanks for your help

amotomura said:

I've printed labels from SLC's before. I've tried to attach a screen shot of the code. The string table contains the data in the Zebra code. You should be able to figure it out from the Zebra manual.

The AWT instructions send strings 18:0 through 18:10 to the printer that was plugged into the serial port. If you reuse the string table i've posted, it should print a small barcode label.

Click to expand...

The string data is correct. It will print a barcode with a description. I believe it is code 3 of 9.

I haven't used this in quite a while, but if I remember, the AWT command only executes once when the rung goes true. To resend, the rung needs to go false and back to true. So I don't think the one shot is required. Maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

I made the ladder but it did not print

I`m using a ML1100.
I`m doing a little practice before to build it in the machine
I attach the program
I think that I made the ladder correct
But I cannot print nothing!!

What I`m doing wrong?

One suggestion to get all of the ASCII code you are going to need is to get printer software for your printer then create the label you want to make and then "print to file". You open this up in Notebook and it will show you what the ASCII code looks like.

If you do this first then you will know for sure if your strings are correct and then you down to getting the strings transmit comands working.

Can you be more explicit?

I have the software zebra.
But is to desing in the pc.
So I need a converter to ascii?

Regards?

Is correct the program that I made?

Clay B. said:

One suggestion to get all of the ASCII code you are going to need is to get printer software for your printer then create the label you want to make and then "print to file". You open this up in Notebook and it will show you what the ASCII code looks like.

If you do this first then you will know for sure if your strings are correct and then you down to getting the strings transmit comands working.

Click to expand...

Load the software into your PC then build your label. Once that is done you print the label, but where it asks you what printer you use you should see an option that says "print to file". Select that option. What this does is create a ASCII text file with the strings you want to print including the code to setup the printer. I have attached a sample of a job I did awhile back. When you open the file you will notice some boxes to the left of some of the text. These are Line Feed functions. Also if you notice how it will create line after line of text. You will need to add a carriage return after each line. Line Feeds and Carriage returns are generally a HEX value so they show up as unknown text (the box shape) in your print to file document.


Hope this helps, Creating a print function in a PLC is no small task. I always suggest before jumping into making a bar code or a complete label do something simple like just "hello" on a label.

amotomura said:

The string data is correct. It will print a barcode with a description. I believe it is code 3 of 9.

I haven't used this in quite a while, but if I remember, the AWT command only executes once when the rung goes true. To resend, the rung needs to go false and back to true. So I don't think the one shot is required. Maybe someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

Click to expand...

amotomura you are right the ONS is NOT necessary... regards