Siemens S7-300 System Help

Hello, I am new to Siemens hardware (work mostly with A-B) and am looking for help laying out a S7-300 system. In short the system will interface with a Simatic Panel, Zebra printer (code39 barcode), and barcode scanner.

I am clear on the DIO modules I require, but need help in selecting the correct processor and any other communications modules needed for the printer, HMI, and scanner.

Thanks,
Jeff

OK, please state ALL relevant details about the Zebra printer and barcode scanner, in particular what interfaces and protocols they support.

Those components have not been chosen yet, I was planning to match the protocals to what was chosen for the PLC. I'll probably go with RS232 for scanner, printer perhaps Ethernet?

RS232 is just an electrical specification. Ethernet is a basket of different electrical specifications with some protocols thrown in.

It is the protocols that are important.

Find a few possible candidates for the printer and scanner, list their possible protocols, then we shall see what can be mated with the S7-300.

Printer: Zebra 105SL

Siemens use 3964/RK512 protocol for serial RS232 communications.

Siemens also uses the ASCII protocol over RS232. I've communicated with Zebra printers using Siemens hardware, and it's pretty simple. Just set up the card, parametize the canned functions, and it will work. The same goes for the scanners.

How you parse and interpret the data is another story, but actually reading and writing it is straight forward.

If I understood it correctly then it is pure ASCII for both printer and scanner.
Then you must add a CP340 for each of those.
6ES7340-1AH02-0AE0 for RS232.
6ES7340-1CH02-0AE0 for RS422/RS485.

A cheaper alternative is to setup an ET200S rack over Profibus DP.
There is the 1SI module which adds a serial port per module.
6ES7138-4DF01-0AB0 with both RS232C/RS422/RS485.

Hello there,

In the cp340 parameters configuration there is an option of how may lines per page will be needed. I have typed in 7 per page - this causes the header, message and footer to be printed. But when I type in anything over 7 lines per page and press print, it prints header, then my 2 line message text, then instead of printing the footer, it needs another 3 print pulses (3 more message texts to be printed) and then it prints the footer???? I don't know why it would do this.

Has anyone setup a print output before. I am using a small 80 mm wide label printer.
Can the feed after the printed text be altered when it has finished its print job. I.E. instead of printing out 130 mm of paper I only want it to print out 50 mm.

Thank you in advance.

David Connaughty.

Hi guys!!,

Please i really need help here. I have the same issued but with a allen bradley plc, model: 1400 and the same printer, a 105sl from zebra.

What i need to do is print 4 integer values, time, date and a string that will say the description of the code that i'm running. I've be trying this by rs-232 cable and it seems no response from the printer. Can anybody help me with this please?