DataSplice Releases Mobile Integration Suite 3.0
Configuring Barcode Printers
In order for the barcode printers to be used by the plug-in, they must first be identified. This information is specified in the DataSplice.Printing.dll.config file, which is located in the C:\Program Files\DataSplice3 directory (or other installation path if a different one was chosen during installation).
The default DataSplice.Printing.dll.config file has the following contents:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<configuration>
<configSections>
<section name="barcodePrinters"
type="System.Configuration.IgnoreSectionHandler"/>
</configSections>
<appSettings>
<add key="ResourcePath" value="C:\Program Files\DataSplice3\Resources"/>
<add key="LabelPath" value="C:\Program Files\DataSplice3\Barcode Label Templates"/>
</appSettings>
<barcodePrinters>
<printer name="EPL Test Printer" type="EPLDriver">
<location>localhost</location>
<port>9100</port>
</printer>
<printer name="ZPL Test Printer" type="ZPLDriver">
<location>localhost</location>
<port>9100</port>
</printer>
<printer name="IPL Test Printer" type="IPLDriver">
<location>localhost</location>
<port>9100</port>
</printer>
<printer name="DPL Test Printer" type="DPLDriver">
<location>localhost</location>
<port>9100</port>
</printer>
<printer name="PL4 Test Printer" type="PL4Driver">
<serialPort>com4</serialPort>
<!-- use these 'nodes' to configure the serial port printing -->
<!-- they are not required and have default values as shown here -->
<baudRate>19200</baudRate>
<byteSize>8</byteSize>
<stopBits>1</stopBits>
<parity>None</parity>
</printer>
</barcodePrinters>
</configuration>
Editing the Configuration File
Most of the configuration file can be left unaltered. If any of the printer types included in the default configuration file are not utilized, it is not harmful to leave the extraneous default code entries for the other printers as is. They will simply be ignored if they are not referenced in the Administration Client. Notice that the default configuration file contains a few printer template entries. The code between the opening and closing <barcodePrinters> tags defines the printers available for DataSplice barcode printing plug-in actions. The following tags should be edited appropriately to identify the printer(s) of interest:
- <printer> - Each of these tag entries specifies a unique printer on the network. The tag contains various attributes and tags providing detailed information for the printer:
- name (attribute) - The friendly display name for the printer. This is the name used to reference the printer when configuring printing actions in the DataSplice Administration Client. For additional information, please see the related Administration Client areas section of this manual.
- type (attribute) - The driver type corresponding to this printer. This is completely dependent on the make and model of the printer. Some printers are able to emulate various driver types. To determine this information, please refer to the manufacturer's documentation included with the printer. Supported driver types include DPLDriver, EPLDriver, IPLDriver, PL4Driver, and ZPLDriver.
- <location> (tag) - Specifies the IP address of the printer on the network.
- <port> (tag) - Specifies the port used to access the printer. By default, this is 9100.
- <serialPort> (tag) - The serial port used to communicate between the printer and the device. This tag is only used for printers that are connected directly to the mobile device (using wireless, Bluetooth, serial cable, etc.) rather than on the network.
- <baudRate> (tag) - The communication baud rate between the printer and the device. This tag is only used for printers that are connected directly to the mobile device (using wireless, Bluetooth, serial cable, etc.) rather than on the network.
- <byteSize> (tag) - The byte size used when communicating between the printer and the device. This tag is only used for printers that are connected directly to the mobile device (using wireless, Bluetooth, serial cable, etc.) rather than on the network.
- <stopBits> (tag) - Specifies the stop bit being used. This tag is only used for printers that are connected directly to the mobile device (using wireless, Bluetooth, serial cable, etc.) rather than on the network.
- <parity> (tag) - Specifies if a parity is being used. This tag is only used for printers that are connected directly to the mobile device (using wireless, Bluetooth, serial cable, etc.) rather than on the network.
Examples
The following are brief examples of the code involved with a few different types of printers. For additional details about your printer on your network, please consult the documentation provided by the printer manufacturer and your network administrator.
For a Datamax I-4208 printer, which uses a DPL driver, with an IP address of 10.255.255.203, communicating on port 9100, the printer entry would look like this:
<printer name="NorthernWarehouseDatamaxPrinter" type="DPLDriver">
<location>10.255.255.203</location>
<port>9100</port>
</printer>
The name, NorthernWarehouseDatamaxPrinter, can then be referenced in the Administration Client to send print jobs to that printer. For additional information on the corresponding sections in the Administration Client, please see the related Administration Client areas section of this manual.
For a Zebra TLP 2844 printer, which uses a ZPL driver, with an IP address of 10.255.255.206, communicating on port 9100, the printer entry would look like this:
<printer name="CentralWarehouseZebraPrinter" type="ZPLDriver">
<location>10.255.255.206</location>
<port>9100</port>
</printer>
The name, CentralWarehouseZebraPrinter, can then be referenced in the Administration Client to send print jobs to that printer. For additional information on the corresponding sections in the Administration Client, please see the related Administration Client areas section of this manual.
Last modified 2006-04-21 08:54 AM
