Hello! I am attempting to establish communication between an Omron CJ2M-CPU33 PLC and a Zebra ZT610 printer using a CP1W-CIF01 serial connector. While the data light on the serial card is flashing, the data light on the printer remains inactive. I have cross-wired the serial cable as follows: PLC (DTE) - Printer (DCE) 2 (TXD) ----> 3 (RXD) 3 (RXD) ----> 2 (TXD) 9 (GND) ----> 5 (GND) PLC pins 4/5 are shorted. I have verified the cable for shorts and continuity with a voltmeter. In the PLC program, I am utilizing a TXD instruction with control word set to 0 due to CPU plug-in use. The byte count is set to &57, and the variable "TestString" contains the following ZPL commands: ^XA ^CF0,40 ^FX Upper text ^FO0,0 ^TBN,299.974,66.802 ^FD0,0 ^FS ^XZ These commands work when sent from the Zebra printer utility over Ethernet. Under the Serial Port settings of the PLC, the configurations are: Custom Baud: 9600 Format: 8,1,E Mode: RS-232C Start Code: Disable End Code: Received Bytes 256 Delay: 0 The printer settings are as follows: - Dark: +10.0 - Print Speed: 0.5 IPS - Print Mode: Tear Off - Media Type: Gap/Notch - Serial Communication: RS232 - Baud Rate: 9600 - Data Bits: 8 - Parity: EVEN - Protocol: NONE Please feel free to provide any suggestions or insights. Thank you, Kevin.
If you are experiencing connectivity issues with your serial connection, consider troubleshooting with an Ethernet connection. Utilize Putty for testing purposes and ensure that both sides of the connection are configured with 7 data bits, 1 stop bit, and an even parity setting. This setup will help in diagnosing and resolving any potential issues with your connectivity.
In order to troubleshoot printer connectivity, it is recommended to first test the serial port with a terminal program such as Putty or Realterm. Realterm is preferred as it displays carriage returns and line feeds. Once the serial port is functioning properly, proceed to use the terminal program to communicate with the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) using the TXD instruction. After confirming that both the printer and PLC communications are successful individually, proceed to integrate them for full functionality.
I concur with both of you. I attempted using the 7/1/E configuration, but I was unable to test it on my laptop due to the lack of a serial interface. Additionally, a different cable would be required for this setup.
After troubleshooting, I discovered that connecting pin 2 to pin 2 and pin 3 to pin 3 on the printer was necessary. The printer's pinouts are reversed, causing confusion. Despite now having a data received indicator, the light remains on continuously with no labels printing.
Kevilay discovered the importance of connecting pin 2 to pin 2 and pin 3 to pin 3 on the printer, as the pin outs were reversed. This adjustment led to a data received light, although it remained on and no label printed. Through trial and error, Kevilay determined that setting the byte length to 255 enabled successful label creation, despite originally sending 57 characters. The challenge now is adapting a 310 character ZPL language to fit within the 255 character limit of the Omron serial port. Is it possible to break up ZPL for this purpose?
Hi Kevin! It sounds like you've done a great job troubleshooting so far. One thing to double-check is the parity setting; both the PLC and printer need to match in whether they're set to EVEN, ODD, or NONE. Since you're using EVEN for both, that should be fine, but it’s worth verifying everything. Also, try adjusting the printer's baud rate slightly just to rule out any communication mismatches, and ensure any flow control settings on the printer are set to the same as your PLC. Additionally, sometimes printers require a "wake-up" or initialization command before accepting ZPL data, so including a simple command before your ZPL string might help. Good luck, and let us know how it goes!
Hey Kevin! It looks like you've done quite a thorough job setting this up, but have you double-checked the printer's serial communication settings? Sometimes even a small mismatch in parity or flow control can cause the printer not to respond. Also, ensure that your TXD instruction in the PLC is set to trigger at the right timing within your program, as timing issues could prevent the printer from receiving data properly. Lastly, it might be worth testing with a basic command or reducing the complexity of your ZPL command to see if you can get any response at all. Good luck!
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Answer: Answer: The issue could be related to the settings or configuration mismatch between the PLC and the printer. Check the baud rate, data bits, parity, and protocol settings to ensure they match on both devices.
Answer: Answer: Double-check the format and encoding of the ZPL commands being sent from the PLC. Ensure that the data is being transmitted correctly and that the printer can interpret the commands properly.
Answer: Answer: Verify the cable connections, check the serial port settings on both the PLC and the printer, and confirm that the communication parameters (baud rate, data bits, parity, etc.) are matching on both devices. Additionally, ensure that the ZPL commands are being sent correctly.
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