Star SP200 keeps feeding paper while printing

[vashonit]

One of a client's Star SP200 receipt printers began printing out receipts in a long zig-zag pattern. It seems to have lost it's ability to stop and wait for a line to print before advancing to the next line, just starts a continuous feed until the end of the print job. It also does it printing a self test while disconnected.

I was assuming this was just a dying printer but their second one has started doing the same thing within 2 months of the first one, which seems like a big coincidence. Apparently the second one isn't doing it as bad yet because they are still able to use it.

They run a DOS based video store software package. It's been too long since I worked with DOS printers and codes I can't remember if it's possible for software to cause this.

Does anyone know if this is fixable? It's a young couple with kids in a small town market who are just making a living and $400 for 2 new ones is a big ding.

Thank you.

Matthew

 

[smah]

Might this be CVS? I ran into something similar just recently. If this is CVS, there are several settings in the reciept printer section, but there is also another config section that can have an effect. I just can't quite remember what it's called, but it sounds like it's describing the paper - 40 column, etc. Also, if someone printed a report from that terminal on the receipt printer, it will get out of whack (but a reboot of the system should fix that). My client is using several SP200's and has been for a long time. I would guess that there are at least 6 and they are probably 10+ years old and still running.

 

[vashonit]

Thanks for the reply Smah. Not sure if it's CVS, I'll check on that. But does it make sense that sending the wrong code to the printer (like if they did print a 40 column report to it) would make the printer stick that way? It's been sitting in my shop for a week, disconnected from their PC's, and it still prints out it's self test in that same long zig-zag pattern. I thought if you even just turned a printer off it would reset itself. Do they have flash memory or something?

Thanks again.

 

[smah]

No flash memory that I'm aware of. That zig-zag pattern sounds very familiar, but I can't remember why. Keep working at this - I don't think the printer is dead.

 

[vashonit]

Will do smah. You (or anyone else) don't happen to know of any decent support resources for Star printers? I haven't been able to find nuttin.

Regards,

Matthew

 

[smah]

This seems to be the official support site, but I don't see too much there. These FAQ's might have something of value. Earlier today, I checked the place here - apparently the printers I've dealt with are SP300's. I don't know how much difference there is.