LabeLase® Producer
Main Form - Setup Menu

The Setup menu is only available in the Supervisor mode of operation and provides several features for configuring the operation of the tag printer.

This menu item will activate the Tag Layout Designer form, which allows the supervisor to create and/or edit tag layout files.   You can also activate this form by double clicking the tag layout image.

The Printer Configuration dialog allows you to enter the parameters that describe the configuration of the printer. Each model of LabeLase® printer has different characteristics and the software must be configured to match.   The dialog has four tabs, each corresponding to a specific aspect of the printer's configuration: Laser, Stepper Motor, Mirror / Galvanometer, and Printer Configuration.   Each of these is discussed in detail below.

Laser Speed - This field affects the “blackness” of the image produced by the tag printer’s laser by specifying the speed at which the laser is moved across the tag surface. The lower the setting for this field, the blacker the image will be. Note that print speed is affected by this setting: the lower the setting, the slower the print speed.

Minimum Speed - New to Version 1.30.  This field, along with the maximum speed (below), is used to set the range of the "Darkness" track bar on the main window.  When the track bar is all the way to the right (darker), then this speed will be selected.

Maximum Speed - New to Version 1.30.  This field, along with the minimum speed (above), is used to set the range of the "Darkness" track bar on the main window.  When the track bar is all the way to the left (lighter), then this speed will be selected.

Laser Off Tickle - This field specifies the amount of “tickle” that will be used to excite the laser when it is off. By increasing this value, the laser will switch faster from an off to on state. Setting this value too high will cause the tag coating to blacken in areas that are supposed to be white.

Laser On Duty Cycle - This field specifies the amount of time the laser is on for any given pixel, expressed as a duty cycle (percentage.)

Vector Duty Cycle - New in Version 1.80.  This field specifies the amount of time the laser is on when printing vector fields, expressed as a duty cycle (percentage.)

Stepper Resolution - This field specifies the resolution of the tag feed stepper motor in inches or millimeters per step. You must enter a value that is compatible with your printer model. A typical value for the model 1000 is 0.00295 inches per step.

Microsteps / Revolution - This field specifies the number of microsteps per revolution of the stepper motor. A typical value for a tag printer would be 200. Rotary printer models may have a different setting. Contact the factory to determine the proper setting for your printer.

Microsteps / Column - This field specifies the number of microsteps of the stepper motor per column of the image. A typical value for a tag printer would be 1. Rotary printer models may have a different setting. Contact the factory to determine the proper setting for your printer.

Minimum Frequency - This field specifies the minimum or starting frequency of the stepper motor when making big moves such as when feeding or reversing from the tear-off location. The value is specified in Hertz.

Maximum Frequency - This field specifies the maximum or top frequency of the stepper motor when making big moves such as when feeding or reversing from the tear-off location. The value is specified in Hertz.

Reversing Takeup - This field specifies an additional number of steps that the tag feed motor must make when changing directions. This feature is used to compensate for backlash in the motor gearing.

Mirror Resolution - This field specifies the resolution of the mirror galvanometer in inches or millimeters per step. You must enter a value that is compatible with your printer model. A typical value for the model 1000 tag printer is 0.00295 inches per step.

Galvo Step Size - This field specifies the number of DAC steps to apply to move the galvanometer mirror by one pixel in the vertical dimension. You must enter a number that matches your tag printer’s configuration.

Galvo Start Margin - This field specifies the number of pixels in the margin at the start of each column of image data.

Galvo End Margin - This field specifies the number of pixels in the margin at the end of each column of image data.

Galvo Home Delay - This field specifies the time, in milliseconds, that the galvo must delay when returning to the home position.

Galvo Offset - This field specifies the vertical distance in inches (mm) to offset the galvo/laser from the center of its scan. This setting effectively shifts the printed image +/- about the center of the tag. The field is usually set to 0 for the model 1000 printer, but positive or negative values may be entered to fine-tune vertical alignment of the burned image with respect to the tag.

Rear Drive Location - This field specifies the distance from the notch sensor to the rear drive roller.

Laser Location - This field specifies the distance in inches or millimeters from the notch sensor to the position where the laser burns the image.

Front Drive Location - This field specifies the distance from the notch sensor to the front drive roller.

Tag Sense Location - This fields specifies the distance from the notch sensor to the tag sensor.

Tearoff Location - This field specifies the distance in inches or millimeters from the notch sensor to the position where the tag is to be torn or broken off.

Auto Print Single Items - Select this field to enable the printer to automatically begin printing when a tag is inserted into the slot.

Rotational Printer - This selection box allows you to specify that the printer is a rotational printer – it prints around the circumference of a cylindrical object. If your printer is a tag printer, make sure this field is not checked.

Draft Mode - This checkbox allows you to specify that you wish to run the printer in a lower resolution draft mode.  When you check this box, the Stepper Resolution, Mirror Resolution, Microsteps / Column, Galvo Step Size and Laser Speed settings will be adjusted appropriately for you.   Note that when in draft mode, barcode fields with odd scale settings will be distorted.

Don't Reverse from Tear-Off Before Print - New in V1.70 - This checkbox will prevent the printer from reversing the tag material from the tear-off position before beginning the next print cycle.  This setting is only useful in certain specialized printing applications and should normally be turned off.

Disable Filter Delay - New in V1.80 - This checkbox will disable the short delay used by the air filter when printing vector fields on special materials.   Normally, the air filter needs to be turned on several seconds prior to printing a layout containing vector fields.   This allows air flow to be fully up-to-speed before printing begins.   However, in special circumstances, you may remove this delay.   Contact the factory for instructions.

Export - New to Version 1.30, the Export button allows you to save the current settings as shown in this dialog to a file.   You will be queried for the name of the file, which will have the extension .INI, and can be saved anywhere you choose.   Once a file is saved, it can be recalled later using the Import button.

Import - New to Version 1.30, the Import button allows you to recall the settings that were previously saved using the Export button.   You will be queried for the folder and name of the file, which has a .INI extension.

The Export / Import functions make it easy to save different printer configurations and recall them as needed.  This may be useful for backup purposes, or if different types of tag stock are used frequently.

To keep unauthorized personnel out of the configuration and maintenance functions of the program, you may set a supervisor password. This password is required to enter the supervisor mode of operation.

To set the password you must first enter the current password. If the password is not currently set, leave this field blank.

Enter the new password and then enter it again to verify. As you type the password, only asterisks are displayed.

After clicking the Ok button, the password will be set.

The program is capable of handling both English and Metric units of measure. You can set the units of measure as needed for your location. The unit setting effects the field locations in a layout, the printer configuration settings, user preferences, etc.

Note that loading a layout that was created with different units than your setting will change your units setting to the layout’s setting.

Many tag-printing applications require that the data printed on the tags come from another computer called a host. The host computer must be connected to the tag printing computer via some type of communications medium and using some type of communications protocol. The LabeLase Printer software allows you to connect to another computer or network to facilitate the download of data to the printer.

The Host Communications dialog allows you to specify the communications medium along with the necessary protocols to establish the communications link.

This dialog is organized as a group of tabbed sheets. The first tab, Connection Type is common to all communications mediums and protocols. It allows you to specify and configure the connection type and to select the protocol. Additional tabs may become visible as needed to configure the chosen protocol.

Connection Type - This radio group allows you to select the physical medium to be used to connect the tag printer to the host. You can select from RS232-C serial COM port,  a network connection using TCP/IP, or a file transfer method. Your choice for this setting will enable the Serial Port settings, Network Configuration settings, or File Transfer settings respectively.

RS232-C Serial Port Settings - Choose the serial port, baud rate, number of data and stop bits, and parity to match the settings on the host.

Network Configuration - When connecting to the host via a network, the TCP/IP protocols are used. The Producer will act as a server and will listen at a specific TCP port number for connection requests from the host. You must specify the port number at which the Producer is to listen. Note that the type of network (Ethernet, Token Ring, etc.) is not important to the software since TCP/IP is being used as the low level protocol.

File Transfer - When connecting to the host over a local area network (LAN), it is possible to have the host computer supply data to the printer by writing to a file on the printer's PC.    You must specify the full path to the desired file in the File Transfer settings group box.    The Producer program will monitor for this file and when it appears, it will read its contents and queue it for printing.   After reading the file, it will be deleted.   Note that when File Transfer is the selected connection type, the Protocol settings are disabled since no protocol is required for this type.

Communications Protocol - This drop-down list allows you to choose a specific application layer protocol for host communications. If using the Network connection type, then the selected protocol will ride on top of TCP/IP. Depending on the protocol selected, an additional tab may appear requiring you to enter protocol specific configuration information. Additional information must be entered for the Siemens 3964R / RK512, Allen Bradley DF1, GE CCM, Programmable, PPE, LDL, IPL and ZPL protocols.

Automatically Print on Message Receipt - This checkbox enables the automatic printing of tags upon receipt of the host download data.

Do Not Queue Downloaded Messages - This checkbox disables the queuing of data received from the host computer. When checked, only one message (the most recently received) will be “buffered” for printing.

New Download Required to Print - This checkbox enables the requirement that a new message be received from the host in order to print. When checked, you will not be able to print until a new message is received.

Message Format

Beginning in Version 1.20, a new tab allows you to configure the message format.  Note that the Data Field Separator entry was moved to this tab from the Connection Type tab.   The Message Format tab is shown below:

Data Field Separator - This field is used to specify the character that is to be used to separate the fields in the downloaded message. The default is to use the comma character. However, it may be necessary to include the comma as part of the text to be printed. If this is the case, change the data separator to another character that is guaranteed not to be part of the data text.   Binary data may be included in the separator as follows:  \x09  selects the TAB character.  This may also be specified as \t or \<TAB>.   Control codes can be specified in this way using the standard ASCII name for the codes.  Binary values above 128 may be specified using the hexadecimal value as in the first example.

Exclude Fixed Fields - The Standard Message Format begins with 3 fixed fields that specify the layout filename, quantity and copy count.   In previous versions the fields could be omitted by simply having no value between the separator (e.g. ,,,) but the separator itself was required.   In V1.20 and above, you can omit the fields altogether by checking the corresponding "exclude" checkbox in setup.  Note that each fixed field is individually include/excluded.

Include Extra Fields - In previous versions, the host could only write data into the corresponding Operator Entry fields of the layout.   Any data sent from the host that did not have an associated operator entry would have been ignored.   In V1.20 and above, the extra data can be placed directly into the text fields themselves.  Each field after the last operator entry field is designated Field 1, Field 2 and so on.   The layout text field with the same Link ID will be replaced with the associated data.  For example, the data in the first field following the operator data will be placed into the layout text field that has a Link ID of 1.

Depending upon what protocol you select, an additional tab may appear at the top of the dialog.  This panel allows you to set additional configuration information for the selected protocol.

Siemens Protocol

The Siemens 3964R / RK512 is a peer-to-peer protocol designed for communicating data and I/O information between programmable logic controllers (PLC) in the Siemens family. Using this protocol allows a Siemens PLC to send data to the Producer.

Data Block - This field specifies the data block that will receive the downloaded text information. The data block number must be in the range of 0 to 10. The default and suggested value for this field is 3. Setting this field too high can result in wasted memory space.

Data Word - This field specifies the data word that will receive the downloaded text information. Downloaded text will be written starting at this address and occupying as many addresses as needed to hold the text string. Data is stored two characters per address. If the length of the text string is odd, you must send a trailing null character. The data word number must be in the range 0 to 127.

Allen Bradley Protocol

The Allen Bradley DF1 protocol is a peer-to-peer protocol designed for communicating data and I/O information between programmable logic controllers (PLC) in the Allen Bradley family. Using this protocol allows an Allen Bradley PLC to send data to the Producer. The DF1 protocol is the basis for the Allen Bradley Data Highway.

N Register - This field specifies the register type and number that will receive the downloaded text information. The data block number must be in the range of 1 to 10. The default (and suggested) value for this field is 7. Integer data is the format supported, as the driver emulates N register memory only.

Data Word - This field specifies the data word that will receive the downloaded text information. Downloaded text will be written starting at this address and occupying as many addresses as needed to hold the text string. Data is stored two characters per address. If the length of the text string is odd, you must send a trailing null character. The data word number must be in the range 0 to 127.

GE Protocol

The General Electric CCM protocol is a peer-to-peer protocol designed for communicating data and I/O information between programmable logic controllers (PLC) in the GE family. Using this protocol allows a GE PLC to send data to the Producer.

Address - This field specifies the data word that will receive the downloaded text information. Downloaded text will be written starting at this address and occupying as many addresses as needed to hold the text string. Data is stored two characters per address. If the length of the text string is odd, you must send a trailing null character. The data word number must be in the range 0 to 127.

Programmable Protocol

The Programmable protocol is not really a protocol as much as it is a mechanism to define a simple communications mechanism for data transfer between the Producer and another device that cannot or does not handle the other protocols available. Using the protocol’s settings, you can configure it to match a simple download of data from another device.

Start Character - This field specifies a unique starting character value (in decimal) that can be used to trigger the receipt of information. The character cannot appear at any other time in the download. If a unique start character is not available, set this field to zero.

Terminators - These three fields can be used to specify up to three characters that will terminate the download. If only one terminator is needed, set the second and third to zero. For example, if the download is terminated by carriage return (CR) and line feed (LF), set the first field to 13 (decimal equivalent of CR), the second field to 10 (decimal equivalent of LF) and the third field to zero.

Character to Ignore - This field can be used to specify a character (in decimal) that is to be ignored wherever it may appear in the download.

Echo Received Characters - This checkbox is used to enable the echo of all received characters back to the host computer.

Reply with Ack or Nak - This checkbox is used to enable a reply back to the host with either an ACK character if the message was received without error, or with a NAK character if the message overflowed the receiver’s buffer.

Use Fixed Field Positions - This checkbox is used to enable the parsing of the data fields using fixed field locations. If checked, you must supply the character offset and field lengths for up to 10 text fields. The data will be extracted using these rules. If this field is not checked, then the data will be expected in a variable length, delimited format called the Standard Message Format. The delimiter must be the Data Field Separator as specified in the Connection Type tab.

Fixed Field Positions - This table is used to specify the fixed fields to be used to extract the data. This table is only used if the Use Fixed Field Positions checkbox is checked. You must specify the field’s starting character offset (the first character received is 1) and the number of characters occupied by the field.

There are certain settings that you can change to configure the program to your individual preferences. When accessed from the main Operator’s window, only the Startup preferences are accessible. When accessed from the Layout Editor, the Display and Format Toolbar preferences are accessible.

The Preferences editor allows you set the following features:

Startup - Startup preferences control the behavior of the program when it is started.

Disable Splash Screen - When checked, the splash screen will not be displayed on program startup. This may make the program start faster.

Restore Last File on Startup - When checked, the layout that was last opened will be automatically restored when the program starts. This is especially useful when unattended operation is required.

Restore Host Message Queue - When checked, the messages downloaded from the host and waiting in the message queue will be saved and restored between program invocations.

Window – Select the window (main or batch) that will appear automatically when the program is started.

Grid Size - Enter the size of the grid as shown in the Layout Designer (in or mm).

Enable Pointer Cross Hairs - When checked, the Layout Designer will show cross hairs that track the position of the mouse.   This can be useful when adding or moving fields to ensure their proper position.

Don't show the New Layout Dialog - When checked, you will not be shown the New Layout Dialog when creating a new layout.

Show hidden fields on main screen - When checked, hidden fields will be shown on the tag image on the main screen.

Show vector fields on main screen - When checked, vector cutting fields will be shown on the tag image on the main screen.

Tag Printer Communications - The tag printer communications preferences allow you to set the COM port to be used for communications to the tag printer. Important: The setting for the tag printer COM port must not conflict with the port chosen for Host communications.

Defaults - The defaults tab allows you to set the current preference settings as the program's default values, or to restore the factory default settings as the program's defaults.   Click the appropriate button as needed.   Note that you will be required to confirm your intentions before the operation is completed.

Event Log - The event log tab allows you to configure the level of event logging performed by the service version of Producer.   Since the service has no user interface, it must record events and errors to a file for later inspection when resolving problems.    The Log Level determines the severity of the events that get recorded, and can be set to CRITICAL, ERROR, WARNING, ADVISORY, STATUS and NOTICE.   Setting the level to NOTICE will result in all events being recorded in the log file.

It is recommended that under normal operating conditions that the level be set to CRITICAL so that only important errors are recorded.  This will keep the size of the log file from growing too quickly.   If you are encountering problems, you can temporarily lower the log level so that more information is recorded about the service's operation.   Be sure to raise the level after the problem is resolved.

The log file is located in the service program's folder, which is where Producer was originally installed.