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How to connect a Star Printer
This page gives an overview on how to connect your desktop Star
POS printers. In the back of a Star Printer you will find 3 (or at least 2)
connectors. On every desktop printer you will find a power connection and a jack
for the cash drawer (it looks like a phone jack). All printers (with the
exception of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth also have a data connection.)
From left to right: data (Ethernet), cash drawer, and power
connections
Power Connection
Plug the printer in using the included 24 volt Star Power supply. Note: An Epson
TM series power supply can also be used with Star printers.
Drawer Kick
The cash drawer port is used for connecting a cash drawer.
Data Connection
The data connection connects the printer to the computer. There are a
variety of connections used with Star printers. The procedure for establishing
the connection depends on the type of connection used. Once you identified
the connection on the back of the printer you are connecting , go to the
appropriate section below.
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Required Components
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Star Printers Covered
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TSP100
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TSP650
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SP298
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SP700
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Installing and Setting the
Serial Adapter
Install the Star serial adapter card into the Star printer
The adapter can replace the existing adapter and
is held in place by 2 screws.
Finding the Right Cable
The most common problem we've had with serial adapters and printers isn't the
printer at all - it's the cable! There's a wide variety of connection
schemes used to connect a serial printer. The most common is the null modem type
connection where the transmit and received lines are crossed. Star also
recommends crossing the DTR with the DSR and the CTS with the RTS lines.
 Very often the
printer is attached using a internally wired adapter which converts the DB-25 connector to
a phone type (RJ-11) connector. The connections can be wired inside the housing for
custom wiring options.
Note: The DB-25 cable connector
on the printer is a serial connection while the serial interface
connection on the
back of most computers is not a DB-25 connector but a DB-9 male. The DB-25 connectors commonly
found on the back of computers is the parallel interface. This is confusing, but
it's the way it is.
Star's recommended serial Connection cabling:
We commonly use the
following 'Null Modem' arrangement with good results:
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D-Sub 25 (TM) |
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D-Sub 9(PC) |
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2 TxD |
connected to |
2 RxD |
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3 RxD |
connected to |
3 TxD |
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20 DTR |
connected to |
6 DSR |
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20 DTR |
connected to |
8 CTS |
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6 DSR |
connected to |
4 DTR |
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7 GD |
connected to |
5 GD |
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Tip: If unsure on which cable to
use, first try a standard Null Modem cable.
Getting Initial Printer and
Connect-it Adapter Settings - the Self Test
Print the initial settings of the serial adapter by running the self test. Run the printer self test
by holding down
the feed button while turning on the printer. The printer will print a list of
initial settings including baud rate, data bits, parity, stop bit, flow control
(handshaking).
These values will be needed when configuring the serial port in Windows.
Configuring the Computer
Check the POS application to determine what the port settings
should be on the computer. The POS application and the printer must have the
same baud rate, data bits, parity, stop bit for the printer to print legibly.
Also the handshaking must be set the same for the printer to print at all.
You can change the interface settings of the printer using the
DIP
switches on the underside of the printer. See the
support page for the model of printer you are using for specific switch
settings.
Verify the port you are using by checking the port in the Device
Manager under the System applet in the Windows Control Panel.
Installing the Device Drivers
for Windows
To obtain the latest Device
Drivers from Star:
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Download and Install Star’s
drivers available from
www.Star.com
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Click on TECHNICAL RESOURCES
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Select the printer model under the menu
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Click the download
drivers on the printer page
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For detailed
installation instructions, click here.
Configuring the Printer in
Windows
First off, it should be said that the serial printer is not Windows plug and play
compliant.
You need to make a few changes in the printer settings in Windows to get it to work
with the serial adapter. Specifically you need to configure the serial port you are
using to connect with the printer.
Checking the Driver
Installation in Windows
Open the printer in the Windows Printer Folder. Select the Ports Tab.
Turn off bidirectional support, if experiencing problems printing.
You can try selecting the serial port in use (COM4
in the above example).
Press the 'Configure Port' button to open the properties screen.
Enter the same settings as were printed out in the adapter self-test.
We recommend that you run off the 'bidirectional printing' option on the Ports
screen.
Installing the Printer Driver
in Windows
After installing the drivers, the printer should be visible in the printers folder of the Windows Control
Panel.
Testing the Printer
You should now be ready to test the printer by printing some text or by pressing
the "Print Test Page" button in the General Tab of the printer properties.
If the printer fails to print the
test page then check:
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Power cable is installed and
the printer is turned on
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Data cable is installed on the
printer and the computer
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Port settings are set the same
on the printer (from the Self Test) and in Windows
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The COM port selected in
Windows is correct
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The data cable has the right
configuration for the printer and computer in use. Using the wrong data
cable is the most common problem with new installations. The printer
will fail to print unless the cable is compatible.
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Installing and Setting the
Connect-It Parallel Adapter
Install the Connect-It parallel adapter into the Star TM series printer
The parallel adapter is held in place by 2 screws.
Attaching the Cable
Use a standard parallel printer cable to connect the printer. One end has a male
DB-25 connector, the other end has a male Centronics plug.
DB25 Female (computer connector)
Centronics (printer connector end)
Centronics (printer cable end)
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Configuring the Computer
Verify the parallel port you are using by
locating and checking the port in the Device
Manager under the System applet in the Windows Control Panel.
Running the Self Test - Test printer
and show settings
Get the initial settings of the parallel adapter by running the printer's self test.
To do this hold down
the feed button while turning on the printer. The printer will print a list of
initial settings including interface type and buffer capacity. Verify that the
interface is "Parallel"
You can change the interface settings using the
DIP
switches on the bottom of the printer. See the
support page for the model of printer you are using..
Configuring the Printer in
Windows
First off, the parallel printer adapter may not be plug and play.
This depends on the Star printer and the version of the interface you
are using.
| Installing the Star Printer Drivers
in Windows |
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| This completes the installation of the
Star printer drivers. |
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After installing the printer drivers, the printer should be visible in the printers folder of the Windows Control
Panel.
Checking the Driver
Installation in Windows
If Windows does not recognize the
printer when it is attached and powered up,
you need to make a few changes in the printer settings in Windows to get it to work
with the parallel adapter. Specifically you need to configure the printer port you are
using to connect with the printer.
Open the printer in the Windows Printer Folder. Select the Ports Tab.
Select the parallel port in use (i.e. LPT1).
Finally turn off bidirectional support, if enabled
like above.
Configuration Utilities to Run
on the Computer
Star Flash Utility
The Star Flash Utility is normally
installed with the Star printer drivers. It is used to upload bitmaps to Star
printers, but has a simple communication test which will check for basic
connectivity between the computer and the printer. Pressing the "Comm. Test"
button on the Setup tab of the utility will give a go/no-go indication of basic
connectivity.
Testing the Printer
You should now be ready to test the printer by printing some text or by pressing
the "Print Test Page" button in the General Tab of the printer properties.
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Installing and Setting the
Star USB Adapter
Install the Star USB adapter into the Star POS printer
The adapter can replace the existing adapter and
is held in place by 2 screws on the top of the card.
Attaching the Cable
Use a standard USB 2.0 printer cable to connect the printer. One end has a male USB
type B connector, the other end has a male USB type A plug that goes into the
computer.
USB (connector on printer end)
USB cards use
USB Type B Cables
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Getting Initial Printer and
Connect-it Adapter Settings using Self-Test
Get the initial settings of the USB adapter. Run the printer self test (hold down
the feed button while turning on the printer). The printer will print a list of
initial settings including interface type, ID, and buffer capacity.
You can change the interface settings using the
DIP
switches on the bottom of the printer. See the
support page for the model of printer you are using.
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Star Printers are normally set to have DHCP enabled. This means that the
printer, when plugged into the network, will try to obtain an IP address
from the router. It will use this IP address unless you instruct it
otherwise. The StarPrint utility from Star lets you make changes in the
setup, setting connection parameters like IP address and Wi-Fi password. |
Resetting the Ethernet Interface
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Ethernet Printers (Expect TSP100LAN)
1. Confirm the power cord and Ethernet cable are plugged into the back
of the printer.
2. Turn the printer on and confirm you have solid green light for power.
3. On the back of the printer where the Ethernet cable plugging into the
NIC card, there will be a “SW” red
button.
4. With a small screwdriver or pin, you will press the “SW” button until
both the NIC LED lights start blinking,
then let go of the “SW” button. Both NIC LED lights will be solid.
5. Press the “SW” button one more time until the both NIC LED lights
turn OFF, then let go of the “SW” button
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Installing a Desktop Ethernet or Wi-Fi Printer in
Windows using the StarPRNT Utility
This application note shows how to install a Star Desktop Ethernet or
Wi-Fi Printer using the StarPRNT Intelligence Driver/Configuration
Utility package.
- Supported Printers: FVP10, TSP650, TSP650II, TSP700II, TSP800II,
SP700, SP500, TUP500
- Supported Interfaces: Ethernet, Wi-Fi
- Supported Environments: Windows 10 (32/64-bit), Windows 8
(32/64-bit) Windows 7 (32/64-bit), Windows Vista (32/64-bit),
Windows XP
Install the software from the included CD-ROM or download the
software from Star Micronics website
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Ethernet Printer Installation (Static IP) using
StarPRNT
To run StarPRNT the printer should be powered on and connected to the
same network as the PC.
If setting up a small network just for setup note that you need to use a
router and not a switch since it must get an IP address from the router
at startup.
If no router is available see the section on
setting the IP
address manually, below.
- Click the Windows Start button and navigate StarMicronics >
Printer Software > Printer Utility.
- Select the printer model in the left menu bar. Set the Emulation
to “Star Line Mode”. Click “Next”.
- Select “Ethernet” in the left menu bar. Then, click “Search
Network”.
- StarPRNT searches the network for the printer.
- The printer’s dynamic IP Address appears in the section
highlighted by the orange box. Click the button highlighted by the
red box reading “Set Printer’s IP address”.
- NOTE: If no Star Printer was found on the network, jump to
Manually
Assigning an IP Address. Click “OK”.
- Log in. The model of the Ethernet card in use is displayed where
the orange box highlights.
For IFBD-HE07/08 and IFBD-HE05/06 Models:
Username: root
Password: public
For IFBD-HE03/04 Models
Username: root
Password:(No password)
- Click “IP Parameters” in the left menu bar.
- Select “Static”. Then enter the desired Static IP Address,
Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway. Click “Submit”.
- This page confirms the information set. Click “Save” in the left
menu bar.
- Click “Save Configuration printing Restart device” to save
settings and print a test page.
- It will take about ten seconds for the printer to restart with
the new configuration settings. At this point, close the browser
window.
- Back in StarPRNT, click “Search Network”. The new Static IP
Address will appear in the orange box. Click “Done”.
- Enter a name to call the printer in the StarPRNT Utility. This
will not change the printer name in the Printers and Devices
(Printers and Faxes) folder. Click “OK”.
- Click “Windows Printer Queue Management”. Click “Add”.
- Enter the printer name. This name will be used in the Windows
Devices and Printers (Printers and Faxes) folder.
- The printer is added. The name shown here is exactly the same as
the printer queue added in the Windows Devices and Printers
(Printers and Faxes) folder.
- Click “Test Print” to confirm successful printing from Windows.
- Congratulations! You have successfully configured your Ethernet
Star Printer with a static IP Address
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Manually Assigning an IP Address in StarPRNT
This procedure can be used if StarPrnt does not find your printer on the
network. It allow you to set a temporary IP address using the MAC
address and StarPRNT. If StarPRNT automatically
discovers the Star Ethernet printer on the network, you can skip this
section and follow the procedure above.
If you see this warning:
Warning: No printers were found on your network - check your
computer and printer's network connection and try again.
This message will be displayed if the printer did not automatically
have an IP Addressed assigned to it when connected to the network.
This could be because your network does not use DHCP to assign IP
addresses or for other reasons specific to your network.
To manually set the IP address:
Ensure the printer is connected to the same network as the PC.
Run the printer self-test by following this procedure:
- Power off the printer.
- Press and hold the feed button while turning the power back
on.
- Release the feed button as the printer’s first hardware
self-test prints immediately.
NOTE: When the Power and Caution LEDs (green and yellow) flash, the
printer attempts to initialize itself on the network.
About ten seconds after the first self-test printed, a second self-test
will automatically print showing information about the Ethernet
interface, as shown below.
Keep this second printout, as the MAC address of the the Ethernet
interface just printed out will be needed soon.
****************************************
Network Card IFBD-HE07/08
****************************************
Version Main F/W: V2.1.0
Boot F/W: V1.0.0
PLD: V1.0.0
<< IFBD-HE07/08 Information >>
MAC Addr :00:11:62:05:7D:13
Configuration Print :ENABLE
Click “Help – my printer was not found.”
Type in the MAC Address printed on the self-test, sample shown above.
Then type in a temporary IP Address for the printer. Be sure the IP
Address typed in is unique and is not already assigned to another device
on the network.
The printer should then reset. Click “Yes” to assign a static IP
address to the printer. All self-tests printed can be discarded at this
point.
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While not strictly speaking a data interface, Web Print is a process by
which you can print remotely over the Internet. It involves web pages
written in Java script that talk directly to the 'web Printer. It
differs from Cloud based dolutions in that there is no remote site or
server required.
Given their recent success in the mobile market, Star realizes there is
a growing requirement to print from both mobile and desktop applications
to receipt printers. Star’s platform-agnostic WebPRNT solution is
designed to generate print data via a web browser to output directly to
any Star printer fitted with a WebPRNT interface
More on Web Print technology.
Notes: the printer must be WebPrint enabled
Your network must be accessible via a URL or IP address from the
InternetConnect your web print enabled printer to you network. Print
out the printers IP address by running the self-test:
Note the local IP address, and the TCP port number (see blue
squares).
Note that it would better to use a static IP address for the printer
instead of DHCP if making regular use of the web print feature.
Open your router administration to the Forwarding Section, Virtual
Servers
Virtual servers can be used for setting up public services on
your LAN. A virtual server is defined as a service port, and all
requests from Internet to this service port will be redirected to
the device specified by the server IP. Any device that was used for
a virtual server should have a static or reserved IP address because
its IP address may change when using the DHCP function.
Register the Printer via port forwarding to the port and IP address
in use
In the above example we are mapping public port 8082 (Service Port)
to local port 80 (Internal Port) for the printer with the network
IP address of 192.168.0.114
Open up the sample star web page
Insert your using your network's public IP port number and press
'print'. If all is set up correctly the sample will be sent over the
Internet to print locally on your printer (Directions follow)
Directions on creating a sample web page to print.
Web Server Registration
Download the sample files from Star Microics (seearch for StarWebPRNT
WebContents)
Copy all sample program files for the Public folder according to the Web
server operating manual.
Open CompariosReceiptDesign.html
(sample file available here) on your server and check if the
JavaScript/Canvas works properly with your browser.
ComparisonReceiptDesign error screen
- If the message "Your browser does not support JavaScript!"
appears on your browser, check the JavaScript setting and make
it valid.
- If the message "Your browser does not support Canvas!"
appears on your application, change (or upgrade) your browser to
one which supports Canvas function.
Edit the StarWebPRNT end point URL in accordance with the IP address
of the printer.
Comparison: Receipt Design setting screen: In the
above example we are opening the test page locally and then inserting
the public IP address and port number (78.165.115:8082 configured
above) into the URL on the form.
Send the form to print:
- Press the “Send (API)” button to check if it is possible
to print with device fonts
- Press the “Send (Canvas)” button to check if it is
possible to print with Canvas drawing.
The form will send the request to the public IP, the router will map
the request to the local printer and printer port configured above. |
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 SETTING UP YOUR
STAR MICRONICS BLUETOOTH (shown with a TSP650 II RECEIPT PRINTER)
Preliminary:. Turn on your Printer
1) Plug in the power cable and turn on the power. The switch is on the
left side.
Pairing your Printer and iPad
1. Tap Settings.
2. Tap Bluetooth.
3. Slide Bluetooth to the green position.
4. Your iPad will discover Bluetooth devices in range. Wait until it
discovers your Star Micronics printer.
5. On the back of your printer, press and hold the PAIR button for five
or more seconds and then release it.
6. The LED light to the left will flash green.
7. On your iPad tap Not Paired when you see the flashing green LED
light. You have about 60 seconds to pair the devices.
8. Your printer will now report connected and you will see a Bluetooth
Receipt Printer Bluetooth icon indicating your iPad’s Bluetooth is
enabled. If you encounter problems with your printer, first ensure the
Bluetooth is on and revisit this screen to ensure your printer is
connected.
9. Tap Print Test Page.
10. Tap Done. |
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Connectivity Problems, never printed
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The data cable is incorrect. Typically parallel printers
need to use a parallel cable.
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The Star printer driver has not been installed for the
parallel adapter and printer in use. Check the cable is plugged into a
parallel port on the computer side. On the computer side this is typically a
D-shaped connector with 25 holes.
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The printer or the interface card is defective. Confirm
printer operation with self-test. Confirm interface
card by swapping with another interface card or printer.
Prints Garbage
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You didn't copy the DIP switch serial settings from the old
printer to the new printer
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The interface settings are not the same on both the printer
and computer. Run the printer self test to show the
current settings on the printer. Check the computer side to see that
settings are the same. Settings can be changed on the printer using
the DIP switches.
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The printer selected in the software is not correct or the
software doesn't support the printer in use.
No longer prints
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The TM printer is turned off. Turn on the TM printer.
Confirm the connection of the power supply unit or the voltage of the
commercial power.
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The TM printer is offline. Turn the TM printer online.
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The ERROR LED of the TM printer is on or flashing.
Remove the error cause.
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The printing port of the driver on the computer side
is not specified correctly. Confirm the driver setting on the computer side.
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The printer is not online in Windows. Check the status of
the printer in the Windows Control Panel, the printer should show status as
ready. Tip: try stopping and restarting the Print Spooler from
the Services applet of the Control Panel.
Printing is slow
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More Information
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| Star Printers |
Star
Interfaces |
Support
Information |
Need some help? Try our Star printer test utility
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