Technical Support

Free technical support is offered on all products marketed by Infomax. If you need assistance on selecting the product that fits your needs, please do not hesitate to ask for support at (305)599-8504 or send an e-mail to us at: techsupport@infomax-usa.com

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Tech Notes - A collection of technical information

Printer Drivers

 Frequently Asked Questions

01- When reading a barcode, I always receive the barcode data with a letter in the front of the data. How can I remove those letters?

02- What means CMC-7?

03- What is the difference between Direct Thermal and Thermal Transfer?

04- What type of symbology should I use for my products?

05- How can I open my cash drawer when connected to a printer?

06- Why my NiCad batteries are not charging in the Percon PT2000 or TopGun?

07- What is the difference between Resistive and Capacitive touchscreens?

08- How can I ensure the best performance from my printheads?

09- What is the difference between CCD and CMOS?

When reading a barcode, I always receive the barcode data with a letter in front of the data. How can I remove those letters?
Those letters are Symbology Identifiers (Label IDs). Each symbology has a different combination of letters that is transmitted with the barcode data. Most of the decoded scanners and decoders offers an option in the programming manual to disable sending the identifiers. (back)

What means CMC-7?
MICR Check Readers are able to read the information printed in the bottom of a check with magnetic ink. CMC-7 is a format of printing the bank and account information, where the characters are formed by several bars. (back)

What is the difference between Direct Thermal and Thermal Transfer?
With Direct Thermal printers the image is created on the labels by a chemical reaction on the surface of the label by an application of heat. In the case of Thermal Transfer printers, the image is created by a transfer from the ribbon. (back)

What type of symbology should I use for my products?
The symbologies used to identify products in retail are UPC (United States and Canada) and EAN (Rest of the World). First, you should contact the GS-1 agency for UPC or the agency representing EAN in your country, in order to obtain your manufacturer identification. (back)

How can I open my cash drawer when connected to a printer?
You have to send (print) a string of characters to the POS printer, in order to open the cash drawer. Those strings are different, depending on the printer's manufacturer and compatibility of your cash drawer with that specific printer. As an example, for Epson TM Series send: chr(27), "p", chr(0), chr(25), chr(250). For Star printers, send chr(7). (back)

Why my NiCad batteries are not charging in the Percon PT2000 or TopGun?
If you had alkaline batteries in the Percon data collectors, and changed to rechargeable NiCad batteries, you have to move the switch inside the battery compartment to the NiCad position. (back)

What is the difference between Resistive and Capacitive Touchscreens?
Resistive uses the input from a finger or stylus to compress a sheet of conductive polyester in a conductive glass layer, therefore closing the circuit. The touchscreen electronics detects the position of the touch and pass the information to the controller, then passing to the application.
In other hand, the Analog Capacitive touchscreens are made with a conductive coating to a glass sensor. Voltage is applied to the four corners of the screen along with X-Y axis. When the screen is not in use, electrodes spread out the voltage, creating a uniform field. When the screen is touched by a finger, the field recognizes a disturbance. The X-Y coordinate of the touch is then sent from the controller to the PC serial port. (back)

How can I ensure the best performance from my printheads?
According with tips from Zebra, you should clean the printhead regularly, keep the printer environment clean, check the printhead pressure, and check the printhead resistance value.
Clean the printhead regularly: consistent smudges, streaks, gaps or voids in your labels indicate a dirty printhead. For optimal performance, it is recommended to clean the printhead regularly after every roll of thermal transfer ribbon or direct thermal media.
Keep the printer environment clean: you should check the printer's environment on a regular basis to ensure the area is relatively clean. If labels are stored in a dirty or dusty area, they may easily become contaminated and could ultimately cause premature wear or printhead abrasion.
Check the printhead pressure: excessive printhead pressure will result in a shorter printhead life. Make sure to know how to properly adjust their darkness settings.
Check the printhead resistance value: those values are printed on each printhead in ohms. You should refer to the printer operator's guide, which provides instructions for changing the printer's resistance value via the front panel display, and adjusting the potentiometer on printers without a front panel display. (back)

What is the difference between CCD and CMOS?
Here is how CMOS and CCD image sensors are constructed to handle different imaging sensors:

CCD
Manufacturing: CCD chips require specialized production, separate from many common technologies.
Multichip Conversion: A CCD light sensor, converter, and processor are on separate chips, making cameras slower and less able to handle low lighting and requiring more battery power.
High Resolution: Since CCD pixel sensors are kept separate from their processors, they can capture more pixels (more than 3 million) with less "noise" caused by close wiring. CCD cameras are optimal for high-clarity, high-quality still images.

CMOS
Manufacturing: CMOS image sensors take advantage of inexpensive production methods, allowing them to take on more processing functions.
Smart-Pixel Conversion: Each CMOS pixel sensor can be individually wired to record, convert, and process incoming data . Image capture is very fast - as many as 10,000 frames of video per second.
Low Resolution: Transistors and wiring make each pixel larger, so fewer fit on a chip. Wiring may also cause light to miss pixels, disturbing image quality. CMOS sensors work well for high-speed industrial uses or low-cost cameras for consumers. (back)