Generic Printers
Generic TCP/IP Printers
Even small and simple printers are often network-ready devices with a defined TCP/IP interface. These devices mostly use a simply telegram structure with printing fields for content transmission. The Generic Printer Plug-in of the OPC Router allows easy configuration of the telegram format as well as easy definition of dynamic fields. The telegram can then be sent to the printer to prompt the printing process. You can find a detailed video on this topic, using the Windows printer as an example, under the description “connecting different printers” here in our tutorial stream.
Bringing Industry 4.0 to life with Generic Printers
- Achieving more with coupled systems:
Printing systems take on important product labeling tasks. Wrong or missing labels can result in sizeable economic damages. When a printers is connected with the OPC Router, data exchange can take place coherently, which rules out human errors by tapping into the data source immediately. - Industry 4.0 with Generic Printers:
In order to move production plants and businesses toward Industry 4.0 readiness, each and every device needs to be connected to avoid media gaps. The Generic Printer Plug-in is well able to connect even simple, conventional printers, which can then receive data via OPC Router from other systems from within your company’s system architecture. A seamless data connection via the OPC Router facilitates seamless printing. - About OPC Router:
The OPC Router offers a visual network configuration interface for successful cross-linking of your systems. A high variety of Plug-ins turn the OPC Router into a powerful data hub for industrial applications.Easy configuration, sophisticated monitoring and robustness are main distinguishing features of the OPC Router.
Connecting Systems
Transfer-Objects
The transfer object of the Generic Prucker Plug-in contains the telegram template used for printing.
Label
The label defines the command sequence and the telegram. Static texts, special characters and dynamic fields can be added.
Fields
The fields are dynamic data fields, which are retrieved from other systems during transfer, and then written into the telegram of the printer.
Trigger
The Generic Printer Plug-in does not have trigger functions of its own but uses the standard trigger functions the OPC Router offers.
Browsing
The Generic Printer Plug-in extracts the filled-in dynamic parameters from inside the command sequence and makes it available for selection.