Need help with POS printer

[bkirt]

I have a 100% Java POS application. The receipt printer is installed as the default Windows XP printer but on a USB port. I am using the Java Printable interface to print receipts. I insert the needed text, etc into a JLabel and print it. This all works fine. My problem is opening the cash drawer which is attached to the printer. I must send a 0x07 (ASCII BEL character) to the printer which then opens the drawer. For some reason the bel never gets sent.

Is the JLabel removing it? I know it is possible to send it through a Windows printer as there is a test provided with the printer and it works. I have also tried sending the 07 directly to the printer as a Java byte. I have tried opening both the Windows printer name and the USB port as files but that also does not work.

If anyone has an answer, I will forever be in your debt.

Thanks in advance,
Bayless

[levent]

Hi Bayless,

Welcome to Java Forums!

Quote:

I have also tried sending the 07 directly to the printer as a Java byte.

Did this work?

Can you also paste your test program with JLabel here? (Please put your program inside code tag to make it more readable.)

[bkirt]

Hi Levent,

Here is the test program followed by my ReceiptPrinter class. From the current symptoms, I am beginning to suspect that my problem is not knowing how to address the USB port that the printer is attached to. Windows does let me send characters directly to LPT1 (one of the test cases in the following) but I cannot seem to do the same to either of my USB printers.

Thanks very much for your help.

Bayless

Code:

/*
 * PrintTest.java
 *
 * Created on April 24, 2007, 12:19 PM
 */

package com.sailok.util;

import java.awt.Dimension;
import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
import java.io.FileOutputStream;
import java.io.IOException;
import javax.swing.JButton;
import javax.swing.JOptionPane;
import javax.swing.JFrame;

public class PrintTest extends javax.swing.JFrame {
    private ReceiptPrinter receiptPrinter = new ReceiptPrinter();
    private FileOutputStream fos;
    
    public PrintTest() {
        initComponents();
        setPreferredSize(new Dimension(300, 200));
        pack();
        try {
    /*
     * Note: only one of the following should be used at any time
     * although both should be attempted separately
     * attempt to open printer by its Windows printer name
     */
//            fos = new FileOutputStream("Star TSP100 Cutter (TSP143)");
    // attempt to open printer by its USB port name
            fos = new FileOutputStream("USB002");
    // attempt to open LPT1 as a test of procedures only
//            fos = new FileOutputStream("LPT1");
        }
        catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
           JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(this, "Cannot open file\n" + e.getMessage(),
                   "Warning", JOptionPane.WARNING_MESSAGE);
        }
    }
    
    private void initComponents() {
        openButton = new javax.swing.JButton();
        jScrollPane1 = new javax.swing.JScrollPane();
        display = new javax.swing.JTextArea();
        exitButton = new javax.swing.JButton();

        getContentPane().setLayout(null);

        setDefaultCloseOperation(javax.swing.WindowConstants.DO_NOTHING_ON_CLOSE);
        openButton.setFont(new java.awt.Font("Tahoma", 1, 11));
        openButton.setText("Open");
        openButton.addActionListener(new java.awt.event.ActionListener() {
            public void actionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {
                openButtonActionPerformed(evt);
            }
        });

        getContentPane().add(openButton);
        openButton.setBounds(151, 120, 80, 23);

        display.setColumns(20);
        display.setRows(5);
        jScrollPane1.setViewportView(display);

        getContentPane().add(jScrollPane1);
        jScrollPane1.setBounds(10, 10, 220, 92);

        exitButton.setFont(new java.awt.Font("Tahoma", 1, 11));
        exitButton.setText("Exit");
        exitButton.addActionListener(new java.awt.event.ActionListener() {
            public void actionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {
                exitButtonActionPerformed(evt);
            }
        });

        getContentPane().add(exitButton);
        exitButton.setBounds(10, 120, 70, 23);

        pack();
    }

    private void exitButtonActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {
        try {
            fos.close();
        }
        catch (IOException e) {
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(this, "Unable to close printer port",
                    "Warning", JOptionPane.WARNING_MESSAGE);
        }
        dispose();
    }

    private void openButtonActionPerformed(java.awt.event.ActionEvent evt) {
    // this section attempts to send the BEL character to the printer port
        byte bel = 0x07;
        try {
            fos.write(bel);
            fos.flush();
        }
        catch (IOException e) {
            JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(this, "Error trying to write\n" + e.getMessage(),
                    "Warning", JOptionPane.WARNING_MESSAGE);
        }
    // this section appends the BEL to  the printed message and sends it to the Windows printer
        String msg = "test";
        msg += ((char) 0x07);
        receiptPrinter.printIt(msg);
    // this section displays a hex dump of the printed message
    // note that the BEL is being converted to a box and that
    // is what actually prints on the printer instead of the beep
        for (int i = 0; i < msg.length(); i += 5) {
            for (int j = 0; j < 5; j++) {
                if ((i + j) < msg.length()) {
                    int x = msg.charAt(i + j);
                    display.append(String.format("%02x ", x));
                }
            }
            display.append("   ");
            for (int j = 0; j < 5; j++) {
                if (i + j < msg.length()) {
                    char c = msg.charAt(i + j);
                    display.append(String.format(" %c", c));
                }
            }
            display.append("\n");
        }
    }
    
    public static void main(String args[]) {
        java.awt.EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
            public void run() {
                new PrintTest().setVisible(true);
            }
        });
    }
    
    private javax.swing.JTextArea display;
    private javax.swing.JButton exitButton;
    private javax.swing.JScrollPane jScrollPane1;
    private javax.swing.JButton openButton;
    
}


/**
 * com.sailok.util.ReceiptPrinter.java
 * <p>
 * This class provides a means to print a text or graphics message to 
 * a receipt printer. It includes an option to pop up a JOptionPane 
 * with a configurable message that will cause the program to wait for 
 * the print to finish before continuing. It is fully copyrighted and 
 * owned by the developer, SailOK Software, Oklahoma City, OK.
 * <p>
 * A license to use, executed by SailOK, is required to use the program 
 * in any way. A source code license is also available. If you have a
 * source code license then you may modify the program in any way you
 * desire. Any such modifications, however, will not be covered under 
 * any SailOK warranty. The program may not be resold, even if you 
 * have made modifications to it.
 * <p>
 * Any other use of this program or any of its parts is unauthorized
 * and is punishable by law.
 * <p>
 * Created on May 2, 2007, 11:58 AM
 */

package com.sailok.util;

import javax.swing.JFrame;
import javax.swing.JLabel;
import javax.swing.JOptionPane;
import java.awt.print.PrinterJob;
import java.awt.print.PageFormat;
import java.awt.print.Printable;
import java.awt.print.PrinterException;
import java.awt.Color;
import java.awt.Graphics;

/**
 * This class provides a means to print a text or graphics message to 
 * a receipt printer. It includes an option to pop up a JOptionPane 
 * with a configurable message that will cause the program to wait for 
 * the print to finish before continuing. 
 * <p>
 * @author Bayless Kirtley
 */
public class ReceiptPrinter implements Printable {
    private JFrame printFrame;
    private String waitMsg;

/** Inner class for the actual printed object */
    class PrintFrame extends JFrame {
        PrintFrame(String msg) {
            setBackground(new Color(255, 255, 255, 0));        
            add(new JLabel(msg));
            pack();
            setVisible(true);
        }
    }

    /** Creates a new instance of ReceiptPrinter with a default wait message */
    public ReceiptPrinter() {
        waitMsg = "Wait for the printer to finish\nClick the OK button when done";
    }
    
    /**
     * Creates a new instance of ReceiptPrinter with a wait message.
     *
     * @param   msg     the wait message
     */
    public ReceiptPrinter(String msg) {
        waitMsg = msg;
    }

    /** 
     * Sends the actual message to the receipt printer - does not wait.
     *
     * @param   msg     the actual message to be printed
     */
    public void printIt(String msg) {
        printIt(msg, false);
    }
    
    /** 
     * Sends the actual message to the receipt printer.
     *
     * @param   msg     the actual message to be printed
     * @param   wait    show JOptionPane to wait for print to finish
     */
    public void printIt(String msg, boolean wait) {
        printFrame = new PrintFrame(msg);
        PrinterJob job = PrinterJob.getPrinterJob();
        PageFormat format = job.defaultPage();
        format.setOrientation(PageFormat.PORTRAIT);
        job.setPrintable(this, format);
        try {
            job.print();
            if (wait)
                JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, waitMsg, "Information", 
                        JOptionPane.INFORMATION_MESSAGE);
        } catch (PrinterException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
        printFrame.dispose();
    }

    /**
     * Print method required by Printable interface.
     *
     * @param   g       the graphics context
     * @param   format  the page format
     * @param   pagenum the page number requested to print
     * @return  int     flag indicating page existance
     */
    public int print(Graphics g, PageFormat format, int pagenum) {
        if (pagenum > 0) return Printable.NO_SUCH_PAGE;
        g.translate((int) format.getImageableX(),
                (int) format.getImageableY());
        printFrame.paint(g);
        return Printable.PAGE_EXISTS;
    }
}

[levent]

Bayless,

As far as i see, you try to open the printer as a file using the paths USB002, LPT1.. These should not work!

You might try to access USB port with a Java USB API.

[bkirt]

Levent,

Opening LPT1 does work but, unfortunately, my printer is on a USB port which, as you say, does not work. Thanks for the advice. I checked out the JavaUSB and it is not only very complex for what I need but it also does not support Windows yet, Linux only.

I think I have done enough experimenting now to be convinced that the Java paint methods all convert the non-displayable characters into something else, a small empty box, it looks like. After sending the test yesterday, I modified another sample program that prints the contents of a file and bypasses any screen display. With that, I still get the same result. It does use the drawString method to display characters. Isn't there some way I can pass a non-displayable character through the Printable interface? That just seems like such a basic and simple thing, I can't imagine that it is not possible.

Bayless

[levent]

I see. I guess you will not be able to do that without a lower level API.

By the way, this Java USB API looks like working on windows. You may try it.

[bkirt]

Thank you again. I found that link earlier from your previous suggestion. It sounds like it could work although somewhat complicated. I will study it and probably implement in the future.

Meanwhile I found an easier, although not ideal, solution. After considerable study of the printer vendor's very sketchy documentation, I found that they provide a virtual serial port emulation to support legacy applications. With a minimum of rework, I was able to implement that and it does get the job done. The major drawback seems to be that the virtual port disable the standard printer driver. The result appears as a full second delay between opening the drawer and printing the receipt. This happens regardless of the order of the operations. I can live with that for now until I get installed and running. Later I will look into the USB solution.

Thanks again for all your help,
Bayless

[Award]

Hi bKirt,

I've been trying to develop a POS application for my upcoming business for the past 5 months. The POS printer I bought is still not cooperating.

I tried your code but its not working. I keep an error as 'Status' on the printer (Mecer Posiflex PP5200 Partial Cut v3L) properties.

The printer prints a test page and is out of the box. Can you please advise? What printer are you using? I tried reading the manual but its not giving me much. Is there any settings I need to perform on the printer?

Award.

[bkirt]

My printer is a tar TSP100. After getting the crutch to work, I have not revisited the problem and probably will not as that small delay has not caused concern.

What I finally ended up with was sending the receipt the the standard Java Printable facility. It appears to convert non-printable characters to something printable so the 0x07 was not being received by the printer to open the cash drawer.

As pointed out in the thread above, there are packages that provide a Java interface to the USB ports. The complexity was just too much to deal with for such a small function. The printer manufacturer also provided a serial port emulator along with the standard USB driver. After installing that, I was able to send the non-printable 0x07 to the printer through this emulator as if it were on COM3. The disadvantage was a one second delay between the two transmissions, regardless of the order of sending. By dinking aound with my application, I was able to make that pause unnoticeable. I believe I send the 0x07 first, followed by the receipt.