I am planning to interface Futjisu Thermal Printer ftp-628 DCL-300 using my Renesas Controller. I have gone through the data sheet but they have given details to print only through the Control Board coming along with the Printer. But I need to interface the Printer directly from my microcontroller. Please help

 

Hello,

Do you have the interface for the printer?

Bertus

 

A clue to the scope of your project is given by the picture of the board in @bertus 's link. That big controller in the middle does a lot of heavy lifting and provides lots of useful functions.

To drive the mechanism directly you need to:
Step the platen by dot-lines by generating the logic and drive signals to the platen stepper motor.
Generate the line of dots by shifting the dot pattern for each line using clock and data signals.
Apply the correct pulsed drive to the thermal print head.
Monitor the head temperature via the on-board thermistor.
Monitor paper-out via the on-board opto-interruptor.
Provide separate power supplies for the logic, motor and thermal head, the last 2 will require relatively high currents.

Your software will have to implement the dot-row patterns for all of the characters that you want to print and/or routines to generate graphics if desired. Those patterns are usually stored in large tables arranged to correspond to the dot-rows required by the printer. Note that the printer design requires that the top-row dots for all the characters in the line are printed first, then the next row of dots for all of the characters next and so on all while stepping the motor, monitoring the rest of the stuff etc.

Can it be done? Sure. I've done it with similar mechanisms on a few projects but its only worth it if you are building in quantity or just want to do it for personal education/satisfaction.

Good luck!
Here's the datasheet for a representative print mechanism.

 

A clue to the scope of your project is given by the picture of the board in @bertus 's link. That big controller in the middle does a lot of heavy lifting and provides lots of useful functions.

To drive the mechanism directly you need to:
Step the platen by dot-lines by generating the logic and drive signals to the platen stepper motor.
Generate the line of dots by shifting the dot pattern for each line using clock and data signals.
Apply the correct pulsed drive to the thermal print head.
Monitor the head temperature via the on-board thermistor.
Monitor paper-out via the on-board opto-interruptor.
Provide separate power supplies for the logic, motor and thermal head, the last 2 will require relatively high currents.

Your software will have to implement the dot-row patterns for all of the characters that you want to print and/or routines to generate graphics if desired. Those patterns are usually stored in large tables arranged to correspond to the dot-rows required by the printer. Note that the printer design requires that the top-row dots for all the characters in the line are printed first, then the next row of dots for all of the characters next and so on all while stepping the motor, monitoring the rest of the stuff etc.

Can it be done? Sure. I've done it with similar mechanisms on a few projects but its only worth it if you are building in quantity or just want to do it for personal education/satisfaction.

Good luck!
Here's the datasheet for a representative print mechanism.

Thanks for the reply sir. Is it possible to share some more details to make this board successfully.
Regards
K S UMA SANKAR

 

@JohnInTX

Thanks for your clue. I am able to print now.
I have one more doubt. What is the best timings for heater. I have given 20 ms for STB pins ON time. Is it Ok or I have reduce

Regards
K S UMA SANKAR

 

@JohnInTX

Thanks for your clue. I am able to print now.
I have one more doubt. What is the best timings for heater. I have given 20 ms for STB pins ON time. Is it Ok or I have reduce

Regards
K S UMA SANKAR

I'm glad it's working, well done! As for the best timings for the thermal dots my best answer is 'I don't know'. The datasheet doesn't give much info either. I the absence of any better data, I would start with a short pulse/low power and increase it to increase contrast. I looked for a better datasheet or detailed manual for you but without success.

The mechanism I am familiar with was made by Epson. It specified a maximum power input / temperature to the thermal head and we kept within those boundaries, increasing power to increase contrast but always within limits.

Good luck.

 

I'm glad it's working, well done! As for the best timings for the thermal dots my best answer is 'I don't know'. The datasheet doesn't give much info either. I the absence of any better data, I would start with a short pulse/low power and increase it to increase contrast. I looked for a better datasheet or detailed manual for you but without success.

The mechanism I am familiar with was made by Epson. It specified a maximum power input / temperature to the thermal head and we kept within those boundaries, increasing power to increase contrast but always within limits.

Good luck.

how to achieve the speed. Say like my mechanism datasheet says 200mm/sec, but with minimal quality of printing we achieved only 100mm/sec. I have seen a EPSON printer which prints 180mm/sec(datasheet says 200mm/sec) with execllent quality. How to get a quality print with high speed. I am using l.MX6 processor interfacing fujitsu 24V DC thermal printer via spi.