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PosiFlex PP6800 Installation Problem
  • jwol
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    PosiFlex PP6800 Installation Problem

    by jwol » Sun Feb 05, 2012 3:42 pm

    After a lenghty trial and error process, a call to RE Support followed by a virtual terminal sign-on finally got our PosiFlex PP6800 thermal receipt printer working. However, it would only work by selecting a "generic printer" since the PosiFlex was not listed in the drop-down menu. This printer has an automatic paper cutter feature which is really efficient but it will not operate while selected as a generic printer. The receipts have to be torn each time a sale is made which results in a ragged edge and a very unprofessional look.
    Is there anyway that auxiliary code can be installed such that the PosiFlex PP6800 printer with v-cut will operate as intended? This is a very popular and reliable printer and it's unorhodox to have to determine exactly which hardware is accepable or unacceptable to a POS software program before purchasing it.
    Thanks
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    Re: PosiFlex PP6800 Installation Problem

    by RetailEdge Moderator » Mon Feb 06, 2012 9:09 am

    The quick answer is that you might want to try the Epson T88 Device in RetailEdge. Most printer manufacturers try to emulate that printer and so it is a good first try.

    That being said I am not sure that it is unorthodox to have to determine which hardware is acceptable or unacceptable. Actually it is the norm for the industry to support only a few types of devices. In the past this has been because some software manufacturers would sell re-branded equipment with special motherboards that would only work with their systems so that they could charge a premium hardware.

    Now I would say the major reason that POS software systems limit their supported hardware is for support. It is much easier to support a few items than every different type of device out there.

    Microsoft tried to standardize this with their OPOS standard so that software could talk to any device out their by creating an interface between the devices and the software. For instance with OPOS, the software just has to say DrawerOpen to the OPOS driver and it is up to the hardware manufacturer to translate that command to something that will open their drawer. IMHO this standard doesn't work for a number of reasons but primarily:

    1. Every manufacturer supports a different set of the standard commands so as a software developer we can't rely on every command being supported.

    2. The OPOS drivers are harder to install for the average computer user.

    3. Even when a manufacturer supports the commands we can't ensure that it is going to work. We have worked with a couple of manufacturers over the years and gone back and forth to get their OPOS drivers to work correctly. This process takes months and this does not provide a very good user experience ("please wait six months to solve your problem while we wait for the manufacturer to get back to us")

    We have never felt that this is fair and so we try to support as many different devices as possible. But obviously we can't support them all. We have always told people that if they want us to support something that isn't in our current device list, then they should send us the device and we would try to make it work. Obviously normal support fees would apply.

    So that you don't have to incur charges unless you want to, you can create the device definition for yourself. You can contact the manufacturer and have them send you the device ESC programming commands and then enter these commands in the fields in the device definition. The commands are typically comma separated decimal values and you may have to convert these values from an ASCII table that are freely available on many different web pages. Device definitions can be created in RetailEdge by choosing Devices from the Tools menu.

    Hope the Epson device solves your problem but let us know.

    jwol wrote:After a lenghty trial and error process, a call to RE Support followed by a virtual terminal sign-on finally got our PosiFlex PP6800 thermal receipt printer working. However, it would only work by selecting a "generic printer" since the PosiFlex was not listed in the drop-down menu. This printer has an automatic paper cutter feature which is really efficient but it will not operate while selected as a generic printer. The receipts have to be torn each time a sale is made which results in a ragged edge and a very unprofessional look.
    Is there anyway that auxiliary code can be installed such that the PosiFlex PP6800 printer with v-cut will operate as intended? This is a very popular and reliable printer and it's unorhodox to have to determine exactly which hardware is accepable or unacceptable to a POS software program before purchasing it.
    Thanks
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    Re: PosiFlex PP6800 Installation Problem

    by jwol » Mon Feb 06, 2012 12:02 pm

    Thanks for the prompt reply. I'll surely try the Epson T88 device to see if it will work as soon as I can get to the store. Hopefully if it doesn't work I can return to the generic printer and at least keep the receipts going.

    I don't know what "ESC programming commands" are but I can certainly contact PosiFlex and ask for them. I'm also sure that I can convert decimals to ASCII values but "enter these commands in the fields in the device definition" is confusing. Choosing Devices from the Tools Menu only yields device names doesn't it? Where do these "programming commands" go?
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    Re: PosiFlex PP6800 Installation Problem

    by RetailEdge Moderator » Mon Feb 06, 2012 12:47 pm

    Edit/Modify one of the Devices and you will see the fields you need to fill out.
    jwol wrote:Thanks for the prompt reply. I'll surely try the Epson T88 device to see if it will work as soon as I can get to the store. Hopefully if it doesn't work I can return to the generic printer and at least keep the receipts going.

    I don't know what "ESC programming commands" are but I can certainly contact PosiFlex and ask for them. I'm also sure that I can convert decimals to ASCII values but "enter these commands in the fields in the device definition" is confusing. Choosing Devices from the Tools Menu only yields device names doesn't it? Where do these "programming commands" go?
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    Re: PosiFlex PP6800 Installation Problem

    by jwol » Mon Feb 06, 2012 2:15 pm

    IT WORKED !!!
    Thanks a bunch. I went to our store and changed from a generic printer to the Epson 88 per your suggestion and lo and behold the cutter on the PosiFlex worked.

    I just wish the support person we talked to inititally at RE would have asked us to try the Epson 88.

    Thanks again
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    Re: PosiFlex PP6800 Installation Problem

    by RetailEdge Moderator » Mon Feb 06, 2012 2:51 pm

    Good to hear.
    jwol wrote:IT WORKED !!!
    Thanks a bunch. I went to our store and changed from a generic printer to the Epson 88 per your suggestion and lo and behold the cutter on the PosiFlex worked.

    I just wish the support person we talked to inititally at RE would have asked us to try the Epson 88.

    Thanks again
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