From 269b5e3c71c87e633bfffa878ee6747d87268537 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Philipp Klaus Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2016 18:01:17 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] Updated the README to reflect all the new features --- README.md | 46 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--- 1 file changed, 43 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-) diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index 1be347e..1702e3f 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ Upgrade to the latest version using: #### Create #### -You can create a new command file to be sent to the printer with +You can create a new instruction file to be sent to the printer with the `brother_ql_create` tool: brother_ql_create --model QL-500 ./720x300_monochrome.png > 720x300_monochrome.bin @@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ If you want to find out about its options, just call the tool with `--help`: #### Analyse #### -To analyse a binary file containing Brother QL Raster commands and +To analyse a binary file containing Brother QL Raster instructions and create an image of what would be printed: brother_ql_analyse 720x300_monochrome.bin --loglevel DEBUG @@ -40,10 +40,50 @@ This tool also has the `--help` option. #### Printing #### -Once you have a Brother QL command file, you can send it to the printer like this: +Once you have a Brother QL instruction file, you can send it to the printer like this: cat my_label.bin > /dev/usb/lp1 Or via network (if you have a LAN/WLAN enabled Brother QL): nc 192.168.0.23 9100 < my_label.bin + +You can also use the tool `brother_ql_print` to send the instructions to your printer. + + brother_ql_print 720x151_monochrome.bin usb://0x04f9:0x2015 + # or + brother_ql_print --backend network 720x151_monochrome.bin tcp://192.168.0.23:9100 + # or + brother_ql_print 720x151_monochrome.bin /dev/usb/lp0 + +#### Debugging + +If your printer has problems printing the instructions file, it may blink its LED (green or red) depending on the model. This can have many reasons, eg.: + +* The selected label doesn't match. +* End of paper. +* Unsupported opcode (some printers require a mode switching opcode, others fail if such an instruction is sent; some do support data compression, others don't) + +To debug this situation and find out which command could be the culprit, connect your printer via USB. (You don't get any status information via network). +You can use the supplied tool `brother_ql_debug` to send your problematic instructions file to the printer. It will be split into single instructions sent one after the other. +After every instruction, the printer will be given a chance to send a status response containing error information. Here is an example: + + philipp@lion ~> brother_ql_debug ./720x151_monochrome.bin /dev/usb/lp0 + INFO: CMD preamble FOUND. Instruction: 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 [...] 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 + INFO: CMD init FOUND. Instruction: 1B 40 + INFO: CMD status request FOUND. Instruction: 1B 69 53 + INFO: Response from the device: 80 20 42 30 4F 30 00 00 00 00 3E 0A 00 00 15 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 + INFO: Interpretation of the response: 'Reply to status request' (phase: Waiting to receive), 'Continuous length tape' 62x0 mm^2, errors: [] + INFO: CMD media/quality FOUND. Instruction: 1B 69 7A CE 0A 3E 00 97 00 00 00 01 00 + INFO: CMD margins FOUND. Instruction: 1B 69 64 23 00 + INFO: CMD raster FOUND. Instruction: 67 00 5A 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 01 FF FF FF 1F FF FF FF FF FF F0 00 00 00 00 00 0F FF FF 03 FF FF FF FF E0 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 [...] 00 07 FF FF 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 + INFO: Response from the device: 80 20 42 30 4F 30 00 00 00 00 3E 0A 00 00 15 00 00 00 06 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 + INFO: Interpretation of the response: 'Phase change' (phase: Printing state), 'Continuous length tape' 62x0 mm^2, errors: [] + INFO: CMD print FOUND. Instruction: 1A + TIME 1.60 + INFO: Interpretation of the response: 'Printing completed' (phase: Printing state), 'Continuous length tape' 62x0 mm^2, errors: [] + TIME 1.60 + INFO: Interpretation of the response: 'Phase change' (phase: Waiting to receive), 'Continuous length tape' 62x0 mm^2, errors: [] + + +To get your device supported, open a new issue on Github and paste the content of the debugging output.