IBM Support

Information on Printers from Source Technologies

Troubleshooting


Problem

This document contains information on the capabilities that are supported on printer hardware from Source Technologies. It also indicates whether each printer model is likely to work when printing from the IBM System i products.

Resolving The Problem

This document is no longer being updated.

To determine if a printer from this manufacturer will work with the IBM i, visit the manufacturer’s website to review the printer hardware specifications.

Look for these specifications:
Emulation or Printer Languages:  PCL 4, PCL 5 or PCL 6 (search on PCL)
Supported Network Protocols:  SNMP, Port 9100, TCP/IP, LPR/LPD, port 515 or IPP

For label and line printers, PCL may not be listed but SNMP, TCP/IP or LPR/LPD might be found.

The recommended configuration for PCL-capable printers is a LAN SNMP printer device description.  For label printers, such as Zebra, the most common configuration is a remote output queue.

See IMPORTANT NOTES for additional information and troubleshooting information.

If a printer has already been purchased:
Test using one of the following configurations.

After the printer device is created:
Vary on the printer device: VRYCFG CFGOBJ(DeviceName) CFGTYPE(*DEV) STATUS(*ON)

And start the print writer:  STRPRTWTR DEV(DeviceName)

For remote output queues, the remote writer should automatically start when AUTOSTRWTR is set to 1.  If not, use STRRMTWTR OUTQ(QUSRSYS/OutputQueueName) to start the remote writer.

Where x.x.x.x is the printer's IP address in the configuration examples:

For a LAN-attached PCL capable printer that has drawers:

SNMPv 1-3

SNMPv1:
CRTDEVPRT DEVD(PrinterDeviceName) DEVCLS(*LAN) TYPE(3812) MODEL(1) LANATTACH(*IP) PORT(9100) ONLINE(*YES) FONT(11) FORMFEED(*AUTOCUT) PRTERRMSG(*INFO) INACTTMR(*SEC15) TRANSFORM(*YES) MFRTYPMDL(*LEXOPTRAT) RMTLOCNAME('x.x.x.x') USRDFNOPT(*IBMSHRCNN) SYSDRVPGM(*IBMSNMPDRV)

SNMPv3:
CRTDEVPRT DEVD(PrinterDeviceName) DEVCLS(*LAN) TYPE(3812) MODEL(1) LANATTACH(*IP) PORT(9100) ONLINE(*YES) FONT(11) FORMFEED(*AUTOCUT) PRTERRMSG(*INFO) INACTTMR(*SEC15) TRANSFORM(*YES) MFRTYPMDL(*LEXOPTRAT) RMTLOCNAME('x.x.x.x') USRDFNOPT(*IBMSHRCNN) SYSDRVPGM(*IBMSNMPDRV) SNMPUSR(SNMPUserName) SNMPCNTX(SNMPContextName)

**NOTE:  The SNMP User and SNMP Context need to be the same as what is defined on the printer hardware and for the network.  Contact your network administrator if there are questions about the SNMP User and Context.

For a LAN-attached continuous form line printer:
NOTE:  Select the MFRTYPMDL based on the emulation mode of the printer, which is usually either IBM or Epson emulation.

SNMPv 1-3

For SNMPv1

CRTDEVPRT DEVD(PrinterDeviceName) DEVCLS(*LAN) TYPE(3812) MODEL(1) LANATTACH(*IP) PORT(9100) ONLINE(*YES) FONT(11) FORMFEED(*CONT) PRTERRMSG(*INFO) INACTTMR(*SEC15) TRANSFORM(*YES) MFRTYPMDL(*IBM6500 -or- *EPFX1170) RMTLOCNAME('x.x.x.x') USRDFNOPT(*IBMSHRCNN) SYSDRVPGM(*IBMSNMPDRV)

 

For SNMPv3

CRTDEVPRT DEVD(PrinterDeviceName) DEVCLS(*LAN) TYPE(3812) MODEL(1) LANATTACH(*IP) PORT(9100) ONLINE(*YES) FONT(11) FORMFEED(*CONT) PRTERRMSG(*INFO) INACTTMR(*SEC15) TRANSFORM(*YES) MFRTYPMDL(*IBM6500 -or- *EPFX1170) RMTLOCNAME('x.x.x.x') USRDFNOPT(*IBMSHRCNN) SYSDRVPGM(*IBMSNMPDRV) SNMPUSR(SNMPUserName) SNMPCNTX(SNMPContextName)

**NOTE:  The SNMP User and SNMP Context need to be the same as what is defined on the printer hardware and for the network.  Contact your network administrator if there are questions about the SNMP User and Context.

If the PCL-capable printer is not SNMP-capable

CRTDEVPRT DEVD(PrinterDeviceName) DEVCLS(*LAN) TYPE(3812) MODEL(1) LANATTACH(*IP) PORT(9100) ONLINE(*YES) FONT(11) FORMFEED(*AUTOCUT) PRTERRMSG(*INFO) INACTTMR(*SEC15) TRANSFORM(*YES) MFRTYPMDL(*LEXOPTRAT) RMTLOCNAME('x.x.x.x') SYSDRVPGM(*HPPJLDRV)

To use a remote output queue for a PCL-capable printer

CRTOUTQ OUTQ(QUSRSYS/OutputQueueName) RMTSYS(*INTNETADR) RMTPRTQ(‘raw’) AUTOSTRWTR(1) CNNTYPE(*IP) DESTTYPE(*OTHER) TRANSFORM(*YES) MFRTYPMDL(*LEXOPTRAT) INTNETADR('x.x.x.x') DESTOPT(XAIX) SEPPAGE(*NO)

For a LAN-attached label printer or a printer that uses it’s own printer language, such as Zebra (ZPL)

CRTOUTQ OUTQ(QUSRSYS/OutputQueueName) RMTSYS(*INTNETADR) RMTPRTQ(‘portLF1’) AUTOSTRWTR(1) CNNTYPE(*IP) DESTTYPE(*OTHER) TRANSFORM(*YES) MFRTYPMDL(*WSCST) WSCST(QWPDEFAULT)
INTNETADR('x.x.x.x') DESTOPT(XAIX) SEPPAGE(*NO)

If the line or label printer has an IBM or Epson emulation mode

CRTOUTQ OUTQ(QUSRSYS/OutputQueueName) RMTSYS(*INTNETADR) RMTPRTQ(‘pr1’) AUTOSTRWTR(1) CNNTYPE(*IP) DESTTYPE(*OTHER) TRANSFORM(*YES) MFRTYPMDL(Based on the emulation: *IBM42011 -OR- *EPFX850) INTNETADR('x.x.x.x') DESTOPT(XAIX) SEPPAGE(*NO)

The remote writer should automatically start when AUTOSTRWTR is set to 1.  If not, use STRRMTWTR OUTQ(QUSRSYS/OutputQueueName) to start the remote writer.

If the printer has an IPDS card installed

Create a PSF configuration object to set the release timer:

CRTPSFCFG PSFCFG(LibraryName/PSFConfigName) IPDSPASTHR(*NO) RLSTMR(*SEC15)

Create the *LAN *IPDS printer device description:

CRTDEVPRT DEVD(PrinterDeviceName) DEVCLS(*LAN) TYPE(*IPDS) MODEL(0) LANATTACH(*IP) AFP(*YES) PORT(5001) ONLINE(*YES) FONT(11) FORMFEED(*AUTOCUT)  RMTLOCNAME(‘x.x.x.x’) USRDFNOBJ(LibraryName/PSFConfigName *PSFCFG)

**Where USRDFNOBJ is the name of the PSF configuration object created with the first command

IMPORTANT NOTES:

- PCL 3 GUI or GDI printers will require using a 5250 printer session.  For this type of printer, the IBM i Access Client Solutions (ACS) printer session must be configured to use Java Print Service. 
IBM i Access Client Solutions (ACS): Configuring a Printer Session:  https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/ibm-i-access-client-solutions-acs-configuring-printer-session
Follow the section titled Create a New Printer Session to create the printer session, then section 2. Configuring a Windows Only / Host-Based Printer to Use Java Print Service
- Majority of the Manufacturer Type and Models (MFRTYPMDL) on the IBM i are PCL 5.  *LEXOPTRAT, *HP4, *HP4000, *RICOHxxx, etc. all use the same PCL5 commands, apart from drawer selection.  Matching the MFRTYPMDL with the actual printer hardware is not necessary.
- If the printer hardware is prompting for paper in a different drawer or not printing from the expected drawer, try using different MFRTYPMDLs, such as *LEXOPTRAT, *HP4000 and *HP5SI.  Each of these provide a different drawer selection value for drawer 1.
- For remote output queue configurations, most newer printers do not require a specific Remote Print Queue (RMTPRTQ) value.  If the error message in the writer job log indicates an incorrect remote print queue value, select the appropriate value to use from Recommended Remote Printer Queue (RMTPRTQ) Values for Remote Output Queues (RMTOUTQs):  https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/683155.


- To locate the writer job log:
If the writer is still active:
WRKJOB JOB(WriterName)
Select the ACTIVE job from the SELECT JOB screen, if applicable
Select option 10. Display job log, if active, on job queue, or pending
Press F10=Display detailed messages
Press F1=Help on the messages to see the message identifier

If the writer has ended:
WRKSPLF SELECT(QSPLJOB *ALL *ALL WriterName) to locate the job log

Use the appropriate Configuration Settings and Error Messages document for known causes and resolutions for the message(s) in the job log.

Supporting documentation:
For SNMP:

Configuring a *LAN 3812 SNMP Device Description:  https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/644613 

Recommended SNMP Port Number Values for *LAN 3812 SNMP Device Descriptions: 

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/644611

Configuration Settings and Error Messages for *LAN 3812 SNMP Device Descriptions: 

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/644609

For PJL:

Configuring a *LAN 3812 PJL Device Description:

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/683083

Recommended PJL Port Number Values for *LAN 3812 PJL Device Descriptions: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/644811

Configuration Settings and Error Messages for *LAN 3812 PJL Device Descriptions: 

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/644749

For Remote Output Queues:

Configuring a Remote Output Queue (RMTOUTQ):

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/683003

Recommended Remote Printer Queue (RMTPRTQ) Values for Remote Output Queues (RMTOUTQs):  https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/683155

Configuration Settings and Error Messages for Remote Output Queues (RMTOUTQs): 

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/644623

 

For IPDS:

Configuring a *LAN IPDS Device Description:  

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/683149

Recommended IPDS Port Number Values for *LAN IPDS Device Descriptions:  https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/644385

Configuration Settings and Error Messages for *LAN IPDS Device Descriptions: 

https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/configuration-settings-and-error-messages-lan-ipds-device-descrip

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Historical Number

555892683

Document Information

Modified date:
11 March 2024

UID

nas8N1012384

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