This document describes all Evolis Printer commands.
The Evolis Card Printers have an internal programming language.
The command syntax is defined as follow:
(Start Character) Command (Stop Character)
The commands can get parameters and can be finished by a character string or data.
Each element of the command must be separated by a separator character:
To set the bitmap to write text, barcode or form. This command allows to switch between write and erase bitmap. When switching printer ON, the current bitmap is the writing one.
To set the error management. Pem;0 means printer manages automatically the error recovery after user intervention. Pem;2 means software manages the error.
To insert a card in the printer. After detection by the card sensor, the card moves to the Smart Card Contact Station with a determinable offset value defined by the Pos command. When the card is stopped under the Smart Card Contact Station, the printer activates a contact on PIN 9 of the DB-9 connector to inform the external reader/encoder that a card is connected to the Smart Card Contact Station.
To insert a card in the printer. Further detection by the card sensor, the card moves to the Contacless Card Station with an offset value defined by the Poc command.The Contactless Card Station has not the same position depending on the printer model.
To run the Printer Self Adjustment. Without adding optional parameters after the Sa command, the printer will adjust the functionalities in the following order:
To download data that corresponds to a ribbon panel color. Each time the total size of a Bitmap is downloaded (1016 * 648). There are three different format to download a bitmap (5, 6, 7 or 8 bits). Depending on the used concatenation, you will obtain the following: Nb_bytes= 648 * 1016 * (nb_pixel_useful) /8
To download data that corresponds to a part of a ribbon panel color in a compressed format This command has to be used with the 5 Half-Panel color ribbon. In order to optimize the downloading time, the data can be compressed.
Compression of the YMC Panels The (MSB) bit of each byte is reserved for the interpretation of a counter or not.
If the bit is set to 1, the other 7 bits will indicate the weight of the bit to be applied. The following byte indicates a value of repetitive counter. If the value of this counter is equal to zero, we consider the line as blank. If the value of the counter is different to 0, we repeat the byte the number of time of the counter. In the case of the modes with 6 bits or 5 bits, the bits 6 and 5 of the first bytes are used to increase the counter value.
If this bit is equal to 0, the other 7 bits will indicate the weight of the bit to be applied. This is an isolated dot in the line.
Bit_8 at zero
Writing 1 point Y, M or C.
0
Value on 5,6 or 7 bits
Bit_8 at one
Writing counter point Y,M or C.
In 7 bits (128 levels) counter max=255
1
Value to be repeated x counter times
counter
In 6 bits (64 levels) counter max=256+255
1
If 1 => ctp+256
Value to be repeated x counter times
counter
In 5 bits (32 levels) counter max=256+256+255
1
If 1 => ctp+256
If 1 => ctp+256
Value to be repeated x counter times
counter
Writing of a white line for Y,M or C
0
Counter = 0
0x00
Compression of K and O
The compression is done line per line. If the first byte describing a line is equal to 0, it means that the line is white. If the first byte describing a line is equal to 255, it means that the line is black. If the line is not white and not black, the first byte indicates the number of byte(s) useful of the line. This counter is followed by the useful bytes. The counter corresponds to the index of the last byte of the line.
Byte equal to 0. White line
0x00
Byte equal to 255. Black line
0xFF
Byte with value between 1 & 81. Indicates the number of useful bytes of the line
To Enable or Disable the printer status. If this parameter is set at the end of answer the printer status coded in hex is added.For more information click
To set the current session identification number. The session ID is automatically set to 0 if the printer don t received command during the timeout delay.
To set the current PrintCenter session. This command is used by the Evolis Premium Suite. The session ID is automatically set to 0 if the printer don t read status during the timeout delay.
To read image quality level adjust. If Piqla;a;d   Riqla;l;x ou Riqla;c;x returns the old value (init 10) If Piqla;a;e   Riqla;l;x or Riqla;c;x returns the old value Ly, Lm,...Cc