CEN/TS 15525:2006

Postal Services - Standard Interfaces - Interface between Machine Control and Bar Code Printers

This document specifies the electrical, data and timing interface between the control unit of a postal sorting system and an ink jet printer connected to that system. It further specifies an ancillary interface to the printer, which can be used for the support of remote diagnostics and other service functions.
NOTE 1   This specification can equally be applied to the interfacing of printers to sequencing systems and combined sorting and sequencing systems.  It was primarily developed for application to ink jet printers, but could be applied to printers with similar functionality that make use of other printing technologies.
At the physical level, the specification is based on the use of a combination of a standard 100 Mbps Ethernet connection for the transfer of data and patch cables for signalling. At a logical level, data is transferred using messages transmitted across the Ethernet connection using three TCP/IP sockets, with the execution of time-critical functions being controlled through the use of signals on a TIA/EIA-422 interface.
NOTE 2   Several printers can be connected to a single sorting system. In this case, the printers can optionally share access to a single Ethernet network, but each requires its own patch cables.  This standard does not support the connection of a single printer to multiple sorting system control units.
This document defines all messages that may be transferred via each of the TCP/IP sockets, specifies printer behaviour on receipt of these messages and defines how the timing of this behaviour is controlled by the TIA/EIA-422 signals......

Postalische Dienstleistungen - Standardschnittstellen - Schnittstelle zwischen Betriebssystem von Sortiermaschinen und Barcodedruckern

Services postaux - Interfaces standard - Interface entre machine de supervision et imprimantes de codes à barres

Postal Services - Standard Interfaces - Interface between

Poštne storitve - Standardni vmesniki - Vmesnik med krmilnikom in tiskalnikom črtne kode

General Information

• Status: Withdrawn
• Publication Date: 21-Nov-2006
• Withdrawal Date: 25-Jan-2016
• ICS: 03.240 - Postal services
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 331 - Postal services
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 331/WG 3 - Automatic identification of items - Addresses
• Current Stage: 9960 - Withdrawal effective - Withdrawal
• Completion Date: 26-Jan-2016
• Ref Project: SIST-TS CEN/TS 15525:2007 - Postal Services - Standard Interfaces - Interface between Machine Control and Bar Code Printers

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-maj-2007
3RãWQHVWRULWYH6WDQGDUGQLYPHVQLNL9PHVQLNPHGNUPLOQLNRPLQWLVNDOQLNRP
þUWQHNRGH
Postal Services - Standard Interfaces - Interface between Machine Control and Bar Code
Printers
Postalische Dienstleistungen - Standardschnittstellen - Schnittstelle zwischen
Betriebssystem von Sortiermaschinen und Barcodedruckern
Services postaux - Interface entre machine de supervision et imprimantes de codes a
barres
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: CEN/TS 15525:2006
ICS:
03.240
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
CEN/TS 15525
SPÉCIFICATION TECHNIQUE
TECHNISCHE SPEZIFIKATION
November 2006
ICS 03.240
English Version
Postal Services - Standard Interfaces - Interface between
Machine Control and Bar Code Printers
Services postaux - Interfaces standard - Interface entre Postalische Dienstleistungen - Standardschnittstellen -
machine de supervision et imprimantes de codes à barres Schnittstelle zwischen Betriebssystem von
Sortiermaschinen und Barcodedruckern
This Technical Specification (CEN/TS) was approved by CEN on 23 October 2006 for provisional application.
The period of validity of this CEN/TS is limited initially to three years. After two years the members of CEN will be requested to submit their
comments, particularly on the question whether the CEN/TS can be converted into a European Standard.
CEN members are required to announce the existence of this CEN/TS in the same way as for an EN and to make the CEN/TS available
promptly at national level in an appropriate form. It is permissible to keep conflicting national standards in force (in parallel to the CEN/TS)
until the final decision about the possible conversion of the CEN/TS into an EN is reached.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
Management Centre: rue de Stassart, 36  B-1050 Brussels
© 2006 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. CEN/TS 15525:2006: E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
Foreword.4
Introduction .5
1 Scope .7
2 Normative references .8
3 Terms and definitions .9
4 Symbols and abbreviations .10
5 Overview of the interface .10
6 Data communications interface .11
7 Signalling interfaces.12
7.1 Physical connections .12
7.2 Print clock signal .13
7.3 PrintGo signal .14
8 Messages and their usage .15
9 Detailed message definitions .18
9.1 The message header .18
9.2 0x00: PrintData.18
9.3 0x01: ClearPrintData.25
9.4 0x10: SoftwareDownload .25
9.5 0x11: InitManufacturer .27
9.6 0x12: InitCustomer.28
9.7 0x13: LoadPattern.29
9.8 0x14 LoadBarCodeFormat.33
9.9 0x16: LoadFont .36
9.10 0x20: PrinterOffLine .38
9.11 0x21: PrinterOnLine.38
9.12 0x22: RequestTechnicalData.39
9.13 0x23: RequestSoftwareVersion.40
9.14 0x24: RequestStatus .40
9.15 0x25: ResetPrinterFaults.41
9.16 0x2F: TestInkJet.41
9.17 0x90: SoftwareUpload .42
9.18 0x91: UploadManufacturer.42
9.19 0x92: UploadCustomer.42
9.20 0x93: UploadPattern .42
9.21 0x94: UploadBarCodeFormat .43
9.22 0x95: UploadFont.43
9.23 0xA2: TechnicalData.44
9.24 0xA3: SoftwareVersion.44
9.25 0xA4: PrinterStatus.46
10 Message flow.52
10.1 Printer states and state changes .52
10.2 Printer initialisation .53
10.3 Printing .55
10.4 Requests and responses .57
10.5 Ink jet testing.58
11 Use of the service socket.58
Annex A (Normative) Timing diagrams.59
A.1 Normal timings .59
A.2 Double PrintData message.60
A.3 PrintGo errors .60
A.4 Print error .61
Annex B (Informative) PrintData examples.63
B.1 Example of a mixed bar code and text message .63
B.2 Example of a mixed image and text message .68
Annex C (Informative) Load Font definition .72
C.1 General .72
C.2 Message structure.72
Bibliography.75

Foreword
This document (CEN/TS 15525:2006) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 331 “Postal
Services”, the secretariat of which is held by NEN, in collaboration with UPU.
NOTE This document has been prepared by experts coming from CEN/TC 331 and UPU, under the frame of the
Memorandum of Understanding between UPU and CEN.
1)
The UPU’s contribution to the specification was made, by the UPU Standards Board and its subgroups, in
accordance with the rules given in Part V of the "General information on UPU standards".
According to the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the following
countries are bound to announce this CEN Technical Specification: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland and United Kingdom.

1)
The UPU's Standards Board develops and maintains a growing number of standards to improve the exchange of postal-related
information between posts, and promotes the compatibility of UPU and international postal initiatives. It works closely with posts,
customers, suppliers and other partners, including various international organizations. The Standards Board ensures that coherent
standards are developed in areas such as electronic data interchange (EDI), mail encoding, postal forms and meters. UPU standards are
published in accordance with the rules given in Part VII of the General information on UPU standards, which can be freely downloaded

from the UPU world-wide web site (www.upu.int).
Introduction
Automated postal sorting systems frequently use printers to print bar codes, cancellation and other marks and
human readable data on the items processed through them. Bar codes are used to control further processing
steps and to support item tracking and performance monitoring; cancellation marks to prevent the re-use of
postage stamps, record data and the location of processing and to convey advertising or other messages and
human readable text is used to support a provision of instructions, such as forwarding addresses to delivery
agents and manual sorting staff and providing back-up in the event of unreadability of bar codes.
In order to print bar codes, images or text on items, an interface between sorter and printer is needed for
transferring information, providing sorter speed information and to control the start of printing. This interface
has traditionally been different for each printer supplier and even for different models of printer. This has
resulted in the need for sorting equipment suppliers to develop printer- or even project-specific interface
solutions to fulfil the requirements of individual postal operators for the printer brand they want to use. This
has several disadvantages. Such specific interface solutions are typically not integrated into the sorting
system supplier’s product line and often result in:
 substantial duplication, with each participating supplier being required to undertake separate
development;
 system integration being complex and time consuming (and t
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