Initial Configuration

How to configure the RFID Printer and Software during the initial installation.

This article will aim to cover the initial steps to cover when setting up the RFID Printer and Ramp Print application for initial use. 

RFID Printer Settings

Configuring the Print Settings

These settings apply to the print settings which include print speed, print size and darkness of print. These settings are vital for ensure that the RFID labels are being fed and printed correctly on each label.

1. Using either mode, enter the Settings menu and followed by Printing.
2. Adjust the Label Length and Label Width to match the dimensions of the label.
   1. If the dimensions are appearing as dots, you'll have to navigate to System > Regional and change the units from dots to mm.
3. Configure Printing Mode to Use Ribbon.
4. Configure Speed to a suitable printing speed. For reference:
   1. AD312 or Dogbone M750 - 4 to 6
   2. IQXXX - 2
5. Configure Print Mode to Tear Off.
6. Configure Darkness Range to A/10.
   1. If you're finding that the darkness becomes too dark, then reduce the Darkness to a smaller number.

Calibrating the Printer

When setting up a new label media, you'll have to undergo a label calibration on the printer to ensure proper print quality. If you are noticing issues with labels not being fed correctly or misaligned when printing in the y-axis, then you may need to re-calibrate the label media.

1. Navigate to the Printing settings followed by Advanced at the bottom of the page.
2. Press the Enter Key on Calibrate to continue.
3. Select Auto Calibration followed by Gap + I-Mark to continue.
4. Before starting, you will be prompted to remove the label from the liner and then place the liner back under the plate sensor. 
   1. In most cases, aim to remove enough labels such that the entire print head area is void of labels.
5. Once done, press the Start button to begin calibration.
6. The result of the sensor adjustment will be shown. Press the Return button to exit the calibration. 

Network Settings

If you're configuring the printer to be connected via Ethernet, then you may need to adjust the network settings of the printer depending on the network infrastructure. In all cases, you'll want the printer to have a dedicated or static IP address as we wish to prevent the IP address from changing between reboots.

1. Navigate through the following menus:
   Settings > Interface > Settings > LAN > IPv4
2. Set the following settings based on the table below.
   

   Name	Set
   Mode	Static
   IP Address	192.168.1.XXX*
   Netmask	255.255.255.0
   Gateway	Blank
   DNS	Blank

   *Ensure that the first three octets of the IP address match the existing network it is connecting to. The fourth octet should be unique within the network and preferably set outside the DHCP range to avoid any IP addressing conflicts.

3. Press Save to save your changes.
4. Confirm that the printer is reachable on the network from another device (i.e. laptop, computer, router, etc...)

If your network is managed by IT administration, the alternative is to contact the relevant team and request that the printer undergoes MAC address reservation so that IP addresses are reserved and managed solely by IT.  This will require access to the MAC address of the RFID printer which can be found from the about section within Settings.

Once the IP address has reserved, it is recommended to set the network mode to DHCP and confirm the IP address matches the reserved address. Once it is confirmed, then it is recommend to install or update any printer drivers to target the new IP address. 

RFID Settings

The RFID settings control the read and write power of the RFID antenna, as well as handle the encoding on the labels. These settings need to be changed between different labels as each label will have different read and write power requirements to be encoded correctly.

1. Navigate through the following menus:
   Settings > Interface > RFID

2. Set the Antenna Position to Front as this will move the RFID antenna towards the front of the printer. This is critical especially for smaller labels and will prevent multiple tag reads.

3. Set the Write and Read Power of printer to suit the label. The following settings can be used as a starting point of reference when adjusting.
   

   	Write	Read
   AD312	15	12
   Dogbone M750	12	9
   IQ150	18	15
   IQ600	15	12

4. Once you've changed your settings, you should also test your settings to ensure that they are suitable for the label.  To do so, scroll down to View and press Read.
5. Once you're viewing the label, press the Feed button to feed the media and attempt to read the tag currently set.
   1. If you're seeing Tag not found errors, increase the write and read power by 3 and repeat this test.
   2. If you're seeing Multiple tag errors, decrease the write and read power by 3 and repeat this test.
   3. If you've done a) and b) but you're finding that the tag is switching between the two, you may need to adjust the tag offset to better align the label.
6. If you're unable to adjust the power settings correctly, it is highly advised to contact Ramp Support to remotely support you in achieving this step.

Profile Settings

The profile settings will allow users to save and load configurations onto the RFID printer. This is most beneficial to users who intend on swapping between multiple label media or reloading a previously known profile if the current settings were mishandled.

1. Navigate through the following menus:
   
   Settings > Tools > Profile
2. Press Save to save the current printer configuration. Enter a profile name and then press Save.
3. Press Load to load a previously saved printer configuration. Select the profile name you wish to load and press Load.