ML520

K DIC635
MICROLINE ML520/521
MICROLINE
ML520/521
Printer Handbook
Oki Data Corporation

4-11-22, Shibaura, Minato-ku,
Tokyo 108-8551, Japan
Tel : +81-3-5445-6158
Fax : +81-3-5445-6189
Printer Handbook
M-520975-1 08/99
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this document is complete,
accurate and up-to-date. OKI assumes no responsibility for the results of errors beyond its
control. OKI also cannot guarantee that changes in software and equipment made by other
manufacturers, and referred to in this handbook, will not affect the applicability of the
information in this manual. Mention of software products manufactured by other companies
does not necessarily constitute endorsement by OKI.
OKI and MICROLINE are registered trademarks of OKI Electric Industry Company, Ltd.,
OKISMART Paper Handling is a trademark and OKI OK! is a registered trademark of OKI
Electric Industry Company, LTD. IBM and PC are registered trademarks of International
Business Machines Corporation. Epson is a registered trademark of Seiko Epson Corp.
Lotus and 1-2-3 are registered trademarks of Lotus Development Corporation. Microsoft
and MS-DOS are registered trademarks and Windows is a trademark of Microsoft
Corporation. WordPerfect is a registered trademark of WordPerfect Corporation.
Important Safety Instructions
Your OKI printer has been carefully designed to give you years of safe, reliable performance.
As with all electrical equipment, however, there are a few basic precautions you should take
to avoid hurting yourself or damaging the unit:
• Read the setup and operating instructions in this manual carefully. Be sure to save it
for future reference.
• Read and follow all warning and instruction labels on the printer itself.
• Unplug the printer before you clean it. Use only a damp cloth; do not use liquid or
aerosol cleaners.
• Place your printer on a firm, solid surface. If you put it on something unsteady, it
might fall and be damaged; if you place it on a soft surface, such as a rug, sofa, or bed,
the vents may be blocked, causing it to overheat.
• To protect your printer from overheating, make sure no openings on the printer are
blocked. Don’t put the printer on or near a heat source, such as a radiator or heat
register. If you put the printer in any kind of enclosure, make sure it is well ventilated.
• Do not use your printer near water, or spill liquid of any kind into it.
• Be certain that your power source matches the rating listed on the back of the printer.
If you’re not sure, check with your dealer or with your local power company.
• Your printer has a grounded plug as a safety feature, and it will only fit into a grounded
outlet. If you can’t plug it in, chances are you have a non-grounded outlet; contact an
electrician to have it replaced with a grounded outlet. Do not use an adapter to defeat
the grounding.
• To avoid damaging the power cord, don’t put anything on it or place it where it will be
walked on. If the cord becomes damaged or frayed, replace it immediately.
• If you’re using an extension cord or power strip with the printer, make sure that the
total of the amperes required by all the equipment on the extension is less than the
extension’s rating. Generally, the total ratings of all equipment plugged into any one
power line should not exceed 15 amperes. Don’t exceed this unless you know that the
power line your equipment is plugged into has a rating above 15 amperes.
• Aside from the routine maintenance described in this handbook, don’t try to service
the printer yourself; opening the cover may expose you to shocks or other hazards.
Don’t make any, adjustments other than those outlined in the manual - you might
cause damage requiring extensive repair work.
• If anything happens that indicates that your printer is not working properly or has
been damaged, unplug it immediately and follow the procedures in Chapter 5. These
are some of the things to look for:
The power cord or plug is frayed or damaged.
Liquid has been spilled into the housing, or the printer has been exposed to water.
The printer has been dropped or its cabinet has been damaged.
The printer doesn’t function normally when you’re following the operating
instructions.
Contents
Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1
Chapter 1: Installation .................................................................................................... 3

Unpacking ................................................................................................................. 3
Removing Protective Film ............................................................................... 3
Removing Shipping Retainers ......................................................................... 4
Installing Ribbon Cartridge ....................................................................................... 5
Making Connections ................................................................................................. 6
Connection with Computer .............................................................................. 6
Connection with Power .................................................................................... 8
Chapter 2: Loading Paper .............................................................................................. 9

Loading Single-Sheet Paper .................................................................................... 11
Loading Rear-Feed Paper ........................................................................................ 14
Loading Rear-Feed Paper Using Both Push and Pull Tractors ............................... 18
Loading Bottom-Feed Paper Using the Push Tractor .............................................. 21
Loading Paper in Cut Sheet Feeder ......................................................................... 26
Paper Handling ........................................................................................................ 30
Tear Feature .................................................................................................... 30
Forms Tear-off Feature ................................................................................... 31
Paper Park Feature ......................................................................................... 31
Switching Paper Paths .................................................................................... 32
Chapter 3: Operation ..................................................................................................... 33

Control Panel ........................................................................................................... 33
Print Mode ............................................................................................................... 35
Indicator Lights .............................................................................................. 35
Buttons ........................................................................................................... 36
Menu Mode ............................................................................................................. 41
Sample Menu ................................................................................................. 42
Summary of Menu Settings ........................................................................... 43
Menu Mode Indicator Lights ......................................................................... 46
Menu Mode Buttons ...................................................................................... 46
Resetting Menu to Factory Defaults .............................................................. 47
Performing Basic Tasks ........................................................................................... 48
Selecting Print Quality ................................................................................... 48
Selecting Character Pitch ............................................................................... 49
Testing Your Printer ........................................................................................ 50
Resetting Top of Form.................................................................................... 53
Using Bar Codes ............................................................................................ 53
Chapter 4: Working with Software ............................................................................. 57

Basic Terminology .................................................................................................. 57
Printer Commands ......................................................................................... 57
Emulations ..................................................................................................... 58
Printer Drivers ......................................................................................................... 58
Compatible Printer Drivers (DOS)................................................................. 58
Windows Printer Drivers ................................................................................ 59
Chapter 5: Problem Solving, Maintenance & Service ................................................ 61

Problem Solving ...................................................................................................... 61
Maintenance ............................................................................................................ 64
Replacing the Ribbon Cartridge ..................................................................... 64
Clearing Paper Jams ....................................................................................... 67
Cleaning the Housing ..................................................................................... 71
Accessories .............................................................................................................. 72
Replacement Parts .......................................................................................... 75
Appendix A: Specifications ........................................................................................... 77
Appendix B: Menu Selections ....................................................................................... 81

Explanation of Menu Items ..................................................................................... 85
Appendix C: Printer Commands .................................................................................. 91

IBM Proprinter Printer Commands ......................................................................... 91
Epson FX Printer Commands .................................................................................. 96
OKI Microline (ML) Printer Commands .............................................................. 101
Appendix D: ASCII Character Codes ........................................................................ 107

Upper ASCII Character Sets ................................................................................. 111
IBM International Character Substitutions ........................................................... 116
Code Page Character Sets...................................................................................... 118
Appendix E: Interface Pin Assignments .................................................................... 123
Pin Assignments for Parallel Interface Signals ..................................................... 123
Pin Assignments for Serial Interface Signals ........................................................ 124
Commonly Used Serial Cable Configurations ...................................................... 125
Introduction
Congratulations on selecting the MICROLINE 520/521, the printer with OKISMART Paper
HandlingTM for rapid, hassle-free switching from one paper path/print media to another, and
to another, and to another ... It will give you many years of reliable service in the OKI
tradition. It’s not just OK, its OKI OK!
Your new printer incorporates a 9-pin, “smart” printhead which automatically detects and
adjusts to the thickness of the paper you’re using-from single sheets to multi-part forms!
This eliminates the annoying need to fuss with changing the head gap lever every time you
need to switch to another type of paper.
This innovative “smart” printhead combined with multiple paper paths
• top (with or without optional Cut Sheet Feeder)
• rear
• bottom (with optional push and/or pull tractor kits installed)
gives you maximum flexibility in handling paper and maximum efficiency in getting the job
done. With the optional Cut Sheet Feeder installed, place your letterhead stationery in the
Cut Sheet Feeder bin and load continuous feed forms in the rear tractor feed: add the optional
bottom feed tractor, and feed in continuous multi-part forms, labels, or card stock from
below.
This handbook is designed to make it easy for you to set up and operate your MICROLINE
520/521 printer. Here’s how it’s organized:
• Chapter 1 (Installation) shows you how to get your printer ready to run and how to
connect it to your computer.
• Chapter 2 (Loading Paper) explains how to load paper for any of the four methods of
paper feed.
1
• Chapter 3 (Operation) describes how to control your printer from the front panel. It
also explains how to change the defaults, how to test your printer and how to use bar
codes.
• Chapter 4 (Working with Software) gives you information on selecting a driver and
installing your printer on popular software packages.
• Chapter 5 (Problem Solving/Maintenance/Service) gives helpful hints on how to solve

common printer problems and how to maintain your printer in tip-top shape.
• Appendices A through E contain a variety of reference material, including

specifications, menu listings, lists of printer programming commands and ASCII
characters.
2 Introduction
Chapter 1: Installation
This chapter explains how to unpack and install your new printer.
Unpacking
Unpack your printer and make sure you have the following items. If you are missing any of
these items, contact your dealer immediately for a replacement.
• Printer
• Ribbon cartridge
• Power cord
➫ Interface cable and paper are sold

separately.
Removing Protective Film
1. Peel protective plastic film from carriage

cover portion of access cover.
3
2. Disengage carriage cover by lifting up on
ridged area at either end.
Carrige cover
3. Peel protective plastic film from access

cover.
Film 4. Swing carriage cover back and press it
into place.
Removing Shipping Retainers
1. Open access cover by grasping tabs at

Tab either end and lifting.
4 Installation
2. Remove printhead shipping retainer
(leave cover open for installation of
ribbon).
Shipping retainer
3. Grasp front edge of paper separator (near

Grasp
and lift platen) and pull it up. Remove styrofoam
shipping retainer, then lower paper
separator and press it into place.
Shipping
retainer
Installing Ribbon Cartridge

1. With access cover open, grasp printhead
Center and slide it until it is centered on platen.
printhead
on platen
2. Remove ribbon cartridge from its
packaging.
Important! Leave the clear plastic ribbon

shield on the cartridge!
ML520/521 Printer Handbook 5

3. Holding ribbon cartridge with knob
Ribbon
shield facing up and ribbon shield facing platen,
fit grooves on either side at back end of
cartridge over pins on ribbon plate.
Knob
4. Lower front of cartridge over printhead

until it snaps into place, then turn knob
in direction of arrow (clockwise) to take
up ribbon slack.
Important! Be sure to use only ribbons

specifically for use with MICROLINE 520/
Knob
Printhead 521 printers. For best results, use genuine
OKI ribbons.
Making Connections
Connection with Computer
These instructions are for the standard parallel interface. Instructions for installation/
connection of a serial interface are included with the serial interface accessory. For more
information on the serial interface accessory, see Chapter 5.
6 Installation
➫ Pin assignments for both the parallel and the serial interfaces are listed in
Appendix E.
You must supply the cable for connecting your printer to your computer.
1. Make sure both printer and computer are

OFF.
2. Locate interface port on back of printer.
Interface port
3. Plug parallel interface cable into port and

secure it in place with wire loops.
Wire
loops

Connection with Power
1. Make sure both printer and computer are

OFF.
2. Plug power cord into back of printer.

Socket Plug other end into grounded outlet.
Power cord
3. Turn printer on. Printhead will cross back

and forth along platen, and POWER light
will come on. ALARM light will also
come on, but don’t be concerned: it’s just
telling you that there is no paper loaded.
You’re now ready to load paperproceed to

Chapter 2.
8 Installation
Chapter 2: Loading Paper
Your printer has provision for single-sheet paper feed from the top and for continuous-form
paper feed from the rear. You can also install options: the Cut Sheet Feeder, which holds a
stack of 100 sheets for feeding from the top and the Push and/or Pull Tractors for feeding
continuous-form labels, heavy card stock or multi-part forms from the bottom. See Chapter
5 for more information on these options.
The innovative, 9-pin, “smart” printhead in your printer automatically detects and adjusts to
the thickness of the paper you’re using-from single sheets to thick, multi-part forms!
Combined with multiple paper paths (top, rear, and bottom [optional]), this gives you
maximum flexibility in handling paper and maximum efficiency in getting the job done.
Because of the versatility of the printhead, you can use a wide variety of papers and forms:
Top Feed
• Single sheets (basis weight 14 to 24 ibs)
• Single envelopes
—24-lb maximum
—6.5" to 9.5" wide
• Transparencies (8.5 × 11")
Rear feed (continuous forms only, thickness to 0.014" [0.36 mm])
• Single-part continuous forms

—12 to 24 lb.
—Minimum 3" wide
9
• Carbonless, multi-part forms
—Original, plus 5 copies
—9 to 11 lb
—Minimum 3" wide
• Interleaf, multi-part forms (with carbon paper)

—original, plus 5 copies
—10 to 12-lb paper, with 9-lb carbon
—Minimum 3" wide
Bottom feed (continuous forms only, thickness to 0.017" [0.44 mm])
• Single-part continuous forms

—12 to 24 lb.
—Minimum 3" wide
• Carbonless, multi-part forms

—9 to 11 lb
—Minimum 3" wide
• Interleaf, multi-part forms (with carbon paper)

—10 to 12-lb. paper, with 9-lb carbon
—Minimum 3" wide
• Continuous-feed envelopes
—24-lb maximum
—6.5" to 9.5" wide (envelope itself)
• Labels
—minimum 3" wide
—maximum 10" (ML520) or 16" (ML521)wide
• Card stock: papers up to 120 lb maximum
10 Loading Paper
Loading Single-Sheet Paper
The single-sheet paper path is best for letterhead stationery, memos, and envelopes. We also
recommend it for printing graphs and charts because it provides the most accurate control of
the paper.
To load in single sheets of paper:
➫ If you have any continuous-form paper in the paper path, you must press the PARK
button on the front panel to remove it from the path before loading single sheets.
1. Make sure printer is turned ON and

deselected (SEL light off–press SEL
button to deselect if necessary).
➫ The ALARM light will remain on until

paper is loaded.
2. Move paper lever to position marked

“TOP.”
Move
to
“TOP”

3. Grasp back of paper separator and unsnap
it from housing, then swing it up into
single-sheet feed position, making sure
that wire feed guide is nestled in
separator.
4. Adjust paper feed guides for width of

Paper paper and drop sheet of paper into
feed
guides
separator. Paper will automatically feed
into printer.
➫ If the sheet of paper doesn’t feed in

properly, the “15” light in the
Character Pitch section at the bottom
right of the control panel will begin
flashing. To correct this, press the
SHIFT and RESET buttons
simultaneously, then reload the sheet.
12 Loading Paper
5. Baseline for Top of Form (TOF) on paper
Baseline
is indicated by red line on clear plastic
paper shield.
6. If desired, change TOF setting using

control panel:
☛ to set TOP further down on page,
hold SHIFT button while pressing FF/
LOAD button: this will advance paper up
in micro increments
☛ to move TOF further up on page,
hold SHIFT button while pressing LF
button: this will advance paper down in
micro increments
➫ The printer must be deselected (SEL

light off) in order to set the Top of
Form.
7. Press SEL button (SEL light will come

on).

Loading Rear-Feed Paper
The rear-feed paper path is recommended for single-thickness, continuous fan-fold paper
when printing spreadsheets, long reports, etc. For graphics or charts, it’s best to use the
single-sheet paper path.
To load continuous-form paper from the rear:
1. If you have paper in paper path, be sure

to remove it before installing rear-feed
paper. To remove single sheet, press FF/
LOAD button. To remove bottom-feed
paper, press PARK button.
2. Move paper lever to position marked

“REAR.”
Position
“REAR”
3. Grasp front edge of paper separator

Paper separator and pull it up to access tractors.
14 Loading Paper
4. Locate tractors.
Tractors
5. Pull up on lock levers to release tractors

and swing open tractor covers. Position
right-hand tractor for width of paper
you’re loading.
➫ The movemento of the left tractor is

limited to ensure that the paper will
always contact the paper sensor when
loaded.
6. Pull paper through opening between

Paper separator
printer and rear cover, and place first two
holes on each side over tractor pins.
Please note that an equal number of paper
holes must be engaged on either tractor
in order to ensure proper paper feed.
Paper holes on pins

7. Close tractor covers and adjust left
tractor to position edge of paper:
Reference reference marks on printer indicate left
marks
edge position for the two most
common paper sizes. When paper is
properly aligned, lock left tractor in
Lock
place by pushing back on lock lever.
lever
Tractor covers
8. Adjust right tractor so that paper holes
are centered on pins (careful–if paper
is stretched too tight or left too loose,
it can jam and cause problems), then
lock right tractor in place by pushing
back on lock lever.
9. Close rear cover and swing wire feed

guide over to rest on pull-up roller
Wire feed guide
assembly. Wire feed guide keeps paper
from curling back into printer.
10. Push FF/ LOAD button. Paper will

automatically feed into printer and
ALARM light will go out.
16 Loading Paper
11. Baseline for top of Form (TOF) on paper
Baseline is indicated by red line on clear plastic
paper shield.

control panel:
If form tear off is being selected in the

printer menu, press the TEAR button to
bring the paper down to the print position.
Hold down the SHIFT button and release
the TEAR button.
☛ to set TOF further down on page,

in micro increments

micro increments

Form.

on).
➫ To temporarily change the Top of

Form setting for a particular print job,
deselect the printer and press the LF
button until you reach the TOF
position you want to use. The printer
will retain this setting until you turn
it off.
Loading Rear-Feed Paper Using Both Push and Pull Tractors
➫ These instructions assume that the optional top-mount pull tractor has been installed.
Using both the built-in push tractor and the optional pull tractor to feed in continuous-form
paper from the rear is particularly handy to provide greater control when you’re printing on
multi-part forms. However, please note that you cannot use the paper tear-off feature or the
paper park feature (see end of this chapter) when the optional pull tractor is installed.
Caution! To prevent jamming, labels should only be fed from the bottom!
18 Loading Paper
To load in rear-feed paper using both tractors:
1. Follow instructions for loading rear feed

paper with built-in tractor (see page 14).
2. Open access cover and lift bail arm up

Bail arm out of the way.
3. With printer turned off, use platen knob

Bail arm Pull tractor to wind paper up to pull tractor.
Paper
Platen
knob
4. Push paper lever to position maeked

“TOP.” This disengaged built-in push
Move to
tractor so you can adjust paper on pull
“TOP” tractor.

5. Pull up on lock levers to release
Lock levers tractors and open tractor covers.
Tractor covers
6. Slide tractors to align them with paper

edges, then set paper holes on sprocket
pins. Be sure that you place an equal
number of holes on each tractor in order
to ensure proper paper feed.
7. Adjust tractors so that paper holes are

Lock lever centered on pins (careful-if paper is
stretched too tight or left too loose, it can
jam and cause problems). Then lock
tractor levers, close tractor covers, and
use platen knob to take up any slack in
Tractor paper.
covers Platen
closed knob
20 Loading Paper
Bail arm down
8. Swing bail arm back down and snap it
in place.
9. Close access cover, move paper lever to

position marked “REAR,” and turn
printer back on.
Important! When you have the pull tractor installed, you can’t use the tear-off bar. Also,
do not use the paper park feature!-if you do, the paper will disengage from the pull tractor.
Loading Bottom-Feed Paper Using the Push Tractor

The bottom-feed paper path for continuous, fan-fold paper is recommended when you’re
using thick, multi-part forms, labels, or thick card stock. With the optional bottom-feed
push tractor installed, you can begin printing right at the very top of the form and, when
you’re done printing, you can easily tear off the form right at the perforation!
➫ These instructions assume that the optional bottom-feed push tractor has been
installed.
To load in continuous-form paper from the bottom using the bottom-feed push tractor:

1. If you have any paper in the paper path,
be sure to remove it before installing
bottom-feed paper. (To remove single
sheet paper, press FF/ LOAD button; to
remove rearfeed paper, press PARK
button.)
2. Push paper lever to position marked

“BOT.”
“BOT”
3. To access bottom tractors, lift front of

printer and swing down support legs.
Support legs
22 Loading Paper
4. Pull up on lock levers to release them.
Slide right tractor until positioned for
width of paper you’re installing. Keep left
Lock levers
tractor close to left side of printer to
ensure that paper contacts paper sensor
during loading.
5. Open tractor covers.
Important! The bottom-feed push tractor is

designed for use with a slotted print stand. If
you place the stack of paper under the
extension supports, the printer could jam. If
you don’t have a slotted stand, place the stack
Tractor covers open of paper in front of the printer rather than
underneath it.
Paper holes on pins

6. Place first two holes on each side of paper
over tractor pins, and close left-hand
tractor cover. Be sure that you place an
equal number of holes on either tractor
in order to ensure proper paper feed.
Close left tractor cover

7. Adjust right tractor so that holes on paper
are centered on pins (carefulif–paper is
stretched too tight or left too loose, it can
jam and cause problerns), then close
tractor cover and re-lock lever on right-
Close
right hand tractor.
tractor
cover
8. Swing support legs back up into stand and

make sure that paper separator is lowered
Paper for use with continuous-forms.
separator
in
continuous Caution! The extension legs are not
form designed to support the printer during the
position
actual printing operation. Make sure that you
fold them back into the supports before you
begin to print!
9. Swing wire feed guide over to rest on

pull-up roller assembly. Wire feed guide
Wire feed guide
keeps paper from curling back into
printer.
24 Loading Paper
10. Push FF/LOAD button on control panel.
Paper will automatically feed into printer
and ALARM light will go out.

paper shield.

control panel:
If form tear off is being selected in the

printer menu, press the TEAR button to
bring the paper down to the print position.
Hold down the SHIFT button and release
the TEAR button.
☛to set TOF further down on page,

in micro increments
☛to move TOF further up on page, hold

SHIFT button while pressing LF button:
this will advance paper down in micro
increments

Form.

on).
➫ To temporarily change the Top of

Form setting for a particular print
job, deselect the printer and press the
LF button until you reach the TOF
position you want to use. The printer
will retain this setting until you turn
it off.
Loading Paper in Cut Sheet Feeder

To load paper in the cut sheet feeder:
➫ These instructions assume that the optional Cut Sheet Feeder is installed.
1. Make sure printer is turned ON and

deselected (SEL light off–press SEL
button if necessary).
2. If you have continuous-form paper in

paper path, press PARK button on front
panel to remove it from path before
loading paper in Cut Sheet Feeder.
26 Loading Paper
3. Move paper lever on printer to position
marked “TOP.”
Position
“TOP”
4. Move paper release lever on CSF to

position marked “RESET.”
Paper release lever
5. Locate lock levers on back of Cut Sheet

Feeder (CSF) and release them.
Lock lever

6. Fan stack of paper and square it. Adjust
Paper
stack
paper feed guides to width of paper and
place paper in CSF feed bin (bin will hold
up to 100 sheets of standard 20-lb paper).
7. Push lock levers back up to lock

guides in place.
Paper feed guide
8. Move CSF paper release lever to

position marked “SET.”
Position
“SET”
9. Press FF/LOAD button to load in

sheet of paper.
28 Loading Paper
Baseline
paper shield.

control panel:
☛ to set TOF further down on page,

in micro increments

micro increments

Form.

on).
➫ When the Cut Sheet Feeder is installed, you can still switch easily to continuous-form
rear-feed or bottom-feed paper (bottom-feed requires optional push tractor). To do
so, make sure that the continuous-form paper is loaded and that there are no single
sheets in the paper path (if necessary, press FF/LOAD button to remove sheet), then
move the paper lever to “REAR” or “BOT” position and press the FF/LOAD button. To
switch back, simply press the PARK button and move the paper lever to the position
labeled “TOP.”
Paper Handling
Your printer has several handy paper handling features:
• Tear
• Form Tear-off
• Paper Park
Tear Feature
When you’re using continuous forms with either the built-in rear-feed tractor or the optional
bottom-feed push tractor, you can use this feature to advance the forms up to the tear position
so you can easily tear off a printed sheet without wasting paper or readjusting the printer. To
do this, simply press the TEAR button on the front panel.
30 Loading Paper
➫ The tear feature can not be used when the optional pull tractor is installed.
Forms Tear-off Feature

Caution! Do not engage Forms Tear-off when printing on labels!
The Forms Tear-off feature can be engaged to automatically move the paper up to the tear
position after the selected interval (500 milliseconds, one second, or two seconds). The page
will stay in the tear-off position until the printer receives data. It will then move down to the
initial printing position.
This feature is normally turned off. To activate it, enter the printer menu (see Menu Mode in
Chapter 3) and choose one of the intervals.
➫ Some programs, such as high resolution graphics packages, pause occasionally while
sending data to the printer. If the pause lasts more than the selected interval, the
paper will advance to the tear-off position until more data is received. No data will
be lost, but this extra paper movement can cause uneven print registration in graphics.
If you have this problem, use the menu to deactivate Forms Tear-off.
Paper Park Feature
If you have continuous-form paper loaded and you wish to switch to another paper path,
first tear off the printed pages, then simply press the PARK button. The continuous-form
paper will immediately retract from the paper path.

Switching Paper Paths
To switch from continuous-form feed from the rear or bottom (optional push or pull
tractor installed) of the printer to single-sheet feed from the top:
1. Tear off printed pages.
2. Press PARK button.
3. Swing wire guide up into paper separator, then pivot separator to upright position.
4. Move paper lever to position marked “TOP.”
5. Load single sheet paper into paper separator.
To switch from top feed to continuous-form rear or bottom (optional push or pull
tractor installed) feed:
1. Make sure no sheet is in paper path (press FF/LOAD to remove single sheet from path).
2. Lower paper separator to continuous forms position and swing wire guide over onto
pull-up roller assembly.
3. Move paper lever to position marked “REAR” or “BOT,” as appropriate.
4. Press FF/LOAD button. Continuous-form paper will advance into print position.
32 Loading Paper
Chapter 3: Operation
This chapter explains how to operate your printer. It also provides instructions on how to
change the default setteings and how to perform basic tasks, including selecting typeface/
print quality, selecting character pitch, testing your printer, and resetting Top of Form to the
factory default.
Control Panel
Your printer’s front panel lets you control paper feeding, customize your printer’s defaults
to your particular needs, and select print quality and character pitch.
Here’s a breakdown of the controls on the front panel:
33
The seven buttons to the left on your control panel are multi-function buttons. In routine
printer operation, they are used to manipulate the paper, but you can also use them to enter
and make changes in the printer’s program menu.
The PRINT QUALITY and CHARACTER PITCH sections at the right on the front panel
are used to select the quality and size of the printing. See “Performing Basic Tasks” later in
this chapter for information on how to use these buttons.
Important! The print quality and character pitch set by means of the front panel can be
overridden by commands sent by the commercial software package from which you’re
printing a document. If you run into this problem, see Chapter 5 for information on how to
correct it.
34 Operation
Print Mode
In its normal operating state, your printer’s front panel is in the Print Mode.
Indicator Lights
In the Print Mode, your printer has the following lights to indicate its status:
1. POWER light: Glows whenever printer is on.
2. SEL light: Glows when printer is selected, ready to receive data. Flashes when printer
is in Print Suppress mode. Goes out when printer is deselected (can’t receive data).
3. ALARM light: Glows when error condition exists, such as out of paper or paper jam.
Also glows when paper lever is set to wrong position.
Important! If the ALARM light is blinking, an unrecoverable error condition exists. Try
turning the printer off, then on again; if the light is still flashing, contact your service dealer
(see Chapter 5 for more information on obtaining service).
4. QUIET light: Glows when printer is in QUIET state (printer selected or deselected).

Buttons
When the printer is selected (SEL light on), only the functions marked at the top of the bank
of buttons are in effect: SEL, LF, FF/ LOAD, TEAR, PARK, and QUIET. When the printer
is deselected (SEL light off), the functions marked at the bottom of the buttons (MENU,
Micro Feed Down, Micro Feed Up, TOF) can be accessed by means of the SHIFT button.
Each button can have several functions, depending on
• mode in use (Print Mode or Menu Mode)
• whether printer is selected or deselected
• whether or not optional Cut Sheet Feeder (CSF) is installed
• whether or not SHIFT button is pressed at the same time
Most buttons also have a different function if they are pressed while the printer is being
turned on.
➫ The PRINT QUALITY and CHARACTER PITCH buttons are discussed under “Performing
Basic Tasks,” later in this chapter.
36 Operation
Summary of Front Panel Button Functions
Button Function
SEL Print Mode: Selects/ deselects printer. Resets
paper out or paper jam alarm. Ends Font or
Rolling ASCII test.
Menu Mode: Resets paper out alarm.
CSF Installed: Same as Print Mode.
Held on Power Up: Activates Menu Mode.
SEL + SHIFT Print Mode: Activates Menu Mode,
Menu Mode: Exits Menu Mode.
SHIFT Print Mode: Printer deselected, used with LF
or FF/ LOAD or QUIET button to set TOF
(see page 13).
SHIFT + RESET Print Mode Clears paper jam alarm
LF Print Mode: Advances paper up one line:
hold for repetitive line feeds.
Menu Mode: Advances to next Group in
Menu.
CSF Installed: Inserts/ejects paper.
Held on Power Up: Activates Font Test (see
page 50).
LF + SHIFT Print Mode: Printer deseleted, moves TOF
setting up on page. Menu Mode: Goes back to
previous Group in Menu.
Held on Power Up: Activates Font Test (see
page 50).

Button Function
FF/LOAD Print Mode: Feeds in sheet of paper; advances
continuous-form paper to print position.
Menu Mode: Advances to next Item in Menu.
FF/LOAD + SHIFT Print Mode: Printer deselected, moves TOF
setting down on page.
Menu Mode: Goes back to previous Item in
Menu.
TEAR Print Mode: Moves continuous-form paper
up for tear-off or back down for printing.
Menu Mode: Advances to next Value in
Menu.
PARK Print Mode: Parks continuous-form paper.
Menu Mode: Prints list of current Menu
settings.
CSF installed: Ejects paper.
PARK + SHIFT Menu Mode: Prints current Group Menu
settings.
QUIET Print Mode: Activates/ deactivates QUIET
mode.
CSF Installed: Same as Print Mode
Held on Power Up: Activates Rolling ASCII
Test (see page 51).
QUIET + SHIFT Print Mode: With printer deselected and no
paper loaded, sets TOF to default.
Held on Power Up: Activates Rolling ASCII
Test (see page 51).
38 Operation
Button Function
PRINT QUALITY Print Mode: Selects HSD, UTILITY, or NLQ
mode.
PRINT QUALITY + Print Mode: Not applicable.
SHIFT Menu Mode: Prints all Menu settings,
regardless of emulation and of options
engaged.
CHARACTER PITCH Print Mode: Selects 10, 12, 15, 17, 20 cpi or
proportional character pitch, sequentially.
CSF instailed: Same as Print Mode.
Combinations of Buttons
The SEL, LF, FF/ LOAD, TEAR, PARK and QUIET buttons can also be used in various
combinations on power up to perform different functions, as detailed in the table below.
Buttons Function when held on power up

FF/ LOAD + TEAR Resets both Menu and Top of Form to factory
default.
SEL + LF Resets Menu to factory default.
QUIET + PARK Resets Top of Form to factory default.
SEL + FF/LOAD Activates Hex Dump Mode.

Buttons Categorized by Function
Action Press
Select/ deselect printer. SEL
Select Print Quality. PRINT QUALITY
Select pitch. CHARACTER PITCH/RESET
Engage/ disengage Hexadecimal To engage: SEL + FF/LOAD.
Dump mode To disengage: turn printer off.
Engage/ disengage Menu Mode. SEL + SHIFT
Engage/ disengage Quiet Mode. QUIET
Load in paper. FF/LOAD
Park continuous form paper. PARK
Advance paper down one line. LF
Set Top of Form. Higher up: SHIFT + LF
Lower: SHIFT + FF/LOAD
Start Rolling ASCII Test. QUIET, while turning printer on. (To
stop test, press SEL button.)
Start Font Test. LF, while turning printer on. (To stop
test, press SEL button.)
Reset to factory defaults. FF/LOAD + TEAR
Reset Paper Out Alarm. In Print Mode: press SEL + SHIFT,
then press SEL
40 Operation
Menu Mode
When your printer is in the Menu Mode, you can use the front panel controls to change the
defaults for the printer parameters, including emulation, page length, line spacing, typeface,
pitch, etc. For example, you might want to change the page length to 14 inches if you’re
printing on legal-size documents, or to 3 inches if you’re printing on labels or small cards.
To place your printer in the Menu Mode, hold the SHIFT button while pressing the SEL
button (printer either selected or deselected). The MENU light will come on and, if the
printer was selected, the SEL light will go out.
To exit the Menu Mode, hold the SHIFT button and press the SEL button. The MENU light
will go out and the SEL light will come on.

Sample Menu
The menu is made up of groups of parameters. Within each group is a list of items and each
of those items has several possible settings. Here’s a sample Menu printout. The first column
lists the groups; the second, items; the third, settings:
42 Operation
Summary of Menu Settings
The table below details the entries in the printer Menu as it comes from the factory. The
defaults are in bold face italic type.
Other entries will appear in the Menu depending on what options you have installed and
what emulation is engaged.
For a complete listing of all the available Menu selections, along with explanations for
each setting, see Appendix B.
Group Item Setting

Printer Control Emulation Mode IBM PPR, Epson FX, ML
Font Print Mode Utility, NLQ Courier, NLQ

Gothic, HSD
Pitch 10 cpi, 12 cpi, 15 cpi, 17.1 cpi,

20 cpi
Proportional Spacing NO, Yes
Style Normal, Italics
Size Single, Double

Symbol Sets Character Set Set I, Set II
Language Set American, French, German,

British, Danish I, Swedish,
Italian, Spanish I, Japanese,
Norwegian, Danish II, Spanish
II, Latin American, French Ca-
nadian, Dutch, Publisher
Zero Character Slashed, Unslashed
Code Page USA, Canada French,

Multilingual, Portugal,
Norway

Group Item Setting
Rear Feed Line Spacing 6 LPI, 8 LPI
Form Tear-Off Off, 500ms, 1 sec, 2 sec
Skip Over Perforation No, Yes
Page Width* 13.6", 8.0"
Page Length 11", 112/3", 12", 14", 17", 3",
35", 4", 6", 7", 8", 51
Gap Control Auto Gap, Semi Auto Gap, 1, 2,
3,4,5,6,7,8, 9
Bottom Feed Line Spacing 6 LPI, 8 LPI
Form Tear-Off Off, 500ms, 1 sec. 2 sec
Skip Over Perforation No, Yes
Page Width* 13.6", 8.0"
Page Length 11", 112/3", 12", 14", 17", 3",
35", 4", 5.5", 6", 7", 8", 85"
3,4,5,6,7,8, 9
Top Feed Line Spacing 6 LPI, 8 LPI
Bottom Margin Valid, Invalid
Page Width* 13.6", 8.0"
Page Length 11", 112/3", 12", 14", 17", 3",
35", 4", 5.5", 6", 7", 8", 8.5"
3,4,5,6,7,8, 9
Wait Time 1 sec, 2 sec, 500ms
44 Operation
Group Item Setting
Set-Up Graphics Uni-directional, bi-directional
Receive Buffer Size 64K, 1 Line, 32K
Paper Out Override No, Yes
Print Registration 0, 0.05 mm Left, 0.10 mm Left,
0.15 mm Left, 0.20 mm Left,
0.25 mm Left, 0.25 mm Right,
0.20 mm Right, 0.15 mm Right,
0.10 mm Right, 0.05 mm Right
Operator Panel Full Operation,
Function Limited Operation
Reset Inhibit No, Yes
Print Suppress Effective Yes, No
Auto LF No, Yes
Auto CR No, Yes
SI Select Pitch (10 CPI) 17.1 CPI, 15 CPI
SI Select Pitch (12 CPI) 20 CPI, 12 CPI
Time Out Print Valid, Invalid
Auto Select No, Yes
Printhead Gap Adjust 0, 1, +1
Parallel I/ F I-Prime Buffer Print, Buffer Clear,
Invalid
Pin 18 +5V, Open
* Wide Model 521 only

Menu Mode Indicator Lights
In the Menu Mode, the following lights indicate your printer’s status:
1. POWER light: Glows when printer is on.
2. MENU light: Glows when printer is in Menu Mode.
Menu Mode Buttons
46 Operation
Here is a summary of the buttons active in the Menu Mode:
1. GROUP button: Press to scan through groups of listings. Each time you press the
GROUP button, a line will print, showing the next group in the Menu. To go back one
group, hold the SHIFT button while pressing the GROUP button.
2. ITEM button: Press to scan through items for a particular group. Each time you press
the ITEM button a line will print, showing the next item within the group. To go back
one item, hold the SHIFT button while pressing the ITEM button.
3. SET button: Press to change setting for the item. Each time you press the SET button,
a line will print across the page showing the next setting for that item. Keep pressing the
button until the setting you wish to engage appears. To go back one setting, hold the
SHIFT button while pressing the SET button.
4. PRINT button: Press to print out listing of current settings for each item, group by
group.
Resetting Menu to Factory Defaults
To reset your printer Menu to the factory settings, turn the printer off, then hold the SEL and
LF buttons while turning it back on again.

Performing Basic Tasks
Selecting Print Quality
Your printer allows you to select from three print qualities: utility, near letter quality (NLQ),
and high speed draft (HSD). Utility printing, in Gothic, is the default, designed for preparing
rough drafts or internal correspondence. NLQ printing, in Courier or Gothic (depending on
MENU setting), gives you sharp, crisp characters for correspondence and important final
documents that require a polished appearance. HSD printing, in Gothic, gives the fastest
printing, but with the poorest quality.
To select the print quality you want, press the PRINT QUALITY button successively until
the light underneath the print quality you wish to engage is lit.
➫ Your printer also prints any of eight different bar codes accessible through printer
commands. For more information on bar codes, see the end of this chapter.
48 Operation
Selecting Character Pitch
The character pitch determines the width of the individual characters and is measured in
characters per inch (cpi). To select the character pitch, press the CHARACTER
PITCH button successively until the light underneath the pitch you wish to engage is lit. In
the Epson and IBM emulations, the choices are 10 cpi, 12 cpi, 15 cpi, 17 cpi, 20 cpi, or
Proportional. In the MICROLINE emulation, the choices are 10 cpi, 12 cpi, 15 cpi, 17 cpi,
or 20 cpi, either non-proportional or proportional: proportional is selected when both the
light under the desired cpi and the light under “Prop” are lit.
To reset the pitch to the factory default (10 cpi):
1. Be sure printer is deselected (SEL light out). If not, press SEL button.
2. Hold SHIFT button while pressing CHARACTER PITCH button.
➫ If the SI command is received from your, software, the character pitch selected on the
control panel will be overridden by the SI command.

The table below summarizes the fonts available from your printer:
Typeface Spacing
NLQ Courier 10 cpi, 12 cpi, 15 cpi, 17 cpi, 20 cpi, Proportional
NLQ Letter Gothic 10 cpi, 12 cpi, 15 cpi, 17 cpi, 20 cpi, Proportional
Utility (Gothic) 10 cpi, 12 cpi, 15 cpi, 17 cpi, 20 cpi, Proportional
High Speed Draft 10 cpi, 12 cpi, 15 cpi, 17 cpi, 20 cpi
(Gothic)
Bar Code Code 39, UPC A, UPC E, EAN 8, EAN 13,
Interleaved 2 of 5, Code 128, Postnet
Testing Your Printer
Your printer has three tests you can run: the Font Test, the Rolling ASCII Test, and the
Hexadecimal Dump Test.
Font Test
The Font Test provides a printout containing samples of available typefaces. Here’s a portion
of a Font Test printout:
50 Operation
To run the Font Test:
1. Be sure paper is loaded.
2. Turn off printer.
3. Hold LF button for several seconds while turning printer on. (If printer simply turns on
without starting to print, you didn’t hold down LF button long enough.)
Rolling ASCII Test

The Rolling ASCII Test produces a continuous printout of all 96 ASCII characters. The
printing will continue until you stop it manually by pressing the SEL button. Here’s a sample
portion of a Rolling ASCII Test:

To activate the Rolling ASCII Test:
Caution! For wide carriage Model 521, be sure you have wide paper loaded!
3. Hold QUIET button for several seconds while turning printer on. (If printer simply
turns on without starting to print, you didn’t hold down QUIET button long enough.)
Hexadecimal Dump Test
If you want to test the data your computer is sending to the printer, you can place the printer
in the Hexadecimal Dump Mode. When the printer is in the Hex Dump Mode, all data
received, including text and printer commands, will be printed in both hexadecimal and
ASCII format.
➫ In the ASCII format, all non-printable characters will be represented by a period.
For example, this line of BASIC code:
LPRINT CHR$ (27) ;”O”;CHR$ (30) ;”This is an example of a hexadecimal

dump.”
would print like this:
52 Operation
To engage the Hexadecimal Dump Mode:
2. Turnoff printer.
3. Hold SEL and FF/LOAD buttons for several seconds while turning on printer.
The printer will print the line “Hex Data Dump” and be ready to receive data in the
Hexadecimal Dump Mode. To run the test, simply send data to the printer while it is in the
Hexadecimal Dump Mode.
When you’re done, you can exit the Hexadecimal Dump Mode by either pressing the SEL
button or by turning the printer off, then on again.
Resetting Top of Form
To reset the Top of Form to the factory default:
2. Hold down QUIET and PARK buttons while turning printer back on.
Using Bar Codes
Your MICROLINE 520/521 printer incorporates eight different bar codes:
• UPCA
• UPCE
• EAN 8
• EAN13
• Code 39
• Code 128
• Interleaved 2 of 5
• Postnet

You will find a list of the bar code printer commands for each emulation in Appendix C.
Here is a brief explanation of each of the available bar codes, along with a sample printout
for each one.
UPC A Bar Code
UPC (Universal Product Code) bar coding is used in the supermarket industry. UPC A coding
contains ten digits: the first five digits represent the manufacturer, the second five digits
identify the product.
UPCE
UPC E bar coding is a six-digit variation of UPC A, used for labeling small items.
54 Operation
EAN 8
EAN (European Article Numbering) bar coding is a variation of UPC coding. EAN 8 encodes
eight digits.
EAN 13
EAN 13 encodes 13 digits and contains the same number of bars as UPC A. The thirteenth
digit combined with the twelfth digit provides a code representing a country.
Code 39
Also known as 3 of 9 Code, Code 39 is used in non-retail applications. Each character has
five bars and four spaces. Code patterns have been developed for 44 different alphabetic,
numeric and graphic characters.

Code 128
Code 128 has 106 different characters, each of which can have any one of three different
meanings depending on which code set (A, B, or C) is engaged. A special code at the beginning
indicates which set is engaged: three shift codes are also available for use within the bar
code to indicate a change in the code set engaged, as required.
Interleaved 2 of 5
Interleaved 2 of 5 bar coding is used mainly in the distribution industry. Two digits are
encoded: one in the bars and one in the spaces.
Postnet
Postnet bar coding is used by the U.S. Post Office for sorting mail by automated equipment.
It incorporates a coding system using five bars and four spaces for each digit.
56 Operation
Chapter 4: Working with Software
This chapter covers the fundamentals of setting up commercial software packages for use
with your printer. Be sure to read your software documentation carefully for more details.
Basic Terminology
Before we start, let’s examine a few terms with which you may not be familiar.
Printer Commands
➫ If you’re using commercial software with an appropriate printer driver (see “Printer Drivers”
below), the printer commands will normally be sent to the printer by your software and you
won’t even need to think about them.
Printer commands are signals sent by your PC to the printer which guide and control its
operation. Printer commands tell the printer what character pitch to use, what font to use,
what margins to use, whether to use single or double spacing, when to engage/ disengage
double width or double height printing, etc.
Printer commands can be sent in decimal, ASCII, or hexadecimal form. The values (decimal/
ASCII/hexadecimal) for each type of command depend on which emulation is active (see
Appendix C for a listing of printer commands for each emulation).
With only a few exceptions, printer commands begin with the ESC character, decimal 27
(hexadecimal 1B), which serves as a signal to the printer that what follows is to be interpreted
as a command rather than just a string of characters. Some printer commands expect you to
supply a numerical value, representing tab stops, line spacing, etc.
57
Emulations
In order to eliminate hundreds of different sets of printer commands, most printers emulate,
or imitate, one of several general printers; i.e., they accept all of that printer’s commands
and behave as though they were the emulated printer.
Your printer has three emulations:
• IBM Proprinter III (factory default)
• Epson FX
• Oki Microline
Printer Drivers
Compatible Printer Drivers (DOS)
Many of the software packages you use will contain drivers 100% compatible with your
printer. For older software, however, it may be necessary to select a driver that functions
nearly the same as a driver specifically designed for your printer. This generally means that
you will be selecting a driver that provides commands to access most, but not all of the
available functions; however, the commands that are available will perform properly with
your printer.
The table below summarizes the various drivers that will work with your printer. They are
listed in order by decreasing compatibility as you go down the list: select one from as high
up on the list as possible, based on what is available from among the drivers supplied with
your software. If you don’t see one from near the top of the list, give the software manufacturer
a call to see if they have added any drivers to those supplied when you purchased your
software. Software manufacturers are constantly updating their lists of drivers to keep up
with the printer market and they may very well have one which will give maximum
compatibility with your printer.
58 Working with Software

IBM Proprinter Epson FX OKI ML
Emulation Emulation Emulation
Oki ML 520/1 Oki ML 520/1 Oki Microline 520/521
IBM Epson Oki Microline 320/321
IBM Proprinter III Epson FX850/1050 Oki Microline 292/293
IBM Proprinter II Epson FX86/286 Oki Microline 192/193
IBM Proprinter Epson FX Oki Microline 182/183
IBM Graphics Epson EX800/i000 Oki Microline 92/93
Printer Oki Microline 82A/83A
Because there are some differences in characteristics such as speed or access to various
features, you may wish to experiment with several different drivers. If you must select
a driver that is not listed in the table, be sure to check it thoroughly for print features
such as boldface, underline and changes in pitch. Don’t be surprised if boldfaced items
are printed twice, underlines are misplaced, wide spaces are left between lines or the
printer behaves chaotically (turn off the printer if the latter occurs). These are all characteristics
of an incompatible driver selection.
Windows Printer Drivers
To use this printer on a Windows operating system, install the Windows printer driver, that
is on the Printer Software CD-ROM provided with your printer, on your computer.
For information about which Windows systems are compatible with the printer drivers on
the Printer Software CD-ROM and the installation procedure open the Readme file on the
Printer Software CD-ROM.

Chapter 5: Problem Solving,
Maintenance,& Service
This chapter provides solutions to some common printer problems and explains the routine
maintenance procedures that will help keep your printer in tip-top operating condition. It
also tells you how to order parts, consumables and accessories, and provides information on
obtaining service for your printer. You will find your printer’s warranty at the back of this
Printer Handbook.
Problem Solving
What if ...
... nothing happens when I turn on the printer?
The printer may not be plugged in. Check the power cord connection to the outlet and to
your printer. If you’re using a power strip, make sure it’s turned on. Check to be sure that the
fuse hasn’t blown or that the circuit breaker hasn’t tripped.
... the printer doesn’t print when the computer sends data?
The printer may be deselected. If the SEL light is out, press the SEL button to select the
printer.
The printer cable may not be securely connected. Check the cable to be sure that it is properly
connected to both the PC and the printer.
If you have installed the serial I/F board, check to be sure that the board is firmly seated in
the printer.
61
... I’m getting strange symbols, incorrect fonts, etc., when I try to print a document?
The printer driver you have engaged does not agree with the emulation selected for your
printer.
To check the emulation selected, first make sure paper is loaded, then press the SEL and
SHIFT buttons simultaneously to enter the MENU on your printer. Next, press the GROUP
button: this will print the emulation selected.
If the emulation is not the one you want to use, press the SET button to change it to the one
you want before exiting the MENU (to exit, press SEL and SHIFT buttons).
If the emulation is correct, check your software documentation on how to select a printer
driver, then check to be sure that you have selected one of the drivers listed for that emulation
on page 59). The closer the driver is to the top of the list, the more compatible it will be with
your printer. If your software doesn’t have any of the indicated drivers available, check with
the software manufacturer to see if they have added any additional drivers since you purchased
your software.
If you have embedded any printer commands in your software, check to be sure that you
entered them correctly.
... I’ve installed a brand new ribbon and the printing is smeared and streaked?
The plastic shield on the ribbon is either loose or missing. The shield must be left on the
ribbon when you are installing the cartridge. To remedy this situation, move the printhead to
the center of the platen (careful–printhead may be HOT!) and lift off the ribbon cartridge.
Check the ribbon shield. If it’s loose, secure it in place properly. If it’s missing, locate it and
reinstall it.
... I see printing on the right side of the page which is lighter or darker than the rest of
the print?
Although the printer automatically sets the head gap, it sometimes may need a minor
adjustment. To make this adjustment, enter the printer MENU (press SEL and SHIFT buttons
simultaneously) and change the setting for Printhead Gap Adjust under the Setup group as
follows:
1. Press GROUP button until Setup group prints.
2. Press ITEM button until Printhead Gap appears.
62 Problem Solving, Maintenance, Service

3. Press SEL button to change setting. The default setting is 0. If the printing is sometimes
lighter, change the setting to -1; if it’s sometimes darker, change it to +1.
4. Press SEL and SHIFT buttons simultaneously to exit MENU.
... the Alarm light is on and the Character Pitch 15 light is flashing?
This indicates a paper loading error. To stop the flashing light, press the SEL button. Before
trying to load paper in again, check to be sure that you have the paper lever in the correct
position (BOT, TOP, REAR) for the path you’re using.
Caution! Always turn the printer off before you turn the platen knob!
If the paper lever is in the correct position and you’re using rear feed, lift up the paper
separator and check to be sure that the paper is properly on the tractors and has not jammed
up somehow.
If the paper lever is in the correct position and you’re using the optional bottom-feed push
tractor, check the bottom tractor unit to be sure that the paper is properly on the tractors and
has not jammed up before entering the printer.
Once the paper is correctly loaded, press and release the SEL button, then hold the SHIFT
button and press the RESET (Character Pitch) button.
... I need to load paper, but the Alarm light is not on?
If the Alarm light is off, the printer thinks it has paper loaded. To correct this problem, press
and release the SEL button, then hold the SHIFT button and press the RESET (Character
Pitch) button. The Alarm light will come on and you’ll be able to load paper.
... my word processor files don’t print the way I have the MENU and front panel set?
Before sending a file to the printer, many word processors send either an “initialization
string” or an I-Prime signal to the printer.
The initialization string contains codes that reset the printer to a default set of features:
otherwise the printer might accidentally print using features set for a previous job.
These codes will override panel or MENU settings. To set your printer to ignore the
reset code, enter the printer MENU (hold SHIFT button while pressing SEL/MENU
button) and change the Reset Inhibit item (in the Set-Up group) to Yes. Please note that

while this will stop the reset code from resetting your printer, other codes in the initialization
string may still override the printer MENU and/or front panel settings.
The I-Prime signal is sent over the parallel interface (pin 31) and will automatically override
any settings you have made using the front panel buttons. To eliminate this problem, enter
the program MENU (hold SHIFT button while pressing SEL/ MENU button) and change
the I-Prime item (in the Parallel I/F group) to Invalid.
... the Print Quality and Character Pitch buttons on the front panel won’t work?
The Operator Panel Function item on the printer MENU can be used to disable these buttons.
If the printer is part of a customized system or if it is used by a number of people, the system
manager may have used this option to make sure the printer is always set properly.
... static electricity causes the paper to stick?
In cold, dry weather, static charges can build up on continuous-form paper. This can make
the paper cling to the paper separator. If you have this problem during high-volume printing
jobs, try moving the single sheet paper guides on the separator together so that the paper
rests on the guides rather than on the separator itself.
Maintenance
This section explains how to change ribbons, clear paper jams and clean your printer.
Replacing the Ribbon Cartridge
When replacing the ribbon, be sure to use only ribbons specifically for use with
MICROLINE 520/521 printers. For best results, use genuine OKI ribbons.
1. Turn printer off.
2. Disengage and swing open access cover.

Caution! Be careful not to touch the
printhead: it may be hot!
3. Slide ribbon cartridge along until it is

Center centered on platen, being careful not to
printhead touch printhead.
4. Swing front-end of cartridge up off

Swing printhead, then lift cartridge out and
front
end
discard it.
up to
remove
5. Remove new ribbon cartridge from its

packaging—do NOT remove clear
plastic ribbon shield!

6. Hold ribbon cartridge with knob facing
Plastic up and exposed portion of ribbon facing
shield platen. Place flat end on ribbon plate,
facing
platen fitting grooves over pins on plate.
7. Lower front end of cartridge over

printhead until it snaps into place. Turn
knob in direction of arrow (clockwise)
to take up any slack in ribbon.
Knob

Clearing Paper Jams
Caution! Always turn the printer off before you turn the platen knob!
Rear Feed Jams
To clear a rear-feed paper jam:
2. Turn platen knob to back paper out of printer. Remove any ripped pieces of paper.
3. Reload paper, turn printer back on and press FF/ LOAD button.
If your paper keeps jamming, the chances are excellent that you have bits of paper stuck in
the paper path. To eliminate this problem:
2. Use platen knob to back paper out of

printer.
3. Lift up paper separator.

Lift
paper
separator

4. Open tractors and remove paper from
printer.
Open tracstors
5. Open access cover and lift off pull-up

Remove roller assembly.
access
cover
6. Fold some single-sheet, continuous-feed
paper over three times to produce page
four sheets thick.
7. Load this quadruple-thick sheet onto

tractor pins and close tractor covers.
Quadruple-thick paper
8. Turn platen knob to draw quadruple-thick

paper around platen. This will bring
jammed pieces of paper up and out so
you can dispose of them.
9. Back quadruple-thick sheet out of printer

using platen knob.

10. Replace pull-up roller assembly.
Replace
roller 11. Reload regular paper (open tractor
assembly covers, place paper on pins, close tractor
covers).
12. Swing access cover and paper separator

Close paper
back into place.
separator
13. Turn printer on and press FF/LOAD
button.

Single Sheet Feed Jams
To remove jammed single sheets of paper (top feed):
1. Turn printer OFF.
2. Rotate platen knob to back paper out of

carriage.
3. If necessary, open access cover and lift

Lift off off pull-up roller assembly to provide
roller access to remove any ripped pieces from
assembly
around carriage.
Bottom Feed Jams
If bottom-feed paper jams:
1. Turn off printer and use platen knob to

back paper out carefully.

2. Be sure to remove any shreds of paper
Lift off from printer before reloading paper.
roller (Open access cover and lift off pull-up
assembly roller assembly to provide access to
carriage area.)
Cleaning the Housing
You should clean the printer every six months (or after about 300 hours of operation).
To do this:
1. Turn printer OFF and remove paper from

path.
2. Open access cover and remove pull-up

roller assembly.
3. Use clean, dry cloth to dust area around

Roller carriage shaft and platen. Be sure to
assembly remove any loose particles of paper.

4. Reinstall pull-up roller assembly and
close access cover.
➫ Never use solvents or strong detergents

on the cabinet—they could damage the
housing.
Accessories
You can add even more flexibility to your printer by means of the following optional
accessories.
Cut Sheet Feeder, Single-Bin
Mounts on the platen to provide continuous

single-sheet paper feed. The bin will hold up
to 100 sheets of standard, 20-lb paper. With
cable for connection to printer.

Push Tractor, Bottom-Feed
Converts printer for feeding continuous-form

paper from the bottom. Use of bottom feed
eliminates the curling which takes place as
rear-feed paper moves around the platen.
Bottom feed is ideal for card stock, thick
multi-part forms, labels which could peel off
and jam the unit if fed in from the rear, etc.
Includes tractor, support legs for printer, and

metal tear bar.
Pull Tractor, Top-Mount
Used for bottom-feed of labels or heavy card

stock, or in conjunction with the rear-feed
tractor to provide more precise paper control
when you’re using multipart forms. Includes
cover for installation in place of access cover.

Roll Paper Stand
Adapts Model 520 printer for use with roll-

type paper (not supplied). Not usable on
Model 521.
Includes stand and support. With cable for

connection to printer.
Serial Interface
Includes serial interface board and locking

piece for installation in printer next to
standard parallel interface. Without interface
cable.

Replacement Parts
Replacement Part
Access Cover, Model 520
Access Cover, Model 521
AC Cord
Pull-up Roller Assembly,
ML520
Pull-up Roller Assembly,
ML521
Platen Knob
Printhead
Ribbon, Black
Manual
Printer Manual
Maintenance Manual

Appendix A: Specifications
Print Method Impact dot matrix
Printhead 9 pins, 0.34 mm diameter, automatically
adjusting to paper thickness, with ther-
mal protection
Print Speed
Mode Characters per second at 10 Cpi
High Speed Draft (HSD) 433
Utility 325
Near Letter Quality (NLQ) 81
Characters per Line (CPL)
Setting ML520 ML521

10 cpi 80 cpl 136 cpl
17.1 cpi 137 cpl 233 cpl
77
Emulations
Epson FX, IBM Proprinter, OKI Microline
co-resident
Interface Standard: Centronics parallel

Optional: RS-232C serial
Graphics Resolution:
Epson/IBM Single Density: 144 × 240 dpi
Emulations Double Density: 120 × 144 dpi
Quadruple Density: 72 × 120 dpi
MICROLINE Single Density: 144 × 288 dpi
Emulation Double Density: 144 × 144 dpi
Quadruple Density: 72 × 72 dpi
Resident Fonts
Near Letter Quality Courier, Gothic
Utility Gothic
High Speed Draft Gothic
Bar Code: Code 39, UPC A, UPC E, EAN 8, EAN 13,
Interleaved 2 of 5, Code 128, Postnet
Receive Buffer Size 64K
Reliability
Mean Time Between 6000 hours at 25% duty cycle and 35%
Failures (MTBF) page density
Mean Time to Repair 15 minutes
(MTTR)
Printhead life 200 million characters average in 10 cpi
utility mode at 25% duty and 35% page
density
Ribbon Life (on average, 4 million characters
10 cpi utility)
78 Appendix A: Specifications
Paper Specifications
Width
Minimum 3"
Maximum Model 520: 10"
Model 521:16"
Weight 12 to 24 lb.
Thickness
Rear feed 0.014" (0.36 mm)
Bottom feed 0.017" (0.44 mm)
Paper type Feed Weight Width range

Cut sheets Top only 14 to 24 lb. ML520: 7.2" to 8.5"
ML521: 7.2" to 14.3"
Single-part Rear, Bottom 12 to 24 lb. ML520: 3" to 10"

continuous forms ML521: 3" to 16"
Carbonless, Rear, Bottom 9 to 11 lb. ML520: 3" to 10"

multipart ML521: 3" to 16"
continuous form
(orig. + 5 copies)
Interleaf, Rear, Bottom 10 to 12-lb. ML520: 3" to 10"

multipart paper, ML521: 3" to 16"
continuous forms 9-lb. carbon
(orig. + 5 copies)
Labels Bottom only N.A. ML520: 3" to 10"

ML521: 3" to 16"
Envelopes, Top 24 lb. max. 6.5" to 9.5"

single feed
Envelopes, Bottom only 24 lb. max. 6.5" to 9.5"

continuous feed,
non-overlap type
Card stock Bottom only 120 lb. max. N.A.
Transparencies Top only − 8.5" × 11"

Dimensions (W × D × H)
Model 520: 17 X 15 X 61/2 inches
(431× 380 × 166 mm)
Model 521: 23 × 15 × 61/2 inches
(585 × 380 × 166 mm)
Weight
Model 520: 17lb, 10oz. (8kg)
Model 521: 23lb. 2oz. (10.5kg)
Environmental Requirements
Operating Temperature: 41 to 104°F (5 to 40°C)
Storage Temperature: 14 to 122°F (-10 to +50°C)
Operating Humidity: 20 to 80% RH
Storage Humidity: 5 to 95% RH
Electrical requirements Also available for 230 (+6%,-10%)/240
(+10%) volts ac, 50/60 Hz (±2%)
Specifications subject to change without notice.
80 Appendix A: Specifications
Appendix B: Menu Selections
The menu selections for your printer are summarized below. Factory defaults are indicated
in bold face italic. Explanations for each item follow the table.
➫ The table below summarizes all possible menu settings available with your printer.
Which of these you will actually see when you are working in the Menu depends on
the active emulation and on the options installed.
Group Item Settings

Printer Control Emulation Mode IBM PPR, Epson FX, ML
Font Print Mode Utility, NLQ Courier, NLQ

Gothic, HSD
Pitch 10 cpi, 12 cpi, 15 cpi, 17.1 cpi, 20

cpi
Proportional No, Yes

spacing
Style Normal, Italics
Size Single, Double
Symbol Sets Character Set Set I, Set II
Language Set American, French, German, Brit-

ish, Danish I, Swedish, Italian,
Spanish 1, Japanese, Norwegian,
Danish II, Spanish II, Latin Amer-
ican, French Canadian, Dutch,
Publisher
Zero Character Slashed, Unslashed
Code Page USA, Canada French, Multilin-

gual, Portugal, Norway
81
Group Item Settings
Rear Feed Line Spacing 6 LPI, 8 LPI
Skip Over No, Yes

Perforation
Page Width* 13.6", 8"
Page Length 11", 112/3", 12", 14", 17", 3", 3.5",

4", 5.5", 6", 7", 8" 8.5"
Gap Control Auto Gap, Semi Auto Gap, 1, 2, 3,

4,5,6,7,8, 9
Bottom Feed Line Spacing 6 LPI, 8 LPI
Skip Over No, Yes

Perforation
Page Length 11", 112/3", 12", 14", 17", 3", 3.5",

4", 5.5", 6", 7", 8" 8.5"
Gap Control Auto Gap, Semi Auto Gap, 1, 2,3,

4,5,6,7,8, 9
Top Feed Line Spacing 6 LPI, 8 LPI
Page Length 11", 112/3", 12", 14", 17", 3", 3.5",

4", 5.5", 6", 7", 8" 85"

4,5,6,7,8,9
Wait Time 500 ms, 1 sec, 2 sec
82 Appendix B: Menu Selections

Group Item Settings
Set-Up Graphics Uni-directional, Bi-directional
7 or 8 Bit Graphics‡ 8, 7
Receive Buffer Size 64K, 1 Line, 32K
Paper Out Override No, Yes
Print Registration 0, 0.05 mm Left, 0.10 mm Left,

0.15 mm Left, 0.20 mm Left, 0.25
mm Left, 0.25 mm Right, 0.20 mm
Right, 0.15 mm Right, 0.10 mm
Right, 0.05 mm Right
Operator Panel Full Operation, Limited

Function Operation
Reset Inhibit No, Yes
Print Suppress Yes, No

Effective
Auto LF No, Yes
Auto CR† No, Yes
CSF Bin Select** Bin 1, Bin 2
Print DEL Cod‡ No, Yes
SI Select Pitch 17.1 CPI, 15 CPI

(10 CPI)†
SI Select Pitch 20 CPI, 12 CPI

(12 CPI)†
Time Out Print Valid, Invalid
Auto Select No, Yes
Printhead Gap 0,-1,+1

Adjust
Parallel I/F I-Prime Buffer Print, Buffer Clear, Invalid
Pin 18 +5V, Open
Auto Feed XT Invalid, Valid

Group Item Settings
Serial I/F§ Parity None, Odd, Even
Serial Data 7/8 Bits 8 Bits, 7 Bits
Protocol Ready/Busy, X-On/X-Off
Diagnostic Test No, Yes
Busy Line SSD-, SSD+, DTR, RTS
Baud Rate 19200 bps, 9600 bps, 4800 bps,

2400 bps, 1200 bps, 600 bps, 300
bps
DSR Signal Valid, Invalid
DTR Signal Ready on Power Up, Ready on

Select
Busy Time 200 ms, 1 sec.
CSF Bin 1** Line Spacing 6 LPI, 8 LPI
Page Length 11", 112/3", 12", 14", 17", 3.5", 4",

55", 6", 7", 8", 8.5"

4,5,6,7,8, 9
CSF Bin 2** Line Spacing 6 LPI, 8 LPI
Page Length 11", 112/3", 12", 14", 17", 3.5", 4",

5.5", 6", 7", 8", 8.5"
Gap Control Auto Gap, Semi Auto Gap, 1,2, 3,

4,5,6,7,8, 9
* Model 521 only

† Appears only when IBM Proprinter emulation is selected.
‡ Appears only when Microline emulation is selected.
앱 Appears only when Epson LQ emulation is selected.
** Appears only when optional Cut Sheet Feeder Accessory is installed.
§ Appears only when optional Serial Interface is installed.

Explanation of Menu Items
These explanations are in alphabetical sequence to make it easier to look them up. Many of
the items will appear only with optional equipment installed, as noted below. You will find
the items Line Spacing, Fom Tear-Off, Skip Over Perforation, Page Length, and Gap Control
appearing several times in the menu (once for each paper path).
7 or 8 Bit Graphics. Choose 8 (factory default) or 7 bits.
Auto CR. IBM mode only. No (factory default) or Yes. Choose Yes to make your printer
automatically perform a carriage return when a LF is received at the end of the line.
Auto LF. No (factory default) or Yes. Change to Yes if your printer overprints. Keep this set
to No if your software adds a line feed when a carriage return is received at the end of a line.
If your printout is consistently double spaced, set this item to No.
Auto Select. No (factory default) or Yes. Determines whether or not your printer will
automatically be selected after you load in paper. With the factory default (No) engaged, the
printer will be deselected so that you can set the Top of Form. If you always use the same
Top of Form setting, change this setting to Yes so that you don’t have to press the SEL
button to select the printer after loading paper.
Auto Feed XT. Epson mode only. Invalid (factory default) or Valid. In the Epson emulation,
the XT signal on pin 14 of the parallel interface can control automatic line feed. Some
interface cables are wired in such a way that automatic line feed is always in effect; the Auto
Feed XT item eliminates this potential problem. The factory setting causes the printer to
ignore this signal; if your system uses pin 14 to control automatic line feed, change the
setting to Valid.
Baud Rate. Appears only if optional Serial Interface is installed. Range from 19,200 to 300
bps: factory setting, 9600 bps. This item sets the transmission rate for the system.
Bottom Margin. Valid (factory default) or Invalid. Sets whether or not the printer will
ignore the bottom margin setting. Change the setting to Invalid if you want printer to ignore
the bottom margin setting. Be careful if you use this feature: it lets the printer continue
printing when there’s no more paper, which can cause loss of data and may damage the
printhead.

Busy Line. Appears only if optional Serial Interface is installed. SSD- (factory default),
SSD+, DTR, RTS. If Ready/ Busy protocol (factory default) is selected, you can choose
which line your system monitors for a busy signal:
SSD -9V, select SSD-
SSD +9V, select SSD+
DTR -9V, select DTR
RTS -9V, select RTS
Busy Time. Appears only if optional Serial Interface is installed. 200 ms (factory default) or
1 sec. Sets the length of the busy signal when the Ready/Busy protocol (factory default) is
engaged.
Character Set. Choose IBM Set I (factory default) or IBM Set II.
Code Page. Choose USA (factory default), Canada French, Multilingual, Portugal, Norway.
CSF Bin Select. Appears only if optional Dual-Bin Cut Sheet Feeder is installed. Choose
Bin 1 (factory default) or Bin 2.
Diagnostic Test. Appears only if optional Serial Interface is installed. No (factory default)
or Yes. Select Yes if you want to perform a diagnostic test of the serial interface.
DSR Signal. Applies only when optional Serial Interface is installed. Valid (factory default)
or Invalid. Used with Ready/ Busy protocol to select the way your system handles the DSR
Signal.
DTR Signal. Applies only when optional Serial Interface is installed. Ready on Power Up
(factory default) or Ready on Select. Change to Ready on Select if the DTR signal is required
when the printer is selected; leave as Ready on Power Up if DTR signal is required when
printer is turned on.
Emulation Mode. IBM PPR (factory default), Epson FX, or ML. Selects the printer command
set you want your printer to use: IBM Proprinter III, Epson FX, or OKI Microline.
Form Tear-Off. Off (factory default), 500ms, 1 sec, or 2 sec. Form Tear-Off advances the
paper to the perforation so that you can tear off a sheet of continuous-forms paper. You can
turn this feature off, or you can select a time interval for the printer to wait before advancing
the paper.
Gap Control. Auto Gap (factory default), Semi Auto Gap, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9. Determines
how the printhead gap is set. Auto Gap automatically determines paper thickness on first
page: for single-sheet feed, it will also recheck each succeeding page while a job is printing.
Semi Auto Gap is similar; but when single sheets are being used, it does not recheck

each page while printing. If you will be using the same paper all the time, you may prefer to
choose the appropriate fixed headgap setting and bypass the automatic headgap adjustment
altogether.
Graphics. Uni-directional (factory default) or bi-directional. Bi-directional graphics print
faster than uni-directional graphics, but uni-directional graphics have better print registration.
Bi-directional graphics printing can be optimized by adjusting the Print Registration setting
in the Menu.
I-Prime. Buffer Print (factory default), Buffer Clear, or Invalid. Determines how the printer
will react to the I-Prime signal from your software. With the factory default engaged, when
the printer receives the I-Prime signal, it will print out the contents of the buffer before
resetting. Change the setting to Buffer Clear if you wish the printer to dump the contents of
its buffer immediately upon receiving the I-Prime signal. Change to Invalid if you want the
printer to ignore your software’s I-Prime signal. This will permit you to enter settings through
the printer’s control panel which will not be automatically overridden by the software’s
settings when the I-Prime signal is sent.
Language Set. American (factory default), French, German, British, Danish I, Swedish,
Italian, Spanish I, Japanese, Norwegian, Danish II, Spanish II, Latin American, French
Canadian, Dutch, or Publisher. Replaces certain symbols with special characters used in
the respective foreign languages.
Line Spacing. 6 ipi (factory default) or 8 ipi. Choose 8 lines per inch for tighter line spacing,
to get more lines per page.
Operator Panel Function. Full Operation (factory default) or Limited Operation. Change
to Limited Operation to deactivate the PRINT QUALITY and CHARACTER PITCH buttons
on the control panel. Then you can control these features only through your software. This
can be useful when several people are using the printer and you don’t want its settings
changed.
Important! This feature also prevents access to the Menu. To access the Menu, turn the
printer off, then hold down the SEL key while turning on the printer.
Page Length. 11" (factory default), 112 / 3", 12", 14", 17", 3", 3.5", 4", 5.5", 6", 7", 8", 8.5".
Selects the length of the paper you’ll be using in your printer. This enables the printer to
keep track of the initial printing position on each page (Top of Form).
Page Width. Appears in Menu for wide-carriage model only. Choose a page width of 13.6"
(factory default) or 8".
Paper Out Override. No (factory default) or Yes. The paper out detector senses when less
than an inch of paper remains in the printer and stops printing at that point. Changing this
setting to Yes overrides the detector so you can print closer to the bottom of the page if

you’re using single sheets. Be careful if you use this feature: it lets the printer continue
printing when there’s no more paper, which can cause loss of data and may damage the
printhead.
Parity. Appears only if optional Serial Interface is installed. None (factory default), Odd, or
Even. Selects the type of parity your system uses.
Pin 18. +5V (factory default) or Open. Sets the signal on pin 18,
Pitch. 10 cpi (factory default), 12 cpi, 15 cpi, 17.1 cpi, or 20 cpi. Selects the character width
measured in characters per inch (cpi).
Print DEL Code. Microline mode only. Choose No (factory default) or Yes.
Print Mode. Utility (factory default), NLQ Courier, NLQ Gothic, HSD. Choose one of the
NLQ fonts for letter quality printing; choose utility for higher-speed draft printing; choose
HSD for highest-speed draft printing (lowest quality).
Print Registration. 0 (factory default), 0.05 mm Left, 0.10 mm Left, 0.15 mm Left, 0.20
mm Left, 0.25 mm Left, 0.25 mm Right, 0.20 mm Right, 0.15 mm Right, 0.10 mm Right, or
0.05 mm Right. Change the setting as required to obtain the best registration for bi-directional
printing.
Print Suppress Effective. Yes (factory default) or No. Enables/ disables print suppress
command. The factory default enables the print suppress command: the printer will ignore
all data it receives after it accepts the print suppress command. Change to No to cause your
printer to ignore the print suppress command.
Printhead Gap Adjust. 0 (factory default), -1, or +1. Fine tunes the automatic setting of the
printhead gap. If your printer is consistently printing lighter than you would like, change the
setting to -1. If your printer is consistently printing darker than you would like, change the
setting to +1.
Proportional Spacing. No (factory default) or Yes. Change to Yes to engage proportional
spacing of characters.
Protocol. Appears only if optional Serial Interface is installed. Selects the type of protocol
your system uses: Ready/ Busy (factory default) or X-On/ X-Off.
Receive Buffer Size. 64K (factory default), 1 Line, or 32K. Selects the amount of memory
devoted to holding received data. Choosing 1 line will tie up your computer during printing,
but if you abort the print job the printer will stop printing much sooner.
Reset Inhibit. No (factory default) or Yes. Change to Yes if you want your printer to ignore
the reset command sent by software. This will prevent your software reset command from

changing the settings you have made through the front panel controls or through printer
commands. If you engage this feature, don’t forget that it will also prevent your software
from clearing out existing settings when you finish printing one document and switch to
another.
Serial Data 7/8 Bits. Appears only if optional Serial Interface is installed. 8 Bits (factory
default) or 7 Bits. Change to 7 bits if your system uses a 7-bit data format.
SI Select Pitch (10 CPI). IBM mode only. 17.1 CPI (factory default) or 15 CPI. Sets what
pitch (17.1 or 15 characters per inch) will be engaged when the printer control panel is set
for 10 cpi and the SI command is received.
SI Select Pitch (12 CPI). IBM mode only. 20 CPI (factory default) or 12 CPI. Sets what
pitch (20 or 12 characters per inch) will be engaged when the printer control panel is set for
12 cpi and the SI command is received.
Size. Choose Single (factory default) or Double width and height printing.
Skip Over Perforation. No (factory default) or Yes. Change to Yes if you want the printer to
advance automatically to the next page when it comes within one inch of the bottom of the
page. If your software has its own page formatting controls, keep this item set to No to avoid
interference.
Style. Choose Normal (factory default) or italics.
Time Out Print. Valid (factory default) or Invalid. When printing, if the printer doesn’t
receive any data, a line feed, or a form feed signal for awhile, it will automatically dump out
what’s in the print buffer. If your software spends a long time processing between feeding
portions of data to the printer, you should change the setting to Invalid to keep your printer
from inadvertently dumping the received data while it’s waiting for more.
Wait Time. 500 ms, 1 sec (factory default), or 2 sec. Sets the amount of time the printer will
wait for more data before jumping from the print position up to the form tear off position.
Zero Character. Slashed (factory default) or Unslashed. The factory default will cause a
slash to appear in zeros to distinguish them from the capital letter 0. To disengage the slashed
zero, change this to Unslashed.

Appendix C: Printer Commands
This appendix contains a listing of the printer commands for the IBM proprinter, Epson FX,
and OKI MICROLINE emulations, grouped by function.
IBM Proprinter Printer Commands
IBM Function ASCII Code Decimal Code Hexadecimal Code

Bar Code Commands
Select BarCode Type ESC DLE A m n1 ... 27 16 65 m n1 ... n8 1B 10 41 m n1 ... n8
and Size n8
Print Bar Code Data ESC DLE B m n 27 16 66 m n 1B 10 42 m n [data]

[data] [data]
Print Postnet Bar Code ESC DLE C n [data] 27 16 67 n [data] 1B 10 43 n [data]

Data
Character Sets
Select IBM Character Set I ESC 7 27 55 1B 37
Select IBM Character ESC 6 27 54 1B 36

Set II
Print from IBM Character ESC \ Ln Hn 27 92 Ln Hn 1B 5C Ln Hn

Set III
Print One Character from ESC ^ n 27 94 n 1B 5E n

IBM Character Set III
Select International ESC ! n 27 33 n 1B 21 n

Character Set†
91
Select Code Page ESC [ T Ln Hn 0 0 27 91 84 Ln Hn 0 0 lB 5B 54 Ln Hn 0 0
Hcp Lcp 0 Hcp Lcp 0 Hcp Lcp 0
Character Size/Spacing
Select 10 cpi Pitch DC2 18 12
Select 12 cpi Pitch ESC: 27 58 1B 3A
Select 15 cpi Pitch† ESC g 27 103 1B 67
Select 20 cpi Pitch† ESC Sl 27 15 1B 0F
Set Compressed Pitch SI 15 0F
Superscript Printing On ESC S 1 27 83 1 1B 53 01
Subscript Printing On ESC S 0 27 83 0 1B 53 00
Superscript/ Subscript ESC T 27 84 1B 54

Printing Off
Start Double Width SO 14 0E

Printing Line by Line
End Double Width DC4 20 14

Double Width Printing ESC W 1 27 87 1 1B 57 1

On

Off
Double Width and/or ESC [ @ Ln Hn 27 91 64 Ln Hn 1B 5B 40 Ln Hn

Height Printing On m1... mk m1... mk m1... mk
Proportional Spacing On ESC P1 27 80 1 1B 50 01
Proportional Spacing Off ESC P0 27 80 0 1B 50 00
Set Intercharacter ESC V n 27 86 n 1B 56 n

Spacingf
92 Appndix C: Printer Commands

Character Style
HSD Print Mode On ESC # 0 27 35 48 1B 23 30
Select Font ESC I n 27 73 n 1B 49 n
Italics On ESC % G 27 37 71 1B 25 47
Italics Off ESC % H 27 37 72 1B 25 48
Emphasized Printing On ESC E 27 69 1B 45
Emphasized Printing Off ESC F 27 70 1B 46
Enhanced Printing On ESC G 27 71 1B 47
Enhanced Printing Off ESC H 27 72 1B 48
Underline On ESC - 1 27 45 1 1B 2D 01
Underline Off ESC - 0 27 45 0 1B 2D 00
Overscore On ESC _ 1 27 95 1 1B 5F 01
Overscore Off ESC _ 0 27 95 0 1B 5F 00
Custom Characters
Down Line Load ESC = c1 c2 m n a1 27 61 c1 c2 m n a1 1B 3D c1 c2 m n a1

Characters a2 d1... dk a2 d1... dk a2 d1... dk
Copy ROM Character Set ESC $ 27 36 1B 24

to RAM Character Set†
Cut Sheet Feeder Control
Insert/ Eject Paperf ESC EM n 27 25 n 1B 19 n
Graphics
Single Density Graphics ESC K Ln Hn [data] 27 75 Ln Hn [data] 1B 4B Ln Hn [data]
Double Density Graphics ESC L Ln Hn [data] 27 76 Ln Hn [data] 1B 4C Ln Hn [data]
Double Speed/ Double ESC Y Ln Hn [data] 27 89 Ln Hn [data] 1B 59 Ln Hn [data]

Density Graphics
Quadruple Density ESC Z Ln Hn [data] 27 90 Ln Hn [data] 1B 5A Ln Hn [data]

Graphics

Horizontal Control
Backspace BS 8 08
Carriage Return CR 13 0D
Margin Setting, Left & ESC X n m 27 88 n m 1B 58 n m

Right
Horizontal Tab HT 9 09
SetHorizontal Tab ESC D n1 n2... nk 0 27 68 n1 n2... nk 0 1B 44 n1 n2... nk 0
Clear Horizontal Tab ESC D 0 0 27 68 0 0 1B 44 00 00

Settings
Set 4-column Tabulation† ESC % B n1 n2 n3 n4 27 37 66 n1 n2 n3 n4 1B 25 42 n1 n2 n3 n4
Set Print Position† ESC DLE @ Pn A1 A2 27 16 64 Pn A1 A2 1B 10 40 Pn A1 A2 P1

P1 P2 P3 P4 P1 P2 P3 P4 P2 P3 P4
Set Relative Dot Position† ESC | Ln Hn 27 124 Ln Hn 1B 7C Ln Hn
Uni-directional Print On ESC U 1 27 85 1 1B 55 01
Uni-directional Print Off ESC U 0 27 85 0 1B 55 00
Vertical Control
Page Length, Set in n ESC C 0 n 27 67 0 n 1B 43 00 n

Inches
Page Length, Set in Lines ESC C n 27 67 n 1B 43 n
Skip Over Perforation On ESC N n 27 78 n 1B 4E n
Skip Over Perforation Off ESC 0 27 79 1B 4F
Set Top of Form at ESC 4 27 52 1B 34

Current Position
Form Feed FF 12 0C
Line Feed LF 10 0A
Perform n/216" Line Feed ESC J n 27 74 n 1B 4A n
Perform n/144" Line Feedt ESC % 5 n 27 37 53 n 1B 25 35 n
Auto Line Feed On ESC 5 1 27 53 1 1B 35 01

Auto Line Feed OFF ESC 5 0 27 53 0 1B 35 00
Reverse Line Feed ESC ] 27 93 1B 5D
Set Line Spacing to 7/72" ESC 1 27 49 1B 31
Set Line Spacing to n/216" ESC 3 n 27 51 n 1B 33 n
Set Line Spacing to n/144"† ESC % 9 n 27 37 57 n 1B 25 39 n
Set Line Spacing to n/72" ESC A n 27 65 n 1B 41 n
Perform Line Feed Set by ESC 2 27 50 1B 32

ESC A n Command
Vertical Tab VT 11 0B
Set Vertical Tab ESC B n1 n2 ... nk 0 27 66 n1 n2 ... nk 0 1B 42 n1 n2 ... nk 0
Reset Vertical Tab to ESC R 27 82 1B 52

Defaults
Miscellaneous
Cancel CAN 24 18
Change Emulation† ESC { n 27 123 n 1B 7B n
Paper-Out Sensor On ESC 8 27 56 1B 38
Paper-Out Sensor Off ESC 9 27 57 1B 39
Print Suppress Mode On, ESC Q STX 27 81 2 1B 51 02

Model 520
Print Suppress Mode On, ESC Q SYN 27 81 22 1B 51 16

Model 521
Print Suppress Mode Off DC1 17 11
(either Model)
Set Initial Conditions ESC [ K Ln Hn 27 91 75 Ln Hn lB 5B 4B Ln Hn
Init Id a1 a2 Init Id a1 a2 Init Id a1 a2

Software I-Prime† ESC } 0 27 125 0 1B 7D 00
Stop Printing ESC j 27 106
†OKI-Unique command
Epson FX Printer Commands

Epson Function ASCII Code Decimal Code Hexadecimal Code
Bar Code Commands
Select Bar Code Type and ESC DLE A m n1 ... 27 16 65 m n1 ... n8 1B 10 41 m n1 ... n8
Size† n8
Print Bar Code Data† ESC DLE B m n 27 16 66 m n 1B 10 42 m n [data]

[data] [data]
Print Postnet Bar Code ESC DLE C n [data] 27 16 67 n [data] 1B 10 43 n [data]

Data†
Character Sets
Select International ESC R n 27 82 n 1B 52 n

Character Set
Select Epson Character ESC t n 27 116 n 1B 74 n

Set
Permit Printing of Upper ESC 6 27 54 1B 36

Range Control Codes or ESC I 1 or 27 73 1 or 1B 49 01
Cancel Printing of Upper ESC 7 27 55 1B 37

Range Control Codes or ESC I 0 or 27 73 0 or 1B 49 00

Select 10 cpi Pitch ESC P 27 80 1B 50
Select 12 cpi Pitch ESC M 27 77 1B 4D
Select 15 cpi Pitch ESC g 27 103 1B 67
Select 20 cpi Pitch ESC SI 27 15 1B 0F
Cancel 20 cpi Pitch DC2 18 12
Set Compressed Pitch SI 15 0F
Superscript Printing On ESC S 1 27 83 1 1B 53 01
Subscript Printing On ESC S 0 27 83 0 1B 53 00
Superscript/ Subscript ESC T 27 84 1B 54

Printing Off
Begin Double Width ESC SO 27 14 1B 0E

End Double Width DC4 20 14


On

Off
Double Height Printing ESC w n 27 119 n 1B 77 n

On
Proportional Spacing On ESC p 1 27 112 1 1B 70 01
Proportional Spacing Off ESC p 0 27 112 0 1B 70 00
Set Intercharacter Spacing ESC SP n 27 32 n 1B 20 n
Character Style
Select HSD Print Mode† ESC ( n 27 40 n 1B 28 n
Select Utility Print Mode ESC x 0 27 12 00 1B 78 00
Select NLQ Print Mode ESC k n 27 107 n 1B 6B n

Composite Command ESC ! n 27 33 n 1B 21 n
Italics On ESC 4 27 52 1B 34
Italics Off ESC 5 27 53 1B 35
Emphasized Printing On ESC E 27 69 1B 45
Emphasized Printing Off ESC F 27 70 1B 46
Enhanced Printing On ESC G 27 71 1B 47
Enhanced Printing Off ESC H 27 72 1B 48
Underline On ESC - 1 27 45 1 1B 2D 01
Underline Off ESC - 0 27 45 0 1B 2D 00
Custom Characters
Down Line Load Custom ESC & 0 n1 n2 a 27 38 0 n1 n2 a 1B 26 00 n1 n2 a

Characters [data] [data] [data]
Copy ROM Character Set ESC: 0 n 0 27 58 0 n 0 1B 3A 0 n 0

to RAM Character Set
Custom Character Set On ESC % 0 27 37 0 1B 25 00
Custom Character Set Off ESC % 1 27 37 1 1B 25 01
Insert / Eject Paper ESC EM n 27 25 n 1B 19 n
Graphics
Single Density Graphics ESC K Ln Hn [data] 27 75 Ln Hn [data] 1B 4B Ln Hn [data]
Double Density Graphics ESC L Ln Hn [data] 27 76 Ln Hn [data] 1B 4C Ln Hn [data]
Double Speed/ Double ESC Y Ln Hn [data] 27 89 Ln Hn [data] 1B 59 Ln Hn [data]

Density Graphics
Quadruple Density ESC Z Ln Hn [data] 27 90 Ln Hn [data] 1B 5A Ln Hn [data]

Graphics
Graphics Select/ Print ESC * m Ln Hn 27 42 m Ln Hn 1B 2A m Ln Hn

[data] [data] [data]
Reassign Graphics ESC ? m n 27 63 m n 1B 3F m n

Select 9-pin Graphics ESC ^ m Ln Hn 27 94 m Ln Hn 1B 5E m Ln Hn [data]
Printing [data] [data]
Horizontal Control
Backspace BS 8 08
Margin Setting, Left ESC l n 27 108 n 1B 6C n
Margin Setting, Right ESC Q n 27 81 n 1B 51 n
Set Horizontal Tab ESC D n1 n2 ... nk 0 27 68 n1 n2 ... nk 0 1B 44 n1 n2 ... nk 00
Clear Horizontal Tab ESC D 0 0 27 68 0 0 1B 44 00 00

Settings
Set Print Position ESC DLE @ Pn A1 27 16 64 Pn A1 1B 10 40 Pn A1

A2 P1 P2 P3 P4 A2 P1 P2 P3 P4 A2 P1 P2 P3 P4
Set Absolute Dot Position ESC $ Ln Hn 27 36 Ln Hn 1B 24 Ln Hn
Set Relative Dot Position ESC \ Ln Hn 27 92 Ln Hn 1B 5C Ln Hn
Uni-directional Print On ESC U 1 27 85 1 1B 55 01
Uni-directional Print Off ESC U 0 27 85 0 1B 55 00
Print Uni-directional for ESC < 27 60 1B 3C

One Line
Vertical Control
Page Length, Set in n ESC C 0 n 27 67 0 n 1B 43 00 n

Inches
Page Length, Set in Lines ESC C n 27 67 n 1B 43 n
Skip Over Perforation Set ESC N n 27 78 n 1B 4E n
Skip Over Perforation ESC O 27 79 1B 4F

Reset to Default
Form Feed FF 12 0C
Line Feed LF 10 0A

Epson Function Ascii Code Decimal Code Hexadecimal Code
Perform n/216" Line Feed ESC J n 27 74 n 1B 4A n
Perform n/114" Line Feed† ESC % 5 n 27 37 53 n 1B 25 35 n

n/216" Reverse Line Feed ESC j n 27 106 n 1B 6A n
Set Line Spacing to n/72" ESC A n 27 65 n 1B 41 n
Set Line Spacing to n/144"† ESC % 9 n 27 37 57 n 1B 25 39 n
Set Line Spacing to n/216" ESC 3 n 27 51 n 1B 33 n
Set Vertical Tab Stops ESC B n1 n2 ... nk 0 27 66 n1 n2 ... nk 0 1B 42 n1 n2 ... nk 00
Reset Vertical Tab to ESC B 0 27 66 0 1B 42 00
Defaults
Set Vertical Format Unit ESC b m n1 27 98 m n1 1B 62 m n1 n2 ... nk 0
(VFU) n2 ... nk 0 n2 ... nk 0
Set Vertical Tab Channel ESC / n 27 47 n 1B 2F n
Miscellaneous
Cancel CAN 24 18
Change Emulation† ESC { n 27 123 n 1B 7B n

Delete One Character DEL 127 7F
Initialize Printer ESC @ 27 64 1B 40

Half-Speed Printing On ESC s 1 27 115 1 1B 73 0
Half-Speed Printing Off ESC s 0 27 115 0 1B 73 00
Paper-Out Sensor On† ESC 9 27 57 1B 39
Paper-Out Sensor Off† ESC 8 27 56 1B 38
Print Suppress Mode On DC3 19 13

Epson Function Ascii Code Decimal Code Hexadecimal Code
Set Most Significant Bit to ESC = 27 61 1B 3D

Zero
Set Most Significant Bit to ESC > 27 62 1B 3E
One
Cancel Most Significant ESC # 27 35 1B 23

Bit Control
Software I-Primet ESC } 10 27 12 50 1B 7D 00
Justification
Left Justification ESC a 0 27 97 0 1B 61 00
Center Justification ESC a 1 27 97 1 1B 61 01
Right Justification ESC a 2 27 97 2 1B 61 02
Within Line Justification ESC a 3 27 97 3 1B 61 03
†OKI-Unique command
OKIDATA Microline (ML) Printer Commands

Microline Function ASCII Code Decimal Code Hexadecimal Code
Bar Code Commands
Select Bar Code Type and ESC DLE A m n1 ... 271665 m n1 ... n8 lB 1041 m n1 ... n8
Size n8
Print Bar Code Data ESC DLE B n [data] 27 16 66 n [data] lB 10 42 n [data]
Print Postnet Bar Code ESC DLE C n [data] 27 16 67 n [data] lB 10 43 n [data]

Data
Character Sets
Select Standard Character ESC ! 0 27 33 48 1B 21 30

Set
Select Line Character Set ESC ! 2 27 33 50 1B 21 32

(comparable to IBM Set II)
Select International ESC ! n 27 33 n 1B 21 n

Character Set

Select Code Page ESC [ T Ln Hn 0 0 27 91 84 Ln Hn0 0 1B 5B 54 Ln Hn 0 0

Hcp Lcp 0 Hcp Lcp 0 Hcp Lcp 0
Select 10 cpi Pitch RS 30 1E
Select 12 cpi Pitch FS 28 1C
Select 15 cpi Pitch ESC g 27 103 1B 67
Select 17.1 cpi Pitch GS 29 1D
Select 20 cpi Pitch ESC # 3 27 35 51 1B 23 33
Superscript Printing On ESC J 27 74 1B 4A
Superscript Printing Off ESC K 27 75 1B 4B
Subscript Printing On ESC L 27 76 1B 4C
Subscript Printing Off ESC M 27 77 1B 4D
Double Width Printing us 31 1F
Double Height Printing ESC US 1 27 31 49 1B 1F 31

On
Double Height Printing ESC US 0 27 31 48 1B 1F 30

Off
Select Print Mode ESC & n1 n2 n3 n4 : 27 38 n1 n2 n3 n4 58 1B 26 n1 n2 n3 n4 3A
Proportional Spacing On ESC Y 27 89 1B 59
Proportional Spacing Off ESC Z 27 90 1B 5A

Set Intercharacter Spacing ESC N n 27 78 n 1B 4E n
Character Style
HSD Print Mode On ESC # 0 27 35 48 1B 23 30
Select Utility Print Mode ESC 0 27 48 1B 30
Select NLQ Courier Font ESC 1 27 49 1B 31

Select NLQ Gothic Font ESC 3 27 51 1B 33
Italics On ESC ! / 27 33 47 1B 21 2F
Italics Off ESC ! * 27 33 42 1B 21 2A
Emphasized Printing On ESC T 27 84 1B 54
Enhanced Printing On ESC H 27 72 1B 48
Emphasized and ESC I 27 73 1B 49

Enhanced Printing Off
Underline On ESC C 27 67 1B 43
Underline Off ESC D 27 68 1B 44
Custom Characters
Copy ROM Character Set ESC $ 27 36 1B 24

to RAM Character Set
Download Custom ESC % A m n1 ... n11 27 37 65 m n1 ... 1B 25 41 m n1 ... n11

Ascender Characters n11
Download Custom ESC % D m n1 ... n11 27 37 68 m n1 ... 1B 25 44 m n1 ... n11

Descender Characters n11
Select DLL Utility ESC 2 27 50 1B 32

Character Font
Select Down Line Load ESC 7 27 55 1B 37

NLQ Character Font
Cut Sheet Feeder Insert ESC S 27 83 1B 53

Sheet
Cut Sheet Feeder Sheet ESC V 27 86 1B 56

Eject
Cut Sheet Feeder Bin 1 or ESC EM n 27 25 n 1B 19 n

Bin 2 Selection
Graphics
Single Density Graphics ESC P 27 80 1B 50

or ESC Q or 27 81 or 1B 51

Double Density Graphics ESC R 27 82 1B 52
Double Speed/ ESC # Q 27 35 81 1B 23 51

Quadruple Density
Graphics
Graphics Mode Selection ESC * n1 n2 : 27 42 n1 n2 58 1B 2A n1 n2 3A
Graphics Print Mode ETX 3 03

Selection
Horizontal Control
Backspace BS 8 08
Margin Setting, Left ESC % C n1 n2 n3 27 37 67 n1 n2 n3 1B 25 43 n1 n2 n3
Margin Setting, Right ESC % R n1 n2 n3 n4 27 37 82 n1 n2 n3 n4 1B 25 52 n1 n2 n3 n4
Move to the Left ESC % F n1 n2 n3 n4 27 37 70 n1 n2 n3 n4 1B 25 46 n1 n2 n3 n4
Move to the Right ESC % F n1 n2 n3 n4 27 37 69 n1 n2 n3 n4 1B 25 45 n1 n2 n3 n4
Set Print Position ESC % B n1 n2 n3 n4 27 37 66 n1 n2 n3 n4 1B 25 42 n1 n2 n3 n4
Set Multiple Print ESC DEL @ Pn a1 a2 27 16 64 Pn a1 a2 1B 10 40 Pn a1 a2

Positions P 1 P2 P3 P4 P1 P2 P3 P4 P1 P2 P3 P4
Set Horizontal Tab by ESC HTX x y z Pn 27 9 x y z 13 1B 09 x y z 0D

Characters CR
Set Horizontal Tab by Dot ESC ETX x y z w 27 3 x y z w 13 1B 03 x y z w 0D

Columns CR
Clear Horizontal Tab ESC HT CR 27 9 13 1B 09 0D

Settings
Uni-directional Printing ESC - 27 45 1B 2D

On
Uni-directional Printing ESC = 27 61 1B 3D

Off

Vertical Control
Page Length, Set in 1/2" ESC G Hn Ln 2771 Hn Ln 1B 47 Hn Ln

Increments
Page Length, Set in Lines ESC F Hn Ln 27 70 Hn Ln 1B 46 Hn Ln
Skip Over Perforation On ESC % S n 27 37 83 n 1B 25 53 n
Skip Over Perforation Off ESC % S 0 27 37 83 0 1B 25 53 00
Set Top of Form ESC 5 27 53 1B 35
Form Feed FF 12 0C
Skip Down Selected ESC VT Hn Ln 27 11 Hn Ln lB OB Hn Ln

Number of Lines
Line Feed (with Carriage LF 10 0A

Return)
Line Feed (without ESC DC2 27 18 1B 12

Carriage Return)
Carriage Return/ Line ESC ? n: 25 63 n 58 1B 3F n 3A

Feed Selection Command
Perform n/144" Line Feed ESC % 5 n 27 37 53 n 1B 25 35 n
Reverse Line Feed ESC LF 27 10 1B 0A
Set Line Spacing to n/144" ESC % 9 n 27 37 57 n 1B 25 39 n
Execute VFU Vertical Tab VT n 11 n 0B n
Set Vertical Tab Channels DC4 SP...SP n 20 32...32 n 32...32 14 20...20 n 20...20 3F
SP...SP? 63

Miscellaneous
Cancel CAN 24 18
Initialize Printer ESC CAN 27 24 1B 18
Half-Speed Printing On ESC < 27 60 1B 3C
Half-Speed Printing Off ESC > 27 62 1B 3E
Change Emulation ESC { n 27 123 n 1B 7B n
Paper-Out Sensor On ESC E 0 27 69 0 1B 45 00
Paper-Out Sensor Off ESC E 1 27 69 1 1B 45 01
Print Suppress Mode On DC3 19 13
Software I-Prime ESC } 0 27 125 0 lB 7D 00

Appendix D: ASCII Character Codes
Lower ASCII Character Sets
107
Lower ASCII Character Sets (continued)
108 Appendix D: ASCII Character Codes



Upper ASCII Character Sets

Upper ASCII Character Sets (continued)



Epson International Character Substitutions

IBM International Character Substitutions

MICROLINE International Character Substitutions

Code Page Character Sets
The characters in the lower ASCII range (hexadecimal 00 through 7F, decimal 0 through 127)
are the same as IBM Set 3. The characters for the upper ASCII range are given in the tables
below.

Code Page Character Sets (continued)



Appendix E: Interface Pin Assignments
This appendix gives the pin assignments for the parallel interface and the serial interface.
Pin Assignments for Parallel Interface Signals.
Pin Signal Return Pin Direction

1 Strobe 19 To Printer
2 Data 1 20 To Printer
10 Acknowledge 28 From Printer
11 Busy 29 From Printer
12 Paper end 30 From Printer
13 Select No Return From Printer
14+ Autofeed To Printer
15 Not used
16 0V No Return Signal Ground
17 Chassis Ground No Return Frame Ground
18+ +5V* From Printer
19-30 0V Ground
31+ I-Prime To Printer
32 Fault From Printer
33 0V Signal Ground
34-36 Not Used
+ Pins controlled by jumper plugs in the printer.
* 50 mA maximum
123
Pin Assignments for Serial Interface Signals
Pin Signal Symbol Direction

1 Protective PG
Ground
2 Transmitted Data TD From Printer
3 Received Data RD To Printer
4 Request to Send RTS From Printer
5 Not used
6 Data Set Ready DSR To Printer
7 Signal Ground SG
8-10 Not Used
11 Supervisory Send SSD From Printer
Data
12-19 Not Used
20 Data Terminal DTR From Printer
Ready
21-25 Not Used
124 Appendix E: Interface Pin Assignments

Commonly Used Serial Cable Configurations
IBM 25-Pin Cable Configuration
Computer Printer
PG 1 1 PG
TD 2 3 RD
RD 3 2 TD
CTS 5 11 SSD
DSR 6 20 DTR
6 DSR
SG 7 7 SG
4 RTS
5 CTS
IBM 9-Pin Cable Configuration
Computer Printer
RD 2 2 TD
TD 3 3 RD
SG 5 7 SG
DSR 6 20 DTR
6 DSR
CTS 8 11 SSD
4 RTS
5 CTS

4-11-22 Shibaura, Minato-ku,
Tel : (81) 3 5445 6158
Fax: (81) 3 5445 6189
www.okidata.co.jp
Oki Data (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

78 Shenton Way, #09-01,
Singapore 079120
Tel : (65) 6221 3722
Fax: (65) 6421 1688
www.okidata.com.sg
Oki Systems (Thailand) Ltd.

956 Udomvidhya Building,
6th Floor, Rama IV Rd.,
Bangkok 10500, Thailand
Tel : (662) 636 2535
Fax: (662) 636 2536
www.okisysthai.com
Oki Hong Kong Limited

Suite 1909, Tower3,
China Hong Kong City,
33 Canton Rd., Tsimshatsui,
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel : (852) 2736 0130
Fax: (852) 2376 3725
The IPL Group

63-85 Victoria Street,
Beaconsfield NSW 2015, Australia
Tel : (61) 2 9690 8200
Fax: (61) 2 9690 8300
www.oki.com.au
Comworth Systems Ltd.

10 Constellation Drive Mairangi Bay,
Auckland, New Zealand
Tel : (64) 9 477 0500
Fax: (64) 9 477 0549
www.comworth.co.nz
add.p65 1 02.3.19, 10:19 AM

K DIC635
MICROLINE ML520/521
MICROLINE
ML520/521
Printer Handbook

4-11-22, Shibaura, Minato-ku,
Tel : +81-3-5445-6158
Fax : +81-3-5445-6189
Printer Handbook
40767301

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K DIC635

Oki Data Corporation

The power cord or plug is frayed or damaged.

Chapter 1: Installation .................................................................................................... 3

Chapter 2: Loading Paper .............................................................................................. 9

Chapter 3: Operation ..................................................................................................... 33

Chapter 4: Working with Software ............................................................................. 57

Chapter 5: Problem Solving, Maintenance & Service ................................................ 61

Appendix A: Specifications ........................................................................................... 77

Appendix B: Menu Selections ....................................................................................... 81

Appendix C: Printer Commands .................................................................................. 91

Appendix D: ASCII Character Codes ........................................................................ 107

This innovative “smart” printhead combined with multiple paper paths

• top (with or without optional Cut Sheet Feeder)

• bottom (with optional push and/or pull tractor kits installed)

• Chapter 5 (Problem Solving/Maintenance/Service) gives helpful hints on how to solve

• Appendices A through E contain a variety of reference material, including

➫ Interface cable and paper are sold

Removing Protective Film

1. Peel protective plastic film from carriage

3. Peel protective plastic film from access

Removing Shipping Retainers

1. Open access cover by grasping tabs at

3. Grasp front edge of paper separator (near

Installing Ribbon Cartridge

Important! Leave the clear plastic ribbon

ML520/521 Printer Handbook 5

4. Lower front of cartridge over printhead

Important! Be sure to use only ribbons

1. Make sure both printer and computer are

2. Locate interface port on back of printer.

3. Plug parallel interface cable into port and

ML520/521 Printer Handbook 7

1. Make sure both printer and computer are

2. Plug power cord into back of printer.

3. Turn printer on. Printhead will cross back

You’re now ready to load paperproceed to

• Single sheets (basis weight 14 to 24 ibs)

• Transparencies (8.5 × 11")

Rear feed (continuous forms only, thickness to 0.014" [0.36 mm])

• Single-part continuous forms

• Interleaf, multi-part forms (with carbon paper)

Bottom feed (continuous forms only, thickness to 0.017" [0.44 mm])

• Single-part continuous forms

• Carbonless, multi-part forms

• Interleaf, multi-part forms (with carbon paper)

• Card stock: papers up to 120 lb maximum

To load in single sheets of paper:

1. Make sure printer is turned ON and

➫ The ALARM light will remain on until

2. Move paper lever to position marked

ML520/521 Printer Handbook 11

4. Adjust paper feed guides for width of

➫ If the sheet of paper doesn’t feed in

6. If desired, change TOF setting using

➫ The printer must be deselected (SEL

7. Press SEL button (SEL light will come

ML520/521 Printer Handbook 13

To load continuous-form paper from the rear: