Using the "device.command_override" feature to disable accidental remote configuration

Topic or Information

Using the device.command_override Set/Get/Do command to disable response to specified ZPL commands

Applies To

Details

device.command_override details Read More>>

A new group of Set/Get/Do (SGD) commands were added to the printer firmware that allows a user to disable or ignore  specific ZPL-SetGet/Do commands from a remote device and thereby prevent unwanted reconfiguration of a printer. Many applications and drivers send these unnecessary ZPL configuration commands that can disrupt successful printing and require user intervention.  These configuration commands are created by the driver or application generating the ZPL required to print your label and if the configurations do not match the following symptoms could occur. (These are just a few examples if your driver/application setting do not match the printer configurations)

The printer receives a ….

• ^MM (Print Mode) changes your printer from Rewind to Tear off disabling the rewind spindle function on a ZM-Series printer
• ^MD (Media Darkness) or ~SD (Set Darkness) causes the darkness to change unexpectedly
• ^PW (Print Width) causes image cut off due to changes to the print width of the image
• ^MT (Media Type) causes a Ribbon In Error due to the printer changing from Thermal Transfer (with ribbon) to Direct Thermal ( no ribbon printing)
• ~TA (Tear-off) the gap is no longer at the tear bar.
• comm.baud - changes the data communications parameter

Errors like these can occur if you don’t correctly configure your application or driver to match your printer settings since the driver overwrites the printer values. Normally you can set your driver or application to “Use Printer Settings” and ZPL configuration commands will not be sent. If that is not an option or your application contains unwanted ZPL commands/configurations you can use the device.command_override feature. You’ll have to determine which commands you wish to disable by examining the target formats that appear to cause the problem.

The following commands were enabled in Vxx.17.16Z  

device.command_override.add  ( Add the command you want to disable) 

device.command_override.clear ( Removes the command(s) you added returning normal ZPL configuration ability)

device.command_override.list (returns a list of commands that have been disabled)

**device.command_override.active ( Activates or deactivates the list of disabled commands without removing them)

device.command_override details Read More>>

** Does not function on a ZT printer model

Additional Information

 Here is an example of using the Zebra Setup Utility to communicate to the printer to disable response to the Print Mode (^MM) command.

Communicating to a printer using the Zebra Setup Utility Read More>>

Open the communications window feature in the ZSU and use the setvar "device.command_override.add" command to disable the ^MM command.

You can confirm the command was received by using the getvar "device.command_override.list"

You can now selectively tell the printer to use the command(s) you add or not to use them using the setvar "device.command_override.active" command.