I'm writing this post to confirm what other blood centers, like Florida Blood Systems, have already reported.

Zebra ZM400 printers had a bug in their LPD software that made them unusable as IP printers from UNIX. If an lpd request to print 1 label was sent directly to the LPD server of the ZM400 printer from UNIX, the printer would continously print the label. This was because the Z400 printer did not appropriately acknowledge the network packets from the UNIX server and the UNIX print job would keep resending the label. As a result, we were forced to use the ZM400 with terminal servers.

However, the latest firmware for the ZM400, V53.16.5Z, fixes the problem although the printer still reports some packet errors.

The Zebra external 10/100 print server with the latest firmware revision, V1.01.6, also does not have the LPD problem and it reports no packet errors.

Our Zebra ZM400 ISBT label printers go into what I call a "standby" mode, even though there is no formal standby mode on this printer model. This happens after any period of inactivity (1 hour, 2 hours, 24 hours, 3 days, etc.).

When the user resumes printing ISBT labels (either from HemaTrax Standalone App or from Cerner), it refuses to print the next label from the data it receives, but if the user clears the error (by clicking OK on the error dialog box) and resends the data, it prints the label.

Our ZM400 printers are currently on firmware V53.16.2Z. Will upgrading to V53.16.5Z solve this issue?

Our Zebra ZM400 ISBT label printers go into what I call a "standby" mode, even though there is no formal standby mode on this printer model. This happens after any period of inactivity (1 hour, 2 hours, 24 hours, 3 days, etc.).

When the user resumes printing ISBT labels (either from HemaTrax Standalone App or from Cerner), it refuses to print the next label from the data it receives, but if the user clears the error (by clicking OK on the error dialog box) and resends the data, it prints the label.

Our ZM400 printers are currently on firmware V53.16.2Z. Will upgrading to V53.16.5Z solve this issue?

I have not experienced this issue nor has anyone else I know. The release notes for the firmware upgrade do not mention this issue. Zebra firmware upgrades are some times a hit or miss. But upgrading is relatively easy and so is going back to your original firmware.

The problem seems intermittent but if you can recreate, I would first recommend testing to see if it is the printer by printing to it from another application, other than the ones you have. I'm not sure of your set up, but if you can print from another application, then chances are it is not the printer.

Assuming the printer is connected through TCP/IP, you could install as a TCP/IP printer on your PC and download some labeling software, Zebra Designer and ID Automation and other have free demos. Or you could just use lpr on the Windows command line, 'lpr -S printer_ip -P printer_name zpl_file_name. The zpl file could be a simple txt file like

---start of file----

^XA

^FO50,50^ADN,36,20^FDxxxxxxxxxxx

^FS

^XZ

---end of file----

After, you can try using Wireshark to trace the network traffic between the PC / server and the printer. Wireshark is free and relatively easy to use. If you filter on the printer TCP/IP address you can get a pretty clear picture. If the PC / server is sending a request and the printing is returning an error packet or not returning a packet, then it could be a problem with the printer or not. You can get a lot of info from the network trace but the main thing to see is request and ACKnowledgements going back and forth between PC/server and printer.

Unfortunately, solving this problems usually involves slow and tedious trial and error, at least for me.

Our Zebra ZM400 ISBT label printers go into what I call a "standby" mode, even though there is no formal standby mode on this printer model. This happens after any period of inactivity (1 hour, 2 hours, 24 hours, 3 days, etc.).

When the user resumes printing ISBT labels (either from HemaTrax Standalone App or from Cerner), it refuses to print the next label from the data it receives, but if the user clears the error (by clicking OK on the error dialog box) and resends the data, it prints the label.

Our ZM400 printers are currently on firmware V53.16.2Z. Will upgrading to V53.16.5Z solve this issue?

tcsmith, were you able to find a solution with this problem? I have a customer with the same problem and would like to resolve it for them. They are using a newer firmware version for the ZM400 and connected to Cerner's Millenium software. Please contact me with any help you could provide. skovacic@digi-trax.com

thanks.../scott

Our IP address was dropping and was giving same LPD error. I downloaded newer firmware which I think came out this year. I think it is V53.17.... It should help with this error..it did for my printer