RFID tag printing using Zebra printer

[Former Member]

We are trying for commission the TAG thru transaction /AIN/WRITETAG in SAP Auto-ID system, and the tags are not getting printed in the RFID zebra printer. We have configured the TCP/IP connection for the printer as given in the configuration guide. When we checked the application log the generated EPC from Auto-ID system has been send to the printer. Can anybody help to find the solution for this problem ?

In printer settings in IMG, what kind of label formats needs to given for the zebra printer. How we can check the connection between the Auto-ID system and the RFID printer.

Regards,

Velu

[Former Member]

Hi Velu;

We are using the same set up and had the same issue. Did you send a label format file to the printer? The XML printing feature of AII requires that the format be present on the printer to generate the labels. That file interprets the XML and converts it to the language that the printer understands.

Essentially, the name of the label format file on the printer needs to match the name of the label format you have set up in the printer settings in the IMG. If the two do not match, the printer will ignore it and not print anything.

You can send the file to the printer with Notepad, or the ZebraNet Bridge software available on their website.

To test if this is the case, you can set the printer to "diagnostic" mode, and it should spit out the XML on six or seven labels.

Also, Zebra has an XML printing guide available that can help you with the formats and how to send them to the printer. I could e-mail it to you if you can not find it on their website, I can't remember if I got it from there or not.

If you are still stuck, I could also send you a sample format with some basic instructions on how to set it up.

Cheers,

John

[Former Member]

John,

Thanks for the information. Can you please send me the label format to configure in the IMG for zebra printer ?

Regards,

Velu

[Former Member]

Hi Velu;

Below is a sample of a file that, if sent to the printer, will print a bar code on the label, with the hex EPC code beneath it. It will also encode the chip, granted you are using a 96-bit chip. You can copy that to notepad and just "print" it to the printer, or use the ZebraNet Bridge software to the printer. Either way, you should name the file "rfid_label.zpl"

Once this file is sent to the printer, you can vew it from IE, or any other browser by typing the IP address of the printer into the browser. If you go to the "Directory Listing," you should see this file -- named "rfid_label" -- under the E: drive.

Under "Assign format to printer and profile" under the print setings in the IMG, you will need to specifiy the file as E:rfid_label.zpl

You should be able to get the XML-Based printing guide from Zebra, or you printer re-seller that will explain all of the commands to you...

Data to send to the printer:

:NEW-PAGE

^XA

^{DFE:rfid_label.zpl}FS

^PRC

^LH0,0FS

^LL1218

^MD0

^MNY

^LH0,0FS

^BY2,3.0FO114,600^BCN,80,Y,N,NFR^FN997FS

^XZ

:NEW-PAGE

^XA

^XFRFID_C-1.ZPL

^FN997FD&I_EPC_INTERFACE-EPC_CODE&^FS

^PQ1,0,1,N

^RNN

^RS,,,0,EFS

^{WT,10,0,0,1,n}FN901^FDEPCFS

^XZ

Cheers,

John

[Former Member]

John,

Thanks for the information. We have done the following steps :-

1. Created a "RFID_LABEL.ZPL" file in the E drive of zebra printer.

2. Under "Assign format to printer and profile" under the print setings in the IMG, we have specified the file as E:rfid_label.zpl.

Do I need to fill the

[Former Member]

John,

Thanks for the information. We have done the following steps :-

1. Created a "RFID_LABEL.ZPL" file in the E drive of zebra printer.

2. "Assign format to printer and profile" under the print setings in the IMG, we have specified the file as E:rfid_label.zpl.

Do I need to fill the "RFID_LABEL.ZPL" file with the code you have specified under "Data to send to the printer:" in your mail.

what we wondoring is, how to pass the generated EPC code from SAP AII Tag commission to the "E:RFID_LABEL.ZPL" File. Do we need to specify any place holder for the EPC value in the ZPL file. If yes, how to specify them ?

Do you feel, We have missed out any steps required for sendig the data to the Zebra printer. Thanks for the quick response and valuable help.

Regards,

Velu

[Former Member]

Hi Velu;

It looks like you are on the right track, you do need to send the code to the printer. That code will actually generate the label based on the contents of the file.

This line, of the code in the thread, will write the EPC code to the printer:

^{WT,10,0,0,1,n}FN901<b>^FDEPC</b>FS

Notice the bolded section <b>^FDEPC</b>. The value of EPC is the field that will be populated in AII with the hex EPC code and then passed in the XML document to the printer. The XML based logic in the printer will then replace that value with the EPC code and program the chip with the hex value.

One other note, the line below should be replaced as specified.

FN997^{FD&I_EPC_INTERFACE-EPC_CODE&}FS

should be:

FN997^FD&EPC&FS

Cheers,

John

[Former Member]

John,

Thanks for the quick information. I would like to appreciate your extended help thru out our discussion. I have few more doubts in the code block we are sending to printer. The command ":NEW-PAGE" is the SAP script command or ZPL command ? What is the significance of the ZPL command "^{XFRFID_C-1.ZPL" ? Do we need to put the entire block of commands into the "E:RFID_LABEL.ZPL" file in the printer firmware E drive or We need to create one more file in the printer firmware E drive with name "RFID_C-1.ZPL" and copy the code block start after the 2nd "}XA". I am seeing they are 2 "^XA" start of tag commands in the code block.

Can you please send your understandings ? Thanks.

Regards,

Velu

[Former Member]

Hi Velu;

I have to apologize, the first file I send probably would not work. I have put the code for a good file at the bottom of this message. Hopefully what is in this file will clear things up for you. The :NEW-PAGE command is SAPScript, you can probably take it out - I just never messed with it because the file works.

You should only need this file (E:rfid_label.zpl) on the printer. It should print the hex data and the URN data on the label, and encode the hex data on the chip. That is, of course, as long as the fields EPC and EPC_URN_NO_HEADER are in the element set you are using for the print...

Cheers,

John

:NEW-PAGE
^XA
^DFE:rfid_label.zpl^FS
^PRC 
^LH0,0^FS
^LL1218
^MD0
^RS2
^MNY
^FO18,575^A0N,33,33^CI13^FR^FDHex Tag Data:^FS
^FO215,575^A0N,32,32,^FN997^FDEPC^FS
^FO18,625^A0N,33,33^CI13^FR^FDURN Tag Data:^FS
^FO225,625^A0N,32,32,^FN922^FDEPC_URN_NO_HEADER^FS
^RNN
^RS,,,0,E^FS
^WT,10,0,0,1,n^FN997^FDEPC^FS
^XZ

[Former Member]

John,

Thanks for your valuable information. At last we are able successfully write a tag from AII. This is the code I have copied into the Label format file and it worked.

^XA

^RS4,,,1FO50,50^A0N,30FDEPC Code:^FS

^FO50,100A0N,30^FN997FDEPC^FS

^FS

^RFW,HFN997^FDEPCFS

^XZ

Do you have any idea about, when we read a RFID tag thru the reader (Sensormatic), how the data will be send to the AII system ? I have configured the HTTP connection to the reader in SM59. Also I have activated the HTTP service /sap/scm/ain. How the packing will work for Fixed devices ?

Regards,

Velu

[Former Member]

Hi Velu;

Are you using a device controller to communicate back and forth between the reader and AII, or are you trying it straight from AII?

We have only tried it using a device controller but if you, or anyone else, has a solution to work it straight from AII, I would love to hear about it!

Cheers,

John

[Former Member]

John,

We are also using the device controller. But we have zebra printer for writing our tag and Sensormatic reader for reading the TAG.

We have created the HTTP RFC destination for reader with the IP address and activated the AIN HTTP service. How can we test the EPC written on the tag to read from the reader and send the data to AII.Which part of the outbound slap & ship scenario used for testing the connectivity btw reader & AII. Please send your understandings on this ?

Regards,

Velu

[Former Member]

Hi Velu;

This is something you may need to talk to the company that manufactured/resold you the readers/device controller. We use a different reader, and probably a different device controller, so I am not sure I can help you a great deal with your question.

It may be helpful to post this as a new question in the forum; someone else may be able to give you an answer to your question.

Cheers,

John