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Printer

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Since xentral Home mostly runs in the cloud (i.e. on a remote server on the Internet), locally running devices such as printers cannot be directly connected to the system. Therefore, two types of hardware connectivity exist:

  • Printer servers (also called printer spoolers) for connecting document printers for receipts, lists, and package labels. The printer spooler can be operated e.g. on a MacMini or a current Raspberry Pi
  • Adapter box for connecting additional devices such as label printers, scales, receipt printers, cash register displays, etc. For technical reasons, a Raspberry Pi up to max. version 3B is currently required for this purpose

Installation and operation are described in the following article. Since xentral cannot offer support for individual solutions, in case of doubt a partner should be contacted in advance or ready configured devices should be purchased from xentral's hardware partner SundsITS.

Printer Setup on a Mac Mini

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After the MacMini has been put into operation, the xentral spooler for Mac is required, this can be found here.

Note: If a Mac or MacBook is available, it can be tested whether the print connection would work via a MacMini. To do this, install the xentral spooler there first and connect the printers via it. Minimum requirement: Mac mini 1.4 GHz Intel Core i5 (as of Q1/2019) (Attention: The printer spooler is not optimized for M1 processors, should there be problems here, the ruhr.agency offers a great alternative product). From the download list below on Github, pick out and download the Xentral printer spooler for macOS.

Confirm the license notice and privacy policy, click Download.

Go to the download folder and double-click the downloaded file.

Now move the wawision-spooler2 application to the Applications folder (just move it with the mouse).

Wait until the application has been copied.

Now go to the Programs folder and double-click the wawision-spooler2 application.

Confirm the first start by clicking Open.

After launching the application, you should see this window.

Now you need to access the API settings in Xentral, go to Administration → Settings → Basic Settings → API's. Enable Xentral Device API, enter a security key and save the setting.

For the wawision-spooler2 you still need the Xentral URL. Use everything up to the "/" in front of index.php.

Now enter your settings in the wawision-spooler2: In our example the URL is: http://192.168.0.33/19.2/www/** and the Security Key: 123456 Then press save, the connection status remains red because no printer exists in Xentral in connection with the wawision-spooler2. 

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Now switch to the printer overview in wawision-spooler2. You must now store this printer designation in exactly the same way in Xentral.

If no printers are visible here, make sure that printers are on the network and can be found on the Mac Mini in System Preferences (Printers&Scanners).

To set the printer name in Xentral, go to Administration → Settings → Printers and click New.

In our example we create an "EPSON_ET_4550_Series" printer. Please note the identical notation when assigning the name! You can assign the name / location freely. Please note further settings:

  • Active: Please activate
  • Device type: Printer
  • Format: DIN A4
  • Connection: Xentral printer spooler
  • Serial number: The serial number stored in wawision-spooler2 → In the example: 8888888

Save the settings.

Only now the connection to the wawision-spooler2 is established. From this point on you can use the new printer in Xentral or address it directly.

Printer in Xentral

Printer connected directly to Mac

In this example, the printers are connected directly to your Mac via USB (Fig. 1). The xentral printer spooler for macOS installed on the Mac automatically fetches the print jobs in Xentral and distributes them to the appropriate printers.

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Fig. 1

In order for Xentral to transfer the print jobs directly and autonomously to the printers, the xentral printer spooler for macOS must be installed on the Mac workstation.

The following documents can be printed on the laser printer:

  • All A4 documents such as orders, invoices, delivery bills, picking bills, etc.
  • All A5 shipping labels

The following documents can be printed on the label printer:

  • Shipping labels

Download - Printer Spooler for Mac (2.0) Download at: Github

Printing via a print server for macOS

If you have several workstations and printers in the company, we recommended using a print server (Fig. 2).

As a print server, we recommend a Mac Mini. The Xentral printer spooler for macOS installed on the Mac Mini automatically fetches the print jobs in Xentral and distributes them to the corresponding printers.

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The following documents can be printed on the laser printer:

  • All A4 documents such as orders, invoices, delivery bills, picking bills, etc.
  • All A5 shipping labels

The following documents can be printed on the label printer:

  • Shipping labels

Download - Printer Spooler for Mac (2.0) Download at: Github

The adapter boxes

To connect additional devices such as label printers, scales, receipt printers, cash register displays, etc., you need an adapter box. Instructions for setting up the adapter box can be found here. The adapter box is connected directly to the company network via LAN cable. Fig. 3 shows an adapter box with a label printer connected via USB.

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Examples for the use of the adapter box

Adapter box with label printer Fig. 4.

Figure 4 shows an adapter box located anywhere and connected to the Internet via a router. A label printer is connected to the adapter box via USB. As label printer we recommend the devices from ZEBRA e.g. GK420. The adapter box has been optimized for ZEBRA devices and tested with them. If you want to connect label printers from other manufacturers, you must test the compatibility yourself.

Please note: You can only connect one label printer per adapter box. No shipping labels or parcel labels can be printed via the adapter box.

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Adapter box with scale

Figure 5 shows an adapter box located at any place and connected to the Internet via a router. A scale is connected to the adapter box via USB. As a scale we recommend the devices from PCE e.g. the platform scale PCE-PB 150N. The adapter box was optimized for the PCE devices and tested with them.

If you want to connect scales from other manufacturers, you have to test the compatibility yourself.

Please note: You can only connect one scale per adapter box.

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Fig. 5

Adapter box for point of sale (POS) hardware Fig. 6.

Figure 6 shows an adapter box located anywhere and connected to the Internet via a router. A POS display and a receipt printer are connected to the adapter box. The cash drawer is directly connected to the receipt printer and is also controlled by it.

As cash register display we recommend the display type: VFD (vacuum fluorescent display) with USB. The adapter box has also been optimized and tested for this display type. If you want to connect a POS display of a different type, you have to test the compatibility yourself.

As receipt printer we recommend the devices of ARTDEV e.g. AP-8220 U. The adapter box was also optimized for the ARTDEV devices and tested with them. If you want to connect receipt printers from other manufacturers, you must test the compatibility yourself.

The cash drawer itself must be compatible with the receipt printer.

Please note:

  • You can only connect one cash register display and one receipt printer to the adapter box
  • You will still need a computer workstation or tablet for the actual POS interface
  • The adapter box is only responsible for connecting the POS hardware to Xentral

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Fig. 6

Example structure for a company with headquarters and branch Fig. 7. and Fig. 8

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Fig. 7

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Fig. 8

Further application examples for advanced users

Note: We do not provide support for the following use cases!

The Xentral print spooler for Linux on a local Linux server (Fig. 9) Figure 8 shows a network where Xentral is hosted externally in the cloud and the local network has a Linux server that processes the print jobs from Xentral. As operating system for the print server we recommend Ubuntu 18.04 64Bit Desktop.

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Fig. 9

The Xentral printer spooler, together with Xentral on a Linux server (Fig. 10) Figure 9 shows a network where Xentral is installed on the local network on a Linux server. In this constellation, Xentral can directly address the printers via LPR. Alternatively, you can also install the Xentral printer spooler for Linux. Basic knowledge of LPR and CUPS is required for this.

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Fig. 10

Download - Printer Spooler for Linux Debian/Ubuntu

Download at: Github

Set up printer

In daily business, receipts, parcel labels or packing lists need to be printed. Since Xentral is a web application, it is not possible to print from the browser without an external print dialog. Nevertheless, to enable automatic batch printing, there are settings in Xentral that make this possible. In the following all manual and automatic settings for the connection of the printers are presented.

Overview of the possibilities

In general, different documents/papers/labels can be printed in Xentral. Here there is this distinction:

  1. Via Xentral a PDF is created, this is forwarded to a printer, processed and printed
  2. Xentral generates XML, which is sent to a label printer via the Xentral adapter box and printed in monochrome - Xentral Standard
  • IT Topics for your IT Service Provider/Internal IT

PDF printing

All documents like offers, orders, invoices, delivery bills and many more can be printed from Xentral via a download dialog or a direct printer connection. The connection for these documents is done as a "regular" printer (a PDF from Xentral is forwarded to a printer). e.g. the following "documents" and "papers" are forwarded as PDF to the printer:

  • Document print A4 paper (e.g. paper tray laser printer)
  • Parcel mark roll → Label labels roll (e.g. Zebra printer is used like a normal laser printer or similar)
  • Parcel mark single → label labels in laser printer inserted in tray (single labels e.g. DHL parcel)
  • Article label printing (e.g. label/label sheet inserted in laser printer)

Connect printer → for connecting the normal printers there are then the following possibilities:

  • Download printing (works for single PDFs in Xentral by default → Popup PDF can be printed directly from your PC)
  • Xentral spooler (software that needs to be started on a machine or on a small print server), downloadable from Github
  • IT (cups) → Connection via cups
  • IT (lpr) → Connection directly to the server command line Cups via lpr (e.g. on the Xentral server the printers are also installed or on another computer in the network)
  • IT (directory) → PDF in directory

Info: Of course there are other options for your network IT, but above are the most common ones that are easiest to handle. The connection options marked with "IT" require "more specialized" IT infrastructure knowledge.

Xentral XML Printing

The situation is different for data that is forwarded to a printer via XML. A printer driver is required for this, which is located on the Xentral adapter box. With this Xentral standard, a label format can also be passed on as XML to a Zebra label printer. The result are e.g. article labels, food labels, batch labels, serial number labels, picking labels, and many more. Just all labels that are generated as "endless strand via the XML format in Xentral and output to a Zebra printer:Xentral XML labels → Zebra printer, connection via the adapter box (wawision standard) → the labels are generated from Xentral and forwarded directly to the printer as XML

Printer commissioning

Create new printer

In general, printers for different areas can be created in Xentral, e.g. printer accounting, printer administration, printer packing table, printer package mark, label printer (label printers are to be handled separately, if they are NOT shipping labels. Shipping labels from the roll are to be handled in the same way as document printers). You create a new printer as follows:

Administration → Settings → System → Printer → NEW

Fields:

  • Name/Location → E.g. Main Printer, Incoming, Outgoing, ... (name can be chosen arbitrarily)
  • Name → E.g. Brother-HL-2250DN, Online account 1, ... (Name can be chosen arbitrarily when downloading printer, as soon as the Xentral Spooler is used, this printer designation is the original designation on the server. Make sure that this is entered correctly also with underscores etc.)
  • Active → Printer is active (checkmark) or inactive (no checkmark)
  • Device type → Printer (all printers with PDF), Fax (only for fax), Label printer (only select for Zebra and XML format)
  • Format → Select suitable format (mostly DinA4 or for parcel labels DinA5)
  • No background → For self-printed stationery in the printer (stationery without background if possible)
  • Connection → Command line command, PDF in directory, adapter box, e-mail, download, printer spooler(command or directory → Optional: Only for cups, LPR and directory)
  • Email printer recipient → Optional: Only for email printer → recipient email address (specify only one mail address)
  • E-Mail Printer Subject → Optional: Only for E-Mail Printer → Subject for the e-mail (if the variable {FAX} is entered here, it will be replaced by the passed parameter)
  • E-Mail Printer Text → Optional: Only for E-Mail Printer → E-Mail Text Content for E-Mail Printer
  • Serial number → To be specified for Xentral printer spooler and for XML label printer via adapter box

Create Download Printer

Create e-mail printer

Create Document Printer (for Xentral Print Spooler -> Mac, Linux)

Create document printer (for Xentral print spooler -> print server (Linux))

Create printer on Xentrals server

Create printer on local print server

Store print jobs on drive (FTP)

Note: Please check which options are suitable for you. The connection depends on the operating system of your computer and whether Xentral is hosted on an internal or on an external server on the Internet.

Option 1: Manually via browser (PDF icon)

Server: Possible for servers in the house and on the Internet Operating system: Possible for Mac, Windows, Linux Type: Manual

No special connection of the printer in Xentral is necessary. As long as the printer is installed on your computer, you can click on it wherever a PDF icon appears (e.g. in the job) and manually trigger the browser's print dialog.

Option 2: Xentral Download - Automat. Display PDF dialog

Server: Possible for in-house and Internet servers Operating system: Possible for Mac, Windows, Linux Type: Partially automatic.

With this option, when the automatic printing of a PDF (e.g. invoice, delivery bill) is triggered, a PDF dialog opens with the option to Open or Save the file. Here you can then select the option 'Open with' and manually start printing the document.

In the printer settings, you must select "Download" under Connection.

Option 3: Using an e-mail printer

Server: Possible for servers in the house and on the Internet Operating system: Possible for Mac, Windows, Linux Type: Partially automatic.

Documents are sent for printing as attachments to the mail address of an e-mail printer.The print job is sent to the specified e-mail address. Subject and text can also be specified. There are APIs to which PDF files can be sent, and which require authorization in the subject. For example, the text field can be used for this purpose. Printer emails can be used at all points where mail is sent.

Option 4: Xentral Printer Spooler for MacOS and Linux

Server: Possible for in-house and Internet servers Operating System: Possible for Mac and Linux Type: Completely automatic.

The Xentral Printer Spooler allows you to connect printers on your local network to an externally hosted Xentral. The spooler software must always be running for automatic printing.

The spooler software can be found here

As soon as a print job has been created by Xentral, it will appear under Administration → Settings → System → Printers in the respective printer's Spooler tab (according to timestamp). When the job has been printed or fetched from the spooler (or printed via PDF download printer), the marker is set. Caution: The message does not indicate whether the printer has actually printed.

Note: The current printer spooler may have problems with Apple products that have an M1 chip installed (e.g. MacBook Air/Pro). In such cases, ruhr.agency offers a great alternative product.

Installation for Linux

  1. Install web server and necessary packages from Ubuntu 18.04 desktop or server sudo apt-get install apache2 php libapache2-mod-php php-curl php-xml

Or for older installations it would be this command: sudo apt-get install apache2 php5 libapache2-mod-php5 php5-curl php5-xml

  1. Copy files to the web server sudo mkdir /var/www/html/wawisionspooler
  2. Extract .tar (unpack archive) sudo tar xvzf wawision_drucker_spooler.tar.gz -C /var/www/html/wawisionspooler
  3. Adjust permissions sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/wawisionspooler
  4. Configuration of the spooler via browser (see "Configuration for Linux and MacOSX") http://localhost/wawisionspooler
  5. Set up automatic regular call of the spooler via crontab

              Crontab(d)

              for PHP 7: * * * php /var/www/html/wawisionspooler/cronapi.php

              or with PHP 5.x: * * * php /var/www/html/wawisionspooler/cronapi.php

  1. Restart the webserver Mostly: sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 restart
  2. Or ideally the whole server to make sure that even after a power failure all programs automatically start correctly and printing can happen. Mostly: sudo restart
  3. Restart the server Mostly: reboot

Installation for MacOS X

  1. Copy the application "wawisiondruckerspooler.app" to Programs or to the Desktop
  2. Double click to open the application
  3. The application must always be running while Xentral is running

For the application to run permanently it is best to store it as a login object in the system. To do this, go to the settings (gear icon in the dock) under Users & Groups and add the Xentral spooler to the login objects via the plus sign.

Configuration for Linux and MacOS X The following step-by-step guide explains the steps necessary to connect your printers:

enabling the Xentral Device APIconfiguring the printer spoolerconfiguring the printer(s) in Xentral.

Step 1): Activate the API + enter the credentials in Xentral Printer Spooler

The printer is accessed via the Xentral Device API. Administration → Settings → System → Basic Settings → API'sActivate the API + create a security key.

Note: Make sure that the "Xentral Printer Spooler" program is always started on a PC before sending print jobs to the spooler in Xentral:This can be solved by e.g.

the printer spooler is always started on the server and runs permanentlythe program is always started daily on a PC before sending print jobs (see also possibility of the print server).

If the application is closed, sent print jobs will be printed automatically only after opening the Xentral printer spooler.

Step 2): Create printer in Xentral

Administration → Settings → System → Printers → NEWNow you have to create a printer.

  • Name/Location: Any name
  • Designation (will be read later from Xentral Druckerspooler and entered here; the designation must match exactly)
  • Connection: Adapter box (please use Xentral Druckerspooler)
  • Serial number: 8888888 (for software the 8 number range is defined) Each printer spooler must have a unique serial number in an Xentral installation

Note: No adapter box is required as hardware - this is just a "virtual adapter box" to ensure the connection from Xentral to the printer.

Step 3): Configure Xentral Printer Spooler

Start the printer app and enter

the URL of Xentral, the API key (= security key from the adapter box API settings), and the serial number 8888888 you just assigned.

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Now you have to enter the exact printer name in Xentral which should be addressed by the selection of the "Shipping printer". You can see which printers are available under the item Printers.

The desired printer must be entered exactly as it is written here in Xentral for the created printer under the Printer name field.

Important for Linux: When using the spooler with Linux, the spooler browser window must be closed (with "x"), because the heartbeat cronjob is used here to start the program. Otherwise the browser may start the spooler again and double prints may occur.

Troubleshooting:The spooler software always passes only one print command - if nothing is printed, you should always try to execute this command in the command line first to see if anything is printed at all.

lpr -P Brother-HL-2250DN-series test.pdf

Where "Brother-HL-2250DN-series" should be replaced by your printer name and test.pdf should be replaced by your sample PDF.Even if a window (GUI) pops up after the print command, this is a possible reason that Xentral cannot print anything as a result. This is due to the printer driver and should be fixed by installing a different driver.

Option 5: Printing from a printer installed on the WaWi server

<YT link>

Server: Possible for in-house servers Operating system: Possible for Mac, Windows, Linux Type: Completely automatic.

Is the printer installed directly on the same server as Xentral:

Setting:

Connection: Command line

Command or command line e.g. lpr -P Brother-HL-2250DN-series

For testing you can call the command on the server from Xentral like this:

lpr -P Brother-HL-2250DN-series test.pdf

The printer and the PDF file must be adjusted. The PDF file must be located in the folder where the command is called. To list the available printers, you can use the following command.

With lpstat -a you can list all available printers.

Example output: wawision@wawision-server:/var/www/html/userdata/pdfarchiv/wawision/address$ lpstat -aBrother-MFC-7440N accepts requests since Tue 27 Sep 2016 08:36:48 CESTHL2250DN accepts requests since Tue 27 Sep 2016 08:37:20 CEST

Here you need to specify the exact wording Brother-MFC-7440N or HL2250DN in the lpr command.

If the PDF file was printed successfully, the command can be entered in the command or command line field without specifying the test PDF file. Now you should be able to print from the interface in the same way. If it still works via command line, but not via Xentral, either something is wrong with the command or the web server does not have the necessary rights to execute the command. In this case, log in as a web server (Linux knowledge required) and execute the command with the appropriate rights for testing.

Select a specific paper tray / trayIf you want to work with trays or different "trays" you have to install a printer driver for each tray or if you connect the printer with CUPS you have to create a printer in Xentral and attach the switch to the command line command of the respective printer (duplicate printer).

wawision@wawision-server:~$ lpoptions -p HL2250DN -lPageSize/Media Size: Letter Legal Executive *A4 A5 A6 Env10 EnvMonarch EnvDL EnvC5 EnvISOB5 EnvISOB6BrMediaType/BrMediaType: *PLAIN THIN THICK THICKERPAPER2 BOND TRANSPARENCIES ENV ENVTHICK ENVTHINInputSlot/InputSlot: MANUAL *TRAY1Duplex/Duplex: DuplexTumble DuplexNoTumble *NoneResolution/Resolution: *600dpi 2400x600dpiTonerSaveMode/Toner Save: *OFF ONSleep/Sleep Time [1]: *PrinterDefault 2minutes 10minutes 30minutes

There you can see the available ones at InputSlot. If not all are available, a wrong PPD file may have been used for the printer.

In the lpr command one selects the tray with the option -o InputSlot=Tray1 or similar.

Further options for the printer commandActionInputNotePaper size-o media=Paper formatfor example a3, a4, a5Cross format-o landscape-One-sided printing-o sides=one-sided duplex (long side)-o sides=two-sided-long-edge duplex (short side)-o sides=two-sided-short-edge-Adapt print data to page size-o fit-to-page pages on one sheet-o number-up=Possible values: 2/4/6/9/16

Option 6: Printing via local print server

Server: Possible for in-house servers Operating system: Possible for Mac and Linux Type: Completely automatic.

If the Xentral server is on the same network as a print server, any print job can be submitted directly to the printer with a command line command. Setting:

Connection: Command line command or command line e.g. lpr -P Brother-HL-2250DN-series

For testing you can call the command on the server of Xentral like this:

lpr -P Brother-HL-2250DN-series test.pdf

The printer and the PDF file must be adjusted accordingly.

Note: If the server does not print please try this command (for XXXXX enter the printer name): lpr -H 127.0.0.1 -P XXXXX

Example for an A5 printer, e.g. parcel stamps:

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Note: if lpr -P PRINTER SIGNATURE does not work, you can also test lp -d PRINTER SIGNATURE.----

Option 7: Place print jobs in directory on server - FTP polling - automatic printing

Server: Possible for servers in the house and on the Internet Operating System: Possible for Mac, Windows and Linux Type: Completely automatic.

Xentral stores PDF files in the file system for all documents to be printed (including package labels). These PDF files have to be transferred to the local network for printing.For this purpose, a combination of the following tools can be used under Windows and Linux on a computer in the local network:- Tool that cyclically copies a directory from the Xentral server to a computer in the local network via FTP

  • Tool that automatically prints the contents of the directory on the machine in the local network

Note: This option is intended only if all other options for automatic printing are out of the question. The tools are mostly chargeable and not tested by us, so we cannot give any instructions for setting them up and also no guarantee of success.

Test printer function

Basically, you must first distinguish between printing via the PDF or printer icons

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and the system dialog of Xentral. If you try to print via the first two, you will print via the operating system and not via Xentral.

Spooler of the selected printer

Under Administration → Settings → Printers go with the edit icon

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to your printer. There you will find all previously sent print jobs under the tab "Spooler". The spooler serves as a control tool in the following example.

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Print dialog in Xentral

To trigger the print dialog in Xentral, you can, for example, create a test order on a fictitious dummy customer. In order not to influence the accounting, sales or turnover statistics, do not enter any article items in the order.

To do this, go to Sales → Order and create a new order with the test customer. Then click on Release and submit the order via the action field.

A dialog box will pop up where you can choose what to do with the order confirmation.

If the connection of the printer was successful, a print job for order confirmation should be in the spooler of the selected printer.

Finally, check at the printer itself whether a printout has been made. Finally, the test customer and job should be removed from the system and the number ranges reset.

Print dialog in the documents

For each document that can be sent, it is possible to select a created printer for it in the "Send" action menu.

Note: Xentral remembers per user and document which printer was selected for it.

Developer Information

Special settings "Directory".

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