Versatile thermal Auto ID label printers / quality auto ID solutions

A First: Android App Available for TSC Printer

Emphasis on Flexibility
As of now, the versatile thermal label printers by TSC Auto ID can be controlled and operated directly through Smartphones or tablets. This has been made possible by an App recently developed by Casper GmbH, which works on each Android device and can be downloaded from the TCS partner’s website. This is a solution that is suitable for flexible and fast printing applications – preferably where no PC or laptop is available or where not every employee can use a portable printer.

“In the meantime Android, with a market share of 75 percent is the most commonly installed operating system with new Smartphones”, says Sven Casper of the of the system house for IT solutions, which has the same name and is situated in Bad Schwartau, Ger-many. The owner-run company that recently celebrated its 20th an-niversary has sound experience with networks and host applica-tions and offers its customers holistic, individual, and above all economic Auto-ID solutions tailored to complex operating workflows, and which for the most part have to be integrated in already existing IT structures.

Android Smartphone in the Warehouse
More and more, the operating system Google developed only in 2008, conquers the industrial world. Approximately 1.3 million new Android device are activated a day, the number of applications ap-proaching three-quarters of a million. Sven Casper: “Especially for small and medium-sized companies and for certain sectors, such as parcel service providers it can be very useful to endow their staff with Android Smartphone, which allow a quick access to fixed printers.” Because mobile phones can easily be operated by all users – and safe label printing including a traceability through the process chain and the good legibility of the one and two-dimensional barcodes can be guaranteed.

This means that the time is ripe for an App that can adequately control professional print jobs. By means of its “Software Developer Kit” TSC provides to all partner companies who deal with the development of such tools, supplementary functions that facilitate the communication between mobile devices and TSC printers.

App-Aided Direct Printer Control
The App developed by Casper is the first step to offer the possibility to find the printers within the network and to find information on their current status. Then, after having checked the printer configuration the App is able to send detailed commands and files to the chosen printer and to restart it in case of disruptions.

So far only a connection via the network has been possible. How-ever the Bluetooth option will also soon be implemented, as in Feb-ruary 2013 TSC Auto ID unveiled to the public their new Bluetooth and WiFi modules. With these modules all desktop and industrial printers of the Taiwanese producer’s well differentiated product range can easily be retrofitted, as the modules can easily be plugged into the RS232 interface and can be configured by means of the TSC Diagnostic Tool in no time.

Upcoming: Bluetooth Support
“As soon as the modules by TSC will be available we will integrate a Bluetooth support”, announces Sven Casper. And Thomas Rosenhammer, Sales Manager for Germany, Austria and Switzer-land with TSC Auto ID Technology EMEA GmbH in Zorneding, adds: “In addition there are however also other completely new applications, as the Keyword Display Units KDU are replaced by tablets.” For label printing, the individual workplace keyboard KP-200 Plus which includes a large keyboard and a display and the programmable KU-007 Plus are already a good and simple solu-tion, but through the use of tablets”, says Rosenhammer, “there are for example individual print masks adapted to the labels, and selection fields.”

For almost all sectors and enterprise sizes the interaction between the App and mobile printers may be of particular interest, as they considerably increase the flexibility with all printing applications. With the handy document printer Alpha-3R launched only last year and the brandnew 4 inch label printer Alpha-4L, which will be intro-duced into the market TSC is well prepared for the customers’ requirements.