How do I make star TSP100LAN receipt printer work with Android?

Question

I have found an API here

However, when I run the AndroidSample test app I get errors.

When I press on the "Get Printer Status" button I get "Printer is online". This button works it seems.

However:

• Pressing "Read data from printer" yields "Failure. could not read in the firmware name."

• Pressing "Print Receipt" cause the application to hang for 3 seconds. Then nothing.

• Pressing "Print Checked Block Receipt" yields either "printing succeeded" or a big hang (sometimes force close). In any case, nothing is printed.

Answer 1

It took me forever to figure out how to get it to work. I'll give you what I can to get you started. I'm fairly new to android, so feel free to point out things I am be doing incorrectly. It does occasionally incorrectly print by moving the content up, thus cutting off the top and adds a lot space at the bottom. If anyone can figure that out I would be much appreciated.

Here you go:

Requires these files from the APK: Don't believe i modified them anyway: 1. RasterDocument.java 2. StarBitmap.java

Main printing method:

    public static void PrintReceipt(Context context, RelativeLayout layout){

        String portName = "tcp:10.1.250.20"; //ip address of your printer
        String portSettings = "";

//have to measure the layout for it to print correctly, otherwise sizes are zero
        layout.measure(View.MeasureSpec.makeMeasureSpec(layout.getLayoutParams().width, View.MeasureSpec.EXACTLY),
                View.MeasureSpec.makeMeasureSpec(layout.getLayoutParams().height, View.MeasureSpec.EXACTLY));
        layout.layout(0, 0, layout.getMeasuredWidth(), layout.getMeasuredHeight());

        Bitmap bitmap = Bitmap.createBitmap(layout.getWidth(),layout.getHeight(), Bitmap.Config.RGB_565);
        Canvas canvas = new Canvas(bitmap);
        canvas.drawColor(Color.WHITE);
        layout.draw(canvas);


        int maxWidth = 576; //default width of tsp100 receipt
        RasterDocument rasterDoc = new RasterDocument(RasterDocument.RasSpeed.Full, RasterDocument.RasPageEndMode.FeedAndFullCut, RasterDocument.RasPageEndMode.FeedAndFullCut, RasterDocument.RasTopMargin.Standard, 0, 0, 0);
        StarBitmap starbitmap = new StarBitmap(bitmap, false, maxWidth);

        StarIOPort port = null;
        try
        {
            /*
                   using StarIOPort3.1.jar (support USB Port)
                   Android OS Version: upper 2.2
               */
            port = StarIOPort.getPort(portName, portSettings, 10000, context);
            /*
                   using StarIOPort.jar
                   Android OS Version: under 2.1
                   port = StarIOPort.getPort(portName, portSettings, 10000);
               */

            try
            {
                Thread.sleep(500);
            }
            catch(InterruptedException e) {}

            byte[] command = rasterDoc.BeginDocumentCommandData();
            port.writePort(command, 0, command.length);
            command = starbitmap.getImageRasterDataForPrinting();
            port.writePort(command, 0, command.length);
            command = rasterDoc.EndDocumentCommandData();
            port.writePort(command, 0, command.length);

            try
            {
                Thread.sleep(1000);
            }
            catch(InterruptedException e) {}
        }
        catch (StarIOPortException e)
        {
            ShowAlertMessage(context, "Failure", "Failed to connect to printer. " + e.getMessage());
        }
        finally
        {
            if(port != null)
            {
                try {
                    StarIOPort.releasePort(port);
                } catch (StarIOPortException e) {}
            }
        }

    }

    private static void ShowAlertMessage(final Context context, final String alertTitle, final String message){
        try {
            ((Activity)context).runOnUiThread(new Runnable() {

                @Override
                public void run() {
                    AlertDialog.Builder dialog = new AlertDialog.Builder(context);
                    dialog.setNegativeButton("Ok", null);
                    AlertDialog alert = dialog.create();
                    alert.setTitle(alertTitle);
                    alert.setMessage(message);
                    alert.show();
                }});
        } catch (final Exception e) {
            Log.e(PrinterFunctions.class.getName(), e.getMessage());
        }
    }

THEN: In another method, send PrintReceipt a relativelayout. Set the current context in the constructor of the class.

  Context currentContext;
    RelativeLayout relativeLayout;
    private final int receiptWidth = 576;
    private Typeface typeFace = Typeface.DEFAULT;
    private int normalFontSize = 23;
    private int largeFontSize = 28;

public SetupReceiptClass(Context context){
    currentContext = context;
}
public void SetupReceipt(String customerName){
       //Create layout for receipt
        relativeLayout = new RelativeLayout(currentContext);
        RelativeLayout.LayoutParams params;
        params = new RelativeLayout.LayoutParams(receiptWidth,     ViewGroup.LayoutParams.MATCH_PARENT);
        relativeLayout.setLayoutParams(params);
        relativeLayout.setId(R.id.ReceiptLayout);

//Create whatever views you want here and add them to the RelativeLayout to make up your receipt
relativeLayout.addView(whateverViewsYouCreate);

//Finally, Print the receipt.
        new Thread(new Runnable() {

            @Override
            public void run() {
                PrintReceipt(currentContext, relativeLayout);
            }
        }).start();

}

Again, I'm new to the android thing, and this may not be the best way, but it is printing. Anything cool you find out I'd love to hear them.

Answer 2

Reading through the documentation for the iOS and Android StarIO SDKs I found that the STAR TSP100LAN requires it to be in 'raster mode'. Unfortunately the samples provided with both the iPhone and Android SDKs are for printing in 'line mode' only. While this isn't an answer, hopefully it will help point you in the right direction :)

I am going to try and contact Star themselves and see if I can get some sample code from them directly, wish me luck, I will report back here with any response I get!