Construction of an improvedPrinting System

Diploma Thesis

Ing. Martin Vogler

March 2007 Diploma Thesis Ing. Martin Vogler

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Existing Equipment

• 35 PC-Rooms with printing facilities• 60000 users in current system• Each printing facility consists of:

– Terminal model Digital VT420

– Printer model HP LaserJet 4xxx N

– Terminalserverbox model Lantronix ETS4P

– Cardreader device model TST CopyBox

March 2007 Diploma Thesis Ing. Martin Vogler

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March 2007 Diploma Thesis Ing. Martin Vogler

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March 2007 Diploma Thesis Ing. Martin Vogler

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Existing Printing Solution

• Limitations of the existing solution:– Very strict user and operating system

environment

– Very strict hardware pool

– Modification of the standard hardware necessary

– Expansive and inefficient maintenance

March 2007 Diploma Thesis Ing. Martin Vogler

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Guideline for New Equipment

• Using of existing network and user administration infrastructure

• Using of existing hardware is preferable• Standalone PC should serve as the new

printing interface

March 2007 Diploma Thesis Ing. Martin Vogler

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New Printing Solution

• Based on software• No modification of the printer model

necessary• Current operating system: Windows XP• Migration to other operating systems easily

possible• Program development with C#

March 2007 Diploma Thesis Ing. Martin Vogler

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Programflow 1

• Start of printing• Click on desktop icon

– Read needed parameters from INI - file

– Build connection „printserver to printclient“

– Query all user files in spool directory

– Printing a form on the desktop

March 2007 Diploma Thesis Ing. Martin Vogler

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March 2007 Diploma Thesis Ing. Martin Vogler

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Programflow 2

• Selection of printfile by user – Read printfile and calculate number of pages in

file– Build connection „printclientPC to printer“– Get number of total printed pages from printer– Send printfilestream to printer– Get number of printed pages– Generate signal for CopyBox– At the end of printing close all connections

March 2007 Diploma Thesis Ing. Martin Vogler

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Programflow 3

• Error management– Error recovery sequence closes all connection

– Close program in a defined procedure

– Error message on desktop

March 2007 Diploma Thesis Ing. Martin Vogler

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March 2007 Diploma Thesis Ing. Martin Vogler

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Improvements of the new solution

• Wide pool of printers • Reduces significantly the costs for a new

printing facility• Reduces significantly the overall effort for

maintenance• No a priori preferences for a specific printer

model

March 2007 Diploma Thesis Ing. Martin Vogler

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• Acknowledgements – To the Staff of the FH for teaching

– To my colleagues at work for ideas

– For your attention