What are the requirements for print control module to work?
Which printers are supported?
My printer has its own network interface. Can print module work with it?
Can I use a different database server instead of MS Access?
CafeSuite print control module counts the number of printed pages incorrectly!
How to install CafeSuite print module?
Can I exclude main (or any other) computer from print control?
I don't want the window with detected printouts to pop up - can printouts be automatically added to user's bill/account instead?
I use time accounts. Can I deduct minutes from the account instead of adding charge for printouts to user's debt?
I offer discounts when people print lots of pages - can I set it up?
Can I block the printouts with print control module?
What is the structure of printouts database?
What are the requirements for print control module to work?
PC with operating system Windows NT/2000/XP as the main workstation.
Printer with one of following printer command language:
PCL®(version 3, 4, 5, 5E, 5C, 6), POSTSCRIPT®(level 2 and 3), ESC/P®,
ESC/P2®, 9-Pin ESC/P®, FX®.
For NT 4.0 user
Microsoft Access ODBC driver.For getting it download from http://www.microsoft.com/data/download.htm
mdac_typ.exe and run it to install the Microsoft® Data Access Components.
MS Data Access components version 2.5 and above.
For getting it download from http://www.microsoft.com/data/download.htm Jet40Sp3_Comp.exe and run it to install Microsoft® Access ODBC Driver. shell32.dll version 4.71 and above.For getting this version you should install
Internet Explorer 4.0 and above with ActiveDesktop.
Which printers are supported?
Print control module supports printers compatible with the following
command languages - PCL, HP-GL/2, POSTSCRIPT, ESC/P, ESC/P2, 9-Pin
ESC/P, FX, Zj-Stream and Canon CDCA. It doesn't support GDI printers at
this time, but it's under development.
My printer has its own network interface. Can print module work with it?
For the correct count of the number of printed pages and copies, you
should install the printer as a local one on the same server where
CafeSuite (CafeStation) is installed. Besides, you should specify the
MS Standard TCPIP port with the printer IP address as the port of the
printer, or the JetDirect port for a network print-sever. Every user
should connect to printer via the print-server -
\\ServerName\PrinterName. In that case the number of printed pages for
every user will be counted correctly.
Can I use a different database server instead of MS Access?
CafeSuite uses ODBC to access a database. That is why you can use any
database server as a source provided the corresponding ODBC driver is
installed. You should create a database and tables exactly the same as
in cafeprn.mdb. In MS SQL you can simply export the data from cafeprn.mdb,
using the Enterprise Manager. After that via ODBC Sources->System
DSN you should change PRNWATCH.DSN in such a way that it would indicate
the newly created database. Use the following string for connection - "dsn=CAFEPRN; uid=sa; pwd=;".
CafeSuite print control module counts the number of printed pages incorrectly!
First of all make sure that you use the latest version of the program.
The number of the supported printer languages as well as their versions
is constantly growing. Make sure that your printer driver uses the
command language that CafeSuite print module supports. Most printer
producing companies provide a number of drivers for their printers. Use
the driver with the PCL or Postscript support. Win 9X/Me clients use
their own driver for printing at a network printer. It should be
present in the list of the supported drivers as well. If the problem is
not solved, please, let us know about it at .
How to install CafeSuite print module?
Please note that you must be logged in as administrator in order to
install print module! First of all download and install CafeSuite.
Execute CafeStation program and go to Printing Control page in options (menu Program/Options). Press Install button. You should see the following message: Printing control module was successfully installed!
It means that print module service was installed and is now running in
the background. Select all printers that should be monitored from the
combo box and enable Charge for printing with this printer checkbox. Then press Add button to define price(s) per page. Finally click OK to save settings. Since now CafeStation should detect printouts from any workstation.
Can I exclude main (or any other) computer from print control?
Sure. Just go to Printing control page in options (menu Program/Options), click on Excluded computers, enter name or IP of computer you wish to exclude from printing control and press Add button.
I don't want the window with detected printouts to pop up - can printouts be automatically added to user's bill/account instead?
Yes. You just need to enable Automatically add printouts to customer bill if possible and Automatically charge for printouts from customer account if possible checkboxes on Printing control page in options (menu Program/Options.
I use time accounts. Can I deduct minutes from the account instead of adding charge for printouts to user's debt?
Yes. When you define prices per pages you can also set up Time charge per page: value in minutes and seconds (on Printing control page in options). Also make sure to enable Deduct time from time accounts for orders when possible checkbox on Automation page.
I offer discounts when people print lots of pages - can I set it up?
Yes. When you add price per page you can specify Minimum number of pages value so that the program automatically calculates discounted price. You can also enable Allow to change price per page checkbox on Printing control page in options so that you can always negotiate the price when necessary.
Can I block the printouts with print control module?
No, it's not possible at this time due to some technical difficulties.
Print control module can only detect and charge for printouts. We would
like to add such possibility in future though.
What is the structure of printouts database?
Print module stores all print jobs-related information in the cafeprn.mdb
file.This file represents a database in Microsoft Access 97 format. You
can create your own custom reports using MS Access application.
Important note: Microsoft Access opens mdb files with exclusive
access rights. That is why, when you open cafeprn.mdb file using
Microsoft Access application print module is unable to write to this
file (i.e. during the time cafeprn.mdb file is open with Microsoft
Access no information about print jobs will be written to database).
Tables:
Table Printers
Filed NameTypeDescription
Id
Autonumber
Id field
PrnName
CHAR(255)
Printer name
BaseCost
FLOAT
Base printed page cost
Mono
FLOAT
Relative cost for monochrome printed page in percent
Large
FLOAT
Relative cost for large printed page in percent
VeryLarge
FLOAT
Relative cost for very large printed page in percent
DUPLEX
FLOAT
Relative cost for duplex printed page in percent
MonoAction
INTEGER
Calculation for monochrome printed page. PERCENT_LESS or PERCENT_EXTRA
LargeAction
INTEGER
Calculation for large printed page. PERCENT_LESS or PERCENT_EXTRA
VeryLargeAction
INTEGER
Calculation for very large printed page. PERCENT_LESS or PERCENT_EXTRA
VeryLargeAction
INTEGER
Calculation for duplex printed page. PERCENT_LESS or PERCENT_EXTRA
PERCENT_LESS = 1
PERCENT_EXTRA = 2
Table Users
Filed Name Type Description
Id
Autonumber
Id field
UserName
CHAR(255)
User name
Table Computers
Filed Name Type Description
Id
Autonumber
Id field
CompName
CHAR(20)
Computer name
Table PrnUsers
Filed Name Type Description
Id
Autonumber
Id field
idPrinter
LONG INTEGER
ID Printer from table Printers
idUser
LONG INTEGER
ID User from table Users
Table PrnComps
Table PRNDATA
Filed Name Type Description
Id
Autonumber
Id field
idPrinter
LONG INTEGER
ID Printer from table Printers
idUser
LONG INTEGER
ID User from table Users
idComputer
LONG INTEGER
ID Comuter from table Computers
DocName
CHAR(255)
Document name
Pages
LONG INTEGER
Number of pages
Size
LONG INTEGER
Size print job in bytes
Date
LONG INTEGER
Print job time in second since 00:00:00 01.01.1970 year.In MS Access use CDate expression for getting date format.
PaperSize
INTEGER
Paper size id.
PaperLength
INTEGER
Reserved
PaperWidth
INTEGER
Reserved
Color
INTEGER
Color mode.2 - for color printing, 1 - for monochrome printing
PaperSize can be set to one of the following predefined values.See MDSDN DEVMODE structure description for member dmPaperSize for detailed information.
