Datamax Releases GPIO For M-Class

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Datamax Corporation, a worldwide supplier of barcode and RFID printing solutions, announces the introduction of a GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output) communications interface for use with the highly popular M-Class printer product line. The release of GPIO for the M-Class completes its positioning as a true replacement product for Legacy Datamax printers such as the Allegro, Prodigy and Prodigy Plus products, as well as many other competitor's models.

The M-Class is a successful industrial desktop printer product line introduced by Datamax in early 2003. The M-Class printer design enables its seamless integration into many applications, including third-party print-and-apply systems, or label applicators. To successfully integrate desktop printers into label applicators, it is necessary to provide communications capabilities from the label applicator to the printer so that the applicator can control the timing of labels produced to coincide with the timing of items to be labeled. The M-Class GPIO interface enables this transmission of commands via a communications port inside the M-Class printer.

"The OEM label applicator market is important to the M-Class printer market because the M-Class was designed to replace many older Datamax printers, many of which have been modified for use in label applicators. The M-Class chassis features design elements that enable this integration so that label applicator manufacturers don't have to do any physical modification of the printer. Now the communication via GPIO completes the modern label applicator solution featuring the M-Class," says Sarah Schabacker, Business Development Manager for Datamax Corporation. "Datamax expects the M-Class use in OEM label applicators to increase substantially as a result of the availability of this communication interface."

Datamax specializes in the design, manufacture, and marketing of products for bar code and RFID labeling including thermal demand printers, label, ticket and tag materials, and thermal transfer ribbons. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, Datamax has sales representative offices in Singapore, China, and Harlow, England, as well as label converting and preprinting facilities in Robinson, Illinois. Datamax markets its products exclusively through a network of resellers in more than 100 countries worldwide.