CP130 & TM-U295
| Print technology | Direct thermal (no ribbon) |
| Best location | In-cab / mobile — compact footprint |
| Size | 5.25″ L × 3.75″ W |
| Interface | RS-232 serial, baud 150–57,600 |
| Power | 9–36 V DC; optional 100/240 VAC 50/60 Hz global supply or direct DC cable |
| Housing | Tough ABS plastic |
| Software | Windows driver available |
| Prints | Scale tickets — single-ply thermal roll |
| Print technology | Impact dot-matrix, 9-pin (inked ribbon) |
| Best location | Scale house / counter — benchtop slip printer |
| Interface | RS-232 serial (USB versions available) |
| Paper | Front-insert slips / forms — feed a ticket in, it prints on it |
| Power | AC-powered benchtop |
| Prints | Scale tickets on inserted forms; single or multi-part |
| Why impact | Ribbon impact leaves a permanent, non-fading record and prints multi-part copies in one pass |
| CP130 — Thermal | TM-U295 — Impact | |
|---|---|---|
| Print method | Thermal (heat on thermal paper) | Impact (pins + ribbon) |
| Paper | Thermal roll | Front-insert slips / forms |
| Copies | Single ply | Multi-part / carbon copies |
| Where it lives | In the cab — small & rugged | At the scale house / counter |
| Power | 9–36 V DC (12 V friendly) | AC benchtop |
| Record life | Thermal — can fade over time / heat | Impact ink — permanent |
| Footprint | Very compact (5.25″×3.75″) | Larger benchtop |
| Best for | Mobile weighing, in-cab grain tickets | Office records, duplicate settlement tickets |
You print from the cab or on the move, run on 12–24 V tractor power, want the smallest possible footprint, and a single thermal ticket per weigh is all you need.
You print at a scale house or office, need duplicate / multi-part tickets for settlement and records, and want an impact-ink ticket that won't fade over time.
The slip printer signals its status on three lights. Start there.
| Light / symptom | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| POWER light off | No power reaching the printer. | Check the power cable at the printer, the power unit, and the outlet. Try another outlet if it's on a switch or timer. |
| PAPER OUT light on, nothing prints | No slip inserted, or it's inserted wrong. | Reinsert the ticket / form squarely into the front slot until it seats. |
| RELEASE light flashing | Error condition — usually a jam. | Power off, clear any jammed paper, power back on. If it keeps flashing, it needs service. |
| Lights on but won't print | Data isn't getting through. | Check the serial cable and that it's the right type; confirm the baud rate / interface settings match the indicator. Run the self-test to prove the printer itself is fine. |
| Prints garbled characters | Interface / baud-rate mismatch. | Set the printer and indicator to the same baud rate and data format; make sure nothing else is sharing the port. |
| Print too light / faded | Worn ribbon. | Replace the inked ribbon cassette. |
The in-cab thermal printer has no error lights to read, so work the short list.
| Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|
| No power | Confirm 9–36 V DC at the printer (tractor power or the AC/DC supply); check the fuse and connector. |
| Feeds paper but nothing prints | Thermal paper is in upside-down — it only images on one side. Flip the roll (coated side toward the head). |
| Nothing or garbage over serial | Baud rate doesn't match the indicator. Set both ends the same (150–57,600) and confirm the RS-232 cable. |
| Print faint or fading | Low supply voltage, a nearly-empty roll, or heat / age (thermal images fade). Use a fresh roll and full power; store tickets out of heat and sunlight. |
| Paper won't feed / jams | Open the cover, clear the roll, check it's seated straight and the platen is closed. |
TM-U295 light behavior per the Epson TM-U295 operator's manual; CP130 steps follow standard thermal-printer practice and the Avery Weigh-Tronix CP130 user manual. When the self-test passes but printing still fails, the fault is in the cable or the indicator's print setup, not the printer.
Specifications for the CP130 are from the Avery Weigh-Tronix product listing. The TM-U295 is an Avery Weigh-Tronix / Epson impact ticket printer; exact paper width, cut, and part numbers are confirmed against the current Avery Weigh-Tronix spec sheet at time of order.
We stock the consumables and the serial cables for both — tell us your indicator model.