CSN-A2 58mm panel thermal printer, UART

Product detailed description

The CSN-A2 thermal printer is a compact built-in printer designed for direct installation into a device panel. It prints on 58 mm wide thermal paper at speeds of 50–80 mm/s and, thanks to ESC/POS command set compatibility, can handle barcodes and simple graphics in addition to text. It communicates via a single data line – 3.3V TTL UART – making it easy to connect to an ESP32, Arduino or Raspberry Pi for printing receipts, labels, tickets or measurement records.

You can find the library, manual and verified sample code in the related files for this product.

Specifications:

• Printing method: direct thermal printing (black and white)
• Print speed: 50–80 mm/s (typically 60 mm/s, max. 80 mm/s at higher supply voltage)
• Resolution: 8 dots/mm (384 dots per line)
• Print width: 48 mm
• Fonts: 9×17 and 12×24 (ANK), 12×24 and 24×24 (GB18030)
• Character sets: ASCII, CP437 (USA / Standard Europe) and other international sets, GBK, UTF-8, BIG5 encoding
• Barcodes: UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN13, EAN8, CODE39, CODE93, CODE128, ITF, CODABAR
• Command set: ESC/POS compatible
• Paper:
  • Type: thermal paper (roll)
  • Width: 57.5 ± 0.5 mm
  • Max. roll diameter: 39 mm
• Interface:
  • UART: 3.3V TTL, 9600 Bd, 8N1
  • UART connector: 4 pins (+3.3 V, TXD, RXD, GND)
  • Power connector: 2 pins (VH, GND)
  • Line terminator: LF (0x0A)
• Power Supply:
  • Supply voltage: 5–9 V DC (9 V recommended)
  • Current consumption: max. 3 A peaks
• Control and signalling: FEED button (short press feeds paper, holding for approx. 2 s prints self-test), status LED
• Lifespan:
  • Print head: approx. 50 km of paper
  • Mean number of operations between failures: 5 million lines
• Dimensions:
  • External: 111 × 65 × 57 mm
  • Panel cutout: 103 × 57 mm
  • Installation depth: approx. 50 mm
• Color: white
• Environment:
  • Operating temperature: 5–50 °C
  • Operating humidity: 10–80 %
  • Storage temperature: −20 to 60 °C
  • Storage humidity: 10–90 %

Important notes on wiring and installation:

• Provide power separately, preferably using a higher voltage. The printer operates from 5 V, but printouts may be faint at 5 V – for best results, use a 9 V power supply capable of handling current peaks up to 3 A. Power from a computer USB port or a development board pin is insufficient. The power connector is separate; the data line does not power the printer.
• UART operates with 3.3 V levels. You can connect the printer directly to an ESP32 or Raspberry Pi; for 5V boards (Arduino UNO, Mega), use a level shifter or a resistor divider on the line to the printer. The +3.3 V pin on the data connector serves only as a reference; do not power the printer from it. Connect the ground (GND) of the printer and the control board together.
• Set 9600 Bd, 8N1 and terminate lines with the LF (0x0A) character. Printing gibberish usually indicates an incorrect baud rate setting.
• Test the printer independently first. By holding the FEED button for about 2 seconds, you can print a test page – this verifies the mechanics and paper before addressing communication.
• The status LED indicates the error: 2 flashes – mechanical error or low temperature, 3 flashes – out of paper, 5 flashes – head overheating, 6 flashes – cover with the pressure roller not closed properly.
• Panel mounting: cut a 103 × 57 mm hole, insert the printer from the front, and secure it from the back using the included fixing blocks and screws. Allow for a depth of approximately 50 mm behind the panel and space for roll replacement.
• Use thermal paper and the right side of the roll. The printer will not print on regular paper – if the printout remains blank, flip the roll. Coarse paper unnecessarily wears down the print head.
• Do not touch the print head with your fingers and ensure protection against static electricity during handling. Wipe away any accumulated dust or paper residue from the head using a cotton swab moistened with alcohol.

Package contents:

• 1× CSN-A2 Thermal Printer - 58mm, Panel Mount
• 1× panel mounting kit

Note:

• This product is not a standalone functional unit and may require professional installation.
• Product images are for illustrative purposes only and may sometimes differ from the actual appearance of the item. However, this does not change their basic properties.