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Q&A for the AXIS 5810 and
AXIS 5800+
1. What is Mobile Printing?
2. What is required in order to print
wirelessly?
3. What is a Print Server?
4. What is Bluetooth™ Wireless Technology?
5. How does the actual printing work?
6. Which Mobile Devices can print wirelessly today?
7. How do I add an older ”Device” to a Mobile Printing scenario?
8. How much training is required to start mobile printing?
9. Can several users print at the same time?
10. How do I cancel a running print job?
11. How do I know when I am within range to print?
12. Will wireless printing be slower than traditional ”wired” network printing?
13. Which printers will work with Mobile Printing?
14. What is required to print with Bluetooth™and AXIS 5800+ Mobile or AXIS 5810?
Q: What is Mobile Printing?
A: Mobile Printing (MP) is a collective name for wireless printing from portable devices such as Mobile/Cellular Phones, Laptops, PDAs, Digital Cameras but also traditional PCs.
Mobile Printing uses radio communication to transport the printouts. This means that there is no need for cables, additional connectors, or other networking hardware. The printer can even be located in another room from where the printed document is sent. Mobile Printing combines data connectivity and user mobility.
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Q: What is required in order to print wirelessly?
A: The communication is established using radio frequencies. Axis Communications uses a technology called Bluetooth™ Wireless Technology. Both the mobile device and the printer need to be equipped with Bluetooth™ Wireless Technology.
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Q: What is a Print Server?
A: A Print Server is used for connecting a printer to a network.
It enables users to share the printing function. The print server supports multiple network protocols and multiple users. Print servers can be an external unit connected to the printer with a cable or an internal unit built into the printer.
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Q: What is Bluetooth™ Wireless Technology?
A: Bluetooth™ wireless technology is a worldwide specification for a small form factor, low-cost radio solution. It provides links between mobile computers, mobile phones, other portable handheld devices, and connectivity to the Internet. The specification is developed, published and promoted by the Bluetooth™ Special Interest Group (SIG). Bluetooth™ uses frequency hopping technology over the 2.4 GHz ISM band, providing up to 723 kbps communications speed without any line-of-site requirements.
Two versions of coverage exist:
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Q: How does the actual printing work?
A: The device from where the document or data is to be printed establishes a connection to the print server. The specific printer capabilities and characteristics are pre-loaded in the sending device to ensure a correct set up and communication. The document is transferred into the data format that can be understood by the printer and sent via radio communication to the print server. The print server acts as the
printer's ”switchboard” and passes the print file through. The document is printed.
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Q: Which Mobile Devices can print wirelessly today?
A: Laptops, PDAs and Mobile Phones with Bluetooth™Wireless Technology are on the market today.
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Q: How do I add an older ”Device” to a Mobile Printing scenario?
A: Many devices have support for PC Cards or USB connectors to enable communication over modems, networks, but also for wireless connectivity. PC Card/USB connectors are two ways to enable existing mobile devices such as PCs, laptops and PDAs. You will also need communication software in your mobile device to handle the transmission of data. Existing printers can also have added wireless connectivity by connecting a print server that supports wireless communication.
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Q: How much training is required to start mobile printing?
A: Axis is promoting the need for ease of use when printing wirelessly in order for the technology to be perceived as user friendly. When printing from laptops, AXIS Wireless Printing Utility is used. The software enables printing over Bluetooth™ in a simple and intuitive way:
1. User selects File | Print in any Windows application.
2. The vicinity is scanned and available wireless printers are displayed for the user to select from. The print job is sent to the print server.
3. Job is printed at the printer.
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Q: Can several users print at the same time?
A: AXIS 5800+ Mobile and AXIS 5810 can receive information from one user a time. This is due to the fact that the current version supports Point-to-Point transmission. Future versions will support Point to Multi-point transmission. If the printer is busy with a print job, it cannot send information back to the next user that it is available for wireless printouts. But the software tool AXIS Wireless Printing Utility will keep sending information until the printer is free.
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Q: How do I cancel a running print job?
A: Printing of any ongoing print job can be cancelled at the push of a button. Axis is promoting the need for ease of use when printing wirelessly in order for the technology to be perceived as user friendly. When printing from laptops, AXIS Wireless Printing Utility is used. The software enables printing over Bluetooth™ in a simple and intuitive way.
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Q: How do I know when I am within range to print?
A: AXIS Wireless Printing Utility will automatically scan for available Axis enabled Bluetooth™ printers and display these along with printer information, such as location and status.
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Q: Will wireless printing be slower than traditional ”wired” network printing?
A: This depends on the type of printer that is being used. Axis investigations show that when printing to a standard Laser printer, the total time from when the user starts the print job to when the printout is ready will not be longer. The time spent transporting the printing data wirelessly could, in some cases, be slower compared to high-speed wired Ethernet networks, but this is not normally where the bottleneck is. The most time spent is in the mechanisms of the printer, generating the printout.
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Q: Which printers will work with Mobile Printing?
A: Any printer equipped with an AXIS 5800+ Mobile or AXIS 5810 can be used. This means that existing printers in use today, can be used with a smaller additional cost of a Print Server.
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Q: What is required to print with Bluetooth™and AXIS 5800+ Mobile or AXIS 5810?
A: A “Profile” in Bluetooth™ is a definition of which functionality a product is capable of handling. AXIS 5800+ Mobile can print using the Axis Printing Profile (from AXIS Wireless Printing Utility), Serial Profile, Hard Copy Cable Replacement Profile and Object Push Profile. The printing method that gives users the most “Ease of Use” is by installing the AXIS Wireless Printing Utility.
Printing profiles using PC Cards (PCMCIA)
AXIS Wireless Printing Utility. This requires that the PC card is using Bluetooth™ Software Suite 1.09 or later. Examples: Toshiba, Motorola, IBM, Dell or NEC. The AXIS Wireless Printing
Utility software is delivered together with the print plug.
Or
Serial Profile (SPP): This requires some manual set-up of the Bluetooth™ connection using the respective PC card vendor’s software. Examples: TDK, Xircom, 3Com.
Or
Hardcopy Cable Replacement Profile (HCRP): This is the forthcoming standard for printing over Bluetooth™. Axis already today supports this (HCRP version 0.95).
As of today, no PC cards supports this yet.
Printing profiles using laptops with built-in Bluetooth™
AXIS Wireless Printing Utility: Works with Toshiba laptops with built-in Bluetooth™.
Printing profiles using other mobile devices
Mobile phones: Object Push Profile (OPP). Works with for example Ericsson phones R520, T39, T68.PDA/Handhelds: No direct printing method exists in the PDA operating systems (Palm, Pocket PC). There is some third-party software but Axis has not tested any specific solutions. In theory, a PDA with a Bluetooth™ connection that supports the Serial Profile (SPP) and third-party software that enables printing and the printer driver exists in the PDA, it could work with AXIS 5800+ Mobile.
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