Videojet — Zipher Text Communications Protocol Example.md

🚀 [#SCADA LANGUAGE] Videojet DataFlex 6420 — Zipher Text Communications Protocol Example

This README demonstrates how to communicate with a Videojet printer using the Zipher Text Communications Protocol, as detailed in the official documentation:

📄 Protocol PDF: Zipher Text Coms Protocol v1.21

---

🔧 Purpose

This code:

• Establishes a TCP socket connection to a Videojet printer
• Sends commands to retrieve machine and recipe status (GST and GJD)
• Parses the response
• Updates internal values with the printer's status and recipe info

---

🧠 Full Commands Table

Command	Name	Min Version
SEL	Job Select (sequential fields)	1
SLA	Job Select (named fields)	1
JDU	Job Data Update (sequential fields)	1
JDA	Job Data Update (named fields)	1
PRN	Print	1
SST	Set printer state	1
GST	Get printer state	1
CAF	Clear All Faults	1
PML	PackML commands and requests	1
SLI	Job Select with Allocation	2
JDI	Job Data Update with Allocation	2
GPC	Get Counts	2
SPC	Set Counts	2
LAS	Line Assignment	3
LDU	Line Data Update	3
LSL	Line Select	3
CLN	Clear Line	3
SLN	Stop Line	3
IJS	Interactive Job Selection	4
CQI	Clear Queue Item	4
GTD	Get Time And Date	5
TAD	Set Time And Date	5
GAN	Get async notification enable map	6
SAN	Set async notification enable map	6
EAN	Enable all async notifications	6
DAN	Disable all async notifications	6
DPN	Disable print notifications	6
SNO	Enable/Disable a Single Notification	6
CAW	Clear All Warnings	6
CEM	Clear error (Fault or Warning)	6
GFT	Get current Faults	6
GWN	Get current Warnings	6
STS	Async current overall status	6
ERS	Async current error status	6
JOB	Async current job details	6
PRS	Async print start	6
PRC	Async print complete	6
OUT	Async output changes	6
QSZ	Get update queue size and status	6
GJN	Get selected job name and line	6
GJL	Get Job List	7
GJF	Get Job Field List	7
GJD	Get Current Job Data	7
CMD	Perform printer specific command	8
SPD	Set Print Density (2300 or later)	9/10
GPD	Get Print Density (2300 or later)	9/10
SHD	Serialisation Header and Data	11
SHO	Serialisation Header Only	11
SDO	Serialisation Data Only	11
SCF	Serialisation Change Field Data	11
SRC	Serialisation Record Count	11
SCB	Serialisation Clear Buffer	11
SID	Serialisation Indexed Data	11
SFS	Serialisation Free Space	11
SNI	Serialisation Next Record Index	11
SLR	Serialisation Last Record Index	11
SMR	Serialisation Set Max Records	11
SGM	Serialisation Get Max Records	11
SED	Set Encoder Direction	11
GED	Get Encoder Direction	11
GCL	Get Consumable Levels	11
DFS	Determine Free Space	11

---

🧠 Commands Used

Command	Description
GST	Get status information
GJD	Get job data / recipe info

Each command ends with CR (carriage return, ASCII 13).

---

🧑‍💻 Sample Code

dim Separator[1] as System.String;
dim splittedString[50] as string;
dim msg[50] as System.Byte;
dim receivedStatus[1024] as System.Byte;
dim receivedStatusString as string;
dim overallState as string;
dim errorState as string;
dim currentRecipe as string;
dim batchCount as string;
dim totalCount as string;
dim recipesCount as integer;
dim recipeIndex as integer;

try

    ' ### POSSIBLE SOCKET CREATION ###
    if (ClientSocket == null) then
        ClientSocket = new System.Net.Sockets.Socket(
            System.Net.Sockets.AddressFamily.InterNetwork,
            System.Net.Sockets.SocketType.Stream,
            System.Net.Sockets.ProtocolType.TCP
        );
        ClientSocket.SendTimeout = 2500;
        ClientSocket.ReceiveTimeout = 10000;
    endif;

    ' ### SOCKET OPENING ###
    if (not ClientSocket.Connected) then
        ClientSocket.Connect(YOUR-IP-ADDRESS, YOUR-TCP-PORT);
    endif;

    if (ClientSocket.Connected) then
        Separator[1] = "|";

        ' ### READING MACHINE STATUS ###
        msg = System.Text.Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes("GST" + StringChar(13));
        ClientSocket.Send(msg, System.Net.Sockets.SocketFlags.None);
        ClientSocket.Receive(receivedStatus[], 0, 1024, System.Net.Sockets.SocketFlags.None);
        receivedStatusString = System.Text.Encoding.ASCII.GetString(receivedStatus[]);
        splittedString = System.Convert.ToString(receivedStatusString).Split(Separator, System.StringSplitOptions.None);

        overallState = splittedString[2];
        errorState = splittedString[3];
        currentRecipe = splittedString[4];
        batchCount = splittedString[5];
        totalCount = splittedString[6];

        ' ### READING RECIPE PARAMETERS ###
        msg = System.Text.Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes("GJD" + StringChar(13));
        ClientSocket.Send(msg, System.Net.Sockets.SocketFlags.None);
        ClientSocket.Receive(receivedStatus[], 0, 1024, System.Net.Sockets.SocketFlags.None);
        receivedStatusString = System.Text.Encoding.ASCII.GetString(receivedStatus[]);
        splittedString = System.Convert.ToString(receivedStatusString).Split(Separator, System.StringSplitOptions.None);

        Me.DueDate = splittedString[3].Replace("Campo00 =", "");
        Me.lot = "L" + splittedString[5].Replace("Campo03 =", "");

        ' ### SOCKET CLOSING ###
        if (ClientSocket.Connected) then ClientSocket.Close(); endif;

        if (overallState == 3) then
            if (errorState <> 0) then
                Me.HMI.status = 3; ' Running with alarms
            else
                Me.HMI.status = 2; ' Running normally
            endif;
        elseif (overallState == 4) then
            Me.HMI.status = -1; ' Error state
        else
            Me.HMI.status = 0; ' Idle or unknown
        endif;

        Me.HMI.recipes = System.String.Format("{0} {1}", Me.lot, Me.DueDate);
    endif;

catch
    LogError(error);
    Me.HMI.status = -1;
    Me.HMI.recipes = "";
endtry;

if (ClientSocket <> null) then
    ClientSocket.Dispose();
    ClientSocket = null;
endif;

---

📚 Reference

Videojet Zipher Text Coms Protocol v1.21
View PDF