Satellite v1 (Raspberry PI) - Setting up your Penny Black hardware

A guide to the initial setup of older Penny Black v1 Satellites with Epson inkjet printers

 

What is the Rasperry Pi Satellite?

Part of the Penny Black hardware set-up includes a Satellite. The satellite is a Raspberry Pi - a small, affordable computer about the size of a credit card - and comes in a case.

Connections

The Satellite(s) will be connected to: 

• Your warehouse's network either via Wifi or Ethernet cable.
• A power outlet
• The printer via an Ethernet cable connected to a USB-to-Ethernet Adaptor

Connection overview

The key components of the Penny Black set-up are the satellite and the printer

Materials

How to set up the hardware

• Plug in the satellite power supply (2) to the satellite (1)(usb-c)
• Plug in the USB-to-Ethernet adaptor (3) in the BLUE usb port (1)
• Plug in the Ethernet network cable (4) to the adaptor (3)
• OPTIONAL - Plug in the long network cable (5)(ethernet setups) to the satellite (1)
• Plug in Printer + Satellite (1) to power supply and press the switch on button of the printer
• Plug-in satellite ethernet cable (4) to your printer
• OPTIONAL - Plug in the long ethernet cable (5) to your internet access port
  
  

Network Setup

Make sure that the printer is set up for “Wired Setup” and not “Wifi Setup”:

Wired Setup✅

Wifi Setup❌

Our satellites are configured to support printers automatically being connected. However, we have seen that this automation can cause occasional connectivity issues where a printer is stuck with a wrong IP address, and so won’t work.

We therefore suggest that all printers using our default connectivity approach should be given a static IP address. This can be done at any time and requires no further satellite or software changes. Making this change should ensure a more robust connection between the satellite and the printer.

To change the network settings you must navigate through the menus as follows:

• Settings
• General Settings
• Network Settings
• Advanced
• TCP/IP

On the TCP/IP page you need to make the following changes

• Obtain OP Address -> Manual
• IP Address -> 192.168.42.101
• Subnet Mask -> 255.255.255.0
• Default Gateway -> 192.168.42.100
• DNS Server -> Manual
• Primary DNS -> 192.168.42.100
• Secondary DNS -> 8.8.8.8
• Hi the Start Setup button

Now back on the home page of the printer, you should confirm the IP address from the Network Connections Summary at the top: