Hi Guys is it possible for me to hook up a little receipt printer to the rs232 port and have it print what is on the screen of my panel?.
First of all, here is the document I will be referencing in this post: http://www.columbusfire.net/support/PDF/7100%20Manual.pdf
J3 on the main board (BSM) is an RS-232 port, as you mentioned. It is not a standard serial port, so a different cable is required to connect. I cannot think of what that exact style of port is called at the moment, but it should be found with enough research.
To operate a printer on this port, a Printer Transient Module should be installed to provide protection against “noise” and transient spikes on the data line. This would also be used to satisfy codes applicable to cables leaving the panel can, but on a hobby system this really doesn’t matter.
The compatible printer for the 7100 is the PRN-7. Manual available here: Gamewell-FCI | Honeywell Building Technologies. I’m not going to go into total and complete details unless really need be. That is up to you. If you do get everything set up , the panel history can be sent to the printer using the “Print Log” command in the LOG section of the Main programming menu.
All of this equipment will be difficult to find, and of course will probably be quite expensive. You must also be careful of any proprietary set-up procedures or codes you may run across. Once again, not going to hand-sort everything. This is up to you. As for the little receipt printer you originally asked about, if it is not a compatible device for the panel there is an almost certain chance it will not work and will only cause damage.
If you’re up for all of this, go for it! I think it would actually be pretty cool if someone could get something like this operating 