StarKitchenDemo (SP742 WPF, .NET 8)

WPF desktop app for Star Micronics SP742 (SP700 series) over Ethernet on Windows 11. It prints an endless stream of news (RSS) and/or a stored logo image, can cut, (optionally) beep via the DK port, shows online/offline status, and includes a fun rhythm mode that “plays” the printer (impact/feeds/cutter/buzzer).

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Features

• ✅ Connect to SP742 over TCP/IP (Ethernet)
• ✅ Endless News feed (RSS)
• ✅ Endless Logo printing (using printer’s NV logo slot)
• ✅ Auto-cut toggle with configurable feed lines (avoid slicing through text)
• ✅ Beep (internal buzzer if present; otherwise DK pulse for external buzzer/drawer)
• ✅ Online/Offline indicator
• ✅ Rhythm mode (pattern + BPM, uses fast command path)
• ✅ Crash logging to %LOCALAPPDATA%\StarKitchenDemo\error.log

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Requirements

• Windows 11
• .NET 8 SDK (CLI + runtime) — verify with:

  dotnet --version

• Star SP742 (SP700 series) connected to your LAN with a static IP
• Optional: an external DK buzzer or cash drawer on the RJ-11/RJ-12 DK port (many SP742 units have no internal buzzer)

NuGet dependencies (already in the project)

• StarMicronics.StarIO.Desktop 2.12.0
• StarMicronics.StarIOExtension.Desktop 1.10.0
• System.ServiceModel.Syndication 9.0.9
• System.Threading.Channels **9.0.9`

You may see NU1701 warnings because the Star packages target .NET Framework. They work fine with net8.0-windows.

##Build & Run (VS Code or PowerShell) From the project root:

dotnet restore
dotnet build
dotnet run

If you want to run the EXE directly (keeps your terminal free):

.\bin\Debug\net8.0-windows\StarKitchenDemo.exe

Using the app

• Printer IP/Host → enter your SP742 IP (e.g., 192.168.1.50) → Connect.
• You should see Connected and a green dot when online.
• Beep: Will only be audible if your printer has an internal beeper or you have an external DK buzzer/drawer connected. (We also send a drawer pulse to trigger external buzzers.
• Cut: Cuts the paper immediately.
• Endless News: Set an RSS URL (e.g., BBC News feed).
• Endless $ Image (Logo): Use Star’s utility to store your image into Logo Slot 1 (printer NV memory).
• Auto-cut after each item.
• Rhythm (experimental): Legend: X = impact (print "*"), F = feed 1 line, C = cut, D = drawer pulse (buzzer), -/space = rest.

Installing dependencies manually (if you ever need to)

dotnet add package StarMicronics.StarIO.Desktop --version 2.12.0
dotnet add package StarMicronics.StarIOExtension.Desktop --version 1.10.0
dotnet add package System.ServiceModel.Syndication --version 9.0.9
dotnet add package System.Threading.Channels --version 9.0.9

Create a distributable build (folder):

dotnet publish -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained false