Troubleshooting Star TSP143IV UE (network and USB) with Seamless POS

Troubleshooting Star TSP143IV UE (network and USB) with Seamless POS

1. What this guide covers

This article helps you resolve printing issues with the Star Micronics TSP143IV UE when used with Seamless POS.

The TSP143IV UE can work:

• As a network printer over Ethernet

• As a USB printer to an iPad

We will cover:

• LED status lights (Power, Error, Network)

• Basic hardware checks

• Network and IP checks for LAN printing

• USB checks for direct-connected printing

• SeamlessPOS back office configuration: printers and print streams

The LED patterns are based on the TSP100IV / TSP143IV manual.

2. Quick checklist

When your TSP143IV-UE is not printing:

1. Check power and lights

   • Is the printer on

   • What are the Power, Error and Network LEDs doing (see tables below)

2. Check paper and cover

   • Correct thermal roll loaded, cover fully closed

   • Press FEED to check paper advances

3. Run a self-test

   • Turn the printer off

   • Hold the FEED button

   • Turn the printer on while holding FEED

   • Release when it starts printing

     
     For a network printer, the self-test will show the current IP address and MAC address, which you will need later.

4. Decide how it is connected

   • If the Network LED is in use and you have an Ethernet cable, treat it as a LAN printer

   • If it is connected directly to an iPad by cable, treat it as a USB printer

5. Check Seamless POS on the iPad

   • Open Seamless POS

   • Go to Settings → Printers / Hardware

   • Confirm the Star printer appears, is connected, and is assigned to the device

6. Check Seamless POS back office

   • In the back office, check Menu → Printing / Print streams

   • Make sure the TSP143IV-UE is added as a printer, and assigned to the correct print streams for receipts and kitchen tickets

3. Understanding the TSP143IV-UE status lights

The TSP143IV UE has three LEDs:

• Power LED (blue) - on the left

• Error LED (red) - in the middle

• Network LED (green) - on the right

3.1 Power and Error LEDs - general printer status

3.2 Serious error patterns

If Power and Error blink together in a regular pattern, or the Error light is solid with no Power light, this indicates a hardware fault such as:

• Power supply problem

• Sensor or memory error

Steps:

1. Turn the printer off for 10 seconds and back on.

2. Try a different socket or power strip.

3. If the same pattern repeats, contact your hardware supplier.

3.3 Network LED - Ethernet status

These patterns tell you about the LAN connection:

If the Network LED is off or blinking and your printer is meant to be on the network, focus on the network troubleshooting section below.

4. Hardware checks

4.1 Power and placement

• Check the power switch and confirm the blue Power LED is on

• Avoid multi-way adaptors that are heavily loaded

• Keep the printer on a stable, ventilated surface away from heat and splashes

4.2 Paper and cutter

1. Open the lid and check for jammed paper near the cutter.

2. Remove any torn pieces and reload the roll correctly.

3. Close the cover until it clicks.

4. Turn the printer off, then back on to clear a cutter error.

5. Network troubleshooting (LAN mode)

Use this section if your TSP143IV-UE is connected with an Ethernet cable and you expect to print over the network.

5.1 Check the basic network link

1. Confirm the Ethernet cable is plugged into:

   • The printer

   • A router, switch or wall port you know is live

2. Check the LEDs:

   1. Power solid, Network solid - link is up

   2. Power solid, Network off - cable or port issue

   3. Power solid, Network blinking fast - printer cannot get an IP address

3. Try another cable and another port on your router or switch if needed.

5.2 Compare IP addresses

1. Print a self-test page to get the printer IP address (see section 2).

2. On the iPad:

   • Open Settings → Wi-Fi

   • Tap the info icon next to the current network and note the iPad’s IP address

3. Compare the first three numbers of the addresses:

   • If the first three numbers are different (for example 192.168.0.x and 192.168.3.x) then the iPad and printer are on different networks. Connect the iPad to the same network as the printer or ask your network specialist for help.

   • If the first three numbers match (for example 10.1.10.x and 10.1.10.x) they are likely on the same network, continue below.

5.3 Check the printer settings in the SeamlessPOS back office

In the SeamlessPOS back office:

1. Go to Settings → Printing / Printers.

2. Open the Star TSP143IV-UE printer.

3. Make sure:
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   • The IP address matches the IP on the printer self-test

   • Alternatively, if Seamless supports hardware / MAC address, enter that instead (this can make things more stable)

Where possible, ask your network provider to:

• Either reserve the printer IP in DHCP

• Or give the printer a static IP

This avoids the IP changing, which is a common cause of LAN printers suddenly going “offline”.

5.4 Final checks

• Restart the printer

• Restart the router if there are wider network issues

• Restart the iPad and reload the SeamlessPOS app

Then try printing a test receipt from SeamlessPOS.

6. USB troubleshooting (direct connection)

If the TSP143IV-UE is connected directly to an iPad by USB:

1. Cable quality

   • Use a good quality, preferably Apple-certified, cable and adaptor

   • Try another cable if printing is intermittent

2. Keep it simple

   • Avoid connecting the printer through a USB hub where possible

   • If you use a hub, ensure power is sufficient and try a direct connection as a test

3. Seamless POS app

   • On the iPad, open SeamlessPOS

   • Go to Settings → Printers / Hardware

   • Confirm:

     • The Star printer appears and is marked as connected

     • It is assigned to this POS device / register

4. Test print from Seamless POS

   • Use the test print option in the printer settings (if available)

   • If the self-test prints but the Seamless test does not, it is almost always configuration rather than hardware.

7. Back office print streams and routing

In the Seamless POS back office:

1. Go to Menu → Printing / Print streams.

2. For each print stream (for example Receipts, Kitchen, Bar):

   • Confirm the TSP143IV-UE is selected as the printer where required

   • Check which POS devices / registers and order types are linked to each stream

Common misconfigurations:

• Receipts go to a kitchen printer instead of the TSP143IV-UE

• Certain items never print because the stream is not assigned

• A printer is active on the network but not assigned to any stream

After changes, reload the POS devices (or restart the Seamless app) so new settings take effect.

8. When to escalate

Contact SeamlessPOS support or your hardware supplier if:

• The printer shows serious LED error patterns even after power cycling and checking cabling

• Self-test will not print

• You have confirmed:
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  • Network IPs are correct or USB is known good

  • The printer appears correctly in SeamlessPOS and the back office

  • Print streams are correctly assigned

Provide:

• Photos or a short video of the LED pattern

• A photo of the latest self-test page

• A screenshot of the printer configuration in the Seamless POS back office