This module connects your Odoo Point of Sale (POS) to your network ESC/POS printer through a simple print queue and a lightweight print agent. The process is seamless and efficient, ensuring smooth printing for receipts or kitchen orders.

Step-by-Step Overview:

1. User Action: The POS user clicks the 'Print Receipt' button.
2. Request Sent: The system sends the print request to the Print Agent, along with the printer’s IP address.
3. Job Created: Odoo creates a print job.
4. Print Agent Polling: The Print Agent checks for pending jobs from Odoo's backend.
5. Printing: The Print Agent decodes the image, formats it, and sends it to the ESC/POS printer.
6. Job Completion: The Print Agent updates the job status to 'completed'.

The Print Agent is a lightweight Python service that interacts with Odoo to send print jobs to your network-connected ESC/POS printer. Below is a detailed overview of the parameters and the flow:

Key Parameters:

Flow Overview:

1. POS User Action: The user clicks 'Print Receipt' in the Odoo POS.
2. Request Sent: The system sends the print request to the Print Agent, including the printer's IP address and job details.
3. Job Creation: Odoo creates a print job and marks it as pending.
4. Print Agent Polling: The Print Agent checks Odoo for any pending jobs using the provided API key and printer IP.
5. Printing: Once a job is found, the Print Agent decodes the print request and sends it to the connected ESC/POS printer.
6. Job Completion: After the print job is completed, the Print Agent updates the status.

Follow these steps to get started with the POS ESC/POS Print Agent:

1. Install the module: Install the module on your Odoo instance from the Apps section.
2. Configure POS: Navigate to Point of Sale → Configuration → Settings, enable the ESC/POS Printer option, and enter the printer's IP address in the provided field.
3. Create API Key: Go to Settings → Users & Companies → Users, select a POS user, and generate a new API key for that user. Copy the API key for later use.
4. Install Dependency: Install the necessary dependency for the Print Agent by running the following command in your terminal:

   pip3 install python-escpos

5. Run Print Agent: Start the Print Agent by running the following command, replacing the placeholders with your specific values:

   python3 print_agent.py \
     --odoo-url https://yourcompany.odoo.sh \
     --api-key YOUR_API_KEY \
     --printer-ip 192.168.x.x

6. Print Receipt: Once your setup is complete, start a POS session in Odoo and click Print Receipt. The Print Agent will automatically handle the printing process to your ESC/POS printer.

• Q: What happens if the printer goes offline?
  A: Print jobs will remain in a pending state and will be retried until successful, or you can clear them manually from the Odoo backend.
• Q: Can I run multiple printers with this setup?
  A: Yes, you can use separate POS configurations for each printer or run one Print Agent per printer with its own IP address.
• Q: Do I still need an IoT Box for printing?
  A: No, the Print Agent replaces the IoT Box, providing a direct connection between Odoo and your ESC/POS printer without the need for an additional hardware device.
• Q: Are my print jobs secure?
  A: Yes, print jobs are secured with API keys. Only authorized agents with valid API keys can fetch or update print jobs. We recommend using HTTPS for secure communication.
• Q: Can I use this with Odoo.sh if the agent is running on my network?
  A: Yes, you can run the Print Agent on any machine in your local network that can reach both the printer and the Odoo.sh instance.
• Q: Is self-hosted Odoo supported?
  A: Yes, this solution works with both self-hosted and cloud-hosted (Odoo.sh) Odoo instances, including Community and Enterprise editions.