Ken,

>> I spent the better part of three days trying to get our POS app
>> to operate a cash drawer with an Epson thermal receipt printer.

Finally after a long long time Epson provides a printer Driver as well as a DLL to directly call the printer API. In earlier times You could send esc-sequences to the Printer directly. However all modern Printer-drivers filter the data and do not allow certain combinations. What You needed where TextOnly-Printer-drivers that were available the latest for Win NT4.0 and aaaaawfully buggy.

With the new Printer-Drivers a special TrueType-Font will be installed installed. this system-font allows to open the drawer, cut the paper and thelike.

This can be done easily by printing an "A" with that font.

Check the Epson-Website for the drivers. They have their own webSite for the POS-Stuff. check out http://www.epson-pos.com. Last time I needed something, I found they had an awful download policy (You almost need to drop You pants, everytime You need to download a file). But maybe that has changed.

HTH

Frank