[net.micro.pc] Serial Printer user on PC

igielski@mmm.UUCP (Tom Igielski) (12/03/85)

It seems that there is no standard DOS software available to drive a serial
printer off of one of the COM ports.  Within a short while, my printer
data buffer overruns, and I get garbage and lose characters.

Does anyone know if there is a way to drive a serial printer from DOS
(with the Print command).  I would be interested in any third party or
public domain software to do the job.

Thank you....

Tom Igielski

tj@utcs.uucp (tj) (12/05/85)

The problem lies in the handshaking.
DOS does none for you. AST superspool print spool software works
fine for this, it allows Xon/Xoff handshaking.

the other approach is to run the serial port at a speed that the printer
can keep up with. Slightly lower throughput but a vanilla solution.

t.jones

keifer@uiucdcs.CS.UIUC.EDU (12/06/85)

DOS 3.1 PRINT Command:

	PRINT filenames ...  /D:COM1

should do the trick if your printer handshaking is set up correctly.
Or, if you don't like that one, try

	MODE lpt1=com1

for the same effect.  (Assuming you're using COM1.)

	G. P. Seaburg
	Engineering Psychology Research Lab
	c/o K. Keifer
	Univ. of Illinois

bobm@hp-pcd.UUCP (bobm) (12/11/85)

        It's ugly, but...

        A cheap solution is to use a terminal emulator that can do a
        straight ASCII (i.e. non-protocol, except for XON/XOFF handshaking)
        "upload" to a host. I have used several emulators (VDTE, Kermit,
        PC 2622) as "printer drivers" to a HP LaserJet with no problem.
        But WHY doesn't the PC support serial devices better at the driver
        level?!?

        Bob May
        HP Portable Computer Division
        hplabs!hp-pcd!bobm
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From: bobm@hp-pcd.UUCP (bobm)
Newsgroups: net.micro.pc
Subject: Re: Serial Printer user on PC
Message-ID: <15200005@hpcvlo.UUCP>
Date: 11 Dec 85 18:09:00 GMT
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Nf-From: hpcvlo!bobm    Dec 11 10:09:00 1985


        It's ugly, but...

        A cheap solution is to use a terminal emulator that can do a
        straight ASCII (i.e. non-protocol, except for XON/XOFF handshaking)
        "upload" to a host. I have used several emulators (VDTE, Kermit,
        PC 2622) as "printer drivers" to a HP LaserJet with no problem.
        But WHY doesn't the PC support serial devices better at the driver
        level?!?

        Bob May
        HP Portable Computer Division
        hplabs!hp-pcd!bobm

hrs@homxb.UUCP (H.SILBIGER) (12/27/85)

I occasionally use the Brother EP44 typewriter as a printer
when I nedd real letter quality. It has a serial interface.
I had to call Brother to get the cable configuration, it's
has some strange strapping. It now works fine using the
print command on the PC.

When I used the Brother as a terminal, I just plugged it into
the modem and it workrd.

Herman Silbiger ihnp4!homxb!hrs