[fa.laser-lovers] Imagen 8/300 accounting

laser-lovers@uw-beaver (01/11/85)

From: Mike Caplinger <mike@rice.ARPA>

Am I correct in assuming that the current (30 Nov) release of the 4.2
spooling software for the Imagen 8/300 doesn't do accounting through
the Ethernet protocol?  As far as I can tell, only the Sequenced Packet
Protocol does accounting.

If there is no accounting for the Ethernet, is it worth writing it?
The SSP gets the page count back from the printer at the end of a job,
rather than examining the job before sending it to the printer.  Since
the Ethernet code in the printer doesn't send back such status, it
seems like it will be necessary to examine the printer input.

	- Mike

laser-lovers@uw-beaver (01/13/85)

From: Robert Morris <ram%vax2.uucp%umass-boston.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa>

I too have thought about accounting on ethernet imagen printers.
In our application we send a lot of bit maps and our own fonts down,
so that the beginning of page command byte can in fact occur 
in other contexts than just BOP. 
Indeed, since we demand load the character bitmaps, the offending
byte can appear anywhere in a document even without a big
bitmap graphic.
Hence I would have to virtually
write an Impress interpreter, or some part of one, to count
correctly. For me, better to wait until Imagen sends
page count in all communications modes. It's probably a very low
priority issue for them, but casual conversation with Imagen
convinces me that they mean to do it one of these days.