[net.micro.mac] Mac+,Brother Printer

lonetto@phri.UUCP (Michael Lonetto) (09/12/86)

Help!  I finally got a cable to connect my Mac+ to my Brother HR15XL
printer, now I get output like:

@Q@
@@@
@
@
@	@EC@@a@@@n and Ev@@u@@@n@R@E,  @s C@@a@@@n@sm @@@@n@@@R

for:

Creation and Evolution, is Creationism Science?
(underlined)

In general the formatting is about right, except for the lack of underlining,
some extra characters at beginning and ends of lines, and the single column 
of @'s at the left edge of the page.  I seem to be getting about half the 
correct characters, the rest are @'s.

This is using the Brother driver in MSWord, Dover 12 pt in character 
format, (not that the font should matter).

Printer Setup is 10 CPI, Brother printer, Printer port, I've tried 
9600 baud and 300 baud (changed for both printer setup and in 
the DIP switches on the back of the printer).  300 looks better.

In the Print dialog box: All pages, cut sheets.

The disc has ONLY the Brother driver on it (no imagewriter or laser 
in the system folder).

Cable is wired as follows:

Back of Mac+ connector,                   RS232 on printer end of
clockwise, starting at                    cable:
top middle:

2---------------------------------7
3---------------------------------3-4-5-6-8
4---------------------------------20
6---------------------------------2

No obvious shorts.

For the printer DIP switches I have Switch 1 all closed (US Ascii, 
11 inch paper) 

Switch 2:  I've tried:

#1 open and closed (auto linefeed on and off), on looks better (my @ symbols
aren't all on the same line at least)

#2 closed (no auto skip perforation)

#3 open and closed (data length: 8 bits and 7 bits)

#4 open and closed (parity:  even and odd)

all positions of 3 and 4 looked the same

#5-#7 baud rate: I've tried 300 and 9600

#8 closed (not used according to the manual)

If anyone has had similar problems (and solved them) or thinks they know what
is going on PLEASE SEND MAIL!  My dealer hasn't suggested anything I haven't
tried, except to try 600 baud (I'll try it when I get home, but I'm not 
expecting much).  What am I doing wrong?


Michael Lonetto    UUCP:(allegra!phri!lonetto) 
USMAIL: Public Health Research Institute, 455 1st Ave, NY, NY 10016