dave@wucs1.wustl.edu (David T Mitchell III) (06/14/90)
I've got an application that requires a *bunch* of printing. I'd really like to do everything on a pc (486 probably), but need some kind of monster laser printer: got to dump 50k images, about one every 1.5-2 seconds! Anybody ever thought about doing something like this? Perhaps a bank of printers? What kinds of printers are available for connecting to a pc (and, of course, can the pc keep up)? one more thing--cost is not a big object. thanks! dave dave@wucs1.wustl.edu
hst@mh_co2.mh.nl (Klaas Hemstra) (06/15/90)
From article <1990Jun13.200117.19179@cec1.wustl.edu>, by dave@wucs1.wustl.edu (David T Mitchell III): > I've got an application that requires a *bunch* of printing. I'd > really like to do everything on a pc (486 probably), but need some > kind of monster laser printer: got to dump 50k images, about one > every 1.5-2 seconds! Well, we had to make a offer for a post-conversion office once. In there they would have to print a lot of telex messages for transfer with FAX machines. There was also the trouble of printing. First there is the question of the printer command language. The best is that the printer can be adressed with some kind of compressed data format. The new HP III can be adressed with RLE compressed graphics data. But then the printing speed !, Most printers will not do more then 8 pages/min. Big laser printers are also expensive. And then there's the problem of sending the amount of data you are talking about. Mostly those big laserprinters are good in printing multi copies, but images ? Of course you can connect multiple printers to an 486. Run unix. With 50K/ image you should use parallel interfaces though. Just some comments, Klaas Klaas Hemstra (hst@mh.nl) | / / ,~~~ ~~/~~ uucp: ..{uunet!}hp4nl!mh.nl!hst | /--/ `-, / ___ |_/ |__| Multihouse N.V., Gouda, the Netherlands | / / ___/ / --- | \ | | "Most of us mindreaders are atheist, you know" A song for Lya: George Martin
brown@vidiot.UUCP (Vidiot) (06/16/90)
In article <1990Jun13.200117.19179@cec1.wustl.edu> dave@wucs1.wustl.edu (David T Mitchell III) writes:
<I've got an application that requires a *bunch* of printing. I'd
<really like to do everything on a pc (486 probably), but need some
<kind of monster laser printer: got to dump 50k images, about one
<every 1.5-2 seconds!
I have no idea why you want to go this fast. But that is a transfer rate
of 25K/sec (40 microsec per byte [if the 50k is in bytes]). That leaves out
serial ports. I don't know the max transfer rate of the parallel port.
The 486 should be able to keep up.
But, a laser printer that can handle 50k in 2 seconds and print it is going
to be tough. I don't know of any printers that can receive and print 50k
worth of data in 2 seconds.
If it does exist, it must be expensive.
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