NETOPRJW@NCSUVM.BITNET (09/16/89)
Recently, I get a C.ITOH C310 serial printer. I have a EPSON RX-80
printer before, which was a parallel printer, I got used to it. Now I have
problems:
1. Evenif I connect the serial printer to the serial port, it still
doesn't work. My machine have two serial port, Com1 is for the modem, Com2
is for the printer. (Actually, I am not sure.)
2. What's the advantage of serial printer vs parallel printer?
3. Does anyone have a C.ITOH C310 serial printer manual and be kind
enough to give me a copy?
4. Should I mess up with DOS to set up the printer mode? How? Why is
there the serial printers if we have so much trouble to use them. Can I use
the serial printer as a parallel printer, i.e. Can I make this C.ITOH C310
compitable with my ESPON RX-80 parallel printer ($749.00 Vs $299.00 value)?
I tried to call the company at phone number of 1(800)423-0300 and 1(213)
327-2110, but the phone has been disconnected. Thanks advancely for everyone
who wants to help.
Jeff Wang
North Carolina State Universitycs4g6ag@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca (Stephen M. Dunn) (09/17/89)
In article <946NETOPRJW@NCSUVM> NETOPRJW@NCSUVM.BITNET writes:
$ 1. Evenif I connect the serial printer to the serial port, it still
$doesn't work. My machine have two serial port, Com1 is for the modem, Com2
$is for the printer. (Actually, I am not sure.)
Your printer and your serial port have to be configured the same way - i.e.
same number of data bits, stop bits, same parity, AND THE SAME SPEED. Make
sure this is the case.
As for which serial port is which, well, as long as you tell your software
which COM port has the modem and which one has the printer, there will be
no problem.
$ 2. What's the advantage of serial printer vs parallel printer?
As far as I'm concerned, absolutely none. Obviously, the throughput of a
serial printer will be less than that of a parallel one (how much less depends
on the baud rate and, to a certain extent, on what you're printing).
$ 4. Should I mess up with DOS to set up the printer mode? How? Why is
$there the serial printers if we have so much trouble to use them. Can I use
$the serial printer as a parallel printer, i.e. Can I make this C.ITOH C310
$compitable with my ESPON RX-80 parallel printer ($749.00 Vs $299.00 value)?
You'll pretty well have to use the DOS MODE command to set up your serial
port's parameters (as mentioned in the answer to 1 above); see the DOS manual
for details on this.
Once you get it all set up correctly, a serial printer is no more of a
problem than a parallel one (other than throughput, of course). As for
compatibility, you're looking at two entirely different problems:
a) serial vs. parallel - I'm not familiar with the C.Itoh printer, so I
don't know if you can convert it to a parallel printer
b) C.Itoh C310 command set vs. pson RX-80 command set - the control codes
used by the C.Itoh to control such things as boldfacing, underlining,
and graphics may or may not be the same as those used by the Epson.
If they're not the same (and I can't tell you, having never worked with
this particular printer), there's really nothing you can do to make
the C.Itoh emulate an Epson. You'll have to reconfigure your software
to use the C.Itoh instead of the Epson (no big deal, if your software
lists the C310 as a printer option).
--
Stephen M. Dunn cs4g6ag@maccs.McMaster.CA
**********************************************************************
<std_disclaimer.h> = "\nI'm only an undergraduate!!!\n";
"VM is like an orgasm: the less you have to fake, the better." - S.C.16012_3045@uwovax.uwo.ca (Paul Gomme) (09/18/89)
In article <25130607.21586@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca>, cs4g6ag@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca (Stephen M. Dunn) writes: > In article <946NETOPRJW@NCSUVM> NETOPRJW@NCSUVM.BITNET writes: > $ 2. What's the advantage of serial printer vs parallel printer? > > As far as I'm concerned, absolutely none. Obviously, the throughput of a > serial printer will be less than that of a parallel one (how much less depends > on the baud rate and, to a certain extent, on what you're printing). Actually, there is one: a serial printer can be located physically farther from the system unit than a parallel printer can. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bitnet: gomme@uwovax.bitnet gomme@uwovax.uwo.ca Internet: gomme@uwo.ca
nfs0294@dsacg1.UUCP (Glendell R. Midkiff) (09/19/89)
From article <946NETOPRJW@NCSUVM>, by NETOPRJW@NCSUVM.BITNET: > 3. Does anyone have a C.ITOH C310 serial printer manual and be kind > enough to give me a copy? > I have a C.ITOH C315 which is the wide carriage version of the C310. Mine is set up as parallel and emulates epson or ibm proprinter. I don't have my manual here at work. I will be out of town the rest of this week, but if you do not find anything, get in touch with me next week and I will see what I can find out for you. To be honest, I was not aware that it could be set up as a serial printer. -- |-----------------------------------------------------------------------| |Glen Midkiff osu-cis!dsacg1!gmidkiff | |From the Internet: gmidkiff@dsacg1.dla.mil | |Phone: (614)-238-9643 @DLA, Systems Automation Center, Columbus, Oh. |
wek@point.UUCP (Bill Kuykendall) (09/21/89)
> 1. Evenif I connect the serial printer to the serial port, it still >doesn't work. My machine have two serial port, Com1 is for the modem, Com2 >is for the printer. (Actually, I am not sure.) Assuming you use COM1 for your printer, add the following commands to your autoexec.bat file: MODE COM1:9600,N,8,1 MODE LPT1=COM1 Reboot your machine and then send a text file to the printer with the command: COPY AUTOEXEC.BAT PRN 9600 baud is the fastest speed that you can set up the port for with DOS. That is likely to be the way your printer is configured already. If you can't get documentation for the printer switches and you get gibberish when you print with the above settings, there could be 2 problems. If some of the characters are readable (and the text you sent!) the parity is wrong. Change 'N,8,1' above to 'E,7,1'. If none of it is readable, the speed is wrong. Change '9600' above to one of the following: '4800|2400|1200|300'. You can type the MODE command interactively at the 'DOS prompt while testing; then put it in your autoexec.bat file when you get it right. MODE, by the way, is MODE.COM, and is found on your 'DOS disk. (on a hard disk, your dos files should be in a subdirectory that is included in your path) Once you get the printer working as above, you may still have to configure your software to use different printer control codes if any of your programs were using bold, underline, etc features of the Epson.