jewett@mcnc.org (Rusty Ford Jewett) (01/04/89)
This is so frustrating! I recieved an Epson LX-800 printer for Christmas, and am trying to use it with a Tandy 1000A. The problem is that I get an extra line feed between every line I print. This first seems to be a mere dip switch problem, but I don't think it is. I have tried the dip switch that controls the carriage return/linefeed definition, but there is no effect. I did manage to do screen dumps using shift-printscreen by using a program that eliminates the extra line feed in DOS. I thought this was the cure, but in every program I have that supports the printer, a line feed appears. Since the majority of my computer time is spent making graphs, this is quite a problem. So, my question is: is the Epson printer at fault (with a faulty DIP switch), or is this a quirk arising from the use of a Tandy with a non-Tandy product? Any and all help will be greatly appreciated! Rusty (jewett@mcnc.org)
edlee@chinet.chi.il.us (Edward Lee) (01/04/89)
In article <3855@alvin.mcnc.org> jewett@mcnc.org (Rusty Ford Jewett) writes: >This is so frustrating! I recieved an Epson LX-800 printer for Christmas, >and am trying to use it with a Tandy 1000A. The problem is that I get an >extra line feed between every line I print. This first seems to be a mere >dip switch problem, but I don't think it is. I have tried the dip switch >that controls the carriage return/linefeed definition, but there is no effect. >I did manage to do screen dumps using shift-printscreen by using a program >that eliminates the extra line feed in DOS. [....] Stripping line feeds that go to the printer may solve the double-spacing. The printer probably expects a line to end with a Carriage Return, to which the printer will automatically add a Line Feed character. MS-DOS text files are usually terminated by a Carriage Return/Line Feed (CR/LF) pair of characters. The reason that pressing Shift-PrtSc works is that the screen image is outputted to the printer as the screen appears. The screen does not need to have Carriage Returns or Linefeeds on it when displaying text, because the purpose of those characters is to let the display device (e.g. terminal, printer, or computer connected to a monitor in this case) know when to stop printing characters on one line. It would be inefficient for a computer to actually display the CR/LF characters on the screen, so the computer is programmed not to do so. Non-MSDOS computers sometimes terminate a text line with only a Carriage Return, which saves one byte per each line (which adds up to a 100,000 byte savings in a 100,000-line text file), compared to ending each text line with the CR/LF character pair. Your printer probably defaults to receiving lines that are size-efficiently terminated with only a Carriage Return instead of with the size-inefficient Carriage Return/Line Feed pair. You can write a program to strip all the Line Feeds heading to the printer. However, it may be easier for you to change a dip switch or two in the printer to shut off auto-linefeeds. You suggested that your printer had such dip switches. If you didn't turn off the printer each time you changed its dip-switch settings, then that is what I suggest you do. Your printer only checks its dip switch settings immediately after it is turned on. So, if you change the dip switch settings while the printer is on, the printer will not know that you have changed the settings until you shut the printer off and turn it on again. -Ed L
toma@tekgvs.GVS.TEK.COM (Tom Almy) (01/05/89)
In article <3855@alvin.mcnc.org> jewett@mcnc.org (Rusty Ford Jewett) writes: >This is so frustrating! I recieved an Epson LX-800 printer for Christmas, >and am trying to use it with a Tandy 1000A. The problem is that I get an >extra line feed between every line I print. Historic background: Tandy (Radio Shack) operating systems used to use a single CR as the line delimiter. Therefore the printer had to be set up to do CR -> CRLF translation. So non-Tandy printers could be used, the computers grounded pin 14 of the printer, which (according to the Centronics interface "standard") does the translation. I expect that Tandy assumed purchasers of the new "IBM compatible" machines would want to use their existing Tandy printers, so they went and grounded pin 14 and relied on a software driver to do CRLF->CR conversion! The problem with this is that programs which bypass the DOS and drive the printer directly will send out CRLF pairs which cause an extra linefeed! The sane solution to this problem is: 1. Toss out the software driver (if I recall, it was loaded with the MODE command). 2. Cut the wire going to pin 14 of the printer. Then everything should work IBM fashion. Tom Almy toma@tekgvs.TEK.COM Standard Disclaimers Apply
jewett@mcnc.org (Rusty Ford Jewett) (01/05/89)
In article <3855@alvin.mcnc.org>, jewett@mcnc.org (Rusty Ford Jewett) writes: > This is so frustrating! I recieved an Epson LX-800 printer for Christmas, > and am trying to use it with a Tandy 1000A. The problem is that I get an > extra line feed between every line I print. This first seems to be a mere > dip switch problem, but I don't think it is. I have tried the dip switch > that controls the carriage return/linefeed definition, but there is no effect. > I did manage to do screen dumps using shift-printscreen by using a program > that eliminates the extra line feed in DOS. I thought this was the cure, but > in every program I have that supports the printer, a line feed appears. > Since the majority of my computer time is spent making graphs, this is quite > a problem. Regarding my previous posting: I have finally found the answer. It turns out that Tandy computers keep pin #14 high all the time (overriding any DIP switch settings on the printer). Epson printers see this and assume that the a carriage return means a carriage return and a line feed. The solution is to tape the contact between printer and cable, thereby losing this signal. I'm sure this has some side effect, but I'll live with it. Many thanks to Epson product support, and _0_ thanks to Tandy support (who were unable to help me, and blamed the problem on software). Thanks for your help. Rusty jewett@mcnc.org
ncsmith@ndsuvax.UUCP (Timothy Smith) (01/05/89)
I have had to work on a very early version of the Tandy 1000 with a Radio Shack printer, DP100 or something. It would also assume that a carriage return meant both CR and LF. To solve this a program was put onto the DOS dristribution disk which when run would fix the problem. The program was called lmode, I think. -- Tim Smith North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58105 UUCP: ...!uunet!ndsuvax!ncsmith | 90% of the people on this planet BITNET: ncsmith@ndsuvax.bitnet | are crazy and the rest of us are INTERNET: ncsmith@plains.NoDak.edu | in grave danger of contamination #! rnews
wcf@psuhcx.psu.edu (Bill Fenner) (01/06/89)
In article <3855@alvin.mcnc.org> jewett@mcnc.org (Rusty Ford Jewett) writes: |So, my question is: is the Epson printer at fault (with a faulty DIP switch), |or is this a quirk arising from the use of a Tandy with a non-Tandy product? It's Tandy's fault. I really wish I could kill some of their product designers. Anyway, pin 14 on the centronics connector is kept high by the Tandy, which tells the epson to ignore the DIP switch and always print a LF with a CR. The easiest way to solve this is to tape over pin 14 with a tiny piece of masking tape or cassette splicing tape (or something just as small.) Make sure you only get pin 14. Good luck! Bill -- Bitnet: wcf@psuhcx.bitnet Bill Fenner | "Ain't got no cash, Internet: wcf@hcx.psu.edu | Ain't got no style UUCP: {gatech,rutgers}!psuvax1!psuhcx!wcf | Ain't got no girls Fido: Sysop at 1:129/87 (814/238 9633) \hogbbs!wcf | To make me smile"
karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM ([Karl Denninger]) (01/06/89)
Regarding Tandy and printers..... Note that the Tandy 1000's have a command in their DOS called "LF". Typing "LF OFF" at the system level should solve the problem.... at least it does for the Tandy people we know! RTFM -- it's in there..... --- Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, ddsw1!karl) Data: [+1 312 566-8912], Voice: [+1 312 566-8910] Macro Computer Solutions, Inc. "Quality solutions at a fair price"
wcf@psuhcx.psu.edu (Bill Fenner) (01/10/89)
In article <[1057.3]karl@ddsw1.comp.ibmpc;1> karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM ([Karl Denninger]) writes: |Regarding Tandy and printers..... | |Note that the Tandy 1000's have a command in their DOS called "LF". Typing |"LF OFF" at the system level should solve the problem.... at least it does |for the Tandy people we know! | |RTFM -- it's in there..... Problem is, this doesn't fix the bozo programs which don't use DOS for printing. And why a software fix for a hardware problem? Why not be rid of the hardware problem in the first place... Bill -- Bitnet: wcf@psuhcx.bitnet Bill Fenner | "Ain't got no cash, Internet: wcf@hcx.psu.edu | Ain't got no style UUCP: {gatech,rutgers}!psuvax1!psuhcx!wcf | Ain't got no girls Fido: Sysop at 1:129/87 (814/238 9633) \hogbbs!wcf | To make me smile"
allbery@ncoast.UUCP (Brandon S. Allbery) (01/10/89)
As quoted from <7365@chinet.chi.il.us> by edlee@chinet.chi.il.us (Edward Lee): +--------------- | In article <3855@alvin.mcnc.org> jewett@mcnc.org (Rusty Ford Jewett) writes: | >This is so frustrating! I recieved an Epson LX-800 printer for Christmas, | >and am trying to use it with a Tandy 1000A. The problem is that I get an | >extra line feed between every line I print. This first seems to be a mere | | However, it may be easier for you to change a dip switch or two in the printer | to shut off auto-linefeeds. You suggested that your printer had such dip | switches. If you didn't turn off the printer each time you changed its | dip-switch settings, then that is what I suggest you do. Your printer | only checks its dip switch settings immediately after it is turned on. +--------------- Another possibility: One problem I have had hooking Epson printers to various computers is that Epsons tend to interpret one of the Centronics standard flow control lines (pin 14) as a signal which, when low (0 volts), causes the printer to force auto-linefeed regardless of programming or switch settings. I regard this to be a bug in Epson printers. (Epson evidently considers it to be a feature. Feh.) I don't know what you can do if this is the case, except to see if one of the switch settings disables the use of pin 14. ++Brandon -- Brandon S. Allbery, comp.sources.misc moderator and one admin of ncoast PA UN*X uunet!hal.cwru.edu!ncoast!allbery ncoast!allbery@hal.cwru.edu ncoast is registering as "ncoast.org" -- watch for the official announcement! Send comp.sources.misc submissions to comp-sources-misc@<backbone>.