matt@csd4.milw.wisc.edu (Matthew D Tarnowski) (06/16/88)
NOTE: My brother is posting this message for me from his account since I
don't have an account of my own at this moment. I will be able to
read the replys to this message, or if you prefer you can send him
mail, (matt@csd4.milw.wisc.edu) but please put "to TIM" in the subject
line. Thanks.
Anyhow, this is my problem. I'm trying to use an IBM PC as a print
spooler between a DEC PDP-11/70 and a line printer at a remote site running
at 4800 baud. I'd like to be able to get all my print jobs transmitted
overnight. Too often, the paper jams or the printer runs out of paper and
we end up sending the print jobs out to our remote site all morning long. This
is slowing down the system and using up bandwidth.
What I need is a PC with a good sized hard disk and software that
will take input from one serial port, and send it out another one at 4800 or
9600 baud. It should write all the information to disk and delete it after
printing. If the printer goes off-line for any reason, the PC should continue
accepting data from the PDP until the hard disk is full. The print spooler
should be able to reckognize breaks between print jobs perhaps by means of a
header or trailer page.
This was my solution which almost works. (not quite though 8^( )
-PROCOMM to handle input from the PDP with printer logging set on.
-PRINTQ to handle saving of information on disk and controlling the actual
printing.
-I set up PRINTQ to close the open print file after 25 seconds of no activity.
-I created a command file for PROCOMM to look for a special string that we
put out in a header file. When the string is found, PROCOMM pauses
for 30 seconds. This will cause PRINTQ to close a print file and open
a new one each time the header file is encountered.
-PRINTQ intercepts everything that is sent to the printer and puts it out to
the hard disk. Then, it sends the information to the printer deleting
it after the entire print file has been printed.
All of this works the way it should, EXCEPT..... I lose a few characters
every now and then. Usually, I only seem to lose characters when PRINTQ is
actually printing something. If I take the printer off-line, I seem to get
everything OK. Obviously, PRINTQ is stealing time from PROCOMM to do its
work so that PROCOMM gets a little bit lost.
AARGH!!!!
So my question is:
a) Is there a nice software package that I can buy that will do what I want?
b) OR, Is the problem in PROCOMM and should I use another package (I don't
need terminal emulation, only XON/XOFF protocol)?
c) OR, Is the problem in DOS when trying to send and recieve at 4800 baud
at the same time?
d) OR, can I buy a "smart port" of some kind that will handle the buffering
of the input port so that characters don't get lost?
Well, enough rambling for now...Any and all suggestions are welcome
TIM
Timothy J. Tarnowski
**** No net address of my own 8^( ***
==============================================================================
matt@csd4.milw.wisc.edu (Actually MY name is Tim)
#define STD_DISCLMR "The statements above are the expression of hallucinations
brought by to much Mountain Dew and to many Snickers bars while
sitting at the terminal. These statements don't reflect the views
of anyone but myself, and I don't know what I'm talking about."