nopuklic@ndsuvax.UUCP (Blayne Puklich) (04/27/88)
I am having problems with my ImageWriter LQ, and I'm wondering if it's a hardware or software problem. Almost every application that I have at times tells me that the LQ is not connected when in fact it is because the darn thing is right next to me and I can see it (whew). I have the problem with word processing applications, MPW, and others. Is anybody else having the same alert box pop up on them? It is random as heck and occurs at the start, finsh, or middle of a print job. I have version 1.0 of the driver for the LQ. Could that be my problem? I'm almost positive that the cable I'm using is good, since it's new and I've even tried another one. Also, when trying to print using MPW, MPW claims that the command "print -q DRAFT <filename>" works only with ImageWriters. The LQ is one, right? I'd sure like to print long listings at draft rather that the HIGH quality the stupid thing does now. Anyone else who uses MPW have the same problem? Am I missing something? Help me before I throw the damn thing out the window. ||+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++|| || Blayne Puklich ndsuvax!nopuklic || || NDSU Student ACM use this-> NU087763@NDSUVM1 || || Chairperson North Dakota State University. Fargo, ND || || || || "Everyone should have a Corvette, I think." || ||-------------------------------------------------------------------------||
ric@arizona.edu (Ric Anderson) (05/05/88)
I have seen this exact problem on an ImageWrite LQ here that is directly (as opposed to AppleTalk) connected to a MAC-II. The messages is annoying, but so far I have not seen any evidence of lost data on the print. I did some poking with a line monitor, and discovered the MAC asks for a "SELF-ID" from the printer at start AND end of job. If the end of job response is not back in a very short time (around 4 seconds) the Mac puts up the message. The response always comes, but never until the printer finishes processing the buffer full of data ahead of the SELF-ID request. This usually takes 15 seconds or so if the buffer is nearly full. The Mac is much more patient if the printer is hooked up to the "modem port"; it will wait darn near forever for the SELF-ID response at end of job on the modem port. If your modem port is free, you might try moving the printer to that port and selecting it via Chooser. We don't have MPW, so I don't know what its problem is. BTW: The Self ID request gets a response of the form "LQ<options><CR>". Options is a tring of 1 or more ascii characters, which is comes out as "LQ1<CR>" for an LQ with no options installed. The "Apple LQ ImageWriter Reference" (Addison Wesley) discusses this in detail. Let me know what window you throw yours out of; I may want to use it myself.