[comp.sys.apollo] postcript file to postcript printer

barichel@cs.umn.edu (Carlos Barichello) (09/19/90)

I am working with a DN3500.  
I want to cat a postcript file to a postcript printer.
I hooked up the printer cable to the P2 plug of my DN3500.
I then did
	cat file.ps > /dev/sio2
where file.ps is a postcript file.  Nothing happened.  I also
tried /dev/sio, /dev/sio1, and others.  Nothing.  

I know that the above done with a sun (using tty instead of sio) would
work.  I was hoping it would with an Apollo.

Any hints?

Carlos Barichello
barichel@cs.umn.edu

krowitz@RICHTER.MIT.EDU (David Krowitz) (09/19/90)

The RS232 connector on a DN3500/4500 actually has 3 SIO ports wired to it.
The first port (/dev/sio1 or /dev/tty01) uses the normal pin locations 
(pins 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 20, etc) that you would expect on the DB25 connector.
The 2nd (/dev/sio2 or /dev/tty02) and 3rd (/dev/sio3 or /dev/tty03) ports
are wired to the pins on the DB25 connector which are not normally in use.
You can get an expander block from the Instant Apollo catalog which will
give you 3 DB25 connectors wired with the pins in the regular positions.

Check that the SIO line parameters (baud rate, number of stop bits, etc.)
are set up correctly before you use "cat file.ps >/dev/tty01". You can
use "/com/tctl -line 1" to display the current SIO line settings.


 -- David Krowitz

krowitz@richter.mit.edu   (18.83.0.109)
krowitz%richter.mit.edu@eddie.mit.edu
krowitz%richter.mit.edu@mitvma.bitnet
(in order of decreasing preference)

goldfish@CONCOUR.CS.CONCORDIA.CA (-- Paul Goldsmith) (09/24/90)

| From: David Krowitz <krowitz@richter.mit.edu> 
|Krowitz> The RS232 connector on a DN3500/4500 actually has 3 SIO
|Krowitz> ports wired to it.  The first port (/dev/sio1 or /dev/tty01)
|Krowitz> uses the normal pin locations (pins 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 20, etc)
|Krowitz> that you would expect on the DB25 connector.  The 2nd
|Krowitz> (/dev/sio2 or /dev/tty02) and 3rd (/dev/sio3 or /dev/tty03)
|Krowitz> ports are wired to the pins on the DB25 connector which are
|Krowitz> not normally in use.  You can get an expander block from the
|Krowitz> Instant Apollo catalog which will give you 3 DB25 connectors
|Krowitz> wired with the pins in the regular positions.

|Krowitz> Check that the SIO line parameters (baud rate, number of stop
|Krowitz> bits, etc.)  | are set up correctly before you use "cat
|Krowitz> file.ps >/dev/tty01". You can | use "/com/tctl -line 1" to
|Krowitz> display the current SIO line settings.

One other thing that should be considered, the "tty" devices are, at
best a very un-funny joke and at worst a terrible waste of system
managers' time.  There are more "standard" features omitted than
included in the capacities of the serial ports and they don't do very
much well.

-- Paul Goldsmith
    (goldfish)        (514) 848-3031         <goldfish@concour.cs.concordia.ca>
         (Shirley Maclaine told me there would be LIFETIMES like this)