FZAAC02@cc1.kuleuven.ac.be (Igodt, Paul G.) (03/20/91)
I am not a regular reader of this news item, so, my question is perhaps a popular one. What solution is one suggesting for transposing ps-files into HPLJ-code e.g. on a SUN-4 machine? We know of the GO-Script package on PC, but this is performing very inefficiently (very slow). Is something similar under UNIX somewhere present, performing well? Our laser-printers are KYOCERA F-1000 (HPLJ compatibles, with an own PRESCRIBE language. A ps-cartridge is not available for these printers, at least, not yet.) Thanks a lot. --Paul Igodt--
rberlin@birdlandEng.Sun.COM (Rich Berlin) (03/21/91)
In article <91079.092124FZAAC02@cc1.kuleuven.ac.be>, FZAAC02@cc1.kuleuven.ac.be (Igodt, Paul G.) writes: |> What solution is one suggesting for transposing ps-files into HPLJ-code |> e.g. on a SUN-4 machine? We know of the GO-Script package on PC, but this |> is performing very inefficiently (very slow). Is something similar under |> UNIX somewhere present, performing well? Our laser-printers are KYOCERA |> F-1000 (HPLJ compatibles, with an own PRESCRIBE language. A ps-cartridge |> is not available for these printers, at least, not yet.) |> Thanks a lot. --Paul Igodt-- If you want a PostScript rip that runs on your Sun, you could try NeWSprint (a Sun product). If your printer speaks "laerjet" it should run right out of the box, but if PRESCRIBE is more efficient for your printer, you might want to code your own handler (probably no more than a few hours work). First, though, you might want to try to determine what is causing it to be slow. (If it's the rasterizing, NeWSprint is pretty speedy and will probably help.) I suspect, however, that some of the problem is data transmission time between the machine and the printer. The base output from GO-Script (like NeWSprint and most other PostScript rips) is raster, so for an 8.25" x 10.5" mono image you have to push about a megabyte of data down to the printer. Across a centronics connection you can push bits quite fast if both sides of the interface support (and are configured for) high data rates, so if your connection is centronics you might check it out. If your connection is a 19.2KB/sec serial line, however, it's going to take about a minute per page to transfer the data: (1000KB / (19.2KB/sec)) == 52 sec at 9600 baud it will take 2 minutes, etc. Hope that helps. -- Rich
rberlin@birdlandEng.Sun.COM (Rich Berlin) (03/21/91)
Someone here nicely pointed out that I mixed up bits and bytes. The correct performance numbers are more like ((1000KB) * (10bits/byte)) / (19.2Kbits/sec) == 520 sec = 8.6minutes The 10 bits per byte assumes a parity bit and one stop bit. -- Rich
garvey@johnny5.uucp (Joe Garvey) (03/21/91)
In article <91079.092124FZAAC02@cc1.kuleuven.ac.be>, FZAAC02@cc1.kuleuven.ac.be (Igodt, Paul G.) writes: > I am not a regular reader of this news item, so, my question is perhaps a > popular one. > > What solution is one suggesting for transposing ps-files into HPLJ-code > e.g. on a SUN-4 machine? We know of the GO-Script package on PC, but this > is performing very inefficiently (very slow). Is something similar under > UNIX somewhere present, performing well? Our laser-printers are KYOCERA > F-1000 (HPLJ compatibles, with an own PRESCRIBE language. A ps-cartridge > is not available for these printers, at least, not yet.) > Thanks a lot. --Paul Igodt-- There's been a large number of how to print on Suns recently. The answer is get a copy of Newsprint (costs ~ $500) and replaces transcript. It filters ascii, nroff, troff, Sun raster, etc into Postscript, or PCL. It is a smart filter package (includes thack and mpage from the net :-)). It lets any HP-PCL printer or Postscript printer work beautifully (remember beauty is in the eye of the beholder). It even supports one of the Seiko color printers... or so Sun claims. Me? I use a LJIIID with HP's (Adobe's actually) postscript cartridge. Postscript *ONLY* works off of a serial port. RFE #1050570 is a request to support parallel ports too. HP-PCL works fine over serial or parallel ports. Sun seems to have used the Pacific Page (Phoenix Tech's) version of postscript for page handling. You have to change the set duplex command (and I assume the tumble command too) for the real Adobe postscript. This is trivial. I'm quite pleased. Only other thought, is when learning to use it, don't try to tell it which filters to use... let it figure it out... I was thoroughly furstrated tring to get filters in the right order... soon as I started feeding it minimal options it began to work right. I understand transcript is just the opposite... you have to explain everything to it. If someone maintains a FAQ for this group... how about adding this in? -- Joe Garvey uucp: sumax!quick!johnny5!garvey J5 Research map entries are wrong for johnny5. They're Bothell, Wa. being fixed. Please use address above.
garvey@johnny5.uucp (Joe Garvey) (03/22/91)
In article <10145@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM>, rberlin@birdlandEng.Sun.COM (Rich Berlin) writes: > Someone here nicely pointed out that I mixed up bits and bytes. The > correct performance numbers are more like > > ((1000KB) * (10bits/byte)) / (19.2Kbits/sec) == 520 sec = 8.6minutes > > The 10 bits per byte assumes a parity bit and one stop bit. And seven bit data. You *must* have a start bit. Perhaps start bit, stop bit and 8 bit data is an better way to say it. -- Joe Garvey uucp: sumax!quick!johnny5!garvey J5 Research map entries are wrong for johnny5. They're Bothell, Wa. being fixed. Please use address above.
clewis@ferret.ocunix.on.ca (Chris Lewis) (03/24/91)
In article <1991Mar21.011355.1769@johnny5.uucp> garvey@johnny5.uucp (Joe Garvey) writes: >In article <91079.092124FZAAC02@cc1.kuleuven.ac.be>, FZAAC02@cc1.kuleuven.ac.be (Igodt, Paul G.) writes: >> What solution is one suggesting for transposing ps-files into HPLJ-code >> e.g. on a SUN-4 machine? We know of the GO-Script package on PC, but this >> is performing very inefficiently (very slow). Is something similar under >> UNIX somewhere present, performing well? Our laser-printers are KYOCERA >> F-1000 (HPLJ compatibles, with an own PRESCRIBE language. A ps-cartridge >> is not available for these printers, at least, not yet.) >> Thanks a lot. --Paul Igodt-- >There's been a large number of how to print on Suns recently. The answer >is get a copy of Newsprint (costs ~ $500) and replaces transcript. >It filters ascii, nroff, troff, Sun raster, etc into Postscript, or PCL. This isn't quite what he asked for - he wants to convert postscript into HPPCL. Which is real hard. Ghostscript is probably the best way to go about doing the conversion if he's not able to generate HPLJ in the first place. >It is a smart filter package (includes thack and mpage from the net :-)). Thack? Not that smart ;-) (Thack can't mount/remount arbitrary fonts inline, doesn't come with mechanisms for building width tables for new fonts, doesn't come with support for Laserjets or ditroff output (X windows support for example), doesn't work with ditroff and has no Ditroff emulation facilities - Psroff now even works with psfig and drawing commands for CAT troff. Then again, maybe thack has been updated recently) >If someone maintains a FAQ for this group... how about adding this in? There is one, but haven't seen it in a long time. This is one topic that should be in it "how to convert troff/ditroff etc. into Postscript". I've been thinking of writing a FAQ for ascii and *roff to Postscript, laserjets and other devices. If you have recent detailed information on tools in this category, please let me know, and I'll put together a FAQ for review. I'd appreciate some recent info on Thack, Transcript and Newsprint (basic capabilities). I know tpscript and jetroff well. Information on other tools, particularly ASCII-to-postscript ones and previewers would also be appreciated. One important item I'd like to know for each tool - do they generate Document Structuring Convention compliant code? The FAQ I'd write would be a little more along the line of a detailed capability list for each tool, and pointers to where they can be obtained. Actually, if there's some online documentation for PRESCRIBE, and it's reasonably easy to do, maybe I could put another driver into Psroff. -- Chris Lewis, clewis@ferret.ocunix.on.ca or ...uunet!mitel!cunews!latour!ecicrl!clewis Psroff support: psroff-request@eci386.uucp, or call 613-832-0541 (Canada) **** somebody's mailer is appending .bitnet to my From: address. If you see this, please use the address in the signature, and send me a copy of the headers of the mail message with the .bitnet return address. Thanks!