hacker@hera.Sbi.Com (Bill Hacker) (05/23/91)
I just got a brand new NextStation with a NextPrinter and it all
works great, except for one maddening problem:
When I try to print, I might get a small portion of the page printed,
a blank page, and then a third page will run halfway through the
printer before it stops abruptly and a dialog box pops up reporting
an I/O error on the printer.
I looked in /usr/adm/messages and found:
localhost npd[96]: PrintSpooler couldn't read sequence file
/usr/spool/NeXT/Local_Printer/.seq
localhost mach: np0: spurious packet received, cmd = 87
localhost mach: np0: DMA Underrun; Reprinting Page
localhost mach: np0: spurious packet received, cmd = 87
localhost mach: np0: DMA Underrun; Reprinting Page
localhost mach: np0: spurious packet received, cmd = 87
localhost mach: np0: DMA Underrun retries exhausted
localhost npd[96]: NextPrinter write failed: I/O error
I occasionally will get a correctly printed page, but only rarely.
I've taken the printer into my dealer. It printed fine (using my original
printer cable). I just took the NextStation into the dealer (without
the printer). It drove their printer fine). I had checked my cable
connections, which seemed to be solid.
Does anyone have any idea why I'm having such a persistent problem when
both components seem to work fine at the dealer's? Could it be electrical
interference on the cable? Has anyone else had this problem and been
able to get it fixed?
Any e-mailed suggestions or comments would be most appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
--
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Hacker Fulcrum 212-747-8360
Salomon Brothers Inc hacker@hera.sbi.com
New York, NY hacker@hera.Sbi.Com (Bill Hacker) (06/05/91)
In article <622@waycool.hera.Sbi.Com>, hacker@hera.Sbi.Com (Bill Hacker) writes: > > When I try to print, I might get a small portion of the page printed, > a blank page, and then a third page will run halfway through the > printer before it stops abruptly and a dialog box pops up reporting > an I/O error on the printer. > > I looked in /usr/adm/messages and found: > > localhost npd[96]: PrintSpooler couldn't read sequence file > /usr/spool/NeXT/Local_Printer/.seq > localhost mach: np0: spurious packet received, cmd = 87 > localhost mach: np0: DMA Underrun; Reprinting Page > localhost npd[96]: NextPrinter write failed: I/O error > > I occasionally will get a correctly printed page, but only rarely. > > It turns out there is a known problem with certain NeXTstations driving certain NeXTprinters causing this problem. My dealer had to swap cpu boards in the station to resolve the problem. I don't have details on the exact circumstances that cause the problem, but if you have symptoms like the ones I described above, it's not the printer, it's the cpu board in the NeXTstation. I'm pleased to report that a NeXT representative saw my problem on the net, recognized it, and sent me e-mail to help resolve it. By that time, my dealer (PCSI, a small dealer in New York City just starting to sell the NeXT) had talked to NeXT and found out what was going on themselves. Still, it was very comforting to get a direct response from NeXT at a frustrating time. So, now my system is fully functional. -- ----------------------------------------------------------------- Bill Hacker Fulcrum 212-747-8360 Salomon Brothers Inc hacker@hera.sbi.com New York, NY