mulligan@decwrl.dec.com (Geoff Mulligan) (03/20/91)
I have a Mac IIcx with and Imagewriter II connected via the printer port. When I try to print anything, the first few lines are printed correctly and then it starts printing gibberish. This happens no matter if I am printing in draft, faster or best. The printer was working just fine and I don't think that I have changed anything. I have tried reinstalling the Imagewriter driver and turning all my inits off. This doesn't correct the problem. I am running Finder 6.1.5 and system 6.0.5. I have installed Imagewriter driver version 2.7 and I have ATM installed. Does anyone have any idea what is wrong? geoff
mfader@eeserv1.ic.sunysb.edu (Michael Fader) (03/22/91)
In article <MULLIGAN.91Mar20011006@harlie.pa.dec.com> mulligan@decwrl.dec.com (Geoff Mulligan) writes: >I have a Mac IIcx with and Imagewriter II connected via the printer >port. > >When I try to print anything, the first few lines are printed >correctly and then it starts printing gibberish. This happens no >matter if I am printing in draft, faster or best. The printer was >working just fine and I don't think that I have changed anything. > >I have tried reinstalling the Imagewriter driver and turning all my >inits off. This doesn't correct the problem. > >I am running Finder 6.1.5 and system 6.0.5. I have installed >Imagewriter driver version 2.7 and I have ATM installed. > >Does anyone have any idea what is wrong? > I posted some suggestions about printing problems a few weeks ago (don't know if you read it, but you've already tried two of the solutions -- reinstalling the printer driver and removing INITs). Anyway, in my previous posting I forgot to mention (someone reminded me via email) that most if not all of the Imagewriter "hex dump" problems can be avoided by not touching the 'Select' switch WHILE THE UNIT IS POWERING UP (so, to borrow a phrase from the MacUser 'Help Folder' where the problem was discussed [or was that in Macworld?], "Keep your fat thumbs away from the 'Select' switch when turning on the machine."). It sounds like you have a different problem, since a hex dump is gibberish throughout; it doesn't start out OK for a few lines and then start printing garbage. Two ideas: 1) You didn't say if this happens with EVERY word or text processor. Have you tried any others? How about printing from graphics programs? The problem may still be in software. 2) I'm not a repair technician and I don't have my Imagewriter II Owner's Manaul handy at the moment, but I remember that the IWII has DIP switches that allow you to configure it for use with different computers. I think some of the DIP switches control its baud rate (see the owner's manual, probably in the Appendix). The only mechanism I can imagine by which the IWII would REPEATEDLY function OK for a few lines and then degenerate is as follows: The Imagewriter printer DRIVER on the Mac expects the IWII to be configured for a certain baud rate, so it sends output through the Mac printer port at that rate. Your IWII DIP switches were for some reason set to a lower baud rate. The IWII has a small input buffer which captures the first few lines correctly, even from a Mac operating at a higher rate. The buffer is filled quickly, and the overwhelmed IWII communications controller can't keep up anymore; it starts "missing" characters. This is just CONJECTURE on my part, but the point is the same: check the IWII Owner's Manual, and see what it says about the proper DIP switch settings for use with a Mac.
tagreen@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu (Todd A. Green) (03/22/91)
In article <1991Mar21.165826.22880@sbcs.sunysb.edu> mfader@eeserv1.ic.sunysb.edu (Michael Fader) writes: >In article <MULLIGAN.91Mar20011006@harlie.pa.dec.com> mulligan@decwrl.dec.com (Geoff Mulligan) writes: >>I have a Mac IIcx with and Imagewriter II connected via the printer >>port. >> >>When I try to print anything, the first few lines are printed >>correctly and then it starts printing gibberish. This happens no >>matter if I am printing in draft, faster or best. The printer was >>working just fine and I don't think that I have changed anything. >> >>I have tried reinstalling the Imagewriter driver and turning all my >>inits off. This doesn't correct the problem. > [stuff deleted] >It sounds like you have a different problem, since a hex dump is gibberish >throughout; it doesn't start out OK for a few lines and then start printing >garbage. > > >This is just CONJECTURE on my part, but the point is the same: check the IWII >Owner's Manual, and see what it says about the proper DIP switch settings for >use with a Mac. > Actually, I had this exact same problem with my IW II. One day I went to print something from THINK C and the first 4 lines ( or so )printed fine then a couple of form feeds (initiated by the printer not me pressing the ff button ) later it started printing "gibberish" then shooting pages out more pages, more gibberish. I thought that was strange and tried MS Word, no luck same thing. Tried several graphics programs...same thing. I thought my IWII was dead. Then my brain started to work, and I thought about replacing my printer driver. This cleared up the problem. I know that you said you already tried it, but perhaps your original is corrupted. I'd suggest getting a fresh copy from somewhere else and trying it once again. In any case good luck!!!! Todd P.S. As if it matters I have a IIcx, 8 meg, way too many INITs and run 6.0.5 ============================================================================== Todd A. Green "<_CyberWolf_>" ---> Pascal <- tagreen@ucs.indiana.edu Unix Systems Administration ---> Unix <--- tagreen@silver.ucs.indiana.edu Macintosh Systems Administration ---> VMS <---- tagreen@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu WCC Office:136.04 phone:855-0949 ---> C <------ tagreen@lothario.ucs.indiana "Friends don't let friends ---> Mac <---- tagreen@iubacs.BITNET Use DOS" - Scott Ostrander ---> SunOS <-- tagreen@lykos (FTP only) ==============================================================================