tran@peora.ccur.com (Nhan Tran) (11/02/90)
Most of dot-matrix printers nowaday (9 pins & 24 pins) have Epson-emulation and/or IBM Proprinter emulation mode. But how complete is this emulation mode. Do they emulate all commands including user-defined characters commands. If this is the case then we need only to support Epson 9pin series (MX, FX, RX, LX, etc) and 24pin series (LQ) and software would work with most printers on the market. I'd like to hear your views on this. Nhan Email: tran@peora.sdc.ccur.com
stanley@phoenix.com (John Stanley) (11/06/90)
> If this is the case then we need only to support Epson 9pin series (MX, FX > RX, LX, etc) and 24pin series (LQ) and software would work with most printers > on the market. If you are going to claim support for the MX, then get one and test it before you make that claim. I have a pile of software that claims MX support but it does not. It seems that the author didn't bother to test against an MX to find out that MX's do not support 1/216 inch carrage movement. > I'd like to hear your views on this. That is my view. It is a peeve with me. I have an MX as my main printer. <> "Aneth! That's a charming place!" "You've been to Aneth?" <> "Yes, but not yet." -- The Doctor and Seth, "The Horns of Nimon". >< <> "Sanity check!" "Sorry, we can't accept it, it's from out of state." - me
cctr132@canterbury.ac.nz (11/07/90)
In article <3sy8R2w163w@phoenix.com>, stanley@phoenix.com (John Stanley) writes: >> If this is the case then we need only to support Epson 9pin series (MX, FX >> RX, LX, etc) and 24pin series (LQ) and software would work with most printers >> on the market. > > If you are going to claim support for the MX, then get one and test it > before you make that claim. Hear, hear!! Also, when you test it, don't expect what you have coded on the basis of info in the Manual, to work!! I know, I've tried. It was long enough ago now that I don't remember the details, but a couple of things stick. *Some* **APPARENTLY RANDOM** combinations of control codes have to be separated with NUL's to get anything other than the first one recognized by the printer, and a couple of the code sequences in the manual I had were simply incorrect - "misdocumented" is a good euphemism (talk about hair loss!!). Personally, I have much fewer problems using the documentation that comes with printers that seem to do good emulations (most recently, Panasonic KX-P1124). There is a potential problem in using printers that do emulations though, and that is that the emulations can be based on the same misleading documentation supplied with the original models. From one of my examples above, you may find an MX emulator that doesn't require NUL's between certain control code sequences (the possibility wasn't even mentioned in the MX manual I had), and your software will work with that printer but not with an Epson. +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Nick FitzGerald, PC Applications Consultant, CSC, Uni of Canterbury, N.Z. | | Internet: n.fitzgerald@canterbury.ac.nz Phone: (64)(3) 642-337 | +---------------------------------------------------------------------------+