Amstrad/Schneider Printer Support for 7bit Printer Ports - Revision history

MacDeath at 00:37, 17 December 2010

2010-12-17T00:37:05Z

Nocash: moved futureos info from introduction to a separate chapter; according to that info, the Happy Computer mod and the CPC Plus port can be considered to be the "more common" 8bit printer port solutions

2010-09-15T22:58:58Z

moved futureos info from introduction to a separate chapter; according to that info, the Happy Computer mod and the CPC Plus port can be considered to be the "more common" 8bit printer port solutions

TFM: /* Amstrad/Schneider DMP3000/DMP3160/DMP3250di */

2010-09-12T02:03:29Z

‎Amstrad/Schneider DMP3000/DMP3160/DMP3250di

TFM: /* Amstrad/Schneider DMP2000/DMP2160 */

2010-09-12T02:02:17Z

‎Amstrad/Schneider DMP2000/DMP2160

TFM: /* Schneider NLQ401 */

2010-09-12T02:01:24Z

‎Schneider NLQ401

TFM: /* Amstrad DMP1 */

2010-09-12T02:00:22Z

‎Amstrad DMP1

TFM at 02:00, 12 September 2010

2010-09-12T02:00:05Z

Nocash: /* Schneider NLQ401 */

2010-09-08T22:10:16Z

‎Schneider NLQ401

Nocash at 15:39, 4 September 2010

2010-09-04T15:39:55Z

Nocash: /* Amstrad/Schneider DMP3000/DMP3160/DMP3250di */

2010-09-04T15:27:47Z

‎Amstrad/Schneider DMP3000/DMP3160/DMP3250di

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:37, 17 December 2010
Line 1:		Line 1:
		+	[[Category:Peripherals]] [[Category:Printers and printer ports]]
	{{AmstradPrinterLinks}}		{{AmstradPrinterLinks}}
	<br>		<br>

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 The CPC computers include a [[Printer Port|7 bit Printer Port]], which is a partial restriction because most printers use 8 bit protocols.
 There are several ways to upgrade CPC computers to [[8bit Printer Ports]], but many of the different upgrade methods aren't compatible with each other. So, 8 bit printer software isn't neccessarily compatible with all 8 bit printer ports.
-In result, CPCs are more or less stuck with 7 bit protocols, which don't allow to access all printer functions. Using [[FutureOS]] you have support for the more common 8 bit printer port solutions.
+In result, CPCs are more or less stuck with 7 bit protocols, which don't allow to access all printer functions.
 == Amstrad DMP1 ==
@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 Same restrictions as for DMP2000/DMP2160. Plus some more problems:
 * The additional "italics" and "IBM" symbols seem to require to use character numbers 80h..FFh. There are control codes to manipulate the MSB, so one should be able to use these characters even with 7 bit ports (in case of 80h..9Fh and FFh one may additionally need to disable control-code mirroring; caution: if this function might also disable the 9Bh-to-1Bh mirroring, so one couldn't send any further ESC codes).

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:03, 12 September 2010
Line 29:		Line 29:

	Same restrictions as for DMP2000/DMP2160. Plus some more problems:		Same restrictions as for DMP2000/DMP2160. Plus some more problems:
−	* The additional "italics" and "IBM" symbols seem to require to use character numbers 80h..FFh. There are control codes to manipulate the MSB, so one should be able to use these characters even with ~~7bit~~ ports (in case of 80h..9Fh and FFh one may additionally need to disable control-code mirroring; caution: if this function might also disable the 9Bh-to-1Bh mirroring, so one couldn't send any further ESC codes).	+	* The additional "italics" and "IBM" symbols seem to require to use character numbers 80h..FFh. There are control codes to manipulate the MSB, so one should be able to use these characters even with 7 bit ports (in case of 80h..9Fh and FFh one may additionally need to disable control-code mirroring; caution: if this function might also disable the 9Bh-to-1Bh mirroring, so one couldn't send any further ESC codes).

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 == Amstrad/Schneider DMP2000/DMP2160 ==
-Most functions are working with 7bit ports, but - although it's Amstrad's official CPC printer, some functions are working only with 8bit ports. Features that won't work perfectly with 7bit ports:
+Most functions are working with 7 bit ports, but - although it's Amstrad's official CPC printer, some functions are working only with 8 bit ports. Features that won't work perfectly with 7 bit ports:
 * '''Graphics''' - The 9-pin graphics command is more or less unusable. The 8-pin graphics command can be used, though with only 7-pins being accessible; the line-feed rate must be set to 7/72 inch accordingly. Using only 7-pins does slightly increase printing duration, and (since more passes are needed) reduces lifetime of the print-head and ink-ribbon.

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 == Schneider NLQ401 ==
-The [[NLQ401]] uses a raw 7bit protocol so all functions are working with 7bit ports. Actually the printer does have an 8bit port, and does use standard Epson codes (which can include 8bit parameters), but the printer firmware strips the MSB immediately after reading data from the centronics port - so one is stuck with 7bit codes, even if one owns a computer with 8bit printer port.
+The [[NLQ401]] uses a raw 7 bit protocol so all functions are working with 7 bit ports. Actually the printer does have an 8 bit port, and does use standard Epson codes (which can include 8 bit parameters), but the printer firmware strips the MSB immediately after reading data from the centronics port - so one is stuck with 7 bit codes, even if one owns a computer with 8 bit printer port.
 Restrictions on 8-pin graphics and numeric parameters are same as on DMP2000 (see there for details). Restrictions for 9-pin graphics and user defined chars don't apply (since the NLQ401 doesn't support these features).

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 == Amstrad DMP1 ==
-The [[DMP1]] uses a raw 7bit protocol, so all functions are working with 7bit printer ports.
+The [[DMP1]] uses a raw 7 bit protocol, so all functions are working with 7 bit printer ports.
 == Schneider NLQ401 ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:39, 4 September 2010
Line 1:		Line 1:
		+	{{AmstradPrinterLinks}}
		+	<br>
		+
	The CPC computers include a [[Printer Port\|7bit Printer Port]], which is a nasty restriction because most printers use 8bit protocols.		The CPC computers include a [[Printer Port\|7bit Printer Port]], which is a nasty restriction because most printers use 8bit protocols.
	There are several ways to upgrade CPC computers to [[8bit Printer Ports]], but many of the different upgrade methods aren't compatible with each other. So, 8bit printer software isn't neccessarily compatible with all 8bit printer ports.		There are several ways to upgrade CPC computers to [[8bit Printer Ports]], but many of the different upgrade methods aren't compatible with each other. So, 8bit printer software isn't neccessarily compatible with all 8bit printer ports.

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:27, 4 September 2010
Line 24:		Line 24:

	Same restrictions as for DMP2000/DMP2160. Plus some more problems:		Same restrictions as for DMP2000/DMP2160. Plus some more problems:
−	* The additional "italics" and "IBM" symbols seem to require to use character numbers 80h..FFh. There are control codes to manipulate the MSB, so one should be able to use these characters even with 7bit ports (in case of 80h..9Fh and FFh one may additionally need to disable control-code mirroring).	+	* The additional "italics" and "IBM" symbols seem to require to use character numbers 80h..FFh. There are control codes to manipulate the MSB, so one should be able to use these characters even with 7bit ports (in case of 80h..9Fh and FFh one may additionally need to disable control-code mirroring; caution: if this function might also disable the 9Bh-to-1Bh mirroring, so one couldn't send any further ESC codes).