Printer Port - Revision history

Phi2x: /* Upgrade to 8bit data */

2025-02-19T02:06:37Z

‎Upgrade to 8bit data

Phi2x: /* Upgrade to 8bit data */

2025-02-19T02:05:37Z

‎Upgrade to 8bit data

Phi2x: /* How it works */

2025-02-19T02:04:08Z

‎How it works

Deprecated: The each() function is deprecated. This message will be suppressed on further calls in /mnt/cpcwiki-httpdocs/includes/diff/DairikiDiff.php on line 434

Phi2x: /* Upgrade to 8bit data */

2025-02-19T02:03:36Z

‎Upgrade to 8bit data

Phi2x: /* General Specifications */

2025-02-18T16:43:43Z

‎General Specifications

Phi2x: /* How it works */

2024-07-07T14:06:15Z

‎How it works

Phi2x: /* How it works */

2024-07-07T08:28:27Z

‎How it works

Phi2x: /* How it works */

2024-07-07T08:28:14Z

‎How it works

Deprecated: The each() function is deprecated. This message will be suppressed on further calls in /mnt/cpcwiki-httpdocs/includes/diff/DairikiDiff.php on line 434

Phi2x: /* Aleste 520EX Printer Port */

2024-07-07T08:26:32Z

‎Aleste 520EX Printer Port

Phi2x: /* KC Compact Printer Port */

2024-07-07T08:26:14Z

‎KC Compact Printer Port

@@ Line 44: / Line 44: @@
 * [[8bit Printer Ports]]
-Amstrad Plus machines can handle 8bit data natively. The 8th bit of the printer port is on bit3 of register 12 of the emulated [[CRTC]]. This bit must have "seemed" unused to Amstrad engineers. Unfortunately, they didn't know about the Overscan Bits.
+Amstrad Plus machines can handle 8bit data natively. The 8th bit of the printer port is on bit3 of register 12 of the emulated [[CRTC]].
 == KC Compact Printer Port ==

@@ Line 44: / Line 44: @@
 * [[8bit Printer Ports]]
-On Plus machines, the 8th bit of the printer port is on bit3 of register 12 of the emulated [[CRTC]]. This bit must have "seemed" unused to Amstrad engineers. Unfortunately, they didn't know about the Overscan Bits.
+Amstrad Plus machines can handle 8bit data natively. The 8th bit of the printer port is on bit3 of register 12 of the emulated [[CRTC]]. This bit must have "seemed" unused to Amstrad engineers. Unfortunately, they didn't know about the Overscan Bits.
 == KC Compact Printer Port ==

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
-On CPC, the printer is operated as follows: to send a byte, use port &EF00 by sending the value 3 times (1st: Bit7=0; 2nd: Bit7=1; 3rd: Bit7=0), with bit7 used to validate the byte. For this reason, only the 7 least significant bits were taken into account.
+The printer is operated as follows: to send a byte, use port &EF00 by sending the value 3 times (1st: Bit7=0; 2nd: Bit7=1; 3rd: Bit7=0), with bit7 used to validate the byte. For this reason, only the 7 least significant bits were taken into account.
-−
-On Plus machines, the 8th bit of the printer port is on bit3 of register 12 of the emulated [[CRTC]]. This bit must have "seemed" unused to Amstrad engineers. Unfortunately, they didn't know about the Overscan Bits.
 == Data / Strobe ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:03, 19 February 2025
Line 45:		Line 45:

	* [[8bit Printer Ports]]		* [[8bit Printer Ports]]
		+
		+	On Plus machines, the 8th bit of the printer port is on bit3 of register 12 of the emulated [[CRTC]]. This bit must have "seemed" unused to Amstrad engineers. Unfortunately, they didn't know about the Overscan Bits.

	== KC Compact Printer Port ==		== KC Compact Printer Port ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:43, 18 February 2025
Line 31:		Line 31:

	== General Specifications ==		== General Specifications ==
		+
		+	*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESC/P Epson Standard Code for Printers (ESC/P)] Wikipedia article
		+	*[https://files.support.epson.com/pdf/general/escp2ref.pdf Epson ESC/P Reference Manual]

	For (detailed) general information about Amstrad/Scheider printers, see:		For (detailed) general information about Amstrad/Scheider printers, see:

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:28, 7 July 2024
Line 4:		Line 4:

	To send a byte to the printer, you first have to verify if it's ready, via bit6 of port B of the PPI located at &F500. When this bit is 0, you can send a byte. When it's 1, the printer is busy (its buffer is full, it's out of paper, it's turned off, not Online, ...).		To send a byte to the printer, you first have to verify if it's ready, via bit6 of port B of the PPI located at &F500. When this bit is 0, you can send a byte. When it's 1, the printer is busy (its buffer is full, it's out of paper, it's turned off, not Online, ...).
		+
	Note that the system can differentiate between a full buffer and another type of error when the control bit stays at state 1 for too long.		Note that the system can differentiate between a full buffer and another type of error when the control bit stays at state 1 for too long.

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 == How it works ==
-To send a byte to the printer, you first have to verify if it's ready, via bit6 of port B of the PPI located at &F500.
+To send a byte to the printer, you first have to verify if it's ready, via bit6 of port B of the PPI located at &F500. When this bit is 0, you can send a byte. When it's 1, the printer is busy (its buffer is full, it's out of paper, it's turned off, not Online, ...).
 Note that the system can differentiate between a full buffer and another type of error when the control bit stays at state 1 for too long.
 When this bit is 0, you can send a byte. When it's 1, the printer is busy (its buffer is full, it's out of paper, it's turned off, not Online, ...). Note that the system can differentiate between a full buffer and another type of error when the control bit stays at state 1 for too long.

@@ Line 52: / Line 52: @@
 == Aleste 520EX Printer Port ==
-The [[Aleste 520EX]] is '''not''' compatible with the CPCs Printer Port (it's having other, non-printer related hardware mapped to EFXXh). Aside from the compatibility problem it's better than the CPCs port: Data is 8bit bi-directional.
+The [[Aleste 520EX]] is '''not''' compatible with the CPCs Printer Port (it's having other, non-printer related hardware mapped to &EFxx). Aside from the compatibility problem it's better than the CPCs port: Data is 8bit bi-directional.
 == Non-Printer Devices that connect to the Printer Port ==

@@ Line 46: / Line 46: @@
 The Printer Port in the [[KC Compact]] is fully compatible with the CPCs Printer Port, and includes some additional features:
-* Port EFxxh is CIO Port A, by default configured as Output, with inverted polarity on bit7 (same as on CPC). However, CIO Port A could be reprogrammed by software (for example: making it an Input, or disabling the bit7 inversion)
+* Port &EFxx is CIO Port A, by default configured as Output, with inverted polarity on bit7 (same as on CPC). However, CIO Port A could be reprogrammed by software (for example: making it an Input, or disabling the bit7 inversion)
 * The 8th Printer bit connects to Bit5 of PIO Port C (same as the Happy Computer [[8bit Printer Ports|8bit Printer Port]] mod)
 * The "TEST" Feature of the KC Compact BIOS allows to boot the computer remotely via some kind of "network" connection, which connects to some of the CIO Port A signals