Conference hydra::amiga_v1

Re: .0

>    Also - I've tried NECFC and not been able to make it work with my
>    printer (not really a surprised, it was written for older versions
>    of NEC printers).
    
Hhmm, it oughta work with most NEC printers, could you describe the problem
and eventually quote the respective man pages so we can update NecFC?

Cheers,

<CB>

When i do TYPE font PAR: or COPY font PAR: my printer prints all sorts
of junk + FF's etc. Is this normal, or should it be silent? I'm trying
to load them into a Panasonic KXP-1124.

 mark

    
    Mark,
    
    Can't speak for your printer but I notice on mine (NEC 24 pin dot
    matrix) that the printer seems to output a 1 or 2 line feeds as the
    download occurs and then sits there happy.  I don't get JUNK or form
    feeds.
    
    A guess on my part but ..... it almost sounds as if the data is going
    to your printer as  "a file you wish to print" rather than "a font you
    wish to download".  That could happen because:
    
    1. Your printer is not mechanically set up to accept the download. 
       Maybe a wrong switch setting or something (check the manual).
    
    2. ESC sequence incompatability - I think those files must contain some
       sort of Epson compatable escape sequences to let the printer know
       this is a download rather than a data file.  The escape sequences 
       must be compatable with those recognized by your printer.  If you
       have a HEX dump option on your printer you could enable it and then
       send the file to the printer.   You end up then with a hex printout
       of what was sent to the printer and at least can examine the codes
       against what your printer manual documents.  Not a fun job!
    
    Frank
    

    I get the same results as .2.  I have a Star Micronics NX1000.  I set
    the Switch (2-1) off for download.  Tried the TYPE >par: font and a
    COPY font par:.  The printer prints garbage.  After it shuts up I try
    copy file.txt par: and it prints garbage.  Something gets loaded into
    the printer but nothing useful.
    
    I tried it in Standard (EPSON) and IBM mode no differance.
    
    
    
    Alan
    

    I tried a HEX dump of the codes sent to the printer.  This is what I
    get.
    
    1B 78 01                     Select NLQ
    1B 50                        Select Elite
    1B 3A 00 00 00               Copy character commands to ROM
    1B 26 00 21 21 00 P1...P50   Define NLQ Down load characters
    1B 26 00 22 22 00 P1...P50   Define next download char
    
    There are 50 P1 bytes before I encounter the next download sequence. 
    The NX1000 manual state that only 46 are needed 23 bytes define the
    first pass the next 23 define the second pass.  Could these files be
    for 24 pin only printers?  Assuming they need 25 bytes per pass in NLQ
    mode.  I am not getting any extra data, the HexDump matches byte per
    byte with file as viewed with NEWZAP.
    
    My guess the NX1000 is choking on the extra 4 bytes.  I could write
    something to drop four bytes but what four do I drop?  Do I send 23
    drop 2 send 23 drop 2 etc.  Or drop 2 send 23..... You get the point.
    
    Or just drop the whole idea.
    
    Could some kind person that has a printer that works with these font
    files share the download sequence code from their manual.  It might give 
    me a hint as to why mine chokes.
    
    Thanks
    Alan
    
                 

>    first pass the next 23 define the second pass.  Could these files be
>    for 24 pin only printers?  Assuming they need 25 bytes per pass in NLQ

I've got star lc24-10 (24 pins) and it works as .0 : very TINY characters,
almost unreadable ... and I guess that the number after the font_name is
the cahr per inch, not the dot size of the font (as I thought).

Moreover, it only works for ascii characters < 'R' ... all the others are
printed with standard font.

Is anybody out there using this successfully ?
(are fonts supposed to be large or does they have the right size ?)

Mauro.

    I looked into the fonts a little more.  The Standard that my NX1000
    manual states for Downloaded NLQ character is as follows.
    
    1B 26 00 n1 n2 m0 m1......m46
    
    n1 and n2 are the character being defined 
    m0 is the attribute byte.
    	Bit 7 = 1 for ascender
        Bit 7 = 0 for decender
        Bit 4 - 6 = 0 to 7 dots white space to the left of the character
        Bit 0 - 3 = 4 to 15 Charcter width including left white space.
    
        M1- m23 is the first pass with the MSD being pin 1 LSD being pin 8
                in the case of decenders its pins 2 to 9
        m24 - m46 is the second pass.
    
    The byte break down in the font files are very different.  I have seen
    anywhere from 30 bytes to 65 bytes of data after the start of the
    sequence.  I would assume a 24 pin printer needs more data to define
    the fonts.  Does anyone know anything about the program that generated
    these fonts.  Is it PD, shareware, or Comercial?  Can it generate fonts 
    for 9 pin printers?
       
    Thanks for any info
    Alan