Apple Grr User Manual

INTRODUCTION

The Grappler'^'^'' Interface is a Centronics compatible

parallel interface for the Apple 11/11+ Computer. In

addition to advanced text features. It offers high

resolution dot graphics (HIRES) dump routines located in

firmware. These are easily invoked using simple control

commends.

There is no standardization among printer

manufacturers for dot graphics. Therefore, a specific

version of the Crappler interface was developed for

each type of printer. If you connect a printer to an
incorrect version of the Crappler, the text features
should still function properly. However, the graphics
commands wili have unpredictable results.

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

To install the Crappler, simply plug it into any slot

inside the Apple (except (S) as follows;
1 Turn off the power to the Apple. This is important to

prevent damage to the computer and the Crappler.

2. Connect the Crappler cable to the set ot pins on the
Crappler interface card. Make sure that all the pins
on the card go into the cable's matching holes. Also,
the cable should point away from the card (it will
only tit one way).

3. Remove the cover from the Apple. This is done by
pulling up on the cover at the rear edge (the edge
farthest from the keyboard) just until the two corner
fasteners pop apart. Don't lift the edge any further,

but instead slide the cover backward until it comes

free.

4. Inside the Apple along the rear edge of the circuit

board, there is a series of eight long, narrow sockets
called "slots." The leftmost slot (looking at the
computer from the keyboard end) is slot »*'0. The
adjacent slot is slot *1 and this is where most Apple
programs expect the Croppler to be.

5. Be sure the power is off. Insert the Crappler card into
slot *1 (or any other slot except zero) with a gentle

rocking motion until fully seated.

6. Pass the cable through one of the vertical openings

in the back of the Apple case.

7. Replace the Apple's cover. Slide the front edge of
the cover into place, and then press down ori the
rear corners until they pop into place.

8. Connect the Crappler cable to the printer.

. .. Vs.

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TEXT FEATURES

Before sending a character to the printer, the

Grappler will check ttie SELECT and PAPER EMPTY status

lines. If the printer is not "online," or is out of paper, a

warning will be printed on the screen and the Apple will
beep. If this occurs check the following:

1. The cable is firmly and properly attached to the
printer.

2. The cable is firmly seated on the Grappler interface
card.

3. The printer is on.

4. The printer is on-line.

5. There is paper in the printer. Note: The Grappler will
not check for paper on Epson printers.

6. The printer is set up for parallel operation. (Check

Appendix B of this manual for proper dip switch
settings.)

Once the error condition has been corrected you may

continue by pressing the return key.

The Grappler interface has many text features,
including adjustable margins, line length, page length,
etc. All commands affecting these features are listed on
the following pages with a description of their function.
Each one is preceded by a control character which is

CTRL-1 from BASIC or CTRL-Y from Pascal or CP/M, unless
specifically changed by the user's program.

To type a control character, hold down the control key
(marked "CTRL" on the Apple) and then press the
appropriate letter. Then release the letter key, and then
the control key. Control characters do not appear on
the screen as they are typed. You may also use the
CHR$ function found in Applesoft Basic (consult your

Apple manual and Appendix A).

TEXT COMMANDS

Spaces have only been used to make the commands

easier to read: do not type the spaces when issuing the
command.

PR'^'n Turns on the Grappler interface card, n is

equal to the slot number of the Grappler.
All subsequent characters appearing on
the Apple video screen will also be
printed on the printer. This command

must be used before any of the following
commands will be accepted by the

Grappler.

PR^(i Turns off the Grappler.

CTRL-1 A Append line feeds onto carriage returns.

Basic will not send a linefeed after a
carriage return. This means the printhead
will return to the left margin but will not
advance the paper. The Grappler will
automatically issue a linefeed command
and advance the paper after every

carriage return. If your printer is
performing double line spacing, check

Appendix B of this manual.

CTRL-1 K Don't append linefeeds onto carriage

returns.

CTRL-1 H Allows the high order (8th) bit to be

output to the printer. On many printers
this has no effect. On some it allows
printing of block graphics (Epson MXI8ij}].
However, when block graphics ore being

printed, the standard character set is not

accessible.

CTRL-1 X Don't output the high order bit to the

printer. This puts the printer back in
standard text mode.

CTRL-InN Set line length to n characters from left

side of page (not from left margin). After

issuing this command, characters will
only be printed on the printer, and not
on the Apple video screen. A carriage
return will automatically be generated

.after n characters have been printed. If

the line length is set to zero, the Grappler
will not issue a carriage return until it

receives one from the Apple. Note: When
listing basic programs, the printing will
automatically be formatted for

4(3 columns unless this command is used

(i.e. CTRL-1 80 N).

CTRL-II Transmits characters to both the Apple

screen and printer. When the line length

is set with a CTRL-InN command the

screen will be turned off and printed
characters will go only to the printer, if
you wish characters to appear on the
screen while they are being printed, use

this command. However, this command

will not work when listing a program.

CTRL-lnL Sei left margin to nth column. All

subsequent printing will have n spaces a1
the start of each line. For example, w'hen
using CTRL-1 10L, all printing will start in

the 10th column.

CTRL-lnR Set right margin to nth column from left

edge of page (not left margin). This

command will prevent words from being
split at the right margin. The Grappler will
end the line at the first space that occurs
after the right margin, but before the end
of the line as set by the CTRL-InN
command. A right margin of zero

disables this feature.

CTRL-lnP

Set page length to n. The printer will print
six linefeeds after n number of lines have
been printed. A page length of zero

disables the page length feature.
Continuous form paper typically has a
total of 66 possible lines per page (this
may vary with the type of printer).

Therefore if you specify a printed page

length of 60 lines (CTRL-I 60P), your printer

will print 60 lines and automatically skip
over the perforation with 6 line feeds.

CTRL-l B

Turn on bell. This allows a CTRL-G to ring
the printer bell. Many printers do not
have a bell so check your printer manual
to see if this feature is available.

CTRL-l C

CTRL-l S

Turn off bell.
Duplicate the present text screen on the

printer. The screen will be printed
20 spaces from the left edge of the ;
paper. This command is accessible from
BASIC only as it uses some of the monitor
routines. Only the forty character screen
is printed. Eighty character boards are

not supported.

CTRL-l CTRL-Y Change to new command character

CTRL-Y. To do this, type in CTRL-l CTRL-Y.
Any control character may be used here
(instead of CTRL-Y) but you should avoid

characters used by your printer or normal
text control characters such as CTRL-M
(carriage return).

CTRL-Y CTRL-l Changes back to command character

CTRL-l.

The values and conditions listed below are the values
Which are automatically set any time the Grappler is
“turned on" with a PR^'^n command or initialized from
Pascal or CP/M;

Left Margin-0
Line Length=0
Video =On
Eighth Bit =Off

Right Margin =0
Page Length =0
Printer Bell =Off
Line feed after

carriage return? - Yes with

Basic

No with

Pascot

or CP/M

GRAPHICS FEATURES AND COMMANDS

The Grappler interface can output the HIRES screen to
the printer by using simple commands. All graphics
commands consist of the command ctiaracter (usually
CTRL-l) followed by a "G," and any options described
below. If no other options are used (i.e. CTRL-l G
[carriage return]), HIRES page 1 will be printed
horizontally with every white dot on the screen printed as
a black dot on the paper. The different options are
described as follows:

2 — Print HIRES page 2 instead of page 1.
D — Print the graphics screen double size. Some

printers don't have enough character positions to print a

double size image horizontally (e.g. MX-70, MX-80,

IDS-445). If that is the case, you must also use the "R"

option. Otherwise your printer will get confused and

"crash," meaning it won't do anything. If that happens

you will have to reset the APPLE by pressing the reset

key, and then reset the printer by turning it oft and then
on again.

E — Prints an "emphasized" image (EPSON MX-80,

MX-80FT, MX-100, MALIBU 20'0oniy), When in this mode,

the printer will print two closely spaced dots for every

one it would normally print. This results in a denser
image but printing time is twice as long.

I — Invert the image before printing. Normally, every
white dot on the screen is printed as a black dot on the
paper. This works fine for lines and graphs but if you are
printing an actual picture ot a person or object it will