Epson FX-286 User Manual

FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT

FOR AMERICAN USERS

This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and if not installed and used properly, that is, in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, may cause interference to radio and television reception. It has been type tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B computing device in accordance with the specifications in Subpart J of part 15 of FCC Rules, which are designed to provide reasonable protection against such interference in a residential installation. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

— Reorient the receiving antenna — Relocate the computer with respect to the receiver — Plug the computer into a different outlet so that the computer and receiver are on

different branch circuits.

If necessary, the user should consult the dealer or an experienced radio/television technician for additional suggestions. The user may find the following booklet prepared by the Federal Communications Commission helpful:

This booklet is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC

20402. Stock No. 004-000-00345-4.

The connection of a non-shielded printer interface cable to this printer will invalidate the

FCC Certification of this device and may cause interference levels which exceed the limits

established by the FCC for this equipment. If this equipment has more than one interface

connector, do not leave cables connected to unused interfaces.

“How to Identify and Resolve Radio-TV Interference Problems.”

WARNING

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Epson Corporation. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, Epson Corporation assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

Applesoft is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. Centronics is a registered trademark of Data Computer Corporation, Epson is a registered trademark of Epson Corporation. FX-286 is a trademark of Epson America, Inc. IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. Microsoft is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. QX-10 is a registered trademark, and QX-16 is a trademark of Epson America, Inc.

Nagano, Japan

Contents

Introduction

Setting Up the FX-286

Unpacking Your Printer

Installing the paper feed knob Selecting the Right Location Installing the Ribbon

Replacing the ribbon Loading Continuous-feed Paper

Loading single-sheet paper

Installing the paper separator Turning the Power On Operating the Control Panel

OFF LINE/ON LINE

FORM FEED/NLQ

LINE FEED/DRAFT

The NLQ Mode

Setting the Top-of-Page Position

Adjusting the paper-thickness lever

Running the Self Test Connecting Your Printer to Your Computer Printing Your First Document

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Intro-1

1-1 1-1 1-2 1-2 1-4

1-7

1-7 1-13 1-14 1-15 1-16

1-17 1-17 1-17 1-18 1-18 1-19 1-21

1-22 1-24

Using the FX-286 with Commercial Software

Using the FX-286 with Word Processors

The IBM Proprinter mode

Using the FX-286 with Other Applications Programs

SelecType

SelecType Operation

Turning SelecType on Selecting typestyles SelecType exercise Mode combination

Skip-over-perforation

SelecType Tips

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2-1 2-1 2-2 2-2

3-1 3-1 3-1 3-2 3-3 3-5 3-6

3-6

iii

4 Elements of Dot-Matrix Printing and

Computer/Printer Communications

The Print Head ...............................

Changing Widths ..............................

Computer-to-Printer Communications

ASCII Codes .................................

Control Codes ................................

ESCape Sequences Demonstration Programs Running BASIC Programs How to Send Control Codes to the Printer

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4-1 4-1 4-2 4-3 4-3 4-4 4-4 4-4 4-5 4-6

FX-286 Features

IBM Proprinter Mode Pica Printing

Changing Widths Cancelling Codes Resetting the Printer

Disabling a program’s reset code Width Comparison Near Letter Quality Mode

Print Enhancements and Special Characters ........

Emphasized mode

Double-strike

Double-width mode

Mode combinations

Underline mode

Proportional mode

Master Select

Superscript and subscript

International characters

Page Formatting ...............................

Margins

Skip-over-perforation

Line spacing

Paper-out Sensor ..............................

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5-1 5-1 5-3

5-3 5-4

5-4

5-5 5-5

5-6

5-7 5-7 5-8 5-9

5-9 5-10 5-11 5-11 5-13 5-14 5-16 5-17 5-18 5-18 5-19

Introduction to Dot Graphics

Dot Patterns The Print Head and Graphics Graphics Mode Pin Labels First Graphics Programs WIDTH Statements

Multiple-line Exercise Density Varieties Reassigning Code

Column Reservation Numbers Designing Your Own Graphics

String variables

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6-1

6-2

6-2 6-3 6-4 6-5 6-6 6-6

6-8 6-10 6-10 6-11 6-14

User-defined Characters

Defining Your Own Characters

Designing Process

Definition program 1

Running the program Definition program 2 Running the program

Index ......................................................

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Appendixes

A Defaults and DIP Switches

Default Settings The DIP Switches

Selecting the IBM Proprinter mode

Printing the Alternate and All Print character sets Running the self test in the IBM Proprinter mode

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Index-1

7-1 7-1 7-2 7-4

7-5 7-7 7-8

A-1

A-2

A-3 A-3 A-3

Loading Single-sheet Paper in the FX-286

Removing the Tractor Unit

Loading Single-sheet Paper

Disabling the paper-out sensor

Installing the Tractor Unit

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B-1

B-1 B-2 B-3 B-4

Troubleshooting and Problem Solving

Troubleshooting

Double-spacing or overprinting

Paperloading.. .............................

Paper advancing ............................

Tabbing Paper-out sensor will not turn off

Self-adhesive labels Graphics Solutions Cancelling Unwanted Functions with SelecType Beeper Error Warnings Using the Hex Dump Mode to Solve Problems

System Solutions

IBM PC BASIC solutions Applesoft BASIC solutions QX-10 and QX-16 Solutions

User-defined Character Solutions

Defining more than three characters Data numbers for user-defined characters WIDTH statements

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C-1

C-1 C-1 C-2 C-2 C-2 C-2 C-2

C-3 C-4 C-4 C-6 C-7 C-8 C-8 C-8 C-8 C-9

C-9

D Maintenance

Changing the Print Head

Removing the old print head Installing the new print head

The Parallel Interface

Data Transfer Sequence

Interface timing .............................

Printing enabled/disabled signals and control

conditions ................................

Technical Specifications

Printing ......................................

Character sizes ..............................

Characters per line ...........................

Paper ........................................

Printer.. .....................................

Dimensions and weight

Environment.. ................................

Interface ......................................

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D-1

D-1 D-1

E-1 E-3 E-3

E-3

F-1 F-1

F-1

F-2 F-2 F-2 F-3 F-3 F-4

Epson Mode Command Summary

Software Commands in Numerical Order Epson Mode Commands Near Letter Quality Mode Character Width Print Enhancement Page Formatting

Margins Line spacing Form feed and page length

Tabs.. Word Processing Graphics User-defined Characters MSB Control

Other Codes

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G-1

G-2 G-5 G-7

G-7 G-10 G-14 G-14 G-15

G-18 G-19 G-21 G-24 G-27 G-29 G-30

FX-286 Character Fonts-Epson Mode

How to Use the Charts

Converting hexadecimal numbers to decimal numbers

ASCII Code Conversion Chart and Proportional

Width Tables

ASCII Code Conversion Chart

Proportional Width Table ..........................................

International Character Width Table

IBM Proprinter Mode Command Summary

Selecting the IBM Proprinter Mode

Printing the Alternate and All print character sets

Running the self test in the IBM Proprinter mode Software Commands in Numerical Order IBM Proprinter Mode Commands

Character Width Print Enhancement Page Formatting

Margins

Line spacing

Form feed and page length

Tabs..

Graphics Other Codes

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H-1

H-2

I-1

I-2

I-6

I-7

J-1 J-2

J-2

J-3 J-4 J-7

J-9

J-11

J-15 J-15 J-16 J-18 J-20

J-21 J-24

vii

FX-286 Character Fonts-IBM Proprinter Mode

How To Use the Charts

Converting hexadecimal numbers to decimal

numbers

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Figures

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K-1 K-2

K-2

1-1 1-2

1-3 1-4 1-5 1-6 1-7 1-8 1-9 1-10

1-11

1-12

1-13 1-14

1-15

1-16 1-17 1-18 1-19 1-20

1-21a 1-21b

Printer parts ...............................

Installing the paper feed knob ................

Front view of FX-286 .......................

Rear view of FX-286 ........................

Tightening the ribbon .......................

Loading the ribbon cartridge

Positioning the ribbon ......................

Continuous-feed paper with printer stand ......

Continuous-feed paper without stand ..........

Removing the locking tabs from the tractor unit .

Moving the pin-feed holders .................

Opening the pin-feed covers and paper release

lever ...................................

Adjusting the paper supports; loading paper ....

Fitting the paper over the pin feeds ............

Installing the paper separator .................

Turning on the power switch .................

The FX-286 control panel ....................

Top-of-page position ........................

Paper-thickness lever .......................

FX-286 self test in Epson draft and NLQ modes ..

Connecting a parallel interface cable ...........

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1-1

1-2

1-3 1-4 1-5 1-6 1-7 1-8 1-8 1-9

1-10

1-11 1-12

1-13

1-14 1-15

1-16 1-19 1-20 1-22 1-23

1-23 3-1 4-1

4-2

5-1 IBM character sets

viii

Turning SelecType on .....................................

A capital T ................................

The three widths of the FX-286 ...............

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3-2

4-1 4-2

5-2

6-1 6-2 6-3 6-4

6-5

Pin labels

Calculating numbers for pin patterns Designing in different densities Arrow design First line of arrow figure

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6-4

6-5 6-12 6-12 6-13

7-1 7-2 7-3 7-4 7-5

A-1

A-2 B-1

B-2 B-3

C-1

D-1 E-1

J-1

FX-286 dot-matrix characters

Grid for designing draft characters Correct and incorrect designs Design for character Using the bottom eight rows

DIP switch location

IBM Proprinter mode self test Removing the tractor unit

Loading single-sheet paper Installing the tractor unit

Hexadecimal codes in order ...............................................

Print head replacement ..................................................

Parallel interface timing ...................................................

IBM Proprinter mode self test

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7-2

7-3 7-3 7-4 7-6

A-2 A-4

B-1 B-2 B-4

C-6

D-2

E-3

J-3

Tables

3-1

5-1 5-2 5-3 5-4 5-5

6-1

A-1 A-2

E-1

E-2

SelecType modes ..............................................................

Summary of FX-286 pitches .............................................

International characters in Epson NLQ mode ....

International characters in Epson draft mode ....

International characters in Epson draft italic mode

Maximum right margin settings ........................

Graphics modes .........................................................................

DIP switch functions International DIP switch settings

Pins and signals ........................................................................

Printing enabled/disabled signals and

control conditions ..............................................................

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3-3

5-7 5-15 5-15 5-15 5-17

6-9

A-4 A-5

E-1

E-4

Introduction

The FX-286 printer combines the versatility and reliability of pre-

vious FX printers with a wide range of exciting new features.

l The Near Letter Quality typestyle or draft mode can be selected

with the touch of a button-there are no codes to learn.

l For even greater typestyle variety, there’s SelecType, a feature that

works with almost all applications programs and can be set with the touch of a button to choose over two dozen different styles.

l When using an IBM PC or compatible, you can set the FX-286 to

print in either the Epson mode or the IBM Proprinter mode. One

setting gives you all the Epson commands and the Epson character set, the other gives you the IBM Proprinter commands and character set.

l An 8K buffer quickly frees your computer so you can work on one

document while printing another.

l And, of course, the FX-286 also has the many features that have

made previous FX printers so popular, including a fast print speed of 200 characters per second, both friction- and tractor-feed paper loading, and Master Select for instant access to a variety of typestyles.

Using this manual

To make it easier to set up your new FX-286, this manual includes a ten-step guide to setting up your printer. These steps take you from unpacking, through ribbon and paper loading, to printing your first document.

Easy-to-read tabs make it simple to find information, for beginners

or experienced users. Additional sections provide information on

using your new printer with word processors, creating graphics,

defining your own characters, and more.

Intro-1

Chapter 1

Setting Up the

Setting up your new FX-286 is easy. Follow the steps in this chapter to ensure that your FX-286 is properly unpacked, located, and ready for operation.

FX-286

Unpacking Your Printer

Be careful when unpacking your printer to make sure that you

don’t lose any necessary pieces.

First, remove the printer from the box and take off all outside plastic coverings and foam packing supports. Check that you’ve received all the parts shown in Figure 1-1.

Figure 1-1. Printer parts

1-1

Once you’ve confirmed that you’ve received all the necessary parts,

remove the sheet of paper wrapped around the printer’s platen (the

black roller). This sheet of paper protects the paper-out sensor during

shipping, so be sure to replace it if you ship or store your printer.

Tilt the dust cover up and remove the two foam pads on the underside of the cover. (The pads protect the pin-feed holders on the tractor unit during shipping, so be sure to save them.)

There is also a clear plastic overlay on the control panel to protect against scratching and discoloration. It’s up to you whether you want to remove the overlay or leave it on.

Installing the paper feed knob

Before proceeding, you should install the paper feed knob. To install the knob, simply push it onto the shaft on the right side of the printer, as shown in Figure 1-2. The shaft has one flat side that must be matched with the flat side of the hole in the knob.

Figure 1-2. Installing the paper feed knob

Selecting the Right Location

The most important consideration in choosing a location for your printer is that it be close enough to connect a cable to your computer. But also keep the following tips in mind:

1-2

l Place the printer on a solid foundation. Avoid setting it on carpet,

chairs, or unstable surfaces.

l Use a grounded outlet; don’t use an adapter plug.

Avoid using electrical outlets that are controlled by wall switches—

if you accidentally turn off a switch, you could wipe out valuable information and stop your printing.

l Keep your printer and computer away from base units for cordless

telephones.

l Avoid using an outlet on the same circuit breaker with large electri-

cal machines or appliances that might disrupt the flow of power to your printer.

l Protect your printer from direct sunlight, and keep it away from

excessive heat, moisture, and dust. Make sure it’s not too close to a heater or other heat source.

Once you’ve found a suitable location, look over the following

illustrations to familiarize yourself with the FX-286.

Figure 1-3. Front view of FX-286

1-3

Figure 1-4. Rear view of FX-286

Installing the Ribbon

Before installing the ribbon and loading the paper, you should remove the dust cover to allow easier access to the printer. The next time you install a ribbon or load paper, you can leave the cover on.

To remove the dust cover, tilt it up and hold it by the left and right corners. Pull up on the left corner and the cover comes off the printer. (Only the left side of the cover is slotted where it attaches to the mounting pins on the printer case.)

Now you’re ready to install the ribbon,

1. Manually move the print head to the middle of the platen.

WARNING

The power must be OFF when moving the print head. Moving

the print head when the power is ON may damage your

printer. If you’ve been using your printer just before changing

the ribbon cartridge, be careful not to touch the print head because it becomes hot during use.

1-4

Before loading the cartridge into the printer, turn the small knob on

2. top in the direction of the arrow to tighten the ribbon as shown in

Figure 1-5.

Figure 1-5. Tightening the ribbon

1-5

3. Hold the ribbon cartridge by the two plastic tabs on top of the

cartridge case. Lower the cartridge into the printer, guiding the two square pins on each end of the cartridge into the slots in the printer frame, as shown in Figure 1-6. Press firmly on each end of the cartridge to make sure the pins are firmly seated in the slots.

1-6

Figure 1-6. Loading the ribbon cartridge

4. The ribbon should slide between the silver ribbon guide and the print head. If it doesn’t, you can guide the ribbon into place using the point of a pencil, as shown in Figure 1-7. (You can also refer to the diagram on the top of the ribbon cartridge.)

Figure 1-7. Positioning the ribbon

With the cartridge in place, again turn the ribbon knob in the direc-

5. tion of the arrow to tighten the ribbon.

And that’s it-the ribbon is now installed.

Replacing the ribbon...

The FX-286 uses a continuous-loop, inked fabric ribbon. When printing becomes too light, you'll need to replace the ribbon with a fresh cartridge. To replace the ribbon, just pull up on the two plastic tabs on top of the cartridge and lift the cartridge out of the printer. To install a new ribbon, follow the preceding steps.

Loading Continuous-feed Paper

ous-feed paper, set up your FX-286 where the paper can flow freely in and out of the printer.

If you plan to use the installed tractor feed unit and continu-

1-7

There are many types of printer stands you can use, such as the one shown in Figure 1-8. Or you can use any other arrangement that allows you to put the paper underneath or behind the printer. If you prefer, you can stack the paper behind the printer as shown in Figure

1-9.

Figure 1-8. Continuous-feed paper with printer stand

1-8

Figure 1-9. Continuous-feed paper without stand

The tractor unit is adjustable to accommodate paper widths from 4 to 14 7/8 inches. To load continuous-feed paper, follow these instructions:

1. Make sure that the printer is turned OFF.

2. Move the print head to the center of the printer and pull the paper bail away from the platen.

3. Remove the two plastic locking tabs that secure the tractor feed unit during shipping, as shown in Figure 1-10. (If you have difficulty pulling the tabs off, a pair of pliers might help.) Keep the tabs in case you need to ship or store the printer.

Figure 1-10. Removing the locking tabs from the tractor unit

1-9

4. Using Figure 1-11 as a guide, pull the locking levers on the pinfeed holders forward so that you can move the holders to the left and right.

Figure 1-11, Moving the pin-feed holders

5. Position the left holder midway between the two stops on the tractor bar (see Figure 1-11) and push the locking lever back to lock that holder in place. Leave the right holder unlocked.

1-10

Open the pin-feed covers and pull the paper release lever forward

6. as shown in Figure 1-12.

Figure 1-12. Opening the pin-feed covers and paper release fever

7. Guide the paper into the paper slot, and push it through until it comes up between the ribbon guide and the platen. (Moving the paper with a side-to-side motion makes it easier to push the paper

through.)

1-11

8. Slide the two paper supports on the tractor unit, spacing them evenly along the width of the paper as shown in Figure

1-13.

Figure 1-13 Adjusting the paper supports; loading paper

9. Pull the paper up until the top is above the pin-feed holders. Fit the holes on the left side of the paper over the pins in the left

holder and close the cover.

1-12

Figure 1-14. Fitting the paper over the pin feeds

10. Fit

holder as needed to match the width of the paper.

11.

Close the right cover, making sure the paper has no dips or wrinkles and lock the right holder in place.

12. Line up the two pressure rollers on the paper bail with the paper supports (together they provide an even pressure for paper feed-

ing). Push the paper bail against the paper and that’s it … the

paper is ready.

the right side of the paper into the right holder, moving the

Loading single-sheet paper…

The FX-286 can also accommodate single-sheet paper. It can be

loaded manually as shown in Appendix B or by using the optional cut

sheet feeder. Appendix B also contains information on how to remove

and reinstall the tractor feed unit. The extra cover that comes packaged with the FX-286 is for use with single-sheet paper or the optional cut sheet feeder.

1-13

Installing the paper separator

Once you’ve loaded paper into the FX-286 and are familiar with the steps, you can attach the plastic paper separator that comes packaged in the cardboard enclosure. The separator ensures that the paper coming out of the printer is not pulled back in.

The separator has rounded pins on each end that fit into notches located just behind the tractor feed unit. Slide one of the separator’s pins into one notch, then with a gentle pressure, snap the other pin into the other notch as shown in Figure 1-15.

1-14

Figure 1-15. Installing the paper separator

Turning the Power On

turn the printer on and become acquainted with the power-up sequence.

grounded.

(see Figure

With the ribbon and paper installed in the

Plug in the printer’s power cord, making sure the outlet is properly

Turn the power ON with the switch on the left side of the printer

1-16).

FX-286,

it’s time to

Figure 1-16. Turning on the power switch

When the power is turned ON:

The print head moves back and forth and stops at the left side of the printer.

l The printer is initialized-any previous settings are erased, and the

printer is reset to its default (or preset) values (see Appendix A for default settings).

1-15

• The three green lights on the control panel-POWER, READY, and ON LINE-go on. (The red PAPER OUT light does not go on unless

the printer is out of paper.)

Operating the Control Panel

ure 1-17) has two functions-the functions marked on the blue panels

(ON LINE, NLQ, and DRAFT) are active when the printer is on line; the functions marked on the yellow panels (OFF LINE, FORM FEED, and LINE FEED) are active when the printer is off line.

Each of the three buttons on the FX-286 control panel (see Fig-

1-16

Figure 1-17. The FX-286 control panel

OFF LINE/ON LINE

OFF LINE-If you press the ON LINE button when the green light above it is on, the ON LINE and READY lights go off and the printer is set off line-the power is still on but the FX-286 won’t print. The FORM FEED and LINE FEED functions work only when the printer is off line.

ON LINE-The green ON LINE light indicates that the printer is on

line and ready to receive data. If the READY light is also on, the FX-286 is ready to print (if it’s connected to a computer). You may notice that the READY light flickers when the FX-286 is printing, but

this is normal. When the FX-286 is on line, you can select either NLQ

(Near Letter Quality) or draft modes.

FORM FEED/NLQ

FORM FEED--Pressing the FORM FEED button advances the paper

to the top of the next page if you’re using continuous-feed paper (see

Step 7, “Setting the Top-of-Page Position”). If you’re using single-sheet

paper, it fully ejects one sheet. The FORM FEED function works only

when the printer is off line.

NLQ (Near Letter Quality&--Pressing the NLQ button selects the

Near Letter Quality typestyle (for more information on NLQ; see the

shaded box). The printer beeps twice to acknowledge the NLQ selec-

tion. You can select the NLQ typestyle with the NLQ button only

when the printer is on line.

LINE FEED/DRAFT

LlNE FEED--Pressing the LINE FEED button advances the paper one

line at a time, either while you’re loading paper, or when you’re

adjusting where you want printing to begin. If you hold the LINE FEED button down, the paper advances continuously. The LINE FEED function works only when the printer is off line.

DRAFT-Pressing the DRAFT button selects the draft typestyle. The printer beeps once to acknowledge the draft selection. The draft mode is also the default setting for the FX-286, so every time you turn the printer on, it’s set to print in the draft mode. The DRAFT button works only when the printer is on line.

1-17

The NLQ mode...

In addition to the draft mode, the FX-286 has a high-quality NLQ (Near Letter Quality) mode. As explained in Chapter 4, dot-matrix characters are made up of many tiny dots. The NLQ characters are more fully formed than the draft ones because they are made up of more dots. You can see the difference in the printouts below.

Epson Mode

This is printed in draft mode.

This

is printed in NLQ mode.

IBM Proprinter Made

This is printed in draft mode.

This is printed in NLQ mode.

The increased number of dots does slow the printing somewhat. Therefore, the FX-286 lets you choose high speed or high quality each time you print. You can print your ordinary work or preliminary drafts quickly in the draft mode and use the NLQ -mode for final cop-

ies or special purposes.

The panel buttons make it especially easy to change from draft to NLQ, but you can also select and cancel the NLQ mode with a software command (see Chapter 5). The following functions are not

available in the Epson NLQ mode: italic, condensed, double-strike, elite, and proportional. Italic, condensed, and double-strike are not available in the IBM Proprinter NLQ mode. (Proportional is not

available at all in the IBM mode.)

Setting the Top-of-Page Position

and turned the power on, you need to establish a top-of-page position so that the printed pages end where you want them to and do not cross over a perforation between pages.

1-18

Once you’ve loaded continuous-feed paper into your FX-286

Figure 1-18. Top-of-page position

To set the top-of-page position, use the LINE FEED function to advance the paper until a perforation between sheets lines up evenly with the top of the ribbon guide, as shown in Figure 1-18.

Now turn the printer OFF, then back ON. This reinitializes the printer and records this top-of-page setting. The printer remembers this setting and uses it when any program tells it to move to the top of the next page, or when you use the FORM FEED button to advance the paper.

If you are using a word processor or other applications program and the printing is too high or too low on the page, adjust your top-ofpage setting accordingly.

Adjusting the paper-thickness lever

The FX-286 is equipped with a paper-thickness lever that can be

adjusted to accommodate varying thicknesses of paper.

The lever is located in front of the paper release lever on the left side of the printer as shown in Figure

1-19.

When you receive your thickness (about 1/500th of an inch). For thicker paper or multiple copies, pull it toward the front of the printer (“+“). To return the lever

to the standard position, see Figure

FX-286,

1-19.

the lever is set for standard paper

1-19

Caution

Never use the extreme rear "—" setting. This position is used

for head alignment and will shorten print head life if used in normal operation.

You’ve completed the setup and paper loading steps and have made the necessary adjustments-the FX-286 is ready to print. You can now replace the dust cover and tilt it down into its operational position.

1-20

Figure 1-19. Paper-thickness lever

Running the Self Test

prints out all of the characters in the printer’s character set, even if it’s not connected to a computer.

printer, because the self test uses the full 14-inch measure to print out the characters. Align the left edge of the paper with the first black mark on the paper bail-this will ensure that the self test stays on the paper and doesn’t run onto the platen.

the power switch ON-the self test takes over and the FX-286 starts

printing out the full character set in draft mode (see Figure

out sensor is triggered. To print the self test in the NLQ mode, press the NLQ button when you switch the power ON (see Figure 1-20). To perform the self test in the IBM Proprinter mode see Appendix A.

The FX-286 has a built-in self test function that automatically

Before running the self test, load 8½ x 14-inch-wide paper into the

Note

If you’ve already loaded narrower paper, such as 8½ x 11, then you should replace it with wider 14-inch paper before running the self test. For information on loading single-sheet paper, see Appendix B.

With the power OFF, hold down the DRAFT button while you turn

1-20).

The self test continues until you shut the power OFF or the paper-

1-21

Draft

/0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX

0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXY

123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

23456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[

3456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\ 456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]

NLQ

3456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\ 456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\l 56789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^ 6789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_ 789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_^ 89:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_'a

Figure 1-20. FX-286 self test in Epson draft and NLQ modes

Connecting Your Printer to Your Computer

Your

parallel interface cable. If your computer requires a different type of

interface, such as a serial interface, see your Epson dealer.

FX-286

communicates with your computer through a

The connector on a parallel interface cable, as shown in Figure 1-21a, is secured to both the After plugging the cable into the snap the clips in place and connect the ground strap if the cable is

equipped with one.

Additional information on the interface is available in Appendix E.

1-22

FX-286

and your computer by two clips.

and your computer, be sure to

Printing Your First Document

ing steps, your

The following chapter explains how to set up your word processor to work with the FX-286. Using a word processor is probably the easiest way to print; it will also give you a chance get acquainted with the FX-286 and its many features.

Additional chapters and appendixes cover programming, control codes and ESCape sequences, technical specifications and maintenance .

If you’re using an IBM PC or compatible, you can use either the

Epson mode or the IBM Proprinter mode.

For the Epson mode, simply use the printer selection routine on your software program to choose “FX-286,” or one of the alternate choices given in the following chapter. The Epson command set allows you to take full advantage of all of the

ties. The FX-286 is already set in the Epson mode from the factory, so there are no DIP switches to change. Refer to Appendixes G, H, and I for additional information on the Epson mode.

If you wish to use the IBM Proprinter mode, use the printer selection routine on your software program to choose “IBM Proprinter,” or one of the alternate choices given in the following chapter. Then change three DIP switches as described in Appendix A. However, the Proprinter command set is limited compared to the Epson set, so you will not be able to take advantage of many of the features of the

FX-286,

and Appendixes J and K for additional information on the IBM Proprinter mode.

Now that you’ve completed the basic setup and operat-

FX-286

including italic and proportional printing. Refer to Chapter

is ready to print.

FX-286’s

features and capabili-

1-24

Chapter 2

Using the FX-286 with

Commercial Software

You’ve now completed setting up your new FX-286 printer and the self test has confirmed that the printer is operating correctly. You’re ready to print your first document.

Although you could use BASIC or another language for your first effort, a word processor will probably make things easier, and also give you a chance to explore the capabilities of the FX-286 printer.

Using the FX-286 with Word Processors

Most word processing programs support the Epson FX printers because of their widespread use and standardized print codes.

To use the FX-286 with most word processing programs, all you have to do is to tell the program that you are using an Epson FX printer. When you do this, the word processing program automatically sends the correct information to the printer. This process is nor-

mally part of the setup or installation process.

Many word processors have special utility programs for different printers, called printer drivers. This is usually a short question-andanswer session in which the program asks two or three basic questions. To set up a program for use with the FX-286, give the following answers.

Question What computer are you using?

What printer are FX-286 (see following parayou using? graph for additional explanation)

What type of interface are Parallel or serial, depending you using? on your cable and computer

The name of your computer

Answer

2-1

If your word processor doesn’t list the FX-286, don’t worry. The FX-286 recognizes the same codes as earlier models in the FX series, so you can choose any FX model that’s listed. Some programs simply list

“Epson Printer,” or “Standard’ or “Draft” printer-these choices will also work, because all Epson dot-matrix printers recognize a standard set of printer codes.

Once you’ve made your selection, the program remembers the type of printer you’re using every time you want to print and sends the appropriate codes.

These are general guidelines to help you get started with your FX-286. The process is different for each word processing program, but the specific information can be found in your word processor’s manual. Consult the sections on printers, printing text, print functions, print devices, and printer drivers for further information.

The IBM Proprinter mode

The FX-286 can also reproduce the IBM Proprinter character sets if you reset three DIP switches (see Appendix A). Remember, however, that when you reset the FX-286 for the IBM Proprinter mode, you will lose some of the capabilities available in the Epson mode.

When you reset the FX-286 for the IBM Proprinter mode, you need to change the printer driver on your word processor or applications program. Your first choice should be “IBM Proprinter” (model 4201) if it’s listed. If the Proprinter isn’t listed, look for “IBM Parallel Printer,”

“IBM Graphics Printer,” or just “IBM Printer”-any of these choices

should work when the FX-286 is in the IBM Proprinter mode.

Remember, when you switch your printer in and out of the IBM Proprinter mode, you must change the DIP switches on the FX-286, and change the selected printer if you’re using an applications program. For further information on the Proprinter IBM mode, see Chap-

ter 5.

Using the FX-286 with Other Applications Programs

You can also use the FX-286 to print other documents, such as

spreadsheets, with various commercial software packages.

Although word processors are often designed to provide a variety

of type enhancements (such as condensed, double-width, etc.), many spreadsheets or other programs are more limited in what they offer.

2-2

When using these other programs, keep in mind that the FX-286 has its own set of additional typestyles with the SelecType function (see Chapter 3). For example, you may have a spreadsheet program that allows you to print only in standard draft mode, with a maximum of 136 columns. However, if you use the Selec Type function to put your FX-286 in the condensed mode, you can fit 233 columns in the same space.

As with word processors, most of your printing will be straightforward. If your program has a printer selection routine, follow the advice given in the word processing section.

2-3

2-4

Chapter 3

SelecType

The FX-286’s SelecType feature can produce nine special typestyles

and skip-over-perforation. The typestyles are:

This

condensed mode

This is double-width

This is elite mode

This is emphasized mode

This is italic type

This is double-strike mode

This is under line mode

This superscript

This is subscript

SelecType Operation

Using SelecType is easy. You turn on SelecType and select a type-

style, then turn off SelecType and print.

Note

For convenience, this chapter uses the yellow label names of the buttons-OFF LINE, FORM FEED, and LINE FEED.

Turning SelecType on

Make sure that the printer is on and that the POWER, READY, and ON LINE lights are all on.

2. Press both the OFF LINE and FORM FEED buttons at the same

time, as illustrated in Figure 3-1. Hold them down for at least a

second, then release them.

3-1

Note

If the printer beeps twice before you release the buttons, you have pressed the FORM FEED button before the OFF LINE button instead of at the same time and FX-286 is in the NLQ mode. Press the OFF LINE button to put the printer back on

line and press the DRAFT button if you do not want NLQ.

Then press both the OFF LINE and FORM FEED buttons to

turn on SelecType.

Figure 3-1. Turning SelecType on

When you release the OFF LINE and FORM FEED buttons, the

FX-286 signals in three ways that SelecType is on.

l The printer beeps. l The READY light turns off. l The ON LINE light begins flashing.

Selecting typestyles

In SelecType, each button has a function:

l OFF LINE selects typestyles.

l FORM FEED sets the styles. l LINE FEED turns SelecType off.

3-2

After turning on SelecType, follow these three steps to select a

typestyle:

1. Find the typestyle you want in Table 3-1.

Table 3-1. SelecType modes

Mode

1 Condensed

2 Double-width T h i s d o u b l e - w i d t h

3 Elite T h i s i s e l i t e m o d e 4 Emphasized

5 Italic This is italic type

6 Double-strike* This double-strike mode

This

condensed

This is emphasized

Typestyle or Function

mode

7 Underline This is under line mode

8 Superscript This is superscript

9 Subscript This is subscript

10 Skip-over-perforation

*Sets NLQ in IBM Proprinter mode.

2. Press the OFF LINE button the number of times indicated in the mode column. Be sure that the printer beeps each time you press

the OFF LINE button.

3. Press the FORM FEED button to set the typestyle.

4. Press the LINE FEED button to turn SelecType off. The control panel returns to its normal functions, but the printer is off line.

5. Press the OFF LINE button, and you are ready to print.

SelecType exercise

You don’t need to know anything about programming for this exercise because it is merely for practice. If you would rather not use BASIC, use your word processing or business program to create a short file or document of the type you will usually print.

If you do want to use BASIC for this exercise, simply turn on your computer and printer and load BASIC. Then type the short program listed below. Only the words inside the quotation marks are printed. You can put anything you want there. (If your version of BASIC does not use LPRINT consult your BASIC manual.)

1Ø LPRINT "This is an example"

2Ø LPRINT "of FX-286 printing."

3-3

Now, run the program by typing RUN and pressing RETURN, or print your file or document by following the printing instructions of your software. The FX-286 prints your example in standard singlestrike printing, as shown below:

This is an example

of FX-286 printing.

Now that you have created a sample, follow these steps to print it in

double-width mode:

1. See that both the ON LINE and READY lights are on.

2. Press the OFF LINE and FORM FEED buttons at the same time, then release them. You hear a beep to signal that SelecType is on.

As shown in Table

fore, press the OFF LINE button two times. (Remember to make

sure you hear a beep each time you press the OFF LINE button

when you are in SelecType mode.)

4. Now that you have selected the double-width mode, push the

FORM FEED button once to set it.

5. Push the LINE FEED button once to return the panel to its standard

operation.

3-1,

the code for double-width is two. There-

6. Press the OFF LINE button so the FX-286 is ready to print. Now you have set the FX-286 to print in double-width mode. Print

your sample once more. It should appear in double-width mode just as you see below:

This is an example

of FX-286 printing.

Turn off your printer to cancel the double-width setting, and-if

you wish-try this exercise with other modes.

3-4

Note

Some applications programs are designed to control all typestyle functions. These programs cancel all previous typestyle settings by sending a signal (INIT) before printing. Because this signal cancels SelecType settings, you will have to use the program’s print options function instead of SelecType to select your typestyles. Therefore, if SelecType does not work with a particular applications program, consult its manual on

how to select typestyles.

Mode combination

Two of the SelecType modes (double-width and emphasized) can be combined to create an impressive effect. If you want to see this combination, turn your printer OFF and back ON and follow the instructions below:

1. See that the ON LINE and READY lights are on.

2. Press the OFF LINE and FORM FEED buttons at the same time.

3. Press the OFF LINE button twice and then the FORM FEED button

once.

Since two is the code for double-width, you have now set the FX-286 for double-width.

4. Press the OFF LINE button two more times and then the FORM

FEED button once again.

This makes a total of four times, and thus sets the FX-286 for empha-

sized also.

5. Press the LINE FEED button to return the panel to its standard operation.

6. Press the OFF LINE button to put the FX-286 on line.

Now print your sample document or run your sample program. Your printing should appear in double-width emphasized as you see here:

This is an example

of FX-286 printing.

If you get any other results, turn your printer off and back on and

then try the steps again.

3-5

Skip-over-perforation

If you are using continuous-feed paper for printing program listings or other material not controlled by an applications program, you may find that the SelecType has a function to prevent this: skip-over-perforation.

FX-286

prints right over the perforations between pages.

If you press OFF LINE ten times, the

lines that it prints. Since a standard page is

FX-286

skips six lines after each

lines, this gives you one inch of blank space at the bottom of each page. If you prefer to have half of the blank space at the top of the page and half at the bottom, simply set your top-of-page approximately one-half inch below the perforation. (See Step 7 in Chapter 1 if you need to refresh your memory on setting top-of-page.)

SelecType Tips

Once you have learned the simple technique for controlling print styles with SelecType, you can use it whenever you wish. You should be aware of a few restrictions, however.

l SelecType is designed to control the printing of an entire file or

document, not an individual line or word.

l If you are using the NLQ mode, remember that the following

SelecType modes are not available in NLQ: italic, condensed,

double-strike, and elite.

l Emphasized can’t combine with condensed or elite. l Because a character cannot be in subscript and superscript at the

same time, these two modes obviously cannot be combined. If you set both superscript and subscript, the set.

FX-286

will use the last one

l If you wish to cancel SelecType functions, see “Cancelling Un-

wanted Functions with SelecType” in Appendix C.

Don’t worry about harming your printer if you try to combine two modes that the FX-286 can’t mix. Your settings cannot damage the printer. If it receives codes for two modes that it can’t combine, it uses only one of them.

Although there are restrictions on combining some other modes, underline and double-width can combine with any mode.

3-6

Double-width mode doubles the width of each character. Therefore, be sure that each line you print in the double-width mode is less than half a page wide or this mode will spoil your margins and the appearance of your page.

If there are print codes in the document or file you are printing,

those codes will override your SelecType settings. This seldom hap-

pens, since you usually won’t use SelecType with files that have such

codes, but if your FX-286 follows the SelecType instructions for only part of a document, print codes in the document may conflict with the SelecType modes.

After you turn on a mode with SelecType, it stays in effect until the printer is turned off. If, for example, you use SelecType to print a document in emphasized, anything you print after that will be emphasized unless you first turn the printer off and back on.

For more information on the FX-286 typestyles, see Chapter 5.

3-7

3-8

Chapter 4

Elements of Dot-Matrix Printing

and Computer/Printer Communications

This chapter is for those of you who want to know something about how your printer works. It’s a simple, non-technical explanation of the basics of dot-matrix printing that will help you understand some of the later chapters, particularly the ones on graphics and user-

defined characters.

The Print Head

The FX-286 uses a print head with nine pins or wires mounted vertically. Each time a pin is fired, it strikes the inked ribbon and presses it

against the paper to produce a dot. This dot is about 1/72nd of an inch in diameter. The size varies slightly depending upon the age of the ribbon and the type of paper used. As the head moves horizontally across the page, these pins are fired time after time in different patterns to produce letters, numbers, symbols, or graphics.

For example, to print a pica capital T, the head fires the top pin, moves 1/60th of an inch, fires the top pin again, moves 1/60th of an inch, fires the top pin and the six below it at the same time, moves 1/60th of an inch, fires the top pin, moves another 1/60th of an inch, and fires the top pin once more to finish the letter. All this happens in only 1/160th of a second.

Figure 4-1. A capital T

4-1

Changing Widths

In addition to pica, in which there are 10 characters per inch, the FX-286 can also print in other widths. It does so by reducing the distance between pin firings. In the elite mode it prints 12 characters per inch and in the condensed mode it prints slightly more than 17 charac-

ters per inch. The pattern of the dots is not changed, but the horizontal space between them is reduced.

Figure 4-2 shows enlargements of four sample letters in each of the

three widths. These letters are chosen to show how the FX-286 prints

letters that are uppercase and lowercase, with and without descenders

(the bottom dots of the j and y), and wide and narrow.

Figure 4-2. The three widths of the FX-286

The dot pattern of each character is carefully designed so that in pica no dot overlaps another. The reason is that in normal high-speed printing the pins cannot fire, retract and fire again quickly enough to print one dot overlapping another.

4-2

Computer-to-Printer Communications

A computer and printer communicate by means of numbered codes. If you press the letter A on the keyboard, it is translated into a numeric code, transmitted to a peripheral device (such as a video screen or a printer) then converted back into the letter A.

To cope with the many different kinds of computer and printers used today, a standard set of codes has been developed. This set of codes is called the American Standard Code for Information Interchange, or ASCII puters use these ASCII codes to communicate with printers.

There are ASCII codes for all of the letters in the alphabet, both upper- and lowercase, and for the numbers from 0 to 9. The ASCII code also includes most punctuation marks, and some codes that control printer functions. If you refer to the ASCII chart in Appendix I, you’ll find that all of these letters, numbers and punctuation marks have been assigned code numbers from 32 through 255.

(pronounced ASK-KEY) for short. Almost all com-

ASCII Codes

Although these codes are standard from computer to computer,

they can be expressed in a number of different ways. The chart in

Appendix I lists each ASCII code as a character (A, B, C, 1, 2, 3), as a

decimal and as a hexadecimal number. For example, the letter A is

represented as an A and as the decimal number 65. If you wanted to print the letter A using the BASIC language, you would use the decimal notation, written as CHR$(65).

The chart also shows the hexadecimal (or hex) value of each charac-

ter. The hexadecimal numbering system is based on units of 16; our usual numbering system, decimal, is based on units of 10. In hex, the letter A is expressed as 41H (the H stands for hexadecimal).

The ASCII codes are expressed in different ways to suit a variety of applications. For example, the decimal notation is usually used in BASIC programming, as illustrated earlier. However, some program-

mers prefer the hexadecimal system. Appendix I contains comparative tables showing the ASCII characters, along with their decimal and hexadecimal equivalents.

4-3

Control Codes

Most of the time you don’t give this code system a thought. If you press A on the keyboard, the computer sends the code to the printer and the letter A is printed. However, some printer codes, like the one

for a vertical tab, do not have a key on the keyboard.

These are the ASCII codes with values of less than are called control codes because they control the operation of the printer. These characters are not displayed on your screen and aren’t printed as a character by your printer.

32.

These codes

ESCape Sequences

There are not enough control codes for all the advanced features of modern printers, so multiple-code control sequences have been developed. All of these control sequences begin with the control code ASCII 27, which is called escape. These sequences can have more than one code following Escape, depending on the command. (In this manual, ESCape is written as ESCape or ESC, depending on whether it’s being used in a sentence or as a control code. You might also see it written as (ESC) in other manuals.)

The ESCape code changes the interpretation of the codes that follow it-they are interpreted as part of a printer command. For example, if the because 52 is the ASCII code for that number. If, however, the printer receives a 27 just before the 52, it turns on the italic mode, because ESCape

the 52. As noted at the beginning of Appendixes G and J, many ESCape sequences can use letters or numbers enclosed in quotation

marks. These letters or numbers can be used in place of the decimal or

hexadecimal values as long as they’re placed in quotes. There’s no functional difference between the two systems, but you might find the letters and numbers easier to remember.

FX-286

"4"

This same command could also be written with the "4" in place of

receives the decimal code

is the

FX-286’s

code for italic printing.

52,

it prints the numeral

Demonstration Programs

To help you understand control codes and ESCape sequences and to enable you to see the demonstrations in the BASIC programming language. Although you

4-4

FX-286

features in action, this manual includes

will probably not do much of your printing using BASIC, the demonstrations are in BASIC because nearly all personal computer users have some version of this language. Therefore, almost everyone can

try the examples.

As you run the programs (or even as you read the explanations and

look at the printed examples), you learn how the FX-286 responds to

the messages your computer sends it by printing letters, numbers, symbols, and graphics in various print modes.

Even if you never use BASIC again, you will know the capabilities of your printer, capabilities that can often solve your printing problems. For example, if you need a special symbol, such as the scientific symbol for one of the planets, you will know that you can turn to the chapter on user-defined characters and create such a character.

If you don’t want to do the exercises in BASIC, you don’t have to. In most cases the software that you use for word processing, business, or graphics does the calculating and communicating with the printer for you. All you need to do is install your software as explained in Chapter 2.

Running BASIC Programs

This section describes how to run the BASIC demonstration programs in this manual; it is not a tutorial in BASIC programming.

Although there are many versions of BASIC, the programs in this manual are designed to work with the two most popular ones: Microsoft™ BASIC and IBM PC BASIC. If you have another version, you can run these demonstration programs by making a few changes. Appendix D has instructions for using Applesoft” BASIC; for other versions of BASIC, consult the appropriate manual.

When you type these programs, be sure to include all spaces and punctuation marks, especially semicolons. Press RETURN at the

end of each line. (On your computer the RETURN key may be marked or ENTER.) Computers that use a 40-column display

may break some lines into two parts on the screen, but that does not

affect the operation of the program. If you make a typing mistake, retype the whole line, including the line number; the new line will replace the old one.

When you have typed all the lines, type RUN and press RETURN

to run the program.

4-5

If you have made changes to a program and want to see all of it on the screen, type LIST and then press RETURN to see the program on your screen. When you are completely through with one program and want to start another, type NEW and press RETURN.

How to Send Control Codes to the Printer

The short program. that follows illustrates the concepts of control codes and ESCape sequences. This exercise may help you make better use of the next three chapters. Type and run the program. It should produce the printout you see below it. After the printout is a detailed description of the operation of the program.

10 LPRINT "BASIC programs for the" 20 LPRINT CHR$(70)CHR$(88)CHR$(45)CHR$(50)CHR$(56)CHR$(54)

LPRINT CHR$(&H46)CHR$(&H58)CHR$(&H2D)CHR$(&H32)CHR$(&H38)CHR$(&H36) 40 LPRINT "Wl "CHR$(87)CHR$(49) 50 LPRINT CHR$(27)"Wl";"Double-width print" 60 LPRINT "Still double-width"

BASIC programs for the

FX-286

W1 W1

Double-width print

Still double-width

In each line LPRINT signals that the rest of the information on the line is to be sent to the printer. In line 10 the letters inside the quotation marks are printed just as they appear in the program.

Line 20 shows an alternate way of printing characters. It uses the CHR$ (character string) function with the decimal code for each letter. Line 30 uses the same method except that it uses hexadecimal numbers instead of decimal numbers. (The symbols &H before each number are required to signal that the numbers are hex, not decimal.)

Line 40 prints the characters W1 using the two different methods (quotation marks and the character string function). Line 50 shows that if the ESCape code, which is CHR$(27) in BASIC, comes before the characters W1, those characters are not printed. Instead, they

4-6

become part of the ESCape sequence that turns on double-width printing, which is demonstrated with the letters in quotation marks after the ESCape sequence. Line 60 shows that the double-width mode stays on for more than one line.

This program is only an introduction. The next three chapters have more demonstration programs that allow you to see the features of your FX-286 in action.

4-7

4-8

Chapter 5

FX-286 Features

This chapter describes many of the printing features of the You can read this chapter if you wish, but you may not need to. Whether or not you use the rest of this manual depends upon your

expertise, your interest, and the software you use.

FX-286.

IBM Proprinter Mode

In addition to all the standard Epson features, the FX-286 has an IBM Proprinter mode. If you have an IBM PC or compatible and want to use the IBM Proprinter mode, turn it on by resetting three DIP switches inside your printer (see Appendix A).

When you have selected the IBM Proprinter mode, your printer is

changed in two ways: It uses an IBM character set and it uses a some-

what different set of control codes.

There are actually three different character sets in the IBM Proprinter mode: Standard, Alternate, and All Print. All three sets are

available in draft and NLQ. Printouts of the three sets appear at the end of Appendix K.

The Standard and Alternate character sets can be selected by changing a DIP switch, as explained in Appendix A. The third character set, All Print, can only be selected with ESCape code " \ " or "^". See the detailed explanations of these codes in Appendix J for additional information.

5-1

The printable characters for the Standard and Alternate sets are

shown in Figure

5-1.

Figure 5-1. IBM character sets

The different control codes used in the IBM Proprinter mode are listed and explained in Appendix J. If you are not a programmer, all you need to know is to select “IBM Proprinter” or “IBM Graphics Printer” (if that is one of the options) when you install an applications program.

Note

The features demonstrated in this chapter are available in both the Epson and the IBM Proprinter modes, except as noted.

In Chapter 4 you saw the enlargements of the three FX-286 widths.

Now you’ll learn how to produce them.

5-2

Pica Printing

The first exercise is a simple three-line program to print a sample

line of characters in pica, the standard width. Enter this program:

FOR X=65 TO 105 50 LPRINT CHR$(X); 60 NEXT X: LPRINT: LPRINT

Now run the program. You should get the results you see below, 10

pica characters per inch.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_'abcdefghi

Changing Widths

Now you can try other widths. As explained in Chapter 4, the

FX-286 uses the same pattern of dots for pica, elite, and condensed

characters, but it changes the horizontal spaces between the dots to produce the three different widths.

In elite mode there are 12 characters per inch, and in condensed there are ‘WI” command (Escape densed when it receives the ASCII

elite characters by adding the following line to your previous program. (Simply type this line and press RETURN; you do not need to

retype the other lines.)

17.16.

The

FX-286

prints in elite when it receives the ESCape

":" in Proprinter mode) and prints in con-

command. Print a sample line of

20 LPRINT CHR$(27)"M";

20 LPRINT CHR$(27)":";

This line uses the command for elite, ESCape “M” (or “:“), to turn on that mode. When you run the program, your printout should look like the one below.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_'abcdefghi

5-3

The net addition to the program cancels elite with ESCape “P”

(ASCII 18 in Proprinter mode) and turns on condensed with ASCII

15:

LPRINT CHR$(27)"P"CHR$(15);

LPRINT CHR$(18)CHR$(15);

Now run the program to see the line printed in condensed mode.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_'abcdefghi

Cancelling Codes

As you saw in the third version of the print width program, you must cancel a code when you don’t want it any more. With very few exceptions, the FX-286 modes stay on until they are cancelled. It is important to remember this because an FX-286 mode can stay on even if you change from BASIC to another type of software. For example, if you run the above program and print a memo with a word processing program afterward, the memo is printed in condensed because the printer is still in condensed mode. To cancel condensed, use ASCII 18. In BASIC, you use this format:

LPRINT CHR$(18)

To avoid having one program interfere with the printing modes of

another, you can cancel a mode one of two ways:

l With a specific cancelling code such as ASCII 18 to cancel con-

densed. Each mode has a cancelling code, which you can find in the discussion of the code and in Appendixes G and J. Pica is an excep-

tion to this rule. To cancel pica, turn on elite or condensed.

l By resetting the printer, a method explained in the next section.

Resetting the Printer

Resetting your FX-286 cancels all modes that are turned on. You can

reset the printer with one of two methods:

l In the Epson mode only, by sending the reset code (Escape "@") l Turning the printer off and then on.

5-4

Either one of these methods returns the printer to what are called its defaults, which are the standard settings in effect every time you turn the printer on. Resetting the printer has two main effects: It returns the printing to single-strike pica, thus cancelling any other modes or enhancements you may have turned on, and the current position of the print head becomes the top-of-page setting. The reset code does not affect SelecType settings, and does not cancel NLQ if it has been selected with the panel button, but turning off the printer does cancel

SelecType and NLQ settings.

Disabling a program’s reset code

Many word processors and applications programs send a reset code

or initialization signal to the printer before sending data to be printed.

Basically, the purpose of this code or signal is to reset the printer to

its default settings and wipe out any other settings that might exist.

The programs do this to ensure that the printing comes out as

expected, without being influenced by unknown settings.

In most instances, this is fine. However, if you decide you want to set up the FX-286 to do something your applications program won’t do, you have to make sure a reset code doesn’t wipe out your new settings.

Many initialization codes can be disabled by using the setup or

installation procedures that are part of many applications programs. Once you’re into the setup procedure, find the section that deals with initialization, and see if the program has a list of codes it sends to the printer. If it does, the setup procedure usually allows you to cancel or remove the initialization settings.

If the initialization code cannot be disabled or removed from your applications program, you can usually use the program’s print options function to control formatting and typestyles. Look in the manual for the program to find out how to select print options.

Width Comparison

Now that you have used three short programs to produce samples

of the three main widths, you can choose the width that you prefer or the one that best fits a particular printing job. Most people use either pica or elite for printing text and condensed for spreadsheets or other applications in which it is important to get the maximum number of characters on a line.

5-5

In fact, for even more characters than the 233 per line that condensed gives you, elite and condensed can be combined for a mode called condensed elite (in the Epson mode only). It is not really another width, because the size of the characters is the same as in the condensed mode; only the space between the characters is reduced. You can see this mode, which allows 272 characters to fit on a line, if you replace line 30 in your last program to produce the following program:

20 LPRINT CHR$(27)"M";

LPRINT CHR$(15);

FOR

X=65

105

LPRINT CHR$(X);

NEXT X: LPRINT

With this addition, the program turns on condensed but doesn’t turn off elite, giving you the printout below:

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_'abcdefghi

Near Letter Quality Mode

The examples so far in this chapter are in the draft mode, but you can also use a software command rather than the FORM FEED/NLQ button to turn on the NLQ mode.

Enter and run the following program to see how the NLQ mode is

turned on by an ESCape sequence in Epson mode (Escape "x1") or

Proprinter mode (Escape "12"). (Note that you use a lowercase x, not

a capital X, in line 10).

NEW

10 LPRINT CHR$(27)"x"CHR$(l);

10 LPRINT CHR$(27)"I"CHR$(2)

FOR

X=65

105

LPRINT CHR$(X);

NEXT X: LPRINT

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\l^-‘abcdefghi

5-6

The following modes and typestyles are available in NLQ:

Epson Mode

Double-width

Emphasized Superscript Subscript Underline

IBM Proprinter Mode

Double-width Elite

Emphasized Superscript Subscript Underline

All the modes demonstrated in this chapter are compared in Table

5-1.

Table S-7. Summary of Fx-286 modes

Print sample

inch

Near Letter Quality

Pica print

Elite print

Condensed print Condensed

*Epson mode only

elite *

CPI

10.00

12.00

17.16

20.00

Remember that you don’t have to use BASIC to change modes; you

can use any method or software that sends the proper codes to the

printer.

Print Enhancements and Special Characters

Besides the widths (pica, elite, and condensed) already covered, the

FX-286 offers many other typestyles.

Emphasized mode

In the emphasized mode the FX-286 prints each dot twice, with the second dot slightly to the right of the first. In order to do this, the print head must slow down so that it has time to fire, retract, and fire the pins quickly enough to produce the overlapping dots. This method

produces better-looking, more fully-formed characters that are darker

than single-strike characters.

5-7

To see an example of emphasized, type and run the following program.

NEW

10 LPRINT "This is standard printing." 20 LPRINT CHR$(27)"E";

LPRINT "This is emphasized printing."

100 LPRINT CHR$(27)"F"

This is

standard printing.

This is emphasized printing.

In Epson mode, emphasized works only in draft pica and NLQ

modes; in IBM Proprinter mode, it also works in elite.

You do sacrifice some print speed with emphasized, because the

print head slows down and prints twice as many dots, but there is a

noticeable improvement in print quality. You may want to use emphasized instead of the NLQ mode for some purposes because emphasized printing is faster than NLQ printing. The code to turn off emphasized is ESCape “F”.

Double-strike

The other bold mode is double-strike. For this mode the FX-286 prints each line, then moves the paper up slightly and prints the line again. Each dot is printed twice, with the second one slightly below the first as you can see if you run this program, which uses ESCape

“G” to turn on double-strike. In the IBM Proprinter mode, ESCape

“G” produces NLQ rather than double-strike when used with either the pica or elite widths. With all other modes and widths, ESCape “G” produces double-strike.

10 LPRINT "This is standard printing."

20 LPRINT CHR$(27)"G";

30 LPRINT

"This is double-strike printing."

100 LPRINT CHR$(27)"H"

This This is double-strike printing.

Unlike emphasized, double-strike combines with many modes (but

not with NLQ) because it does not overlap dots horizontally. Since

5-8

i s

standard printing.

each line in this mode is printed twice, the speed of your printing is slowed. The code to turn off double-strike is ESCape “H”.

Some users prefer the effect of emphasized, and others prefer double-strike. You can look at the printout below and decide for yourself.

This is standard printing.

This is emphasized printing.

This is double-strike printing.

Double-width mode

Perhaps the most dramatic mode on the FX-286 is double-width. It produces extra-wide characters that are good for titles and headings. For this mode, the dot pattern of each character is double-width and

twice as many dots are printed. You can see the difference between pica and double-width pica if you enter and run this program:

10 LPRINT "This is standard printing." 20 LPRINT CHR$(27)"Wl";

LPRINT "This is double-width."

100 LPRINT CHR$(27)"W0"

This is standard printing.

This is double-width.

For this mode the letter W and the numeral one together turn the mode on and the letter W and the numeral zero together turn it off. Thus ESCape “W1” turns on double-width and ESCape "W0" turns it

Off.

Those of you who are programmers may be interested in another form of double-width. In this alternate form, called one-line doublewidth, the printing is the same as that in the example but it is turned on by ASCII 14 and is turned off by a line feed, ASCII 20, or ESCape

"W0".

Mode combinations

You can also use control codes to combine modes. For example, you

can make a title especially vivid by combining emphasized and double-width. In fact, you can combine many of the print modes on

5-9

the

FX-286;

tions as double-strike emphasized double-width underlined subscript, although you may never want such a combination. The point is, however, that the FX-286 has the ability to produce almost any combina-

tion you can think of; it’s up to you to decide which ones you want to

use.

To see emphasized combined with double-width, change two lines

in your previous program:

your

FX-286

printer can print such complicated combina-

20 LPRINT CHR$(27)"W1"CHR$(27)"E";

LPRINT "Emphasized double-width"

When you run the program, your printout should match the one

below, showing that the two modes combine with no trouble.

This is standard printing.

Emphasized

A later section in this chapter explains a special Epson mode

ESCape code, Master Select, which allows you to control seven fea-

tures with one ESCape sequence.

double-width

Underline mode

The FX-286 also has a mode that will underline characters and

spaces. You turn it on with ESCape “-1” and off with ESCape "-0".

Note that the underline code is like the double-width code in that it

uses a character, in this case the hyphen or minus sign, combined with the numeral one to turn it on and a character combined with the numeral zero to turn it off. You can see it in action with the following program:

NEW

10 LPRINT "This text is not underlined."

20 LPRINT CHR$(27)"-1";

LPRINT "This text is underlined."

This text is not underlined.

This text is underlined.

As shown in the printout above, the underline mode is continuous,

but some word processing and other applications programs produce

5-10

an underline that leaves small gaps in the line as demonstrated in the printout below.

This is underline character.

If your software prints this type of underline, it is using the FX-286’s underline character (ASCII 95), underline character is only five dots wide, it does not fill the spaces

between characters.

Proportional mode

In pica draft mode on the FX-286, each character is given the same amount of space, whether it is a narrow letter like i or a wide letter like w. In the proportional mode, however, the space allowed for each letter is proportional to its size.

The proportional mode, which is available only in Epson mode draft pica, also prints all letters in emphasized. You can see the difference between standard and proportional modes if you enter and run the following program.

not the underline mode. Because the

10 LPRINT CHR$(27)"p1" 20 LPRINT "Proportional mode is on."

LPRINT CHR$(27)"p0";

LPRINT "Proportional mode is off."

Proportional mode is on

Proportional mode is off

Notice that you must use a lowercase p for this mode. The next

section describes Master Select, which includes another method for turning proportional on and off.

Master Select

The FX-286 has a special Epson mode ESCape code called Master

Select that allows you to choose any possible combination of seven different modes: pica, elite, proportional, condensed, emphasized, double-strike, double-width, italic, and underline. The format of the

5-11

Master Select code is ESCape “I” followed by a number that is calculated by adding together the values of the modes listed below:

underline italic double-width double-strike emphasized condensed proportional elite pica

For any combination, just add up the values of each of the modes you want and use the total as the number after ESCape "1". For example, to calculate the code for double-width underlined pica, add the following numbers together:

underline double-width pica

To print this combination, therefore, you use ESCape "!" followed by the number 160. In the BASIC programming language the com-

mand is CHR$(27)“!“CHR$(160).

128

64 32

8 4 2 1 0

128

160

To try this number or any other, enter and run this short program,

which will ask you for a Master Select number and then give you a

sample of printing using that code.

10 INPUT "Master Select number";M 20 LPRINT CHR$(27)"!"CHR$(M) 30 LPRINT "This sample of printing uses"

LPRINT "Master Select number";M

50 LPRINT CHR$(27)"@"

In this program, you can use any number you calculate by using the formula above, but remember that emphasized can’t be combined with condensed or elite. If you try to combine emphasized with either of the two narrow widths, you won’t harm your printer; it will simply use a priority list in its memory to determine which mode to use.

5-12

The printer’s priority list causes a combination of emphasized and elite to produce elite only, a combination of emphasized and condensed to produce emphasized only, and a combination of all three to produce condensed elite. Also remember that elite or condensed will cancel pica.

Master Select is a powerful code that gives you an easy way

to produce multiple combinations with a single command. To see double-strike emphasized underlined printing, for example, you need only one ESCape code instead of three.

Indeed, Master Select is such a powerful feature that it may occa-

sionally be more powerful than you want it to be. Because it controls seven different modes, a Master Select code will cancel any of those seven that are not selected. For example, suppose that you have a page in elite and want part of it underlined. If you use ESCape “!” 128 to turn on underlining, your FX-286 will begin printing in underlined pica instead of underlined elite because the 128 code does not include elite. Use

129 for

underlined elite.

Superscript and subscript

Your FX-286 can also print superscripts and subscripts, which you can use for mathematical formulas, footnotes, and other items that require numbers or letters above or below the usual print line. ESCape

“SO” turns on superscript and ESCape “T” turns off either one. You can see them in action with the program

below:

“S1”

turns on subscript. ESCape

10 LPRINT "The formula for water is H"; 20 LPRINT CHR$(27)"S1";"2"CHR$(27)"T";

LPRINT "0."

LPRINT CHR$(27)"T"

The formula for water is H2O.

Now that you see how to use the ESCape sequences for superscript and subscript, you can devise your own examples.

5-13

International characters

As you know, languages other than English require a few extra characters. In the Epson mode, the FX-286 has provided for printing in many languages by having nearly 100 international characters in its

ROM (Read Only Memory). This total includes characters in three sets: draft, draft italic, and NLQ (Near Letter Quality).

In order to print any of these characters, you first select one of the following character sets and then use the individual characters within that set.

0 USA

1 France 2 Germany

3 United Kingdom 4 Denmark I 5 Sweden

You select the character set in one of two ways: with an ESCape code or with a DIP switch (see Appendix A). The ESCape code in

BASIC has the following format:

6 Italy

7 Spain

8 Japan

9 Norway

10 Denmark II

LPRINT CHR$(27)"R"CHR$(n)

in which n is the appropriate number from the list above. In other words, the BASIC command to select the French character set is

LPRINT CHR$(27)"R"CHR$(l)

The other method of selecting an international character set is to reset a DIP switch. If you plan to use one of the international sets quite a bit, see Appendix A for instructions for using the DIP switches.

Once you have selected a character set, whether you do it with the ESCape code or the DIP switches, you will be able to print several new characters. The character sets are shown in Tables 5-2, 5-3, and 5-4.

5-14

Table 5-2. International characters in Epson NLQ mode

35 36 64 91 92 93 94 96 123 124 125 126

USA FRANCE GERMANY UK DENMARK I SWEDEN ITALY

SPAIN JAPAN NORWAY DENMARK II

Table 5-3. International characters in Epson draft mode

USA FRANCE GERMANY UK DENMARK I SWEDEN

ITALY

SPAIN JAPAN NORWAY DENMARK II

Table

5-4.

35 36 64 91 92 93 94

96 123 124 125 126

International characters in Epson draft italic mode

The number at the top of each column in the tables is the ASCII

code that prints the characters in that column.

5-15

Once you have selected an international character set with the DIP switches or the ESCape “R” code, you can use the tables to see which keys on your standard keyboard can produce the international characters you want. Simply type the character from the top row of one of the figures in order to print the corresponding character in the row of the set you have chosen.

For example, if you have reset the DIP switches for the UK character set and you press the # key, the £ symbol will be generated. Even though you will see the # symbol on the screen, the £ symbol will be printed on the paper. For another example, if you have selected the Swedish character set and you press the @ key, the É symbol will be generated.

If your keyboard does not have one of the keys that you need, you will have to send the proper ASCII number to the printer in another way, such as a programming language.

In the IBM Proprinter mode, some international characters are in

the standard character set, and many more are in the alternate character set. If your FX-286 is in the IBM mode, the following program prints the international characters in the standard set, skips a line, and prints the international characters in the alternate set, as you can see in

the printout below it.

10 LPRINT CHR$(126); 20 FOR X=160 TO 168

LPRINT CHR$(X);: NEXT X

LPRINT CHR$(27)

FOR X=126 TO 168

“6”:

LPRINT

60 LPRINT CHR$(X);: NEXT X

70 LPRINT

The alternate character set can also be selected with a DIP switch.

See Appendix A.

The IBM Proprinter character sets also include Greek letters. See

Appendix K for complete printouts of both character sets.

Page Formatting

Although the FX-286 printer has many sophisticated commands to set margins, line spacing, and horizontal and vertical tabs, this section won’t take up your time with extensive discussions of these because

5-16

most are taken care of by applications programs. Instead, this section describes a few commands that the average user might need. For more information, see Appendixes G and J, where all the commands are listed and described.

Margins

The FX-286 allows you to set the left and right margins with simple

ESCape sequences. In the Epson mode, the left margin command is

ESCape “1” followed by the number of the column you choose for the

left margin. The right margin command is ESCape “Q” followed by

the column number of the right margin you want. (For the left margin command, be sure to use a lowercase letter l, not the numeral one.)

If your word processing program does not allow you to change the margins, you can send margin commands to your FX-286 with BASIC or another programming language before you print your documents. For example, if you prefer wider margins than your word processing program gives you, run the following BASIC program before printing. This program gives you a left margin of 10 and a right margin of 60, but you can use any numbers you prefer for the margin commands.

NEW

10 LPRINT CHR$(27)"1"CHR$(10);

20 LPRINT CHR$(27)"Q"CHR$(60);

A program like this also allows you to choose the margins you prefer for program listings. Just remember that once you run a program that sets margins, those margins are in effect until you change them with new margin commands or turn off or reset the printer.

The maximum right margins are shown in Table 5-5.

Table 5-5. Maximum right margin settings

Normal Elite Condensed

Condensed Elite*

*Epson mode only

136 163 233

272

5-17

The IBM Proprinter mode uses a different command to set margins. It is ESCape “X” followed by two numbers. The first number is the left margin and the second number is the right margin. In the IBM mode, the previous program would be written as follows:

NEW

10 LPRINT CHR$(27)"X"CHR$(10)CHR$(60)

Therefore, if you are using the IBM Proprinter mode, be sure to use

the ESCape “X” command for margin settings.

Skip-over-perforation

If you are using continuous-feed paper for printing program listings

or other material not controlled by an applications program, you may find that the FX-286 prints right over the perforations between pages. The FX-286 has an ESCape code to prevent this: the ESCape "N" command. You send ESCape "N" followed by the number of lines you want the FX-286 to skip at the bottom of a page. For example, in BASIC the following line will make the FX-286 skip six lines after each 60 lines if your printer is set for 11-inch paper:

10 LPRINT CHR$(27)"N"CHR$(6);

Since an 11-inch page is 66 lines, this will give you one inch of blank space at the bottom of each page. If you prefer to have half of the blank space at the top of the page and half at the bottom, simply set the top of page approximately three lines (l/2 of an inch) below the perforation. (See Step 7 in Chapter 1 if you need to refresh your memory on setting the top-of-page.)

Line spacing

Ordinarily you don’t have to worry about how the printer moves

the paper so that it doesn’t print lines of text on top of each other; the

FX-286 takes care of this without any special instructions. The line

spacing on the FX-286, however, can be changed with an ESCape

code.

The movement of the paper between lines is called a line feed and the distance the paper moves is called a line space. In ordinary printing the line spacing is 1/6 of an inch, which produces six lines of print per inch. The standard spacing is the same as 12 rows of dots. Since the FX-286 characters use nine rows of dots, the 12-dot line spacing leaves three blank rows between the lines of text.

5-18

The standard line spacing is the only one you need for almost all printing of text, but in some cases you may want to increase or decrease the space between lines. The FX-286 has several commands to do this, one of which specifies the line spacing in 216ths of an inch. If you need to make such fine adjustments in the line spacing, see Appendixes G or J for the proper commands. In Chapter 6 you’ll see how useful changes in line spacing can be for dot graphics.

Paper-out Sensor

Under the platen (the black roller) of your FX-286 printer is a small switch that senses whether or not paper is in the printer. When the end of the paper passes this switch, it triggers a signal that sounds the beeper and stops your printing. This saves wear on your print head, ribbon, and platen, but because of the distance between the switch and the print head, it stops the printing about two inches from the end

of the page. Therefore, if you use single-sheet paper in your FX-286, you can’t print on the last two inches of each page without an adjustment .

If you need to print on the last two inches of single-sheet paper, there are two solutions: send the printer an ESCape “8” or change one of the DIP switches described in Appendix A. Then the printer will ignore the paper-out signal and print on the last part of each page, but be careful not to allow the FX-286 to print when there is no paper in it. (Some computer systems ignore ESCape “8”; see the ESCape “8” section in Appendixes G or J.)

5-19

Chapter 6

Introduction to Dot Graphics

The dot graphics mode allows your FX-286 to produce pictures,

graphs, charts, or almost any other pictorial material you can devise. Instead of using the standard letters and numbers, the graphics mode prints dots column by column and line by line. You plan where you want the dots to appear and then use a program to tell the FX-286 where to put them.

Because many software programs use dot graphics, you may be able to print pictures and graphs like the ones on this page and the next by simply giving your software a few instructions. A graph like the one on the next page can be created and printed in a short time.

6-1

The quickest and easiest way to print graphics on your FX-286 is to use a commercial graphics program. With such programs you usually create an image on your monitor or TV screen and then give a command to send the image to the printer.

If you use commercial software that produces graphics, all you

need to know about dot graphics is how to use the software. If, on the

other hand, you wish to do your own programming or merely wish to understand how the FX-286 prints graphics, read on.

Dot Patterns

Graphic images are formed on the FX-286 about the same way that pictures in newspapers and magazines are printed. If you look closely at a newspaper photograph, you can see that it is made up of many small dots. The FX-286 also forms its images with patterns of dots, as

many as 240 dot positions per inch horizontally and 72 dots per inch

vertically. The images you print on the FX-286 can, therefore, be as

finely detailed as the one on the first page of this chapter.

If you plan carefully where you want the dots to appear and then

use or create a program that gives the proper instructions to the printer, your FX-286 will print almost any picture you can imagine.

The Print Head and Graphics

Chapter 4 told you a little about how the print head on the FX-286 prints letters: It receives a code for a letter and then fires a pattern of pins to form that letter.

6-2

In the main graphics mode, however, the FX-286 prints only one column of pins for each code it receives, and it of the nine pins.

Therefore, your graphics program must send codes for dot patterns, one number for each column in a line. For each of those columns the print head prints the pattern of dots you have specified.

To print figures taller than eight dots, the print head makes more

than one pass. It prints one line, then advances the paper and prints

another, just as it does with text.

To keep the print head from leaving gaps between the graphics lines

as it does between the text lines, the line spacing must be changed to eliminate the space between lines. With a change in line spacing, the FX-286 can print finely detailed graphic images that give no indication that they are made up of separate lines, each no more than 8/72nd of an inch tall.

Each pass of the print head prints one piece of the total pattern, which can be as tall or short and as wide or narrow as you desire. You don’t have to fill the whole page or even an entire line with your graphics figures. In fact, you can use as little or as much space as you like for a figure and put it anywhere on the page.

uses

only the top eight

Graphics Mode

The graphics mode command is quite different from the other com-

mands covered so far in this manual. For most of the other FX-286

modes, such as emphasized and double-width, one ESCape code turns

the mode on and another turns it off. ‘For graphics, the command is more complicated because the code that turns on a graphics mode also specifies how many columns it will use. After the FX-286 receives this code, it interprets the next numbers as pin patterns and prints them on the paper.

The FX-286 has several different graphics densities, but the first

exercises keep things simple by using only one. The code for entering single-density graphics mode is ESCape “K” n1 n2. In BASIC the command is given in this format:

LPRINT CHR$(27)"K"CHR$(n1)CHR$(n2);

ESCape “K” specifies single-density graphics, and the next two numbers (n1 and n2) specify the number of columns reserved for graphics.

6-3

The graphics command requires more than one number to specify how many columns to reserve because as many as 1920 columns on an eight-inch line are possible in graphics printing. Since the FX-286 doesn’t use decimal numbers larger than 255, the graphics mode command uses two numbers for reserving columns.

To figure the number of columns reserved, multiply the second number by 256 and add it to the first number. Since the command is set up for two numbers, you must supply two even if you only need one. When you need less than 256 columns, just make n1 the number

of columns you are reserving and make n2 a zero.

Pin Labels

Once you put the printer into graphics mode and reserve the number of columns you want, your next step is to tell the print head which pins to fire in each column. There are 256 possible combinations of eight pins, and you send only one number for each column. The numbering system that allows you to use a single number to specify which of the 256 possible patterns you want is shown in Figure 6-1.

128

64 32

8 4 2

Figure 6-1. Pin labels

To fire any one pin, you send its number. To fire more than one pin at the same time, add up the numbers of the pins and send the sum to the printer. With these labels for the pins, you fire the top pin by sending to fire only the top and bottom pins, you simply add 128 and 1, then send 129.

combination of pins. Figure late the number that will fire a particular pattern of pins.

128.

By adding the appropriate label numbers together, you can fire any

To fire the bottom graphics pin, you send 1. If you want

6-2

shows three examples of how to calcu-

6-4

Figure 6-2. Calculating numbers for pin patterns

With this numbering system, any combination of the eight pins adds up to a decimal number between 0 and 255, and no numbers are duplicated.

Now that you know the principles of Epson graphics, you’re ready

for two simple exercises, more densities, and then something more complex as a basis for writing your own programs.

First Graphics Program

Your first graphics exercise could be a program that prints a single

column of dots, but it is difficult to see the pattern in a single column of dots, so this program prints the same pattern 40 times.

The first line is the code for 40 columns of single-density graphics. As usual, the example is in BASIC, but you can adapt it to the programming language you prefer.

NEW

10 LPRINT CHR$(27)"K"CHR$(40)CHR$(0);

The second line is the data that is printed as pin patterns. Be sure that you type in the semicolons in both lines:

20 FOR X=1 TO

That’s it. Run the program to see the result below. Although it is not as interesting as the examples at the beginning of this chapter, it does allow you to see exactly how the mode works.

40:

LPRINT CHR$(74);: NEXT X

6-5

WIDTH Statements

Some software (including most versions of BASIC) automatically inserts the control codes for a carriage return and a line feed after every 80-130 characters. This insertion is usually no problem with text, but it can spoil your graphics. In the graphics mode it may insert the control codes in the middle of a line.

You can usually prevent these unwanted control codes with a WIDTH statement. The format in IBM PC BASIC is shown below:

WIDTH "LPT1:",255

In Microsoft BASIC it is:

WIDTH LPRINT 255

If you have another version of BASIC, consult your manual for the proper format.

Put a WIDTH statement in one of the first lines of all your graphics programs. It is easier to put a WIDTH statement in all of your programs than to examine each one to see whether or not such a statement is necessary

Multiple-line Exercise

Now that you’ve entered and run a simple graphics program, the next exercise shows you how the FX-286 combines several lines of graphics for a figure taller than eight dots.

Start with a line for to print two pin patterns. Notice that since there are two pin patterns in the loop, it is only executed 50 times. (Remember to use the proper format for the WIDTH statement in line 10.)

NEW

10 WIDTH "LPT1:",255

40 LPRINT CHR$(27)"K"CHR$(100)CHR$(0);

FOR

x=1 TO 50: LPRINT CHR$(85)CHR$(42); 60 NEXT X: LPRINT 100 LPRINT CHR$(27)"@"

6-6

100

columns of single-density graphics and lines

If you run the program now, you’ll see how one line of the pattern

looks:

To see how more than one line combines to form a figure, enter and run the following program, which uses the lines you have already typed and adds several more.

10 WIDTH "LPT1:",255 20 LPRINT CHR$(27)"A"CHR$(7)

FOR R=1 TO 3 40 LPRINT CHR$(27)"K"CHR$(100)CHR$(0); 50

FOR

x=1 TO 50: LPRINT CHR$(85)CHR$(42); 60 NEXT X: LPRINT 70 LPRINT CHR$(27)"K"CHR$(l00)CHR$(0);

80 FOR X=1 TO 50: LPRINT CHR$(42)CHR$(85);

x: LPRINT: NEXT R

100 LPRINT CHR$(27)"@"

If you’re using the IBM Proprinter mode on the FX-286, add the

following line:

25 LPRINT CHR($)27"2"

Now run the program to see the six print lines combine into a pat-

tern:

Because the short and simple program that produced the pattern demonstrates many elements of graphics programming, each line is explained below.

Line 20 changes the line spacing to 7/72 of an inch, which is the height of the dot patterns used in the program. Therefore, there is no space between the print lines.

6-7

Line 30 begins a loop to produce multiple print lines. Lines 40 and

50 were explained previously. Lines 70 and 80 are similar to lines 40

and 50 except that line 80 uses a reversal of the patterns in line 50. As the loop is executed, the program prints lines 50 and 80 alternately so that the patterns of the print lines will fit together well.

Notice that the graphics command can be in effect for only one print line. The command is in lines 40 and 70 so that it is issued each time a new print line is begun. To print more than one line of graphics, the graphics command must be issued before each line.

Line 100 is the reset code to return the printer to its defaults.

Density Varieties

Although all the examples so far in this chapter have been in the singledensity graphics mode, the FX-286 offers seven other eight-pin density modes and two for nine-pin. Nine-pin graphics (Epson mode only) is not necessary for most uses, but you can find the command (ESCape mands are described in Table

“^“) in Appendix G. All the eight-pin densities and their com-

6-1.

6-8

Table 6-1. Graphics modes

Density

Single

Low-Speed Double

High-Speed Double

Mode

Quadruple

CRT I

One-to-one (plotter)

CRT II screens

Dual-

Density

Plotter

Note: Only

modes 0-3

Alternate

code

ESC K

ESC L

ESC Y

ESC Z

none

are available in

Description

60 dots per inch; 480 dots per 8” line 816 dots per 13.6” line

120 dots per inch; 960 dots per 8” line

1632 dots per 13.6” line

Same density as Mode 1, but faster. The printer does not print consecutive dots in any one row.

240 dot position per inch;

1920 dot position per 8” line; 3264 dot position per

13.6” line The printer does not print consecutive dots

in any one row.

80 dots per inch; 640 dots per 8” line;

1088 dots per 13.6” line

Matches the screen density of the QX-10: (This makes it easy to do screen dumps.)

72 dots per inch

576 dots per 8” line; 979 dots per 13.6” line

Produces the same

density horizontally

as vertically, which

makes circles look round

90 dots per inch:

720 dots per 8” line;

1224 dots per 13.6” line 144 dots per inch

1152 dots per 8” line 1958 dots per 13.6” line

Twice the density

of Mode 5

the IBM mode.

Head speed

(in./Sec.)

This chapter uses the term dot positions instead of dots for two densities: high-speed double and quadruple. Because the FX-286 does not print consecutive dots in a row in these densities, it cannot print dots in all the possible dot positions in any one row. For example, an eight-inch high-speed double-density row has 960 places where the

6-9

FX-286 can put a dot (dot positions), but only half of them can be used on any one pass of the print head. Having twice as many possible dot positions enables high-speed double-density designs to have a higher resolution than single-density ones even though consecutive dots are not used.

You are familiar with the command format that uses the ESCape code and a letter, but FX-286 graphics commands in the Epson mode can also be in the following format:

LPRINT CHR$(27)"*"CHR$(m)CHR$(n1)CHR$(n2);

with m being the mode number found in the left column of Table 6-1. As usual, n1 and n2 reserve the number of columns for graphics. The eight modes include seven densities, with two speeds for doubledensity

Reassigning Code

The FX-286 (in the Epson mode only) has a graphics command that changes one graphics mode to another. You can use it with many commercial graphics software programs to change the density and shape of your printouts. The code is ESCape "?s" n, where s is one of

the four alternate graphics codes (K, L, Y, or Z) and n is the number of

the new code (O-6).

For example, if you send the following code before you run a graphics program, it will change every instance of mode “Y”

(high-speed double-density) to mode 5 (one-to-one).

LPRINT CHR$(27)"?Y"CHR$(

As usual, this example is in BASIC, but you can send the code in

any programming language.

Even if you don’t know which code your graphics program uses, a

little experimentation should tell you whether the reassigning code can improve your graphics printouts.

Column Reservation Numbers

Now that you’ve seen the rest of the eight-pin graphics densities and

the reassigning code, this section explains in more detail the part of the graphics command that reserves the number of columns for graphics (the numbers n1 and n2 in the examples).

6-10

If you need fewer than 255 columns of graphics, columns you want and n2 is zero. As you can see in Table ever, a single eight-inch line will hold as many as 1920 columns in quadruple-density. Specifying more than 255 is where the second number slot (N2) fits in. The first number that you send number of columns, but the second does not represent a number of columns; it is multiplied by 256 and added to n1. The command for

the maximum number of dot positions you can reserve is:

is the number of

6-1,

(n1)

how-

indicates a

CHR$(27)"*"CHR$(3)CHR$(192)CHR$(12);

which is 3264 dot positions in one row.

you can have your program do the calculations for you with the following format:

192

dot positions plus

Once you have chosen the number of columns you want to use,

times

256

dot positions, for a total of

CHR$(27)"L"CHR$(N MOD 256)CHR$(INT(N/256));

The variable N is the total number of columns you want to specify. The MOD (modulus) function calculates the value for n1, and the INT

(integer) function calculates the value for n2. For programming languages other than BASIC, consult your manual for the proper form for these functions.

This format can be used with any graphics density and with any value of N up to the maximum number of columns per line for that density.

Designing Your Own Graphics

This section takes you through the development of a graphics program. The example is not especially complicated, but it does include the same steps you would use for a more complex figure so that you have the basis for designing graphics on your FX-286.

6-11

You should plan your figure with dots on graph paper, but before beginning to place the dots, you must decide which graphics density you want. Figure 6-3 shows the differences between the three mostused graphics modes so that you can choose the one you want.

Figure 6-3. Designing in different densities

In this figure you can see the main rules for graphic design in the three densities. In single density no dots can be placed on vertical lines. In high-speed double density dots can be placed on vertical lines,

but no dots can overlap. In low-speed double density dots can be

placed on vertical lines and they can overlap.

Now look at the figure designed for high-speed double density. It

should point you in the right direction for your own designs.

Figure

6-4.

Arrow design

6-12

After plotting all the dots as in Figure

bers for each pin pattern by dividing the design grid into separate print

lines. For the arrow design, the grid was divided into three lines, each seven dots high. Then each column was examined and the sums of the pin values determined. This process for the first line is shown in Figure

6-5.

of each column.

same manner. Once the numbers for the pin patterns are calculated, they go in DATA statements, separated by commas.

The pin values are on the left side and the sums are at the bottom

Figure 6-5. First line of arrow figure

The numbers for the second and third lines were calculated in the

6-4,

you calculate the num-

First is the whole program and its printout, then an explanation of

two techniques not used before:

NEW 90 WIDTH "LPT1:",255 100 LPRINT CHR$(27)"A"CHR$(7)

590 FOR K=1 TO 3 600 LPRINT CHR$(27)"Y"CHR$(50) CHR$(0); 610 READ N: IF N=128 THEN 650 620 IF N>=0 THEN LPRINT CHR$(N);: GOT0 610 630 READ P,R: FOR J=l TO -N 632 LPRINT CHR$(P)CHR$(R);: NEXT J

640 GOT0 610

650 LPRINT: NEXT K: LPRINT CHR$(27)"@": END

800 DATA 8, 4, 10, 1, -6, 8, 0, 4, 0, 2, 0, 1, -9, 0, 0, 0

805 DATA 23,8,4,2,1,-2,0,0,0,128

810 DATA 0,0,0,0,64,32,17,10,4,0,-6,0,0,-10

815 DATA 64,0,0,0,0,64,32,17,10,4,128

820 DATA 2,4,10,16,34,64,-5,2,0,4,0,8,0,16

825 DATA 0,-9,32,0,61,2,4,8,16,32,64,0,0,0,128

6-13

Remember to use the proper format for your system for the

WIDTH statement in line

90.

In this program the number end of a print line. This is the reason for the IF-THEN statement in line 610 that skips to line 650 and causes a line feed.

The other special technique used in this program is found in lines 620 and 630. Since some of the data numbers are repeated many

times, using negative DATA numbers for repetitions saves typing. Line 620 tests for a negative number, and if it finds one, reads the next two numbers and prints their pin patterns the number of times indicated by the negative number.

For example, when the minus 6 in line 800 is read, the program then reads the next two numbers (8 and 0) and sends them to the printer 6 times. This feature is not a necessary part of the program, but it does allow you to type fewer data numbers.

Otherwise the program is a straightforward graphics program that uses seven-dot line spacing and reads numbers from DATA statements and sends them to the printer. If you want to see the figure in other densities, change the “Y” in line 600 to “L” or “Z”.

128

in the DATA statements signals the

String variables

In a long and complicated graphics program, typing in the graphics command or repetitive data numbers over and over can become timeconsuming. You can avoid much of the repetitive typing by storing commands and data in string variables.

Look at the program below. It is the same as the multiple-line exer cise earlier in the chapter except for the string variables.

10 WIDTH "LPT1:",255 20 G$=CHR$(27)+"K"+CHR$(100)+CHR$(0) 30 A$=CHR$(85)+CHR$(42) 40 B$=CHR$(42)+CHR$(85)

50 LPRINT CHR$(27)"A"CHR$(7)

60 FOR R=1 TO

70 LPRINT G$; 80 FOR X=1 TO 50: LPRINT A$;: NEXT X 90 LPRINT

100 LPRINT G$; 110 FOR X=1 TO

50:

LPRINT B$;: NEXT X

120 LPRINT: NEXT R

130

LPRINT CHR$(27)"@"

6-14

Notice that the first line stores the whole graphics command in one string variable. In order to do this you must put plus signs between the elements of the command. Once you have done this at the beginning of the program, each time you enter LPRINT G$; you have issued the graphics command. Lines 20 and 30 do the same thing with the data used in this program. As you can see, the use of string variables saves some typing even in this short program. In a long program it can save you much more time and effort .

6-15

6-16

Chapter 7

User-Defined Characters

The FX-286 has several hundred different characters stored in its

Read Only Memory (ROM). Although this number includes draft, Near Letter Quality, international, IBM, italic, and graphics charac-

ters, sometimes you would like to have a few more. For those occa-

sions when you need a special character or even a whole new

typeface, the FX-286 allows you to create your own characters and

print them just as if they were ordinary letters.

This chapter describes how to use the user-defined character function in the Epson mode. The IBM Proprinter mode also has a limited user-defined character function. For information on its use see the ESCape "=" and ESCape “I” commands in Appendix J.

Defining Your Own Characters

The printout below displays a few such characters to give you an idea of what can be done, but remember that you can create whatever you need or want.

It may seem that designing a character and telling the FX-286 how

to print it would be extremely complicated, but in this chapter the task is reduced to a simple three-step process: planning your character, running one program that tests your work and calculates the required DATA numbers, and running another program to put the character in

your printer’s Random Access Memory (RAM) for use whenever you

need it.

After you have created your own characters, you can re-program seldom-used keys to generate the user-defined characters. For example, you will be able to type < to print .

7-1

Your user-defined characters can be utilitarian or imaginative, anything from a scientific symbol to script letters for your initials. Just follow the simple steps below.

The characters you define must follow the same rules that govern the rest of the characters printed by the FX-286. Also, they can be in draft mode only. In Figure 7-1 are four pica letters with a grid of lines behind them so that you can see how they are designed.

As you look at these characters, notice the three rules that govern their design: The column on the right side is always left blank so that there will be spaces between the characters on a line; a character can use the top row or the bottom row, but no character uses both the top and the bottom row; and a dot can be placed on a vertical line only when the columns next to that line are not used.

Figure 7-1. FX-286 dot-matrix characters

Designing Process

Suppose that you want to print the scientific symbol for the planet Mercury. Although the FX-286 has a number of special symbols, Mercury’s symbol is not one of them. You can, however, create and print such a symbol with ease. First, use a grid like the one in Figure 7-2 to plan where to place the dots.

7-2

Figure 7-2. Grid for designing draft characters

Because the last two columns are reserved for the space between characters, they are not included in the grid. And since most characters do not use the bottom two rows, a heavy line indicates the usual lower limit for an FX-286 character.

When you place your dots on this grid, remember that dots cannot go on horizontal lines, but they can go on vertical lines as long as they

do not overlap any other dots. As you design your characters, draw the dots as large as you see them in the example on the left in Figure 7-3. If you draw them smaller, you may have overlapping dots without realizing it.

Figure7-3. Correct and incorrect designs

If you do accidentally call for overlapping dots, don’t worry. The

program will still work, but only one of the dots will be printed.

7-3

Definition program 1

The BASIC program below will help you translate your design into a character your FX-286 can print. Type in the program. Then follow the instructions given after the program.

NEW 100 DIM F(9)

110 FOR I=1 TO 9

120 PRINT "WHICH ROWS HAVE DOTS IN COLUMN";I 130 INPUT R: IF R=0 THEN 150 140 F(I)=F(I)+2^(R-1)

150 IF R=0 THEN NEXT I ELSE GOT0 130

160 LPRINT CHR$(27) ":"CHR$(0)CHR$(0)CHR$(0); 170 LPRINT CHR$(27)"%"CHR$(1)CHR$(0); 180 LPRINT CHR$(27)"&"CHR$(0)CHR$(60)CHR$(60);

190 LPRINT CHR$(128);

200

FOR X=1 TO 9 210 LPRINT CHR$(F(X));: NEXT X 220 LPRINT CHR$(0)CHR$(0); 230 LPRINT "YouR CHARACTER IN PICA: < < <" 240 LPRINT "IN EXPANDED EMPHASIZED PICA: "; 250 LPRINT CHR$(27)"!*< < <" 260 LPRINT CHR$(27) "!"CHR$(0)"YOUR DATA NUMBERS:" 270 FOR K=1 TO 9: LPRINT F(K);: NEXT K 300 LPRINT:

END

So that you can see how the program works, the next paragraphs

present the steps used to create the symbol for Mercury. First is the

grid used to design the character.

Figure 7-4. Design for character

7-4

Running the program

Now run the program. For each of the nine columns, the program

asks for the numbers of the rows in which you want dots to appear. Enter the row numbers one at a time, pressing the RETURN key after each one. When you have entered all the numbers for a column or when you want no dots in a column, press RETURN without a number. Remember that the vertical lines in the grid are the evennumbered columns.

To see program 1 produce the character in Figure 7-4 run the pro-

gram and follow these instructions: When the screen message asks what rows have dots in column 1, respond with RETURN to indicate that no dots go in that column. For column 2 (the vertical line), press

7, RETURN,

rows 7 and 5. Then press RETURN alone to indicate that no more

dots go in column 2. For column 3 press 8, 6, 4, and 2, with a

5, and

RETURN

again to indicate that you want dots in

RETURN after each of them. Then press RETURN to finish with

column 3 and go on to column 4.

For column 4 press RETURN

assume that you extra time to end the entries for each column.) For column 5, enter 6,

4, 3, 2, and 1. For column 6, press RETURN only; for column 7 enter

8, 6, 4, and 2; for column 8 enter 7 and 5; and for column 9 press

RETURN

Now wait a moment for your computer to calculate the dot patterns and your FX-286 to print the new character in two different typestyles. Your printout also gives you nine numbers, which you will use in the next program. You should get the printout you see below:

only.

know

to press

only. (The rest of the directions

RETURN

after each number and one

YOUR CHARACTER IN PICA::

IN EXPANDED EMPHASIZED PICA:

YOUR DATA NUMBERS:

0 80 170 0 47 0 170 80 0

When you get to this point with a character of your own, you see

how it looks and whether or not you like it. If you want to make any changes, move the dots on the grid as needed and re-run the program.

7-5

If you want to put dots in the bottom row, change the number in

line

190 from 128

to 0. Then the usable rows will be as shown in Figure

7-5.

Figure 7-5. Using the bottom eight rows

Definition program 2

Once the character looks right, type in the next program. The pro-

gram as listed creates the symbol for Mercury, but you can use it for

any character you create if you make one or two changes explained

after the program listing.

NEW

100 LPRINT CHR$(27)

":"CHR$(0)CHR$(0)CHR$(0); 110 LPRINT CHR$(27)"%"CHR$(l)CHR$(0); 120 LPRINT CHR$(27)"&"CHR$(0)CHR$(60)CHR$(60); 130 LPRINT cHR$(128);

140 FOR X=1 TO 9 150 READ R 160 LPRINT CHR$(R);: NEXT X 170 LPRINT CHR$(0)CHR$(0);

200

DATA

0,80,170,0,47,0,170,80,0

300

END

7-6

To use program 2 for your own character, change the DATA num-

bers in line 200 by substituting the numbers generated by program 1.

Running the program

When you run this second program, it re-defines the < character. After you run the program, if you press < your FX-286 will print (although your screen will continue to show the character <).

Because the program puts this new definition in your printer’s Random Access Memory (RAM), it will print the new character unless it is turned off or receives the reset code.

If you have designed a character and want to use it with your word processing program, for example, just run program 2 before you start using your word processing program.

If you wish, you can define more than one character; see the section on user-defined characters in Appendix C for details.

7-7

Appendix A

Defaults and DIP Switches

This appendix lists the default settings of the and describes the functions of the DIP switches-small switches inside the printer that control a number of important printer functions.

FX-286

printer and lists

Default Settings

When your FX-286 comes from the factory, it is set to the following defaults. Defaults are the settings in effect each time the printer is

turned on. A dot (•) means that you can change the default for this setting by changing a DIP switch.

l Pica pitch

Margins set at maximums: left margin at 0 and right margin at 136. 1/6-of-an-inch line spacing Page length of Vertical tabs set at every two lines Horizontal tabs set at every eight spaces

l Epson mode l USA character set

inches

l Paper-out sensor on l Carriage return issued at the end of a line without an automatic line

feed

Top-of-page is set at the position of the print head when you reset the printer-by turning power on or by issuing an ESCape “@“-or

when you change the page length with ESCape “C”.

A-1

The DIP Switches

Several tiny switches called DIP (for Dual In-Line Package) switches are inside the FX-286 printer. These switches control a number of important printer functions. Although the factory settings are

the best for most uses, you may want to change some of them.

The design of the FX-286 gives you easy access to the switches,

which are under the access cover on the right side of the printer. To remove the cover, use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the top screw.

Then press the cover down and sideways with the palm of your hand as shown in Figure

A-1.

Figure

settings.

A-1

also shows the location of the switches and their factory

Figure A-1. DIP switch location

Always turn the power OFF (with the switch on the left side of the

printer) before you change the setting of any of these switches. Any

changes made while the power is on will be ignored until you turn the

printer off and back on. So set all switches with the power off.

A-2

Epson FX-286 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Introduction

Unpacking Your Printer

Installing the paper feed knob

Selecting the Right Location

Installing the Ribbon

Replacing the ribbon...

Loading Continuous-feed Paper

Loading single-sheet paper…

Installing the paper separator

Turning the Power On

Operating the Control Panel

OFF LINE/ON LINE

FORM FEED/NLQ

LINE FEED/DRAFT

Setting the Top-of-Page Position

Adjusting the paper-thickness lever

Running the Self Test

Connecting Your Printer to Your Computer

Printing Your First Document

Using the FX-286 with Word Processors

The IBM Proprinter mode

Using the FX-286 with Other Applications Programs

SelecType Operation

Turning SelecType on

Selecting typestyles

SelecType exercise

Mode combination

Skip-over-perforation

SelecType Tips

The Print Head

Changing Widths

Computer-to-Printer Communications

ASCII Codes

Control Codes

ESCape Sequences

Demonstration Programs

Running BASIC Programs

How to Send Control Codes to the Printer

IBM Proprinter Mode

Pica Printing

Changing Widths

Cancelling Codes

Resetting the Printer

Width Comparison

Near Letter Quality Mode

Print Enhancements and Special Characters

Emphasized mode

Double-strike

Double-width mode

Mode combinations

Underline mode

Proportional mode

Master Select

Superscript and subscript

International characters

Page Formatting

Margins

Skip-over-perforation

Line spacing

Paper-out Sensor

Dot Patterns

The Print Head and Graphics

Graphics Mode

Pin Labels

First Graphics Program

WIDTH Statements

Multiple-line Exercise

Density Varieties

Reassigning Code

Column Reservation Numbers

Designing Your Own Graphics

String variables

Defining Your Own Characters

Designing Process

Definition program 1

Running the program