Epson LQ-1500 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.

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 America, Inc. 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 America, Inc. assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

LQ-1500 is a trademark of Epson America, Inc.

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

PB490012

Contents

Introduction

LQ-1500 Features About This Manual

Setting Up

Finding a Suitable Location

Getting to Know Your Printer

Installing the paper feed knob Removing the dust cover Removing the front cover Discovering what’s inside

Installing the Ribbon Cartridge

Installing the Sheet Guide

Assembling the three pieces Attaching the sheet guide

Connecting the LQ-1500 to Your Computer

Locating the interface card Installing the interface card Attaching the cable to the printer

Connecting the printer cable

Setting the DIP Switches

Switch1 Switch2

Installing the Power Cord

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Your LQ-1500

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1 2

3 3 5 5 7 7 8

9 12 12 12 15

18 18 19 21 22 24

Operation

Controls and Indicators

The power switch

The control panel

The paper-out detector

Maintenance

Cleaning the LQ-1500 Other maintenance

and

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Maintenance

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25 25

25 25 27 27 27 28

iii

Installing Paper and Paper Feeders

Types of Paper and Paper Feeders

Single-sheet paper and sheet guide Pin-feed paper and tractor unit

More Printer Parts

Platen release lever Print head adjustment lever

Loading Single-Sheet Paper

Preparing the printer for single-sheet feed Loading single-sheet paper Removing single-sheet paper

Loading Pin-feed Paper

Installing the tractor unit Preparing the printer for pin-feed paper Inserting pin-feed paper Proper placement of pin-feed paper Removing pin-feed paper Removing the tractor unit

The LQ-1500 Self-Test

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29 29 29

29 30 30 31 31

31 32 34 34 34 35 37 40

41 41

Control codes

Computer-to-Printer-Communications How Many Names Can One Code Have?

Appendixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A LQ-1500 Command Summary

Vertical Spacing Commands Horizontal Spacing Commands Print Style Commands Character Set Commands Graphics Commands Miscellaneous Commands

Changing Print Styles

Proportional Print Styles Letter Quality Print Styles Draft Pica Print Styles Draft Elite Print Styles

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45 45 46

49 50 54 56 61

62 64

69 70 71 72

C The LQ-1500 Character Set

Regular Characters International Character sets

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75 75

Widths of the Proportional Characters . . . . . . . . . . . .

ASCII Code Conversion Chart

Specifications of the LQ-1500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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87 91

Figures

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

2-1 2-2

Unpacking the LQ-1500 Paperplacement The LQ-1500 printer

Paper feed knob Removing the front cover Printer parts Ribbon cartridge Ribbon installation Ribbon operation

Sheet guide assembly Paper guide position Sheet guide installation Printing single sheets The dust cover

Interface card

Locating the interface card

Interface card installation Interface connection to computer

Switch settings

Controls and indicators

Maintenance

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4 5 6

7 8 9

11 11 13 14 14 15

16 16 17

21 26

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

3-6 3-7 3-8 3-9

3-10 3-11

D-1

Adjustment levers

Sheetload

Protective cover removed

Tractor unit installation Printer parts used with pin-feed paper Paper inserted Aligning pin frames Pin-feeder covers Paper path

Removing the tractor unit The LQ-1500 self-test

A character and its widths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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30 33 35 36 37 38 39

40 41 42 43

vii

Tables

1-1 Settings for switch 1 1-2 Settings for switch 2 1-3 International character switch settings

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22 23 23

Introduction

Congratulations! You’ve purchased the Epson LQ-1500TM. This advanced, state-of-the-art printer combines the quality of typewriter print with the speed of a dot matrix printer. Of course, it has all the capabilities of the other Epson printers-and more too.

LQ-1500 Features

The LQ-1500 is designed to be used day in and day out in an office environment. Its size and rugged good looks proclaim this fact. Its Epson engineering guarantees it.

The LQ-1500 has a long list of features. Just a few of the highlights include:

Letter quality printing. The LQ-1500’s 24-pin print head can print

letter quality characters in four widths.

Proportional letter quality printing. The LQ-1500 can print in two

widths of proportional letter quality characters.

Draft speed. The LQ-1500 can print at 200 characters per second

using the draft character set.

Two hundred and twenty-four printing styles. The LQ-1500 can

print in 224 different printing styles, not counting superscripts and

subscripts.

Upward compatibility. The LQ-1500 includes all of the major fea-

tures of the FX series of printers.

Userdefined characters. The LQ-1500 allows you to design your

own character sets, in either draft or letter quality mode.

High-resolution graphics. The LQ-1500 has all the graphics capabi-

lities of the FX series of printers and more. The 24-pin print head provides top-quality, high-resolution graphics.

Text buffer. The LQ-1500 has a 2048 character text buffer to increase printing speed. The buffer takes information quickly from your computer, leaving the computer free for other tasks while the LQ-1500 finishes printing.

About This Manual

The LQ-1500 is a sophisticated machine. Although it is simple to operate, writing programs for it can be complicated. In many cases, the people who use the LQ-1500 are not the ones who do the programming. Therefore, Epson has provided two different manuals. This LQ-1500 User’s Manual contains all the information required to set up and operate, the LQ-1500. The LQ-1500 Programmer’s Manual contains the information required to write programs for the LQ-1500. Epson also supplies Application Notes that tell you how to use the LQ-1500 with specific software programs.

The first three chapters of this manual will help you set up, operate and maintain your printer. Chapter 4 contains information on how to use control codes with your printer.

The appendixes contain helpful information about selecting print styles and character sets, and about using control codes to command certain printer functions. Appendix A summarizes the control codes. Appendix B explains how to change from one print style to another and shows examples of different print styles. Appendix C shows the character sets available on the LQ-1500, including the regular and international sets. Appendix D gives the dot width of each of the available proportional characters. Finally, Appendix E, a convenient conversion chart, provides all the possible names for each ASCII code.

This user’s manual is not long, but it contains a lot of important information. In spite of its simple design, the LQ-1500 is a precision printer, and you should know the right way to assemble and take care of it. Reading this manual will help assure you of success when you begin to use the LQ-1500.

Chapter

Setting Up Your LQ-1500

You’ve just purchased a terrific new printer, and dug far enough into the box to find this manual. Now what? In this chapter we’ll show you how to set up your

First, take inventory. Carefully unpack the carton and make sure

that you have all of the pieces shown in Figure

LQ-1500 printer

Sheet guide (three pieces)

Dust cover

Front cover (installed on the printer)

Paper feed knob

Power cord

Ribbon cartridge

This User’s Manual.

LQ-1500

and connect it to your computer.

1-1:

Note: It’s a good idea to save all of the packing materials in case you

want to move your LQ-1500 some day.

Finding a Suitable Location

Before you actually set up your printer, you should give some thought to where you are going to put it. Of course, your printer must sit somewhere near your computer (the length of the printer cable is

the limiting factor). However, you may not want to place your com-

puter and printer side by side because the printer does make noise

Fig-we 1-1. Unpacking the LQ-1500

during operation. Here are some additional suggestions to follow:

Place the LQ-1500 on a flat, stable surface. The printer will make

more noise if you place it on a table that moves or vibrates.

2. Connect the printer to a grounded electrical outlet (do not use an adapter plug). It’s a good idea to choose an outlet which is not controlled by a wall switch that could be accidentally shut off dur-

ing the printing process.

3. Choose a location which will allow enough space beneath or behind the printer to load the paper. If you are using continuous (or pin-feed) paper, the paper path should be free from obstruction

(see Figure

4. Protect the printer from prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, moisture, and dust. Make sure that it is not close to a heater or any

other heat source.

1-2).

5. Use the LQ-1500 in areas that are comfortable for you. If you find

it too hot, too cold, or too humid, the environment is not right for the LQ-1500; it may not operate properly.

Figure 1-2. Paper placement

Getting to Know Your Printer

Now you’ve got a small collection of odd-shaped pieces placed in a suitable location. The next step is to put them all together to form a functional printer. Figure 1-3 shows the assembled printer and identifies some of the main parts.

WARNING: To avoid shock hazard and prevent damage to the

LQ-1500,

described here with the power to the printer turned OFF.

Installing

The first piece to install is manually turn the platen and advance the paper-just as you do on a typewriter. To install the paper feed knob, simply push it onto the shaft on the right side of the printer. This is shown in Figure 1-4.

the paper feed knob

complete all of the installation procedures

the

paper feed knob, which you use to

Figure 1-3.

The LQ-1500 printer

Figure 1-4. Paper feed knob

Removing the dust cover

The dust cover is the brown plastic cover which keeps dust out of the print mechanism and reduces the noise level when the printer is on. If you are using cover.

Lift off the dust cover. It just sits in a recess on the top of the printer so removal is easy Set the dust cover aside if you will be needing it. Put it away in unit.

the

optional tractor unit, you will not use the dust

the

printer box if you plan to use

the

optional tractor

Removing the front cover

The next assembly step, installing the ribbon cartridge, first requires a bit of disassembly. You should remove the front cover to gain easier access to the print head when you install the ribbon.

Open the front cover by tilting the back edge up and toward you. Push left and up. Gently lift off the cover and set it aside (see Figure

1-5).

You’ll see it’s easier to do than it is to describe!

Figure 1-5. Removing the front cover

Discovering what’s inside

Now that you can see the insides of the printer, take a few moments

to find some of the parts that you need to know about. Study Figure

1-6

until you can identify these parts:

The print head is probably the easiest part to locate, so start with it.

The print head is the large, black, finned object that moves back and

forth on two silver rods across the printer.

The ribbon guide is the silver shield on the side of the print head next to the paper. The ribbon guide guides the ribbon between the print head and the paper.

The paper is guided through the printer by a large rubber roller

called the platen. It has the same function as the platen in a typewriter.

The paper bail is the numbered scale with three black rollers on it.

The paper bail rests against the platen and holds the paper in place as it

moves through the printer.

Figure 1-6. Printer parts

Once you identify these parts, you will know enough about the printer to get started. This manual will help you identify other parts as the need arises.

Installing the Ribbon Cartridge

The LQ-1500’s ribbon cartridge is easy to install, and it won’t get your hands dirty. Follow these steps for a quick installation.

Close the paper bail so that it is against the platen.

Grasp the print head by the finned part and slide it along the silver rods until it is positioned at space on either side of the print head when you insert the ribbon cartridge.

Rotate the ribbon cartridge take-up knob in the direction indicated by the arrow next to it so that the ribbon is tight (see Figure Don’t worry about wasting the ribbon by turning too much; the ribbon is a continuous loop inside the ribbon cartridge.

on the paper bail scale. You will need

1-7).

Figure 1-7. Ribbon cartridge

Hold the ribbon cartridge in both hands to position it over the print head (the hole in the ribbon cartridge fits over the finned part of the print head). The short piece of exposed ribbon must go between the print head and the ribbon guide so that the ribbon does not rest directly against the platen (see Figure tridge and press the spot marked PUSH to seat the back of the ribbon cartridge first.

5. Once you have positioned the exposed ribbon and secured the back end of the ribbon cartridge, push down on the front of the

cartridge to snap it into place. The ribbon cartridge will sit level

when it is positioned correctly.

1-8).

Lower the ribbon car-

6. Now

give the take-up knob several turns to straighten out the ribbon so that it is not wrinkled or twisted. The ribbon should move freely between the print head and the ribbon guide (Figure 1-9).

Figure 1-8. Ribbon installation

Figure

To replace the front cover, simply reverse the steps you took to remove it. Fit until it is securely in place. Tilt the cover back into the closed position. It should fit snugly.

the

right end into place first and then lower the left end

1-9. Ribbon operation

Installing the Sheet Guide

The sheet guide serves a dual purpose on the LQ-1500. If you are using single sheets of paper, the guide ensures consistent margins and straight lines of print. If you are using pin-feed paper, the sheet guide is used as a paper separator to keep the incoming and outgoing paper from interfering with each other.

Assembling the three pieces

First, you must assemble the three pieces of the sheet guide.

1. Orient the sheet guide so that the textured side is up and the metal mounting pins are facing you. Lay one of the two sliding paper guides on top of the sheet guide. The matching textured side should be facing up and the lipped end should be facing toward you. Now tilt the top of the sheet guide up so that you can hook the tabs at the top of the sliding paper guide over the top edge of the sheet guide (see Figure 1-10).

2.Next,

your thumbs to snap the the two plastic spring clips over the bottom edge of the sheet guide. One of the sliding paper guides should now be securely in place.

3.Again,

you. Move the installed sliding guide to the proper end of the sheet guide. The vertical standing edge of the sliding paper guide should

be flush against the outer edge of the sheet guide. The flattened side

of the sliding guide faces toward the center.

To install the other paper guide, just repeat the steps above. Be sure to attach the second sliding guide with the vertical standing edge facing out toward the end of the sheet guide and away from the center (see Figure

turn the sheet guide over so the back side is facing you. Use

position the sheet guide so that the textured side is facing

1-11).

Attaching the sheet guide

To install the sheet guide, place the metal mounting pin on the right side of the sheet guide into the corresponding hole in the metal frame. Then lower the left side until the tab on the left side drops into the slot in the metal frame. Figure

1-12

shows how to do this.

Figure 1-10. Sheet guide assembly

Figure 1-11. Paper guide position

Figure 1-12. Sheet guide installation

If you plan to use your LQ-1500 with single sheets of paper, lift up

the

sheet guide at the back and fold down the metal legs on the bottom of the sheet guide. As shown in Figure 1-13, the legs fit into slots in the top case of the LQ-1500. (This step is not necessary if you will be using

the

optional tractor unit.)

Figure 1-13. Printing single sheets

Once the sheet guide is installed you can replace the dust cover on top, as shown in Figure tective film that is on the switch panel at the right front of the

LQ-1500.

shipment and can be easily peeled off.

This film protects the switch panel during manufacture and

1-14.

Also, you may want to remove the pro-

Connecting the LQ-1500 to Your Computer

Your printer setup is now almost complete. The next step will be to connect your printer to your computer. At the printer end of this connection, two additional pieces of equipment are required: an interface card and a printer cable. The interface card consists of a circuit board pre-mounted into a metal carrier (Figure

Locating the interface card

Epson makes three types of interface cards for the LQ-1500: para1lel, serial, and IEEE 488. With the use of easily interchangeable interface cards, this powerful printer can be driven by nearly any computer or word processor. Your Epson dealer can advise you about which interface is best for your computer and application.

1-15).

Figure 1-14. The dust cover

Figure 1-15. Interface card

Installing the interface card

Your dealer may have already installed the interface card for you. Turn your printer around and look at the back of the printer to tell if the interface card has been installed (see Figure cavity at the lower left, the interface card is missing and you must install it before you can use your LQ-1500. If, on the other hand, there is a plug connector at the lower left, the interface card has been installed for you. (If your interface card has been installed, you can skip to the next section.)

LQ-1500 with interface

card installed

1-16).

If there is a large

Figure 1-16. Locating the interface card

The installation procedure is the same for all three of the available

interface cards. The card is easily mounted or removed. The only tool

you need is a Phillips screwdriver.

To install the interface card slide it into the cavity on the back of the LQ-1500 as shown in Figure 1-17. It should slide between the upper and lower plastic guide rails on either side of the opening.

When you feel resistance on the right side of the card, firmly push it

in with both hands. It may help to push against the card release levers to snap the card into place. The interface card should be flush and even with the back of the printer; it should not tilt or protrude.

Now, lift up slightly on the card and secure it in place with the screws provided.

If you use your LQ-1500 with different computers, you may have to remove and replace this card. Begin by removing the retaining screws. Then pull the release levers on both sides of the interface card at the same time. The card will slide out easily.

Attaching the cable to the printer

Note: Before you connect any cables, be sure that both the printer

and the computer are turned OFF.

One end of your printer cable should plug right into the connector on the interface card (if it doesn’t, you have the wrong cable). To secure the connection, attach the two clips on the interface card to the cable (parallel interface only) or tighten the two screws on the cable connecter (serial and IEEE 488 interfaces). If your cable has a ground strap, connect it to the screw just above the interface connector. Figure 1-18 shows both types of connections.

Connecting the printer cable

For many computers, you merely plug the cable into the printer port on your computer. Some computers require a printer interface card, either mounted inside the computer or externally. Check your computer installation and operations manual for details on how to

connect your computer to a printer.

Figure 1-17. Interface card installation

Setting the DIP Switches

This is the last step in installing your printer. Because each com-

puter installation is slightly different, Epson has placed a series of DIP

switches on the back of theprinter interface, which you can change to

best suit your printing application. You can see them through a slot in

the back cover of the interface card.

Figure 1-18. Interface connection to computer

WARNING: The DIP switches we are discussing are in the interface

unit on the back of the printer. Do not change the set-

tings of the DIP switches that are inside the printer. These settings have been determined by the manufacturer to be correct for this LQ-1500 printer. Special knowledge is required to set these switches.

You can use a ballpoint pen to reach into the interface slot and change

switch settings. Note: Be sure that the printer is turned OFF before you make any changes

in the DIP switch settings. Your printer does not register changes in switch settings made while the power is ON. You must reinitialize,

or restart, the printer to record the switch settings.

The switches are all numbered for identification. The number has two parts. The first part refers to the switch group. Look at the back of your printer; you will see one group of four and one group of eight switches. You can identify the switch groups by looking at Figure

As you can see, each switch group is actually a series of switches. That’s the reason that each switch is referred to by two numbers. The

1-19.

second digit refers to the individual switch number. It is printed right on the switch itself.

You can also see that there is a small arrow on the left side of the switch group which indicates the ON position for these switches. However, it’s easier to remember switch settings according to whether the switch is pointing up (toward the top of the printer) or down

(toward the bottom of the printer).

Interface

Switch 1

Switch 2

Figure 1-19. Switch settings

Switch1

The functions of the four switches that make up switch 1 are sum-

marized in Table

1-1.

The right-hand column shows how the switches are set when the printer is delivered. These predetermined settings are best for most applications.

Table 1-1. Settings for switch 1

Switch

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

Function

2K byte input buffer

Paper-out detector

Automatic line feed

Reserved for future use

Disable Disable On Always down

Switch 1-1--In the down position, this switch

buffer of

want to print a document at the same time you continue to use your

2048

bytes

of memory.

This

buffer can be useful when you

Down

Enable Enable Down Off

allows

Factory

Down

Down Down

you to create a

computer for other tasks. WARNING:

If you turn

OFF

the LQ-1500, any information in the

buffer is lost.

Switch 1-2--Switch 1-2 enables a detector in the LQ-1500 that warns

you when the printer is out of paper. This is very important when you

are using continuous paper. The printer stops, issues an audible warn-

ing, and waits for you to load more paper before proceeding-and no

data is lost. However, if you are using single sheets, the paper-out detector stops

the printer when it nears the bottom of the sheet (even if you want to print all the way to the bottom or if you have another sheet ready to feed). In this case, it is best to disable the paper-out detector by turning switch

1-2

to the Up position. With the printer’s paper-out detector disabled, the application software in your computer must determine when it has come to the end of a page. Check with your software dealer if you have difficulty.

Switch 1-3--Switch 1-3 controls whether or not the LQ-1500 does an automatic line feed each time it receives a carriage return. Some computers do not send line feeds to the printer which means that this

switch must be up.

Switch 2

Switch 2 determines which print characteristics will be in use when

the

LQ-1500

is turned on. Each of these functions can be changed at

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