Star Micronics 8III User Manual

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Operations Manual

Safety Notices

This rinteriscertifiedasaClass 1 laserproductundertheU.S.Departmentof HealthandHumanServices
(DHl?S) Radiation Performance Standard according to the Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act
of 1968. This means that the printer does not produce hazardous laser radiation.

Since radiation emitted inside the printer is completely confined within protective housings and external
covers, the laser beam cannot escape from the machine during any phase of user operation.

The Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) of the U.S.Food and Drug Administration
implemented regulations for laser products on August 2,1976. These regulations apply to laser products
marketed in the United Stales. The label on the printer indicates compliance with the CDRH regulations
and must be attached to laser products marketed in the United States.

Caution-use of controls or adjustments or performance of procedures other than those specified herein
may result in hazardous radiation exposure.

Federal Communications Commission

Radio Frequency Interference Statement

This equi
to Part 1 P
interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency
energy and. if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference
to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular
installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can
bedeterminedbytumingtheequipmentoffandon,~euserisencouraged to trytocorrecttheinterference
by one or more of the following measures:

For compliance with the Federal Noise Interference Standard, this equipment requires a shielded cable.

Tk above statemenls apply only to printers markled in lk U.S.A.

ment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant

of FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful

* Reorient or reloate the receiving antenna.
* Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

l Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is

connected.

* Consult the dealer or an experienced radioKV technician for help.

Self Declaration

Radio interference regarding this equipment has been eliminated according to Vfg 1056/1984 announced
by the DBP.

DBP has been informed of the introduction of this special equipment and has been granted the right to
examine the whole series.

It is the user’s res nsibility to see that his own assembled system is in accordance with the technical
regulations under fg 1046/1984.

To conform to FlZ-regulations it is necessary to make all connections to the printer with shielded cable.
The equipment may only be opened by qualified service representatives.

Tk above s~a~emenl applies only IO prinlers ma&led in West Germany.

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The Canadian Department of Communlations

Radio Interference Regulations

Statement of

atatus does not exceed the Class B limits for radio noise emissions from digital apparatus

msdi@T!

set out m the adto Interference Regulations of the Canadian Department of Communications.
Le p&sent appareil num&ique n emetpas de bruits radio6.lectriques depassant les limiters applicables aux

appamils numeri ues de la classe B prescrites dans le Rkgk.rnent sur le brouillage radio&ctrique tdicd
par le Mini&e. 1 es Communications du Canada.

Tk above statement applies only toprinters marketed in Canada.

Trademark Acknowledgements
LaserPrinter 8111: Star Micro&s Co., Ltd.
Intellifont, CC Times: Agfa Corporation (AGFA Canpugraphic Division)
Ventura Publisher: Xerox Corporation
EX-800: Seiko Epson Corporation
HP LaserJet III: Hewlett Packard Company
IBM PC/XT, IBM Proprinter: International Business Machines Corporation
Lotus l-2-3: Lotus Development Corporation
Microsoft Word, Microsoft Windows: Microsoft Corporation
PageMaker: Aldus Corporation
WordPerfect: WordPerfect, Inc.

NOTICE

l All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part of this manual in any form whatsoever without

STAR’s express permission is forbidden.

l The contents of this manual are subject to change without notice.

- Alleffotts havebeenmadetoensuretheaccuracyofthecontenuofthismanualatthetimeofpress.
However, should any errors be detected, STAR would greatly appreciate being informed of them.

l The above notwithstanding, STAR can assume no responsibility for any errors in this manual.

0 Copyright 199 1 Star Micronics Co., Ltd.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1 HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL

Laser

Printing

The

Star Lase#rinter

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8111-An

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

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CHAPTER 2 SETTING UP THE STAR LASERPRINTER 8III

Unpacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Inserting

Paper Types and Paper Loading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Optional RAM Expansion Board

Power

Connecting to a Computer

the Toner Cartridge

Automatic Paper Feed
Mand Paper Feed

Supply

Parallel

Serial-RS-232

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

CHAPTER 3 INITIAL OPERATION

Front Panel

Powering Up
The Buttons
Light Indicators
Hex Dump

Self Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Printing the Status S beets
Status Sheet Description

Programming from the Front Panel

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CHAPTER 4 QUICK START WITH

THE STAR LASERPRINTER 8lII: A TUTORIAL 47

Preliminaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Front Panel

Basic

Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Connecting the Printer to the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Selecting the Serial Interface
Activating the Parallel Interface
Saving the Setting

Returning to Factory Settings
Mand Feed
Paper

Size

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Printing in Landscape Orientation
Changing Character Set
Changing Font Attributes
Programming on Your Own

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CHAPTER 5 SETTING UP A PAGE
CHAPTER 6 PRINTING

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Fonts

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65
67

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Hewlett Packard LaserJet III
Diablo 630
Epson EX-800
IBM Proprinter

Installing Optional Font Cartridges

Adjusting Print Quality

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CHAPTER 7 INTERFACING WITH APPLICATIONS

PROGRAMS

Lotus l-2-3

Original Version

Lotus l-2-3 Release 2
WordPerfect

Microsoft Word 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Microsoft Windows

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CHAPTER 8 MAINTAINING THE STAR LASERPRINTER 8HI87
CHAPTER 9 TROUBLESHOOTING

Error Messages Displayed on the Screen

Service Call Messages

Engine Service Call Messages
Qperator Call Messages

Engine Problems

Font/Emulation Cartridge Problems

Change Paper Size

Manual Paper Feed

Operator Information Messages

Host Communication Problems

Function or Size Incompatibility
Status Messages
Paper Jumming
Adjusting Print Quality

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streaky Prints

White Streaks
Dark Streaks or Stains

Garbled Text or Formats/Hex Dump . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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APPENDIX SPECIFICATIONS
GLOSSARY
INDEX

111
119 I
123

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Congratulations on purchasing a Star LaserPrinter 8111. You will be de­lighted with both the quality of the printed images and the ease of operation.
With your computer and this printer, you can create professional-looking
documents.

This Operations Manual is one of two that explore the entire range of printing

possibilities of the Star LaserPrinter 8111. This manual is for beginners and
for those who plan to concentrate on the basics. Advanced users and those
interested in programming should refer to the Applications Manual.

Chapter 2 begins with an overview of the manual and of the Star Laser
printer. This chapter explains how to unpack your new printer and prepare

it for initial operation. Chapter 3 explains how to operate the printer’s front

operating panel and display screen.

Some people like to skip the preliminary explanations and begin using the

printer immediately. Chapter4 provides the information for such a fast start.

If you begin with Chapter 4, at some later time you should read the rest of the
book, in sequence, for a more complete picture of your printer and its
operations.

Chapter 5 explains how to set up a page, while Chapter 6 describes the type

characteristics and printer operations that will enable you to give your
printed pages that professional look.

The Star LaserPrinter 8111 emulates the operation of three widely-used
printers:

l HP LaserJet III, a laser printer

. Epson EX-800, a dot-matrix printer

l IBM Proprinter, a dot-matrix printer

1

With this capability, the Star LaserPrinter 8111 will operate with a wide range
of applications programs on the market, both old and new. Chapter 7
provides the information that will allow you to use your printer with four
popular applications programs: Lotus I-2-3, WordPerfect, Microsoft Word,

and Microsoft Windows.

Chapter 8 and 9 describe the maintenance and troubleshooting operations to
keep your Star LaserPrinter 8111 working in “perfect” condition.

LASER PRINTING

Before you begin learning about your new Star LaserPrinter 8111, you may
find it helpful to know something about laser printing itself.

A laser is actually a beam oflight ofjust one wavelength (Laser is an acronym
for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation). Such a beam
of light, described as “highly coherent,“can be focused very sharply. Lasers,
generated by gases, liquids or semiconductors, are widely used in applica­tions ranging from surgery to the visual arts.

Laser printing is a process that uses a laser beam - in this case, generated
by a semiconductor- to activate portions of an electrically charged surface.

These activated parts represent the words, numbers, or graphics being sent
from the computer for printing. Other parts of the printer transfer this image
to paper, then clean the surface and prepare it to receive more information to
be printed.

In other words, this process is a type of laser-activated temporary engraving.
In the Star LaserPrinter 8111, two interconnected units produce the complete

printing process: the toner cartridge and the printer body.
The toner cartridge contains the drum, which is the rotating surface. In the

darkness of the toner cartridge, the drum holds a negative charge placed on
it by the primary corona wire in the printer. Shutters on the bottom ofthe toner
cartridge assure that no unwanted light penetrates its interior.

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When text or graphics are sent by the computer to the printer, a laser beam
is generated by a semiconductor laser diode. This beam is focused by special

BO-ITOM VIEW

scanning mirrors that turn the light beam into a tool that “writes” or “paints”
on the surface of the drum. The areas of the drum touched by the laser beam
lose their negative charge and contain a reverse image of the information sent
from the computer. As the drum rotates, it passes a developer unit that is also
rotating, but in the opposite direction. The surface of the developer unit is
covered with toner (“ink”) which has a negative charge. The neutralized
portions of the drum, containing the information to be printed, pick up
negatively charged toner from the developer unit.

At,this point, paper fed from the paper cassette moves through the transfer
unit, from which it receives a positive charge. As the drum rotates, the
negatively charged particles of toner are attracted to the positively charged
surface of the paper.

A combination of heat and pressure fuse the image to the paper. The paper
is then ejected from the printer.

Finally, acleaning mechanism in the toner cartridge cleans excess toner from
the drum, and a special light beam neutralizes its entire surface. Then the
entire process can begin again.

3

THE STAR LASERPRINTER 8lll-

AN INTRODUCTION

You will meet each portion of your Star LaserPrinter 8111 as you read this
manual, but a brief introduction is in order here. The following figures show
the printer from the front and the rear.

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@ Upper Cover Release Botton @ Font Cartridge Slots

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@ Carrying Grip Plate
@ Hole for Test Print Button
@ Control Panel

8 Paper Cassette
0 Paper Set Guides for Manual Feed-

ing

@ Facedown Print Delivery Tray
@ RAM Expansion Board Slot

(covered)

0 Parallel Interface Connector
@ Serial Interface Connector

Youcanejectpaperfaceup whenthepapertray is foldedout as shownbelow.

@ Power Cord Connector

8 Power Switch
8 Faceup Print Delivery Tray

(folded up)

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The fact that you’re now reading this manual shows that you’ve got at least

as far as opening the carton containing your new Star LaserPrinter 8111. This
chapter will help you do unpack the printer, set it up, and get it running.

First, though, you should make some preparations. You may already have
decided on the printer’s new location. Whether you have or have not, run
through this checklist of requirements:

l environmental control -The printer and toner cartridge should never

be exposed to strong sunshine or other direct heat sources. It should also
be located away from air conditioning ducts, dust andfumes. Excessive
moisture should be avoided, such as humidity in excess of 80% or less
than 20%. If it is comfortable for you, then it will be comfortable for your
printer.

l a large, strong table or stand

-The printer weighs 45 lbs (20 kg), and
must be firmly supported. Also, the printer will need more room than it
takes up in the shipping carton, because the paper cartridge will extend
forward from the front, and an auxiliary paper tray will unfold from the
rear; so plan for a space at least 3 x 4 ft. (lm2). Because the top of the
printer must open, be sure there is at least 24 in. of headroom above the
table/stand.

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l a three-pronged outlet -

(1 Sm) from the printer (the length of the power cord), preferably one
shielded from power fluctuations. In any case, no motor-driven appli­ance should be connected to the same outlet, to avoid interference with
the printer’s operations.

The outlet should be no more than 5 feet

. access to the computer/workstation/network - If you will be using

a serial connection, the printer should be a maximum of 50 feet (Urn)
away, with a parallel connection, no more. than 6 feet (2m) .

l a fresh toner cartridge (product #EP-S).

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l paper-A package of 16 - 20 lb (60 -1 35g/m2) photocopier paper is best

to start with; however, the printercanuse thickerpaper, as well as special
media, such as envelopes, mailing labels, and transparent sheets.

l someone to help you lift the printer from the carton to its new

location.

UNPACKING

The shipping carton contains two layers of material. On top is a Styrofoam
tray containing the paper cassette, power cord, ground wire, and the users’
manuals.

Printer

Power cord

Remove the tray with its contents and set it aside-NOT on the table where
the printer will go. On the bottom, you will see the printer in a plastic bag,
resting in its own Styrofoam nest.

Summon your lifting partner and prepare to remove the printer. Since it is
tightly cradled in the shipping carton, it may be necessary to tip the carton
slightly to get a firm grip. Lifting handles are located half-way back on each
underside of the printer, but they will be difficult to use, because of the
plastic bag. Lift the printer from the Styrofoam and place it on the table or
stand, plastic bag and all. Now slide the bag off by slightly lifting the printer
gently.

To stabilize the printer during shipment, it contains several kinds of
protective material. The front of the printer has three slots, one about 9 in.

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wide and two narrower slots below it. The wide slot is packed with a paper

package of silica gel (to absorb moisture during shipping) and a brick of

Styrofoam. Remove both of these and save them for use if you must move

or ship the printer over long distances.

There are also packing materials inside the printer. Near the right front of
the printer’s top you will see a postage-stamp sized, rectangular button.

Place your finger on the arrow and slide the button forward, then press down
on it. The top of the printer will pop open slightly, just like the hood of an
automobile. The top has two open positions, one at about 45 degrees and the
other fully open. Lift the top to its fully open position, so you can see the
interior of the printer.

You must remove several pieces of packing material. The largest, a large
wedge of Styrofoam, is at the center front of the interior. Lift this out and
save it for future repacking.

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Toward the back of the interior you will see a green lid with a warning label
in red lettering. On the left and right sides of this area are orange stabilizers.
Each stabilizer bears a tag with black lettering, telling you (in several
languages) to remove them. Grasp one of these and pull it down, then
forward in the direction of the arrows on the tag. Remove the second one
the same way. Save the stabilizers for future repacking.

10

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After you remove all the packaging material, leave the printer top open, so
that you can insert the toner cartridge, which contains the “ink” that will print
your documents.

11

INSERTING THE TONER CARTRIDGE

The toner cartridge comes in a separate sealed carton. Open this and remove

a foil package, contained within Styrofoam. Also packed is a small plastic

bag containing cleaning material, some of which you will install inside the

printer, and an installation sheet.

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After separating the two packages from the Styrofoam, pick up the smaller
one and open it. In this package is a green and black 8-inch long rod and a
cotton swab. The rod is a fixing roller cleaner, with cleaning pad attached
to one end. Open the green lid to the upper fixing assembly and insert the
cleaning pad end of the roller cleaner into the slot. Slide the cleaning pad
back and forth several times.

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Remove the cleaner from the slot. Peel off the cleaning pad and discard it.

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Now grasp the fixing roller cleaner by the two prongs in the center and

install it in the slot you have just cleaned.

Finally, close the green lid. It will not close tightly, but don’t force it down,
Now it is time to install the toner cartridge. Pick up the sealed package that

contains it. You will see the letters EP-S stamped on one end. This is at the
bottom of the cartridge, so turn it over, and snip open the foil. Be careful to
grasp the cartridge only at the instruction panel and the other long end, not
in the middle. This is to prevent disruption of its moving parts.

Holding the cartridge with two hands, rock it back and forth 5 or 6 times,
as shown below, so that it moves through about 90 degrees.

14

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Now lower the printer lid to its halfway position and insert the cartridge in
the direction of the arrows on its instruction panel. Push gently but firmly,

until it is seated at the back of its container.

.

As you look at the left front side of the toner cartridge, you will see a small
plastic tab with a circle on it.

15

pull down on this tab and wiggle it up and down a few times, until it snaps
off. Attached to the tab is a long strip of plastic that must be completely

removed. Hold the tab and pull it straight out, applying firm, even pressure.
Keep pulling until the end of the long plastic strip emerges from the
cartridge.

The final step is to close the printer top, pushing down gently until it latches.

PAPER TYPES AND PAPER LOADING

You may load paper into the printer automatically or manually. Either way
you will need the cassette, which is in the Styrofoam tray that you set aside
after first opening the printer packing case. The paper cassette comes in two
parts, the paper tray and the cover.

The paper tray contains two pieces of packing material. Remove and
discard them.

Automatic Paper Feed

For automatic paper feed, paper must be placed within the paper cassette.
Each size of paper requires a different paper cassette. The Star LaserPrinter

8111 uses cassettes for five paper sizes:

LTR (letter)
LGL (legal)

A4 (standard metric) 210 x 297 mm
B5 (metric)

Executive

S1lr x 11 in.
81n x 14 in.

l82x257mm

71fl x 10IR in.

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The cassette packed with your printer is for 81n x 11 in. paper or for A4
paper. Consult your Star LaserPrinter 8111 dealer about additional cassettes
for different sized paper.

Your Star LaserPrinter 8111 can print on automatically-fed paper whose
weight is between 16 and 36 lb. It should be between 3.7 and 7.5 mils in
thickness, with a moisture content of 4-6% by weight. Its smoothness
should be 100-300 Sheffield, with a minimum pH of 5.5, and an ash content
of not more than 10%. It must be able to withstand heat of 200°C for 0.1
second. It should be long grain paper, with cut edges showing no visible
fray. There should be no curl toward the printing side. It should be packaged
in reams in moisture-proof polylaminate. Avoid coated and extremely
smooth papers, and those that are wrinkled or contain staples. Do not use
carbonless paper or multipart forms. The type of paper used for photo­copying and the newer paper designed specifically for laser printers are
suitable, including Canon NP, Xerox 4024, Gilbert Neu-Tech and Neenah
NP. However, Star Micronics does not recommend any particular brand,

since it has no control over the content and quality. Selecting suitable paper
is your responsibility.

Envelopes, mailing labels, and transparencies require manual feed. Among
the suitable brands of labels are Avery Lasergraphic and HP LaserJet series.

Be sure to select labels that cover the entire backing sheet during printing.
For transparencies, a satisfactory brand is that with the Hewlett Packard
trade name. When printing envelopes and transparencies, use the rear
output tray. Paper over 20 lb. in weight may be fed manually.

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You may place up to 200 sheets of paper in the paper cassette. Do not
overload the cassette, and do not fan the paper before inserting it in the

cassette. Placing the cassette in front of you so that the paper size is facing

you, slide the paper in so that it comes to rest against the notch with three

arrows on it and beneath the adjacent lip.

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Now press down on each comer of the paper stack, to make sure it is seated
flat on the bottom of the cassette.

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Finally replace the cover, so that the beveled edge is at the front of the tray
and the notched edge points to the rear.

The cassette must be inserted in the large slot at the front of the printer.

Holding the cassette so that the front is near you, guide it into the slot and
push back until it cannot go any further. A portion of the cassette will
protrude from the front of the slot.

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Manual Paper Feed

Manual feeding of paper into the printer is accomplished from an adjustable
slot on the cassette cover.

The Star LaserPrinter 8111 can print on paper or other media sized from 3.9

x 7.5 in. (100 x 190 mm) to 8.5 x 14 in. (216 x 356 mm).

For manual feeding, you must first adjust the slot for the width of the paper.
Manual feeding also requires changing the printer’s operating instructions
by programming at the front panel. This will be explained in the chapter
“Quick Start With the Star LaserPrinter 8111: A tutorial.”

Note that gauges for the five standard paper sizes are printed on the cover
below the left-hand slot guide. If you plan to handfeed paper of one of these

sizes, adjust the guides accordingly. For envelopes, labels, transparencies,

or paper other than 8’” x 11 inch paper, place a sample sheet on the feed slot

and adjust the guides until they hold the sheet snugly.

OPTIONAL RAM EXPANSION BOARD

The optional expansion board provides up to 4 megabytes of additional
RAM (as 1-, 2- or 4-megabyte cartridges), and permits full page bit-map
mode operation. To tell whether a board is displayed in your printer, watch
the printer display screen during power-up. If no board has been installed,
the display will read:

Memory Test 1 MB

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If a memory board has been already installed, the display will give the total
amount of memory available (for example):

Memory Test 5 MB

The board is easily installed in a slot located at the left rear of the printer
frame. The only tool required is a Phillips screwdriver.

Before beginning the installation, turn off the printer and unplug it. The
plate covering the slot is secured by one screw. Remove the screw and lift
the cover plate out. Notice the lip on the left side of the cover plate. The
interior of the slot contains a pin hole receptacle.

The RAM expansion board has two plastic insertion tabs at one end, with
a pin connector underneath. Hold the card by the two tabs so that the
memory chips face upward. Insert the opposite end into the slot, pressing
firmly with your thumbs against the plastic tabs, until the pins are com­pletely seated in the pin hole receptacle. During insertion, do not wiggle the
board back and forth, as this may damage the pins.

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Whik Tabs

When the board is completely seated, it will be entirely inside the slot.
Finally, replace the coverplate. Fit the lip behind the printer frame at the left
end of the slot. Then visually line up the hole in the cover with that in the
frame. Hold the right edge of the cover plate away from the printer frame
and reinsert the screw. Slide the cover back into position until the screw
enters the hole in the frame. Tighten the screw with the screwdriver.

If you want to remove the expansion board, unscrew the slot’s cover plate.
Grasp the plastic tabs with two hands and pull evenly on them until the

board comes unplugged. Do not wiggle the board back and forth as you pull,
to avoid damaging the pins.

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POWER SUPPLY

All connections for the Star Laser-Printer 8111 are located on the rear panel.
These include a receptacle for the power cord, as well as parallel and serial
connectors.

The Star LaserPrinter 8III’s three-pin power cord comes packed on the top
tray, along with the paper cassette. Attach this cord to the receptacle at the
left side of the rear panel, aligning the cord pins with the holes before

inserting. Make sure that the printer is turned 08 Then plug the now-at-
tached cord into a wall socket, or into a surge-protected power strip.

The printer’s on-off power switch is located just above the power cord

receptacle. The power switch is marked with two international symbols: I
for on and 0 for off. To turn the printer on, press the end of the switch
marked with I. To turn it off, press 0.

Be sure the switch is at the OFF position before plugging in the power

cord.

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