Star Micronics LC24-10 User Manual
LC24-10
USERS MANUAL
NOT INTENDED FOR SALE
PN 80821322
Federal Communications Commission
Radio Frequency Interference Statement
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:
l Reorient the receiving antenna
l Relocate the computer or printer with respect to the receiver
l Move the computer or printer away from the receiver
l Plug the computer or printer into a different outlet so that it and the receiver are on -
different branch circuits.
If necessary, the user should consult the dealer or an experienced redio/television technician
for additional suggestions. The user may find the following booklet, prepared by the Federal
Communications Commission helpful: “How to Identify and Resolve Radio-TV Interference
Problems”. This booklet is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington,
D.C., 20402, Stock No. 004-000-00345-4.
For compliance with the Federal Noise Interference Standard, this equipment requires a shielded
cable.
The above statement applies only to printers marketed in the U.S.A.
Self Declaration
Radio interference regarding this equipment has been eliminated according to Vfg 1046/1984
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 responsibility to see that his own assembled system is in accordance with the
technical regulations under Vfg 1046/1984.
To conform to FTZ-regulations it is necessary to make all connections to the printer with shielded
cable.
The equipment may only be opened by qualified service representatives.
The above statement applies only to printers marketed in West Germany.
Trademark Acknowledgements
LCZ4-10, NE15, NB24-10, NB24-15: Star Micronics Co., Ltd.
IBM PC, Proprinter X24, Proprinter II, PC-DOS: International Business Machines Corp.
Microsoft BASIC, MS-DOS: Microsoft Corporation
LQ-800, LQ-1000, LQ-1500: Seiko Epson Corp.
NOTICE
l All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part of this manual in any form whatsoever
without STAR’s express permission is forbidden.
0 The contents of this manual are subject to change without notice.
l All efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this manual at the
time of press. 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 1988 Star Micronics Co., Ltd.
HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL
This manual is organized into five chapters and four appendixes. To
learn how to make the best use of your printer you are urged to read all
of chapters 1 through 5. The appendixes can be referred to as necessary.
Chapter 1 explains how to get the printer unpacked and set up. Read this
chapter before you do anything else.
Chapter 2 explains the control panel. After getting set up, read this chapter
and try out the procedures in it to find out how the printer works.
Chapter 3 gives tips on using word-processing programs and other commercial software with this printer. Read this chapter in conjunction with
your software manual.
Chapter 4 is addressed to do-it-yourself programmers. It shows simple
programming examples using DOS commands and BASIC.
Chapter 5 covers maintenance and troubleshooting. Look through this
chapter to see what it contains, then refer to it as necessary later.
Appendix A lists the printer’s technical specifications.
Appendix B details the functions of escape sequences and other printer
commands.
Appendix C presents a BASIC program you can use to define and download
new characters.
Appendix D presents tables of the printer’s character sets.
FEATURES OF THE PRINTER
This printer is a compact, convenient, monochrome printer with a full
complement of features, making it an excellent partner for a personal
computer. It supports the IBM/Epson printer commands and character sets,
enabling it to print just about anything your computer can generate, both
text and graphics. Some of its main features are the following:
l Extensive software support
Since it is compatible with the Epson and IBM printers, it works with
any software that supports those printers. That includes most
word-processing and graphics programs, spreadsheets, and integrated
software packages.
l Easy operation
Clearly understandable lamp displays and beep tones provide immediate
feedback when you press the switches on the control panel. The four switches
can operate in combinations to perform a surprising variety of functions,
including micro-alignment.
l Easy care and maintenance
The ribbon cartridge can be replaced in seconds; the print head in a few
minutes.
l Versatile paper handling
Single sheets, fanfold forms, and multi-copy forms (up to triple-ply)
are all accepted. and you can use either tractor or friction feed. A special
feature enables you to keep fanfold forms parked in readiness while printing
on other paper.
l High-resolution letter-quality printing
When you select an LQ type style, the printer slows down and employs
a dense matrix of up to 24 by 35 dots to print clear, well-formed characters.
l Large variety of type styles and sizes
The printer has one draft style and four LQ styles (Courier, Prestige,
Orator, and Script), plus italics for all styles, plus condensed print, bold
print, double-sized print, quadruple-sized print - see the samples on the
next page:
--,
Type styles are:
Draft characters,
Prestige characters, ORATOR CHARACTERS,
Sut..Lpk w,
,717d italics for ALL &.y&2.
Print pitches are:
Pica pitch (10 CPI), Elite pitch*(ll CPI),
Semi-condensed pitch (1s CPI), PlCa Pitch @I),
Condensed pitch (10
Normal proportionaL
Courier characters,
condensed proportional.
Double-height,
Double
TriIlp1e
Width,
Wid-th,
Double-sized,
Quad-sized.
Various line and character spacings:
ARE
Other features:
tll?mmm, B'&WEfrn, cx#?3elxm BBxm
Emphasized,
Underlining, Overlining,
SUPERSCRIPT,
Download characters: +++++tttttttttt
Dot graphics:
Double-strike,
SUBSCRIPTJ
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: .'i:,? :/::(. y;;,jJ:: SE,, (j/j/;
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TABLEOFCONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
SETTING UP THE PRINTER
Locating the printer
Unpacking and inspection
Check the carton contents
Setting up
Mount the platen knob
Remove the top cover
Install the ribbon cartridge
Replace the top cover
Install the optional IC card
Connect the printer to the computer
Connect the printer’s power cord
Loading single sheets
Mount the paper guide
Semiautomatic loading
Manual loading
Loading and parking fanfold forms
Paper parking
Paper unparking
Test printing
Short self test
Long self test
Interface test
Adjusting the printing gap
DIP switch settings
CONTROL PANEL OPERATIONS
Switches and indicators
Power indicator
On Line switch
Paper Feed switch
Quiet Mode switch
Style/Pitch switch
Power-up functions
Short test pattern
Long test pattern
Stay in panel pitch
Stay in panel style
Hexadecimal dump
Switch combination functions
Paper parking
1
1
1
3
6
9
12
14
14
19
19
-
22
25
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Appendix A
Appendix B
Page feed
Top of form
Forward micro-feed
Reverse micro-feed
Clearing the buffer
USING THE PRINTER WITH
COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE 29
Installing your software
Printer menu
Printer command options
Type styles
Page width
Initialization sequence
Setting the DIP switches
Using your software
Page alignment
Type style and pitch selection
Other printer commands
29
31
31
USING THE PRINTER
WITH DOS AND BASIC
Hard-copying the screen
Programming the printer with DOS commands
Programming the printer with BASIC
How the program works
35
35
36
38
MAINTENANCE AND TROUBLESHOOTING 45
Cleaning the printer
Replacing the ribbon
Replacing the print head
Replacing the battery in the RAM card
Troubleshooting
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
PRINTER CONTROL COMMANDS
Font control commands
Character set commands
Character size and pitch commands
Vertical position commands
Horizontal position commands
Graphics commands
Download character commands
Other printer control commands
45
45
46
48
49
51
57
57
61
63
68
74
79
81
83
Appendix C DOWNLOAD CHARACTER GENERATOR
Draft character
LQ character
Appendix D CHARACTER SETS
Standard character set
IBM character set #2
IBM character set #l
Additional character set
International character sets
INDEX
COMMAND SUMMARY
89
97
105
108 - _
hapter 7
C
SETTING UP THE PRINTER
Subjects covered in Chapter 1 include -
l Locating the printer
l Unpacking and inspection (names of parts)
0 Setting up
l Loading single sheets
l Loading and parking fanfold forms
l Test printing
l Adjusting the printing gap
l Setting the DIP switches
LOCATING THE PRINTER
Give some thought to the best place to put the printer. Both the printer
and computer should be used in a normal indoor environment. For best
performance, we recommend:
l Place the printer on a flat surface.
l Keep it out of direct sunlight and away from heat-producing appliances.
l Use it only in temperatures where you are comfortable.
l Avoid locations with dust, grease, or high humidity.
l Supply it “clean” electricity. Don’t connect it to the same circuit as a large,
noise-producing appliance such as a refrigerator.
l Make sure the line voltage is within 10% of the voltage specified on the
identification plate.
l If you will be using fanfold forms, place the printer where the forms can
feed up to it from below, with at least a full page hanging free.
UNPACKING AND INSPECTION
Check fhe carton contents
Open the carton and check each item in the box against Figure l-l to
make sure that you have everything (there should be five items).
1
Figure 1-I. Check to make sure you have all five items: 1) Printer, 2) Paper guide, 3) Platen
knob, 4) Ribbon cartridge, and 5) User’s manual.
Make an external inspection of the printer. Note the locations of the
following parts:
Bail lever:
opens and closes the paper bail which holds the paper
against the platen.
2
Power
igure 1-2. The printer’s external parts
Release lever:
releases the platen. This lever must be down for
printing on single sheets, and up for fanfold forms.
Top cover:
Rear cover:
Entry slot:
Control panel:
Power switch:
Connector:
protects the print head and other parts.
protects the sprocket feed mechanism.
for inserting single sheets of paper.
controls various printer functions.
switches power on and off.
for connecting the computer to the printer.
.
Entry slot
1 Platen knob
Connector
SETTING UP
Mount the platen knob
The platen knob is packed into a recess of the white foam packing
material which held your printer inside the packing box. Be careful to remove
the knob before disposing of the packing.
Mount the platen knob on its shaft on the right side of the printer. Turn
it until you can push it in all the way.
Power should always be off when you turn the platen knob. Turning
the platen by hand while power is on can damage the printer’s gears.
Remove the top cover
Lift the front edge of the printer’s clear plastic top cover. Then disengage
the tabs at the back of the cover and remove the cover completely.
3
Figure 1-3. Removing the top cover
lnstaii the ribbon cartridge
The top side of the ribbon cartridge has a handle for turning the ribbon.
Turn this handle in the direction of the arrow to tighten the ribbon.
lgure 1-4. Installing the ribbon cartridge
4
Next place the ribbon cartridge on the print head carriage, guiding the
ribbon between the print head and the platen. Press down firmly on the
cartridge until it snaps into place.
Replace the top cover
Hold the cover upright and engage the tabs at the back. Then swing
the front edge down until the cover is closed.
Leave the cover closed during normal operation. It keeps out dust and
dirt and reduces the printer’s operating sounds. Open the cover only to change
the ribbon or make an adjustment.
lnsfall the optional IC card
This printer has five built-in character styles (fonts), and a 7 K-byte
data buffer.
You can add more fonts or expand the data buffer by installing optional
IC cards (Font card or RAM card).
To install or change an IC card, first turn off the power switch. Then,
insert the IC card into the slot at the bottom right front of the printer and
slide it all the way in.
I
figure I-5. Slide the IC card into the front slot with the power switch off.
Connect the printer to the computer
Connect the printer end of the interface cable to the connector socket
on the right side of the printer as shown in Figure l-6.
Make sure the computer is turned OFF, then connect the other end
of the cable to your computer as described in the computer manual.
cable
Connect the printer’s power cord
Check that the printer’s power switch (located at the left front) is OFF.
Then plug the printer’s power cord into an AC wall outlet.
Never plug or unplug the power cord while the printer is turned on.
LOADING SINGLE SHEETS
This section will take you through the procedures for loading single
sheets of paper.
If you are using the optional automatic sheet feeder (ASF), read the
ASF instruction booklet.
Mount the paper guide
The paper guide tits into the two holes on top of the rear cover. Mount
the guide and raise it to the upright position.
6
guide
Figure 7-7. Mounting the paper guide for single sheets
Semiautomatic loading
Single sheets can be loaded manually with power off, or semiautomatically with power on. We will start the easy way with semiautomatic
loading.
1. Check that the release lever is down and the bail lever back (bail closed),
then switch power on. You will hear a short beep tone and the Power
indicator on the control panel will flash. These are the printer’s paper-out
signals.
2.
Place a single sheet on the paper guide and insert it down into the entry
slot as far as it will go.
3. Move the bail lever forward. When the bail opens, the printer feeds the
paper automatically.
4. Move the bail lever back. The paper will feed slightly forward again,
ending in position to print with a top margin of about one inch.
lgure i-8. Loading a single sheet
Manual loading
It is also possible to load paper manually while the printer’s power is
off. The procedure is:
1.
Check that printer power is off and the release lever at the back of the
printer is down.
Insert a single sheet of paper into the entry slot as far as it will go, the
2.
same way as for semiautomatic loading.
3.
Move the bail lever on top of the printer forward to open the paper
bail.
4.
Turn the platen knob clockwise until the front edge of the paper comes
out from under the top cover.
If the paper is not straight, move the release lever to the up position,
5.
straighten the paper by hand, then move the release lever back down.
Move the bail lever back to close the paper bail.
6.
lever
LOADING AND PARKING FANFOLD FORMS
Fanfold forms have holes along the sides and perforations between the
sheets. They are also called sprocket forms, punched forms, or just plain
“computer paper”. This printer accepts forms up to 10” wide. Fanfold forms
are loaded, parked, and unparked as explained next.
1. Place a stack of fanfold paper behind and at least one page-length below
the printer.
2. Turn the printer’s power OFF.
3. Set the release lever to the up position. If there is paper in the printer,
remove it. (Since the platen is released, you can just pull the paper out.)
4. Move the bail lever forward to open the bail.
5. Remove the paper guide and put it aside for the moment.
6. Remove the rear cover. Grip it by its front edge and lift upwards and
backwards as in Figure l-9.
Figure 1-9. Opening the rear cover
7. Open the sprocket covers on the right and left sprocket units, as shown
in Figure l-10.
8. Flip the clamp levers down. This allows the two sprocket units to move
freely right and left so you can align them with the holes in the paper.
9. Insert the front edge of the paper and tuck it in under the platen.
9
Figure l-10. Opening the sprocket covers to expose the sprocket teeth
Clamp
lever
igure l-11. Closing the sprocket covers
10. Fit the holes in the paper over the sprocket pins. Check that the paper
is even.
11. Close the sprocket covers (Figure l-l 1).
12. Raise one of the clamp levers to lock one sprocket unit in place.
10
13. Turn the platen knob to feed the paper forward until it comes out from
under the top cover.
14. Move the bail lever back to close the bail.
15. Check that the paper is feeding in flat, then raise the other clamp lever
to lock the other sprocket unit.
16. Replace the rear cover. Hold it tilted upward and insert the two tabs
at the bottom into their slots. Then rotate the cover forward, pressing
down on the thumb pads on the left and right to snap it into place.
17. Mount the paper guide in the horizontal position shown in Figure l-12,
so that it will separate the printed from the unprinted paper.
Figure I-12. Mounting the paper guide tor tantola forms
. . . .._
Now you are ready to switch power on and print.
Paper parking
After loading fanfold paper, you do not have to unload it when you
want to print on a single sheet. The printer will “park” it for you if you follow
the procedure below.
1. Paper parking starts with power ON, fanfold paper loaded in printing
position, the release lever up, and the bail lever back.
2. Press the On Line switch on the control panel to set the printer off-line
(On Line indicator off).
11
3. Tear off the printed form at the last perforation, leaving not more than
about half a page showing above the top cover. If necessary, press the
Paper Feed switch to feed paper forward until a perforation is located
just above the top cover, and tear there.
4. Press the Quiet Mode switch on the control panel and hold it down.
5. Still holding the Quiet Mode switch down, press the Paper Feed switch.
The printer will automatically feed the fanfold form backward until the
paper is completely free of the platen.
6. Move the release lever to the down position.
7. Mount the paper guide in the upright position.
Now you can load single sheets either semiautomatically or manually,
as explained previously. The fanfold paper remains parked at the back of
the printer.
Paper unparking
When you want to resume using fanfold paper, the procedure is as
follows.
1. Remove all single sheets from the printer and close the paper bail.
2. Mount the paper guide in the horizontal position.
3. Move the release lever to the up position.
4. With power ON, move the bail lever forward. The printer will automatically feed the parked fanfold paper into position for printing.
5. Move the bail lever back to close the bail. Now you are ready to print.
TEST PRINTING
After loading paper, you can test the printer as described next.
Short se/f test
This procedure prints a six-line “barber-pole” test pattern. The lines
are eight inches wide, so the paper should be at least that wide.
1. Check that paper is in position for printing.
2. With power off, press the On Line switch on the control panel and hold
it down.
3. Still holding the On Line switch down, turn the printer’s power on.
The printer will automatically start printing its short test pattern. You
can release the On Line switch after printing starts. To remove the paper
at the end of the test, switch power OFF. then turn the platen knob. (Don’t
turn the platen knob while power is on.)
12
Figure l-13. Short test pattern
Long self test
To see the printer’s variety of type styles, you can run the long version
of the printer’s self test.
1. Check that paper is in position for printing.
2. With power off, press the Paper Feed switch on the control panel and
hold it down.
3. Still holding the Paper Feed switch down, turn the printer’s power ON.
The printer will automatically start printing a test pattern of its full
character set in various type styles. Watch the lights on the control panel;
they indicate which type style is printing.
This test repeats indefinitely in a long cycle. To stop the test, switch
power off.
Interface test
After confirming that the printer works by itself, it is time to test the
interface with the computer. The simplest way to do this is with a direct
command. Power up both the printer and computer, load paper, then try
a command like one of the following:
MS-DOS or PC-DOS command:
A>ECHO THE INTERFACE WORKS>PRN
Microsoft BASIC command:
LPRINT “THE INTERFACE WORKS”
Or you can try any other command understood by your computer to
print a line of text. Consult your computer manual if you need help. If you
repeat the command a few times, the printout will come into view.
Next you may want to try a test printout with word-processing software,
but for this to succeed you will have to set the printer’s DIP switches (see
the end of this chapter) and install your software to support the printer
correctly (see Chapter 3).
13
ADJUSTING THE PRINTING GAP
The distance between the print head and the platen can be adjusted to
accommodate different paper thicknesses. To make this adjustment, open
the top cover. The adjustment lever is located near the left end of the paper
bail. Pulling the adjustment lever towards you widens the gap; pushing it
away from you narrows the gap.
There are four positions; you can feel the lever clicking into each position.
The first position (narrowest gap) is the one most commonly used for single
sheets of paper. Try different positions until you get the best printing results.
DIP SWITCH SETTINGS
When you remove the printer’s cover and look inside, you will see on
the green board at the bottom of the printer two groups of small switches
marked DSWl and DSW2. These are the printer’s DIP (Dual In-line
Package) switches. DSWl has eight switches, named l-l to l-8 from left
to right. DSW2 has eight switches named 2-l to 2-8.
For all switches, the ON position is towards the back of the printer and
the OFF position is towards the front. To set a DIP switch, use a ballpoint
pen or other small implement to move the switch to the ON or OFF position.
The printer’s power should be offwhen you set the DIP switches. Settings
made while power is on do not take effect until power is switched off, then
on again, because the printer reads the DIP switches only at power-up.
14
I
Figure l-15. DIP switches
International character set
Print style and pitch selection
The printer is delivered with all DIP switch set to the ON position. These
are the standard settings. By changing the settings, you can alter various
printer functions to match your requirements. The following questions will
help you make the right settings.
15
Switch l-l: Is the page length of your paper 11 inches or 12 inches?
Leave this switch ON if you will be using 1 l-inch forms. Move it to the
OFF position if you will be using 12-inch forms.
Switch 1-2: Do you want an automatic carriage return?
Normally you should leave this switch ON. The printer will automatically
perform a carriage return by moving to the left margin at each line feed.
Even if your software sends a separate carriage-return code, an extra carriage
return does no harm because two consecutive carriage returns are the same
as one. Set this switch to the OFF position only if you have a program that
needs to move the paper vertically without a carriage return, which is fairly
unusual.
Switch 1-3:
Do you want a bottom margin?
Leave this switch ON if you do not want to set the bottom margin. Move
it to the OFF position if you want to set the bottom margin to the l-inch.
Switch 1-4:
Are you going to use the automatic sheet feeder (ASF)?
To use the automatic sheet feeder, move this switch to the OFF position.
Otherwise leave it ON.
Switch 1-5: Do you want the printer to stop printing about an inch from
the end of the paper, or to keep printing to the bottom?
Leave this switch ON except when you need to print very close to the end
of the paper. When this switch is OFF the printer ignores the paper-out
detector and prints down to (and beyond) the bottom e.dge.
Switch 1-6: Do you want to use the printer in standard mode or IBM
mode?
Select the mode compatible with your computer and software. In standard
mode the printer operates like the Epson LQ-800. In IBM mode it operates
like the IBM Proprinter X24. The ON position selects standard mode. The
OFF position selects IBM mode.
Switch 1-7:
The action of this switch depends on the mode chosen with
switch l-6.
If you selected standard mode, do you want italics or graphic charactes?
Leave this switch ON to print italics in the standard character set. If you
set this switch to the OFF position, in place of italics you will get the graphic
characters, international characters, and mathematical symbols of IBM
character set #2. See Appendix D, character codes 128 to 254.
16
If you selected IBM mode, do you want IBM character set #l or #2?
ON selects character set #2, which is for computers with an g-bit interface
(the most common kind). OFF selects character set #l, for computers with
a 7-bit interface.
Switch 1-8: Do you want an automatic line feed?
If vou leave this switch at the ON position, a separate line-feed code is required to obtain a line feed. If you move this switch to the OFF position,
the printer performs both a carriage return and line feed each time it receives
a carriage-return code.
Most computer systems send a line feed code, or both a carriage return and
line feed, at the end of each line, so this switch should be left ON.
If you get double line spacing when you expect single spacing, or if lines
overprint each other, try changing the setting of this switch.
Switch 2-1: Does your software download new characters to the printer?
To download characters this switch must be OFF. The printer then uses its
RAM memory for storing character patterns and provides only a one-line
print buffer. If you leave this switch ON the printer uses its RAM memory
as an input buffer, allowing the computer to send data faster than the printer
prints.
Switches 2-2 to 2-4:
Do you want an international character set?
International character sets differ in their assignment of 14 character codes.
See the character tables in Appendix D. With the DIP switches you can
select one of eight character sets as ‘follows:
*
Denmark/Norway when IBM character set #2 is selected.
Switches 2-5 to 2-8:
What type style and print pitch do you want?
You can select the default type style and print pitch by setting these switches
as shown next.
-
Option *
* If there is no Font Card in the slot, Courier style is selected.
12 CPI
OFF 1 OFF
1 OFF 1
OFF 1
Chapter 2
CONTROL PANEL OPERATlONS
The control panel switches can be pressed singly to perform the oper-
ations indicated by their names. Other functions can be obtained by holding
these switches down when you turn the printer’s power on. Still further
functions can be executed by pressing the control panel switches in combination. This chapter explains all the switch and indicator functions.
SWITCHES AND INDICATORS
The control panel has four switches marked:
0 On Line
l Paper Feed
l Quiet Mode
l Style/Pitch
The Quiet Mode, and Style/Pitch switches respond with a beep tone
when pressed, and indicators beside them indicate their current status. There
is also a Power indicator that lights when power is on.
I
Figure 2-I. Control panel
Power indicator
The power indicator lights (yellow) when power is on.
When paper is not present, the power indicator flashes. A beep tone
also alerts you to the need to load paper.
19
On Line switch
The On Line switch sets the printer on-line and off-line. The state changes
each time you press the switch.
In the on-line state the printer receives data from the computer and
prints the data. In the off-line state the printer stops printing and sends the
computer a signal indicating that it cannot accept data.
The printer powers up in the on-line state if paper is present. If paper
is not present, the printer powers up off-line with the Power indicator
flashing. When you load paper the Power indicator stops flashing, but the
printer remains off-line. To start printing you must press the On Line switch
go on-line.
The three main times when you will want to press the On Line switch
are:
l Before and after any other panel operation
The other panel switches operate only in the off-line state. First press
the On Line switch to go off-line, then perform the panel operation, then
press the On Line switch again to go back on-line.
l To pause during printing
If you press the On Line switch during printing, the printer stops printing
and goes off-line, allowing you to check the printout or change a control
panel setting. Printing resumes when you press the On Line switch again
to go back on-line.
l To cut fanfold forms at the end of printing
When using fanfold forms, if you hold the On Line switch down for 2
seconds, in addition to going off-line the printer feeds the paper about two
inches forward, allowing you to cut it off just below the last line printed.
When you press the On Line switch again to go back on-line, the paper feeds
backward about one inch, stopping in the right place to resume printing.
Paper feed switch
This switch operates only when the printer is off-line. If you press it
once the paper feeds forward by one line. If you hold this switch down, the
printer performs consecutive line feeds.
While you are feeding lines, if you also press the On Line switch, the
paper will feed to the top of the next page. This is explained later.
When power is on, always use the Paper Feed switch instead of the platen
knob to feed paper. Turn the platen knob only when power is off.
Quiet Mode switch
This switch operates off-line to select the printing mode. The printer
powers up in normal printing mode. To select the quiet mode, press the
On Line switch to go off-line, then press the Quiet Mode switch. The printer
will make two passes for each line, resulting in reduced sound (and slower
printing). To switch the quiet mode off, press this switch again. Each time
you press this switch, quiet mode toggles from on to off or from off to on.
Sty/e/Pitch switch
This switch selects the type style and the print pitch.
To change the type style, press the On Line switch to go off-line, then
press this switch once. You will hear two acknowledging beep tones. After
the beep tones, you can set the type style using the Quiet Mode switch or
the Paper Feed switch. While in this mode, these switchs works to select
the type style, instead of their normal functions.
The selections cycle in the following order when using the Quiet Mode
switch:
Draft
Courier
Courier italic
Prestige
Prestige italic
Orator
Orator italic
script
Script italic
Option
When using the Paper Feed switch, the selections cycle in the reverse
order.
To change the print pitch. press the On Line switch to go off-line, then
press this switch twice. You will hear three acknowledging beep tones. After
the beep tones, you can set the print pitch using the Quiet Mode switch or
the Paper Feed switch. While in this mode, these switchs works to select
the print pitch, instead of their normal functions.
21
The selections cycle in the following order when using the Quiet Mode
switch:
Pica
Elite
(10 characters per inch)
(12 characters per inch)
Semi-condensed (15 characters per inch)
Condensed pica (17 characters per inch)
Condensed elite (20 characters per inch)
Proportional
Condensed proportional
When using the Paper Feed switch, the selections cycle in the reverse
order.
The type style and the print pitch can also be selected by printer com-
mands given in Appendix B.
POWER-UP FUNCTIONS
In addition to their normal functions. all the control panel switches have
special functions that operate if you hold them down while switching power
on.
Stay m Panel pitch
Figure 2-2. Power-up functions of control panel
Long test
Short test pattern: On Line switch
If held down during power-up, this switch prints a short test pattern
(shown in Chapter 1).
Long test pattern: Paper Feed switch
If held down during power-up, this switch prints a long test pattern.
The test cycles endlessly. To stop the test you must switch power off.
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