Star Micronics SB-10 User Manual

USER’S MANUAL

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Star Micronics

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CONTENTS

TABLE OF TABLES

INTRODUCTION

SETTING UP YOUR PRINTER

The Complete Printer Package
Placement of the Printer
How to Assemble the Printer

Features of the Printer

The Control Panel

Dual In-Line Package (DIP) Switches
How to Load Paper Into the Printer

Adjusting the Print Head Gap

How to Print the Self-Test

Connect the Interface Cable to Your Computer

SECTION 2

WORD PROCESSING WITH THE PRINTER

An Introduction to ASCII Codes

Decimal Codes
Hexadecimal Codes
Escape and Control Codes

Word Processing for All Purposes

Providing Information to Your Word Processing Package

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GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR SPREADSHEET
PACKAGE

Printing Commands and Parameters for
Three Popular Spreadsheets
VisiCalc

VisiCalc Setup Codes
The VisiCalc Print Command

SuperCalc

The SuperCalc Setup Codes

Lotus l-2-3

The Lotus Print Commands
The Lotus Options Menu

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EXPLORING PRINT FEATURES

The Letter-Quality (LQ) Mode

Double-Strike Printing
Emphasized Printing
Underlining Text

Proportional Printing
The Draft-Quality Mode
A Variety of Pitch Sizes

Pica Pitch

Elite Pitch

Condensed Pitch
Combining Print Features With the Macro Command
International Character Sets

SECTION 5
CREATlNG PAGE FORMATS

Setting the Left and Right Margins

Choosing the Page Length and Number of Lines Per Page

Setting the Top and Bottom Margins
Adjusting Line Spacing
Superscripts and Subscripts
Vertical Tabs

Horizontal Tabs

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PROGRAMMING IN BASIC

A Word About MBASIC

The Character String (CHR$)
Expanded Type
Emphasized and Double-Strike Printing
Underlined Printing
Superscripts and Subscripts

Line Spacing and Reverse Line Feed

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BASIC MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES

Preventive Maintenance
How to Clean the Printer
Replacing the Fuse
Replacing the Print Head
Checking the Printer for Correct Operation

APPENDIX A

FUNCTION CODE REFERENCE

Font Styles and Print Controls
Formatting Controls

APPENDIX B

INSTALLING THE PRlNTER INTO YOUR WORD PROCESSING
PACKAGE

The Installation Menu
Installing Special Features

APPENDIX C

THE ASCII CODE CONVERSION CHART

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67

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APPENDIX D
DUAL IN-LINE PACKAGE (DIP) SWITCHES

DIP Switch Settings and Their Functions

Selection of the International Character Set

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APPENDIX E
CHARACTER SETS OF THE PRINTER

Letter-Quality (LQ) Character Set
Draft-Quality (DQ) Character Set
International Character Set
Block Graphics Character Set

APPENDIX F
DESIGNING BIT-IMAGE GRAPHICS

Four Modes for Bit-Image Graphics
Printing 8-Bit Graphics

APPENDIX G
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

APPENDIX H
INTERFACES

The Parallel Interface
The Serial Interface
The IEEE-488 Interface

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115

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129

INDEX

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION RADIO
FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE STATEMENT

STAR MICRONICS WARRANTY

COMMAND QUICK REFERENCE

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141

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TABLE OF TABLES

l-l.

2-l.
2-2.
3-l.

3-2.

3-3.

4-1.
4-2.
4-3.
4-4.
4-5.
4-6.
4-7.
4-8.

4-9.
4-10

4-l 1

5-1.

5-2.

5-3.
5-4.
5-5.
5-6.
6-l.
A-l.

D-l.
D-2.
F-l.

F-2. Calculating the width of your graphic image
H-l. Parallel interface connector signals
H-2.
H-3. Connector signals for the IEEE-488 interface

Slide positions for determining
the left margin
Examples of decimal and hexadecimal codes
Examples of escape and control codes
The various draft-quality pitch sizes and
their VisiCalc setup codes
SuperCalc setup codes for the draft-quality

pitch sizes
Lotus l-2-3 setup codes for the draft mode

pitch sizes
The codes for double-strike printing
The codes for emphasized printing
The codes for underlining text
The codes for proportional spacing

Codes for the LQ and DQ modes

The codes used to activate pica printing

The codes used to activate elite printing

The codes to activate condensed printing

The codes for the macro instruction

DIP switch settings for the International
Character Sets
Codes used to activate the International
Character Sets
Setting the left and right margins
Setting the page length, number of lines
per page, and the top and bottom margins
Adjusting line spacing
Printing superscripts and subscripts
Setting and using vertical tabs
Setting and using horizontal tabs

Expanded print conversion chart
Options for the master print mode
DIP switch settings and their functions
Selection of the International Character Set
Setup codes for the printer’s
four graphics modes

Connector signals for the serial interface

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18
19

24

25

z
31
31

32
32
33
34
34
35

36

36
40

41
42
42

43
44
48

88
109
110

118
119
131
133

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INTRODUCTION

Congratulations for choosing this printer, one of the finest avail­able at any price. Your new printer will reward you with many years
of high-quality document printing, and is backed by Star Micronics’
more than 30 years in manufacturing precision parts. You already
know that it represents the state of the art in tack-sharp dot matrix
printing with its rugged 24-pin print head.
logic-seeking operation gives you letter-quality hardcopy at 54 cps,
and draft-quality print at speeds of up to 144 cps.

its many features include:

*High-resolution graphics
*Built-in expandable buffer
*An entire range of character sets for printing in eight languages
*A host of specialized printing capabilities found in only the finest

printers

Its bidirectional,

And, best of all, your new printer is compatible with the most

popular personal computers and software packages-so no matter
how sophisticated your applications become, it will continue to meet
your needs.

These are just a few of the reasons you chose a product by Star
Micronics, one of the most respected names in dot matrix printers.
We want you to get the most from your printer with the least effort
on your part, so please take a few minutes to read this easy-to-un­derstand guide. You’ll find that it will help you produce crisp, clean
documents in the shortest time possible.

You will also find that this printer is remarkably simple to set up
and operate, and that it’svirtually maintenance-free. Enjoy your new
Star Micronics printer!

SECTION

SETTING UP YOUR PRINTER

WHAT THIS SECTION SHOWS YOU:

l The Complete Printer Package

dow To Assemble the Printer for Operation

Gestures of the Printer

*Dual In-Line Package (DIP) Switches
*How to Load Paper into the Printer

*How to Print the Se/f-Test

As you unpack your new printer, please take special care to verify

the complete contents of the printer package:

cassette

Figure 1-l. The complete printer package

Spare

Cut sheet
guide

You’ll find your Star Micronics warranty and registration card with
this book. Please read the warranty carefully, and mail us the
completed registration card as soon as possible. We place a high
value on the information only you can provide.

This printer has been precision-packed to ensure its arrival in
perfect working order. Lift the front cover, and you’ll find the packing
material used to protect it during shipment. Be sure to remove this
interior packing material from the carriage stay before you assemble
the printer.

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Figure 1-2. Interior packing material.

n PLACEMENT OF THE PRINTER

To ensure the long life and proper operation of your printer, please
consider the following suggestions when you select a location near
the computer.

l Place the printer on a flat, stable surface.

mAvoid direct sunlight or indoor heat sources; as a general rule,

use it only in an environment where you are comfortable.
.Be sure the area is free from dust, dirt, and excess humidity.
@Provide a power source with the correct voltage (there should

be no more than 10% variance above or below the voltage spe-

cified on the printer’s identification plate.)

@Don’t plug any other appliances into the outlet occupied by the

printer (except the computer).

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n HOW TO ASSEMBLE THE PRINTER

Now you’re ready to set up your printer for operation. Make sure

the printer is turned off before you begin.
Load the ribbon cassette:

Loading and replacing the one-piece ribbon cassette is a simple

and clean procedure:

Turn the knob on the cassette

counter-clockwise to tighten the

ribbon.

Snap the cassette onto the
carriage, as shown in the illus­tration.

Check to make sure the ribbon
lies flat between the print head
and the print mask. Again, turn
the knob to take up any slack.

Figure 1-3. Loading the ribbon
cassette.

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Your printer has been supplied with an extended-use multistrike
ribbon cassette.
we suggest that you replace it whenever the print quality becomes
faded or uneven.

Because this type of ribbon has no end detector,

NOTE:

Always make sure the printer is off before removing
or replacing the ribbon cassette. If the printer has
been in operation, be careful not to touch the print
head or metal housing on the carriage-they will
be very hot. Use both hands to remove the cassette,
grasping it by the edges.

Attach the cut sheet guide:

This plastic guide is used to feed single-sheet paper or business

forms into the printer. (If you are using perforated “tractor-feed”

paper, you won’t need it at this time.)

To attach the guide, insert its

two tabs into the notches on the
back cover of the printer.

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Figure 1-4. Assembly of the cut
sheet guide.

Connect the power cord to the printer:

Begin by inserting the cord into the three- prong connector on the

back of your printer.

NOTE:

Plug the power cord into your 120 VAC power source. We highly

recommend that you use a surge protector between the printer and
power source. This simple device-available at your local computer
store-prevents any potentially damaging fluctuations from reaching

4

Make sure the power switch is off before connecting
the power cord to a wall outlet.

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your printer. If you’re not using a surge protector, make sure that
your printer and computer are the only devices plugged into the AC
outlet.

n FEATURES OF THE PRINTER

The simple steps you’ve just performed have readied the printer

for operation. Before you turn on the printer, take a few minutes to

become familiar with its features.

Paper out

Ower ywitch

Bker case

open detector

Control’
panel

‘?Q p detector

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Figure 1-5. Features of the printer

Release lever: Adjusts tension on paper. Has two settings:“friction”

(closed) for single sheets and “tractor” (open) for form feed paper.

Paper out detector: Sounds alarm and puts printer into “Pause”

mode when it senses end of paper during operation. Adjust DIPswitch
1-l to the OFF setting to override this function.

Bail lever: Opens and closes paper bail.

Back cover: Flips open to access built-in tractor feed mechanism.
Platen knob: Allows manual adjustment of paper against platen.
Control panel: Contains indicators and touch controls to monitor

and operate printer(see Figure l-6).
Front cover: Protects interior mechanisms and reduces noise. (Must

be closed before printer will operate.).

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Front cover open detector: Puts printer into “Pause” mode when

cover is opened during operation.

Power switch: Turns printer on or off.
Fuse holder: Contains 5MT 2 amp fuse.
Buffer case: Contains optional buffer and parallel or serial interface.
Interface connector: Connects cable (parallel or serial, depending

on configuration) to your computer.

Entry slot for form feed paper:

guides.
Adjustable tractor feed guides: Directs form feed paper to the
platen.

Feeds paper to the tractor feed

n THE CONTROL PANEL

Now take a closer look at the control panel on your printer. This
panel contains all the controls and indicators you will need for the
routine operation and monitoring of the printer

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Figure 1-6. The printer control panel.

Power lamp: Glows green to indicate power on
Busy lamp: Indicates buffer is temporarily full, and printer is unable

to accept new data. Light goes out when buffer has cleared all stored
information. Your computer should automatically send new data to
the printer.
Paper empty (PE) lamp: Signals you to add paper. Printer stops
when paper runsout, and resumes printing at the same location after
new paper is added.
Pause lamp: Indicates pause button has been activated or front
cover has been opened. Printing resumes when condition is cleared.
Pause button: Pressing this button interrupts printing. This feature
is useful for inserting or adjusting paper, replacing the ribbon cas­sette or checking printed copy while a page is in progress. Press this
button a second time to reactivate printer.
On line lamp: This lamp glows green, when the printer is “on-line”
and ready to accept data transmissions from the computer.

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On line button: When “on-line” the printer will accept data and

instructions from your computer. The TOF, FF and LF switches are
inoperative while the printer is on-line. When “off-line” data trans­missions are disabled and the control panel switches are enabled.

Top of form (TOF) button:

Used to set the starting point for sin-

gle-sheet or form feed paper.

Form feed (FF) button: Used to manually advance form feed paper.
Line feed (LF) button: Press to advance paper one line at a time.

Press and hold to advance paper continuously.

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In addition to the features you have just seen, your printer also

has 18 Dual In-line Package (DIP) switches to help determine the
way it handles information from your computer. Before examining
the DIP switches, turn off the printer.

To find the DIP switches, lift the cover and manually move the
carriage to the far left. On the right-hand side of the printer’s interior
you’ll see a small rubber cover. Carefully pull the cover back; the
DIP switches are directly below it. These switches are preset at the
factory, so please leave them in their present position for the time
being.

w DUAL IN-LINE PACKAGE (DIP) SWITCHES

Rubber cover

Figure 1-7. Dual In-line Package (DIP) Switches.

The DIP switches are used to control the many functions of your

printer, including:

l Character pitch

*Form length

*Line spacing
@Paper-out detector

@Letter-quality/draft-quality

.International Character Sets

print selection

Throughout this manual, we’ll show you how to use these switches

to tailor the printer’s printing to your exact specifications. (For more

information on the positioning of the DIP switches, please see Ap­pendix D.)

W HOW TO LOAD PAPER INTO THE PRINTER

As you become acquainted with your printer, you’ll appreciate it
more and more for the conveniences it offers you-especially its
ability to accept single-sheet and form-feed paper without requiring
any external devices. Read on, and you’ll discover how to use both
kinds of paper in it.

Sing/e-sheet loading:

This printer is designed to print on standard-size stationery,
multilayer business forms, and almost any other kind of cut-sheet
paper. We’ll show you how to load paper of varying thicknesses later
in this section. For now, all you need is a standard 8 l/2-by-1 i-inch
sheet of paper.

*If you haven’t installed the cut-sheet guide yet, please do it now.

(Please refer to Fig.l-4.)

*You can use the adjustable metal slide on the paper guide to set

your left margin. The positions are as follows:

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Table.l-1 Slide positions for determining the left margin

SLIDE POSITION

left edge

center

right edge

When you have set the metal slide for the margin you want, you’re

ready to insert the paper.

@Turn the power switch off.

*Open the paper bail by pulling the lever toward you.

*Insert a sheet of paper straight down into the printer, turning the

platen knob clockwise (away from you). Open the cover and roll

the paper onto the platen.
@Close the paper bail by pushing the lever away from you.
*Close the cover and align the top edge of the paper with the

cutting edge of the shield. Turn the printer on.

8

PRINT DISTANCE FROM

LEFT MARGIN

.64 in.
.25 in.
.05 in.

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When the paper is in this position, printing begins at about 2 inches

from the top of the page. You can adjust the start-point as you wish,

by using the Line Feed button to advance the paper one line at a time.
Remember to first put the printer into the “Pause” mode by pressing
the “Pause” button.

Figure l-8. Loading single-sheet paper.

Figure 1-9. Aligning the page with the cutting edge of the shield.

Form-feed loading:

Your printer’s built-in tractor feed device is one of the most con­venient features ever offered in a printer. It works with standard
form-feed paper as well as with laser-perforated, form-feed bond

paper- so you can produce top quality documents with a swift,
continuous feed. Here’s how it works:

*Turn off the power switch to avoid damaging the gears and raise

the hinged back cover. (If you have attached the cut-sheet guide,
you’ll need to remove it now.)

*Loosen the clamp screws and flip up the covers on each of the

tractor units.

l insert the form-feed paper through the slot beneath the back

cover of the printer; line up the tractor units with the sprocket
holes in the paper.

l Press the paper into place on the sprockets, and snap the covers

down on the tractor units. Tighten the knobs.

Figure l-10. Inserting form feed paper into the printer.

@Open the paper bail (pull the lever toward you). Set the paper

release lever in the “tractor” position (open) by pushing the lever
away from you.

*Advance the paper into printing position by turning the platen

knob clockwise. (You may want to open the front cover first, to
be sure the paper clears the cutting edge.)

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Figure l-11. Form feed paper correctly loaded.

@Close the paper bail and the front and back covers; turn the

printer on.

You can now check the operation of the automatic tractor feed.
Press the Form Feed (FF) button to advance the paper to the next
page, after pressing the “Pause” button.

n ADJUSTING THE PRINT HEAD GAP

This printer is designed to accommodate paper of varying thick­nesses, as well as multilayer forms. You can easily ensure correct
printing with a simple adjustment to the print head gap.

.Lift the front cover, and find the red lever just in front of the platen

knob.

FOR THICK (HEAVYWEIGHT) PAPER OR CARD STOCK: Pull the

lever toward you to widen the gap.

FOR THIN (LIGHTWEIGHT) PAPER: Push the lever away from you
to narrow the print head gap.

Figure 1-12. Adjust the print head gap.

By experimenting with this lever, you will learn which position will

yield the highest quality print for the paper you’re using.

n HOW TO PRINT THE SELF-TEST

Eager to see the beautiful, high-density dot matrix characters your

new printer can produce? We thought so!

You can easily view a sample of its work by printing the self-test.

The self-test confirms both the correct operation of the printer and
the proper loading of paper and ribbon cassette.

You won’t need to connect your computer to print the self-test-

just be sure the printer is plugged into a power source and is turned

off.

@Insert a sheet of paper (or form-feed paper) as you learned in

“How to Load Paper Into the Printer.”

l Press and hold the Line Feed (LF) button, and at the same time,

turn the power switch on.

@When the printer begins printing, you can release the Line Feed

button.

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NOTE: Always be sure the ribbon cassette is in place and

there is paper in the printer when you begin print-

ing.

The printer will print a five-line sample of letters, numbers and

symbols in the letter-quality and draft-quality modes.

.To eject the page, press the Pause button; then press Form Feed

FF).

Now take a close look. Beautiful, isn’t it? And this is only the be-

ginning. .

n CONNECT THE INTERFACE CABLE TO YOUR

COMPUTER

You’ll be printing in just minutes, onceyou’veconnected the printer

to your computer with an interface cable. Three kinds of interfaces

are available with this printer:
IEEE-488. You will probably be using a parallel interface, the easiest
connection to make:

@Turn off the printer and computer.
*Plug one end of the cable into the parallel interface connector

on the printer; plug the other end into the parallel connector on
your computer.

parallel, serial, and an interface called

Figure 1-13. The parallel interface connection.

connector

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There’s only one way to attach the connector, so you can’t go wrong.

(For information on serial and IEEE-488 interfaces, please see your
Star dealer.)

In the next section, you’ll see how easy it is to use the printer with

your favorite word processing programs.

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WORD PROCESS/A/G WITH THE

PRINTER

WHAT THIS SECTION SHOWS YOU:

@HOW to Use ASC// Codes for the Features You Want
dnstalling Your Word Processing Package

If you’re already familiar with ASCII codes, you may want to skip
to the next part in this section, where you’ll begin using them in your
word processing program. For those who are new to codes, read

on and we’ll show you how to use them to get the most from your
printer.

n AN INTRODUCTION TO ASCII CODES

When you get into your car to go for a drive, the first thing you

do is shift into gear. If your car has automatic transmission, you
won’t have to shift as often as you would with a manual
transmission-but in either case, of course, your car gets you where
you’re going.

Printing with your computer is similar to driving in that you’ll “shift”
every now and then to take advantage of your printer’s variety of
features-only you’ll use codes from your computer to do the shifting.
Now, whether you use codes often or seldom can depend on both
your software package and your printing needs, as you will see. But
first, let’s take a look at what codes are, and how you will enter them
through your keyboard.

Like a typewriter, your printer understands each character on the

keyboard, whether it’s a letter, a number, or a symbol. But since there

aren’t any keys marked “Letter-Quality”, “Expanded Print”, or

“Boldface”, you will activate each of these features by entering a

code; that is, a short series of keystrokes through the keyboard.

Most computers, printers, and peripheral devices understand

specific types of codes known as ASCII codes. ASCII (pronounced

“ask-key”) stands for the American Standard Code for Information
Interchange. This standard code provides a common ground for
computers and related devices to “talk” to each other, and transfer
data in a way that each can understand. And though there is an

ASCII code for each letter, number, and symbol that we use(please
see Appendices C and E) you will probably not need to know them
for your day-to-day applications. However, you will want to use ASCII
codes to activate the special functions of your printer, so let’s take
a closer look at how they work.

Each ASCII code is available in a number of different forms for
programmers and software writers, as well as for those of us whose
main applications are word processing and spreadsheets. For ex- ­ample, the code for each different function can be entered in both
its decimal and hexadecimal forms, as shown in Table 2-l below.

Table 2-1. Examples of decimal and hexadecimal codes.

FUNCTION

Select the Draft­Quality Mode

DECIMAL CODE HEXADECIMAL CODE

27 53 1B 35

I

Decimal codes

The decimal code is a common representation of ASCII codes,
and is used mainly for writing programs in BASIC. Decimal codes
are so named because their values are expressed using the
decimal-or “base IO”-numbering system. Although you may not
need them very often, we have included the decimal codes for each
of the printer’s functions, and you can find them in Appendix A of

this manual.

If you are writing in BASIC, you will notice that we also provide _

the complete BASIC command used to “capture” each decimal code
using the character string function, or CHR$. (For an in-depth look
at programming in BASIC, please turn to Section 6.)

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Hexadecimal codes

The name for the hexadecimal code comes from its expression

using the hexadecimal-or “base 16”-numbering system. Hexa­decimal codes are used mainly by assembly language programmers,
but they can come in handy when you’re “installing” any one of the
printer’s functions into your word processing program. For example,
if you use any other form of ASCII code as you install the “activate
superscript” function into WordStar, your software will respond by
displaying on your screen the equivalent of the code in its hexa­decimal form. Then, comparing the hexadecimal va!ue on the screen

18 -

with the corresponding hexadecimal value in Appendix B, you can
confirm that you’re entering the code correctly.

It’s important to remember that decimal and hexadecimal codes
are simply different expressions of the same ASCII code-and there
are other expressions of ASCII codes as well.

“Escape” codes and “Control” codes

Many ASCII codes can be entered quickly and easily into your
software package with the use of either the escape key or the control
key-in conjunction with other keys on your computer keyboard.
Escape codesand control codes have their decimal and hexadecimal
equivalents, as shown in Table 2-2. (When you see the < ESC>
instruction, you are to press the escape key before typing the
companion character;
while typing the companion character.)

“ * ” instructs you to hold the control key down

Table 2-2. Examples of escape and control codes.

pi

n WORD PROCESSING FOR ALL PURPOSES

This printer is designed to perform the entire range of printing
functions with all commercially available word processing packages.
And whether you’re penning the next blockbuster novel or just writing

home to Mom, we think it will more than meet your needs.

Word processing packages usually have an internal program for

setting up -or

perform this installation at no extra charge. But to give you a better
understanding of the process, the following pages offer some gen­eral advice about installing your word processing programs.

“installing”-your printer, and dealers will often

n PROVIDING INFORMATION TO YOUR WORD

PROCESSING PACKAGE

If your word processing package has an installation program, the
first thing it will want to know is the kind of printer you are using.
Some installation programs present you with a list of specific brands
and models of printers. If you don’t see this printer on the list, you
should still feel free to experiment with any of the dot matrix models
on the list.

Another option you have is to type in a “generic” name, such as

“standard”, “simple”, “teletype”, or “vanilla”. These options all

79

allow you to send your text “simply” to the printer. You can then
send codes for special features as you need them. (The software
manual will advise you on how to do this.)

Your best option, however, is with a program that offers a

“custom” installation for printers. Custom installations usually re­quire some highly detailed information about the way your printer
works, but they give the best results. Following are the basic cate­gories of information you’ll need for a custom installation program.

.Do you have a backspacing printer?

Yes

*What printer driver are you using?

Primary list device

@How many strikes are used for boldface printing?

2 strikes

aWhat is the communications protocol?

No protocol for the parallel interface

*What is the initialization code?

DECIMAL: 27 64
HEXADECIMAL: 1B 40

@What is the carriage return/line feed code qequence?

DECIMAL: 13
HEXADECIMAL: OD
(DIP switch l-8 should be turned on)

Pitch size/characters per inch

As you know, this printer is a multiple-pitch machine, capable of
printing in the pica (lo-cpi), elite (12-cpi), and condensed (16.7 cpi)
modes. Pica is the default setting for your printer, but you can change

the default to elite if you wish, by entering the escape code < ESC >

M or by turning off DIP switch 1-6.

Proportional spacing

Your printer can print proportionally spaced characters in the
letter-quality mode.

Characters per line: When the printer is set to print in pica, it will
print 80 characters per line. When set for the elite pitch, its line size
is 96 characters per line. In the proportional mode, it prints ap­proximately 80 characters per line.

Boldface and “Emphasized” printing modes

Please review the code sequences shown in Section 4 for these

functions.

The above categories contain the basic information your word

processing package needs to know about this printer. In addition,

Appendix B contains a guide for a typical installation of WordStar,
one of the most popular word processors on the market.

20

Remember, your software manual is the primary source of infor-

mation for printing with your word processing package. But if you’re

ever in need, your dealer is there to lend a hand.

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In the next section, we’ll show you how to print several popular

spreadsheet programs with your printer. Stay tuned!

~.

SECTION

GETTING THE MOST FROM

YOUR SPREADSHEET

PACKAGE

WHAT THIS SECTION SHOWS YOU:

*How to Print Reports Using Three Popular

Spreadsheet Programs

Next to word processing, the spreadsheet has become the most
widely accepted microcomputer application for use in both home
and business. And it’s an area where your printer really shines. Its
ability to print in the condensed modes-as well as in pica and
elite-gives you a new level of flexibility in electronic spreadsheets.
As a result, you can print eye-catching reports in a greater variety
of formats than ever before.

H PRINTING COMMANDS AND PARAMETERS FOR

THREE POPULAR SPREADSHEETS

There are, of course, many more spreadsheets on the market than
can be adequately described in the pages of this manual. But we

have gathered the necessary information to help you achieve opti­mum results for three of the most popular packages: VisiCalc,

SuperCalc, and Lotus 1-2-3. Now, whether you use these particular

programs or similar versions
information-along with your software manual-will help give your
spreadsheet printouts a truly professional appearance.

Although this early entry into the electronic spreadsheet market

now has a number of sophisticated competitors, VisiCalc remains

a perennial favorite among personal computer users. First, let’s

of them, you’ll find that this

review the command structure necessary to print VisiCalc reports
with your printer.

VisiCalc setup codes

VisiCalc’s setup option allows you to use the advanced features
of your printer by first sending the proper codes to it. (In the following
examples, the control character is entered by typing the “ “‘I, or
caret.) To get to the setup mode, type”/P”. Here are the codes you’ll
need to know for the setup options available to you:

“C - This code signals you to send the character immediately fol-

lowing as a printer code. For example, to print in the con-

densed mode (using the code “0), you’ll first enter “C, then

^O.

“E -

Used to send escape codes to the printer. Whenever you want

to use an escape code, type “E instead of hitting the escape

key-then enter the :emaining characters in the code.

“R -

This code sends a carriage return/line feed to the printer. Use
the “R whenever you need to skip a line on your spreadsheet.

“L - This code sends a form feed command to the printer. When

you enter “L, the printer advances to the beginning of the next

paw.

“H - Use the “H whenever you need to send a code in its hexa-

decimal form. For example, to activate the condensed mode,

type “HOF.

-

-

-

-

-

-

As you plan the design of your VisiCalc report, we encourage you

to experiment with the many options offered by your printer. To use

the different pitch sizes-pica, elite and condensed-as well as their
expanded versions, you’ll first switch to the draft-quality mode with
the code “E5. Table 3-1 illustrates the number of available columns
per page for each pitch size, along with the corresponding setup ­codes.

Table 3-1. The various draft-quality pitch sizes and their
VisiCalc setup codes.

Pitch Size Columns Per Line

Pica
Elite 96

Condensed

Pica Expanded 40
Elite Expanded
Condensed Expanded 66

24

80

132 “CA0

48

Setup Code

AEP
“EM

“EP “EW”HO1
“EM”EW”HO1

“C”O”EW”HO1

-

-

-

-

-

. .

c..

b..

b..

L

L.

Remember, in the expanded mode, your printer prints characters

at twice their normal width.

The VisiCalc print command

After you’ve designed your spreadsheet and entered all the nec-

essary information, you print with the VisiCalc /P command. As

described in the software manual, this command is used to delineate

the size of the spreadsheet (or section of the whole), from the active

cell in the upper left-hand corner to the boundary you will choose

in the lower right-hand corner.

Normally, when you plan a very large printout-one that wouldn’t
fit on a single page-other printers would require you to divide the
spreadsheet into separate segments, each with a separate printing
operation. But with condensed print mode, you’ll be able to fit an
entire 132-column report on a single 8 inch-wide sheet of paper!

.

n SUPERCALC

Another popular spreadsheet, SuperCalc allows you to easily use

all of your printer’s advanced features. When you have completed

the design of your SuperCalc spreadsheet, you can get to the

A..-

SuperCalc setup mode by typing /O (for “output”). Next you’ll type

D followed by the word ALL.; this tells SuperCalc to print the report
exactly as it appears on the screen.

b,

The SuperCalc setup codes

To get to the setup menu, press the return key and type S; when
the setup menu appears, again press S (for “manual setup codes”).

.

You can now send escape codes and control codes to the printer

exactly as they appear in Appendix A. Table 3-2 illustrates your op­tions in the draft-quality mode (for more on SuperCalc setup codes,
please see the software manual).

Table 3-2. SuperCalc setup codes for the draft-quality pitch
sizes.

i

Pitch Size
Pica
Elite

Condensed

Columns Per Line,

80
96

132

Setup Code

<ESC>P
<ESC>M

“0

Ir..

Remember, in the expanded mode, this printer prints characters

at twice their normal width.

bb.

SuperCalc automatically prints as much of your spreadsheet as

will fit on a page; any material in excess of the page limit will be

printed on additional pages.

25

n LOTUS 7-2-3

One of the most popular “integrated” software products, Lotus
1-2-3 combines spreadsheet, word processing and database appli­cations in a single package. However, the process of printing a
spreadsheet is very similar to that used in VisiCalc and SuperCalc.

The Lotus print commands

As described in the Lotus manual, the printing procedure is begun

with the command /PP. After you enter this code, a menu of other

printing choices appears on your screen, including:
Range

Line

- Defines the section of the worksheet you want to print.

- Allows the insertion of a blank line in your report by
sending a carriage return/line feed instruction to the _
printer.

Page

- Advances printing to the beginning of a new page.

Options - Displays a menu of various format options.
Clear

- Erases all previously chosen print options for this par­ticular report.

Align

- Communicates to Lotus l-2-3 that the paper in the printer
is at the top of the page. This code is used after inserting
a new sheet or advancing the paper with a form feed
command.

Go
Quit

- Prints the worksheet as defined by Range.

- Ends the print mode and returns Lotus to the “Ready”

mode (see your manual for details).

The Lotus Options menu

In addition to the print commands, Lotus l-2-3 provides an Options
menu to give you a number of formatting selections. Included in this
menu are selections for headers and footers (lines printed at the top
and bottom of the page, respectively). With each of these options,
you may also choose to insert the page number and/or date, and
even divide the header or footer into three separate sections.

Also included in the Options menu is the setup option, which allows
you to enter codes to specify the pitch size for the report. When you
choose this option, the words “enter character string” next appear
on the screen. You can now enter the code you want, as illustrated

in Table 3-3.

Lotus is different from other spreadsheets in that it uses decimal
codes. In the following examples, the I’\“, or backslash, precedes
the control code (instead of the control key). When entering an

escape code, you first enter ‘$027, the decimal equivalent of the escape

-

-

-

26

key. (If you are in the LQ mode, you can switch to draft mode with

the code \027 \053.)

Table 3-3. Lotus l-2-3 setup codes for draft mode pitch sizes.

Pitch Size

Pica

Columns Per Line

80

Setup Codes

\027 \080

In the following sections, we’ll show you more of the features

you’ll use to create professional-quality documents with your

printer.

_”

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L

EXPLORING PRINT FEATURES

WHAT THIS SECTION SHOWS YOU:

@How to Put Emphasis into Your Letter-Quality Text
@Using the Draft-Quality Mode for Speed and

Versatility
@Combining Features With the Macro Instruction
*HOW to Use the international Character Sets

As you know, your printer will print letter-quality type at 60 char-

acters per second and draft-quality type as fast as 144 characters

per second. With this powerful machine, you can produce
smart-looking drafts at high speed, and exceptionally fine copies
of your work at speeds still faster than most daisywheel printers.

But you won’t really appreciate how advanced your printer is until

you see the many other ways it can print. For a sample of this ver-

satility, please see Figure 4-1 below.

LETTER QUALITY WITH PICA PITCH
AND PROPORTIONAL SPACING.

DOUBLE-STRIKE PRINTING

EMPHASIZED PRINTING

lJNDESLTNING T”X7

,.,,- _.,..-. “.! ..“...A .--_._ -L.....-k .-.-.,,.-

PICA ELITE AND CONDENSED.

Figure 4-1. The printer’s range of print features.

In this section, you’ll learn how to use the variety of print features
available to you, and how to combine them to create your own style.
And you’ll find out why this is the only printer your computer will ever
need!

n THE LETTER-QUALITY (LQ) MODE

Although DQ is the original factory default setting, you can change
the default to the Letter-Quality (LQ) mode either by turning OFF
DIP switch 1-5 (turn this back ON to reactivate DQ) or by entering

the codes through your word processing program (see the “Draft-

Quality Mode” later in this section). But before you begin exper­imenting in DQ, let’s take a look at the options you have in the let-

ter-quality mode.

Double-Strike printing

Whenever you want to make a word or phrase stand out in text,
a good way do it is with the double-strike feature. When you activate

character twice. The example below shows how double-striking can ­set off your text from normal LQ printing.

THIS LINE IS LETTER QUALITY,
AND DOUBLE-STRIKE PRINTING.
NOW, TURN TO NORMAL PRINTING.

Figure 4-2. An example of double-strike printing.

Of course, when you begin double-strike printing, everything you
print will be double-struck until you turn this feature off-so you’ll
need the codes for how to activate double-striking as well as how

to cancel it. Here they are:

Table 4-l. The codes for double-strike printing.

FUNCTION ESCAPE DECIMAL

CODE CODE

Activate

Double-Strike

Cancel

Double-Strike <ESC> H 27 72

<ESC> G 27 71 lB47

HEXADECIMAL
CODE

lB48

-

- double-strike printing, your printer does exactly that: it prints each

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--

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-

Emphasized printing

Another effective method to make a portion of text stand out
against the rest is with the “Emphasized” print feature. To get em­phasized print, your printer prints a line once, shifts the carriage
about 1/120th of an inch, and prints the line again. Because em­phasized print has a “double image”, it really calls attention to itself.

THIS LINE IS LETTER QUALITY,
AND EMPHASIZED PRINTING.
NOW, TURN TO NORMAL PRINTING.

Figure 4-3. An example of emphasized print.

30

--

--

-

Like most of the print features, the emphasized mode will-once

activated-remain on until you turn it off. Here are the codes:

n.

c.

L-

Table 4-2. The codes for emphasized printing.

FUNCTION

ESCAPE
CODE

Activate
Emphasized

Print

Cancel

Emphasized <ESC> F
Print

<ESC> E 27 69

DECIMAL HEXADECIMAL
CODE CODE

27 70 1B 46

1B 45

Underlining text

The underlining feature offers you a third, more subtle way to

accent your text:

THIS IS UNDERLINED LQ PRINTING.

Figure 4-4. An example of underlined text.

Here are the commands you’ll need to start and stop the under-

lining feature:

Table 4-3. The codes for underlining text.

FUNCTION

ESCAPE DECIMAL
CODE CODE

L

Activate
Underlining

Cancel
Underlining

<ESC> - 1 27 45 1 lB2DOl

<ESC> - 0 2745 0 lB2DOO

HEXADECIMAL
CODE

Proportional printing

When the printer is in the LQ mode, it is able to print text with
proportional spacing (yielding approximately 80 characters per
inch). This means that each character gets precisely the amount
of space it needs. For example, the letter “m” is given twice the
amount of space used for the “i”, since it’s twice as wide.

Proportional spacing is used in newspapers, magazines and many

books because it gives a polished appearance to the finished page.

31

LETTER QUALITY CHARACTERS CAN PRINT

WITH PROPORTIONAL SPACING OR NORMAL PICA PITCH.

Figure 4-5. An examole of proportional prlntlng.

Table 4-4. The codes for proportional printing

FUNCTION ESCAPE

DECIMAL

HEXADECIMAL

CODE CODE CODE

Activate

Proportional <ESC> pl 27 1121 lB7001

Cancel

Proportional <ESC> p0

27 1120

1B 7000

n THE DRAFT-QUALITY MODE

You’ll probably want to use the draft-quality mode whenever you

need to print a fast draft of your work, but when you see all the ca­pabilities this mode offers, we think you’ll use it even more often,
To switch from LQ to DQ you have two choices:

.Turn on DIP switch 1-5, or
.Enter the proper code through your word processing

program (shown in Table 4-5).

Table 4-5. Codes for the LQ and DQ modes.

FUNCTION ESCAPE

CODE

Activate
DQ

Return
to LQ

<ESC> 5 27 53

<ESC> 4 27 52

DECIMAL

CODE

HEXADECIMAL
CODE

1B 35

1B 34

-

-

-

-

-

---

-_

-

-

If you plan to use both the LQ and DQ modes frequently, you will
probably want to program the necessary codes right into your word
processor’s installation program.

In the draft mode, you can use the same features you learned

earlier in this manual to accent your text: double-strike, emphasized,

underlined and expanded print. You’ll use the same codes to turn

these features on and off. Now let’s see some of the other things the
draft mode can do for you.

n VARIETY OF PITCH SIZES

If you have already read Section 3,you’ll know how many variations
in pitch size can help in designing a spreadsheet to your exact

32

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specifications. You can also use pitch size to integrate different kinds
of text into a printed page. The following are descriptions of the
available draft-quality pitch sizes.

Pica pitch

As we have said, pica printing yields 10 characters per inch and
80 characters per line. Pica is commonly used in business letters,
thesis papers, reports, -and in general, wherever it’s important that
your document be easy to read or scan.

The pica pitch is the default setting in the draft mode, but you can
change the default to elite, either by turning off DIP switch 1-6 or
by sending the correct codes to the printer. We’ll show you how to
do this in a moment, but first, take a look at what draft-quality pica

printing looks like using all the “accent” features available with your
printer:

SUBJECT: ORDERING STATIONERY SUPPLIES

I would like to place an order for stationery

supplies from your mail order catalog.

Enclosed is my order form and a check f-or $247.
Please process th-is order as soon as possible.
Thank you.

Figure 4-6. Pica printing in the draft mode.

If you use either the elite pitch or the condensed pitch and wish

to return to pica, you can reactivate this setting in one of two ways:

aTurn on DIP switch 1-6 (if you had previously turned it off), or
*Enter the following codes through your word processor:

Table 4-6. The codes used to activate pica printing.

ESCAPE CODE

<ESC>P

DECIMAL CODE

27 80

HEXADECIMAL CODE

1B 50

Elite pitch

As we mentioned earlier in the manual, the elite setting will print

12 characters per inch and 96 characters per line. Elite is often used

for longer documents, but it’s also found in formal and informal

correspondence, and has many other uses as well. Though you
may not notice much difference between the elite and pica pitches,
elite allows you to fit more text on the page.

WBJECT: ORDERING STATIONERY SUPPLIES

I Imld 1,ike to place an order fotl stationery

supplies -Frcxn your mail order catalog.

Enclosed is my order form and a check for $247.
Please pr~~~~ss this order as soon as possible.

Thank you.

i

_-

Figure 4-7. Elite printing in the draft mode.

To access the elite pitch:

*Turn off DIP switch l-6 (if it had been turned on), or
@Enter one of the following codes through your software:

Table 4-7. The codes used to activate elite printing.

ESCAPE CODE

<ESC>M

DECIMAL CODE HEXADECIMAL CODE

27 77 lB4D

Condensed pitch

The printer’s condensed pitch has a number of important uses:
spreadsheets, tables, charts- and wherever you need to fit a lot of
information into a small space. The condensed pitch gives you 16.7
characters per inch, and 132 characters per line. To activate the
condensed pitch, please use the codes given in Table 4-8.

SUBJECT: ORDERING STATIONERY SUPPLIES

I would like to place an order for stationery

supplies from your mail order catalog.

Enclosed is my order form and a check for $247.
Please process this order as soon as possible.
Thank you.

Figure 4-8. Condensed printing in the draft mode.

-

.-

-

-

-.

-

-

-

-

Table 4-8. 7.he codes to activate condensed printing.

1 ESCAPE CODE

<SI> 15 OF

<ESC> <SI>

34

DECIMAL CODE HEXADECIMAL CODE 1

27 15 1BOF

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-

w ~;M311~NDG FEATURES WITH THE MACRO

As you gain in experience with y.our printer, you will undoubtedly

develop a flair for combining its many print styles. For example, you

might want to combine expanded, pica, and letter-quality, or try

condensed and expanded print with underlining. Whatever your

preference for combined styles, this printer makes them easy to use

with the macro instruction command.

The macro instruction is named for its ability to compress a number

of separate commands into one single instruction. Here’s how it
works: first, you define the “macro” by entering the code < ESC > + ,
followed by all the control codes you wish to combine; you can use

a maximum of 16 possible control codes. Then, terminate the macro

instruction by entering the code < RS >. The macro instruction you
just programmed in will be there for your use until you turn the printer

off or enter a new macro.

Whenever you want to use the macro, you can enter the code

< ESC >? to call it up.

c

.

Table 4-9. The codes for the macro instruction.

FUNCTION

Define Macro
Instruction

Use Macro
Instruction

ESCAPE CODE

<ESC> + n7 n2...<RS>

<ESC> ?

n INTERNATIONAL CHARACTER SETS

You might find that you’re perfectly content with the 96 standard
American characters provided in the default character set. But you’ll
be interested to know that your printer can also print the special
characters commonly used in England, Germany, France, Italy,
Sweden, Denmark and Spain!

If you do plan to use these characters regularly, you will want to

reset your DIP switches as shown in Table 4-10 below.

If you plan to use international character sets only on occasion,

however, you will probably want to access them by sending a code
through your word processor (illustrated in Table 4-11). Please refer
to Appendix E for a complete listing of the codes for each interna­tional character.

35

Table 4-10. DIP switch settings for the International Character

Sets.

COUNTRY

USA
France
Germanv ON OFF ON
England
Denmark
Sweden
Italy
Spain

SWITCH SWITCH SWITCH
2-1 2-2 2-3

ON ON ON
OFF ON ON

OFF OFF ON
ON ON OFF
OFF ON OFF
ON
OFF OFF OFF

OFF OFF

-

-

-

Table 4-l 1. Codes used to activate the International Character

Sets.

ESCAPE CODE DECIMAL CODE

<ESC> Rn 27 82 n lB52n

HEXADECIMAL CODE

COUNTRY -

USA=0 France = 1 Germany = 2 England = 3

Denmark= 4 Sweden = 5 Italy= 6

Spain = 7

Whenever you’re finished using an international character set,

you can return to the one you normally use by again entering the

proper code and country number.

****t******

We know there’s enough material in this section to keep you busy
for quite a while. But you won’t want to miss Section 5, where we’ll
show you how to design a document format to your own specifica­tions

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36

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MEMO

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SECTION

CREATING PAGE FORMATS

WHAT THIS SECTION SHOWS YOU:

@How to Set the Left and Right Margins
@HOW to Determine the Page Length, and the Number

of Lines Per Page, and the Top and Bottom Margins
*How to Control Line Spacing
@Superscripts and Subscripts
@Setting and Using Vertical and Horizontal Tabs

In Section 4, we showed you the wide range of printing capabilities

offered by your printer. Now let’s take a look at how you can fit these
elements into a good-looking format that’s right for you. Actually,
your word processing program will probably perform most of the
functions you’ll read about in this section. But if you ever need to

set any of these parameters, the necessary instructions are given in
the following pages. By the way, you will also be able to use the

macro instruction (described in Section 4) for the formatting com-

mands set out in this section.

n SETTING THE LEFT AND RIGHT MARGINS

As you learned in Section 1, you can control the left margin of your
document by moving either the cut sheet guide or the adjustable
tractor feed guides. The power-on default setting for the left margin

is always at the same far left position, so you know where printing

will begin if you use either of these methods. Your word processor

will automatically set the right margin for you.

However, you can-if you wish-set the left and right margins to
your own specifications by sending the proper codes (Table 5-1).
These instructions will remain in effect until you either turn off the

printer or send new codes to cancel them. In the codes illustrated

in table 5-1, you will need to enter a specific value for “n” to signify
the positions of the left and right margins. In each case, you may
substitute any number between 1 and 132~just make sure that the
left margin has a smaller value than the right margin. After you have
set the margins, the printer will automatically perform the carriage
return and line feed.

Table 5-1. Setting the left and right margins.

FUNCTION ESCAPE DECIMAL

CODE CODE CODE

Set Left
Margin <ESC>I n

Set Right
Margin

<ESC>Q n 27 81 n lB51 n

27 108 n lB6Cn

HEXADECIMAL

n CHOOSING THE PAGE LENGTH AND NUMBER

OF LINES PER PAGE

Your printer is preset to print 66 lines per page on an 11 -inch form,
but you can reconfigure these settings either through DIP switch l-2
(“on” for 11-inch forms, “off” for 12-inch forms), or by entering the
proper codes illustrated in Table 5-2.

When you send the code to control the page length in inches, you

can substitute for “n” any number between 1 and 32. All subsequent

pages will be printed in the same page format until you turn off the
printer or send a code to cancel this setting.

You can also set the page length by programming in the number

of lines per page. Using the codes given in Table 5-2, you may instruct
the printer to print any number of lines per page from 1 to 127.

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-

-

W SETTING THE TOP AND BOTTOM MARGINS

The top margin determines where the printer begins printing on -­a page, and the bottom margin tells it where to stop printing and
proceed to the neXt page. As you learned in Section 1, when you
align paperwith the cutting edge on the front cover, printing will begin
about 2 inches down the page. The bottom margin will bedetermined
by your settings for both page length and number of lines per page.

If you wish, you can also program your top and bottom margins

just as you did with the left and right margins, by sending the proper

codes. Your printer will continue to observe your newly defined top
and bottom margins until you turn the printer off or send new codes
to cancel them.

When you set the top margin, you can substitute for “n” any value
between 1 and 16 (the power-on default value is 1). When you enter
the code for the bottom margin, you may enter any value between

40

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-

1 and 127 - just be sure that this number is greater than the value

you chose for the top margin.

Table 5-2. Setting the page length, number of lines per page,

and the top and bottom margins.

FUNCTION ESCAPE DECIMAL HEXADECIMAL

CODE CODE CODE

Page
Length
in inches -=ESC> COn
(n = 1 to 32)

Number of
Lines Per
Page <ESC> Cn 27 67 n
(n=l to 127)

Top

Margin <ESC> rn 27 114 n lB72n
(n=l to 16)

Bottom
Margin <ESC> Nn 27 78 n
(n=l to 127)

Cancel
Top and

Bottom
Margins

<ESC> 0 27 79

27 67 0 n

lB4300n

lB43n

lB4En

lB4F

n ADJUSTING LINE SPACING

Just as your word processor will set the margins, it will also set the
line spacing (or distance between lines of print) without requiring a
special command. When you turn on the printer, it will automatically
print with a line spacing of 1/6th inch, which isthe.American standard.
This means that you will get six lines to an inch, and 66 lines on an
11 -inch page.

If you wish to change the line spacing, you can do it either through
DIP switch l-3, or by sending a code. First let’s see how the line
spacing changes when you turn off DIP switch 1-3.

WHEN YOU PRINT WITH DIP SWITCH

1-3 IN THE OFF POSITION

LINE SPACING WILL SE l/$T;“%H.
WHEN YOU PRINT WITH DIP SWITCH

l-3 IN THE ON POSITION, YOUR

LINE SPACING WILL BE 1/6TH INCH.

Figure 5-1. Controlling line spacing with DIP switch l-3.

41

As Figure 5-l shows, when you print with DIP switch l-3 in the off

position, your line spacing will be 1/8th inch, the European standard.

This setting will yield 8 lines per inch, or 88 lines on an 1 l-inch form.

Of course, you are by no means limited to these two settings-by
entering codes you can have complete control of the line spacing

function. In fact, you can adjust line spacing to 1/60th or i/l20th

of an inch by sending the proper codes included in Table 5-3. (For

‘In”, just select any value between 0 and 255.) Also shown are the

codes for l/Gth-inch, 1/8th-inch, and l/lOth-inch (no space between
lines) line spacing.

Table 5-3. Adjusting line spacing.

SPACING ESCAPE DECIMAL

CODE

ki%inch- <ESC> 2

118th inch

l/lOth inch
nI60th inch
nll20th inch

<ESC> 0 27 48
<ESC> 1 27 49
<ESC> An 2765n lB41 n
<ESC> 3n 2751 n lB33n

CODE

27 50

HEXADECIMAL ­CODE

1B 32
lB30
IB 31

n SUPERSCRIPTS AND SUBSCRIPTS

The installation program of your word processing package will

ask you to enter the value you wish (in increments of 1/120th of an

inch) for printing superscripts and subscripts within text. You may
also send codes to the printer to perform the same function (Table
5-4). When you choose the code to “select superscript” or “select
subscript,” the printer will print all subsequent characters at the
super- and subscript level until you send the proper code to cancel
this feature.

I

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Table 5-4. Printing superscripts and subscripts.

FUNCTION ESCAPE

CODE

Select
Superscript

Select
Subscript <ESC> S 1

Cancel
Superscript <ESC> T

or Subscript

42

<ESC> S 0

DECIMAL
CODE CODE

27 83 0 1B 53 00

27 83 1 1B 53 01

27 84 1B 54

HEXADECIMAL

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-

-

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n VERTICAL TABS

When you are tabulating reports or printing certain kinds of text,

you may find it useful to leave a number of lines blank between

sections of print. This printer’s vertical tab feature allows you to do

this with the codes shown in Table 5-5.

Table 5-5. Setting and using vertical tabs.

hNCTlON

Set

Vertical

Tabs
Advance

to Next
Tab

ESCAPE
CODE

<ESC> B nl n2...0 27 66 nl n2...0

<VT>

When you turn on the printer, your vertical tabs are automatically

set at one inch apart (lines 6, 12, 18, etc.) to the bottom of your page.
To advance the page to the next vertical tab position, just enter
decimal code 11 or hexadecimal code OB.

You can also set your own vertical tabs by first entering the escape,

decimal or hexadecimal codes shown in Table 5-5. Then, enter the

line number for each vertical tab you want to set, represented in the
table by nl, n2, etc. (Your printer allows you a maximum of 12 vertical
tab positions per page.) The number of each tab setting must be

greater than the previousone (for example, typical tab settings might

be on lines 10, 15, 19, etc.).

After you have set the last tab, be sure to terminate the vertical tab

command, by entering 0 (00 for hexadecimal).

You can now move to each of your specified vertical tab positions

using the “Advance to Next Tab Position” code shown in the table.

DECIMAL HEXADECIMAL 1
CODE CODE

IB 42 nl n2...00

11

OB

w HORIZONTAL TABS

Horizontal tabs function similarly to those of a typewriter: they
help you print charts and tables, and create columns of information
across the page.

When you first turn the printer on, it will automatically set horizontal
tab positions every 8 spaces (spaces 9, 17,25, etc.) to the right edge
of the page. You can advance to the next horizontal tab position
with decimal code 9 or hexadecimal code 09, as shown in Table 5-6.

You can also set new horizontal tabs to your own specified po­sitions, using the same procedures you learned for setting vertical
tabs, Remember, when you set your own tabs, you cancel all previ­ously set tab stops.

43

Table 5-6. Setting and using horizontal tabs.

FUNCTION ESCAPE

CODE

Set

Horizon­tal Tabs

Advance
to Next
Horizon- <HT>
tal Tab

<ESC> D nl n2...0

DECIMAL

CODE

27 68 nl n2...0 1B 44 nl n2...00

9

HEXADECIMAL
CODE

09

1

****+******

In this section, we’ve shown you some of the more common
methods you will use to create a custom format. But there are many
more, as a quick review of Appendix A will show. In the next section,
we’ll show you how to use some of these features when you program

in BASIC.

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SECTION

PROGRAMMNG IN BASIC

WHAT THIS SECTION SHOWS YOU:

*How to Use the Character String to Capture BASIC

Commands

Gome Examples of Short Programs Utilizing Fea-

tures of the printer

If you’re like most personal computer owners, you’ll probably use
your printer primarily for printing your spreadsheet and word pro­cessing applications. But if you are interested in some of the more
esoteric uses of your printer-such as high resolution graphics or

printing while you’re writing a software program-you may want to

experiment by putting it through its paces with BASIC.

n A WORD ABOUT MBASIC

The most common form of BASIC available today is Microsoft
BASIC, or MBASIC. We’ve endeavored to provide you with a few
programs that will run on most computers, and for this reason the
programs listed here use the most elementary form of BASIC: MBASIC
for 8-bit microcomputers. You will also be able to run these programs
on 16-bit systems, such as the IBM PC and compatibles.

The character string (CHR$): If you’re familiar with BASIC, you’ll
know that the character string command, CHR$, is used to “capture”
escape and control codes such as those which control the printer.
BASIC doesn’t understand an escape code or control code all by
itself; but you can enter escape or control codes within the character
string format. To do this, enter the decimal form of the code between
the parentheses in CHR$( ). Here are a few examples of the printer’s
features that can be programmed in BASIC:

Expanded type: The expanded type feature enlarges each of the
pitch sizes to twice their normal widths. Try this program to see how
it works:

NEW

10 LPRINT CHR$(27) CHR$(87) CHR$(l);

20 LPRINT “THIS LINE IS EXPANDED”
30 LPRINT CHR$(27) CHR$(87) CHR$(O);
40 LPRINT

Figure 6-1. A sample of expanded type.

As you can see, the command represented by the first statement,
CHR$(27) CHR$(87) CHR$(l), turns on the expanded print function;
the command represented by the third statement, CHR$(27) ­CHR$(87) CHR$(O), turns it off. All of your printer’s features can be
activated and canceled using CHR$ statements and the LPRINT
command.

By combining the expanded print feature with each of the three
pitches (pica, elite and condensed), you will be able to get three
different versions of expanded print in the draft-quality mode.

“BUT THIS LINE IS NOT.”

Table 6-7. Expanded print conversion chart.

PITCH

Pica
Elite

I

1 Condensed

NORMAL

10 cDi

12 CDi 6 cDi

16.7 cDi

EXPANDED

5 cDi

8.3 cDi

I
I

Emphasized and double-strike printing

Whenever you want something to really stand out on the page,
these are two good ways to do it. As we showed you earlier in the
book, your printer prints both emphasized and double-strike words
twice, but uses somewhat different methods for each. With em­phasized print, the platen is moved just slightly for the second
printing, giving
Double-strike, you will remember, is done simply by printing the same
character over itself. Try this program to demonstrate the two styles
in BASIC:

NEW

IO LPRINT CHR$(27) CHR$(71);

‘SELECT DOUBLE-STRIKE
20 LPRINT
30 LPRINT CHR$(27) CHR$(72);

‘CANCEL DOUBLE-STRIKE

48

the character a “shadow”

“THIS IS DOUBLE-STRIKE PRINTING”

appearance.

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40 LPRINT CHR$(27) CHR$(69);

‘SELECT EMPHASIZED

50 LPRINT “THIS IS EMPHASIZED PRINTING”

60 LPRINT CHR$(27) CHR$(‘Il);

‘SELECT DOUBLE-STRIKE

70 LPRINT

“AND THIS IS BOTH AT ONCE”

80 LPRINT CHR$(27) CHR$(72) CHR$(27) CHR$(70);

‘CANCEL DOUBLE-STRIKE AND EMPHASIZED

90 LPRINT “NOW YOU’RE BACK TO NORMAL PRINTING”

THIS IS DOUBLE-STRIKE PRINTING

THIS IS EMPHASIZED PRINTING

AND THIS IS BOTH AT ONCE

NOW YOU’RE BACK TO NORMAL PRINTING

Figure 6-2. Double-strike and emphasized print in BASIC.

Underlined printing

Underlining is another good way to emphasize a point, or to
highlight sections of text. Try this short program to give you an il­lustration of underline feature.

NEW

10 LPRINT CHR$(27) CHR$(45) CHR$(l);

‘SELECT UNDERLINE
20 LPRINT “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, ” ;
30 LPRINT CHR$(27) CHR$(45) CHR$(O);

‘CANCEL UNDERLINE

40 LPRINT “

START YOUR ENGINES!”

Your results should look like this:

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, START YOUR ENGINES!

Figure 6-3. A print sample of underlined text.

In thissample, the underline feature is turned on with thecommand
CHR$(27) CHR$(45) CHR$(l), and turned off with CHR$(27)
CHR$(45) CHR$(O). You’ll notice that we did it all on one line. You
can do this simply by adding-as we did-semicolons at the end of
the appropriate lines. This tells BASIC to continue those lines without
sending a carriage return/line feed at the end of each line.

We did this just to illustrate that most of the printer’s codes can

be used in the middle of a line.

49

Superscripts and subscripts

When you need to reference footnotes or write math formulas, your
printer’s superscripts and subscripts will come in handy. Here’s a
short program to illustrate how easy it is to use them:

NEW

10 LPRINT “LOOK! ‘I;
20 LPRINT CHR$(27) CHR$(83)

‘SELECT SUPERSCRIPT

30 LPRINT

“SUPERSCRIPTS ” ;

40 LPRINT CHR$(27) CHR$(84)

‘CANCEL SUPERSCRIPT
50 LPRINT “AND ‘I;
60 LPRINT CHR$(27) CHR$(83)

‘SELECT SUBSCRIPT

70 LPRINT

“SUBSCRIPTS II;

80 LPRINT CHR$(27) CHR$(84);

‘CANCEL SUBSCRIPT
90 LPRINT

“ON ONE LINE.”

CHR$(O);

;

CHR$(l);

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LOOK ! SUPERSCRIPTS AND SUBSCRIPTS

ON ONE LINE.

Figure 6-4. Superscript and subscript printing.

Line spacing and reverse line feed

You learned about line spacing and how to use escape codes to
adjust it in Section 5. It’s just as easy, you’ll find, to perform all of
these functions when programming in BASIC.

In the following program, we show you how to use each of these

features; in addition, we’ll show you how to program your printer

to do a reverse line feed-a useful feature if you ever create charts

and tables. When you run this program, watch the platen as the last
statement comes up, to verify reverse line feed:

NEW

10 LPRINT CHR$(27) CHR$(48);
20 LPRINT

30 LPRINT

0

,“8 LPRINT CHR$(27) CHR$(49)

50 LPRINT

60 LPRINT

I,
70 LPRINT CHR$(27) CHR$(50)

“THIS COMMAND SETS THE LINE SPACING”

“TO 1/8TH INCH,THE EURROPEAN STANDAR

“NOW THE LINE WILL BE TOUCHING.THIS”

“LINE SPACING IS SET TO l/lOTH INCH.

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50

: c.

80 LPRINT “NOW YOU ARE PRINTJNG WITH 1/6TH INC

l-i ”

90 LPRINT “LINE SPACING,WHITH IS THE AMERICAN

STANDARD. ”

L.

100 LPRINT CHR$(lO);
110 LPRINT CHR$(27) CHR$(lO);
120 LPRINT “THIS COMMAND CAUSES THE PRINTER”
130 LPRINT

“TO REVERSE THE PAPER ONE ENTIRE LI

NE. ”

*

Here is an example of the line space settings for the program:

c.

THIS COMMAND SETS THE LINE SPACING
TO 1/8TH INCH,THE EURROPEAN STANDARD.

NOW YOU ARE PRINTING WITH 1/6TH INCH

.

LINE SPACING,WHITH IS THE AMERICAN STANDARD.

THIS COMMAND CAUSES THE PRINTER

TO REVERSE THE PAPER ONE ENTIRE LINE.

Figure 6-5. Line spacing at 1/6th, 1/8th, and 1IlOth inch.

;, *

Just as you used an escape code in Section 5 to program your
own user-specified line spacing (in increments of 1/60th or 1/120th
inch), you can also do this in BASIC with the code: CHR$(27)
CHR$(65) CHR$(n) or CHR$(27) CHR$(51) CHR$(n). For “n”, you
can enter any value between 0 and 255.

This section illustrates only a few of the many possibilities that
await when you program in BASIC. Remember, you can get a
complete listing of these features in Appendix A.

In the next section, we’ll show you how to keep your printer in top

running condition for years to come. Please follow along for some

good advice that every printer owner should know.

51

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SECTION

.

BASIC MAINTENANCE

PROCEDURES

WHAT THIS SECTION SHOWS YOU:

*HOW to Clean the Printer

*HOW to Replace the Fuse
*How to Replace the Print Head

L.

c

Ghecking the Printer for Correct Operation

n PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE

Over the years you will come to appreciate your printer for its ex-

tremely accurate and reliable operation. It was designed to have a

minimum of moving parts, and this will contribute to the printer’s
many years of trouble-free service.

Here are a few tips to keep your printer in top condition:

l Avoid touching the business end of the print head.

@Keep hair, clothing and other foreign objects away from the

moving parts of the printer.

@Do not place foreign objects on any part of the printer. If an object

accidentally falls into the printer during operation, always turn
the power off before reaching into the printer.

.AIso turn off the printer before cleaning it. When cleaning the

inside of the printer be very careful not to bend or otherwise
change those tiny wires and attachments- or you will risk elec­trical shock.

W HOW TO CLEAN THE PRINTER

In order to maintain optimum performance of your printer, you’ll
want to clean it inside and out on a periodic basis. First be sure to
turn the power off and disconnect the printer from the power source.

Exterior

Use a soft cloth moistened in denatured alcohol to remove any

dust and dirt from the case of the printer. However, be careful not

to moisten either the printing mechanism or any electronic parts.

--

Interior

We recommend an interior cleaning of the printer after approxi-

mately six months of moderate use, to remove any paper dust or
small-particle buildup.

You may wish to use a can of pressurized air to blow off loose

particles and dust. Or, you may use either a soft (e.g., camel’s hair)
brush or cloth. Again, be careful to avoid exposed electronic parts
and wiring.

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W REPLACING THE FUSE

A fuse has been incorporated into the circuitry of your printer as

a safety device to protect it. This fuse may burn out as a result of

fluctuations in AC line voltage (that is, the electricity from your power

source).

Here are two easy ways to determine whether the fuse in your

printer is burned out:

.The power lamp does not light when you turn the power switch

on, or

*The printer has been in operation and the power lamp suddenly

goes out.

The spare fuse provided with your printer is easy to replace. Here’s

how to do it:

@Turn the power off and unplug the printer.

****************************************~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~**~~~~*~*~~*~~~~~~~~*~~~~

BE CAREFUL:

high-voltage power. Always disconnect the printer from the power
source before inspecting the fuse.

The electronic circuitry of your printer uses

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4Jsing a screwdriver or coin, turn the fuse cover counterclockwise

until it loosens. Gently pull it straight out toward you.

*Pull out the fuse and inspect it. You should see a thin metal strip

inside the glass tube.

54

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@If the metal strip is bent or broken, you’ll want to replace it. (Be

sure to get a 5MT 2-amp fuse, or its equivalent.)

Figure 7-1. Replacing the fuse in the printer

n REPLACING THE PRINT HEAD

The print head in your printer isvery durable and has an extremely

long design life. However, like most mechanical devices, it may
eventually wear out. If you ever do need to change the print head,
you’ll find that it, too, is easy to replace. Here’s how to do it:

@If the printer has been in operation, turn it off and allow about

10 minutes for the print head to cool.
.Lift the front cover and remove the ribbon cassette.
*Locate and remove the screws and washers that hold the print

head in place. (You may want to keep them in a cup so that they

don’t become misplaced.)
ORemove the print head from the carriage.
OHold the print head in one hand between the thumb and fore-

finger; with your free hand, gently disconnect the cable (attached

to the head) from the socket on the printer’s logic board (beneath

the rubber cover).

l Connect the ribbon cable from the new print head to the socket

on the logic board, and fasten the print head to the carriage with

the screws and washers.

55

@To keep the screws from vibrating loose, apply “Screw Lock”

adhesive (or a similar product), available at your dealer or a local
hardware store.

*Check to see that the print head and its cable are secure before

you resume printing.

H M&KING THE PRINTER FOR CORRECT OPER-

On occasion, you may find that your printer isn’t operating nor-

mally according to the parameters we’ve set out in this manual. If
this should ever happen to you, please turn to the checklist given in
the following pages-you’ll probably find that it will take only mo-

ments to return the printer to correct working order.

We have found that the majority of printer problems are, in general, .­also the easiest to solve. Most can be corrected through a series
of simple checks, and fall into three categories: electrical, me­chanical, and those related to the DIP-switch configuration of the
printer.

Electrical

Theproblemsinthiscategoryare byfarthemostobvious, butyou’d
be surprised how often problems can be avoided by making these
simple checks:

@Is the power plug firmly seated in a working electrical outlet?

-

You can verify the outlet is working properly by plugging in an­other appliance in the same outlet.

01s the power cord firmly plugged into the back of the printer?
@Is the printer cable securely fastened to the interface con-

nectars on both the printer and computer?

Be sure to use the proper clamps or screws to keep the connection
tight.

@Is the power switch turned on?
.Does the Power On lamp fail to light when you turn the printer

on?

Please check the fuse according to the instructions given earlier
in this section.

*Did the Power On lamp go out during operation?

Again, please check the fuse.

56

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aPower lamp is on, but printer will not operate.

Make sure the printer is on-line and the front cover is closed.

The front-cover-open detector keeps the printer in the “Pause”

mode until you close the cover firmly.

Mechanical

This group of checks is related to the mechanical operation of the

printer, especially the flow of paper and ribbon through the machine.

*Single sheets don’t advance properly through the machine.

Please ensure that the paper release lever is in the “closed”
position (toward you).

.Form feed paper jams or doesn’t advance smoothly.

Check to see that the paper release lever is in the “open” position
(away from you). Also make sure that the covers are closed on
the tractor feed units.

@The ribbon does not advance properly.

.

.

.

Confirm that the ribbon cartridge is resting firmly on the carriage.
Also check the ribbon tension: you can take out any slack by
turning the spool counterclockwise. (See “Loading the Ribbon
Cartridge” in Section 1).

*The characters printed on the paper are faint or lighter than

normal.

Check the printhead-to-platen gap, making sure that the ad­justing lever is properly set for the paper you are using. If the
printing is still faint, replace the ribbon.

Configuration of DIP switches

The DIP switches of your printer have been preset at the factory,
and unless you or your Star dealer have reconfigured them. For a
complete chart of DIP svvitch settings, please check Appendix D.
However, we’ve listed a few common problems that can be easily
solved by the proper setting of a switch. (Remember, whenever you
change a DIP switch setting, first turn the printer off; then turn it on
again. The printer “reads” the DIP switch settings only when it is first
turned on.)

l Print is double-spaced.

Your computer is sending its own automatic line feed with every
carriage return (duplicating a similar intruction by the printer).

Make sure DIP switch 1-8 is in the “on” position.

l The printer prints over Itself without advancing the paper.

Check to see that DIP switch l-8 is turned off. This ensures that
an automatic line feed will be added to each carriage return-a
command that your computer does not perform by itself.

@The printer Isn’t prlntlng normal letters, characters or

symbols-only block graphic characters. (This may happen if
your computer has a ‘I-bit interface.)

Make sure that DIP switch l-7 is turned off. (Your computer is
designed to send normal text in “words” of 7 data bits each-if
this switch is off, your printer is in its “block graphics” setting.)

l The printer won’t print block graphics-only letters, numbers

and symbols.

Be sure that DIP swich l-7 is turned on. (Your computer is de­signed to send normal text in “words” of 8 bits each-if this switch
is off, you won’t be able to print in the block graphics mode.)

At Star Micronics, we are dedicated to bringing you the highest­quality, most durable printer money can buy. As a result, you’ll find
that this printer will provide many years of trouble-free use. But re-

member, if you have any questions or problems that aren’t answered
in this manual, your Star dealer is always there to help.

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MEMO