Star Micronics SG-10, SG-15 User Manual

SG -1 O/l 5

USER’S MANUAL

NOT INTENDED FOR SALE

Federal Communications Commission

Radio Frequency Interference

Statement

The equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and if not installed and used
properly, that is, in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, may cause in­terference to radio and television reception. It has been type tested and found to comply
with the limits for a Class B computing device in accordance with the specifications in Subpart
J of Part 15 of FCC Rules, which are designed to provide reasonable protection against such
interference in a residential installation. However, there is no guarantee that interference
will not occur in a particular installation.

If this equipment does cause interference to radio
or television reception, which can be determined by turning, the equipment off and on, the
user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

*Reorient the receiving antenna

l Relocate the computer with respect to the receiver

@Move the computer away from the receiver
*Plug the computer into a different outlet so that computer and 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 Federal Noise Interference Standard, this equipment requires a shielded
cable.

A note about the programs in tlds manual

This manual contains several programs that help to demonstrate the versatility of the
SG-lo/15 printers. Star Mfg. Co., Ltd. has made every effort to insure that the programs
are functional and accurate. However, Star Mfg. Co., Ltd. cannot guarantee their accuracy
or suitability to any particular application.

Trademark Acknowledgement

SGlO, SG15: Star Mfg. Co., Ltd.

grfstar: Star Micronics
Apple, Apple II, Apple II + , Apple IIe, Applesoft: Apple computer Inc.

Commodore C-6& Commodore Business Machines, Inc.

Compaq: Compaq Computer corporation
CP/M: Digital Research

EasyWriter: Information Unlimited Software, Inc.
IBM Persouel Computer, IBM PC, IBM XT: International Business Machines Corp
Kaypro: Kaypro Computer Corporation
Microsoft BASIC: Microsoft Corporation
Osborne 1: Osborne Computer Corporation
SuperCalc: Sorcim Corporation

‘IRS-80: Radio Shack, a division of Tandy Corporation

WordStar: MicroPro International Corporation

@Copyright 1984 Star Mfg. Co., Ltd.

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A Special Message

to the New Owner

Congratulations on your selecting the printer of choice for
both the sophisticated as well as the first-time user/owner - the
new SG-10/1.5!

To complement the SG-10/15, we’ve included this manual.
All the information you need to be up and running with your
new SG- 10/l 5 is right here!

You’ll find using this manual easy and pleasant. We’ve gone
to great length to make it so, as it’s master-minded by solid experts
in the art of computer science, and written by professionals ex­perienced in presenting technical subjects accurately - and in
Plain English!

As an example, look over the Table of Contents and you’ll
see what we mean. Whether you’re a greenhorn or a technical
wizard, everything you need to know in order utilize to SG- 10/l 5’s
wealth of features can be found there. We suggest that each new
owner/user take time to at least scan Chapter 2 and 3 - “Getting
to Know Your SG-10/15” and “Getting Started With
SG-10/15”- as well as Chapter 1, “Setting Up SG-10/15”, to
become familiar with your SG-lo/15 and how it works.

When you’re ready to connect your computer to your

SG- 10/l 5, look at Appendix J for directions applying to your

make of computer.

For you who wish to design your own characters, do your
own plotting, your own infinite variety of dot graphic patterns
and densities, you’ll have a ball! For you, Chapters 5 through

10 are a must, and of course everybody should look at Chapter
11, which tells how to maintain your SG- 10/l 5 for a long and

carefree life.

In this manual there are plenty of example programs to de­monstrate and show off all of SG-10/15’s features. Since many
SG- 10/l 5 users have IBM Personal Computers (or the equivalent)
all the example programs are written in Microsoft BASIC for
the IBM. But throughout the manual, users of other computers
will find hints on how to make SG-lo/15 work with their com-

puter.

So, gentle reader, with this manual we hand you the key to

the wonderful world of SG-10/15. May you enjoy years of
handsome, fast, and carefree printing!

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Setting Up SG-lo/15

Where Shall We Put It?
What Have We Here?

Removing the printer cover
Removing packing and shipping screws
Installing the platen knob
Removing the tractor unit
Attaching the paper separator and paper guide
Installing the ink ribbon

Getting to Know Your SG-lo/15

Components and Controls
Paper Selection and Loading

Loading single sheets
Loading sprocket-feed paper

Bottom feeding SG- 15
Adjusting the Gap
Self-Test

Getting Started With SG-lo/15

Using Commercial Software

First, some terminology
Using SG- lo/ 15 with SuperCalc
Using SG-IO/15 with word processors
Using this book without learning BASIC

Controlling SG10/15 With BASIC

Some Basics About BASIC

Establishing communications
The CHR$ function
Control codes
The escape code

Some problem codes
Command Syntax Used in This Manual
Selecting The Right Software Mode

Printing Text With SG-lo/15

Some Special Kinds of Text

Near Letter Quality characters
Italic printing

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Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Underlining
Superscripts and subscripts

Changing the Print Pitch

Expanded print
Making SG-lo/15 Print Darker
Mixing Modes
Summary

Line Spacing and Forms Control

Starting New Lines
Changing Line Spacing

Moving down the page without a carriage mturn

Forms Controls

Form feed
Changing the Page Length
Top and Bottom Margins
Summary

Formatting Your Output

Using Horizontal Tabs

A one-shot tab command
Setting Left and Right Margins
Using Vertical Tabs

A one-shot vertical tab command
Summary

Special Features of the SG10/15

Now hear this

Initializing SG-lo/15

Putting SC-lo/l 5 to sleep

Printing to the bottom of the sheet

Backspace, delete, and cancel text
“Zero” printing
Unidirectional printing

The seven bit dilemma

Block graphics characters and special symbols
International character sets

The macro control code

Summary

Creating Your Own Characters

Dot Matrix Printing
The Print Matrix

Defining Your Own Characters

Rule 1: Download characters are eight dots high
Rule 2: Dots cannot overlap
Add up each column of dots
Assigning a value to your character
Download character definition command

Printing Download Characters

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Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Appendix A

Appendix B
Appendix C

Appendix D

Appendix E
Appendix F
Appendix G

Erasing Download Character Definitions
Delining Proportional Characters

Connecting characters

Summary

Printing With Dot Graphics

Comparing Dot Grapphics With Download
Characters
Using the Dot Graphics Commands

Specifying the number of columns of dots
Specifying the graphics data

Combining text and graphics
Printing a Design or Logo
Plotting With SG-lo/15

How the program works
High Resolution Graphics
If You Have Problems With BASIC
Summary

Basic Maintenance

Cleaning SG- lo/ 15
Replacing a Fuse
Replacing the Print Head

DIP Switch Settings

Switch Functions

ASCII Codes
Character Style Charts
Function Code Reference

Commands to Control Print Style

Front style controls
Font pitch controls

Special print modes
Commands to Control Vertical Position of
Print Head

Line feed controls

Form feed controls

Vertical tabs
Commands to Control Horizontal Position of
Print Head
Download Character Commands
Commands to Control Graphics

Macro Instruction Commands
Other Commands

Command Summary in Numeric Order
ASCII Code Conversion Chart
Technical Specifications

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125

129
137
155

197
201
209

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Appendix H

Appendix I

Appendix J

The Parallel Interface

Functions of the Connector Signals

Serial Interface Specifications

Configuring the Serial Interface
SC- lo/ 15’s Serial Protocols

Serial busy protocols
XON/XOFF protocol
ACK protocol

Connecting With Computer

Connecting with IBM-PC and Compaq

BASIC programming
Listing programs

Connecting with Apple II computers

Applesoft BASIC
Listing programs

Connecting with TRS-80 computers

TRS-80 BASIC

Listing programs
Connecting with Kaypro, Osborne, and
other CP/M computers

Using MBASIC

Listing programs

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223

DIP Switch Quick Reference

Command Quick Reference
Consumer Response

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236

Table of Tables

Table 5-l Near letter quality commands
Table 5-2 Italic commands
Table 5-3 Underline commands
Table 5-4 Superscript and subscript commands
Table 5-5 Print pitch commands
Table 5-6 Expanded print commands
Table 5-7 Print emphasis commands
Table 5-8 Master select and the 256 ASCII codes
Table 6-l Line feed commands
Table 6-2 Line spacing commands

Table 6-3 Form length commands
Table 6-4 Top and bottom margin commands
Table 7-1 Horizontal tab commands
Table 7-2 Left and right margin commands
Table 7-3 Vertical tab commands
Table 8-1 Bell commands
Table 8-2 Some miscellaneous commands
Table 8-3 Printing direction commands
Table 8-4 Eight bit control commands
Table 8-5 International character set commands
Table 8-6 International character sets
Table 8-7 Macro instruction commands
Table 9-1 Download character commands

Table 10-l Calculating nl and n2
Table 10-2 Dot graphics commands
Table A-l DIP switch settings
Table A-2 International character sets
Table H-l Parallel interface pin functions
Table I-l Serial interface pin functions
Table I-2 DIP switch on the serial board
Table I-3 Handshaking protocols

Table I-4 Data transfer rates
Table J-l IBM-PC parallel cable
Table J-2 Apple parallel cable
Table J-3 TRS-80 Model I parallel cable
Table J-4 TRS-80 Model II parallel cable

Table J-5 Kaypro parallel cable

Table J-6 Osborne 1 parallel cable

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227
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CHAPTER 1

SETTING UP SC-lo/l5

In this chapter, we’ll show you how to unpack your new
SG-lo/15 printer, set it up in the right location, and get it ready
for you to load it with paper and start printing. But first . . .

WHERE SHALL WE PUT IT?

Before you do anything else, give some thought to where you’ll
be using your printer. Obviously, it will be somewhere near your
computer. And both printer and computer will lead longer,
healthier lives if they like their environment. For instance, we
recommend . . .

l Placing the printer on a flat surface
l Keeping it out of direct sunlight and away from

heat-producing appliances

l Using it only in temperatures where you are comfortable
l Avoiding areas with a lot of dust, grease, or humidity
l Giving it “clean” electricity. Don’t connect it to the same

circuit as large, noise-producing motors

l Power supply voltage should be the same voltage that’s

specified on the identification plate - not over 10% more
or less than the recommended AC voltage.

Warning: Extremely high or low voltage can damage your

printer.

WHAT HAVE WE HERE?

Now let’s take a look at what’s in the carton. Take it slow and

easy, and check each item in the box against Figure l-l. There
should be exactly 7 items.

Figure l-l. Inside the carton you should have received: 1) SG-lo/15
printer, 2) paper separator, 3) paper guide, 4) platen knob, 5) spare fuse,

6) ink ribbon, and 7) this user’s manual.

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Let’s move on the next step . . .

H Removing the printer cover

What is cover for, really? Primarily, for two reasons: one, to
keep dust and dirt away from the delicate “innards,” and two,
to keep the noise level down. So, you should keep the cover on
all the time, except when setting the ink ribbon in place, loading
paper. or making other adjustments when the cover might be in
the way.

To remove the printer cover, lift up the front end, and pull
out the two tabs at the back edge of the cover from the two slots
of the case, and off the machine. To replace, just reverse the
procedure. Figure l-2 illustrates the proper position and
movement for both removal and replacement of the cover.

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Figure 1-2. Remove the printer cover by lifting carefully.

n Removing packing and shipping screws

There are two (on an SG- 10) or three (on an SG- 15) shipping
screws on the bottom of the printer, used to hold the internal
chassis securely to the external frame during shipping. To get

at these, carefully place the printer upside down on a soft surface
like a foam cushion. Remove the screws with a Phillips screw­driver as shown in Figure l-3.

Next, remove the printer cover, and remove the spiral tube

on the carriage stay which protects the print head, per Figure

l-4.

You’ll be smart to save these screws, along with the rest of the

packing material and the shipping carton, in case you ever have

to ship the printer. Tape the screws somewhere on the carton
or packing.

n Installing the platen knob

This is the knob that turns the rubber platen cylinder. It fits
into the hole on the right side of the printer case. Just match the
odd-shaped hole in the knob with the same shape on the shaft
you’ll see inside the hole in the case, and press it on firmly. Give

3

Shipping screw

-. _-^-_^_

Figure l-3. SC;-10 has two screws which secure the chassis during shipping;

SG-15 has three. They should be removed before use.

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rlgure l-4.

Kemove the spiral tube on the carriage stay that protects

SG-10/15’s print head.

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4

the knob a few turns to see that it’s turning the platen easily and
smoothly.

n Removing the tractor unit

The tractor unit, shown in Figure 1-5, comes mounted on the
printer during shipment. It is used only with sprocket-feed paper.
When other papers are used, such as single sheets, the unit should
be removed, in the following manner:

Remove the printer cover (if attached).

Identify the “snap levers” as shown in Figure l-5.

Pull both snap levers forward, and at the same time . . .

Rock the tractor unit up and towards you about half an inch.

Now lift the tractor up and away from the printer.

Tractor unit

Figure 1-5. Remove the tractor by pulling the snap levers towards you

and tilting the tractor unit back.

Up to this point, we’ve been clearing the decks for action, so
to speak. Only two more things are left to do before we can start
printing. They are, 1) attach the paper separator and guide, and

2) install the ink ribbon. Actually, if you’re planning to print
on single sheets only, you won’t need to use the paper separator

5

and guide, which are designed expressly to guide continuous paper
(sprocket-feed) through the printer.

n Attaching the paper separator and paper guide

First, identify the paper separator (the large metal rack), shown

in Figure l-6. Insert one protruding end into the hole shown in

the diagram, then gently bend the other protruding end until it
snaps into the opposite hole. Follow the same procedure with

the smaller metal rack, which is the paper guide.

er separator

Paper guide

Figure 1-6. Attach the paper separator and paper guide.

Important news: If you get these in upside down, they won’t
work. So take another sharp look at Figure l-6 before we pass
on to the final act-installing the ink ribbon.

n Installing the ribbon

Telling you how to set the ribbon is like writing a set of in­structions on how to tie your shoelaces. It takes a lot longer to
describe it than it does to do it! So, you’ll be smart to study the

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several figures shown here; they’ll tell you all you really need to
know.

Nevertheless, if you feel better following written instructions,

read on . . .

After looking carefully at the Figure 1-7, begin by turning the
power c$L and removing the printer cover. Then slide the print
head gently to the center of the printer. Next, set one of the ribbon
spools on a ribbon spool post, being careful to have it wind/

Print head

Changeover lever’

Changeover lev;

Figure 1-7. You’ll find this diagram of the ink ribbon path inside your

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Ribbon

“xon spy

Xi-10 ribbon path

Ribbon

‘Ribbon spool J

SC- 15 ribbon path

SG-lo/15 for easy reference when you change ribbons.

unwind exactly as shown in the figures. The spool should fit so
that the drive pins engage the spool.

Next, you start threading the ribbon. The only tricky part is

around the print head, so pay particular attention to Figure l-9.
The ribbon should fit in the slot between the print head and the
ribbon guide. Use a ballpoint pen to work the ribbon down
between the print head and the ribbon guide.

The other thing to watch is the position of the eyelet near the
end of the ribbon. This works exactly like a typewriter ribbon
eyelet; it can’t get by the slotted guide, which causes the ribbon
to automatically reverse its direction.

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Figure 1-8.

The eyelet should be between the ribbon spool and the

changeover lever.

Prin; head

Figure l-9. You may want to use a ballpoint pen to press the ribbon

guide towards the platen and work the ribbon down beside it.

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Finally, se’ the other spool snugly on the opposite spool holder;
then turn tile spools by hand four or five turns in each direction
to verify that everything is properly set and ready to roll.

8

CHAPTER 2

GETTING TO KNOW

YOUR SG-lo/15

The more you learn about SG-lo/15 and its sophisticated
features, old and new, the better SG-lo/15 is going to perform
for you. Remember, it’s not just what you know - it’s what
you know how zo

Subjects we’ll cover in this chapter include:

l Components and controls
l Paper-out and front-cover-open detectors
l Paper selection and loading
l Adjusting the gap
l Self-test -

COMPONENTS AND CONTROLS

use ! So, let’s start getting acquainted!

- for different paper thickness

printout of available characters

First, the components. You saw most of these when you un­packed you printer. Now we’ll give you a brief explanation of
what they do. (For details on your initial set-up of SG-10/15,
with all components in place, see Chapter 1.)

PRINTER COVER - This function is to protect the ribbon and

print head from dust and dirt, and also to reduce the sound level.

PAPER SEPARATOR and PAPER GUIDE - As you’ve

guessed, these wire racks are used to support and guide the
sprocket paper during printing.

POWER CORD - Connects the printer to its power source,

usually a wall outlet. It’s located at the left rear.

PRINT HEAD - This is the unit which does the actual printing.

Like a typewriter, the print head prints through an ink ribbon.

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Interface connector

Ground terminal

‘Power cord

Figure 2-l. Front and rear views of SG-10.

TRACTOR - This unit feeds sprocket-feed paper with its drive

gear and sprocket units. It is very easy to remove or to install
the tractor unit onto the printer.

PLATEN - This is the rubber cylinder that carries paper to the

print head.

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Control lpanel

Ground terminal

Powe; cord

Figure 2-2. Front and rear views of SG-15.

switch

erface connectc

INTERFACE CONNECTOR - Around on the back, this is the
place where you connect your computer to SG- lo/ 15, so that they

are able to communicate with each other.

Now let’s take a tour around the controls, starting with the
control panel board, located at the right front. There are 4 lamps
and 3 buttons on the panel:

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I

I FF I

I

Figure 2-3.

I READY

I PAPER

OUT

I

I ON LINE

LF

SG- lo/ 15’s controls.

I

POWER LAMP - Glows green

when the power is on.

READY LAMP - Glows green

when the printer is ready to ac­cept data. This light flickers
during transmission.

Don’t
worry about the flicker; it’s
normal!

ON LINE LAMP - Glows green

when the communication lines
to your computer are open.

PAPER-OUT LAMP - Glows

red when the printer is out of
paper and stops printing.

LF BUTTON - Stands for “Line

Feed,” and allows you to ad­vance the paper one line at a time
when the on line lamp is off. If
you hold the button down, you’ll
get consecutive line feeds, one
after another.

FF BUTTON - Stands for

“Form Feed.” When you tap this

button while the on line lamp

is off, you advance the paper to
the top of a new page or “form.”

ON LINE BUTTON- Lets you change the printer status between

“off line,” and “on line”. When it’s on line, the printer can receive

data from the computer. When it’s off line, the printer sends a

signal to the computer indicating that it cannot accept data.

When you turn the power switch on, you are automatically on

line.

There are other kinds of controls, not connected to the control

panel board. Some of the more important ones are:

POWER SWITCH - Towards the back on the left side. This

turns on the electricity to your machine.

PLATEN KNOB - Middle, right side. Lets you manually turn

the platen, just like a typewriter. CAUTION: Turn this knob
only with power switch off. Turning it with the power on could

damage the platen drive gears.

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RELEASE LEVER - On top, near the left rear corner. You’ll

be using this particular control often. What it does is control the

pressure of the paper against the platen. Its position is crucial

to feeding the different paper types - sprocket and single sheets.

It has two settings: “Friction,” and “Tractor.” The Friction
position is used for single sheet printing, and the Tractor position
for sprocket paper. This will be fully explained in the section
describing paper loading procedures.

PAPER BAIL - The bail is the movable bar that presses the

paper against the platen during printing, and when moved away
from the platen, allows the paper to reach its proper position
during the loading operation.

PAPER-OUT DETECTOR - This sensor automatically stops

printing and tells you when the printer runs out of the paper.
The paper-out lamp glows red and a beep tone alerts you when
the printer runs out of paper. The on line lamp also goes off,
so you are ready to load more paper.

DIP SWITCHES - Primarily, these switches are used in inter-

facing SG-lo/15 to your particular brand of computer. But there

are also switches to set the power-on default settings for print
style, and page size. See the appendix for a complete explanation.

PAPER SELECTION AND LOADING

That’s it for components and connectors. The next thing we’ll
look at is the variety of papers available for SG-10/15, and how
to load them, ready to print. For starters, SG-lo/l5 can handle
single sheets - whether standard-size stationery, envelopes,
multi-part carbonless business forms, or almost any other kind
of individual sheets. You can also print on continuous paper

- fan-folded perforated paper.
Here’s a good place to spend a minute talking about the release

lever, which you’ll be using often. This lever controls the pressure
of the paper against the platen. It has two settings - “F” and
“T”.

The “F” setting stands for “Friction Feed” and.this setting is

always used when running single sheets. The “T” position stands
for “Tractor Feed” and is used only with sprocket-feed paper.
“F” tightens the pressure of the paper against the platen, while
“T” loosens this pressure, so it’s easier to move the paper around.

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Release lever

Figure 24. The paper release lever has two settings: “F” for friction feed

and “T” for tractor feed.

H Loading single sheets

Paper width must always be between 8 and 10 inches (8 and

15 inches for the SG-15), and paper thickness between .07 mm

and .lO mm.

Now, instead of rolling the paper in manually by turning the
platen knob, we’re going to use the L.F. button, with the power
switch turned on. (This means we’ll have to use the “F” (friction
feed) position of the release lever.) Remember what we told you

about that L.F. (line feed) button? This allows you to advance
the paper one line at a time, and if you hold the button down,
you’ll get multiple line feeds, one after the other.

OK? Now let’s start.

1. Remove the printer cover and tractor unit (you can leave
the paper separator on if you have installed it).

2. Turn the power switch on.

3. Lift up the paper bail bar.

4. Set the release lever to the “F” position.

5. Insert the sheet from the back side of the platen (between
the paper chute and the platen cover plate).

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6. Press the ON LINE button until the ON LINE light goes
off.

7. Press the L.F. button to roll the paper in until it appears

on the front side of the platen, about where you want

the first line to start printing.

NOTE: To straighten paper (if it’s in crooked):

l Move the release lever to “T” position.
l Position the sheet where you want it, moving right or

left if necessary to get the paper located between the
margins of the printing area.

l Move release lever back to “F” position.

8. Push the paper bail bar back to its original position, flush
against the paper.

9. Replace the printer cover.

10. Presto! You’re ready to start printing!

Paper bail bar

Figure 2-5. Inserting a single sheet of paper can be done “under power”

with the line feed button.

n Loading sprocket-feed paper

This is the familiar perforated paper, with the holes along both
sides, also called sprocket, punched, fan-fold, or just plain
“computer paper.”

It can be as narrow as 3”, and up to 10” wide

(5” to 15%” on SG-15).

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To use this kind of paper, you’ll need to install the tractor unit,

with its two “sprocket” wheels to carry the paper along.

To install the tractor, identify the two “snap levers” shown in
Figure 2-6. At the same time, identify the two “stoppers,”
nickel-plated bars over which the hoooked or cut-out bottom
edge of the tractor frame fits.

OK? Now pick up the tractor unit. While depressing the two
snap levers, guide it down to the two stoppers; when the hooks
slide over the stopper bars, let go of the snap levers to lock it
in place.

Snap lever,

lever

Figure 2-6. Replace the tractor unit by placing the hooks against the

stoppers and lower the front into place while holding the snap levers.

Next, if you haven’t already, install the paper separator (see

Chapter I), and we’re ready to start loading.

I. Turn the power switch off and open the printer cover.

2. Pull the release lever (on left side) to position “T”.

3. Raise the paper bail bar; lift the paper separator upright.

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Tractor cover

Figure 2-7. Open the tractor covers to expose the sprocket teeth.

4. Place the stack of fan-fold paper behind the printer.

5. Open the tractor covers, atop the right and left sprocket
units, as shown in Figure 2-7.

6. Flip the clamp levers forward. This allows the two
sprocket units to move freely right and left, so you can
align them with the holes in the paper.

7. Pick up the top sheet, and feed it between the paper chute
and platen cover plate.

8. Push the paper down and forward, so it wraps around
the platen.

9. Return the paper separator to its original flat position.

10. Pull the paper up, past the sprocket units.

11. When holes fit snugly over the nubby teeth in both
sprockets, close the tractor covers and snap the clamp
levers back into their locked position (Figure 2-8).

12. With the platen knob, roll the paper up or down until
the correct “start-print” position is reached. You do this
by lining up the horizontal perforation (where you tear
apart individual sheets) with the top of the ribbon guide.

13. Now you’re ready to roll! Replace the printer cover and
turn the power switch on. Rapid printing!

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L

Figure 2-8. SG-lo/15 ready to run with sprocket-feed paper.

W Bottom feeding SG-15

The SG- 15 can be loaded with sprocket paper in two different

ways-either from the back, as with SG-10,or through a slot in

the bottom. To load SG- 15 from the back, follow the steps shown
in the previous section. But for loading through the bottom slot,
you position the SG-15 above the stack of fan-fold paper, with
the paper being fed up through the bottom of the printer and
on out the back.

To use SG-15 this way, you’ll need to install the tractor unit,
and the paper separator if you haven’t already.
how to do it, see Chapter 1 and Figure 2-6.

The steps for bottom loading SG-15.

1. Turn the power switch off and remove the printer cover.

2. Pull the release lever to position “T” (Figure 2-4).

3. Raise the paper bail bar.

4. Place the stack of sprocket-feed paper below the printer,
ideally on a specially-built printer table with a bult-in slot.

If you’re unsure

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5. Open the tractor covers, right and left (Figure 2-7).

6. Flip the clamp levers forward. This allows the two
sprocket units to move freely right and left, so you can
align them with the holes in the paper.

7. Pick up the first “sheet”

and lift it up and through the

slot in the bottom of the SG-15.

8. Push the paper up to the front of the platen roller.

9. Feed the top sheet inside the paper bail bar and past the
platen, high enough so you can grip the paper from above

the printer.

10. Pull the paper up past the sprocket wheels.

11. When the holes tit snugly over the nubby teeth, close
tractor covers and snap the clamp levers back into the
locked positions.

12. With the platen knob, roll the paper up or down until

the correct “start-print” position is reached. This position

is achieved by lining up the horizontal perforation with

the top of the ribbon guide.

13. Now we’re ready to roll - replace the printer cover, and

turn on the power switch. Speedy printing!

Figure 2-9. SG-15 can be loaded from the back like SG-10 or from the

bottom, as shown here.

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ADJUSTING THE GAP

The gap is the space between the print head and the platen.
Adjusting the gap is simply adjusting the printer to accommodate
different thicknesses of paper.

To make this adjustment, move the adjustment lever which is
under the printer cover, immediately in front of the release lever
shown in Figure 2-10. Pulling the adjustment lever towards you
will widen the gap; pushing it away from you will narrow the

gap.

Release lever

Adjustment leve

Figure 2-10. The adjustment lever allows for different thicknesses of paper.

Five positions are available; you can feel the lever clicking into
the various notches. The second step (illustrated) is the one most
commonly used for single sheets of paper. The lever is nearly
straight up in this position.

You shouldn’t encounter any difficulty in finding the right gap
setting to fit your paper. If necessary, experiment; you’ll soon
find the best position for the paper you’re using.

SELF-TEST

The “self-test” is a trial run of your beautiful new machine.
SG- 1 O/ 15 carries a built-in program that prints out sample lines
of letters, numbers, and other characters - to show you that
everything’s in good working order. It also serves as a display
of the characters available in the SG- 10/l 5. And finally, it’s a

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“warm-up” that permits you to check your installation of ribbon

and paper, and the adjustment of the print head gap.

Best of all, you don’t have to wait another minute - you can
print the self-test without hooking up the SC&IO/15 to your
computer! It’s as simple as 1, 2, 3...

1. Plug the printer’s power cord into an electrical outlet.

2. Insert a sheet of paper (or sprocket paper, either one).

3. While holding down the LF button, turn the power switch
on.

Were you surprised? It’s speedy, isn’t it? 160 characters a second,

to be exact (when printing normal pica type).

(STAR mode; DIP switch 2-2 on)

:IBM mode; DIP switch 2-2 off)

Figure 2-11. SC-10/15’s self-test gives a preview of its capabilities.

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