Epson FX-80, "Dots-Perfect", #4148 Serial Card
in [Printers]
|
From: Ralf Folkerts on 22 Jan 2010 11:23 Hi, I recently obtained a vintage Epson FX-80 as a Printer for my TRS-80s and a Genie III. That FX-80 is equipped with some alternate Firmware, "Dots-Perfect" from Dresselhaus Computer Products. However, there is no Documentation for it, and I also didn't find any Docs on the Web. Does anyone have some Info on this Firmware or a URL to a Site that has Docs? I also got a Serial-Card with that printer, a Epson 8148. I put it into the printer (of course using ESD-Precautions), but the printer "refuses" to print thru that Card. I found some Info on that Card on the Web at "UKT Support" and so was able to check the Jumpers/DIP-Switches on that Board. They look OK, i.e. 9600/8/N/1 and "RS232 Comunications" and I used the same settings on the Genie III. I also checked with a Line-Tester that on the Genie TxD will indeed "flicker" when Data is being sent. Will I have to set any Jumper in the FX-80, too, to allow it for serial Communication? Or does anyone know if the "Dots Perfect" Firmware might cause Problems with the 8148 Serial Board? Would really be cool to solve these issues to get the vintage computers talk to "their" vintage Printer ;-) Many thanks in advance, cheers, _ralf_
From: Flasherly on 25 Jan 2010 00:46 On Jan 22, 11:23 am, Ralf Folkerts <ralffmail-ne...(a)yahoo.de> wrote: > Hi, > > I recently obtained a vintage Epson FX-80 as a Printer for my TRS-80s > and a Genie III. > > That FX-80 is equipped with some alternate Firmware, "Dots-Perfect" from > Dresselhaus Computer Products. However, there is no Documentation for > it, and I also didn't find any Docs on the Web. > > Does anyone have some Info on this Firmware or a URL to a Site that has > Docs? > > I also got a Serial-Card with that printer, a Epson 8148. I put it into > the printer (of course using ESD-Precautions), but the printer "refuses" > to print thru that Card. > > I found some Info on that Card on the Web at "UKT Support" and so was > able to check the Jumpers/DIP-Switches on that Board. They look OK, i.e. > 9600/8/N/1 and "RS232 Comunications" and I used the same settings on the > Genie III. I also checked with a Line-Tester that on the Genie TxD will > indeed "flicker" when Data is being sent. > > Will I have to set any Jumper in the FX-80, too, to allow it for serial > Communication? Or does anyone know if the "Dots Perfect" Firmware might > cause Problems with the 8148 Serial Board? > > Would really be cool to solve these issues to get the vintage computers > talk to "their" vintage Printer ;-) > > Many thanks in advance, > cheers, > _ralf_ Dunno anything about "dots perfect" - though if you can remove it and get a clean connect, definitely. First step in troubleshooting computers is simplify. My old ASUS 756 Athlon is still ticking, and comes w/ a ser port, though imagine there'd be variants - cards, parr>serial, usb>serial. Pricey for what they are -- ebay or dealextreme.com. Have a wide carrage 132 column Panasonic and Epson Action Printer. Remember in the pawnshop heydays seeing them go for $5. Guess nobody likes fun like writing in printer codes into a document with WordStar no more. Have fun with those 4K registers on ratshack's Motorola (my first computer was a CoCo).
From: Fred McKenzie on 25 Jan 2010 13:00 In article <82be8ed6-4449-4291-b359-ac4d550ec1d4(a)g1g2000yqi.googlegroups.com>, Flasherly <Flasherly(a)live.com> wrote: > Dunno anything about "dots perfect" - though if you can remove it and > get a clean connect, definitely. The Dots Perfect mod in my old Epson MX-80, consisted of a new ROM that replaced the original. If it were to be removed, the printer might not work at all. Fred
From: Flasherly on 25 Jan 2010 18:47 On Jan 25, 1:00 pm, Fred McKenzie <fm...(a)aol.com> wrote: > In article > <82be8ed6-4449-4291-b359-ac4d550ec...(a)g1g2000yqi.googlegroups.com>, > > Flasherly <Flashe...(a)live.com> wrote: > > Dunno anything about "dots perfect" - though if you can remove it and > > get a clean connect, definitely. > > The Dots Perfect mod in my old Epson MX-80, consisted of a new ROM that > replaced the original. If it were to be removed, the printer might not > work at all. > > Fred Ah..sort of like early USRobitics modems and the firmware update thingy. I used to save my ROM chips. I'd want to reconfig it back for a parallel port (if equipped) -- keep it simple at defaults for the switch block, and w/out expansion boards for dedicated serial communications. Not a problem that way with "vintage" motherboards equipped w/ parallel ports and "vintage" XP. Besides tons of adapter flavors these days. Writing port programs for a TSR80, though, would be carrying it just a little far. I might start bleeding from the ears. :)
From: Ralf Folkerts on 26 Jan 2010 11:59 Flasherly wrote: > On Jan 25, 1:00 pm, Fred McKenzie <fm...(a)aol.com> wrote: >> In article >> <82be8ed6-4449-4291-b359-ac4d550ec...(a)g1g2000yqi.googlegroups.com>, >> >> Flasherly <Flashe...(a)live.com> wrote: >> > Dunno anything about "dots perfect" - though if you can remove it >> > and get a clean connect, definitely. >> >> The Dots Perfect mod in my old Epson MX-80, consisted of a new ROM >> that >> replaced the original. If it were to be removed, the printer might >> not work at all. >> >> Fred > > Ah..sort of like early USRobitics modems and the firmware update > thingy. I used to save my ROM chips. I'd want to reconfig it back > for a parallel port (if equipped) -- keep it simple at defaults for > the switch block, and w/out expansion boards for dedicated serial > communications. Not a problem that way with "vintage" motherboards > equipped w/ parallel ports and "vintage" XP. Besides tons of adapter > flavors these days. Writing port programs for a TSR80, though, would > be carrying it just a little far. I might start bleeding from the > ears. :) Hi, well, meanwhile I got the (Installation-) Instructions for Dots-Perfect and I have the Genuine Epson Chips. It's three Chips in my case (two ROM, one RAM) plus a Jumper (a cut trace) I have to set again. So I'm able to "reset" it to it's Original State and then check again! Cheers and thanks for the replies! Cheers, _ralf_
|
Pages: 1 Prev: Documentation Magazine n15 Next: Epson R1800 B&W printing |