Using Z88 Printer Cables
- 1 Z88 Printer Cables
- 2 Printers that can be used with the Z88
- 3 Printer Editor
- 3.1 Enter the Printer Editor
- 3.2 Make the necessary alterations in the existing file
- 3.3 Save alterations
- 3.4 Update Printer Editor
- 3.5 User Manual Information
- 3.6 Understanding and Using Printer Codes
- 3.7 Z88 Printer Editor Code Requirements
- 3.8 Using Printer Control Codes from Printer Handbooks
- 3.9 Printer Driver for a Canon BJ-10e Bubble Jet printer (IBM Proprinter Emulation)
- 3.10 The PrinterEd Bug
- 3.11 Extended Sequence Printer Code
- 3.12 Further Reading
- 3.13 Z88 EPROM References
Once you have this connection, getting the printer working is the next stage. The author uses Windows, a solution for that operating system has been provided.
Before David Stewart wrote his book on Printing he wrote some helpful comments to the Z88 Users Club
This is an incomplete article but it might get you out of trouble for now.
For more details see Notes on Printing.
Z88 Printer Cables
Parallel Printer Cable
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The Parallel Printer Cable |
Serial Printer Cable
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If your printer has a serial port, |
If you want to use a different manufacturer that has a serial or parallel connection, look up what Printer Description Languages the printer supports. If any of them are listed in Notes on Printing, you should be able to use that printer.
BBC BASC
ERROR in the instructions for PRINTING FROM BBC BASIC. Lines 20 and 50 should read
20 PRINT#ch,CHR$ (5)+"("50 PRINT#ch,CHR$ (5)+")"
Printers that can be used with the Z88
Modern printers can be used (dot matrix and laser) with the Z88. Check the Printer specifications.
Connectivity Interfaces
(IEEE 1284 parallel interface or Parallel Centronics, or Serial)
Printer Control Language Emulations
(Epson FX80 or FX (ESC/P) or ESC/P2)
For further information on ESC/P seehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESC/P
You cannot use Hi-Speed USB (2.0 compatible) or Windows only printers in this configuration. See the separate "Windows only Printers" section for further details.
Printers using Canon Ex Mode.
In July 2000, these printers for example, the Canon BJC 50 (left £275) and the BJC 85 (right £230) both emulate Canon Ex Mode.
They needed a Z88 Parallel Printer Cable and BJC Driver to get them working with the Z88.
Prices correct July 2000.
Printers using LQ ESC/P2, IBM-2390 Plus emulations
Left AcuLaser M2300D
£139
£205
These printers use LQ ESC/P2, IBM-2390 Plus emulations which are the same as ESCP codes.
(Tom Browning
e-Service Support Technician
EPSON Customer Inter@ction Centre - 20th May 2004)
Using the PC to print
If you already have the link from the Z88 to your PC and a printer connected to your PC, you can print from your Z88 now.
Download this program, set it to 9600 baud on the Palmtop port together with which COM port your Z88 is plugged into and print away.
Printer Editor
There are four stages to developing a new printer editor:
Enter the Printer Editor
In time you will want to save the PrinterEd file so ensure that you are using your normal default device. I use :RAM.1 .
The printer editor can be selected either by pressing the index key and moving the cursor down the left hand Applications list to PrinterEd and pressing Enter or alternatively by pressing E.
The editor consists of two pages of printer codes and two pages of menu's. Move between the code pages with and the and cursor arrows and call the menu pages in the normal way with the key.
The Z88 has an Epson PrinterEd as standard and (on the assumption that the PrinterEd has not previously been altered) the single word Epson will appear under the title 'Printer' on the left hand side of page one. To the right of this are 8 rows of printer highlight descriptions and this is followed by three columns, the first being 'On Strings', the second 'Off Strings' and the rightmost column being the 'Yes' or'No' commands for 'Off at Carriage Return', i.e. whether or not the highlight is automatically turned off at the end of each row (or slot).