FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT FOR AMERICAN USERS This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and if not installed and used properly, that is, in strict accordance with the manufacturers instructions. may cause interference to radio and television reception.
Contents Introduction Setting Up Your Printer Chapter 1 Setting Up the Printer 1-1 Unpacking the Printer 1-3 Choosing a Place for the Printer 1-3 Installing the Ribbon 1-5 1-6 1-9 1-10 Turning On the Printer Operating the Control Panel Installing the Paper Guide Loading Paper 1-13 Running the Self Test 1-15 Connecting the Printer to Your Computer 1-16 A Final Checklist SelecType Chapter 2 SelecType 2-1 The SelecType Panel 2-2 Entering SelecType 2-3 The SelecType Main Menu 2-4 *LOAD MACRO 2-8 *CHANG
Chapter 4 Using the LQ-2500 with Application Programs 4-2 4-2 4-3 4-4 4-7 4-10 4-11 Choosing the Correct Printer Computer- Printer Communication Setting Up Application Programs Word Processors Spreadsheets Setting Up Graphics Programs Programming Languages Chapter 5 Using the LQ-2500 Print Features 5-1 Print Quality 5-2 Selecting Fonts 5-4 Print Pitch and Character Width 5-7 Using Character Tables and Sets Chapter 6 Graphics and User-defined Characters 6-2 The Print Head 6-4 Graphics Commands 6-11 Use
Reference Appendix B ASCII Conversion Chart and Character Tables B1 ASCII Conversion Chart B-3 International Character Sets-Draft B-3 international Character Sets-Letter Quality B-4 How to Use the Charts B-5 Epson Italics Character Set-Draft B-5 Epson Italics Character Set-Letter Quality B-6 Epson Graphics Character Set-Draft B-6 Epson Graphics Character Set-Letter Quality B-7 Epson Graphics Character Set B-8 Proportional Width Tables Appendix C Typestyle Summary C-3 Epson Draft C-3 Selecting Typestyles
Appendix F Choosing and Setting Up Optional Interfaces F-1 Compatible Interfaces F-2 Choosing an Interface F-4 Installing an Interface F-6 Inserting the Interface Board F-7 Serial Interface Settings Appendix G Technical Specifications G-1 Printing G-2 Paper G-2 Mechanical G-3 Electrical G-3 Environment Appendix H Interface Specifications H-1 The Parallel interface H-3 The Serial Interface Glossary Index vi Contents
Introduction The Epson LQ-2500 introduces a new concept in dot matrix printing. In addition to the speed and sharpness of a 24-pin, dot matrix printer, the LQ now has SelecType with a Liquid Crystal Display SelecType lets you control your printing with a touch of a button, and the LCD tells you what’s happening. You can even create your own macros to save your most-used printer settings. The LQ-2500 has five built-in Letter Quality fonts to choose from, so you don’t have to buy extra cartridges or options.
Using this manual To make it easier to set up your new LQ-2500, this manual includes a 10-step guide to setting up your printer. The outline on the back cover flap, and the numbered steps in the chapter take you from unpacking, through ribbon and paper loading, to a final printing checklist. Five easy-to-find section dividers in the manual make it simple for beginners or experienced users to look up information.
Chapter 1 Setting Up the Printer Setting up your LQ-2500 printer is easy Simply follow the steps in this chapter. 1 Unpacking the Printer As you unpack the printer, make sure the box contains all of the parts shown in Figure 1l. Check that none of the parts have been damaged during transportation. (you’ll find the paper feed knob inserted in the foam packing material.) Caution Do not plug in the power cord yet. You should perform the first three steps before you plug in the printer and turn on the power.
Installing the paper feed knob Install the paper feed knob on the right side of the printer, as shown in Figure 1-2. tine up the flat side of the hole in the knob with the flat side of the shaft, then push the knob firmly into place. Now, that you’ve installed the paper feed knob, use it to remove the sheet of paper that is behind the printers platen (the black roller).
When you are finished unpacking, put the packaging materials and the head protector in the box and keep them in case you need to transport the printer. Full details on transporting the printer are in Appendix D. 2 Choosing a Place for the Printer The printer must be close enough to the computer for the cable to reach. Also keep the following tips in mind: Place the printer on a flat, stable surface-never on a chair or any other unstable support.
WARNING The power must be OFF when you move the print head. Otherwise, you may damage the printer mechanism. Also, if you’ve been using the printer just before changing the ribbon cartridge, be careful not to touch the print head because it becomes hot during use. 3. Move the print head carriage to about 25 on the ruler on the paper bail. 4. Remove the ribbon cartridge from its packaging and tighten the ribbon by turning the knob in the direction of the arrow, as shown in Figure 14. 5.
8. Turn the ribbon tightening knob again to make sure the ribbon moves freely Replacing the ribbon . . . The LQ-2500 uses a continuous-loop, inked fabric ribbon. When your printing becomes too light, replace the whole ribbon cartridge. Always use replacement ribbons #7756 (black) and #7757 (color) designed specifically for the Epson LQ-2500 printer. It is not possible to use ribbons for any other series of printer, and you should never try to re-ink the ribbon.
Now, turn the power ON. When you turn on the printer, several important things happen: The print head moves back and forth and stops at about 40 on the paper bail ruler. The ribbon carriage moves up and down to set the ribbon at the correct level for printing. The printer is initialized and set to certain default settings (which are fully described in Chapter 2 and Appendix E). The green POWER light on the control panel comes on. The red PAPER OUT light also comes on, and the display reads [PAPER OUT].
From this panel, you can control almost all printer functions. On the LQ-2500 there aren’t any DIP switches to set or reset as on most printers, because Se&Type controls these settings. The four buttons on the panel have multiple names to control different functions. Generally however, they control four areas of printer operation: On line/Off line Paper feeding Print quality/font selection SelecType. On line/off line The ON LINE button switches the printer between the on line and off line states.
l You can use the FORM FEED button to eject a single sheet of paper or advance continuous-feed paper to the next top of form. Paper feeding The LINE FEED and FORM FEED buttons on the panel control paper feeding. The printer must be off line, as indicated in the On line/off line section. When the power is on, you must use these buttons to feed the paper. Using the paper feed knob with the power on can damage the printer mechanism.
After entering SelecType, the four buttons on the control panel function according to their SelecType assignments: EXIT, MENU, SETTING, and OPTION. See Chapter 2 for a full explanation of SelecType. The indicator lights In addition to the ON LINE light, the LQ-2500 has three other lights. POWER--This light indicates that the printer is turned on and receiving power. READY--This light comes on when the printer is on line and ready to print. It normally flickers during printing.
the paper guide. This ridged marking corresponds to the extreme left printing position and is called the edge mark. The paper guide Second, install the guide itself. Hold the paper guide vertically and lower it so that the slots on either side fit onto the two pins as shown in Figure 1-9 below. Then tilt the paper guide back until it rests at an angle. 7 Loading Paper Even if you normally use continuous-feed paper, it is simpler to test the printer using a single sheet of paper.
Paper loading icons . . . Both levers on the LQ-2500 have icons (small pictures) beside them as shown in Figure 1-9. These icons (shown below) remind you whether to push the lever back or pull it forward when you load paper. Paper release lever back-When loading single sheets of paper, or using the automatic sheet loading feature, this lever should be back. Paper release lever forward-When using continuous-feed paper, this lever should always be forward.
4. Place the paper on the paper guide with its left edge next to the edge tab as shown in Figure 1-10. Push the paper firmly into the printer, then let go of it. The display changes from [PAPER OUT] to [OFF LINE]. 5. Pull the paper bail lever forward to the single-sheet loading position (indicated by the icon). This feeds the paper into the printer until it is past the paper bail. 6. When the paper stops, push the paper bail lever back to the printing position.
8 Running the Self Test The LQ-2500 has a built-in self test that prints out the characters in its memory so that you can be sure the printer is working properly WARNING You must load 14-inch-wide paper lengthwise when running the self test. The character sets print in 14-inch lines; if the paper is too narrow, characters print on the platen.
The self test printout Current setting Draft >QUALITY Draft >FONT 10CPI >PITCH Off >CONDENSED >FORM LENGTH 11.0" >1" SKIP Off 0 >LEFT MARGIN >RIGHT MARGIN 136 >CG TABLE Italic >COUNTRY USA >PRINT DIR.
The self test continues until you turn the printer off, or until the printer runs out of paper and displays [PAPER OUT]. 9 Connecting the Printer to Your Computer Your LQ-2500 has two separate interface connections. Therefore, you must be sure to use the one that your computer requires. ® The two interfaces are a Centronic compatible parallel interface and an RS-232C compatible serial interface.
Some parallel cables have a ground wire. Connect this wire to the ground screw on the printer to protect data from interference. Then plug the other end of the cable into the computer and connect the ground wire on the computer end of the cable if it has one. Parallel interfaces require no further adjustment. The serial interface For the serial interface, you should use an Epson serial interface ® cable.
With a single sheet of paper loaded, are the POWER, ON LINE, and READY lights on, and does the display read [ON LINE]? If not, press the ON LINE button to place the printer on line. If the display reads [PAPER 0UT] and the PAPER OUT light is on, check that you’ve loaded the paper correctly Is your printer properly connected to your computer? Are you using the correct interface (serial or parallel)? If you’re in doubt, check your computers documentation.
Chapter 2 SelecType SelecType on the LQ-2500 brings a new dimension to printing. With SelecType you can now control almost every aspect of printer operation.
When you press the two ENTER SelecType buttons, the four control panel buttons switch to their SelecType labels. The control panel buttons cannot be used for their other labeled functions until you exit SelecType. Entering SelecType 1. Make sure that the power is on, and that the printer is on line. (The green ON LINE, POWER, and READY lights are on, and the display reads [ON LINE].) 2. To enter SelecType, press the two ENTER SelecType buttons at the same rime. The display reads [SelecType MODE].
The SelecType Main Menu The SelecType main menu lists the four modes that let you control printer functions and operation. Whenever you exit from any of the modes, you always return to the main menu. An * next to the name of the mode indicates that you’re in the main menu. 1. After activating SelecType, press MENU to view the four modes on the main menu. The four modes are: *LOAD MACRO-This mode lets you load one of the four macros to accommodate your own printing needs.
* LOAD MACRO The *Load Macro mode lets you load one of the preset macros, or a macro you’ve created. You can use the *Change Macro mode to create and save your own macro. When you turn the printer on, one of the four macros is loaded automatically as the default macro. As described under *Change Defaults mode, the preset default macro is macro 1. The preset macros While you’re learning SelecType, you may want to use the four preset macros. These macros are set for use with general application programs.
Macro #l Preset macro #1 is set for draft printing/word processing to produce highspeed, d r a f t q u a l i t y p r i n t i n g . I t c a n b e used for word processing to print rough drafts, or for any job you need printed in a h u r r y . You can also use enhancements and print styles, i n c l u d i n g i t a l i c , d o u b l e W i d t h , and emphasized. -- Macro #2 Preset macro #2 is set for Letter Quality printing/word processing in the Roman font.
When loading another macro, the new macro’s settings immediately become the printers current settings. (See *Change Macro for a full explanation of current settings.) The first macro isn’t lost, because it remains stored in the LQ’s memory-that’s the advantage of a macro. After loading a macro, you can still change the current settings with the *Change Macro mode. You might load a macro that calls for a right margin of 79.
3. To load a macro, press SETTING to display the macro number you want to load. 4. Press MENU to load that macro. The display shows the macro number that is loaded [MACRO #n LOADED], then returns to the main menu. Aborting or exiting 1. If you decide you don’t want to load a macro, you can choose the [DO NOT LOAD MACRO] option. Press MENU and the display shows [LOAD MACRO ABORT], then returns to the main menu. 2.
*CHANGE MACRO The 14 settings and their options shown in Table 2-1 control printing and printer operation. These settings are the heart of the SelecType system. (There are additional settings that can be changed in the *Change Defaults mode.) If you are unfamiliar with any of the terms in the table, consult the Glossary in the back of this manual. Table 2-1.
These current settings can be printed out with the *Print Out Settings mode, described later in this chapter. A sample printout appears below. Current setting Draft >QUALITY Draft >FONT 10CPI >PITCH Off >CONDENSED 11.0” >FORM LENGTH >1” SKIP Off 0 >LEFT MARGIN >RIGHT MARGIN 136 Italic >CG TABLE USA >COUNTRY Bi-D >PRINT DIR. >HALF SPEED Off >SHEET FEEDER Off *1 >DEFAULT BIN Whenever you load a macro, the new macro settings become the current settings (although the macro remains stored in memory).
With the *Change Macro mode you always change the current settings. As soon as you choose and set a different option, that new choice becomes a current printer setting. Changing the current settings There are two ways to change the current settings. l You can use the DRAFT and LQ buttons on the control panel to change print quality or font, as described in Step 5, Chapter 1. l YOU can use the *Change Macro mode to change the current settings without saving the settings to a macro.
4 When you see the option you want, leave it displayed. 5. Now press SETTING again. When you press SETTING after OPTION, the displayed option becomes the current printer setting. The display then advances to the next setting according to Table 2-1. Caution When you change an option, It immediately changes the current setting, You can still choose whether or not to save the new setting as a macro, but you can’t undo the change without changing it again. 6.
1. Select the settings and options you want to change as described in the previous steps 1-5. Whether you’re just changing the current settings, or saving them as a macro, selecting the settings and options is the same. 2. After changing the settings (you can change as few or as many as you want), press MENU. The display shows [SAVE MACRO #1]. If you press MENU again, the display shows [MACRO #1 SAVED], then returns to the main menu. 3. To select another macro number for the new macro, press SETTING.
*CHANGE DEFAULTS The defaults are the settings in effect when you turn the printer on. Table 2-2 shows the default settings and options for the LQ-2500. If there are any terms you don’t understand, consult the Glossary at the back of this manual. Table 2-2. Default Settings and Options Select with Change with Setting INTERFACE *BAUD RATE l PARITY AUTO LINE FEED SLCT-IN DEFAULT MACRO *These settings. and setting IS selected. Option Parallel, Serial 300BPS. 600BPS. 1200BPS. 2400BPS. 4800BPS. 9600BPS.
Default macro The preset defaults include a default macro. Each time you turn the LQ-2500 on, it needs setup instructions. The LQ-2500 uses the settings contained in the default macro to prepare for printing. When you receive your LQ, the default macro is set for macro 1. This means that when you turn the printer on, it prints according to the settings listed in macro 1. The Default Macro setting gives you the option of selecting any of the four macros as the default macro.
Auto Line feed and SLCT-IN Most application programs send automatic line feeds at the end of every line, so this option should remain Off. However, if all of the lines are printing on top of each other, change this setting from Off to On. For most application programs, and most uses, the SLCT-IN setting should remain Valid. This means that the printer cannot be deselected or reselected by the DC1 or DC3 control codes (see Appendix A for further explanation).
1. From the SelecType main menu, press MENU until the display shows [*CHANGE DEFAULTS]. 2. Press SETTING to see the default settings listed in Table 2-2. 3. Select a setting you want to change, then press OPTION to display the options for that setting. 4. When you see the option you want, leave it displayed. 5. Now press SETTING again. When you press SETTI'NG after OPTION, the option is selected, but its not stored as a default setting until you save the defaults.
Aborting or exiting 1. If you decide you don’t want to change the default settings, choose the [DO NOT SAVE DEFAULTS option. Press MENU and the display shows SAVE DEFFlULTS ABOUT], then returns to the main menu, leaving the defaults unchanged. 2. Pressing EXIT at any time while you’re in the *Change Defaults mode takes you back to the main menu, leaving the defaults unchanged. Pressing EXIT does not display a message, it simply takes you back to the main menu. 3.
*PRINT OUT SETTINGS The *Print Out Settings mode gives you an immediate printout of the six SelecType listings, as shown below. (Although the print quality calls for draft, this printout is in Letter Quality) >QUALITY >FONT >PITCH >CONDENSED >FORH LENGTH >l" SKIP >LEFT MARGIN >RIGHT MARGIN >CG TABLE >COUNTRY >PRINT DIR. >HALF SPEED >SHEET FEEDER >DEFAULT BIN Current setting Draft Draft lOCP1 Off 11.0" Off 0 136 Italic USA BI-D Off Off *1 .
Printing out the settings MENU *PRINT OUT SETTINGS 1. From the Selecl Type main menu, press MENU until the display shows [*PRINT OUT SETTINGS]. 2. Now press SETTING. The display shows [OK?-Option] for confirmation. 3. If you want to print, press OPTION to begin printing. The display reads I PRINT I NG OUT I, and automatically prints all the SelecType settings. When printing is complete, the display returns to the main menu. Exiting 1.
Chapter 3 Choosing and Loading Paper The LQ-2500 printer can accommodate many different sizes and types of paper, using either its automatic single-sheet loading feature or its built-in adjustable tractor. The tractor is easy to use and can handle a wide range of paper widths. The automatic single-sheet loading feature handles individual sheets quickly and easily and for greater efficiency you can add an optional automatic sheet feeder.
whenever required, making single sheets as easy and convenient to use as continuous-feed paper. The automatic sheet feeder has its own users manual. Reloading during printing When you print a document more than one page long using single sheets of paper, there are two different ways your application program can allow you to load a new sheet at the end of a page.
Clear enough space around the printer so that the paper has an unobstructed path in and out of the printer. There are three common methods of arranging a printer and continuous-feed paper: l Using a printer stand with the paper stacked underneath it. l Using a desk or table as a stand, with the printer near the rear edge and the paper on the floor or on a shelf. l Putting the printer on a desk or table and stacking the paper behind the printer.
5. Move the left sprocket unit all the way to the left and pull the locking lever forward to hold it in position. Note With the sprocket unit in this position, you always have a margin at the left side. If you want to print without a left margin, or if your program creates a margin, move the left sprocket unit about 3/4-inch from the left side, so that the perforated edge of the paper lines up with the number 1 on the ruler on the paper bail. Check the exact position when you finish loading. 6.
10. If the paper is straight and has no wrinkles, lock the right sprocket unit in place. 11. Turn the paper feed knob slowly to feed the paper under the metal plate in front of the tractor. (The diagram on the metal plate shows how the paper should go through.) Make sure the paper does not wrinkle after it reaches the platen. 12. Turn the knob until the paper is past the paper bail. Then push back the paper bail lever (the lever on the right side).
Setting the top of form position Finally you need to establish a top of form position so that the printer does not print on the perforations. The top of form position is the position of the paper when the power is turned on. This position is also reset whenever a program initializes the printer or sets the page length. Setting the top of form position is a simple three-step process: 1. See that the printer is turned off. 2.
Remember that you should never advance the paper using the paper feed knob while the power is turned on. You can damage the mechanism of the printer, and the printer will lose track of the top of form position. Loading Labels You can use labels on a continuous-feed backing, with a perforated backing sheet for use with the tractor. The minimum width of a tractorfed label is four inches, including the full width of the backing paper.
The Paper Thickness Lever You can adjust the LQ-2500 to accommodate different thicknesses of paper. You need to do this when you print labels or carbon copies. Before moving the paper thickness lever, always turn off the power and open the dust cover. The paper thickness lever has four positions. You can identify these by looking at the catch positions in the metal plate, as shown in Figure 3-7. For normal use the lever should be in the second position away from the platen as shown in Figure 3-7.
Always return the lever to the normal position when you resume printing on normal paper.
Chapter 4 Using the LQ-2500 with Application Programs Now that you’ve set up and tested the printer, you should make sure the LQ-2500 works with the application programs you want to use. If you’re familiar with application programs and printer selection routines, simply consult the following table. if you need more information on selecting a printer or sending commands from your application program, continue with this chapter.
Choosing the Correct Printer Most application programs let you specify the type of printer you’re using, so that the program can take full advantage of the printer’s features. Many programs provide an installation or setup section that presents a list of printers from which to choose. Table 4-1 lists the printers in order of preference.
If you’re using control codes to select printer functions for an application program or programming language, check the documentation. Different programs and languages use different methods of sending printer commands. The second half of this chapter covers this process more thoroughly Naming and using commands In order to use printer commands, you should know how they are recognized by your application program.
Processors, Spreadsheets, and Graphics programs. In addition, a brief explanation of programming languages is also included at the end of the chapter. Word Processors In many ways, word processors demand the most from your printer. When you create and print a document, you may change print styles and fonts, reformat pages, add headers and footers, and use bold, italic, and other effects. The LQ-2500 is capable of producing a vast array of different print styles and effects, as shown in Chapter 5.
Initialization Whenever you turn the power on for the LQ, an initialization sequence is performed that sets the printer to its default values (see Chapter 2 and Appendix E). Many word processors also send out an initialization command to reset the printer before printing. This initialization, or reset command, is sent to ensure that unknown settings do not influence the information the program sends to the printer. Usually this shouldn’t cause any problems.
Most word processors are not initially set up to send all of the commands you might want to use. Most of them have a key or sequence of keys, to send the bold command. Others may also underline. If you want to send other commands, perhaps for italic, or double-width, you’ll probably have to set up your word processor accordingly Many programs allow you to assign commands to function keys (or a sequence of keys). When the key (or keys) is pressed, the command is then placed in the document.
Spreadsheets Although spreadsheets seldom use as many printing styles as word processors, they do have some very specific requirements. Installation and column width If your spreadsheet program provides a list of printers, refer to Table 4-1 for the proper priority If your spreadsheet doesn’t have a printer setup routine, you should carefully read the program’s manual for information on its printing facility A major concern when printing spreadsheets is the width of the printer.
SelecType-You have the choice of using the four preset SelecType macros, or creating your own. One of those preset macros (macro 3) is for spreadsheets. It’s set up to print in draft quality, condensed mode, with a right margin of 135 (for 136 columns). The SelecType settings that have the greatest effect on spreadsheets are: Print Quality, Condensed, and Right Margin. (If your spreadsheet program seems to disregard the SelecType settings, see the section on Initialization.
Initialization Like many word processors, some spreadsheet programs also send out an initialization command to reset the printer before printing. This initialization, or reset command, is sent to ensure that unknown settings do not influence the information the program sends to the printer. Usually this shouldn’t cause any problems. However, some programs may send a command that also resets SelecType settings (or settings made with a programming language).
Setting Up Graphics Programs The LQ-2500 is capable of producing finely detailed graphic images in black or in color (with the optional color kit). Chapter 6 gives specific information on the graphics commands. However, the easiest way to take advantage of the LQ’s capabilities is with one of the many graphics programs available.
Programming Languages Most users rely on application programs to send commands to the printer. However, an awareness of programming languages can be helpful in exploring a printer’s potential or troubleshooting a printing problem. For example, you might want to set up your application program to send a command for italic printing. You can use a programming language, such as BASIC or Pascal, to do a quick printout before setting up the program.
You can also use the LPRINT statement to send kxt to the printer, but it must be enclosed in quotation marks, as shown below. LPRINT "This is a sample of italic." To test the italic command, you would send: 10 LPRINT CHR$(27);"4"; 20 LPRINT "This is a sample of italic." and see: This is a sample of italic. If you have a different version of BASIC, or a different programming language, consult the documentation.
Chapter 5 Using the LQ-2500 Print Features This chapter describes the wide variety of fonts, print widths, styles, and enhancements available with the LQ-2500, including: High-speed Draft Letter Quality Emphasized Double-strike Italics 10 pitch 12 p i t c h 15 pitch Underlining D o u b l e - w i d t h Condensed Superscraipt Subscript Proportional Print Quality The LQ-2500 has two levels of print quality: draft and Letter Quality Draft printing is fast, making it ideal for rough drafts and editing
selecting print quality There are three easy methods of changing between draft and Letter Quality l The control panel-With the printer on line, you can press the LQ button to select Letter Quality or the DRAFT button to select draft. When you press the LQ button, the printer beeps twice and the display briefly flashes the current font, such as [ROMAN 1. The display then returns to 1 ON LINEI.
All five fonts are available through SelecType, or with the LQ button. You can switch to draft quality from any of the fonts, but there is only one style of draft. Selecting fonts with the LQ button-You can switch among the five fonts without having to go into SelecType. Pressing the LQ button while the printer is on line selects the current LQ font. The name of the font is displayed for a few seconds, then the f ON LINE1 message returns.
Print Pitch and Character Width To add greater variety to your documents, the LQ-2500 can print in three different pitches and perform proportional spacing. The SelecType Pitch setting lets you set the LQ accordingly The three pitches are: 10 characters per inch (pica), 12 characters per inch (elite), and 15 characters per inch. The following printout compares these three pitches. This is 10 pitch-- 10 characters p e r i n c h . This is 12 pitch--12 characters per inch.
Proportional spacing is the exception. Only the Roman and Sans Serif fonts have proportional spacing tables. If you select proportional for any other fonts, the printer will print in the selected font, but the results may be uneven. Condensed and double-width In addition to the three pitches and proportional spacing, you can also use condensed and double-width to change character size, as shown in the following printout. This condensed printing. This is lo-pitch printing.
printer command sent from an application program or programming language. Be aware that widening or narrowing characters also widens or narrows the spaces between words and letters. Word processors usually create a left margin by printing spaces. If you change character widths, you may need to adjust the number of characters on a line. Special effects and emphasis The LQ-2500 offers two ways of emphasizing text. It can also print underlining, superscripts, and subscripts.
Superscripts and subscripts can be used for printing footnote numbers and mathematical formulas. The example below shows underlining and superscripts and subscripts combined in a mathematical formula 2 H 2 0 average E=mc = (a1 + a2 + ........ n + an ) _ Using Character Tables and Sets The LQ-2500 has two built-in methods of generating characters. One method uses the CC (Character Generator) Tables, the other method uses the characters stored in the international character sets.
Although you won’t see italic characters in the Graphic table, most application programs use ESC 4 and ESC 5 to turn italic on and off. This gives you italic with the Graphic option. (If your application program prints graphics characters when you ask for italic characters, then switch to the Italic character set.) If you select the Epson Character Graphics set, you might need to choose a different printer from your program’s printer installation routine (see Chapter 4).
Table 5-2. International characters in Letter Quality I USA FRANCE GERMANY UK DENMARK 1 SWEDEN ITALY SPAIN 1 JAPAN NORWAY DENMARK 2 SPAIN2 LATIN AMERICA The color option If you’ve installed the color option kit, a printer command lets you select any of seven colors, including black. In addition, you can combine some of the basic colors to produce an even greater variety Color can be used for graphics or text, and for a whole page or a single word.
Chapter 6 Graphics and User-defined Characters The dot graphics modes allow your LQ-2500 to produce pictures, graphs, charts, or almost any other pictorial material you can devise. The userdefined character feature allows you (or an application program) to put special characters in the LQ’s memory so that they can be printed just as if they were ordinary letters or numbers.
If you use an application program that produces graphics, or a package such as a spreadsheet that produces graphics, ail you need to know about dot graphics is how to use the program. If, on the other hand, you wish to do your own programming or merely wish to understand how the LQ-2500 prints graphics, read on. Income Breakdown The Print Head To understand dot graphics you need to know a little about how the LQ’s print head works. The LQ’s print head has 24 pins.
Dot patterns The LQ-2500 prints graphics the same way that pictures in newspapers and magazines are printed. If you look closely at a newspaper photograph, you can see that it is made up of many small dots. The LQ also forms its images with patterns of dots, as many as 360 dot positions per inch horizontally and 180 dots vertically The images printed by the LQ can, therefore, be as finely detailed as the one on the first page of this chapter.
To fire any one pin, you send its number. To fire more than one pin at the same time, add up the numbers of the pins and send the sum to the printer. With these labels for the pins, you fire the top pin by sending 128. To fire the bottom pin, you send 1. If you want to fire the top and bottom pins together, add 128 and 1, then send 129. By adding the appropriate label numbers together, you can fire any combination of pins.
such as emphasized and double-width, one code turns the mode on and another turns it off. For graphics, the commands are more complicated because a code that turns on a graphics mode also specifies how many columns it will use. After the LQ-2500 receives this code, it interprets the next numbers as pin patterns and prints them on the paper. The LQ has one command that allows you to use any of the 11 graphics options.
Therefore, the graphics mode command uses two numbers for reserving columns. To figure the number of columns reserved, multiply the second number by 256 and add it to the first number. Since the command is set up for two numbers, you must supply two numbers even if you need only one. When you need fewer than 256 columns, just make nJ the number of columns you are reserving and make n2 a zero.
Using handcalculated data to print graphics You can now perform the simplest application of graphics-using hand-calculated data to print graphic images. While this method is the most tedious, it helps you understand dot graphics. Also, it is useful for small graphic elements that are used many times. Figure 6-3 shows how you can use a grid to plan where you want dots to be printed. This grid represents a single line of graphics 42 columns long.
Write the assigned values of the pins next to your design and then add the values for each column of dots. These totals will be sent to the printer as graphics data to print the design. Fire 6-4 shows the same grid divided into three sections to make the data calculation easier. At the bottom of each section of each column is the total of the pin numbers for that section. This gives you a total of 126 data numbers necessary to print this small figure.
The following BASIC program prints the design shown in Figures 6-3 and 64. Notice that the data numbers in lines 80-140 are the same numbers that you see in Figure 64. Also note that the WIDTH statement in line 10 is for IBM@ PC BASIC; the format may be different for your system.
Adding the following lines to the previous program causes the pattern to print 10 times in a row as shown below. 15 FOR C=l TO 10: RESTORE 65 NEXT C Individual graphics options commands As previously mentioned, the LQ-2500 responds to commands that are also used by Epson FX and RX series printers. There are four individual graphics options commands that are very similar to the ESCape “*” command, but each one works for only one graphics option. All these commands are for eight-pin graphics.
This is a quick way to change the aspect ratio of the design that you are printing. Changing the graphics option will change the width without changing the height. You should, however, make this change with caution. If you change one of the eight-pin graphics options to a 24-pin graphics option without changing the program that supplies the graphics data, you will print garbage (if the program prints at all).
Design grids Printing user-defined characters is like printing graphics patterns becuase you send the printer precise instructions on where you want each dot printed. In fact, planning a userdefined character is like planning a small graphics pattern. To design a character you use a grid that 24 dots high-one dot for each wire on the LQ2500 print head. The width of the character matrix depends on the character set in use. For draft characters, the grid is nine dots wide.
The grid on the right side of Figure 6-5 can be used for either Letter Quality or proportional characters. For Letter Quality you do not use all the columns. See Table 63 for further information. There is one restriction in designing characters. Dots in the same row cannot print in adjacent columns-there must be an empty dot position to the left and to the right of each dot that prints. This is true in draft, Letter Quality and proportional.
Data numbers 2The bits within each byte have values of 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, and 128. In the vertical column of dots, the bits are arranged so that the most significant bit (which has a value of 128) is at the top and the least significant bit (which has a value of 1) is at the bottom. Figure 67 shows how to use this method to calculate the data numbers for the example character. On the left side of the figure the data numbers are calculated for the middle column.
Sending information to the LQ-2500 The printer loads characters in the print style (Letter Quality draft, or proportional) and font (Roman, Sans Serif, Courier, Prestige, or Script) that the printer is currently using. It also records whether italic or script (either superscript or subscript) is turned on. This means that if you want to print a character in the italic mode, for example, you must have the italic mode turned on when you define the character.
I Table 6-3. Character width limits Text T e x t 9 29 23 15 39 Draft Letter Quality, 10 pitch Letter Ouallty, 12 pitch Letter Ouality, 15 pitch Proportlonal d0 + dl + d2 (maximum) 12 36 30 24 42 The last part of the character definition is the actual data that defines the dot patterns for each character. Since it takes three bytes to specify the dots in one vertical column of dots, the LQ-2500 expects d1 x 3 bytes of data to follow d2.
The information about the actual character design (which is contained in the data statements at the end of the program) is sent to the printer in the loop between lines 50 and 70. Note When defining Letter Quality or proportional characters, put a WIDTH statement in your program to prevent carriage return and line feed codes from interfering with your definitions.
Copying ROM to RAM In many cases, you will want to redefine only a few of the characters to suit your needs, and keep the rest of the alphabet. As you have seen, it is possible to switch back and forth between the normal character set and the userdefined character set, but it’s inconvenient. Therefore, the LQ-2500 has a command which allows you to copy all of the standard characters from ROM to the user-defined character set.
Superscripts and subscripts You can also create superscript and subscript user-defined characters. Just as Letter Quality characters are defined when the Letter Quality mode is selected, super/subscript characters are created when either superscript or subscript is selected. These super/subscript characters can be used either as superscripts or as subscripts. The characters are exactly the same; it is only their placement that differs.
If you define characters in one mode, such as draft, then switch to mother mode, such as Letter Quality, the command will be ignored and the LQ will print in the currently sekxted font. The user-defined character definitions, however, remain unaffected. If you switch back to the mode in which they were defined, you can then select and print them. Keep in mind that user-defined characters are stored in RAM, which is not permanent.
Appendix A Command Summary This appendix lists and describes all the commands available on the LQ-2500. This summary is divided by topics, but there is a list of the commands in numerical order beginning on page A-4. If you know which command you are looking for, consult this list to find the page number where it is described. The Quick Reference Card at the end of the book contains a list of the commands divided by topic, with page number references that direct you to full explanations of the commands.
All three formats are equivalent, so you can pick the one best suited to your purpose. For instance, a BASIC programmer might refer to the first and second formats, a word processor might use the second, and a machine code programmer would use the third format. Variables are represented by italicized letters such as n, nl, m. The variables are explained in the comments section. Note Some application programs make use of control key sequences. See the Control key chart on page A-3 of this appendix.
More complex commands consist of two or more character codes. For example, to print in proportional mode the code format is: ESC p n ASCII code: Decimal: 27 112 n Hexadecimal: 1B 70 n In this case n can be either 1 or 0, to begin or end proportional printing. To turn ON proportional printing from BASIC the command would be: LPRINT CHR%(27);CHR$( 112);CHR$( 1) Control key chart Some application programs can use control key codes for decimal values O-27. The table below gives you the proper values.
Commands in Numerical Order The following list shows control codes and ESCape sequences (with their decimal and hexadecimal values), and the page number where the complete command can be found. ASCII BEL BS HT LF VT FF CR so SI DC1 DC2 DC3 DC4 CAN DEL Esc so Esc SI ESC EM Esc SP Es ! ESC” EsC$ Esc % ESC& ESC* Esc ESC/ ESC 0 ESC 2 ESC 3 ESc 4 ESC 5 ESC 6 A-4 Dec. Hex. Description Page 7 07 Beeper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1 1 8 08 Backspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ASCII ESC7 Esc: ESC < Esc = E-SC> ESC? ESC @ ESCA ESCB Escc Esc co ESC D EXE ESCF ESCG ESCH ESCJ ESCK ESCL ESCM ESCN Esc 0 ESCP ESC Q ESCR Esc S0 ESC Sl ESC T Escu Escw ESCY Escz Esc \ ESC a ESCb Emi g ESC k Page Dec. Hex. Description 37 Enable Upper Control Codes . . . . . . . . . . A-33 55 3A Copy ROM into RAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-32 58 60 3c Select Unidirectional Mode (one line) . . . . A-9 3D SetMSB to 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-10 61 3E SetMSBto 1 . . . . . . . . .
ASCII ESCl ECp ESCr ESCs ESCt ESCx Page Dec. Hex. Description 6C Set Left Margin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-17 108 70 Turn Proportional Mode On/Off . . . . . . . A-24 112 72 Select Printing Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-22 114 73 Turn Half-speed Mode On/Off . . . . . . . . . . A-8 115 74 Select Character Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-30 116 78 Select Letter Quality or Draft . . . . . . . . . .
Epson ESC/P Commands The following section lists and describes all the Epson IX/P commands. Printer Operation Initialization EC@ InitiaIize Printer Format: ASCII code: ESC Decimal: 27 E Hexadecimal: 1B 40 Comments: Resets the printer mode and clears the current print line preceding the command. Selection DC1 Select Printer Format: ASCII code: DC1 Decimal: 17 Hexadecimal: 11 Comments: Returns the printer to the selected state if it has been deselected by the printer deselect code (DC3).
Deselect Printer DC3 Format: ASCII code: DC3 19 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 13 Comments: Puts the printer into the deselected state until select printer code (DCl) is received. The printer cannot be reselected with the ON LINE button. Delete Character DEL Format: ASCII code: DEL Decimal: 127 Hexadecimal: 7F Comments: Removes the last text character on the print line but does not affect control codes.
Printing direction ESC Select Unidirectional Mode (one line) Format: ASCII code: ESC <. 27 60 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B 3C Comments: Printing is normally bidirectional. This command selects unidirectional printing for one line only (It is cancelled by a carriage return.) The print head moves to the extreme left (home) position, and printing takes place from left to right.
ESC EM Turn Automatic Sheet Feed Mode On/Off Format: ASCII code: ESC EM n 27 25 n Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B. 19 n Comments: The following values can be used for n: 4: Mode is turned ON. 2: Loads sheet from bin 2. 1: Loads sheet from bin 1. R: Ejects a sheet. (No paper is loaded from selected bin.) 0: Mode is turned OFF The command should not be used unless the automatic sheet feeder is installed. It is ignored if any value other than 0, 1, 2, R, or 4 is used for n.
Esc> Set MSB to 1 Format: ASCII code: ESC > 27 62 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B 3E Comments: Sets the MSB bit of all incoming data as 1. ESC” Cancel MSB Control Format: ASCII code: ESC # 27 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1 B ;; Comments: Cancels the MSB control sit by ESC = or ESC >. Beeper Beeper Format: ASCII code: BEL 7 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 07 Comments: Sounds the printer’s beeper.
Data Control Carriage Return CR Format: ASCII code: CR 13 Decimal: Hexadecimal: OD Comments: Prints the data in the buffer and returns the print position to the left margin. A line feed may be added if AUTO LINE FEED = ON is set with SelecType, or if the AUTO FEED XT line on the parallel interface is held LOW. CAN Cancel Line Format: CAN ASCII code: Decimal: 24 Hexadecimal: 18 Comments: Removes all text on the print line, but does not affect control codes.
Set Page Length in Lines ESCc Format: ASCII code: ESC C R 27 67 n Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B 43 n Comments: Sets the page length to n lines in the current line spacing. The value of n must be from 1-127 lines. The top of form position is set to the current line. Set Page Length in Inches ESC Co Format: ASCII code: ESC C 0 n Decimal: 27 67 0 n Hexadecimal: 1B 43 00 n Comments: Sets the page length to n inches. The value of n must be from 1-22. The top of form position is set to the current line.
Esc0 Cancel Skip-over-perforation Format: ASCII code: ESC 0 27 79 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B 4F Comments: Cancels the skip-over-perforation set by ESC N. Overrides the skip over-perforation setting in SelecType. Line feeding LF Line Feed Format: ASCII code: LF Decimal 10 Hexadecimal: OA . Comments: When this command is received, the data in the print buffer is printed and the paper advances one line in the current line spacing.
ESC2 Select l/6-inch Line Spacing Format: ASCII code: ESC 2 27 50 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B 32 Comments: Sets the line spacing to l/6 of an inch for subsequent line feed commands. The 2 is the digit two and not ASCII code 2. This is the default at power on. ESC3 Select n/ 180-inch Line S p a c i n g Format: ASCII code: ESC 3 n Decimal: 27 51 n Hexadecimal: 1B 33 n Comments: Sets the line spacing to n/180 of an inch for subsequent line feed commands. The 3 is the digit three and not ASCII code 3.
ESCJ Perform n/ 180-4nch Line Feed Format: ASCII code: ESC J n 27 74 n Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B 4A n Comments: Advances the paper n/180 of an inch. The value of n must be from O-255. This command produces an immediate line feed but does not affect subsequent line spacing and does not produce a carriage return. Vertical tabbing VT Tab Vertically Format: ASCII code: VT Decimal: 11 Hexadecimal: OB Comments: Advances the paper to the next tab setting in the channel selected by ESC 1.
ESCb Set Vertical Tabs in Channels Format: ASCII code: ESC b c nl n2 ... ... ... 0 27 98 c nl n2 ... ... ... 0 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B 62 c nl n2 ... ... ... 00 Comments: Functions the same as ESC B, except that the variable c selects a channel for the vertical tabs, which must be between O-7. Therefore, up to eight sets of vertical tabs can be set. The channels are selected by ESC/.. To clear the tabs in channel c use ESC b c 0.
ESC Q Set Right Margin Format: ASCII code: ESC Q n 27 81 n Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B 51 n Comments: Sets the right margin to n columns in the current pitch. The maximum value of n is as follows: 136 in 10 pitch, 233 in condensed, 163 in 12 pitch, 272 in condensed 12 pitch and 204 in 15 pitch. Settings made in the proportional mode are treated as 10 pitch. This command clears previous tab settings and all previous characters in the print line.
ESC $ Set Absolute Print Position Format: ASCII code: ESC $ nl n2 27 36 nl n2 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B 24 nl n2 Comments: This sequence specifies the distance from the left margin that subsequent characters are to be printed, using this formula: total number of dots = nl + (n2 x 256). Each unit equals 1/60th of an inch. The sequence is ignored and the previous setting remains effective if the position specified is beyond the right margin.
Horizontal tabbing HT Tab Horizontally Format: ASCII code: HT Decimal: 9 Hexadecimal: 09 Comments: Advances the print position to the next horizontal tab setting. The default settings are at intervals of eight characters in the default pitch, and tab positions are not affected by subsequent changes in character pitch. ESC D Set Horizontal Tabs Format: ASCII code: ESC D nl n2 . . . 0 Decimal: 27 68 nl n2 ... ... ... 0 Hexadecimal: 1B 44 nl n2 ... ... ...
Overall Printing Style Select Letter Quality or Draft ESC x Format: n ASCII code: ESC 120 n 27 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B 78 n Comments: The following values can be used for n: 0: Selects the draft mode. 1: Selects the Letter Quality (LQ) mode. ESC k Select Typestyle Family Format: ASCII code: ESC k n 27 107 n Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B 6B n Comments: This command affects only the Letter Quality typestyle, not draft. If n = 0, the Roman typestyle in the printer is used.
ESC r Select Printing Color Format: n ASCII code: ESC 114 n 27 Decimal: Hexadecimal: IB 72 n Comments: ‘The variable n selects the printing color according to the table below. n Color 0 Black 1 Red 2 Blue 3 Violet 4 Yellow 5 Orange 6 Green ESC ! Master Select Format: ASCII code: ESC ! n 27 33 n Decimal: Hexadecimal: IB 21 n Comments: Selects any valid combination of the following modes: 10 pitch, 12 pitch, proportional, condensed, emphasized, double-strike. double width, italic, and underline.
Print Size and Character Width ESC P Select 10 Pitch (Pica) Format: ASCII code: ESC Decimal: 27 80 Hexadecimal: IB 50 Comments: Selects IO pitch (10 characters per inch). Because 10 pitch is the default pitch, this command is normally used to cancel 12 pitch (elite), or I5 pitch. ESC M Select 12 Pitch (Elite) Format: ASCII code: ESC M 27 77 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B 4D Comments: Selects I2 pitch (12 characters per inch).
ESCP Turn Proportional Mode On/Off Format: n ASCII code: ESC 27 112 n Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B 70 n Comments: The following values can be used for n: 1: Mode is turned ON. 0: Mode is turned OFF The width of proportional characters varies from character to character. Therefore, a narrow letter like i receives less space than a wide letter like W. The proportional widths are given in the character tables, which appear in Appendix B. This command overrides condensed.
Select Condensed Mode ESC SI Format: ASCII code: ESC SI 27 15 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B OF Comments: Duplicates the SI command. DC2 Cancel Condensed Mode Format: ASCII code: DC2 Decimal: 18 Hexadecimal: 12 Comments: Cancels condensed printing set by SI. ESC SI, or SeIecType. SO Select Double-width Mode (one line) Format: ASCII code: SO Decimal: 14 Hexadecimal: 0E Comments: Double-width mode doubles the width of all characters. This mode is canceiled by a carriage return or DCd.
DC4 Cancel Double-width Mode (one line) Format: ASCII code: DC4 20 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 14 Comments: Cancels one-line double-width printing selected by SO or ESC SO, but not double-width printing selected by ESC W or ESC !. Turn Double-width Mode On/Off ESC w Format: ASCII code: ESC W n 27 87 n Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B 57 n Comments: The following values can be used for n: 1: Mode is turned ON. 0: Mode is turned OFF. Double-width mode doubles the width of all characters.
ESC F Cancel Emphasized Mode Format: ASCII code: ESC F 27 70 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B 46 Comments: Cancels emphasized, the mode selected by ESC E. ESC G Select Double&rike Mode Format: ASCII code: ESC G 27 71 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B 47 Comments: Makes text bolder by printing each line twice, with the second printing slightly below the first. Cancel Double-strike Mode Format: ASCII code: ESC H 27 72 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B 48 Comments: Turns off the double-strike mode selected by ESC G.
Select Superscript Mode ESC S 0 ASCII code: ESC S 0 27 83 0 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B 53 0 Comments: Prints characters about two-thirds of the normal character height in the upper part of the character space. Select Subscript Mode ESCS l Format: ASCII code: ESC S 1 27 83 1 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B 53 1 Comments: Prints characters about twothirds of the normal character height in the lower part of the character space.
ESC- Turn Underlining Mode On/Off Format: ASCII code: ESC n 27 45 n Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B 2D n Comments: The following values can be used for n: 1: Mode is turned ON. 0: Mode is turned OFF. This mode provides continuous underlining, including spaces. Word Processing Select Letter Quality Justification ESC a Format: n ASCII code: ESC 27 97 n Decimal: Hexadecimal: IB 61 n n Comments: The following values can be used for n: 0: Selects left justification. 1: Selects centering.
ESC SP (space) Set Intercharacter Space Format: ASCII code: ESC SP n 27 32 n Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B 20 n Comments: Sets the amount of space added to the right of each character, in addition to the space already allowed in the design of the character. The number of dots is determined by n, which should be from O-127. The space units are shown below in units of l/100. MODE Draft 10cpi, 12cpi, 15cpi 10 cpi or 12 cpi condensed Letter Quality 10 cpi, 12cpi.
Select Italic Mode ESC 4 Format: ASCII code: ESC 4 27 52 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B 34 Comments: Causes characters from the italic character table to be printed. This command is valid even if the Epson Graphic set has been selected by ESC t or the SelecType CG Table function, but character graphics are not italicized. Cancel Italic Mode ESC 5 Format: ASCII code: ESC 27 Decimal: 1B Hexadecimal: Comments: Cancels the mode selected 5 53 35 ESC R Select an International Character Set by ESC 4.
User-defined Characters Note: See Chapter 6 for sample programs and full information on this topic. Define User-defined Characters ESC& Format: ASCII code: ESC & 0 dl d2 ... ... ... d n 27 38 0 dl d2 ... ... ... dn Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B 26 00 dl d2 ... ... ... dn Comments: This command allows characters to be redefined in the currently selected mode. ESC: Format: ASCII code: ESC : Decimal: 27 58 Hexadecimal: 1B 3A Comments: This code copies the characters in characters can be redefined.
Enable Printable Characters ESC 6 Format: ASCII code: ESC 6 27 54 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B 36 Comments: When the Graphic character table is selected, this code enables the printing of codes 128 through 159 (decimal) as characters, not control codes. Enable Upper Control Codes ESC 7 Format: ASCII code: ESC 7 27 55 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B 37 Comments: When the Graphic character table is selected, this code causes codes 128 through 159 to be treated as control codes. This is the default.
ESC L Select Double-density Graphics Mode Format: ASCII code: ESC L nl n2 Decimal: 27 76 nl n2 Hexadecimal: 1B 4C nl n2 Comments: Turns on eight-pin, low-speed, double-density graphics mode. The total number of columns = nl + (n2 x 256). ESC Y Select High-speed Double-density Graphics Mode Format: ASCII code: ESC Y nl n2 Decimal: 27 89 nl n2 Hexadecimal: IB 59 nl n2 Comments: Turns on eight-pin, high-speed, double-density graphics mode. The total number of columns = nl + (n2 x 256).
Table A-1. Graphics Modes CRT I CRT II Sinale-densltv Double-density CRT III Triple-density Hex-density’ 8 a 24 24 24 24 24 4 6 32 33 38 39 40 80 90 60 120 90 i 180 360 ‘Adjacent dots cannot De printed In this mode ESC ? Reassign Graphics Mode Format: ASCII code: ESC ? s n Decimal: 27 63 s n Hexadecimal: 1B 3F s n Comments: Changes one graphics mode to another. The variable is a character (K, L, Y or Z), which is reassigned to a mode n (O-6).
Appendix B ASCII Conversion Chart and Character Tables This appendix contains an ASCII conversion chart, the LQ-2500 character sets in Roman font only and proportional width tables. See Appendix C for representations of San Serif, Prestige, Courier, and Script character sets.
Decimal 33 34 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 B-2 Hexadecimal Character 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 2A 2B 2c 2D 2E 2F 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 38 39 3A 3B 3c 3D 3E 3F 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 -IA 4B 4C 4D 4E 4F 50 Decimal 81 82 83 85 86 87 88 89 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 Hexadecimal Charac
International Character Sets-Draft # USA # France # Germany f UK # Dermark I # Sweden St Italy Pt Spain # Japan t M M Y Demark II # Spain II Latin P4neric.
How to Use the Charts To determine the hexadecimal number that prints a particular character, find the character in one of the tables; then look at the top of its column and at the beginning of its row. The number at the top of the column is the first digit of the characters hex code, and the number at the beginning of the row is the second digit of the hex code. For example, find the capital Z in the Epson Draft chart on the next page. At the top of its column is 5 and at the beginning of its row is A.
Epson Italics Character Set-Draft 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F B C D E F 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 cs 8 C D E F Epson Italics Character Set-Letter Quality 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F 1 2 3 4 I,.
Epson Graphics Character Set-Draft (Control Codes Disabled) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F D E F 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 6 9 A B C D E F Epson Graphics Character Set-Letter Quality (Control Codes Disabled) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B c D E F B-6 ASCII Conversion Chart and Character Tables
Epson Graphics Character Set (Control Codes Enabled) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F ASCII Conversion Chart and Chracter Tables B-7 F
Proportional Width Tables This table lists the widths of the LQ-2500’s proportional characters. The values given are in 360 ths of an inch (for example: a value of 36 is 36/360ths of an inch). You may need to enter these widths into a special table for your word processing program so it can calculate the number of proportional characters that will fit on each line. The characters with no code indicated are international characters. See Chapter 5 for information on their use.
Table B-1.
Table B-1.
Table B-1 Proportional character widths (continued) ASCII Conversion Chart and Character Tables B-11
Appendix C Typestyle Summary The LQ-2500 can produce a wide range of typestyles by combining different fonts, character widths, print qualities, and other enhance ments. In addition, you can include superscripts and subscripts and underlining with any style you choose. (For more information on selecting different typestyles, see Chapters 2 and 5.
San Serif !“#$%&‘()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJK LMNOPORSTUVWXYZ[\]^-’ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v We’ve just seen your excellent ad for miniature zebras in a recent back issue of Trader’s Times. What is the price schedule for quantities over one gross? Courier !"#$%a'()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJK LMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]--‘ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuv We've just seen your excellent ad for miniature zebras in a recent back issue of Trader's Times.
Epson Draft You can also print in Epson draft quality for high-speed printing. Although there are five Letter Quality fonts, when you select draft you will always print in the style shown below. !"#$~%&'()*+,-./0123456789:<=>??@ABCDEFGHIJK LMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^ ‘abcdefghlJklmnopqrstuv We’ve Just seen your excellent ad for z e b r a s In a recent back issue of Trader ‘5. Times.
Table C-2. Master Select For example, to print a title, you may want to use double-width 10 pitch characters and print them in double-strike mode. You would add three numbers together to calculate the value of n. 10 pitch 0 Double-strike 16 Double-width 32 - n = 48 After calculating the value of n, you would use the Master Select command to send the value to the printer.
Appendix D Problem Solving and Maintenance This appendix presents solutions for possible problems, explanations of the LQ’s advanced features, and tips on maintaining and transporting your printer. General Troubleshooting Problem Printer does not print Recommendation Make sure that the printer is turned on, and that the POWER light is on. Make sure that the printer is on line-the ON LINE light should be on, and the display should show [ON LINE]. Make sure that the printer and computer are connected.
Problem Printing is patchy, faint, uneven, or intermittent Recommendation Check that the ribbon is seated correctly and that the pins at either side are located properly in the holes in the ribbon carriage. If you have removed the color option kit, consult the user’s guide to check that the ribbon carriage is set correctly. Check that the ribbon moves freely in the cartridge. If you have been using the ribbon for a long time or for a large amount of printing, it may need replacing.
Recommendation Problem Some of the characters printed do not match those in the file Check the SelecType Country setting in Chapter 2, and see the International Character Tables in Appendix B. Paper feeding problems See Chapter 3 for specific instructions on loading paper. Regular gaps appear in pnntouts Check the SelecType settings to ensure that you’ve selected the correct paper size.
Troubleshooting Graphics Problems Problem Strange dot patterns appear in graphics printouts Recommendation Many computers have problems sending one or more of the codes between 0 and 13. Try to avoid these characters if possible. Be sure that no other commands or carriage returns come between the graphics command and its data. Printer freezes when printing graphics If the printer freezes in graphics mode, you have sent too few columns of data.
Troubleshooting for Serial Interface Communications Recommendation Problem Printer prints one character then stops The LQ uses the DTR signal and the X-on/X-off protocol (via TXD) to tell the computer whether it is ready to receive characters or whether it is busy printing. Refer to your computer’s documentation and ensure that the computer is using one of these systems. You may also need to check your cable wiring or ask your dealer to do it for you.
you can see what codes are being sent to the printer. If characters are printable, they appear as their true ASCII characters. Non-printable codes, such as control codes are shown by a dot. 1 6 3 8 1 2 1B 5 0 I B 41 7 0 70 6 5 6E 6 4 6E 7 4 7 3 2 0 7 3 6 F 72 2 0 70 6F 73 73 3 2 69 6C 6 9 OA 78 7 5 6 2 OD 20 7 4 6C OA 0 0 OA OD OA OD 44 2 0 70 72 6 5 73 6 9 6F 6E 7 3 2 0 6 6 6 5 2 0 70 72 6F 6 2 OD 6 5 6F 6C . A n r 8 . . P . 2 . . . . . . . . .
Solutions for IBM and Compatibles If you suspect that your computer or software is causing a problem, consult your users manuals for those products. Some problems may arise when using operating system commands or writing your own programs in the computer’s resident language. Some general advice for IBM PC and compatible users is offered in this section. IBM PC BASIC Solutions IBM PC BASIC inserts a carriage return and line feed (CR-LF) after each 80 characters you send it.
brush or cloth, and never use alcohol or a thinner to clean the printer, because it could damage the print head and the case. Do not spray the inside of the printer with oil: unsuitable oils can damage the mechanism. If lubrication is needed, contact your Epson dealer. The print head Be particularly careful with the print head. Never move it when the printer is turned on. When the printer is printing, the print head becomes hot.
Appendix E Initialization and Default Settings There are three ways that the printer can be initialized (returned to a fixed set of conditions). 1. The power is turned ON. 2. The printer receives an m signal at the parallel interface (pin 31 becomes LOW). 3. Software sends the ESC @ command. These three kinds of initialization have slightly different effects.
l The bit image mode assignment is: ESCK=ESC*0,ESCL=ESC*1,ESCY=ESC*2, ESCz=Esc*3. In addition, when the printer is initialized by turning on the power or by an INIT signal, the data buffer is cleared of all text.
Appendix F Choosing and Setting Up Optional Interfaces This appendix contains information on Epson interfaces compatible with LQ printers, instructions on choosing the right interface for a particular job, and instructions for installing internally mounted interface boards. Compatible Interfaces You can use a number of optional interfaces that supplement the LQ’s built-in parallel and serial interfaces and the standard 8K data buffer.
Choosing an Interface This section describes the interfaces. IEEE-488 and Apple interfaces The IEEE-488 system allows you to connect computers, printers, and other peripherals so that they can share data freely Epson offers two types of IEEE488 interfaces. The #8161 offers the basic ability to operate in the IEEE-488 address and listen-only modes. The *8165 has the basic features and an 8K data buffer and a line monitor function, which provides a diagnostic printout of IEEE488 commands.
Three Epson serial interfaces are suitable for LQ printers. All three offer a choice of 7-bit or g-bit data, and support Current Loop operation in addition to RS-232C. They also offer a choice of other features, which are listed in Table F-2. Table F-2.
Installing an Interface Before installing an interface, you must remove the printer’s cover, WARNING Do not remove the cover unless the printer is turned OFF because high voltages are present inside the printer when the power is on. Also do not touch contacts on the circuit board of the printer because many of the components can be destroyed by the static electricity charge that may build up on your body 1.
7. With the printer facing you, unclip the left side of the control panel and lift it up slightly to release it from the case (Figure F-2). 8. At each side of the front panel there is a retaining clip, as shown in Figure F-3. One is reached through the control panel opening. Reach behind the cable and gently press the two clips to release the front edge of the upper case. 9.
Inserting the Interface Board 1. Remove the upper case of the printer, following the steps described in the previous section. 2. Remove the blanking plate above the parallel connector (as shown in Figure F-5) to allow access to the new interface connector when the case is reassembled. 3. Locate the three supports on which the interface board will rest, and the screw at the rear of the circuit board labelled FG. These are also shown in Figure F-5.
Serial Interface Settings If you are using an optional serial interface, you may need to change the communications protocol of the printer or the computer for them to communicate properly The protocol used by the printer is decided by one or two groups of DIP switches located on the serial interface board (not by SelecType settings); the protocol used by the computer can probably be altered by a software command. It is essential that the printer and computer use compatible protocols.
The three following tables contain all the information you need for the optional interface settings. Table F-4 Baud rate setting Interface number #8143 #8148 68149(M) Switches used 1-7 1-1 1-5 1-6 2-5 2-6 1-4 1-7 2-7 1-3 1-8 2-8 Switch settings Baud rate 300 600 1200 2400 4800 % ON OFF OFF 9600 OFF OFF OFF ON ON ON OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF Table FS.
Appendix G Technical Specifications Printing Printing method Impact dot matrix Printing speed 324 characters per second per line in draft 12 pitch 270 characters per second per line in draft 10 pitch 108 characters per second per line in Letter Quality 12 pitch 90 characters per second per line in Letter Quality 10 pitch Paper feed speed Approximately 100 ms/line at 1 /&inch line spacing and 2.
Paper Number of copies Up to 4 sheets, including the original. Total thickness not to exceed 0.22mm Paper width Continuous-feed Single-sheet 4” to 16” (101mm to 406mm) 7.15” to 14.3” (182mm to 364mm) Mechanical Ribbon Cartridge, exclusive to LQ-2500, black or color Life expectancy (in characters, at 48 dots/character) : Black only: 2 million Color: Black: 1 million 7 million Red: Blue: .7 million .
Electrical Voltage 120V AC, f 10% Non-switchable Consumption 120 VA Frequency 49.5 Hz - 60.5 Hz Insulation resistance 10 Mohms between AC power line and chassis Dielectric strength 120 V model can withstand 1 kV rms applied between AC line and chassis for 1 minute, or 1.
Amendix H Interface Specifications The LQ-2500 is equipped with both a parallel and a serial interface. Both are described in this appendix. WARNING Do not connect cables to both interfaces. This may damage your printer.
Table H-1.
The Serial Interface The LQ-2500 standard serial interface is an RS-232C interface with the following characteristics: Synchronization Asynchronous Data format 1 start bit data word length: 8 bits odd, even or no parity 1 stop bit Baud rate 300, 600, 1200,4800,9600, 19,200 bps Signal level mark (1) -3 V to -27 V space(O) +3 V to +27 V Handshaking Handshaking by DTR signal or X-on/X-off.
Error handling All errors are ignored. Connector 6-pin DIN connector. In Table H-2, the direction of signals is given relative to the printer. Table H-2. Send interface Pin number 1 2 3 5 6 H-4 Signal direction Signal TXD DTR (Reverse channel) RXD /SG FG Description out out I - - Transmits data for X-on/X-off Whether or not the printer IS ready to receive data. “MARK” level Indicates printer is not ready to receive data.
Glossary Note that these definitions apply specifically to printers. If a word is italicized, see that topic for more information. Application program Software designed to perform a specific task, such as word processing or accounting. ASCII American Standard Code for information Interchange. A standardized coding system for letters and symbols, it is used by nearly all manufacturers of computers, printers, and software. Auto line feed Most computers send automatic line feeds at the end of every line.
CG table The LQ-2500 has three Character Generator (CC) tables: Italic, Graphic, and Download. These tables contain the characters printed by the printer. See Chapter 5 for more information on the tables; see Appendix B for printouts of the tables themselves. Compressed See Condensed. Condensed A print width approximately 60% of the width of standard characters. For example, condensed 10 pitch has 17 characters per inch (cpi). (Formerly called compressed.
Default Values or settings that take effect when the equipment is turned on, reset, or initialized. For example, 10 pitch is usually the default width, which means that the printer prints in 10 pitch unless it is told to use another width. On the LQ-2500, the SelecType Default Settings are used to set the default values. Default bin When using a double-bin automatic sheet feeder, this is the bin that is automatically chosen when printing begins.
Elite See 12 pitch. Emphasized A printing mode in which each dot is printed twice, with the second slightly to the right of the first. I Escape (ESC) A special control code used to begin most printer commands. ESUP Abbreviation for Epson Standard Code for Printers, a set of commands developed by Epson and supported by almost all application software for personal computers. Expanded See Double-width. 15 pitch A pitch with fifteen characters per inch.
Hexadecimal (hex) See Number systems. Half speed This is a SelecType setting that slows down print speed for quieter operation. Hex dump See Data dump. Initialize Return the printer to its defaults. Interface The connection between the computer and the printer. A serial interface transmits data one bit at a time and a parallel interface transmits data one character or code at a time. Italic A typestyle in which the characters slant. This sentence is italicized.
Macro A group of settings that can be saved and recalled by pressing a sequence of buttons. SelecType has four macros. Main menu in SelecType, the main menu displays the four modes: *Load Macro, *Change Macro, *Change Defaults, and *Print Out Settings. Number systems Three number systems are commonly used with printers: Decimal is base 10 and uses the digits 0, 1, 2, 3,4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. (This is the most familiar system.
Parity Parity is a method for a computer and printer to check the reliability of data transmission. Pica See IO pitch. Pitch Indicates the number of characters per inch (cpi). For example, 10 pitch printing is 10 cpi. Platen The black roller that provides a backing for the printing. Print direction The LQ-2500 has two print direction settings, bidirectional, (Bi-D), and unidirectional (Uni-D). Generally bidirectional is used for text printing; it’s the faster of the two directions.
ROM Read Only Memory. The portion of the printers memory that is permanent. The printer uses the information in the ROM, but the information cannot be changed. SLCT-IN For most application programs, and most uses, the SLCT-IN setting should remain Valid. This means that the printer cannot be deselected or reselected by the DC1 or DC3 control codes (see Appendix A for further explanation). If its set to Invalid, the printer can be deselected or reselected by DC1 or DC3.
Unidirectional printing Printing in one direction only Allows more precise vertical alignment than bidirectional printing. Often used for printing graphics. User-defined characters Characters defined and stored in the printer by the user. Also called download characters.
Index Command descriptions and definitions of terms are not indexed here. For page references for specific commands, see pages A-4 - 6 or the Quick Reference Card. For definitions of terms, see the Glossary. A American Standard Code for Information Interchange, 4-2 - 3 Application programs, 4-1 - 12 setting up, 4-1 - 4 ASCII. 4-2 - 3 chart, B-1 -2 Auto line feed, 2-15 Automatic sheet feeder, 3-1 B Bail. paper, 1-2, 1-1 2 BASIC, 4-11 - 12 Baud rate, 2-14 Beeper. D-3 Bit image graphics.
E Edge tab, 1-9- 10 Elite. See 12 pitch Emphasized printing, 5-6 ESUP module, 5-8 ESCape codes, 4-2 - 3 See also Commands F 15 pitch, 5-4 - 5 Font cartridges, 5-3 Fonts, 2-1, 2-10, 5-1 -3, C-1 -2 selection, 1-8 self test, 1-13- 14 Foreign language characters. See international characters FORM FEED, 1-8 Forms, multi-part, 3-1 G Graphics, 6-1-11 commercial programs, 4 -10.
N Numbering systems, 4-3 0 OFF LINE, 1-7 - 8 ON LUE, 1-7-8 light, 1-7, 1-9 Optional interfaces, F-1 - 8 P Panel, control, 1-6 - 9 Panel, SelecType, 2-1 - 2 Paper, choosing, 3-1 . feeding, 1-8 length, 2-8 loading continuous feed, 3-2 - 7 loading single sheets, 1-1 0 - 12, 3-1 reloading, 3-2 size, 3-1 thickness, 3-1 width, 3-1 Paper bail, 1-2.
Slct-in, 2-15 Specifications, interface, H-1 -4 technical, Gl -3 Spreadsheets, 4-7 - 9 Sprockets. See Paper, continuous feed Subscripts, 5-7 Superscripts, 5-7 T Ten pitch, 5-4 -5 Top of form, 3-6 Tractor, 3-2 - 5 Troubleshooting, D-5 - 5 general, D-1 - 3 graphics, D-4 IBM BASIC, D-7 IBM and compatibles.
Cond and ESCape Codes by Function mu Code Conversion Chart Dec Hex Char Dee Hex char Dec Her Char
