Commodore 64 User Manual page 64

Olivetti Praxis 30 electronic typewriter
Printer Interfaces for your Commodore
computer
Commodore VICMODEM
CARDCO's interface, called CARD? [pro
nounced "card print"), lets you use any
Centronics parallel printer with a 36-pin
Centronics connector (that is, most printers
made for microcomputers! with your
VIC or 64.
Another type of printer interface to consider
is the V-Link or the C-Link, manufactured by
Richvale Communications- These are IEEE-488
interfaces that plug into the cartridge connec
tor of the VIC and 64 respectively. Among
other advantages, they allow you to use a VIC
or 64 with some of Commodore's larger disk
drives and printers. Both also upgrade BASIC,
adding commands used in larger Commodore
computers. However, using the links with
some commercial programs requires extra
setup. These interfaces make the most sense
for those who already have other Commodore
equipment.
\X/e recommend that you avoid parallel-
to-serial printer interfaces that attach to the
computer's user port. Although these work
well by themselves, the special programs they
require are incompatible with some other pro
grams you will most want to use with the
printer. Unfortunately, we have not yet seen a
serial interface that attaches to the connector
used by Commodore's own printer. The
advantage of a serial interface is that it uses a
simpler cable, which can be used over fairly
long distances without difficulty. If you are
unsure of the type of printer interface you'll
need, ask your computer dealer.
MODEMS
A modem [MOdulator-DEModulator) is a
device that allows you to communicate with
other computer users, over nearly any dis
tance. A modem translates computer signals
into telephone signals so they can be carried
over great distances by telephone wires; it also
translates telephone signals back to computer
signals so you can receive information from
other computers. We'll talk more about the
use of modems in Chapter 6, "Your Com
puter's Network."
Commodore's VICMODEM currently is the
least expensive modem available for the VIC or
64. It simply plugs into the user port of the
computer and the handset of your telephone.
To use the VICMODEM, you must have a
phone with a removable cord ending in modu
lar plugs [plastic clips] going from the base of
the phone to the handset (the part you hold
to your mouth and ear). You also have to
make your call first and then manually transfer
this cord from the handset to the modem.
62