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13.2.3
Printer Drivers
Users with NEC 5500, Diablo Hy-Type II, and Qume Sprint 3 OEM printers may
disregard this subsection (selection of OEM printer / I/O Master interface
combination during installation automatically selects the required driver).
However, users who wish to drive a serial daisy printer at 1200 baud must read
this section carefully.
The normal method whereby a program accesses the printer under the
operating system -- the "list output device" -- does not support receiving
characters from the printer, as required by "communications protocols"
(preceding subsection).
Also, the list output device does not allow Word Processing to determine
whether the printer is busy or ready to receive another character.
Determination of whether the printer is busy ("Printer busy test") is not
essential to Word Processing operation, but is desirable as it improves
keyboard response and printer speed during concurrent editing and printing.
To handle communications protocols and printer busy tests, as well as
accommodate special cases, Word Processing provides several ways to access
the printer. Each way of accessing the printer is termed a Printer Driver.
When installing Word Processing, one of the following printer drivers may be
chosen.
The following paragraphs discuss each printer driver in detail.
Selecting the desired printer driver is accomplished during installation by
selecting from a menu.
CP/M "List Output" Device (LST:)
CP/M "TTY:" Console Device
CP/M "CRT:" Console Device
Port Driver (direct input/output by Word Processing)
Custom Subroutines
CP/M List
Output
Device
(LST:):
This driver outputs characters to the printer
via the printer driver in your operating system. The list output device is the
simplest way to access your printer if your printer does not require
com munications protocol (preceding subsection) but does support E TX/ ACK
protocol.
If your printer requires a communications protocol (as all daisy
wheel and similar printers interfaced at 1200 baud do), you may wish to choose
a different Word Processing printer driver option, or you may wish to make use
of Word Processing's provisions for installation of a user-supplied list device
character input routine.
The "CP/M list output device" choice will work correctly from Word
Processing only if your operating system can already output characters to the
printer as the list device.
Suitable installation of the operating system is
often necessary to enable it to drive a specific printer.
Of course, such
system installation is not necessary for Word Processing use unless Word
Processing is installed to do printer output via the CP/M list device.
The "list output device" (LST:) is a "logical" device which can be assigned to
one of several "physical" devices. To verify that your operating system drives
your printer and that LST: 'is indeed assigned to the printer, type H (run a
program) from the Directory Menu and type PIP LST:
=
B:filename. (Filename
is some document file you have on a data disk that is in drive B.
REFERENCE
13-5
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