Epson Printer Interface Cartridge Operation Manual
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Epson Printer Interface Cartridge Operation Manual

Epson Printer Interface Cartridge Operation Manual

For the commodore 64 and the vic-20
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  • Page 2 While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, Epson America, Inc. assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Contents Introduction ........Installation and Operation ..... . Inserting the Printer Interface Cartridge .
  • Page 4 Introduction to Dot Graphics ....Dot Patterns ........The Print Head .

  • Page 5: Introduction

    HomeWriter- Features In addition to the reliability and quality you’ve come to expect from Epson printers, the HomeWriter- has many features. A few of the highlights are: Draft mode for quick printing of ordinary work Near Letter Quality mode for top quality printing...
  • Page 6 We’re not going to waste your time with unnecessary information, but we won’t neglect anything you need to know about the HomeWriter- and its many features. You can read as much or as little of this manual as you wish. If you have used printers before and have a specific program that you want to use with the HomeWriter-10, a quick reading of the first chapter may be all you need.

  • Page 7: Installation And Operation

    Chapter 1 Installation and Operation After you have set up your printer and loaded the paper (following the directions in the Setup Instructions), you are ready to plug in your Printer Interface Cartridge (PIC™) and begin printing. Inserting the Printer Interface Cartridge Inserting the PIC is easy.

  • Page 8: Connecting The Printer To Your Commodore

    The HomeWriter- will begin printing letters, numbers, symbols, and graphics characters in the draft mode. It won’t stop until you turn it off or until it gets near the end of the paper. To see the same test in the NLQ (Near Letter Quality) mode, turn the printer on while pressing FF.

  • Page 9: Control Panel

    Control Panel When your HomeWriter- is connected to your computer system, turn on the printer and look at the control panel on the top. Figure 1-2. Control panel You have already used the touch-sensitive control panel for a spe- cial purpose, printing the test patterns. Here are the main functions of the lights and rectangles on this panel: The POWER light glows green when the power is on.

  • Page 10: Using Your Printer

    In addition to the lights, the control panel has three touch-sensitive rectangles. Their functions are: ON LINE switches the printer between on-line and off-line status. When the printer is on-line, the ON LINE light glows and the printer is ready to accept data. The following two functions work only when the ON LINE light is off.

  • Page 11: Selectype

    Your HomeWriter- offers several methods of enhancing your printing. In addition to reversed and expanded print, which are stan- dard on Commodore printers, your Epson printer has four special typestyles. These typestyles are especially easy to use with Epson’s SelecType feature.
  • Page 12 Dot Matrix Printing To understand the difference between standard printing and the four typestyles available with SelecType, it will help to know some- thing about dot matrix printing-the printing method of the HomeWriter-10. In dot matrix printing all letters, symbols, and graphics are made up of patterns of dots.

  • Page 13: Double-Strike

    T h i s i s s t a n d a r d p r i n t i n g , a n d this is compressed printing. SelecType Operation SelecType lets you use the Epson typestyles discussed above whether or not your word processing or business program supports them.

  • Page 14: Turning Selectype Mode On

    Turning SelecType mode on To turn SelecType on make sure that the printer is on (with the POWER, READY, and ON LINE lights all on), and then press both ON LINE and FF at the same time, as illustrated in Figure 2-l. The HomeWriter- beeps to signal that the SelecType mode is on;...

  • Page 15: Selectype Practice

    Table 2-1. SelecType modes Mode Function ABCDEFGHIJKLMnopqrstuvwxyz ABCDEFGHIJKLMnopqrstuvwxyz Emphasized ABCDEFGHIJKLMnopqrstuvwxyz Double-strike Compressed ABCDEFGHIJKLMnopqrstuvwxyz After you press ON LINE the required number of times, you press FF to set your selection. Then you press LF to turn off SelecType and return the panel to its standard operation. After returning the control panel to its standard operation, press ON LINE so that the printer will be ready to print.
  • Page 16 You don’t need to know anything about programming for this exer- cise. It is merely for practice. If you would rather not use BASIC, use your word processing or business program to create a short file or document of the type you will usually print. When you create your file, remember that SelecType is designed for letters and numbers rather than graphics.

  • Page 17: Mode Combination

    Now you have set the HomeWriter- to print in compressed mode. Merely push ON LINE to put your printer back on-line and print your sample once more. It should appear in compressed mode just as ours does below: THE LETTERS IN THIS EXAMPLE ARE MADE UP OF TINY DOTS.

  • Page 18: Selectype Tips

    SelecType Tips Any mode you turn on with SelecType usually stays in effect until the printer is turned off. If, for example, you use SelecType to print a document in emphasized, anything you print after that will be empha- sized unless you turn the printer off and back on first. Remember that if you like one of the typestyles in this chapter well enough to use it most of the time, you can turn it on and keep it on with a special switch in the back of your printer.

  • Page 19: Homewriter- Features

    Chapter 3 HomeWriter-10 Features In this chapter and the next we describe the printing and graphics features of the HomeWriter-10, but many of you won’t need these chapters. How much of the rest of this manual you use depends upon three things: How much you already know about computers and printers What kind of printing you are interested in...

  • Page 20: The Homewriter- And Basic

    do is turn on your computer and type in the programs exactly as you see them in this manual. If you have any questions, see your Commo- dore User’s Guide. Although all the example programs are in BASIC, you can of course change them to any programming language that you prefer to use.

  • Page 21: Homewriter- Features

    There is also a direct mode for sending commands or text to the printer. To use this mode type the following without a line number before it: OPEN1,4: CMD1 After you type this and press everything that would nor- RETURN, mally be sent to the screen is sent to the printer instead.

  • Page 22: Expanded Printing

    Expanded printing The expanded mode (sometimes called double width) of the HomeWriter- doubles the width of all the letters, symbols, and graphics characters. This mode produces striking headings and titles. You can see printing in this mode by entering the following pro- gram.

  • Page 23: Reverse Printing

    On the HomeWriter- printing modes are cancelled in three different ways: With a specific cancelling code, such as the CHR$(15) that you used to cancel expanded printing. By turning the printer off and back on. Automatically at the end of a line. Unlike expanded, most printing effects stay on only for one line.

  • Page 24: Uppercase/Graphic/Lowercase Modes

    Uppercase/Graphic/Lowercase modes As you know, the screen of your Commodore computer has two modes for displaying letters of the alphabet and graphics characters. They are the uppercase/graphic mode and the upper/lowercase mode. In the uppercase/graphic mode (also called the cursor up mode), all letters are uppercase (capitalized) and many graphics characters are available.

  • Page 25: Tabs

    For the first method, you use the number seven as the secondary address when you open the file for printing. This number goes after the device number, as shown in the example below. 10 open3,4,7 20 print#3,"This is upper/lowercase." close3 When you run the program, you should get the following results: T h i s i s u p p e r / l o w e r c a s e .
  • Page 26 10 OPEN6,4 20 PRINT#6,"012345678901234567890" 30 PRINT#6,CHR$(16); 40 PRINT#6,"15 THIS STARTS IN COLUMN 15." 50 CLOSE6 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 THIS STARTS IN COLUMN 15. The second type of horizontal tab gives more exact spacing by dividing the page into columns, each 1/6th of a character wide.

  • Page 27: Line Spacing

    Line spacing The CHR$(8) code turns on the graphics mode, which is discussed in the next chapter, but this code has another use. The CHR$(8) code also reduces the space between print lines. For printing text you want space between the lines, but occasionally with graphics characters you will want the space between lines elimi- nated so that the characters can combine into larger figures.

  • Page 28: Introduction To Dot Graphics

    Chapter 4 Introduction to Dot Graphics The dot graphics mode allows your HomeWriter- to produce pic- tures, graphs, and charts. Instead of using the letters of the alphabet or the graphic characters from your keyboard, the graphics mode prints patterns of dots. You plan where you want the dots to appear and then use a program to tell the HomeWriter- where to put them.

  • Page 29: Dot Patterns

    The quickest and easiest way to print graphics on your HomeWriter-10 is to use a commercial graphics program. With such programs you usually create an image on your monitor or TV screen and then give a command to send the image to the printer. If you use commercial software that produces graphics, all you need to know about dot graphics is how to use the software.
  • Page 30 Pull out the paper guide at the back of the printer until you hear it click into place. This guide helps keep the incoming paper from catching on the printer cable, Then fit the notches in the bottom corners of the separator over the pins at the front of the paper slot. The separator keeps the paper that is coming out of the printer from being pulled back in.
  • Page 31 EPSON Tractor Unit #8304G This sheet describes the procedures for installing and removing the tractor unit option. This unit makes it possible to use continuous paper 4 to inches wide. Installation To install the removable tractor unit, first pull the friction lever toward the front of the printer.

  • Page 32: The Print Head

    The Print Head To understand how the graphics mode works, you need to know a little about the print head on the HomeWriter-10. The print head has nine pins or wires mounted vertically. Each time a pin is fired, it strikes the inked ribbon and presses it against the paper to produce a dot.

  • Page 33: Pin Labels

    Pin Labels Once the printer is in the graphics mode, your next step is to tell the print head which pins to fire in each column. There are 128 possible combinations of seven pins, and you send only one number for each column.

  • Page 34: Design Your Own Graphics

    With this numbering system any combination of the seven pins adds up to a number between 128 and 255, and no numbers are dupli- cated. Now that you know the principles of dot graphics, here are two simple exercises and a more complex example that shows you how to design your own graphics.
  • Page 35 Multiple-Line Program Here is a program that shows you how the HomeWriter- com- bines several lines of graphics for a figure taller than seven dots. Start with a short program that prints two patterns alternately for 100 columns. Since there are two pin patterns in the loop, it needs to be executed only 50 times.
  • Page 36 Now run the program to see the six print lines combine into a pattern: Notice that the graphics command can be in effect for only one print line. The command is in lines 30 and 60 so that it is issued each time a new print line is begun.
  • Page 37 Figure 4-3. Arrow design After finishing the design, you divide it into print lines and calculate the CHR$ numbers for each column. The arrow design can be divided into three print lines, each seven dots high. Then you look at the pattern of dots in each column to calculate the CHR$ numbers.
  • Page 38 After figuring these numbers for each column in every print line, you put them into DATA statements in the arrow graphics program. First, here’s the whole program and its printout. Following the printout is an explanation of a method used to reduce the number of DATA numbers that have to be typed.
  • Page 39 Repeating graphics data The HomeWriter- has a special command for repeating a CHR$ number in simple graphics programs. To send one CHR$ number repeatedly, the command is CHR$(8)CHR$(26) followed by the num- ber of repetitions and then by the data number to be repeated. For example, to send CHR$(213) forty times (as you did in the first graphics program in this chapter) you would delete lines 30-50 from that program and change line 20 as shown below:...

  • Page 40: Homewriter- Characters

    Appendix A HomeWriter-10 Characters This appendix is a listing of the characters produced by each of the decimal codes from 0 through 255. For each code we provide the deci- mal number (Dec) the hexadecimal number (Hex) and a printout of the character that is printed by that code (Char).
  • Page 41 Uppercase/Graphic (Cursor Up) Mode Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char blank 32 20 64 40 96 60 none 65 41 none 33 21 97 61 none 34 22 66 42 98 62 35 23 67 43 99 63 none...
  • Page 42 Uppercase/Graphic (Cursor Up) Mode Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char 160 A0 blank 192 C0 128 80 none 224 E0 blank 161 A1 129 81 none 193 C1 225 E1 162 A2 194 C2 130 82 none 226 E2...
  • Page 43 Upper/Lowercase (Cursor Down) Mode Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char blank 32 20 64 40 96 60 00 none none 33 21 65 41 97 61 34 22 none 66 42 98 62 35 23 67 43 99 63 none...
  • Page 44 Upper/Lowercase (Cursor Down) Mode Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char Dec Hex Char 160 A0 blank 192 C0 224 E0 blank 128 80 none 225 E1 193 C1 129 81 none 161 A1 194 C2 226 E2 130 82 162 A2 none...

  • Page 45: B Homewriter- Control Codes

    Appendix B HomeWriter-10 Control Codes The control codes in this appendix are described and then listed in numerical order. The listings use the format for BASIC, but you can convert them to the proper format for any other programming lan- guage.
  • Page 46 The line spacing is changed from the standard 6 lines per inch to 9 lines per inch by CHR$(8). CHR$(15) changes the line spacing back to 6 lines per inch. The graphics mode is turned on by CHR$(8). When the graphics mode is on, all CHR$ numbers above 127 are printed as pin pat- terns.

  • Page 47: The Dip Switches

    Appendix C The DIP Switches Several tiny switches called DIP (for Dual In-Line Package) switches are in the back of your HomeWriter- printer. They control a number of important printer functions. For most uses they can be left as they are set at the factory, but you may want to change some settings.
  • Page 48 Always turn the power OFF (with the switch on the right side of the printer) before you change the setting of any of these switches. Any changes made while the power is on will be ignored until you turn the printer off and back on.
  • Page 49 Switch 1-5 controls the paper-end detector. When switch l-5 is ON, the detector is inactive, allowing printing to continue even when the printer is out of paper. When switch l-5 is OFF, the printer stops when the end of the paper passes the paper-end detector. The paper-end detector is a small switch under the platen (the black roller) of your HomeWriter-10.

  • Page 50: D Using The Optional Tractor Unit

    Appendix D Using the Optional Tractor Unit With the optional tractor unit you can use continuous paper with pin feed holes along the sides. The unit is adjustable so that the contin- uous paper can be any width from 4 to 10 inches. Printer Location When you use the tractor and continuous paper, you must put your HomeWriter- where the paper can flow freely in and out of the...

  • Page 51: Tractor Unit Installation

    Figure D-2. Continuous paper without stand Tractor Unit Installation To install the removable tractor unit, first pull the friction lever toward the front of the printer. Then hold the tractor with the gears to the right as shown in Figure D-3. Figure D-3.
  • Page 52 In each tractor slot are two pegs that fit into the notches on the tractor fittings. Tilt the tractor back so that the rear notches fit over the rear pegs. Then tilt the unit forward until it clicks into place. That’s all there is to it.

  • Page 53: Loading Continuous Paper

    Figure D-5. Tractor release levers Loading Continuous Paper Once your tractor is installed, you can load continuous paper. See that the printer is turned off, and open the front lid. Then move the print head to the center of the printer, and pull the paper bail away from the platen (the black roller) just as you did for single sheet load- ing.
  • Page 54 Figure D-6. Pin feed holder adjustment Next, open the pin feed covers as shown in Figure D-7 and feed the paper under the paper separator and into the paper slot; push the paper through until it comes up between the ribbon guide and the platen.
  • Page 55 Next pull the paper up until the top is above the pin-feed holders. Fit the holes on the left side of the paper over the pins in the left holder and close the cover. Now fit the right side of the paper in the right holder, moving the holder as needed to match the width of the paper.

  • Page 56: Troubleshooting And Advanced Features

    Appendix E Troubleshooting and Advanced Features This appendix presents a few additional tips for using your HomeWriter-10. Problem/Solution Summary Difficult paper feeding and irregular print darkness can occur if you are printing self-adhesive labels and one comes off of the backing and sticks behind the platen.

  • Page 57: Hex Code Dump Mode

    Hex Code Dump Mode The HomeWriter- has a special feature that makes it easy for experienced printer users to find the causes of problems. Called the hex code dump mode, it gives a printout of exactly codes reach what the printer. Turn on this mode by turning on the printer while holding down both the FF and LF buttons.

  • Page 58: Installing Applications Programs

    The first code in the first line is hex 0E, which is the same as decimal 14, which is the code for expanded printing. Since it is not a printable code, a dot is printed in the first position in the guide section. The next eight codes are for the letters EXPANDED, as you can see in the guide section.
  • Page 59 This warranty does not apply if the Epson label or logo, or the rating label or serial number, has been removed from your Epson product, or if, in the sole opinion of Epson, your Epson product has...

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