Graphics Printing - AMSTRAD CPC464 User Manual

The cable should be constructed so that pin 1 on the computer connects to pin 1 on the printer, pin
19 on the computer to pin 19 on the printer etc., with pins 18 and 36 of the printer not connected to
the computer.
In particular the lower row of fingers on the computer is numbered 19 onwards (rather than 18
onwards as one might expect given that there are 17 fingers in the upper row) in order that every
wire that is used, is connected to exactly the same numbered computer,edge connector finger and
printer connector pin.
The computer uses the BUSY signal (pin 11) to synchronise with the printer and will wait if the
printer is OFF LINE.
There are no user setup commands required, and the output is directed to the printer by specifying
stream 8:
LIST #8
Will cause the BASIC program in the memory to be listed - as long as it' s of a type suitable for listing
- ie unprotected.
Within programs, the printer may be addressed by using the simple form:
P R I N T # 8 , " T h i s i s s e n t t o t h e p r i n t e r "
Many printers will automatically ' wrap around' line endings if the output reaches the end of a line -
check the printer manual. AMSTRAD BASIC will also wrap the output as directed by a WIDTH
command. The default value of printer width is 132 and may be set to a new value as required: eg
WIDTH 80.
If set to the special value of 255 then AMSTRAD BASIC will not ' wrap' the output and relies
completely on the printer to check for line endings. BASIC maintains a counter of the position of the
printer which can be interrogated by the POS function.
I F P O S ( # 8 ) > 5 0 G O T O 1 0 0
The CPC464 issues a line feed CHR$(10) and a carriage return CHR$(13) at the end of the line. The
printer will usually contain a preset switch for selecting the appropriate form of input, and it will be
immediately obvious what the default standard is once you attempt to print.

7.3 Graphics printing

The manual supplied with your printer will specify the control codes, which are generally in the form
of the :
P R I N T C H R $ ( n )
Some printers may have characters similar to many of the AMSTRAD graphics characters listed in
Appendix III, but it is unlikely that the character numbers will correspond exactly, so you will have
to devise your own conversion table to suit the printer in question.