iSys V12 Thermal Printer - Manual (Page 92)

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APPENDIX
CENTRONICS INTERFACE
HARDWARE
If your plotter has a Centronics interface (Rev 5-0), please note that it can be connected to the
short line interface only. Do not attempt to change the factory setting, or damage can result to
the plotter, interface, host, or all three.
The Rev 5-0 Centronics adapter card will allow reliable data transfers up to 40 feet using
shielded cable. It will also accept either of the two data transfer formats described below
automatically, without switches or jumpers.
1. To place the V12 in raster mode, the following 3 bytes (hexadecimal) must be sent to the
Centronics adapter card: 1B, 2A, 00
Once these 3 bytes are sent, rastered plot data can be sent to the plotter at 216, 264 or 296
bytes per scan. The plotter byte per scan menu must be set on the front menu to match the
input data bytes per scan. Refer to Chapter 4 Operations for information on control panel
settings.
Once the V12 Centronics card is set to raster mode it will remain in raster mode until the INIT
line of the host Centronics port is pulsed or the plotter power is cycled. This will return the plotter
to print mode.
2. Optionally a 6 byte (hexadecimal) header can be sent before each scan of rastered data. This
header allows variable bytes/scan plotting. The format of the 6 byte header consists of:
1B, 2A, 72, XX, YY, 01
XX= high byte of the number of bytes per scan
YY = low byte of the number of bytes per scan
Example: to send a plot that is rastered to 200 bytes per scan, send the following 6 byte header
before each and every scan of 200 bytes.
1B, 2A, 72, 00, C8, 01 00C8 hex = 200 decimal
For a plot consisting of 264 bytes per scan, send
1B, 2A, 72, 01, 08, 01 0108 hex =264 decimal
Other commands that can be sent to the V12 Centronics adapter:
1B, 41 Remote clear
1B, 42 Remote line terminate
1B, 43 Remote end of transmission
1B, 44 Remote form feed
1B, 45 Remote reset
1b, 50 <# of blanks> BLANK LINES (0x01 to 0xFF)
The V12 plotter also obeys standard control characters which must be sent when the plotter is
in print mode: