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From: root@mjbtn.MFEE.TN.US (Mark J. Bailey)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Epson Equity II builtin parallel port woes!!!?!?!!
Keywords: HELP PLEASE
Message-ID: <504@mjbtn.MFEE.TN.US>
Date: 29 Aug 89 17:12:55 GMT
Organization: JobSoft Design & Development, Murfreesboro, TN
Lines: 51

Hello Netlanders,

I work with an Epson Equity II (not the II+).  Recently I began to get a 
Keyboard and Setup error on powerup.  Also, normally in the past, when you 
turn the power on, the little light above the power switch would first 
turn green and then red after the powerup tests had completed.  Now, it
turns green at first and stays green and the builtin parallel port 
WILL NOT PRINT!  We have taken it to the dealer and they tried disabling the
builtin port and installing a standard parallel card.   They tried 
combinations of LPT1, LPT2, different interrupt settings, but still to
no avail.  Now, with the builtin port, it no longer initializes the 
printer.  We tried different printers and different cables too.  BUT,
when you are printing to that port from, say, First Publisher, it acts
like everything is OK (ie, the little "meter" moves right on across), but
no print.  AND, if you hit the printer OFFLINE or turn it off, the meter
stops, and complains "Printer Not Ready...."  With the secondary port,
it initializes the printer, but still won't print and behaves the same
as builtin port when using First Publisher as described above.  Epson
suggests that it is the "logic" board (I assume they are referring to 
the motherboard?).  If you redirect LPT1 to COM1, it prints like you
would expect (to a serial printer).  

Something is blocking the data.  I don't know if it is a bad address,
or if the system can't access the address of the builtin or secondary
port or what.  No one I have talked with here seems to know why this
would be happening.  I don't own the machine, but it still frustrates
me just the same.  This is why I am turning to you.

Does anyone out there have any clue as to what in the world is going on
here????!!!  I have seen some strange faults in my time, but this one
really gets me.  I don't recall ever seeing such a problem with a 
parallel port.  We have considered replacing the mother board.  I don't
have any figures ($$$), but if anyone reading this does, I would like
to hear from you.  If for nothing else, it would help me talk turkey
with the dealer.  :-)  The Equity II is an XT clone with an 8086.
I should also add that we completely reinstalled Dos 3.2 (Epson's)
thinking that it might be a bad software setup.  Still no luck.

Any information would be GREATLY appreciated.  Please email responses
as this is not worth wasting further bandwidth.

Thanks in advance!

Mark.

-- 
Mark J. Bailey                                    "Ya'll com bak naw, ya hear!"
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