Path: utzoo!yunexus!maccs!cs4g6ag
From: cs4g6ag@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca (Stephen M. Dunn)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: C. ITOH vs Epson printer
Summary: serial vs. parallel
Message-ID: <25130607.21586@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca>
Date: 17 Sep 89 02:48:39 GMT
Article-I.D.: maccs.25130607.21586
References: <946NETOPRJW@NCSUVM>
Reply-To: cs4g6ag@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca (Stephen M. Dunn)
Organization: McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario
Lines: 48

In article <946NETOPRJW@NCSUVM> NETOPRJW@NCSUVM.BITNET writes:
$       1. Evenif I connect the serial printer to the serial port, it still
$doesn't work. My machine have two serial port, Com1 is for the modem, Com2
$is for the printer. (Actually, I am not sure.)

   Your printer and your serial port have to be configured the same way - i.e.
same number of data bits, stop bits, same parity, AND THE SAME SPEED.  Make
sure this is the case.

   As for which serial port is which, well, as long as you tell your software
which COM port has the modem and which one has the printer, there will be
no problem.

$       2. What's the advantage of serial printer vs parallel printer?

   As far as I'm concerned, absolutely none.  Obviously, the throughput of a
serial printer will be less than that of a parallel one (how much less depends
on the baud rate and, to a certain extent, on what you're printing).

$       4. Should I mess up with DOS to set up the printer mode? How? Why is
$there the serial printers if we have so much trouble to use them. Can I use
$the serial printer as a parallel printer, i.e. Can I make this C.ITOH C310
$compitable with my ESPON RX-80 parallel printer ($749.00 Vs $299.00 value)?

   You'll pretty well have to use the DOS MODE command to set up your serial
port's parameters (as mentioned in the answer to 1 above); see the DOS manual
for details on this.

   Once you get it all set up correctly, a serial printer is no more of a
problem than a parallel one (other than throughput, of course).  As for
compatibility, you're looking at two entirely different problems:

a)  serial vs. parallel - I'm not familiar with the C.Itoh printer, so I
    don't know if you can convert it to a parallel printer

b)  C.Itoh C310 command set vs. pson RX-80 command set - the control codes
    used by the C.Itoh to control such things as boldfacing, underlining,
    and graphics may or may not be the same as those used by the Epson.
    If they're not the same (and I can't tell you, having never worked with
    this particular printer), there's really nothing you can do to make
    the C.Itoh emulate an Epson.  You'll have to reconfigure your software
    to use the C.Itoh instead of the Epson (no big deal, if your software
    lists the C310 as a printer option).
-- 
Stephen M. Dunn                              cs4g6ag@maccs.McMaster.CA
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       <std_disclaimer.h> = "\nI'm only an undergraduate!!!\n";
"VM is like an orgasm:  the less you have to fake, the better." - S.C.