Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!hellgate.utah.edu!caen!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!munnari.oz.au!yoyo.aarnet.edu.au!sirius.ucs.adelaide.edu.au!fang!itd1!agq From: agq@itd1.dsto.oz (Ashley Quick) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apollo Subject: use of parallel port on new 400t Summary: how does it work? Keywords: HELP Message-ID: <1419@fang.dsto.oz> Date: 26 Feb 91 23:46:58 GMT Sender: news@fang.dsto.oz Lines: 63 We have a few new 400t's here, - the ones with the build in parallel port. How does it work? I have connected a normal Centronics printer from a PC, with the same cable used from the PC. IT DOES NOT WORK. It seems like the 400 wants the handshake lines inverted - cos the printer prints one single char whenever you hit the online / offline button on the printer. I have read the stuff in the SR10.3 release notes and created the configuration file. The release notes say nice things like "make sure the config file is set up to suit the printer you have." Pity they dont tell us HOW TO SET IT UP. They give an example - so I used this and have spent nearly a whole day trying different combinations of things (I dumped the type manager to find the various options). So far, all I have found is that the type manager is VERY BUGGY, and does not seem to work. Crazy thing is, some other people have a DATAPRODUCTS laser printer hooked up with the config file containing utter rubbish - and theirs works fine. I beleive that DataProducts use a Parallel interface with most of the control signals the inverse of Centronics. Is the 400t only capable of driving the DataProducts mode????? FLAME ON>>>>>>>> Furthermore, the type manager EXPLICITLY reads the config file from "/sys/node_data/etc/pio1.conf" - this means that on a 400t running diskless, the config file is stored in the partners node_data directory, rather than the diskless nodes. If the file was `node_data/etc/pio1.conf there would be no problem. I KNOW that the release notes say the path is /sys/node_data/...... so this might not be considered a bug. IT IS A BUG. PLEASE, Mr HP, FIX THIS!!!!! FLAME OFF>>>>>>>>> Any help with documentation about the use of this port would be greatly appreciated. Regards, and thanks in advance.... Ashleigh Quick Ashleigh Quick | ACSnet: AGQ@dstos3.dsto.oz Defence Science and Technology Organisation| Internet: AGQ@dstos3.dsto.oz.au PO Box 1600 | Phone: (Intl) (+61 8) 259 6975 Salisbury 5108 AUSTRALIA | (Local) (08) 259 6975 Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com