Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!hao!gatech!bbn!aoa!dean
From: dean@aoa.UUCP (Dean Wormell)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: An Open Letter to Apple (Re: ImageWriter problem)
Message-ID: <109@aoa.UUCP>
Date: 26 Feb 88 18:54:04 GMT
References: <3725@batcomputer.tn.cornell.edu> <7429@apple.UUCP>
Reply-To: dean@aoa.UUCP (Dean Wormell)
Organization: Adaptive Optics Assoc., Cambridge, Mass. USA
Lines: 65

Excuse the post, but I know our mailer will fail if I try to send direct to
you.

Here is the info requested on the IW II failure...

In article <7429@apple.UUCP> bhatt@apple.UUCP (Nick Bhatt) writes:
>We are definitely worried if ImageWriters suddenly start taking their
>own lives.  I have just finished printing the Home card from HyperCard,
>in which I have changed almost the enire card to solid black.  I was 
>using my AppleTalk ImageWriter and driver version 2.6.  I encountered
>ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEMS.
>
>Now a few notes:
>[1] My ImageWriter is a relatively new one -- it's platinum and everything.

So is mine, bought in August 87, very lite use, I replaced the original
ribbon just a week before the failure.

>[2] The ROM version is 04.  I would like to know what your versions are
>    (assuming the printer is still alive and unrepaired).

Same here, ROM version 04, still unrepaired, still in the shop. The repair
is on hold.

>[3] Black backgrounds have a way of destroying printers.  This is mostly
>    due to the amount of heat generated when you fire every single pin, 
>    on every single pixel, for the length of the line (and job).  The 
>    firmware is supposed to prevent the printer from committing self-
>    immolation, and my ImageWriter pauses at the end of each line of
>    solid black to permit the head to cool down.  If your ImageWriter
>    was plugging along, line after line without pause, then that's probably
>    what happened.  This is supposed to be handled automatically in the
>    firmware, and IS NOT driver controllable.

I don't recall if the print head paused at the end of each line; but, on the
fatal print job a faint white line of one pixel (pin?) width began to appear
where the print should have been black.  After the failure, the print job
continued with a displaced left margin and a visible white line was now being
(not being) printed.  

If the head did get hot; how could the driver board (or CPU board) instruct 
the motor to print where it should not be?  Or, how could a hot print head
cause a failure on the driver board?  And why does the CPU Board, Driver
Board and motor all need to be replaced to fix the problem? (Replacing
just the driver board did not solve the problem, it self destructed again).

>[4] The big question, though, is why are you seeing it now?  

This I ask you.  I am very pleased to see someone taking their time to help
me with this problem!

>[5] Please tell me what ROM versions you have, if you have a color ribbon
>    installed or not, AppleTalk or not.  
>
>           --NB
>             AppleLink: BHATT1

ROMREV(04), no color ribbon, no AppleTalk card installed.

Again, thank you for looking into this problem.  I can be reached during
the day at 617-864-0201.
-- 

		Dean Wormell

			...!{harvard,ima}!bbn!aoa!dean