Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!tektronix!tekcrl!tekfdi!bobb
From: bobb@tekfdi.TEK.COM (Robert Bales)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.tech
Subject: Re: printer probs Star NX1000
Keywords: printer,star
Message-ID: <2274@tekfdi.TEK.COM>
Date: 25 Jul 88 16:17:38 GMT
References: <3049@geac.UUCP>
Reply-To: bobb@tekfdi.UUCP (Robert Bales)
Distribution: na
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton, OR.
Lines: 43

In article <3049@geac.UUCP> arnold@geac.UUCP (Arnold Rosenbloom) writes:

>I have an Amiga500 and I just got a Star NX 1000 for it (I hope this
>will eventually turn out to be a good choice).

So I'm not alone in the world. :-) I just got a Star NX 1000 for my Amiga 2000,
and guess what. . . Problems. Not completely the same, but still problems.

>Anyway I have been having trouble getting my Amiga to speak to it. First of
>all, when I start a print sequence (single sheet feed) I get a bunch of line
>feeds (both directions) and then I end up with print starting at the center
>of the page.

I haven't noticed this. I'm using tractor feed, but that shouldn't make any
difference.  With my previous printer, I noticed not-starting-at-the-left-
margin at times when using 'type' to prt: but not when typing to par:. No
extra line feeds, though. There is a DIP switch to give a automatic LF after
receiving A CR, but mine works with the switch in the factory-set position.

>The next problem is if the Amiga starts a print sequence when the printer is
>off line then the Amiga hangs(even when I put the printer back on line).

Yes. I've poked around a little, but haven't worried about this because I have
a more severe problem, but it appears that the on-line interface line is not
changing state when the printer goes off-line. So maybe (?) the Amiga sends a
character when the printer is off-line, the printer doesn't respond, and the
Amiga waits.

Which brings me to the biggie. After printing for a while (2 lines to 1+ pages)
everything stops and hangs. Momentarily grounding either the DRDY* line (which
indicates to the printer that there is data and cause it to acknowledge) or the
ACK* line starts things up again. The first time or two this happened, I got
"printer trouble" requester, but usually I don't.

So far, I have exchanged the printer (the first seemed to get worse with time
on, suggesting a thermal problem), tried the printer with another computer
(it worked fine), changed the cable, and interchanged my 8520's. All with no
effect. Next, I think I'll look at pulse timing.

   Bob Bales
   Tektronix, Inc.

I help Tektronix make their instruments. They don't help me make my opinions.