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From: vgopal@cbnewsc.ATT.COM (venu.p.gopal)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Help needed connecting Apple Laser+
Message-ID: <13310@cbnewsc.ATT.COM>
Date: 5 Feb 90 16:03:42 GMT
References: <111700198@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu>
Reply-To: vgopal@cbnewsc.ATT.COM
Organization: AT&T
Lines: 42

In article <111700198@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu> mms00786@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu writes:

!Wow! Coincidently, I am having the exact same problem, and no combination of
!cable wiring seems to work! (I constructed my own cable). For some odd reason,
!and I think it must be in the handshake assumed by DOS when you use the
!mode command to set com settings, the printer just will not print; it simply
!accepts data, blinks its LED, and stops.
!
!I know the cable is ok, because I can dump postscript to a file, get into
!procomm, set the com port to 9600,7,N,1, and upload the file as ascii, and it
!works like a charm. However, simply using the mode command, and then typing in
! c:>copy ps.txt com1: or
! c:>copy /b ps.txt com1:
! c:>type ps.txt > com1:
!do not work.
!
!I therefore think that somehow the mode command does not fully set the
!parameters on the com port. Now, this might be due to the specific com hardware
!that I have, but the fact is that I am unable to get any program that I have to
!properly print to the Laserwriter, including windows and all its software,
!Lotus Manuscript, and a few other's not worth mentioning.
!
!So, what gives?

Sounds like your problem is due to handshaking - the printer is probably
expecting XON/XOFF handshaking and the PC is not doing it.

These are some options in that case:

1.  Switch to hardware handshaking on the printer (have to refer to
    postscript experts here - or try Adobe's books - or try 
    comp.lang.postscript on howto do this.

2.  Use an MS-DOS device driver for the COM ports that supports XON/XOFF.
    Haven't tried one of these, but I believe one is available on SIMTEL.
    May be on grape too.

3.  Instead of DOS copy command (copy file com1:) use a program to copy
    it to the com: port using xon/xoff (comsend file).  I can send you
    comsend if you want.

Venu P. Gopal   UUCP: ..!att!cbnewsc!vgopal   Internet: vgopal@cbnewsc.att.com