Serialinterface:rate
If you askfor the Serialinterfaceyou’llhaveto tell yourprintermoreabout how the datawillbe
The Rate parameterspecifieshow fast data will be arriving,measuredin baud(namedaftertheFrenchcommunicationsengineerJeanBaudot).Pick any of the followingdata transferrates:
300baud
600baud
1200baud
2400baud 4800 baud
9600 baud (the default) 19200baud.
Roughly,onecharacter secondworksoutto 11baud.Ifyou’renotsurehow fast your computerwill transmit, the general rule is to experiment.Try sendinga pageto print at the highestspeed,and workyour waydownuntil the printer’soutputlooks OK.
Serialinterface:specialbits
InSerialmode you’llalsohaveto specifyif yourcomputersendsdatabits in groupsof seven(mostcomputerssend eight,the defaultfor a byte).
Sometimesan extra bit gets appendedto make the sum of all bits in each characteralwaysoddoreven; that’scalledparity. A paritybitcanhelp spot transmissionerrors.If yourcomputersendsthatextraparitybit,you’llhave to say whether it produces an even or odd number of “on” bits in the character.
You’llalsohaveto indicateif yourcomputersendstwo stop bitsto indicate the end of a byte,insteadof one,the default.Theseserialinterfacesettings aredescribedinmoredetailinyourStarfuserPrinter4 @erationsMan~l.
Serialinterface:protocol
Finally,in Serial mode your computerwill use one of three profocoZsto ensure data is sent properly.Protocol(sometimesalso called “handshak- ing”)means“who says what when”,and is the way your printertells your computerit’sreadyto nxeive data.Yourcomputerandprintercommunicate by sendingprotocolcontrolcodes(they’reat the frontof the ASCIItable).
17
