Printronix P9000 Series manual OCR-A and OCR-B, Downloading Languages and Characters

The selection of the Extended Character Set also sets the print mode and pitch at which the Extended Character Set is printed. The print mode and pitch can be different for the Primary and Extended Character Sets. However, the Primary Set cannot be mixed with an Extended Set within the same line if the Extended Set is printing at a different print mode than the Primary Set.

When ECMA 94 Latin 1 has been selected from the control panel, the OSET command can be sent from the host to then select the extended portion of the character set. More information on the OSET command is provided in Character Set Select: ECMA 94 Latin 1 Extended, located in the Programming chapter.

OCR-A and OCR-B

OCR print modes are selected from the Print Mode feature at the Print Format (Level 1) of the Configuration Diagram shown in the Configuration chapter.

OCR print modes do not contain complete character sets. (OCR character set charts are loF cated in Appendix B.) Available OCR-A standard characters are dictated by American NaF tional Standard Institute (ANSI) #X3.17-1981, and OCR-A international characters are in accordance with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) #646-1973. Available OCR-B standard and extended characters are dictated by ANSI #X3.49-1975. Undefined OCR characters are replaced with spaces. When an international language substitution is seF lected for a non-existent character, no substitution will occur.

Downloading Languages and Characters

Character substitution tables can be customized and stored until needed using two DownloadF ing procedures. Using the Downloading a Language feature (ESC V) allows you to define and download a character substitution table which can be placed within the 224 printable symbol code points. Download a Character, activated by ESC c, allows at least six characters (dependF ing on the character size(s)) to be defined and stored in NOVRAM. Refer to Download a Lan/ guage and Download a Character in the Programming chapter.

The complete character library is shown in the Character Address Table on page NO TAG. The character library identifies each character's location in printer memory by its hexadecimal adF dress value (see the Numeric Character listing starting on page 10-6 or the Alphabetical CharF acter listing starting on page 10-18). International language substitutions are retrieved from this Character Address Table and substituted in the values shown on the international lanF guages substitution tables. For example, while 7E hex is the Lowercase Beta symbol on the inF ternational substitution table for ECMA German, E1 hex is the actual address of this character in printer memory. All symbols are shown in 10 cpi, and do not represent the symbol in all print modes and pitches.

NOTE: The character examples provided in each character set are representative and not exact replications generated by the printer. In addition, not all characters are available in all print modes.

10-2 Multinational Character Sets