Star Micronics 8 Series manual Controlling the Printer, Interface parameter

and scrollthrougha lowermenu level. And you also press ENTER when youwantto savea particularmenuitcmas thevaluefor a currentparameter setting.

Thethreelastmenuheadingslet youloadoneversionof theparametersinto another version. Two move the current parametervalues into either the initialor power-upparameters.The finalmenu optiongoesthe other way, lettingyou load the factoryparametersettingsas your currentsettings.

CONTROLLING THE PRINTER

In this sectionyou’llmeet two separatecontrolsover how the Star Laser- Printer 8 itself works.The INTERFACEparametercontrolscommunica- tionsbetweentheprinterandyourcomputer.AndtheCOMMANDparame- ter determines,amongotherthings,whichsetof commandsthe printerwill use. You can set these INTERFACEand COMMANDparameterson the front panel.

The INTERFACE parameter

The INTERFACEparameter,the most basic of the Star LaserPrinter8’s configurationsettings,defineshow yourcomputerconnectsto the printer. You can set the INTERFACEto either Serial or Parallel (in IBM or Ccntronicsmode).In mostsingle-computerenvironmentsyou’llopt forthe fasterParallelinterface;in a multi-usernetworkyoumaybe betteroff with

Serial. ~

The particular printer interface settings don’t matter as much as making sure theymatchthoseon yourcomputer.If youuse an MS-DOScomputer,you can set your computer’sparameterswith the MODEcommand.See your MS-DOSmanual.

MostMS-DOSand AT-compatiblecomputerssupportup to threeparallel and two serial ports, whichcome on expansionboardsyou plug into your computer.When you installsuch boardsyou must set switchesto indicate thenumberandaddressesof theseports.If youspecifythewrongaddresses, you won’tbe ableto print.

Serial interface: rate

If youask for the Serialinterfaceyou’llhaveto tell yourprintermoreabout howthe datawill be comingin— in particularits rate and unit size and the meaningsof any specialbits.

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