chapter 5

DOWNLOAD CHARACTERS

Withthisprinteryoucancreatenewcharactersandsymbols,downloadtheir dotdata,andhavethemprintedin placeof selectedcharactersin the regular characterset.Charactersthatcanbe generatedinthiswayrangefromsimple but useful symbols like the check mark through complex Chinese or Japanesecharacters.

Regular characters are permanently stored in the printer’s ROM, but charactersyou designare downloadedand storedin RAM for use.

Beforeyoustartto defineyourowncharacters,youmustsettheEDS switch A-2 to the OFF position. Otherwise,the RAM is used to store the input buffer, and the downloadcommandsare ignored.If you wantto download characterswithIBMmode,youmusthavetheoptionalRAMcartridge(RC- 32Z)installedin the monochromeprinter.

DEFINING YOUR OWN CHARACTERS WITH STANDARD MODE

Designingand printing your own charactershas two requirements:first, designingthe shapeof the character,calculatingthe datanecessaryto make the shape, and sendingthat data to the printer, and secondly,sendingthe commandto printthe downloadedcharactersinsteadof the regularcharac- ters. There are a numberof designconstraintsfor downloadcharacters:

Thematrixor grid on whichyou designthe charactersdependsuponthe print mode as shown below:

Charactermode

Horizontal

Vertical

Draft characters

9

24

LQ pica characters

31

24

LQ elite characters

27

24

LQ semi-condesed

19

24

LQ proportional

37

24

Draft super/subscript

7

16

LQ super/subscript

19

16

LQ prop. super/subscript

37

16

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Star Micronics LC24-200 user manual Download Characters, Defining Your OWN Characters with Standard Mode