- Hewlett-Packard Printer Owner's Manual

27
There are two modes for sending the Printer Select Code. In Printer
Select Mode 2 (printer selection anytime while printing), Print Master
looks for the Printer Select Code any time. If no Printer Select Code
is received, the data will be routed to the default printer.
In Printer Select Mode 1 (printer selection at beginning of printing),
Print Master looks for the start of the Printer Select Code in the first
16 characters received. If the first characters of the Printer Select
Code are not received within 16 characters, the data will be routed to
the previously designated printer. If the first characters of the Printer
Select Code are received within 16 characters and a valid printer
select sequence is then received, the new printer port number is
stored and data will be routed to that printer.
NOTE:
In Print Select Mode 1, the Model 706A and 708A will
recognize the printer select code only if the very first characters of the
print job contain the printer select code.
The printer select sequence may be sent manually from a computer
keyboard, by inserting it into a file, or by using BayTech's support
software. Please see
Section 6.2.8
for a description of various
methods used to select specific printer ports.
 
In multiple printer applications, if no specific printer is desired (i.e. if
the print job may be sent to any printer), you may send the
printer
contention sequence
which consists of the Printer Select Code
(factory set is $PRINTER) followed by
0
(zero). Print data received by
Print Master's buffer is passed to the next available printer on a
first-come-first-served basis. Print Master powers up from the factory
in contention mode.
The printer contention sequence is trapped if valid and not passed to
the printer. The printer contention sequence needs to be sent only
once. It is then stored in non-volatile memory and will be effective on
subsequent print jobs, until you send another printer select sequence.