FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT FOR AMERICAN USERS This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and if not installed and used properly, that is, in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, may cause interference to radio and television reception.
Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LQ-1500 Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . About This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1 Setting Up Your LQ-1500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Finding a Suitable Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Getting to Know Your Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Installing the paper feed knob . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing Paper and Paper Feeders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Types of Paper and Paper Feeders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Single-sheet paper and sheet guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pin-feed paper and tractor unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . More Printer Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Platen release lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Print head adjustment lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Loading Single-Sheet Paper . . . . .
75 75 The LQ-1500 Character Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Regular Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . International Character sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 D Widths of the Proportional Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 E ASCII Code Conversion Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 F Specifications of the LQ-1500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Figures 1-1 1-2 1-3 1-4 1-5 1-6 1-7 1-8 1-9 1-10 1-11 1-12 1-13 1-14 1-15 1-16 1-17 1-18 1-19 Unpacking the LQ-1500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paperplacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The LQ-1500 printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Paper feed knob . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Removing the front cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Printer parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tables 1-1 1-2 1-3 Settings for switch 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Settings for switch 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . International character switch settings . . . . . . . . .
Introduction Congratulations! You’ve purchased the Epson LQ-1500TM. This advanced, state-of-the-art printer combines the quality of typewriter print with the speed of a dot matrix printer. Of course, it has all the capabilities of the other Epson printers-and more too. LQ-1500 Features The LQ-1500 is designed to be used day in and day out in an office environment. Its size and rugged good looks proclaim this fact. Its Epson engineering guarantees it. The LQ-1500 has a long list of features.
l l High-resolution graphics. The LQ-1500 has all the graphics capabilities of the FX series of printers and more. The 24-pin print head provides top-quality, high-resolution graphics. Text buffer. The LQ-1500 has a 2048 character text buffer to increase printing speed. The buffer takes information quickly from your computer, leaving the computer free for other tasks while the LQ-1500 finishes printing. About This Manual The LQ-1500 is a sophisticated machine.
Chapter 1 Setting Up Your LQ-1500 You’ve just purchased a terrific new printer, and dug far enough into the box to find this manual. Now what? In this chapter we’ll show you how to set up your LQ-1500 and connect it to your computer. First, take inventory.
Fig-we 1-1. Unpacking the LQ-1500 during operation. Here are some additional suggestions to follow: 1. Place the LQ-1500 on a flat, stable surface. The printer will make more noise if you place it on a table that moves or vibrates. 2. Connect the printer to a grounded electrical outlet (do not use an adapter plug). It’s a good idea to choose an outlet which is not controlled by a wall switch that could be accidentally shut off during the printing process. 3.
5. Use the LQ-1500 in areas that are comfortable for you. If you find it too hot, too cold, or too humid, the environment is not right for the LQ-1500; it may not operate properly. Figure 1-2. Paper placement Getting to Know Your Printer Now you’ve got a small collection of odd-shaped pieces placed in a suitable location. The next step is to put them all together to form a functional printer. Figure 1-3 shows the assembled printer and identifies some of the main parts.
Figure 1-3.
Figure 1-4. Paper feed knob Removing the dust cover The dust cover is the brown plastic cover which keeps dust out of the print mechanism and reduces the noise level when the printer is on. If you are using the optional tractor unit, you will not use the dust cover. Lift off the dust cover. It just sits in a recess on the top of the printer so removal is easy Set the dust cover aside if you will be needing it. Put it away in the printer box if you plan to use the optional tractor unit.
Figure 1-5. Removing the front cover Discovering what’s inside Now that you can see the insides of the printer, take a few moments to find some of the parts that you need to know about. Study Figure 1-6 until you can identify these parts: The print head is probably the easiest part to locate, so start with it. The print head is the large, black, finned object that moves back and forth on two silver rods across the printer.
Figure 1-6. Printer parts Once you identify these parts, you will know enough about the printer to get started. This manual will help you identify other parts as the need arises. Installing the Ribbon Cartridge The LQ-1500’s ribbon cartridge is easy to install, and it won’t get your hands dirty. Follow these steps for a quick installation. 1. Close the paper bail so that it is against the platen. 2.
Figure 1-7. Ribbon cartridge 4. Hold the ribbon cartridge in both hands to position it over the print head (the hole in the ribbon cartridge fits over the finned part of the print head). The short piece of exposed ribbon must go between the print head and the ribbon guide so that the ribbon does not rest directly against the platen (see Figure 1-8). Lower the ribbon cartridge and press the spot marked PUSH to seat the back of the ribbon cartridge first. 5.
Figure 1-8. Ribbon installation Figure 1-9. Ribbon operation To replace the front cover, simply reverse the steps you took to remove it. Fit the right end into place first and then lower the left end until it is securely in place. Tilt the cover back into the closed position. It should fit snugly.
Installing the Sheet Guide The sheet guide serves a dual purpose on the LQ-1500. If you are using single sheets of paper, the guide ensures consistent margins and straight lines of print. If you are using pin-feed paper, the sheet guide is used as a paper separator to keep the incoming and outgoing paper from interfering with each other. Assembling the three pieces First, you must assemble the three pieces of the sheet guide. 1.
Figure 1-10.
Figure 1-11. Paper guide position Figure 1-12. Sheet guide installation If you plan to use your LQ-1500 with single sheets of paper, lift up the sheet guide at the back and fold down the metal legs on the bottom of the sheet guide. As shown in Figure 1-13, the legs fit into slots in the top case of the LQ-1500. (This step is not necessary if you will be using the optional tractor unit.
Figure 1-13. Printing single sheets Once the sheet guide is installed you can replace the dust cover on top, as shown in Figure 1-14. Also, you may want to remove the protective film that is on the switch panel at the right front of the LQ-1500. This film protects the switch panel during manufacture and shipment and can be easily peeled off. Connecting the LQ-1500 to Your Computer Your printer setup is now almost complete. The next step will be to connect your printer to your computer.
Figure 1-14. The dust cover Figure 1-15.
Installing the interface card Your dealer may have already installed the interface card for you. Turn your printer around and look at the back of the printer to tell if the interface card has been installed (see Figure 1-16). If there is a large cavity at the lower left, the interface card is missing and you must install it before you can use your LQ-1500. If, on the other hand, there is a plug connector at the lower left, the interface card has been installed for you.
The installation procedure is the same for all three of the available interface cards. The card is easily mounted or removed. The only tool you need is a Phillips screwdriver. To install the interface card slide it into the cavity on the back of the LQ-1500 as shown in Figure 1-17. It should slide between the upper and lower plastic guide rails on either side of the opening. When you feel resistance on the right side of the card, firmly push it in with both hands.
Figure 1-17. Interface card installation Setting the DIP Switches This is the last step in installing your printer. Because each computer installation is slightly different, Epson has placed a series of DIP switches on the back of theprinter interface, which you can change to best suit your printing application. You can see them through a slot in the back cover of the interface card.
Figure 1-18. Interface connection to computer WARNING: The DIP switches we are discussing are in the interface unit on the back of the printer. Do not change the settings of the DIP switches that are inside the printer. These settings have been determined by the manufacturer to be correct for this LQ-1500 printer. Special knowledge is required to set these switches. You can use a ballpoint pen to reach into the interface slot and change switch settings.
second digit refers to the individual switch number. It is printed right on the switch itself. You can also see that there is a small arrow on the left side of the switch group which indicates the ON position for these switches. However, it’s easier to remember switch settings according to whether the switch is pointing up (toward the top of the printer) or down (toward the bottom of the printer). Interface Switch 1 Switch 2 Figure 1-19.
Table 1-1. Settings for switch 1 Switch Function Up Down Factory 1-1 1-2 1-3 1-4 2K byte input buffer Paper-out detector Automatic line feed Reserved for future use Disable Disable On Always down Enable Enable Off Down Down Down Down Switch 1-1--In the down position, this switch allows you to create a buffer of 2048 bytes of memory. This buffer can be useful when you want to print a document at the same time you continue to use your computer for other tasks.
any time by sending the appropriate command to the printer. The functions of the individual switches are summarized in Table 1-2. Table 1-2. Settings for switch 2 Switch 2-1 2-2 2-3 2-4 2-5 2-6 2-7 2-8 Function Up Down International character sets (see Table 1-3) Form length Skip over perforation Bell Print mode SLCT IN signal 12 in. On Disable Letter quality Fixed 11 in.
have commands for setting top and bottom margins and they work best if the skip-over-perforation feature is turned off. Switch 2-6--There are occasions when the printer bell (which is actually a buzzer) can be used to signal the operator. For example, you may want to switch paper in the middle of a long document. You can use the bell to signal when it is time to make the change, To make use of this feature, leave switch 2-6 down in the down position.
Chapter 2 Operation and Maintenance Your LQ-1500 is now set up. You’ve connected it to your computer and set the switches. Now you’re ready to learn how to use the controls and indicators on the printer to operate it correctly. We’ll also give you some advice on how to maintain your LQ-1500 and keep it printing smoothly for a long time. Then, in Chapter 3, you’ll learn how to install and load the paper feeders which will give you an opportunity to use the controls discussed here.
Power switch Figure 2-1. Controls and indicators l l l PAPER OUT light -- glows red when the printer is out of paper; printer will stop printing (if Switch 1-2 is in the up position). ON LINE light -- glows green when data reception is possible. ON LINE button -- allows you to switch from on-line to off-line status (this is a toggle). When the printer is on line, it is ready to accept data from the computer and the ON LINE light glows green. When the printer is off line, it is not ready to print.
l l LF button -- stands for line feed. When you’re off line, tapping this button advances the paper one line at a time. To advance multiple lines, hold down the LF button. Do not perform continuous line feeds for more than two minutes. SHEET LOAD button -- opens the paper bail and loads singlesheet paper into the printer. The paper-out detector The printer is equipped with a device which warns you that the printer is out of paper.
You should also clean the inside front portion of the printer (Figure 2-2) to get rid of dust and paper lint. To do this, turn the power switch off and disconnect the power cord. Remove the dust cover, the front cover, and the ribbon cartridge. Use a small vaccum cleaner and a soft brush to clean inside the printer. Be careful not to bend or damage any of the parts inside the printer. With the power off, you can easily move the print head back and forth to clean under it.
Chapter 3 Installing Paper and Paper Feeders Now that you are more familiar with your LQ-1500, you’re ready to install and load the paper feeders. Since you’re into the third chapter, you’re probably getting anxious to print something by now. First, you need some facts on the different types of paper and paper feeders the LQ-1500 uses. Types of Paper and Paper Feeders You can use a great variety of paper types with the LQ-1500 which makes your printing both flexible and convenient.
More Printer Parts You also need to become familiar with two other important printer parts before you attempt to load any type of paper. Remove the dust cover and open the front cover to find and identify these parts: the platen release lever and the print head adjustment lever. Platen release lever The platen release lever controls the pressure of the friction rollers against the platen. It is the black lever located on the left side of the printer at the end of the platen (as shown in Figure 3-1).
The second setting, released, is used when the tractor unit is in place. The platen release lever is pulled forward toward the front of the printer. In this position, the friction rollers do not catch the paper but allow it to move freely through the paper path. The tractor unit is installed above the platen and draws the paper through by its pin holes. Print head adjustment lever The space between the print head and the platen should be adjusted to accommodate the thickness of the paper you’re using.
2. Install the sheet guide unit and place it in the upright position (see Chapter 1 for details). Line up the left edge of the left sliding guide with the 1 on the paper bail. This is very important because paper near the center or the right side of the platen will not be detected by the printer. 3. Be sure that switch 1-2 is in the up position to disable the paper-out detector. This allows the printer to print to the end of the page.
Paper Figure 3-2. Sheet load Note: If the paper does not advance far enough to be held by the paper bail, turn OFF the power, remove the dust cover, open the paper bail, and use the paper feed knob to advance the paper to the proper position. This problem is caused by not having the paper far enough down in the printer when you press the SHEET LOAD button. You may damage your printer parts if you do this repeatedly with the power ON.
Removing single-sheet paper To remove single-sheet paper from the printer, set the printer in the off-line mode by pressing the ON LINE button (remember its’s a toggle). The ON LINE and READY lights should now be off. Press the FF (FORM FEED) button and the paper will be ejected from the printer. Loading Pin-feed Paper Pin-feed paper is used quite frequently. It is convenient if you do lots of printing or want to use special pin-feed forms such as labels.
Figure 3-3. Protective cover removed 5. Gently tilt the tractor unit toward you and push the tractor unit down until you feel it lock into place. Preparing the printer for pin-feed paper With the tractor unit now installed, you can prepare the printer to load the pin-feed paper. Follow the steps outlined below and refer to Figure 3-5. 1. Set DIP switch 1-2 in the down position to enable the paper-out detector. This allows the printer to stop printing and signal when you are out of pin-feed paper. 2.
Figure 3-4.
Figure 3-5. Printer parts used with pin-feed paper 4. Set the paper support skids evenly from the approximate center of the paper width (as shown in Figure 3-6). This helps the paper feed smoothly. Note: If you are using narrow or standard width paper, you must insert it at the far left of the platen (just as you did with singlesheet paper). 5. Make sure the platen release lever is closed (back).
Advance the paper by turning the paper feed knob clockwise. With the platen release lever closed, the paper should easily catch on the platen and be fed through. Figure 3-6. Paper inserted Note: If the paper is not feeding correctly (or easily), stop, turn the paper feed knob counterclockwise, and at the same time gently pull the paper back out. Check the paper to be sure it is not wrinkled or torn and try again. 2.
Figure 3-7. Aligning pin frames Note: Position wide paper so that the printable surface is between 1 and 136 on your paper bail (the holes will be outside of these margins on the left and right). 5. Lock the pin-feeders in place by pushing the gray pin-feeder lock levers back. 6. Confirm that the tractor pins are centered in the paper pin-holes and that the paper tension is correct. If they are not, open the pinfeeder covers, readjust the paper, and close them again. 7. Close the paper bail. 8.
Figure 3-8. Pin-feeder covers Proper placement of pin-feed paper When using the LQ-1500 with pin-feed paper, we recommend that you arrange your stack of paper in one of two ways. First, if you use a stack of paper and have to place it behind the printer, make sure that it is not higher than the surface of the sheet guide unit. Placing the paper behind the printer makes it difficult for the printed paper to be collected without interfering with the printer operation.
Figure 3-9. Paper path Removing pin-feed paper If you want to remove the pin-feed paper from the printer, follow the steps outlined below: 1.Remove the (tractor) dust cover. 2. Tear the paper at the perforation nearest the rear of the printer. 3. Set the printer in the off-line mode by pressing the ON LINE button. The ON LINE and READY lights should now be off. 4. Open the pin-feeder covers (on the tractor unit) and remove the paper from the pins.
Figure 3-10. Removing the tractor unit 1. Turn OFF the printer. Remove the (tractor) dust cover. 2. Release the metal lock levers on each end of the tractor unit by pulling them forward (toward the front of the printer). 3. Keeping the lock levers pulled forward, move the entire tractor unit toward the front of the printer and up. The pegs at each end of the unit will slide out from the slots on the printer. The LQ-1500 Self-Test Now that you are an expert on loading your LQ-1500, you’re ready to print.
2. With the power OFF hold down the LF (LINE FEED) button and turn the printer ON. Watch as all the characters are printed as shown in Figure 3-11. You can release the LF button once printing begins. Draft (switch 2-7 down) Version 1.7 Letter quality (switch 2-7 up) Version 1.7 3. Turn the printer OFF to end the test. Otherwise, it will continue to print indefinitely. Now, it’s time to start learning to communicate with your LQ-1500. Chapter 4 shows you how to do this efficiently and effectively.
Chapter 4 Control Codes This chapter introduces you to the control codes you can use to send instructions from your computer to your printer. If you already know how to program your printer, you’ll want to know how control codes work with the LQ-1500. You’ll also be interested in Appendixes A and E which provide the control codes. Please note that this chapter contains technical information and you don’t have to read it in order to operate your printer or to perform ordinary word processing operations.
and some of the LQ-1500’s functions. Because of these standard codes, you can use your LQ-1500 printer with virtually any kind of computer without having to worry about their ability to talk to each other. Your LQ-1500 printer can communicate with any computer that uses ASCII. How Many Names Can One Code Have? Although these codes are standard from computer to computer, the way they are referred to is not standard. The same ASCII code can be called by many different names.
Carriage return CR 13 0DH CTRL/M CHR$(13) Its common name The abbreviation of its name Its decimal ASCII code Its hexadecimal ASCII code Its control-code name Its usage in BASIC So your problem is to figure out what code you want to use, no matter what it is called. You may find that this can be quite a problem. Your computer’s manual may say to use ASCII 10 while your spreadsheet program recommends a CTRL/J. You need to know that they are both talking about the same code.
Here are some other common abbreviations: Name Escape Line Feed Form Feed Carriage Return ASCII code (decimal) 27 Abbreviation 10 12 13 You now have the basics about codes. This knowledge should help you understand and use the information contained in your software documentation to take advantage of the LQ-1500's many features.
Appendix A LQ-1500 Command Summary This appendix gives a brief summary of the LQ-1500 commands (control codes). While this is a complete list of the commands, the descriptions are not complete in all cases. The complete descriptions of all the commands, including examples of their use, can be found in the LQ-1500 Programmer’s Manual. In some cases the explanations given here describe the apparent function of the commands, rather than the actual mechanical movements of the printer.
Vertical Spacing Commands Function: Line feed Format: Symbol 10 Decimal Hexadecimal 0A Remarks : Returns the print head to the left margin and advances the paper one line. Function: One-time n/180-inch line feed Format: Symbol “J” n 27 74 n Decimal Hexadecimal 1B 4A n Remarks: Advances the paper n/180 inches. It does not execute a carriage return (n can range from 0 to 255).
Vertical Spacing Commands (continued) Function: Set n/180-inch line spacing Format : “3” n Symbol 27 51 n Decimal Hexadecimal 1B 33 n Remarks: Sets the line spacing for subsequent line feed commands to n/180 inch. 1/180 inch is the vertical distance between dots on the LQ-1500 (n can range from 0 to 255). Function: Set n/60-inch line spacing.
Vertical Spacing Commands (continued) Function: Set page length by inches Format: n Symbol “C” 67 0 7 Decimal Hexadecimal 1B 43 00 n n Remarks: Sets the page length to n inches (n can range from 1 to 22). Function: Set bottom margin Format: “N” n ASCII 27 78 n Decimal Hexadecimal 1B 4E n Remarks: Sets a bottom margin of n lines so that you can skip over the perforations in pin-feed paper (n can range from 1 to 127).
Vertical Spacing Commands (continued) Function: Set vertical tabs Format: “B” n1 n2 n3 . . . ASCII Decimal 27 66 nl n2 n3 . . . Hexadecimal 1B 42 nl n2 n3 . . . 0 00 Remarks: Sets vertical tabs on lines n1, n2, n3, etc. You can set up to 16 vertical tab positions. The values of n1, n2, n3, etc. can range from 1 to 254 and must be entered in ascending order.
Horizontal Spacing Commands Function: Carriage return Format: ASCII Decimal (CR) 13 Hexadecimal OD Remarks: Returns the print head to the left margin. If auto-line feed is on, paper is also advanced one line. Function: Set right margin Format: “Q” n ASCII 27 81 n Decimal Hexadecimal 1B 51 n Remarks: Sets a right margin at n character columns of the current character width. The value of n can range from 1 to 255. This command must be sent at the beginning of a line.
Horizontal Spacing Commands (continued) Function: Horizontal tab Format: ASCII 9 Decimal Hexadecimal 09 Remarks: This code advances the print head to the next horizontal tab position. The default tab settings are every eight characters. Function: Set horizontal tabs Format: (ESC) “D” n1 n2 n3 ASCII 27 68 nl n2 n3 Decimal Hexadecimal 1B 44 n1 n2 n3 ... ... ... 0 00 Remarks: Sets horizontal tabs at positions n1, n2, n3, etc. You can set up to 32 horizontal tab positions.
Horizontal Spacing Commands (continued) Function: Move print head Format: (ESC) “\” n1 ASCII 27 92 n1 Decimal Hexadecimal 1B 5C n1 n2 n2 n2 Remarks: Moves the print head a specified distance from the last character printed. It can move the print head either left or right. The distance, in inches, is determined by the following formulas: Draft: (n1 + n2 x 256) / 120 Letter Quality: (n1 + n2 x 256) / 180 Proportional: (nl + n2 x 256) / 360 To move to the left, add 64 to the calculated value for n2.
Print Style Commands (continued) Function: Select elite width print Format: “M” ASCII 27 77 Decimal Hexadecimal 1B 4D Remarks: Selects elite width (12 characters per inch) print. Function: Cancel elite width print Format: ASCII “I’” Decimal 27 80 Hexadecimal 1B 50 Remarks: Cancels elite width print and returns the LQ-1500 to pica width print.
Print Style Commands (continued) Function: One-line expanded width print Format: ASCII 27 14 Decimal Hexadecimal 1B 0E Remarks : This command selects expanded width print for the remainder of the current line (unless explicitly canceled sooner). This command is the same as (SO). Function: Cancel one-line expanded width print Format: ASCII 20 Decimal Hexadecimal 14 Remarks: This code can be used to cancel one-line expanded width print before the end of the line.
Print Style Commands (continued) Function: Select compressed width print Format: ASCII 27 15 Decimal Hexadecimal 1B OF Function: Cancel compressed width print Format: ASCII 18 Decimal Hexadecimal 12 Function: Select emphasized print Format: “E” ASCII Decimal 27 69 Hexadecimal 1B 45 Function: Cancel emphasized print Format : “F” ASCII Decimal 27 70 Hexadecimal 1B 46 I Function: Select double-strike print Format: (ESC) “G” ASCII 27 71 Decimal Hexadecimal 1B 47 Function: Cancel d
Print Style Commands (continued) Function: Select italic print Format: “4” ASCII 27 52 Decimal Hexadecimal 1B 34 Function: Cancel italic print Format: “5” ASCII 27 53 Decimal Hexadecimal 1B 35 Remarks: This command cancels italic printing and returns you to the standard character set. Function: Underline on/off Format : (ESC) “-” ASCII 27 45 Decimal Hexadecimal 1B 2D n n n Remarks : This command turns underlining on (n = 1) or turns underlining off (n = 0).
Print Style Commands (continued) Function: Cancel superscripts and subscripts Format: “T” ASCII 27 84 Decimal Hexadecimal 1B 5 4 Character Set Commands Function: Userdefined character set on/off Format: (ESC) “%” n ASCII 27 37 n Decimal Hexadecimal 1B 25 n Remarks: This command either selects the user-defined character set (n = 1) or cancels the user-defined character set (n = 0).
Character Set Commands (continued) Function: Select international character set Format: (ESC) “R” n ASCII 27 82 n Decimal Hexadecimal 1B 52 n Remarks: Selects one of the 11 international character sets. The following table shows the valid values of n and the character sets selected for each. Appendix C shows the characters that change in the intemational character sets. n 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Country U.S.A.
Graphics Commands (continued) Function: Double-density dot graphics Format: (ESC) “L” n1 ASCII 27 76 nl Decimal Hexadecimal 1B 4C nl n2 n2 n2 data data data Remarks: Prints double-density dot graphics at 120 dots per inch. The values of nl and n2 define the number of bytes of data according to the formula n1 + n2 x 256. Each byte of data controls the print head pins in one vertical row of dots. The maximum number of bytes of data is 1632.
Graphics Commands (continued) Function: Selected density dot graphics Format: (ESC) "*" s ASCII 27 42 s Decimal Hexadecimal 1B 2A s nl nl nl n 2 n2 n2 data data data Remarks: Prints dot graphics in a selected density, and with either 8 pins or 24 pins. The functions of this command are covered in the LQ-1500 Programmer’s Manual.
Miscellaneous Commands (continued) Function: Delete character Format : ASCII Decimal 127 Hexadecimal 7F Remarks: Deletes the character immediately preceding it, unless that character has already been printed. Function: Deselect printer Format: ASCII Decimal 19 Hexadecimal 13 Remarks : Places the LQ-1500 in an off-line state. It will ignore all codes until it receives a select printer code.
Miscellaneous Commands (continued) Function: Set specified data to repeat printing Format: “V” n ASCII 27 86 n Decimal Hexadecimal 1B 56 n data “V” data 27 86 data 0 1B 56 0 0 Remarks: This command sequence will repeat data n times. This sequence can be nested up to five times, and the data string can contain up to 2K characters. DIP switch 1-1 must be in the down position to use this command sequence.
Miscellaneous Commands (continued) Function: BelI Format: ASCII 7 Decimal Hexadecimal 7 Remarks: Sounds the LQ-1500’s buzzer. Function: Backspace Format : ASCII 8 Decimal Hexadecimal 8 Remarks: Moves the print head one character to the left. This allows you to overstrike characters. (Note: the print head doesn’t actually move to the left, the LQ-1500 combines the two characters and prints them as one.
Miscellaneous Commands (continued) Function: Enable paper-out detector Format: (ESC) “9” ASCII 27 57 Decimal Hexadecimal 1B 39 Remarks: Turns the paper detector on so that it will report when the printer runs out of paper. Function: Return print head to home position (one-line unidirectional printing) Format: “<” ASCII 27 60 Decimal Hexadecimal 1B 3C Remarks : Returns the print head to the left side of the printer.
Appendix B Changing Printing Style The LQ-1500 can produce 224 different styles of printing. Although there are many commands to select these different styles of printing, there is one command that lets you choose at will between any of them. This command is called Master Select. The Master Select command consists of “!” followed by a single ASCII code. The value of the ASCII code determines the printing style that is selected.
The Select Print Quality command will select either the Letter Quality or the Draft set.
72
73
Appendix C The LQ-1500 Character Set ASCII 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 Draft LQ Prop. ! ! ! " " " # * # $ % % $ % & & & ' , , ( ( ) ( ) * * * + + + , ) , , - - . . .
ASCII Draft 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 LQ Prop.
ASCII 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 Draft Y Z a b LQ Y Z a b Prop. Y Z a b f c d e f g g h h f g h i i i j j k k c d e j k C d e ASCII 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 Prop.
Draft Letter quality ProDortional 78 International Characters
Appendix D Widths of the Proportional Characters This table lists the widths of the LQ-1500’s proportional characters. The values given are in 360ths of an inch (for example: a value of 36 is 36/360 inch). You may need to enter these widths into a special table for your word processing program so that it can calculate the number of proportional characters that will fit on each line. The table shows: the character, its ASCII code (decimal) and lists four widths.
r- Total width Right-space Body Left-space Figure D-1.
LQ Proportional (normal) (continued) 81
LQ Proportional (normal) (continued) Character 82 ASCII code Leftspace Body Right- Total
LQ Proportional (normal) (continued) Character ASCII code Left space Body Right space Total Text 83
LQ Proportional (superscript/subscript) Character ASCII\ code Left space Body Right space Total width
LQ Proportional (superscript/subscript) (continued) 85
86
Appendix E ASCII Code Conversion Chart This chart can be used to convert between the different names for ASCII codes. The codes from 0 to 32 have both decimal and hexidecima1 numbers, abbreviations, and the control keys used to type them. The codes above 32 have the character that prints instead of the abbreviation .
Hexadecimal Decimal 19 1A 1B 1C 1D 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 Decimal 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 88 1E 1F 20 Hexadecimal Character 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 2A 2B 2C 2D 2E 2F 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 3A 3B 3C 3D 3E 3F 40 41 42 43 Abbreviation Control key Control-Y Control-Z Control-[ Decimal 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 8.
Decimal 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 Decimal 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 Decimal 161 162 163 164 165 166 Hexadecimal Character 67 68 69 6A 6B 6C 6D 6E 6F 70 71 72 I m n O P q r Decimal Hexadecimal Character 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 7A 7B 7C 7D 7E S Hexadecimal Abbreviation Decimal t u V W X Y Z Hexadecimal Abbreviation 8C 8D 8E 8F (SOH> <
Decimal 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 90 Hexadecimal Character Decimal AD AE AF BO B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8 .
Appendix F Specifications of the Epson LQ-1500 Printing Printing Method Impact dot matrix, with 24-pin print head Printing Speed Draft 200 characters per second Letter Quality 67 characters per second Character sets 96 regular, 96 italic, 32 international characters in each of; letter quality, proportional letter quality and draft styles.
Paper Paper types Single-sheet, friction feed, 7.2 to 14.3 inches wide. Pin-feed, with optional tractor unit, 4 to 16 inches wide. Original and up to three no-carbon copies Single sheet thickness: 0.06mm - O.1mm Total of all sheets 0.2mm maximum Printer Dimensions Height: 130mm Width: 604mm (without knob) Depth: 363mm Weight 14kg Power required Voltage: 108 to 122 VAC Frequency: 49.5 to 60.
INDEX American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) 45 codes, conversion 87 Application Notes 2 Assembly of printer 5 of sheet guide 12 Backspace 67 BASIC 46 Bell 23, 24, 67 Buttons 25 FF (Form feed) 26 LF (Line feed) 27 ON LINE 26 SHEET LOAD 27,32 Cable, connection of 18 Carriage return 46, 54 Cartridge, ribbon 9 Character matrix 91 Character set 75, 91 Character set commands 61 Characters, international 23, 78 Characters, proportional widths 79 Cleaning, of printer 27 Codes, names of 46 Comma
DIP switches 19 switch 121 switch 1-122, 66 switch 1-2 22, 27, 32, 35, 67 switch 1-3 22 switch 2 22 switches 2-1, 2-2, 2-323 switch 2-4 23 switch 2-5 23 switch 2-6 24 switch 2-7 24, 43 switch 2-8 24 Double-strike print 59 Draft print 23, 24, 72 Dust cover 7 Eighth-bit control 66 Electrical outlet 4, 24 Emphasized print 59 Environment, of printer 92 Escape code 47 Expanded print 57 FF (Form feed) button 26 Foreign (international) charcters 23, 62, 78 Form feed 51 Form length 23, 51 Friction feed 30 Fro
LF (Line feed) button 27 Lights 25 ON LINE 26 PAPER OUT 26,27 POWER 25 READY 25 Line feed 50 automatic 22 Line spacing 50 Loading paper pin-feed 34 single-sheet 31 Location, selection 3 LQ-1500 Application Notes 2 LQ-1500 Programmer’s Manual 2, 49 Maintenance 27 cleaning 27 other 28 Margin bottom 52 left 54 right 54 Master Select command 56, 69 Miscellaneous commands 64 Move print.
Pinfeed paper, loading 34 Pitch, print 57 Platen 8 Platen release lever 30, 32, 37, 38 Power cord, installation 24 POWER light 25 Power requirements 92 Power switch 25 Print head 8, 91 Print head adjustment lever 30, 31, 32, 39 Print head, moving 56 Print pitch 57 Print style commands 56 print style 69 Compressed 58 Double-strike 59 Draft 72 Emphasized 59 Expanded57 Italic 60 Letter quality 71 Proportional 57, 70 Underline 60 Printing, method 91 proportional 57 speed 91 Programmer’s manual, LQ-1500 2, 49 Pr
Switches 19 Switch 122 Switch 2 23 Tab horizontal 55 vertical 52 Technical specifications 91 Tractor unit 29 installation 34 removal 41 Underline print 60 Unidirectional printing 68 Unpacking, of print 2 User-defined characters 61 Vertical spacing commands 50 Vertical tab 52 Vertical tab, in channel 53 Weight, of printer 92 Widths of proportional characters 79 97
EPSON AMERICA, INC. LIMITED WARRANTY Epson America, Inc. hereby warrants that it will repair or replace, at its option, any part of the Epson product with which this warranty is enclosed which proves defective by reason of improper workmanship and/or material, without charge for parts or labor, for a period of one (1) year.
Using the LQ-1500 Commands with BASIC Most versions of BASIC use the LPRINT command and the CHR$(n) function to send codes to the printer. In the CHR!$(n) function the value n is the number of the code that you want to send to the printer. For example, to set a right margin at column 60, the LQ-1500 command is: “Q” 60 In BASIC it looks like this: LPRINT CHR$(27) “Q” CHR$(60); Control Codes by Function Vertical Spacing Commands Produces a line feed.
“W” n “E” “F” “G” “H” “4” “5” “-” n “S” n “T” Selects one-line expanded width print. Selects one-line expanded width print. Cancels one-line expanded print. Turns expanded width print ON (n=l) or turns expanded width print OFF (n=0). Selects compressed width print. Selects compressed width print. Cancels compressed width print. Selects emphasized print. Cancels emphasized print.
Master Select Codes Each print style is assigned a value to be used with the Master Select command. The Master Select command consists of "!" followed by a single ASCII code. To create a master select code, add the values of the print styles that you want to combine.
ASCII Code Conversion Chart Dec 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 Dec Hex 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 21 22 23 24 25 56 57 58 26 27 28 29 2A 2B 2C 2D 2E 2F 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 3A Hex 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 OA 0B 0C 0D 0E OF 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 1A 1B 1C 1D 1E 1F 20 Char ! n Dec 59 60 # 61 62 $ % & ' ( ) * + ' __ __ ; 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72
Dec 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 Dec 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 Hex Char 6F o 70 P 71 q 72 r 73 S 74 t 75 u 76 77 78 79 7A 7B 7C 7D 7E Hex 7F 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 8A 8B 8C 8D 8E 8F 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 9B 9C 9D 9E 9F A0 v w x Y z [ 1 } -Abbrev (STX>