EPSON® LQ-800 and LQ-1000 Printers User's Manual
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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Intro-1 1 2 Setting Up Your LQ Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1 Unpacking Your Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Installing the paper feed knob . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Selecting the Right Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Installing the Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Replacing the ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Tractor Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Up the LQ for Continuous-feed Paper . . . . . . Installing the Tractor Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Loading Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting the top-of-page position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Installing the paper separator and tractor cover . . . Removing the Optional Tractor Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Graphics and User-Defined Characters . . . . . . . . . . . . Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The print head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dot patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eight-pin graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Twenty-four-pin graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pin labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Appendixes A The DIP Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1 B The LQ Character Set and ASCII Table . . . . . . . . . . . B-1 Installing the Option Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-1 C-2 C-3 C-3 D Troubleshooting and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Diagnosing the Problem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beeper Error Warnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hex Dump Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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 The LQ-800 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The LQ-1000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Installing the paper feed knob . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tightening the ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Loading the LQ-800 ribbon cartridge . . . . . . . . . . Loading the LQ-1000 ribbon cartridge . . . . . . . . . Positioning the ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6-1 6-2 6-3 6-4 6-5 6-6 6-7 6-8 Pin numbering system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Calculations for pin patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pattern on grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Data layout for 24-pin graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Design grids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . User-defined character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Calculating the data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tables 5-1 5-2 5-3 5-4 5-5 LQ character widths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . International characters in Letter Quality mode . . International characters in draft mode . . . . . . . . . International characters in proportional mode . . . Maximum right margin settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-10 5-16 5-17 5-17 5-19 6-1 6-2 6-3 6-4 Graphics options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Individual graphics options commands . . . . . . . . . Character width limits .
Introduction The Epson LQ-800 and LQ-1000 are state-of-the-art, X-pin dotmatrix printers that deliver exceptional speed and sharpness in either Letter Quality or draft style.
l l The compact design and light weight of the LQ make it ideal for home and business applications. A 7K buffer frees your computer so you can work on one document while printing another. Using this manual To make it easier to set up your new LQ-800 or LQ-1000, this manual includes a 10-step guide to setting up your printer. These steps take you from unpacking, through ribbon and paper loading, to printing your first document.
Chapter 1 Setting Up Your LQ Printer Setting up your new LQ is easy. Simply follow the steps in this chapter. Note The LQ-800 and LQ-1000 are essentially the same printer except that the LQ-1000 can accept wider paper. Therefore, most of the illustrations in this manual show only the LQ-800. If there is a difference that you need to know about, a separate illustration shows the LQ-1000.
Figure 1-1. The LQ-800 Figure 1-2.
Remove the tape that holds the dust cover in place during shipping and take the cover off the printer. Simply tilt the dust cover up and lift it off the printer. WARNING The print head is protected by two plastic bumpers during shipping. Both of these bumpers must be removed before turning on the printer. Remove the long bumper to the right of the print head first, then move the print head to the center of the LQ and remove the small bumper on the left side of the print head.
Now that you’ve installed the paper feed knob, use it to remove the sheet of paper wrapped around the printer’s platen (the black roller). 2 Selecting the Right Location The most important consideration in choosing a location for your printer is that it be close enough to connect a cable to your computer. But also keep the following tips in mind: l l l l l l Place the printer or printer stand on a solid and level foundation. Avoid setting it on carpet, chairs, or unstable surfaces.
3 Installing the Ribbon With the dust cover removed, you have easy access to the printer for ribbon installation and paper loading. The next time you install a ribbon or load paper, you can leave the cover on. Now you’re ready to install the ribbon. 1. Manually move the print head to the middle of the platen. WARNING The power must be OFF when moving the print head. Moving the print head when the power is ON may damage your printer.
3. For the LQ-800, hold the ribbon cartridge by the raised plastic fin on top of the cartridge; for the LQ-1000 hold the cartridge by the two plastic tabs. Lower the cartridge into the printer, guiding the two square pins on each. end of the cartridge into the slots in the printer frame, as shown in Figures 1-5 and 1-6. Press firmly on each end of the cartridge to make sure the pins are firmly seated in the slots. Figure 1-5. Loading the LQ-800 ribbon cartridge Figure 1-6.
4. Now use the point of a pencil to guide the ribbon into place between the ribbon guide and the print head as shown in Figure 1-7. (There is also a diagram on the top of the ribbon cartridge itself.) Figure 1-7. Positioning the ribbon 5. With the cartridge in place, again turn the ribbon knob in the direction of the arrow to tighten the ribbon. And that’s it-the ribbon is now installed.
Replacing the ribbon. . . When buying new ribbon cartridges for the LQ-800 or 1000, be sure you get a ribbon specifically for the LQ-800 or 1000. Ribbon cartridges for other Epson printers, such as the FX series, may closely resemble an LQ ribbon, but their use can damage the LQ print head. Also, ribbon cartridges for the LQ-1500 will not fit the LQ-800 or 1000, and the Epson ribbon replacement pack #8758 should not be used as a replacement ribbon. The LQ uses a continuous-loop, inked fabric ribbon.
The guide has rounded pins on each end. These pins fit into notches on each end of the paper slot. Slide one of the guide’s pins into one notch. Then, with gentle pressure, snap the other pin into the other notch as shown in Figure 1-8. Figure 1-8. Installing the single-sheet guide The edge tab on the left side of the guide is movable, with a click stop for its middle position. For standard-sized (8½-inch wide) paper, see that the tab is in the click-stop position.
1. Check that the dust cover is tilted up to make it easier to see inside the printer, as shown in Figure 1-9. 2. Make sure the paper release lever is pushed back in the direction of the arrow in the figure, and that the paper bail is pulled away from the platen. Figure 1-9. Loading single-sheet paper 3. Insert a single sheet of paper behind the platen as shown in Figure 1-9. Put the left edge of the paper against the edge tab on the single sheet guide. 4.
Caution Never use the manual paper feed knob while the power is ON because you can damage the paper feed motor. Always use the LINE FEED or FORM FEED button. You will also find that the paper feed knob turns easily when the power is OFF, but is difficult to turn while the power is ON. When loading single-sheet paper, you may find that the LQ finishes pages at different places than your word processor or applications program does.
Adjusting the paper thickness lever The LQ is equipped with a paper thickness lever that can be adjusted to accommodate varying thicknesses of paper. The lever is located in front of the paper release lever on the left side of the printer as shown in Figure 1-10. Figure 1-10. Paper thickness lever When you receive your LQ, the lever is set for standard paper thickness (about 1/500th of an inch), with the small arm on the paper thickness lever set in the notch shown in Figure 1-10.
Plug in the printer’s power cord, making sure the outlet is properly grounded. Turn the power ON with the switch on the left side of the printer (see Figure 1-11). Figure 1-11. Turning on the power switch When the power is turned ON: l l l The print head moves back and forth and stops at the left side of the printer. The printer is initialized-any previous settings are erased, and the printer is reset to its default (or preset) values. See Appendix I for a list of default values.
6 Operating the Control Panel Each of the three buttons on the LQ control panel (see Figure 1-12) has two functions-the functions marked in blue (ON LINE, LETTER QUALITY, and DRAFT) are active when the printer is on line; the functions marked in black (OFF LINE, FORM FEED, and LINE FEED) are active when the printer is off line. The printer is on line when the ON LINE light is on; it is off line when the ON LINE light is off. Figure 1-12.
ON LINE-The green ON LINE light indicates that the printer is on line and ready to receive data. When the LQ is on line, you can select either the Letter Quality or draft mode. FORM FEED/LETTER QUALITY FORM FEED-Pressing this button advances the paper to the top of the next page if you’re using continuous-feed paper (see Chapter 3, “Installing the Tractor Unit”). If you’re using single-sheet paper, it fully ejects one sheet. The form feed function works only when the printer is off line.
7 Selecting the Letter Quality or Draft Mode When you receive your LQ, it is preset to print in the Letter Quality mode. As shown in the sample below, the Letter Quality characters are fully formed and are ideal for formal correspondence or other presentation-quality work. For those times when you need only a rough draft, the LQ also has a draft mode, also shown below. In draft mode, the LQ prints more quickly, because fewer dots are used to form each letter.
To run the self test in the Letter Quality mode, hold down the LETTER QUALITY button while you turn the power switch ON. To run the test in the draft mode, hold down the DRAFT button while turning the power ON. The self test then takes over. The self test prints a version identification number, the name of the installed typeface family, then (as you can see in Figure 1-13) all of the characters in the selected character set.
The parallel interface The connector on a parallel interface cable, as shown in Figure 1-14, is secured to both the LQ and your computer by two clips. After plugging the cable into the LQ and your computer, be sure to snap the clips in place, and connect the ground strap if the cable is equipped with one. Figure 1-14. Connecting a parallel interface cable Once you’ve connected a parallel cable, you’re ready to print. The parallel interface does not require any additional settings.
10 Printing Your First Document Now that you’ve completed the basic setup and operating steps, your LQ is ready to print. The following chapter explains how to set up your word processor to work with the LQ. Additional chapters and appendixes cover programming, control codes and ESCape sequences, technical specifications and maintenance . If you have any difficulty printing your first document, check the following list to make sure you’ve completed all the setup steps.
Chapter 2 The Cut Sheet Feeder The cut sheet feeder automatically loads single sheets of paper into the LQ, allowing you to print on letterhead, bond, or individual forms. Installing the Cut Sheet Feeder 1. Make sure the power is OFF. 2. Set DIP switch 1-8 on the back of the printer to the ON position and DIP switch 1-7 to the OFF position to select the cut sheet feeder. See Appendix A for information on resetting the DIP switches. 3.
4. Make sure the paper release lever is pushed back as shown in Figure 2-1. If this lever is not pushed back, the cut sheet feeder will not fit or operate properly. 5. Pull the paper bail away from the platen (the black roller) as shown in Figure 2-1. The paper bail should remain in this position whenever the cut sheet feeder is installed. 6. Now locate the rear mounting pins on the LQ as shown in Figure 2-2. The rear notches on the cut sheet feeder unit rest on these mounting pins. Figure 2-2.
7. Hold the cut sheet feeder assembly in two hands, and press the two cut sheet feeder release levers shown in Figure 2-1. 8. Now stand directly over the printer, look through the top of the cut sheet feeder, and guide the rear notches on the cut sheet feeder onto the rear mounting pins on the printer. 9. Tilt the cut sheet feeder forward until the front latches of the cut sheet feeder engage the front mounting pins on the printer. Release the levers and the cut sheet feeder locks in place.
11. For the LQ-800 model, install the large bracket in the stacker as shown in Figure 2-4. Slip the legs of the bracket into the metal slots on the bottom of the cut sheet feeder and make sure the bracket fits into the retaining clips on the upper part of the stacker. Figure 2-4. Installing the large bracket For the LQ-1000 model, there are two large brackets. Install them both as described above and also install the paper stand shown in Figure 2-5.
Figure 2-5. The LQ-1000 model Preparing the Paper for Loading 1. The paper must be straight and clean. If the paper is slightly bent, curled or uneven, it will not feed correctly. 2. The cut sheet feeder holds a maximum of 60 sheets of standard weight (20 lb.) paper. If you use a lighter or heavier weight of paper, compensate accordingly. (If more than one sheet of paper is being loaded at a time, remove some of the paper from the paper bin.) 3.
Loading Paper 1. Align the arrow on the left paper guide with the arrow stamped into the metal lip of the stacker, as shown in Figure 2-6. Figure 2-6. Paper support and paper loading lever 2. Pull the paper loading lever forward until it locks in the open position, as shown in Figure 2-6.
3. Set the stack of paper in the paper bin, aligning it against the left paper guide as shown in Figure 2-7. Move the right paper guide over to the edge of the stack of paper, but leave a little room so the paper doesn’t bind. Make sure the paper is behind the angled metal tabs at the bottom of the left and right paper guides. Figure 2-7. Loading paper; adjusting the right paper guide 4. Push the paper loading lever back, and the stack of paper is pushed forward against the two feeder rollers.
setting up your word processor for a cut sheet feeder. . . If you‘ve never used a cut sheet feeder before, you may have to set up your word processor accordingly. When the cut sheet feeder positions the paper for printing, it automatically leaves a one-inch margin at the top of a page. If you’ve been printing with continuous-feed paper, you11 need to adjust the settings on your word processor so that the pages print the same with the cut sheet feeder.
Printing with the Cut Sheet Feeder 1. Turn the power ON with the switch on the left side of the printer, as shown in Figure 2-8. Figure 2-8. Turning the power on 2. When you turn the power ON: l The print head moves to the left side. l The POWER, READY, and ON LINE lights glow green. l The red PAPER OUT light goes on. (The PAPER OUT light remains on until paper is fed into the printer.) 3. Now print a document with your word processor as you normally would.
l l The red PAPER OUT light goes out while there’s paper in the printer. Printing begins. When the LQ finishes printing a document, you have three options. If you wish to continue printing-You can print another document as you normally would; the cut sheet feeder ejects the last page from the previous job, then loads and prints the new document. If you want to fully eject the last page of a document-First take the LQ off line by pressing the ON LINE button (the green ON LINE light goes out).
4. Hold the cut sheet feeder on each side, press the release levers as shown in Figure 2-9, and lift the unit off the printer. Figure 2-9. Removing the cut sheet feeder Remember, if you decide to print with another type of paper feed system, such as the optional tractor feed, you’ll have to: l l l Reset DIP switch 1-8 from ON back to OFF. (Don’t forget to turn the power OFF then ON again so the printer will record the new setting.
Troubleshooting If you have any difficulties operating the cut sheet feeder, check the troubleshooting list shown below. If you continue to have difficulty, consult your authorized Epson dealer. Problem Recommendation Cut sheet feeder does not fit flush on the printer. Check that the paper release lever on the left side of the printer is pushed back, and that the paper bail is pulled away from the platen. Review the installation instructions. Printer doesn’t print; cut sheet feeder doesn’t operate.
Problem Two or more sheets of paper are loaded instead of one. Recommendation Remove paper and fan it. Paper was not sufficiently loosened before being loaded into the paper bin. Make sure paper is loaded behind the metal tabs on the bottom of the left and right paper guides, Too much paper was loaded into the paper bin-remove some of the unused sheets. The weight of the paper is too light. Add paper. Printing starts too low on the page. Your word processor may not be set up properly.
Periodically, the inside of the cut sheet feeder should be cleaned to get rid of dust and paper lint. First, turn the power OFF and remove the cut sheet feeder from the printer. Then use a soft brush to clean the inside areas. Make sure the gray rollers are kept free of dust so that the paper feeds evenly. If you have any problems, contact your authorized Epson dealer.
Chapter 3 The Tractor Unit The tractor unit for the LQ is easy to install and use. Before you begin the installation, make sure you have received the following: l The tractor unit l The smoke-colored tractor cover l The narrow front lid l The paper separator l The paper shelf Setting Up the LQ for Continuous-feed Paper Before installing the tractor unit, you should set up your LQ so that continuous-feed paper can flow freely in and out of the printer.
Figure 3-2. Continuous-feed paper without stand Installing the Tractor Unit 1. Remove the original dust cover that was included with your LQ. Replace it with the front lid packaged with the tractor unit, and leave it tilted up, as shown in Figure 3-3. Figure 3-3. Installing the tractor unit 2. Hold the tractor with the gears to the right, and fit the rear notches on the tractor unit over the rear mounting pins on the printer, as shown in Figure 3-3.
3. Tilt the tractor unit toward you until the front latches click in place over the front mounting pins on the printer. Loading Paper To load continuous-feed paper, follow these instructions: 1. Make sure that the printer is turned OFF. 2. Move the print head to the center of the printer, pull the paper bail away from the platen, and pull the paper release lever forward, as shown in Figure 3-4. Figure 3-4.
3. Using Figure 3-5 as a guide, pull the locking levers on the pin-feed holders forward so that you can move the holders to the left and right. Figure 3-5. Moving the pin-feed holders 4. Position the left holder all the way to the left and push the locking lever back to lock that holder in place. Leave the right holder unlocked. 5. Open the pin-feed covers as shown in Figure 3-6.
Figure 3-6. Opening the pin-feed covers 6. Now install the paper shelf by fitting it into the two notches on the back of the printer, as shown in Figure 3-7. The paper shelf keeps the paper from getting caught on the interface cable. Figure 3-7.
7. If you have an LQ-800, center the one support in the middle of the tractor as shown in Figure 3-7. If you have an LQ-1000, space the two paper supports evenly along the width of the paper. 8. Now guide the paper behind the platen, and push it through until it comes up between the ribbon guide and the platen as shown in Figure 3-8. (Moving the paper with a side-to-side motion makes it easier to push the paper through.) Figure 3-8.
9. Pull the paper up until the top is above the pin-feed holders. Fit the holes on the left side of the paper over the pins in the left holder (as shown in Figure 3-9) and close the cover. Figure 3-9. Fitting the paper over the pin feeds 10. Fit the right side of the paper into the right holder, moving the holder as needed to match the width of the paper. 11. Close the right cover, making sure the paper has no dips or wrinkles and lock the right holder in place. 12.
Figure 3-10. Top-of-page position Setting the top-of-page position . . . Once you‘ve loaded continuous-feed paper into your LQ, you need to establish a top-of-page position so that the printed pages end where you want them to and do not cross over a perforation between pages. To set the top-of-page position, make sure the power is OFF and use the paper feed knob to advance the paper until a perforation between sheets lines up evenly with the top of the ribbon guide, as shown in Figure 3-10.
The separator has rounded pins on each end that fit into notches located just behind the tractor unit. Slide one of the separator’s pins into one notch, then with a gentle pressure, snap the other pin into the other notch as shown in Figure 3-11. Figure 3-11.
The smoked plastic tractor cover is the finishing touch. Simply place it over the tractor unit, making sure the notches on the side of the cover fit into the slots on the printer, as shown in Figure 3-12. Figure 3-12.
Removing the Optional Tractor Unit When you want to remove the optional tractor unit from the LQ simply push back on the tractor release levers as shown in Figure 3-13, tilt the unit back, and lift it off the printer. Figure 3-13.
Chapter 4 Using the LQ with Commercial Software Now that you have set up and tested your printer, you can do any of these things: l Use the printer with commercial software (such as a word processor, spreadsheet, or database). l Learn about the features of the printer. l Write programs to use the features of the printer. Most of you probably want to begin using your LQ with commercial software to print such items as documents, reports, letters, spreadsheets, and graphics.
If neither one of these printers is listed, choose LQ-1500 because that printer recognizes virtually the same codes that the LQ-800 and LQ-1000 use. (If you have a program that does not list the LQ-1500 as an option, you may be able to obtain an update from the manufacturer. Contact your software dealer or the manufacturer to see if an update that includes the LQ-1500, LQ-1000, or LQ-800 is available.) If your program does not list any LQ printers, choose a printer from the list below.
Chapter 5 LQ Features This chapter describes many of the printing features of the LQ. You can read this chapter if you wish, but you may not need to. Whether or not you use the rest of this manual depends upon your expertise, your interest, and the software you use. The demonstration programs in this chapter enable you to see LQ features and print styles in action.
Some codes tell the printer to print a character, and other codes tell it to turn on or off certain printer functions, such as emphasized or Letter Quality. Because the codes between 0 and 127 are basically standardized by the American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII), they are referred to as ASCII numbers in this manual. Nearly all of the codes for printer functions require more than one number and begin with a special code, called the escape code.
Even if you never use BASIC again, you will know the capabilities of your printer, capabilities that can often solve your printing problems. For example, if you need a special symbol, such as a Greek letter, you will know that you can turn to the chapter on user-defined characters and create such a character. If you don’t want to do the exercises in BASIC, you don’t have to.
Sending Control Codes to the Printer The short program that follows illustrates the concepts of control codes and ESCape sequences. This exercise may help you make better use of this chapter and the next. Type and run the program. It should produce the printout you see below it. After the printout you’ll find a detailed description of the operation of the program.
Basic Widths The first programs print characters in the LQ’s three basic widths. Further programs show you how to produce other character widths by condensing and widening the basic ones. Pica printing The first program prints a sample line of characters in pica. This is the default width on the LQ, which means it is used unless the printer receives a command to use one of the other two basic widths.
Now run the program to produce a sample of printing in the fifteen mode. ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]ˆ_'abcdefghi Letter Quality and Draft Your LQ is set at the factory to print in the Letter Quality mode unless you turn on the draft mode with the DRAFT button on the control panel or with a DIP switch (described in Appendix A). Therefore, the printouts in this manual are shown in Letter Quality. If you want to see how a feature looks in the draft mode, press the DRAFT button before you run the program.
Either one of these methods returns the printer to what are called its defaults, which are the standard settings in effect every time you turn the printer on. Resetting the printer has two main effects. It returns the printing to single-strike pica, thus cancelling any other pitches or enhancements you may have turned on, and the current position of the print head becomes the top-of-page setting.
Print Quality Command Although you can turn on the draft mode with one of the panel buttons, you can also use a software command to switch between draft and Letter Quality. Enter and run the following program to see how Letter Quality and draft are turned on and off by an ESCape sequence (note that you use a lowercase x, not a capital X, in line 10). NEW 10 LPRINT 20 LPRINT 30 LPRINT 40 LPRINT CHR$(27)"x0"; "This is draft." CHR$(27)"x1"; "This is Letter Quality." This is draft. This is Letter Quality.
As you can see in this program, double-width is another of the modes with an ESCape code that uses a letter with the numeral one to turn on the mode and a letter with the numeral zero to turn it off. Therefore, the command to turn on double-width is ESCape “W1” and the command to turn it off is ESCape "W0". 10 LPRINT "This is standard pica." 20 LPRINT CHR$(27)"W1";"Double-width pica" 30 LPRINT "Still double-width" 40 LPRINT CHR$(27)"W0"; 50 LPRINT "This is standard pica again." This is standard pica.
This is standard This is condensed pica, This is condensed elite, pica. By using combinations of the various width modes, the LQ can print nine widths, which range from 5 to 20 characters per inch (cpi) as shown in the table below: Table 5-1. LQ character widths CPI 5 6 7.5 8.5 10 10 12 15 17.
NEW 10 LPRINT "This is standard printing." 20 LPRINT CHR$(27)"E"; 30 LPRINT "This is emphasized printing." 100 LPRINT CHR$(27)"@" This is standard printing. This is emphasized printing. Emphasized is an especially good method for emphasizing a word or phrase in the draft mode as shown in the printout below. The code to turn off emphasized is ESCape “F”. In the draft mode emphasized makes a word stand out. Double-strike The other bold mode is double-strike.
Underline mode The LQ also has a mode that underlines characters and spaces. You turn it on with ESCape “-1” and off with ESCape “-0”. Note that the underline code is like the double-width code in that it uses a character, in this case the hyphen or minus sign, combined with numeral one to turn it on and a character combined with the numeral zero to turn it off. You can see it in action with the following program: NEW 10 LPRINT "This is not underlined.
Notice that you must use a lowercase p, not a capital P, for this mode. The next section describes Master Select, which includes another method for turning proportional on and off. Master Select The LQ has a special: ESCape code called Master Select that allows you to choose many possible combinations of nine different modes: pica, elite, proportional, condensed, emphasized, double-strike, double-width, italic, and underline.
To print this combination, therefore, you use ESCape “!” followed by the number 160. In the BASIC programming language the command is CHR$(27)“!“CHR$(l60). To try this number or any other, enter and run this short program, which will ask you for a Master Select number and then give you a sample of printing using that code.
Superscript and subscript Your LQ can also print superscripts and subscripts, which you can use for mathematical formulas, footnotes, and other items that require numbers or letters above or below the usual print line. ESCape “S0” turns on superscript and ESCape "S1" turns on subscript. ESCape “T” turns off either one. You can see them in action with the program below : 10 LPRINT "The formula for water is H"; 20 LPRINT CHR$(27)"S1";"2"CHR$(27)"T"; 30 LPRINT "0.
In this format n is the appropriate number from the list of international character sets. In other words, the BASIC command to select the French character set is: LPRINT CHR$(27)"R"CHR$(1) Another method of selecting most of the international character sets is to reset a DIP switch. If you plan to use one of the first eight international sets quite a bit, see Appendix A for instructions on using the DIP switches.
Table 5-3. International characters in Letter Quality mode USA FRANCE GERMANY UK DENMARK I SWEDEN ITALY SPAIN JAPAN NORWAY DENMARK II SPAIN II LATIN AMERICA Table 5-4.
If your keyboard does not have one of the keys that you need, you will have to send the proper ASCII number to the printer in another way, such as a programming language like BASIC. Page Formatting Although the LQ printer has many sophisticated commands to set margins, line spacing, horizontal and vertical tabs and character spacing, this section won’t take up your time with extensive discussions of these because most are taken care of by applications programs.
The maximum right margins are shown in Table 5-5. Table 5-5. Maximum right margin settings Skip-over-perforation If you are using continuous-feed paper for printing program listings or other material not controlled by an applications program, you may find that the LQ prints right over the perforations between pages. The LQ has an ESCape code to prevent this: the ESCape “N” command. You send ESCape “N" followed by the number of lines you want the LQ to skip at the bottom of a page.
The standard line spacing is the only one you need for almost all printing of text, but in some cases you may want to increase or decrease the space between lines. The LQ has several commands to do this, one of which specifies the line spacing in 180ths of an inch. If you need to make such fine adjustments in the line spacing, see Appendix I for the proper commands. In Chapter 6 you’ll see how useful changes in line spacing can be for dot graphics.
Chapter 6 Graphics and User-Defined Characters The dot graphics mode allows your LQ to produce pictures, graphs, charts, or almost any other pictorial material you can devise, and the user-defined character feature allows you or a commercial software program to put special characters in the LQ’s memory so that they can be printed just as if they were ordinary letters.
Income Breakdown The quickest and easiest way to print graphics on your LQ is to use a commercial graphics program. With such programs you usually create an image on your monitor and then give a command to send the image to the printer. If you use commercial software that produces graphics, all you need to know about dot graphics is how to use the software. If, on the other hand, you wish to do your own programming or merely wish to understand how the LQ prints graphics, read on.
Dot patterns The LQ’s print head is able to print graphics as well as text because graphic images are formed on the LQ about the same way that pictures in newspapers and magazines are printed. If you look closely at a newspaper photograph, you can see that it is made up of many small dots. The LQ also forms its images with patterns of dots, as many as 360 dot positions per inch horizontally and 180 dots vertically.
128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1 Figure 6-1. Pin numbering system To fire any one pin, you send its number. To fire more than one pin at the same time, add up the numbers of the pins and send the sum to the printer. With these labels for the pins, you fire the top pin by sending 128. To fire the bottom pin, you send 1. If you want to fire only the top and bottom pins, you simply add 128 and 1, then send 129. By adding the appropriate label numbers together, you can fire any combination of pins.
a single line of triple-density graphics only one inch long requires 540 numbers. Fortunately, commercial software can do the calculations for you. Before you can put these numbers in a graphics program, however, you need to know the format of the graphics command. Graphics Command The graphics mode command is quite different from the other commands covered so far in this manual. For most of the other LQ modes, such as emphasized and double-width, one ESCape code turns the mode on and another turns it off.
Column reservation numbers The graphics command requires more than one number to specify how many columns to reserve because one line can use thousands of columns, but the LQ does not use numbers larger than 255 (decimal). Therefore, the graphics mode command uses two numbers for reserving columns. To figure the number of columns reserved, multiply the second number by 256 and add it to the first number. Since the command is set up for two numbers, you must supply two even if you need only one.
Line 20 selects single-density 24-pin graphics (mode 32 from Table 6-1) and also reserves 40 columns for graphics. Since 24-pin graphics requires three bytes of data for each column, line 30 begins a loop to supply 120 bytes of data. Line 40 contains the number 170 that produces the first pin pattern shown in Figure 6-2, and line 50 finishes the loop.
Write the assigned values of the pins next to your design and then total the values for each column of dots. These totals are the values that will be sent to the printer as graphics data to print the design. Figure 6-4 shows the same grid divided into three sections to make the data calculation easier. At the the bottom of each section of each column is the total of the pin numbers for that section. This gives you a total of 126 data numbers necessary to print this small figure. Figure 6-4.
Here is the BASIC program that prints the design shown in Figures 6-3 and 6-4. Notice that the data numbers in lines 80-140 are the same numbers that you see in Figure 6-4. Also note that the WIDTH statement in line 10 is for IBM PC BASIC; the format may be different for your system.
Individual graphics options commands As previously mentioned, the LQ responds to commands that are used by Epson FX and RX series printers. There are four individual graphics options commands that are very much the same as the ESCape “*” command, but each one works for only one graphics option. All these commands are 8-pin graphics options. Note that these commands contain one less variable than the ESCape "*" command because they don’t need to select a graphics option. They are shown in Table 6-2.
User-Defined Characters With the LQ, it is possible to define and print characters of your own design. You can design an entirely new alphabet or typeface, create characters for special applications such as mathematical or scientific symbols, or create graphic patterns with user-defined characters to serve as building blocks for larger designs. Below you can see samples of typefaces created with the userdefined character function.
proportional characters it is 37 dots wide, with the dots for both Letter Quality and proportional spaced more closely together than those for draft . Figure 6-5 shows the two design grids. The line at the side labelled cap indicates the top of a standard capital letter, and the line labelled base indicates the baseline for all letters except those with descenders (the bottom parts of such letters as j and y). The bottom row is usually left blank because it is used for underlining.
Defining Your Own Characters The first step in defining characters is to place the dots on a grid just as you want them to print. The examples here, like the ones in the graphics section, use an X to represent each dot. In Figure 6-6 you see a draft grid with a simple user-defined character planned on it. Figure 6-6. User-defined character Now you translate the dot pattern you’ve created on paper to a numeric format so you can send the information to the LQ. Every dot has an assigned value.
This manual uses decimal numbers because the example programs in this manual are written in BASIC and everyone is familiar with decimals. The data you send to the LQ, however, can be in any form (binary, decimal, hexadecimal) that you can use with your programming language. Figure 6-7. Calculating the data You’ve seen how to design a character by placing dots on a grid and translated the dots to decimal equivalents. The last step in defining a character is to send this information to the printer.
The LQ command to define characters is one of the most complex in its repertoire. The format of the command is this: ESCape “&” 0 nl n2 d0 dl d2 data The ESCape “&" is simple enough. The 0 (which is ASCII code 0, not the numeral zero in quotation marks) allows for future enhancements. At this time it is always ASCII 0. With the LQ, you can define many characters with a single command. The values n1 and n2 are the ASCII codes of the first and last characters you are defining.
to specify the dots in one vertical column of dots, the LQ expects dl x 3 bytes of data to follow d2.
first and third lines (printed by lines 80 and 120 of the program) print the normal at sign; the second line (line 100) prints the arrow that you defined. Run the program to see the printout below: @@@@@ @@@@@ As you can see, both sets of characters (the original ROM characters that the printer normally uses and the user-defined character set) remain in the printer available for your use. The command to switch between the two sets is used in lines 90 and 110.
Note This command will cancel any user-defined characters you have created. You must send this command to the printer before you define characters. If you use this command at the beginning of a program, then define your special characters and select the user-defined character set, you can print with the user-defined set as your normal character set. You’ll never need to switch back and forth between sets.
characters and regular characters is that they are smaller. They are a maximum of 16 dots high and their width in dot columns is shown in Table 6-4. Table 6-4. Super/subscript widths d1 (maximum) 7 23 23 Draft Letter Quality Proportional d0 + dl + d2 (maximum) 12 36 42 Since super/subscript characters are smaller, they don’t require as much information when you define them. When you define super/ subscript characters, you need only two bytes of data for each vertical row of dots.
Mixing the three types of user-defined characters is not permitted. If, for example, you select draft and define some characters, then select proportional and define some more, the first character definitions will be destroyed. Only one type of character definition may be stored in RAM at any time. If you define characters in one mode, then switch to another mode and select the user-defined character set, the command will be ignored and nothing will print.
Appendix A The DIP Switches Your LQ is equipped with sixteen DIP (Dual In-line Package) switches that allow you to change many of the printer’s settings to suit your printing needs. The DIP switches are located on two panels on the back of the printer as shown in Figure A-1, and can be easily changed with a thin, pointed object. Figure? A-1.
If you are using the serial interface on the LQ, then you need to check switches 2-3, 2-4, 2-5, and 2-6 to make sure the settings match those on your computer. Remember Each time you change a DIP switch setting, you should turn the power OFF reset the switch or switches, then turn the power ON again. The LQ only recognizes a new setting at the time the power is turned ON. The following tables describe the switches and their functions. The shaded gray boxes indicate the factory settings.
Table A-1. DIP switch panel 1 Switch No. 1-1 1-2 1-3 Function ON OFF International character set selection See Table A-3 Explanation These three switches select the International character sets shown in Table A-3 When you receive your LQ, the switches are set for the USA character set. To see the other character sets, turn to the end of Appendix B.
Table A-2. DIP switch panel 2 Switch No. Function 2-1 Select 11 -inch or 12-inch paper length 2-2 Not used 2-3 2-4 Select serial interface and parity setting 12” 11” See Table A-4 2-5 2-6 Explanation ON OFF Select the baud rate if you’re using a serial interface See Table A-5 The LQ must know the length of paper being used in order to skip perforations and establish top-ofpage setting. Most continuous-feed and single-sheet paper is 11 inch.
Table A-3. International DIP switch settings* 1-2 1-3 France 1-1 O N ON ON ON ON OFF Germany ON OFF ON U K Denmark O N OFF OFF OFF O N O N Sweden OFF O N OFF Country USA Italy OFF OFF O N Spain OFF OFF OFF *There are five additional international character sets available through software commands-Japan, Norway, Denmark II, Spain II, and Latin America. See Chapter 5 for additional information. Table A-4.
Appendix B The LQ Character Set and ASCII Table This table shows the three LQ character sets: Draft, Letter Quality, and Proportional. The table also shows the Decimal and Hexadecimal values of each character. The codes from O-32 and 127-160 are control codes and therefore not represented by characters. For these codes, the abbreviations of the functions are listed (i.e. BS for Backspace, LF for Line Feed, etc.). For those programs that make use of control keys, these values are also listed.
Dee Hex Draft LQ Prop. Dec Hex Draft LQ Prop.
Dec 117 118 119 120 121 Hex Draft u 75 76 77 78 79 Dec Hex 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 7F 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 8A 8B 8C 8D 8E 8F Dec 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 AB AC AD AE AF BO Hex Draft 122 123 124 125 126 7A 7B 7c 7D 7E U v V V W W x X X Y Y Y Abbrev. DEL NUL SOH STX ETX EOT ENQ ACK BEL BS HT LF VT FF CR so SI Al ! A2 ” A3 # A4 $ % A5 A6 & A7 ' A8 ( LQ Prop.
Dec Hex Draft LQ Prop. 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 Cl A C2 B C3 C C4 D C5 E C6 F C7 G C8 H C9 I CA J K CB CC L CD M CE N CF O D0 P Dl Q D2 R s D3 D4 T D5 U D6 v D7 W D8 x D9 Y DA Z DB [ DC \ DD ] DE ^ D F _ B-4 A B C D E F G H I J A B C D E F G H I J K K L L M M N N O O P P Q Q R R s s T T U U v v W W x x Y Y Z Z [ \ [ ] ^ _ \ ^ _ ] Dec Hex Draft LQ Prop.
Appendix C Installing the Option Cartridge The option cartridge for the LQ lets you change typestyles, extend the capabilities the printer, or use programs designed for other popular printers. Full instructions on their use come with each module. The cartridge is made up of two modules-the identity module and the font module. These two modules are plugged together to form an option cartridge, as shown in Figure C-1.
Figure C-2. Installing an option cartridge The Identity Module The identity modules can enhance the LQ’s capabilities or give it the “personality” of another printer. Identity modules include: l l l ESC/P Expansion (Epson Standard Code for Printers Expansion) #7696—This module maintains full Epson command capability, while adding the Epson Standard Graphics Set, access to additional typestyles with font modules, and greater flexibility for setting default values.
An identity module can be used with a font module or by itself. Bach identity module comes with a blank font module plugged into it. If you use an identity module by itself, leave the blank font module plugged in. If you use a font module, unplug the blank module and replace it with the font module. The Font Module The font modules are available in a number of different typestyles, including: A font module must be connected to an identity module in order to work.
Using the Option Cartridges When installing an option cartridge, you must turn the power OFF, plug in the cartridge, then turn the power ON again so that the printer acknowledges that an option cartridge has been installed. WARNING Do not install or remove an option cartridge while the power is ON, because you may damage the printer. Always turn the power OFF when installing or removing an option cartridge.
Appendix D Troubleshooting and Maintenance This appendix presents solutions for possible problems, explanations of the LQ’s advanced features, and maintenance tips. Diagnosing the Problem If the printouts from your LQ are not matching the document you’ve prepared on your computer, you’ll need to set up a test document. When you set up a test document on your computer, include the symbols #, [, \, ], and {, because of their variation in the different character sets.
Problem Nothing is printed Recommendation Make sure the printer is switched ON, and that the power source is ON. Check the connection between the printer and the computer. Be sure you are using the correct cable to connect the computer to the printer. Make sure the PAPER OUT light is OFF If it’s ON, reload the paper. Check the indicator light on the printer to see if the printer is on line.
Problem Recommendation The file is printed with an extra blank line between each line of text This happens if there is a line feed signal being sent from both the computer and the printer at the end of each line of text. Check the setting of DIP switch 2-8. If it is set to ON, then change it to OFF If it is set to OFF already, consult your dealer regarding a printer cable designed to correct this problem. Some of the characters printed do not match those in the file.
Trying again After you have checked the troubleshooting list, turn the printer OFF then back ON again to register any new settings of DIP switches. Then try printing your test file again. If the file still doesn’t print properly, work through the problems again, changing the settings as necessary. If a further attempt at printing your test file is unsuccessful, contact your Epson dealer. Beeper Error Warnings When the beeper on the LQ sounds, it usually indicates that the printer is out of paper.
Therefore, if you run the following BASIC program while your LQ is in the hex dump mode, you get the printout below it. The printer will print all but the last line and then stop. Press the ON LINE button to print the last line. l0 FOR X=70 TO 73 20 LPRINT CHR$(X): NEXT X 30 LPRINT CHR$(27)"E" 40 LPRINT "Sample text" 50 LPRINT CHR$(27)"@" 4 6 0D 0 A 4 7 5 3 6 1 6 D 7O 0A 0D 0 A 4 8 0D 0 A 4 9 0D 0 A 18 4 5 0D 0 A 6C 6 5 2 0 7 4 6 5 7 8 7 4 0 D 0 A 1B 4O 0 D F . . G . . H . . I . . . E . . Sample text...
following test program lets you check to see what codes, if any, are problems for your software. This program is in BASIC; use an equivalent program for another programming language. l0 FOR X=0 TO 255 20 LPRINT CHR$(X); 30 NEXT X Put the printer in hex dump mode and then RUN the program. Remember to press the ON LINE button to make the LQ print the final line. Then compare your printout with the list of hex codes in order in Appendix B.
The 255 is a special number that prevents the computer system from inserting a CR - LF into the line. Unless, of course, there’s one in your program. The extra line feed—CHR$(10)—that accompanies each carriage return—CHR$(13)—is no problem except when you need to use CHR$(13) in a graphics program. Getting rid of the extra CHR$(10) is rather complicated.
QX-10® and QX-16 Solutions The format for the WIDTH statement for the Epson QX-10 and QX-16 computers is: WIDTH LPRINT 255 Maintenance To keep your LQ working like new, always keep it in a safe and clean place. Keep it away from dust, grease, and any heat sources. A safe temperature range is 41°F to 95°F. To clean the outside of the printer case, use a soft, clean cloth dampened with clear water. Stubborn stains can be removed with nonabrasive household cleaners.
Next, remove the dust cover and ribbon cartridge (see Chapter 1 for more information), and slide the print head to the middle of the printer. Unlock the print head by moving the two locking levers to the left and right, as indicated by the arrows in Figure D-1. Figure D-1. Print head replacement Slide the print head over to the left side of the printer, and lift the print head off the carriage as shown in Figure D-2.
Figure D-2. Removing the ribbon cables Installing the new print head Connect the ribbon cables to the black connector blocks by gently pushing the ends of the cables into the blocks. Place the new print head on the carriage, making sure the guide holes on the print head fit over the guide pins on the carriage. Snap the black locking levers back in place, and that’s it.
Appendix E Widths of the Proportional Characters This table lists the widths of the LQ’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 it can calculate the number of proportional characters that will fit on each line. The characters with no code indicated are international characters. See Chapter 5 for information on their use.
Table E-1.
Table E-1.
Table E-1.
Appendix F The Parallel and Serial Interfaces The LQ-800/1000 printers have both parallel and serial interfaces to communicate with the computer; this appendix describes these interfaces. Parallel Interface Connector pin assignments and a description of respective interface signals are shown in Table F-1. Table F-1.
Table F-1. Pins and signals (continued) Signal Return Pin Pin Signal 12 30 PE OUT SLCT OUT AUTO IN — — — — GND CHASSIS — 13 — 14 — 15 16 17 Direction FEED XT — — 16 GND NC GND INIT 32 — ERROR OUT 18 19-30 31 — — — — IN 33 — GND — 34 — — — 35 — — OUT 36 — SLCT- IN IN Description A HIGH signal indicates that the printer IS out of paper. Pulled up to + 5 volts through 3.3k ohm resistance.
3. All interface conditions are based on TTL level. Both the rise and the fall times of each signal must be less than 0.2 microseconds. 4. Data transfer must be carried out by observing the ACKNLG or BUSY signal. (Data transfer to this printer can be carried out only after receipt of the ACKNLG signal or when the level of the BUSY signal is LOW.) Interface timing Figure F-1 shows the timing for the parallel interface. Figure F-1.
Table F-2 refers to the relations among ON-LINE, SLCT-IN input, DCl/DC3 and interface signals. Table F-2. Printing enabled/disabled signals and control conditions Notes: 1. In the above table, it is assumed that no ERROR status exists other than that attributable to the OFF-LINE mode. 2. Once the printer is in the deselected state by the DC3 code, the printer will not revert to the selected state unless the DC1 code is input again.
Serial Interface Connector pin assignments and a description of respective interface signals are shown in Table F-3. Table F-3. Pins and signals Pin No. Signal name 1 Not used 2 REV (Reverse Dir — OUT channel) Functional Description Reserved. Indicates printer is ready to receive data or not. MARK level indicates printer is not ready to receive data. 3 RXD IN Receives data (RS-232C level) 4 Not used — Reserved. 5 6 Signal GND — Signal (Logic) ground level.
Appendix G Choosing and Setting Up Optional Interfaces This appendix summarizes the Epson interfaces compatible with the LQ-800 and LQ-1000 printers and gives instructions for installing internally mounted interface boards. Compatible Interfaces You can use a number of optional interfaces with the LQ-800 and LQ-1000, which supplement the built-in parallel and serial interfaces. These fall into three categories.
Internally Mounted Interface Cards Before you can install these you need to take off the upper half of the printer case to get to the main circuit board. WARNING High voltages are present inside the printer when the power is switched ON. Do not remove the case and install optional interfaces unless the printer is switched OFF and the AC power cord is unplugged from its outlet.
4. Using a Phillips screwdriver, remove the retaining screws on the upper half of the printer case. There are two screws on the LQ-800 as shown in the diagram. On the LQ-1000, there are three screws. Figure G-1. Removing the upper case 5. With the printer facing you, slowly lift the upper case. Don’t lift the case too high, because the control panel is still attached.
6. On the underside of the printer cover, at each end of the control panel, are two plastic retaining clips as shown in the diagram below. Reach under the control panel and squeeze these clips slightly to release the panel from the case. Figure G-2. Removing the control panel 7. Slip the control panel through the case and set the case to one side. To replace the case, reverse the previous steps. Make sure that the control panel connector has not been disconnected from the main circuit board.
Installing an Interface Board 1. Remove the upper case of the printer, following the steps described in the previous section. 2. Remove the plastic piece from the hole at the back of the upper case to allow access to the new interface connector when the case is reassembled. 3. Locate the supports shown in Figure G-3 on which the interface board will rest, and the screw at the rear of the circuit board labelled FG. The screw marked FG is the connection for the frame ground wire.
6. Connect the frame ground wire to the FG terminal on the interface board, as shown in the diagram. On the LQ-1000, there are three screws. Figure G-4. Interface board mounted on main circuit board 7. Reassemble the printer, following the procedure described in the previous section. Altering Serial Interface Settings If you are using an optional serial interface, then you may have to alter the communications protocol of the printer or the computer in order to allow them to communicate properly.
computer and interface to match. If you have installed the interface yourself but are unsure of the settings, consult your dealer. If you need to alter the settings on the interface yourself, perhaps in order to use a different computer, the following tables will help you match the computer and the interface. The settings given in the tables cover the conventions used by the computer and printer as data is transferred.
Table G-3. Baud rate settings for 8149 baud rate switch 2-6 OFF 600 switch 2-5 ON ON 1200 ON 2400 OFF 4800 9600 OFF OFF OFF ON ON 300 OFF ON switch 2-7 switch 2-8 ON OFF OFF ON OFF OFF OFF ON OFF OFF ON OFF Table G-4. Parity check settings for 8143 switch 1-2 switch 1-6 switch 1-5 ON 7 bits parity enabled parity disabled OFF 8 bits parity disabled parity enabled Table G-5.
Appendix H Technical Specifications Printing Printing method .. . . . . . . . . Serial impact dot matrix Pin configuration . . . . . . . . .. 24 wires (12 X 2 staggered, diameter 0.2mm) Printing speed Paper feed speed . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 180 characters per second per line in draft pica; 60 characters per second per line in Letter Quality pica . . . . .. . . . . . . . . Approximately 100 ms/line at l/6 inch/line and approximately 2.
Characters per line: Pica Pica double-width Elite Elite double-width Fifteen Condensed Condensed elite Condensed double-width pica Maximum characters per line LQ-1000 LQ-800 80 136 40 68 96 163 48 81 120 204 137 233 160 272 68 116 Paper Number of copies . . . . . . . . One original plus one copy (total thickness is .004 inches) LQ-800 Paper width Paper feed Tractor feed with Continuous-feed paper . . . . 4" to 10” optional tractor unit Cut sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.2" to 10.
Printer Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cartridge ribbon, black Ribbon life expectancy . . . . 2 million characters MCBF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 million lines (excluding print head life) Print head life . . . . . . . . . . . 200 million strokes Dimensions and weight LQ-800 Height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.8 in. LQ-1000 3.8 in. Width (with paper feed knob) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16.5 in. 23.5 in. Depth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.2 in. 13.2 in. Weight .
Dielectric strength . . . . . . . . No trouble when 1 kilovolt (R.M.S.) 50 or 60 Hz is applied for more than 1 minute between AC power line and chassis Parallel Interface Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Centronic® compatible, g-bit parallel Synchronization . . . . . . . . . By externally supplied STROBE pulses Handshaking . . . . . . . . . . . . By ACKNLG and BUSY signals Logic level . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Appendix I Command Summary This appendix lists the default settings of the LQ. It also contains all of the control codes and ESCape sequences used by the LQ. They are first listed in numerical order and then by function. Each listing in the numerical section gives the page in the function section where full information on the command is given. For many of the commands you can also consult the index to find out where they are discussed in the text.
Commands in Numerical Order The following list shows the control codes and ESCape sequences that the LQ uses along with their decimal values. Beeper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-27 7 BEL Backspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-27 BS 8 Tab Horizontally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-16 9 HT Line Feed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-13 10 LF Tab Vertically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I-17 11 VT Form Feed . . . . . . . .
ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC 63 64 65 66 67 67 68 69 70 71 72 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 83 84 85 87 89 90 92 97 98 101 102 103 107 108 112 115 120 ESC ? ESC @ ESC A ESC B ESC C ESC C0 ESC D ESC E ESC F ESC G ESC H ESC J ESC K ESC L ESC M ESC N ESC 0 ESC I’ ESC Q ESC R ESC S 0 ESC S l ESC T ESC U ESC W ESC Y ESC Z ESC \ ESC a ESC b ESC e ESC f ESC g ESC k ESC 1 ESC p ESC s ESC x R
Commands by Function This section describes all the LQ control codes. They are divided in the following way: Print Quality Character Width Print Enhancement Page Formatting Word Processing Graphics User-Defined Characters MSB Control Other Codes Each command has a format section and a comment section. The format section gives the ASCII, decimal, and hexadecimal codes for the command.
Print Quality Select Print Quality ESC x Format: ESC ASCII code: 27 Decimal : Hexadecimal: 1B x 120 78 (n) (n) (n) Comments: n = 0 selects draft mode n = 1 selects Letter Quality mode Character Width Select Condensed Mode SI Format: ASCII code: SI 15 Decimal: Hexadecimal: OF CTRL O Control: Comments: Condensed pica has 17.16 characters per inch. Select Condensed Mode ESC SI Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal : ESC 27 1B SI 15 0F Comments: Duplicates the SI command.
Cancel Condensed Mode DC2 Format: ASCII code: DC2 Decimal: 18 Hexadecimal: 1 2 Control: CTRL R Comments: Cancels compressed printing set by SI or ESC SI. so Select Double-Width Mode (one line) Format: ASCII code: SO Decimal : 14 Hexadecimal: 0E Control: CTRL N Comments: Doubles the width of all characters. It can be cancelled by a carriage return, DC4, ESC W or ESC !.
Cancel Double-Width Mode (one line) DC4 Format: ASCII code: DC4 Decimal: 20 Hexadecimal : 14 CTRL T Control: Comments: Cancels one-line double-width printing selected by SO or ESC SO, but not double-width printing set by ESC W or ESC !. Select/Cancel Double-Width Mode ESC W Format: ASCII code: ESC 27 Decimal : Hexadecimal: 1B W 87 (n) (n) 57 (n) Comments: Double-Width mode doubles the width of all characters.
Select Fifteen Width ESC g Format: ESC ASCII code: 27 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B 9 103 87 Comments: Selects 15 characters per inch, and cancels pica (10 cpi) or elite (12 cpi). Fifteen cannot be combined with condensed. Print Enhancement Select Emphasized Mode ESC E Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal : ESC 27 1B E 69 45 Comments: In emphasized mode, each dot is printed twice, with the second dot slightly to the right of the first. Reduces printing speed.
Select Double-Strike Mode ESC G Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal : ESC 27 1B G 71 47 Comments: In double-strike each line is printed twice, with the second printing slightly below the first. Cancel Double-Strike Mode ESC H Format: ASCII code: ESC 27 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1 B H 72 48 Comments: Turns off the mode selected by ESC G. Select Superscript ESC S 0 Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: ESC 27 1B S 83 53 0 0 0 Comments: Selects superscript mode.
Cancel Superscript/Subscript ESC T Format: ASCII code: ESC Decimal: 27 Hexadecimal: 1B T 84 54 Comments: Cancels either mode. Select/Cancel Underlining ESC Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal : ESC 27 1B 45 (n) (n) 2D (n) Comments: n = 1 selects underlining n = 0 cancels it.
Select Italic Mode ESC 4 Format: ASCII code: ESC Decimal : 27 Hexadecimal: 1B 4 52 34 Comments: Causes characters to be printed in the italic character set. Cancel Italic Mode ESC 5 Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: ESC 27 1B 5 53 35 Comments: Cancels the mode selected by ESC 4. ESC R Select an International Character Set Format: ASCII code: ESC Decimal : 27 Hexadecimal: 1B R (n) 82 52 ( n ) (n) Comments: See Chapter 5 for details on this command.
Page Formatting Margins Set Right Margin ESC Q Format: ESC ASCII code: 27 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B Q 81 51 (n) (n) (n) Comments: Sets the right margin. Also cancels all text in the print buffer. The range of n is 1 to 255. Set Left Margin ESC I Format: ESC ASCII code: 27 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B Comments: I 108 (n) (n) 6C (n) Sets the left margin. n = first printing column in the current width The value of n is 0 to 255.
Select Skip-Over-Perforation ESC N Format: ESC ASCII code: Decimal: 27 Hexadecimal: 1 B N 78 (n) (n) 4E (n) Comments: The variable n is the number of lines skipped between the last line printed on one page and the first line on the next page. The range of n is 0 to 127. You can select a one-inch margin as the printer default setting by moving DIP switch 1-7 to the OFF position.
Select l/&inch Line Spacing ESC 0 Format: ESC ASCII code: 27 Decimal : Hexadecimal: 1B 0 46 30 Comments: Sets the line spacing to l/8 of an inch for subsequent line feed commands. The “0” is the digit zero and not ASCII code 0. Select 1/6-inch Line Spacing ESC 2 Format: ESC ASCII code: Decimal: 27 Hexadecimal: 1B 2 50 32 Comments: Sets the line spacing to l/6 of an inch for subsequent line feed commands. The “2” is the digit two and not ASCII code 2. This is the default at power on.
Immediate n/180-inch Line Feed ESC J Format: ASCII code: Decimal : Hexadecimal : ESC 27 1B J 74 (n) (n) 4A (n) Comments: Advances the paper by one line at a spacing of n/180 of an inch. The value of n should be in the range 0 to 255. This produces an immediate line feed but does not affect subsequent line spacing and does not produce a carriage return.
Select Page Length in Lines ESC C Format: ESC ASCII code: 27 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B C 97 (n) (n) 43 (n) Comments: Sets the page length to n lines. The value of n is 0 to 127 lines. Select Page Length in Inches ESC CO Format: ESC ASCII code: 27 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B C 67 43 0 (n) 0 ( n ) 00 ( n ) Comments: Sets the page length to n inches where n has a value of 1 to 22 inches.
Set Horizontal Tabs ESC D Format: ASCII code: ESC Decimal: 27 Hexadecimal: 1B D (n1) (n2) 68 (n1) (n2) 44 (n1) (n2) ... ... ... 0 0 00 Comments: This command allows setting of up to 32 horizontal tabs. These are entered as n1, n2, n3 etc. (in the range 1 to 255) with ASCII 0 as the terminator. The tab settings n1, n2, n3 etc. must be entered in ascending order. If nl = 0, all tabs are cleared. Tab settings are not affected by character width.
Set Vertical Tabs ESC B Format: ASCII code: ESC Decimal: 27 Hexadecimal: 1B B (n1) 66 (n1) 42 (n1) (n2) (n2) (n2) ... ... ... 0 0 00 Comments: Sets up to 16 vertical tabs in the current line spacing. The range of n is 0 to 254. the values of n must be entered in ascending order. Terminate this tab sequence with 0 or a number less than that of the last tab. Tab settings are not affected by subsequent changes in line spacing.
Word Processing Select/Cancel Proportional Mode ESC p Format: ASCII code: ESC 27 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B p 112 70 (n) (n) (n) Comments: Selects or cancels proportional printing mode. n = 1 selects n = 0 cancels See Chapter 5 for further details and Appendix E for proportional width tables. This command overrides pica (10 cpi), elite (12 cpi), and fifteen (15 cpi) commands. Turn off the proportional mode before using these commands.
Select Character Space ESC (space) Format: ASCII code: ESC (space) (n) Decimal: 27 32 (n) Hexadecimal: 1B 20 ( n ) Comments: Determines the amount of space added to the right of each character, specified in dots. The value of n is 0 to 127. n = number of dots Select Absolute Horizontal Tab ESC $ Format: ASCII code: ESC 27 Decimal : Hexadecimal: 1B $ 36 24 (n1) (n1) (n1) (n2) (n2) (n2) Comments: Moves the print head to an absolute horizontal position.
Justification ESC a Format: ESC ASCII code: 27 Decimal : Hexadecimal: 1B a (n) 97 ( n ) 61 ( n ) Comments: This sequence selects justification as follows: n = 0: Selects left justification n = 1: Selects right justification n = 2: Selects centering n = 3: Selects full justification The default setting is n = 0. Full justification (n = 3) is performed when the buffer becomes full. For n = 3 a WIDTH statement may be required. For n = 3 there should be no carriage returns within a paragraph.
Graphics Note: See Chapter 6 for sample graphics programs. ESC K Format: ESC ASCII code: 27 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B Select Single-Density Graphics Mode K 75 4B (n1) (n1) (n1) (n2) (n2) (n2) Comments: Turns on graphics mode with 480 possible dots per 8-inch line and 816 per 13.6-inch line. The values n1 and n2 specify the number of dot columns of graphics data to print by the formula n1 + (n2 X 256).
ESC Y Select High-Speed Double-Density Graphics Mode Format: ASCII code: ESC Decimal: 27 Hexadecimal: 1B Y 89 59 (n1) (n1) (n1) (n2) (n2) (n2) Comments: Turns on high-speed double-density graphics mode with 960 possible dot positions per B-inch line and 1632 per 13.6-inch line. Will not print consecutive dots in a row. The values n1 and n2 specify the number of dot columns of graphics data to print by the formula n1 + (n2 X 256).
Select Graphics Mode ESC * Format: ASCII code: ESC Decimal: 27 Hexadecimal: 1B * 42 (m) (m) 2A (m) (n1) (n1) (n1) (n2) (n2) (n2) Comments: Turns on graphics mode m. See Chapter 6 for details on the 11 modes available. The values n1 and n2 specify the number of dot columns of graphics data to print by the formula n1 + (n2 X 256). Reassign Graphics Mode ESC ? Format: ASCII code: ESC Decimal: 27 Hexadecimal: 1B ? 63 3F (s) (s) (s) (m) (m) (m) Comments: Changes one graphics mode to another.
User-Defined Characters Note: See Chapter 6 for sample programs and further information. Define User-Defined Characters ESC & Format: ASCII code: ESC 27 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B & 38 26 NUL 0 00 (d1) (d1) (d1) (d2) (d2) (d2) ... ... ... (dn) (dn) (dn) Comments: This command allows characters to be re-defined in the currently selected mode. See Chapter 6 for details.
MSB Control Note: MSB control does not work for graphics data. MSB Control Sequence Cancel ESC # Format: ESC ASCII code: 27 Decimal : Hexadecimal: 1B # 35 23 Comments: Cancels the MSB control set by ESC = or ESC >. MSB = 0 Setting ESC = (equal) Format: ASCII code: Decimal : Hexadecimal : ESC 27 1B = 61 3D Comments: Selects MSB as 0. When this code is input, the MSB of an B-bit data input after this code becomes 0.
Other Codes BEL Beeper Format: BEL ASCII code: 7 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 07 CTRL G Control: Comments: Sounds the LQ beeper for 0.1 seconds. BS Backspace Format: ASCII code: B S 8 Decimal : Hexadecimal: 08 CTRL H Control: Comments: Prints out data in the print buffer, then moves the print position one space to the left. If this code is received immediately after graphics printing, the print position of subsequent data is moved back to the point at which graphics printing started.
DC1 Select Printer Format: DC1 ASCII code: 17 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 11 CTRL Q Control: Comments: Returns the printer to the on-line mode if it has been switched off by the printer deselect code, DC3. It will not switch the printer on-line if it has been switched off using the ON LINE switch on the control panel. DC3 Deselect Printer Format: ASCII code: DC3 Decimal: 19 Hexadecimal: 1 3 CTRL S Control: Comments: Places the printer in off-line mode until the select printer code DC1 is received.
Cut Sheet Feeder Control ESC EM Format: ASCII code: ESC Decimal : 27 Hexadecimal: 1B EM (n) (n) 19 (n) 25 Comments: Used with the optional cut-sheet feeder. When n = 0 the feeder is turned off, when n = 4 it is turned on. Using DIP switch 1-8 produces the same effect. ESC < Format: ASCII code: ESC 27 Decimal : Hexadecimal: 1B Select Unidirectional Mode (one line) < 60 3C Comments: Selects unidirectional printing for more accurate positioning during multiple passes of text printing.
Select Unidirectional Mode ESC U Format: ASCII code: ESC Decimal : 27 Hexadecimal: 1B U 85 55 (n) (n) (n) Comments: Selects unidirectional printing for more accurate positioning during text printing. n = 1 selects the feature n = 0 cancels it. (Graphics printing is always unidirectional.) Select Half-Speed Mode ESC s Format: ASCII code: ESC Decimal : 27 Hexadecimal: 16 s (n) 115 (n) 73 (n) Comments: n = 1 selects the mode n = 0 cancels it.
INDEX Note: See Appendix I for listings and descriptions of specific commands and ESCape sequences. A American Standard Code for Information Interchange. See ASCII Applesoft BASIC, D-7 Applications programs, See Commercial software ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange), 5-1—5-2 codes listed for all characters, B-1—B-4 Automatic test. See Self test B Bail. See Paper bail BASIC, 5-2-5-4 See also Applesoft BASIC; IBM PC BASIC Baud rate, A-5, G-7—G-8 Beeper, D-4 Bold printing.
C Cables, 1-17 Cancelling codes, 5-6 Centronics. See Interface Character set, shown, B-1—B-3 Character string function. See CHR$ function CHR$ function, 5-2 Cleaning. See Maintenance Codes. See ASCII codes; Control codes; ESCape sequences; CHR$ function Commands. See Control codes Commercial software, 4-1—4-2, 6-1—6-2, 6-11 Compressed mode. See Condensed Computer-printer communications, 5-1—5-2, 5-4 Condensed mode, 5-9, A-3 Continuous-feed paper.
E Elite mode, 5-5 Emphasized mode, 5-10 Environment, specifications for, H-3 Epson computers. See QX-10 and QX-16 Error warnings, D-4 ESCape sequences, 5-1—5-2 listed by function, I-4—I-30 listed by number, I-1—1-3 Expanded mode. See Double-width Extra line, D-3 F Fifteen mode, 5-5 Firing of pins. See Pins FORM FEED button, 1-14 Foreign language characters. See International characters Formatting, page, 5-18—5-21 Friction-control lever. See Paper release lever Friction feed.
I IBM PC BASIC, D-6 Initialization, 5-7 Interface. See Parallel interface; Serial interface International characters, 5-15—5-17 Italic mode, I-11 K Knob. See Paper-feed knob L Labels, self-adhesive, B4-B5, D2 Left margin, 5-18 Letter Quality button, 1-14 mode selection, 1-14-1-15, 5-6, 5-8 Lever. See Paper release; Paper thickness; Pin feed LINE FEED button, 1-14 Lid. See Dust cover Line feed, DIP switch for, A-4 Line spacing, 5-17 Location of printer, 1-3 LQ.
P Page top of. See Top-of-page formatting, 5-18—5-21 Panel buttons, 1-13—1-14 Paper bail, 1-9, 2-1, 3-3 feed knob, 1-2 release lever, 1-4, 1-9 separator, 3-8—3-9 thickness lever, 1-11 Paper loading continuous-feed, 3-1, 3-3—3-8 single-sheet, 1-8—1-11 troubleshooting, D-1 Parallel interface, 1-17, F-1-F-4 Parts, printer, 1-1 Pica mode, 5-5 Pin-feed paper. See Paper loading, continuous-feed Pin-feed holder and pin-feed lever, 3-14 Pins, firing and numbering, 6-3—6-4 Pitches.
S Self test, 1-15 Sensor. See Paper out sensor Separator. See Paper separator Serial Interface, 1-17, F-5, H-4 DIP switch settings, A-2, A-4—A-5 Setup commercial software, 4-1-4-2 printer, 1-1—1-11 Single-sheet printing, 1-8-1-11 Skip-over-perforation, 5-19, A-3 Spacing. See Line spacing Specifications. See Technical specifications Subscript, 5-15 Superscript, 5-15 Switches. See DIP switches T Tabs, 1-16, 1-17 Technical specifications, H-1—H-4 Temperature, H-3 Test. See Self test Top-of-form.
V Vertical tabs.
Print Modes Code Dec Hex Function ESC x 120 15 78 OF Select LQ or draft Select Condensed Mode ESC SI 15 OF Select Condensed Mode DC2 18 12 Cancel Condensed Mode so 14 0E Select Double-Width Mode (one line) ESC SO 14 0E Select Double-Width Mode (one line) DC4 20 14 ESC W 57 4D Cancel Double-Width Mode (one line) Select/Cancel Double-Width Mode ESC M 87 77 ESC P 80 50 Select Pica Mode ESC g 103 67 Select Fifteen Mode ESC E 69 45 Select Emphasized Mode ESC F 70 46
Control Codes by Function The following control codes are listed briefly for quick reference, For a more detailed explanation, see Appendix I. Variables are not included in this quick reference due to their complexity. For those codes that contain variables, such as ESC “Q” (n) for setting the right margin, refer to Appendix I.
Table 1. DIP switch panel 1 Switch No. Function 1-1 1-2 lnternational character set selection ON OFF See Table 3 1-3 1-4 1-5 1-6 1-7 1-8 Select input buffer capacity Select printing style Draft 1KB LQ Condensed characters 1 -inch skip-over-perforation Cut sheet feeder mode ON ON ON OFF OFF OFF 7KB Table 2. DIP switch panel 2 Table 3.
EPSON AMERICA, INC. LIMITED WARRANTY What Is Covered: Epson America, Inc. warrants that the Epson product enclosed with this Limited Warranty conforms to the manufacturer’s specifications and is free from defects in workmanship and material for a period of one year from the date of original purchase made in the United States.