Hum... Status checking is better but printer's serial port has to support
it.  Except if you have a third party card, LaserJet III factory serial port
do NOT support status checking so you MUST use TT18...

--
==================================================
Denis St-Amand (Remove "removeit." from email address)
==================================================
"Doug Werth" <[log in to unmask]> wrote in message
news:3d4159a6$1@skycache-news.fidnet.com...
> Re:
> >
> > Reconfigure the serial port as term type 18 if it isn't already.
Simpler=
> >  is=20
> > sometimes better.
>
> I have to disagree here. The most likely culprit for the original problem
is a
> bad serial cable. The spooler is sending a status request to the printer
> (<ESC>?) and expecting a ACK (CTRL-F) as a reply. When the ACK is not
received
> it dumps out the cryptic messages on the console that were detailed in the
> original post and stops the spooler. This is a design feature to prevent
lost
> data.
>
> Printer type 18 is XON/XOFF protocol with no status checking. The spooler
> simply sends data until it receives an XOFF. If there indeed is a broken
wire
> or connector, somebody tripped over the wire and ripped it out of the back
of
> the printer, or even if the printer is simply powered off, reports will go
> directly to the bit bucket. Why? Because you have a one-way conversation.
> Sometimes the problem is just with the wire or pin that transmits data
back to
> the system. In that case the printer will receive data but cannot respond
with
> an ACK (type 22) or an XOFF (type 18 and 22). Setting the printer to 18
will
> most likely mask the real problem or make it worse with reports that
disappear
> or printouts with missing data in the middle.
>
> The prudent thing to do is determine the root cause of the problem and not
> just blindly reconfigure the system.
>
> Doug.
>
> Doug Werth                             Beechglen Development Inc.
> [log in to unmask]                               Cincinnati, Ohio
>
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