The list I came up with was the result of a lot of indirect references,
then verified where possible.
For instance, if I know 2 printers use the same engine, then search for
the ribbon for one of them, I might find an old catalog that lists that
ribbon, and also says 3 other printers that the ribbon also fits. Then I
go searching for any info about those other printers. Sometimes you find
pictures which can show the mechanism inside or the label on the bottom,
sometimes you can find an ancient article reviewing the printer in
enough depth to that you can at least tentatively accept whatever basic
facts it claims, like "... is a re-badged ___". Sometimes you can find
something real authoritative like the manual.
I tried to do the same thing for CGP-15.
And, they're in a wiki, which anyone can add to if they happen to know
some detail that's not there yet.
The only way anything like that is ever going to get anything remotely
like comprehensive, is through collaboration of a lot of different
people chipping in their one tiny thing they happen to know over time.
Like I only know a few things for sure because of the printers I
actually have, or have seen. You may know a different few things for
sure because you actually have or have seen some other printer. Someone
else maybe 2 years from now knows a different few things for sure
because they worked at a place that made them or that repaired them
etc... Added all up it gets useful over time, and no single person had
to spend more than a few minutes to document whatever detail they
happened to know about. No single person had to have a life mission to
compile info about printers.
I don't know of any collected cross reference db other than
linuxprinting.org, but that's all about software compatibility not the
mechanicals. If 2 printers peak the same data, it's only a clue that
they might possibly also be mechanically related.
--
bkw
On 3/6/19 10:08 AM, Jeffrey Birt wrote:
I wonder if there is a printer cross reference list anywhere on the web?
Jeff_Birt
*From:* M100 <[email protected]> *On Behalf Of *Tom Hoppe
*Sent:* Tuesday, March 5, 2019 4:49 PM
*To:* [email protected]
*Subject:* Re: [M100] Olivetti M10 up on our favorite auction site
The Commodore 1525 printer also utilizes the same mechanism, but
different firmware/bus architecture:
http://www.classiccmp.org/cini/pdf/Commodore/VIC-1525%20Printer%20User's%20Manual.pdf
Tom
On Tue, Mar 5, 2019 at 1:49 PM John R. Hogerhuis <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
I think Brian was referring to the "engine" being the same. So the
plastics could be different.
The question is, if it's the the same does the engine include just
the mechanism or also the controller/firmware/escapes?
-- John.
