> Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2003 23:15:25 -0700 > From: Juan Zuluaga <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: utility to test parallel ports? > > Dear Survpc people, > > could you suggest utilities to diagnose the health of > parallel ports? A friend of mine has tried two new > printers so far and they have problems (i.e. saying > the ink cartridge is empty when it is not, or > partially loading a paper sheet when turned on and > printing a couple of garbage characters...).
This sounds MUCH more like an older printer cable is being used on a modern (and fully-functional) bi-directional parallel port. It also is more likely to be the printer driver used on the computer, than the parallel port hardware. Many recent printers (particularly those from HP, Lexmark, and others) demand exclusive access to LPT1 (as if they might be the only things connected to it or through it) - and "translate" every low-level computer output into a proprietary HPL or Postscript language for transmission to the printer. Very few of them will *EVER* accept plain old DOS-style ASCII text output; they assume all output will pass through a Windows filter for translation. (Lexmarks are very bad for this.) Naturally, some of the text sent down the parallel line will match an odd command in the printer's own language - so you get almost-blank pages containing happy faces or other junk. But I would replace the printer CABLE first (with a modern bi-directional one, which uses more lines internally), and then read up on the driver used (if documentation exists). The reason: I've never seen a bad parallel port, unless it had been visibly damaged (shorted pins, etc.) - but I have experienced MANY printer problems using an old cable on new printers - and trying to send text from DOS to any of these new printers (thereby bypassing the winblows drivers). __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! http://sbc.yahoo.com To unsubscribe from SURVPC send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with unsubscribe SURVPC in the body of the message. Also, trim this footer from any quoted replies. More info can be found at; http://www.softcon.com/archives/SURVPC.html
