ha!!! that cable question touches a hassle I have here: the still-rather-new HP 945 just refuses to print straight ASCII output when connected to the DOS/Linux box (with a "modern" MoBo and ditto 2 parports) ... but duely _does_ (line-) print any text when I plug it on to the end of the printer cable from the '286-AT.
I'm sure the cables as such are equivalent (each 25-pin DIN to Centronics) - I did exchange them with the same result. And both are electrically Ok., definitely. But I can by no means get the dang thing to just line-print out simple text from the DOS/Linux box - for which task I had decidedly chosen this printer (because it was maybe one of the last with proper charsets in its own ROM; and at the same time, has reasonable photo print quality.)[*] Likewise, if I plug one of the "old" HP-5xx series line printers onto that cable from the Linux/DOS box, it equally does its duty there. Big QUESTION: it seems obvious that the "old"-fashioned parport of the XT/AT-unidirectional type, as well as the printer in ASCII mode, does _not_ use one of the pins/leads in the standard "printer cable", which may well be used/activated with the "modern" ECP/EPP/BPP/SPP mode (whatever of this may be applicated.) THUS it should be easy to insert a switch (or a little switchbox) on the cable which would de-activate the lead[s]/pin[s] - but which one[s] could that be ?! // Heimo Claasen // <hammer at revobild dot net> // Brussels 2003-06- The WebPlace of ReRead - and much to read ==> http://www.revobild.net [*] Bought precisely one year a year ago (at the then technical top rating) and already obsolete. I did some rather extensive market research, after very bad and very costly experiences with two other widely distrubuted [brand(c)(TM)(R) name hidden] and still consider it a good choice for service as an "allrounder" - has yet those refillable cartridges (definitely one of the reasons for its forced obsolescense), with - gosh! blush! - "only" 1200 dpi and good paper a quite proper proof print quality for colour and pixel stuff _and_ has yet this black-only, horrible oldfashioned line printing ability. (Tell me how to debug some hairy trouble without that latter, especially under Linux, not to speak of speed and ink costs for email and other text print-out.) [The first(c) letter(c) of my first(c) first(c) name(TM) has nothing to do with any letter/logo/name/NASDAC/legal/or-whatever(c)(TM)(R) nominal designation of said firm. Fully Advanced Disclaimer available on request.] 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
