Epson FX-286e manual

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FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT FOR AMERICAN USERS This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and if not installed and used prop- erly, that is, in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, may cause interference to radio and television reception. It has been type tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B compu[...]

Contents Introduction 2 About This Manual Chapter 1 Setting Up Your FX Printer 1-1 Unpacking Your Printer 1-2 Selecting the Right Location 1-3 Installing the Ribbon 1-6 Loading Continuous-feed Paper 1-12 Turning On the Printer 1-12 Operating the Control Panel 1-14 SelecType 1-16 Running the Self Test 1-17 Connecting the Printer to Your Computer 1-1[...]

Chapter 4 FX Printer Features 4-1 Quality and Fonts 4-2 Print Size and Character Width 4-2 Pitches and Proportional Spacing 4-3 Special Effects and Emphasis 4-4 Using Different Character Sets 4-5 Page Layout and Other Commands Chapter 5 Graphics and User-defined Characters 5-2 The Print Head 5-3 Pin Labels 5-4 Graphics Commands 5-6 Simple Graphics [...]

Appendix D Defaults and DIP Switches D-1 Default and Initialization Settings D-2 DIP Switch Settings D-3 International Character Sets Appendix E Choosing and Setting Up Optional Interfaces E-1 Compatible Interfaces E-2 Choosing an Interface E-3 Installing an Interface E-6 Inserting the Interface board E-7 Serial Interface Settings Appendix F Techni[...]

Introduction The FX-86e and FX-286e printers combine all the well-known virtues of previous Epson 9-pin printers with many features normally exclusive to costly 24-pin printers. l The speed of draft printing is 240 characters per second in draft elite and 200 in draft pica. When you have perfected a document, you can switch to one of two Near Lette[...]

About this Manual To make it easier to set up your new FX-86e or FX-286e, this manual includes a lo-step guide. This guide, which is printed on the inside of the back flap, summarizes the first chapter’s setting up instructions. Chapters 2 through 5 cover the basic and advanced functions, and the appendixes contain reference information, includin[...]

Chapter 1 Setting Up Your FX Printer Setting up your new FX is easy. Simply follow the steps in this chapter. Note The FX-86e and FX-286e are basically the same printer except that the FX-286e can accept wider paper. Therefore, the illustrations in this manual show only the FX-86e. 1 Unpacking Your Printer First, remove the printer from the box and[...]

Tilt the tractor cover up and remove the two foam pads underneath it. (These pads protect the tractor unit during shipping; be sure to save them.) WARNING The printer is protected by a print head protector, a platen protector and two locking tabs during shipping. These protective items must be removed before you turn on the printer. Follow the step[...]

l Place the printer or printer stand on a solid and level foundation. Avoid setting it on carpet or on unstable surfaces such as chairs. l Use a grounded outlet-one that has three holes to match the power plug on the printer. Don’t use an adapter plug. l Avoid using electrical outlets that are controlled by wall switches. If you accidentally turn[...]

WARNIN G The power must be OFF when you move the print head. Moving the print head when the power is ON may damage your printer. If you’ve been using your printer just before changing the ribbon cartridge, be careful not to touch the print head because it becomes hot during use. 3. before installing the ribbon cartridge, turn the small knob on to[...]

Figure 1-4. Installing the ribbon cartridge Figure 1-5. Positioning the ribbon Setting Up Your FX Printer 1-5[...]

4 Loading Continuous-feed Paper When you receive your FX, it is set up to print on continuous-feed paper. If you plan to use single-sheet paper, turn to Chapter 2 for instructions on setting up the printer for single sheets. If you have bought the optional automatic sheet feeder, complete the remainder of the setup steps before you install the auto[...]

Figure 1-6. Installing the paper rest 4. Pull both the paper release lever and the paper bail lever toward the front of the printer. (Figure 1-6 shows where these levers are.) Setting Up Your FX Printer 1-7[...]

Now you are ready to load the continuous-feed paper. Just follow the steps below: 1. Using Figure 1-7 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 1-7. Pin-feed locking levers 2. Move the left holder so that the locking lever is about 1/4 inch from the left side a[...]

Figure 1-8. Open pin-feed cover 4. Guide the paper into the paper slot, and push it through until it comes up between the ribbon guide and the platen. (Moving the paper with a side-to-side motion makes it easier to push the paper through.) 5. Pull the paper up until the top is above the pin-feed holders. Fit the holes on the left side of the paper [...]

6. Fit the right side of the paper into the right holder, moving the holder as needed to match the width of the paper. 7. Close the right cover, making sure the paper has no dips or wrinkles and lock the right holder in place. Now that you have loaded the continuous-feed paper, prepare the printer for printing. 1. Push the paper bail lever back. 2.[...]

3. With the printer turned OFF, advance the paper with the paper feed knob on the right side of the printer until the first row of perforations is about even with the top of the ribbon. (See Figure 1-1 1.) Figure 1-11. Setting top of form This is the top of form position. It makes your printed pages end where you want them to and prevents the print[...]

5 Turning On the Printer Before plugging in the power cord, see that the power switch near the back of the left side of the printer is turned off; then plug the power cord into a properly grounded socket. WARNIN G Before turning on the printer, be absolutely sure you have removed all packing materials. Turning on the printer when the print head can[...]

The three buttons nearest the front of the printer control advancing the paper and communication with the computer. The four indicator lights show when the printer is turned on and when it is ready to use. The buttons There are three large buttons on the control panel. OFF LINE/ ON LINE The green light next to this button indicates that the printer[...]

PAPER OUT This comes on when the printer is out of paper. Also on the control panel are two touch switches that let you choose the print style and size. These are the SelecType buttons, which are described in the next section. 7 SelecType The SelecType feature consists of two buttons on the control panel. These buttons select the most used printing[...]

want to turn off either mode, press its button again. It beeps once and the indicator light turns off to show that the mode is cancelled. As you can see, SelecType makes it easy to choose either NLQ or condensed, and the indicator lights always tell you which modes you’ve selected. Trying out SelecType is a simple three-step process: 1. Create a [...]

Note Also remember that control codes in your document will override the SelecType settings. Therefore, if you have a code for NLQ in your document and you press the DRAFT SelecType button, your printing will still be in NLQ. 8 Running the Self Test The FX has a built-in self test that prints out the characters in its memory so that you can see tha[...]

To run the same test in the draft mode, hold down the LINE FEED button instead of the FORM FEED button while you turn the printer on. The FX cannot print a draft self test, however, if the NLQ DIP switch is on. Therefore, if the Print Quality line of the self test printout says NLQ, you cannot print a draft test without changing a DIP switch. 9 Con[...]

10 Choosing the Operating Mode with DIP Switches The FX has 12 switches that allow you to change many of the printer’s settings to suit your individual needs. You may need to change one or two of them now. These switches, known as DIP (Dual In-line Package) switches, are in the back of the printer. See Figure 1-14. Figure 1-14. DIP switch locatio[...]

Before you change any DIP switch settings, turn the printer around to give you easy access to the switches. Then you can easily turn the switches on and off with a thin pointed object, such as a small screwdriver or the cap of a ballpoint pen. The switches are ON when they are UP, and OFF when they are DOWN. Note When you change a DIP switch settin[...]

DIP switch 1-4 controls the choice of operating modes. Turning the switch OFF selects Epson mode, and turning it ON selects IBM printer emulation mode. The Epson character graphics set Half of the characters used by IBM PCs and compatibles are special character graphics and international characters. Most previous Epson printers printed italics inst[...]

Chapter 2 Choosing and Loading Paper The FX printer can accommodate many different sizes and types of paper, using either its automatic single-sheet loading feature or its adjustable tractor. The easy-to-use tractor can handle a wide range of paper widths, and the automatic single-sheet loading feature handles individual sheets quickly and easily. [...]

Before you load single-sheet paper the first time, you must prepare the printer by removing the tractor unit and installing the paper guide, as described in the next five steps. (If you have previously loaded continuous-feed paper, you have already done some of the steps.) Preparing the printer 1. Remove the tractor cover that comes installed on th[...]

5. Hold the paper guide above the printer. Insert the right hinge tab into the right tab slot, as shown in Figure 2-2. Next, insert the left tab into the left slot. When both tabs are in the slots, push the guide back so that it is horizontal, and then pull it toward you until it stops at an angle (about 45 degrees). Figure 2-2. Installing the Pape[...]

Loading the paper Now you are ready to load single-sheet paper. Just follow the steps below: 1. Turn the printer ON first. Do not put the paper in the printer before you turn it on. 2. Push both the paper release lever and the paper bail lever toward the back of the printer. (Figure 2-2 shows where these levers are.) 3. Make sure the ON LINE light [...]

5. Pull the paper bail lever forward. This makes the paper feed into the printer. 6. When the paper stops, push the paper bail lever back. 7. Hold the printer cover vertically and fit the notches in its front corners over the pins at the front of the printer case (as shown in Figure 2-4). Then tilt the cover back into place. Figure 2-4. Installing [...]

If the paper does not load If the platen (the black roller) turns but the paper does not load, remove the paper from the printer and try again, starting at Step 2. This time press the paper a little more firmly into place. If nothing happens at all, see that the printer is ON and that the ON LINE light is off. Then remove the paper and try again. R[...]

Figure 2-5. Reinstalling the tractor unit Choosing and Loading Paper 2- 7[...]

The Paper Thickness Lever You can adjust the FX to accommodate different thicknesses of paper. You need to do this when you print carbon copies. Before moving the paper thickness lever, always turn off the power, open the printer cover or the tractor cover, and move the print head to the middle of the printer. The paper thickness lever (shown in Fi[...]

If you want to change or check the lever, push it toward the platen (the black roller) until it stops. This is the first position. Then pull the lever toward you. You will feel three more click stops. The table below shows which position you should use. Table 2-I. Paper thickness lever positions Paper Lever thickness position Single 2nd W ith 1 cop[...]

Chapter 3 Using the FX with Application Programs Now that you’ve set up and tested the printer, you need to start using it with your application programs. Printer Selection Menus Most application programs let you specify the type of printer you’re using so that the program can take full advantage of the printer’s features. Many programs provi[...]

Note If your application program does not list the FX-86e or FX-286e, you may want to contact the manufacturer to find whether an update is available. A quick test After setting up your application program, print a sample document to be sure the program and the FX are communicating properly. If the document doesn’t print correctly, recheck the pr[...]

The decimal system is the standard numbering system based on units of ten, using the numerals O-9. The hexadecimal, or hex, system is based on units of 16 and is often used by programmers. Instead of using only the numerals 0 through 9, the hex system also uses the letters A through F. For example, the decimal numbers 9, 10, 11, and 12 are 09, 0A, [...]

Check the manual for your word processor to see if you can place printer commands in your text. If this is possible, use the Command Summary (Appendix A) in this manual to find the command, and use the manual for your word processor to find how to assign the command. If your FX is not printing correctly, check both the FX and your word processor an[...]

Table 3-1. Characters per line FX-86e FX-286e Normal 80 136 Elite 96 163 Condensed 132 233 Condensed Elite 160 272 Therefore, if your spreadsheet asks the number of columns your printer can print, decide which mode you will use and supply the appropriate number from Table 3-1. Printer commands Unlike word processors, spreadsheet programs usually do[...]

If you’re using the program’s print facility, recheck the FX’s Command Summary to make sure you’re sending the correct commands. If you’re still having difficulty printing, check the troubleshooting section in your spreadsheet program’s manual or Appendix C of this manual. Graphics Programs The FX is capable of producing finely detailed[...]

Sending printer commands with BASIC You can send printer commands with any programming language. The examples in this manual are written in BASIC, because BASIC is included with most computer systems. In most forms of BASIC, and in particular Microsoft’” BASIC, the normal method of producing printed output is to use the LPRINT statement followe[...]

Chapter 4 FX Printer Features You can obtain many different printing effects with the FX printer, from arranging the printout on the paper to giving extra emphasis to particular words and phrases. This chapter shows you the features you may want to select with your software. Once you have read about the features, you can find their commands in the [...]

Print Size and Character Width To add greater variety to your documents, the FX has two pitches as well as proportional spacing and condensed, double-wide and double-high printing. All can be selected with a software command, and condensed can be selected with SelecType. Pitches and Proportional Spacing The two pitches are pica and elite. Pica is 1[...]

Another mode for headings and other special uses is double-high, which is shown below. This is double high printing Because of its height you must leave a blank line above a line of double-high. Otherwise the double-high letters will overlap the letters on the previous line. Pica and elite can be reduced to about 60% of their normal width with the [...]

In double-strike mode, the FX prints each line twice, with the second slightly below the first. This makes the characters bolder. While NLQ is in use, however, double-strike is ignored because NLQ characters are already formed by two passes of the print head. This is normal NLQ printing This is emphasized NLQ printing Superscripts and subscripts ar[...]

The other important change you can make to the standard character set is to change some characters for ones commonly used in other languages-chiefly European and Scandinavian-such as accented characters and symbols. In Epson mode, eight international character sets can be selected by setting DIP switches 1-6 to 1-8: USA, French, German, UK, Danish,[...]

Chapter 5 Graphics and User-defined Characters The dot graphics mode allows your FX 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 FX’s memory so that it can print them just as if they we[...]

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 FX prints graphics, read on. The Print Head To understand dot graphics you need to know a little about how the FX’s print head wo[...]

Dot patterns The FX’s print head is able to print graphics in addition to text because graphic images are formed on the FX 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 FX also forms its images with patterns of dots, a[...]

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. Therefore, 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 sen[...]

The graphics command format There are several different graphics commands giving different horizontal dot densities and printing speeds. Because the format is almost the same for all the commands, however, the example here keeps things simple by using only the single-density graphics command, ESC K. In single-density graphics, there are 60 dots per[...]

Graphics data After receiving a graphics command such as ESC K nl n2, the printer prints the number of codes specified by nl and n2 as graphics data, no matter what codes they are. This means that you must be sure to supply exactly the right amount of graphics data. If you supply too little, the printer will stop and wait for more data and will see[...]

WIDTH statements Some software (including most versions of BASIC) automatically inserts carriage return and line feed codes after every 80 or 130 characters. This is usually no problem with text, but it can spoil your graphics. Two extra columns of graphics are printed in the middle of the ones you send, and are left over and printed as text. In so[...]

1. The computer is prevented from adding any extra characters by the WIDTH statement (line 100). 2. The line spacing is changed to 8/72 of an inch-the height of the dot patterns used in the program (line 110). 3. The program goes through the graphics commands the required number of times (lines 120 and 170). 4. A new graphics command is used for ea[...]

Table 5-1. Graphics modes Alternate Horiz. density Option Code m (dots/in.) Single-density ESC K 0 60 Double-density ESC L 1 120 High-speed double-density* ESC Y 2 120 Quadruple-density* ESC Z 3 240 CRT I none 4 80 Plotter (1:1) none 5 72 CRT II none 6 90 Double-density plotter none 7 144 *Adjacent dots cannot be printed in this mode. Modes 4-7 in [...]

A little experimentation should tell you whether the reassigning code can improve your graphics printouts. Designing Your Own Graphics This section takes you through the development of a graphics program. The example is not especially complicated, but it does include the same steps you would use for a more complex figure. You should plan your figur[...]

Now look at the high-speed double-density design in Figure 5-3. It should point you in the right direction for your own work. Figure 5-3. Arrow design After plotting the dots on a grid, you calculate the numbers for each pin pattern by dividing the design grid into separate print lines. For the arrow design, the grid was divided into two lines, eac[...]

The numbers for the second line were calculated in the same way. Once the numbers for the pin patterns are calculated, they are put in the program in DATA statements, separated by commas. The program works in a similar way to the last example. This time it selects 7/72-inch line spacing because only seven pins are used. Because the data is not repe[...]

User-defined Characters The FX has a command that allows you to define and print characters of your own design. You can design an entirely new alphabet or typeface, create mathematical or scientific symbols, or create graphic patterns to serve as building blocks for larger designs. These user-defined characters work only in draft mode. Also, you ca[...]

Figure 5-5 uses the top eight, but you can also use the bottom eight by using the grid on the right as explained later in this section. Once the character is planned on the grid, you simply add the pin values for each column together, just as you do for graphics. Then, the next step in defining a character is to send this information to the printer[...]

Following the specification of the range of characters to be defined in this command is one number (al) that specifies the width of the character and whether it uses the top eight pins or the bottom eight pins. The last part of the character definition is the actual data that defines the dot patterns for each column of each character. Since a chara[...]

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 180 and 200 and has the following format: ESC % n If n is 0, the [...]

Note This command will cancel any user-defined characters you have already created. You must send this command to the printer before you define characters. Specifying the width and height The example program uses 136 for al (in line 130 of the definition program), but you can use other values. The number a1 specifies two things: the width of the ch[...]

The sample below shows the heart character printed in two different styles. Other considerations Keep in mind that user-defined characters are stored in RAM, which is not permanent. Whenever the printer power is turned off or your computer sends an initialization (NT) signal, all of the user-defined characters are lost. For example, some computers [...]

Appendix A Command Summary This appendix lists and describes all the commands, both Epson (ESC/P) mode and IBM printer emulation mode, available on the FX. The first part of this appendix lists all commands in numerical order and gives the page number where each is fully described. If you know which command you are looking for, consult the numerica[...]

For the following commands that use only 0 or 1 for the variable, either the ASCII codes 1 and 0 or the characters 1 and 0 can be used: ESC S , ESC U, ESC X , ESC p, ESC W, ESC S, ESC - , and ESC % For example, in BASIC you can turn on double-wide with either of these statements: LPRINT CHR$(27);"W";CHR$(l) LPRINT CHR$(27);"W";&[...]

Control key chart Some application programs can use control key codes for decimal values O-27. The table below gives you the proper values. The Control Key column indicates that you press the control key at the same time you press the key for the letter or symbol in that column. For example, you press the control key and A at the same time to send [...]

Commands in Numerical Order This section lists all the FX commands, with their decimal and hexadecimal values. The numbers in the columns on the right are the page numbers in this appendix where a complete description of the command can be found. If the Epson and IBM printer emulation mode page numbers are the same, the command is the same in both [...]

ESC / ESC 0 ESC 1 ESC 2 ESC 2 ESC 3 ESC 4 ESC 4 ESC 5 ESC 5 ESC 6 ESC 6 ESC 7 ESC 7 ESC 8 ESC 9 ESC : ESC : ESC < ESC = ESC = ESC > ESC ? ESC @ ESC A ESC A ESC B ESC C ESC CO ESC D ESC E ESC F ESC G ESC H ESC I ESC I 47 2F Select vertical tab channel A-18 48 30 Select l/8-inch line spacing A-15 A-15 49 3 1 Select 7/72-inch line spacing A-15 A[...]

ESC J 74 4A Perform n/216-inch line feed ESC K 75 4B Select single-density graphics ESC L 76 4C Select double-density graphics ESC M 77 4D Select elite pitch ESC N 78 4E Set skip-over-perforation ESC O 79 4F Cancel skip-over-perforation ESC P 80 50 Select pica pitch ESC I’ 80 50 Turn proportional on/off (286e) ESC Q 81 5 1 Set right margin ESC Q3[...]

Epson (ESC/P) Commands The following section lists and describes all the Epson (ESC/P) commands. Printer Operation Initialization ESC @ Initialize Printer Format: ASCII code: ESC @ Decimal: 27 64 Hexadecimal: 1B 40 Comments: Resets the printer mode and clears the buffer of printable data on the print line preceding the command. Selection DC1 Select[...]

DC3 Deselect Printer Format: ASCII code: DC3 Decimal: 19 Hexadecimal: 13 Comments: Puts the printer into the deselected state until select printer code (DC1) is received. The printer cannot be reselected with the ON LINE button. Speed ESCs Turn Half-speed Mode On/Off Format: ASCII code: ESC s n Decimal: 2 7 115 n Hexadecimal: 1B 73 n Comments: The [...]

ESC U Turn Unidirectional Mode On/Off Format: ASCII code: ESC U n Decimal: 27 85 n Hexadecimal: 1B 55 n Comments: The following values can be used for n: 1: Mode is turned ON. (The characters “0” and “1” 0: Mode is turned OFF. can also be used.) Text printing is normally bidirectional. This command selects unidirectional printing for more a[...]

ESC EM Turn Automatic Sheet Feed Mode On/Off Format: ASCII code: ESC EM n Decimal: 27 25 n Hexadecimal: 1B 19 n Comments: The following values can be used for n: 4: Mode is turned ON. 0: Mode is turned OFF. The variables are the characters “0” (48 decimal or 30 hex) and “4” (52 decimal or 34 hex). Do not use 1 decimal, 01 hex, 4 decimal, or[...]

ESC > Format: ASCII code: ESC > Decimal: 27 62 Hexadecimal: 1B 3E Comments: Sets the MSB bit of all incoming data as 1. Set MSB to 1 ESC # Cancel MSB Control Format: ASCII code: ESC # Decimal: 27 35 Hexadecimal: 1B 23 Comments: Cancels the MSB control set by ESC = or ESC ). Beeper BEL Format: ASCII code: BEL Decimal: 7 Hexadecimal: 0 7 Beeper[...]

Data Control CR Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: C R 13 0D Carriage Return Prints the data in the buffer and returns the print position to the left margin. A line feed may be added if DIP switch 2-4 is ON or the AUTO PEED XT line on the parallel interface is held LOW. CAN Cancel Line Format: ASCII code: CAN Decimal: 24 Hexadecima[...]

Vertical Motion Form feeding FF Form Feed Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: FF 12 0C Prints the data in the print buffer and advances the paper to the top of the next form according to the current page length. ESC C Set Page Length in Lines Format: ASCII code: ESC C n Decimal: 27 67 n Hexadecimal: 1B 43 n Comments: Sets the page l[...]

ESC N Set Skip-over-perforation Format: ASCII code: ESC N n Decimal: 27 78 n Hexadecimal: 1B 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. For example, with the standard settings for line spacing (l/&inch), and page length (66 lines), ESC N 6 causes th[...]

ESC 0 Select l/&inch Line Spacing Format: ASCII code: ESC 0 Decimal: 27 48 Hexadecimal: 1B 30 Comments: Sets the line spacing to l/8 of an inch for subsequent line feed commands. The 0 is the character zero and not ASCII code 0. ESC 1 Select 7/72-inch Line Spacing Format: ASCII code: ESC 1 Decimal: 27 49 Hexadecimal: 1B 31 Comments: Sets the li[...]

ESC 3 Select n/2 16-inch Line Spacing Format: ASCII code: ESC 3 n Decimal: 27 51 n Hexadecimal: 1 B 33 n Comments: Sets the line spacing to n/216 of an inch for subsequent line feed commands. The “3” is the character three and not ASCII code 3. The value of n must be from O-255. ESC A Select n/72-inch Line Spacing Format: ASCII code: ESC A n De[...]

Vertical tabbing VT Tab Vertically Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal: Comments: VT 11 0B Advances the paper to the next tab setting in the channel selected by ESC /. If no channel has been selected, channel 0 is used. If no vertical tabs have been selected, the paper advances one line. ESC B Set Vertical Tabs Format: ASCII code: ESC B n1 n2 [...]

Select Vertical Tab Channel Format: ASCII code: ESC / c Decimal: 27 47 c Hexadecimal: 1B 2F c Comments: This command is used to select the vertical tab channel, with the value of c from 0-7. All subsequent VT commands use the channel selected by this command. Horizontal Motion Margins ESC l Set Left Margin Format: ASCII code: ESC I n Decimal: 27 10[...]

Print head movement BS Backspace Format: ASCII code: BS Decimal: 8 Hexadecimal: 0 8 Comments: Prints out data in the print buffer, then moves the print position one space to the left. Backspacing can be performed up to, but not beyond, the left margin setting. The BS code is also ignored if ESC a 2, or 3 has been sent. In Epson mode, if this code i[...]

ESC Set Relative Position Format: ASCII code: ESC n1 n2 Decimal: 27 92 n1 n2 Hexadecimal: 1B 5C n1 n2 Comments: Determines the position (relative to the current position) at which printing of following data will start. To find nl and n2, first calculate the displacement required in 1/120ths of an inch. If the displacement is to the left, subtra[...]

ESC D Set Horizontal Tabs Format: ASCII code: ESC D n1 n2 . . . NUL Decimal: 27 68 n1 n2 . . . 0 Hexadecimal: 1B 44 n1 n2 . . . 0 0 Comments: This command allows setting of up to 32 horizontal tabs, which are entered as n1, n2, n3, etc. (from 1-137) with the NUL character or any value less than the previous one terminating the command. ESC D NUL cl[...]

ESC ! Master Select Format: ASCII code: ESC ! n Decimal: 27 33 n Hexadecimal: 1B 21 n Comments: Selects any valid combination of the modes in the table below. The variable n is determined by adding together the values of the desired modes from the table. Table A-1. Muster Select numbers Mode Pica Elite Proportional Condensed Emphasized Double-strik[...]

ESC M Format: ASCII code: ESC M Decimal: 27 77 Hexadecimal: 1B 4D Comments: Selects elite pitch (12 characters per inch). Select Elite Pitch ESC p Turn Proportional Mode On/Off Format: ASCII code: ESC p n Decimal: 27 112 n Hexadecimal: 1B 70 n Comments: The following values can be used for n: 1: Mode is turned ON. (The characters “0” and “1?[...]

ESC SI Format: ASCII code: ESC SI Decimal: 27 15 Hexadecimal: IB 0F Comments: Duplicates the SI command. Select Condensed Mode DC2 Cancel Condensed Mode Format: ASCII code: DC2 Decimal: 18 Hexadecimal: 12 Comments: Cancels condensed printing set by SI, ESC SI, SelecType, or DIP switch 1-1. so Select Double-wide Mode (one line) Format: ASCII code: s[...]

DC4 Cancel Double-wide Mode (one line) Format: ASCII code: DC4 Decimal: 20 Hexadecimal: 14 Comments: Cancels one-line double-wide printing selected by SO or ESC SO, but not double-wide printing selected by ESC W or ESC !. ESC W Turn Double-wide Mode On/Off Format: ASCII code: ESC W n Decimal: 27 87 n Hexadecimal: 1B 57 n Comments: The following val[...]

Print Enhancement ESC E Select Emphasized Mode Format: ASCII code: ESC E Decimal: 27 69 Hexadecimal: 1B 45 Comments: Makes text bolder by printing each dot twice, with the second dot slightly to the right of the first. ESC F Cancel Emphasized Mode Format: ASCII code: ESC F Decimal: 27 70 Hexadecimal: 1 B 46 Comments: Cancels emphasized, the mode se[...]

ESC H Cancel Double-strike Mode Format: ASCII code: ESC H Decimal: 27 72 Hexadecimal: 1B 48 Comments: Turns off the double-strike mode selected by ESC G. ESC S0 Select Superscript Mode Format: ASCII code: ESC S NUL Decimal: 27 83 0 Hexadecimal: 1B 53 00 Comments: Prints characters about two-thirds of the normal height in the upper part of the chara[...]

ESC - Turn Underlining Mode On/Off Format: ASCII code: ESC - n Decimal: 27 45 n Hexadecimal: 1B 2 D n Comments: The following values can be used for n: 1: Mode is turned ON. (The characters “0” and “1” 0: Mode is turned OFF. can also be used.) This mode provides continuous underlining, including spaces. Word Processing ESC a NLQ Justificati[...]

ESC SP (space) Format: ASCII code: ESC SP n Decimal: 27 32 n Hexadecimal: 1B 20 n Set Intercharacter Space Comments: Sets the amount of space added to the right of each character, in addition to the space already allowed in the design of the character. The number of units of space is equal to n, which should be from O-63. Each unit of space is 1/12[...]

ESC 4 Format: ASCII code: ESC 4 Decimal: 27 52 Hexadecimal: 1B 34 Comments: Select Italic Mode Causes characters from the italic character set to be printed. This command is valid even if the Epson Character Graphics set has been selected by ESC t or the DIP switch 1-3, but character graphics cannot be italicized. ESC 5 Format: ASCII code: ESC 5 De[...]

User-defined Characters Note: See Chapter 5 for sample programs and full information on this topic. ESC & Define User-defined Characters Format: ASCII code: ESC & NUL d1 d2 . . . d n Decimal: 27 38 0 d1 d2 . . . d n Hexadecimal: 1B 26 00 d1 d2 . . . d n Comments: This command allows characters to be redefined in the currently selected mode.[...]

ESC 6 Printable Code Area Expansion Format: ASCII code: ESC 6 Decimal: 27 54 Hexadecimal: 1B 36 Comments: Enables the printing of codes 128 through 159 (decimal) as characters, not control codes. This allows the use of these characters for user-defined characters. ESC 7 Cancel ESC 6 Format: ASCII code: ESC 7 Decimal: 27 55 Hexadecimal: 1B 37 Commen[...]

Graphics Note: See Chapter 5 for sample graphics programs. ESC K Select Single-density Graphics Mode Format: ASCII code: ESC K n1 n2 Decimal: 27 75 n1 n2 Hexadecimal: 1B 4B n1 n2 Comments: Turns on eight-pin single-density graphics mode (60 dots per inch). The total number of columns = nl + (n2 x 256). ESC L Select Double-density Graphics Mode Form[...]

ESC Z Select Quadruple-density Graphics Mode Format: ASCII code: ESC Z n1 n2 Decimal: 27 90 nl n2 Hexadecimal: 1B 5A n1 n2 Comments: Turns on eight-pin quadruple-density graphics mode (240 dots per inch). The total number of columns = nl + (n2 x 256). Select Graphics Mode ESC * Format: ASCII code: ESC * m n1 n2 Decimal: 27 42 m n1 n2 Hexadecimal: 1[...]

ESC ? Reassign Graphics Mode Format: ASCII code: ESC ? s n Decimal: 27 63 s n Hexadecimal: 1B 3F s n Comments: Changes one graphics mode to another. The variable s is a character (K, L, Y or Z), which is reassigned to a mode n (0-7). ESC ^ Select 9-Pin Graphics Mode Format: ASCII code: ESC * m n1 n2 Decimal: 27 94 m n1 n2 Hexadecimal: 1B 5E m n1 n2[...]

IBM Printer Emulation Mode Commands The Epson mode and the IBM printer emulation mode share many of the same commands. Therefore, this part of the summary merely lists and does not describe the commands already described in the Epson mode command summary. The commands that are different are described in detail. Commands that Duplicate Epson Command[...]

Commands that Are Different from Epson Commands Printer Operation ESC Q3 Deselect Printer (FX-86e) Format: ASCII code: ESC Q ETX Decimal: 27 81 3 Hexadecimal: 1B 51 03 Comments: Places the printer in an off line state until the printer is turned off and back on or until it receives a DC1 code. ESC Q22 Deselect Printer (FX-286e) Format: ASCII code: [...]

ESC 2 Select Programmable Line Spacing Format: ASCII code: ESC 2 Decimal: 27 50 Hexadecimal: 1 B 32 Comments: Executes the line spacing stored in memory by ESC A. If no ESC A command has been sent, ESC 2 sets the line spacing to l/6 of an inch. (The 2 is the character two and not ASCII code 2.) ESC J Perform n/216-inch Line Feed Format: ASCII code:[...]

ESC 5 Turn Automatic Line Feed On/Off Format: ASCII code: ESC 5 n Decimal: 27 53 n Hexadecimal: 1B 35 n Comments: The following values can be used for n: 1: Mode is turned ON. 0: Mode is turned OFF. If the mode is on, the printer adds a line feed to each carriage return. If the mode is off, it does not. This command duplicates the function of DIP s[...]

ESC D Set Horizontal Tabs Format: ASCII code: ESC D n1 n2 . . . NU L Decimal: 27 68 n1 n2 . . . 0 Hexadecimal: 1B 44 n1 n2 . . . 00 Comments: This command allows setting of up to 32 horizontal tabs, which are entered as nl, n2, n3, etc. (in the range 1 to 137) with the NUL character terminating the command. The tab settings must be entered in ascen[...]

Print Size/Width/Enhancements Four modes in the IBM printer emulation mode are incompatible with each other. These modes are pica, elite, condensed, and proportional. (Proportional is available only on the FX-286e.) Therefore, if you select any one of these, you cancel all the others. Esc : Select Elite Pitch Format: ASCII code: ESC : Decimal: 27 5[...]

DC2 Cancel Condensed/Elite/Proportional Format: ASCII code: DC2 Decimal: 18 Hexadecimal: 12 Comments: Cancels condensed, elite, and proportional printing and selects pica printing. The command does not cancel double-wide. ESC [@ Select Double-high Printing (FX-286e) Format: ASCII code: ESC [ @ n1 n2 m1 m2 m3 m4 Decimal: 27 91 64 n1 n2 m1 m2 m3 m4 H[...]

ESC _ Format: ASCII code: ESC _ n Decimal: 27 95 n Hexadecimal: 1 B 5F n Comments: Turn Overscore On/Off The following values can be used for n: 1: Mode is turned ON. 0: Mode is turned OFF. Character Sets ESC 6 Select International Character Set Format: ASCII code: ESC 6 Decimal: 27 54 Hexadecimal: 1 B 36 Comments: Selects the international charact[...]

Esc Print Characters from Symbol Set Format: ASCII code: ESC n 7 n2 dat a Decimal: 27 92 n 1 n2 dat a Hexadecimal: 1 B 5C n 1 n2 dat a Comments: Prints a number of characters from the symbol set. The number of characters = nl + (n2 x 256). See the character tables in Appendix B for the symbol set and the codes to use for data. ESC ^ Print One C[...]

User-Defined Characters ESC = Define User-defined Characters Format: ASCII code: ESC = n1 n2 . . . nk Decimal: 27 61 n1 n2 . . . nk Hexadecimal: 1B 3D n1 n2 . . . nk Comments: If C is the total number of characters to be defined, B = (C x 13) + 2 nl = B MOD 256 n2 = INT(B/256) n3 = 20 in all cases n4 = the code of the first character to be defined [...]

Appendix B Character Tables This appendix contains tables of the complete Epson mode character set, including the extra characters for the 13 Epson international character sets, and the IBM printer emulation mode character sets. The tables give a printout of each character, the codes in decimal and hexadecimal, and the proportional width of each ch[...]

Table B-1. Epson mode characters Decimal Hex Character ASCII nam e 0 00 NUL 1 01 SOH 2 02 STX 3 03 ETX 4 04 EOT 5 05 ENQ 6 06 ACK 7 07 BEL 8 08 BS 9 09 HT 10 0A LF 11 OB VT 12 0C FF 13 0D CR 14 0E SO 15 0F SI 16 10 DLE 17 11 DC1 18 12 DC2 19 13 DC3 20 14 DC4 21 15 NAK 22 16 SYN 23 17 ETB 24 18 CAN 25 19 EM 26 1 A SUB 27 1 B ESC 28 1C FS 29 1D GS 30[...]

Table B-1, continued Dec Hex Character Width Dec Hex Character Width 32 20 33 21 34 22 35 23 36 24 37 25 38 26 39 27 40 28 41 29 42 2A 43 2B 44 2C 45 2D 46 2E 47 2F 48 30 49 31 50 32 51 33 52 34 53 35 54 36 55 37 56 38 57 39 58 3A 59 3 B 60 3C 61 3D 62 3E 63 3 F SP 12 ! 5 " 8 # 12 $ 12 % 12 & 12 ' 5 ( 6 ) 6 * 12 + 12 , 7 - 12 . / 6 10[...]

Table B-1, continued Dec Hex Character Width 96 60 97 61 98 62 99 63 100 64 101 65 102 66 103 67 104 68 105 69 106 6A 107 6B 108 6C 109 6D 110 6E 111 6F 112 70 113 71 114 72 115 73 116 74 117 75 118 76 119 77 120 78 121 79 122 7A 123 7 B 124 7C 125 7D 126 7E 127 7F ' 5 a 12 b 11 c 11 d 11 e 12 f 10 g 11 h 11 i 8 j 10 k 10 l 8 m 12 n 11 o 12 P [...]

Table B-1, continued Decimal Hex Character Graphics Widths: character normal italic 128 80 NUL 129 81 SOH 130 82 STX 131 83 ETX 132 84 EOT 133 85 EN Q 134 86 ACK 135 87 BEL 136 88 BS 137 89 HT 138 8A LF 139 8 B VT 140 8C FF 141 8D CR 142 8E SO 143 8 F SI 144 90 DLE 145 91 DC1 146 92 DC2 147 93 DC3 148 94 DC4 149 95 NAK 150 96 SYN 151 97 ETB 152 98 [...]

Table B-1, continued Decimal Hex Italic Width Graphics Widths: character character normal italic 160 A0 161 Al 162 A2 163 A3 164 A4 165 A5 166 A6 167 A7 168 A8 169 A9 170 AA 171 AB 172 AC 173 AD 174 AE 175 AF 176 B0 177 B1 178 B2 179 B3 180 B4 181 B5 182 B6 183 B7 184 B8 185 B9 186 BA 187 BB 188 BC 189 BD 190 BE 191 BF SP / " # $ % & &apos[...]

Table B-1, continued Decimal Hex Italic Width Graphics Widths: character character normal italic 192 C0 193 Cl 194 C2 195 C3 196 C4 197 C5 198 C6 199 C7 200 C8 201 C9 202 CA 203 CB 204 CC 205 CD 206 CE 207 CF 208 D0 209 Dl 210 D2 211 D3 212 D4 213 D5 214 D6 215 D7 216 D8 217 D9 218 DA 219 DB 220 DC 221 DD 222 DE 223 DF @ 12 A 12 B 12 C 12 D 12 E 12[...]

Table B-1, continued Decimal Hex Italic Width Graphics Widths: character character normal italic 224 E0 225 El 226 E2 227 E3 228 E4 229 E5 230 E6 231 E7 232 E8 233 E9 234 EA 235 EB 236 EC 237 ED 238 EE 239 EF 240 F0 241 Fl 242 F2 243 F3 244 F4 245 F5 246 F6 247 F7 248 F8 249 F9 250 FA 251 FB 252 FC 253 FD 254 FE 255 FF . 5 a 11 b 11 C 11 d 12 e 11 [...]

Epson International Character Sets Twelve character codes between 35 and 126 can represent more than one character each, depending upon the international character set you select. You can make the choice either by setting DIP switches 1-6 through 1-8 or by using the ESC R command. The table below shows all 13 character sets, together with the numbe[...]

Table B-3. Proportional widths of international characters Characters Widths: Characters Widths: Normal Italic Normal Italic 12 11 12 11 11 11 10 11 8 8 8 8 12 12 5 10 12 11 12 12 11 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 11 11 11 10 12 11 11 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 11 8 9 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 11 10 11 11 12 12 12 12 11 12 12 B-1 0 Character Tables[...]

IBM Printer Emulation Mode This section shows the characters available in IBM printer emulation mode. There are two main character tables: standard (CG Table 1) and international (CG Table 2). The standard table is selected when DIP switches 1-6 to 1-8 are all UP; the international table is selected by any other setting of these three switches. You[...]

Table B-4. IBM printer emulation mode characters Decimal Hex Standard International Symbol (CG Table 1) (CG Table 2) set Width 0 00 1 01 2 02 3 03 4 04 5 05 6 06 7 07 8 08 9 09 10 0A 11 0B 12 0C 13 0D 14 0E 15 0F 16 10 17 11 18 12 19 13 20 14 21 15 22 16 23 17 24 18 25 19 26 1A 27 1B 28 1C 29 1D 30 1E 31 1F NUL SOH STX ETX EOT ENQ ACK BEL BS HT LF [...]

Table B-4, continued Dec Hex Character Width De c Hex Character Width 32 20 33 21 34 22 35 23 36 24 37 25 38 26 39 27 40 28 41 29 42 2A 43 2B 44 2C 45 2D 46 2E 47 2F 48 30 49 31 50 32 51 33 52 34 53 35 54 36 55 37 56 38 57 39 58 3A 59 3 B 60 3C 61 3D 62 3E 63 3F SP 12 ! 5 " 8 # 12 $ 12 % 12 & 12 ' 6 ( 6 ) 6 * 12 + 12 , 6 - 12 . 6 / 1 [...]

Table B-4, continued Dec Hex Character Width 96 60 97 61 98 62 99 63 100 64 101 65 102 66 103 67 104 68 105 69 106 6A 107 6B 108 6C 109 6D 110 6E 111 6F 112 70 113 71 114 72 115 73 116 74 117 75 118 76 119 77 120 78 121 79 122 7A 123 7B 124 7C 125 7D 126 7E 127 7F , 6 a 12 b 11 c 11 d 11 e 12 f 12 g 11 h 12 i 8 j 10 k 10 1 8 m 12 n 12 0 11 P 11 q 1[...]

Table B-4, continued Decimal Hex Standard International (CG Table 1) (CG Table 2) Width 128 80 NUL 129 81 SOH 130 82 STX 131 83 ETX 132 84 EOT 133 85 ENQ 134 86 ACK 135 87 BEL 136 88 BS 137 89 HT 138 8A LF 139 8B VT 140 8C FF 141 8D CR 142 8E SO 143 8F SI 144 90 DLE 145 91 DC1 146 92 DC2 147 93 DC3 148 94 DC4 149 95 NAK 150 96 SYN 151 97 ETB 152 98[...]

Table B-4, continued Decimal Hex Standard International (CG Table 1) (CG Table 2) Width 160 A0 161 Al 162 A2 163 A3 164 A4 165 A5 166 A6 167 A7 168 A8 169 A9 170 AA 171 AB 172 AC 173 AD 174 AE 175 AF 176 B0 177 B1 178 B2 179 B 3 180 B 4 181 B5 182 B 6 183 B7 184 B8 185 B9 186 BA 187 BB 188 BC 189 BD 190 BE 191 BF 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12[...]

Table B-4, continued Decimal Hex Standard International (CG Table 1) (CG Table 2) Width 192 co 193 Cl 194 C2 195 C3 196 C4 197 C5 198 C6 199 C7 200 C8 201 C9 202 CA 203 CB 204 CC 205 CD 206 CE 207 CF 208 D0 209 Dl 210 D2 211 D3 212 D4 213 D5 214 D6 215 D7 216 D8 217 D9 218 DA 219 DB 220 DC 221 DD 222 DE 223 DF 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12[...]

Table B-4, concluded Decimal Hex Standard International (CG Table 1) (CG Table 2) Width 224 E0 225 El 226 E2 227 E3 228 E4 229 E5 230 E6 231 E7 232 E8 233 E9 234 EA 235 EB 236 EC 237 ED 238 EE 239 EF 240 F0 241 Fl 242 F2 243 F3 244 F4 245 F5 246 F6 247 F7 248 F8 249 F9 250 FA 251 FB 252 FC 253 FD 254 FE 255 FF 12 12 11 12 12 12 12 11 12 12 12 12 12[...]

Appendix C Problem Solving and Maintenance This appendix presents solutions for possible problems, explanations of the FX’s advanced features, tips on maintaining and transporting your printer, and instructions on replacing the print head. General Troubleshooting Problem Printer does not print Recommendation Make sure that the printer is turned o[...]

Problem Recommendation Printing is patchy, faint, uneven, or intermittent Check that the ribbon is seated correctly. Check that the ribbon moves freely in the cartridge. If you have been using the ribbon for a long time or for a large amount of printing, it may need to be replaced. It is also possible for the print head to wear out if the printer i[...]

Troubleshooting Graphics Problems Problem Strange dot patterns appear in graphics printouts Printer freezes when printing graphics Text appears as random graphics characters Recommendation Many computers have problems sending one or more of the codes between 0 and 13. Try to avoid these characters. Be sure that no other commands or carriage returns[...]

The data dump on the previous page was made while writing an earlier version of this appendix. By comparing the column of characters at the right with the printout of hex codes, you can see that the capital A (for Appendix) in the third row, was printed as 41. You can use the table of character codes (Appendix B) to find out what character correspo[...]

The extra line feed character is usually no problem, unless you want to send ASCII code 13 on its own as part of a graphics statement or a character definition. To do this, use the OPEN statement to assign a file number to the printer (LPTl:) and use the PRINT# statement in place of LPRINT. You also need to use a slightly different WIDTH statement.[...]

Replacing the print head As soon as the print head fails, stop using the printer and contact your Epson dealer for a replacement head. The catalog number is #8731. To replace the head, follow these steps: 1. Turn the printer OFF. 2. If the printer has been recently used, the print head will be hot. Let it cool. 3. Open the printer or tractor cover.[...]

7. Connect the new print head to the flat cable, place the new print head in the head mount, and move the head lock levers back to their original positions. Now your new print head is ready to use. Transporting the Printer There are several precautions you should take when packing the printer for transportation: l Remove the ribbon. l Move the prin[...]

Appendix C Problem Solving and Maintenance This appendix presents solutions for possible problems, explanations of the FX’s advanced features, tips on maintaining and transporting your printer, and instructions on replacing the print head. General Troubleshooting Problem Printer does not print Recommendation Make sure that the printer is turned o[...]

Problem Recommendation Printing is patchy, faint, uneven, or intermrttent Check that the ribbon is seated correctly. Check that the ribbon moves freely in the cartridge. If you have been using the ribbon for a long time or for a large amount of printing, it may need to be replaced. It is also possible for the print head to wear out if the printer i[...]

Troubleshooting Graphics Problems Problem Strange dot patterns appear in graphics printouts Printer freezes when printing graphics Text appears as random graphics characters Recommendation Many computers have problems sending one or more of the codes between 0 and 13. Try to avoid these characters. Be sure that no other commands or carriage returns[...]

The data dump on the previous page was made while writing an earlier version of this appendix. By comparing the column of characters at the right with the printout of hex codes, you can see that the capital A (for Appendix) in the third row, was printed as 41. You can use the table of character codes (Appendix B) to find out what character correspo[...]

The extra line feed character is usually no problem, unless you want to send ASCII code 13 on its own as part of a graphics statement or a character definition. To do this, use the OPEN statement to assign a file number to the printer (LPT1:) and use the PRINT# statement in place of LPRINT. You also need to use a slightly different WIDTH statement.[...]

Replacing the print head As soon as the print head fails, stop using the printer and contact your Epson dealer for a replacement head. The catalog number is #8731. To replace the head, follow these steps: 1. Turn the printer OFE 2. If the printer has been recently used, the print head will be hot. Let it cool. 3. Open the printer or tractor cover. [...]

Figure C-2. Disconnecting the cable 7. Connect the new print head to the flat cable, place the new print head in the head mount, and move the head lock levers back to their original positions. Now your new print head is ready to use. Transporting the Printer There are several precautions you should take when packing the printer for transportation: [...]

Appendix D Defaults and DIP Switches This appendix lists all of the default settings and lists and explains the settings of all the DIP switches. Default and Initialization Settings The FX can be initialized (returned to a fixed set of conditions) in three different ways: when it is turned on, when it receives an INIT signal at the parallel interfa[...]

DIP Switch Settings The FX has twelve DIP (Dual In-line Package) switches that allow you to change many of the printer’s settings to suit your individual needs. The DIP switches are in two groups, mounted on the back panel, as shown in Figure D-1. Figure D-1. DIP switch location Each individual switch is numbered so that DIP switch 1-1 is the swi[...]

Table D-1. DIP switch group 1 Switch Action number Function when ON 1-1 Select condensed or normal Condensed characters 1-2 Select slashed or unslashed zero 0 1-3 Select character table* Graphics 1-4 Select printer commands IBM printer emulation mode 1-5 Select print quality NLQ 1-6 Select international character set 1-7 I I See Table D-3 I 1-8 ‘[...]

symbol set cannot be selected permanently because it causes printer commands to be ignored. The DIP switch settings to select the different character sets are shown in Table D-3. Table D-3. International settings Epson mode DIP switch settings IBM printer character set 1-6 1-7 1-8 emulation mode USA French German UK Danish Swedish Italian Spanish O[...]

Appendix E Choosing and Setting Up Optional Interfaces This appendix contains information on Epson interfaces compatible with the FX-86e and FX-286e printers, instructions on choosing the right interface for a particular job, and instructions for installing internally mounted interface boards. Compatible Interfaces You can use a number of optional [...]

Choosing an Interface This section describes the interfaces. IEEE-488 and Apple interfaces The IEEE-488 system allows you to connect computers, printers, and other peripherals so that they can share data freely. Epson offers two types of IEEE-488 interfaces. The #8161 offers the basic ability to operate in the IEEE-488 address and listen-only modes[...]

Table E-2. Serial interface X-on/X-off control Self test Built-in data buffer #8143 #8145 yes no no loopback none 2K #8148 yes loopback/ line monitor 218K X-on/X-off protocol is a system in which the printer transmits a code to the computer to indicate that it cannot accept more data, and a second code when it is once more ready. The loopback self [...]

WARNING Do not remove the cover unless the printer is turned OFF because high voltages are present inside the printer when the power is on. Also do not touch contacts on the circuit board of the printer because many of the components can be destroyed by the static electricity charge that may build up on your body. 1. Turn off the power to both the [...]

Figure E-2. Releasing the retaining clips 7. Lift the case so that you can unclip the control panel, as shown on the left side of Figure E-3. 8. Tilt the upper case up and slip the control panel through the opening as shown in Figure E-3, being careful not to strain the connector linked to the control panel. Figure E-3. Removing the case Choosing a[...]

9. Lift the upper case to release the hinges at the rear edge, then lift it away from the printer. After you have removed the case, you can then follow the directions in the next section on inserting the interface board. After you have inserted the board, you replace the case by reversing steps 2 to 9. Inserting the Interface Board 1. Remove the up[...]

4. Insert the interface board beneath the printer mechanism, as indicated by the lines in Figure E-5, and plug it into the connector marked CN2 on the main circuit board of the printer. Figure E-5. Inserting the board Figure E-6. I Connecting frame ground wire 5. Secure the board to the three supports using the screws provided. 6. Connect the frame[...]

If you can, change the settings on the computer rather than the interface board because the interface is set up at the factory to give optimum performance in a wide range of conditions. If your dealer has installed the interface for you, he or she should also be able to adjust the computer and interface to achieve a good match. If you do need to ch[...]

Table E-6. Other settings Number of Parity Parity Even/odd Function data bits check check parity switch ON 7 bits enabled disabled even switch OFF 8 bits disabled enabled odd Interface number Switches used #8143 1-2 1-6 1-5 #8145 2-1 1-7 1-8 #8148 1-1 1-2 1-3 #8149(M) 2-1 2-2 2-3 Choosing and Setting Up Optional Interfaces E-9[...]

Appendix F Technical Specifications This appendix contains the specifications for the FX-86e and the FX-286e, including the built-in parallel interface. Printing Printing method Impact dot matrix Printing speed 240 characters per second in draft elite 200 characters per second in draft pica 40 characters per second in Near Letter Quality pica Print[...]

Mechanical Ribbon Cartridge, exclusive to FX, black #8750 for FX-86e or #8755 for FX-286e Life expectancy (in characters, at 14 dots/character): 3 million MCBF 5 million lines (excluding the print head) Print head life 100 million characters, at 14 dots/character Dimensions and Weight FX-86e FX-286e Height (including tractor): 5.6 in. 5.6 in. Width[...]

Environment Temperature Operation: 40°F to 95°F (5 C” to 35 C o ) Storage: -25°F to 150°F (-30 C” to 65 C o ) Humidity Operation: 10% to 80% without condensation Storage: 5% to 85% without condensation Shock Operation: Up to 1 G within 1ms Storage: Up to 2 G within 1ms Vibration Operation: Up to 0.25 G at up to 55Hz Storage: Up to 0.5 G at [...]

Table F-1. Pins and signals continued Direc- tio n OUT OUT Signal Signal 1 1 Return Pin 29 BUSY 30 PE Description A HIGH signal indicates that the printer cannot receive data. The signal goes HIGH in the following cases: 1) During data entry (ea. char. time) 2) During printing 3) When Off-Line 4) During printer-error state A HIGH signal indicates t[...]

2. “Return” denotes the twisted-pair return, to be connected at signal ground level. For the interface wiring, be sure to use a twisted-pair cable for each signal and to complete the connection on the return side. To prevent noise, these cables should be shielded and connected to the chassis of the host computer or the printer but not at both e[...]

Table F-2. Printing enabled/disabled signals and control conditions On-Line (Indicator on) SLCT IN DC1/DC3 (Data on/off contr.) ERROR BUSY ACKNLG Printing (Disabled/enabled) ON-LINE ON-LINE ON-LINE OFF-LINE LOW DC1/DC3 (interface) (no effect) HIGH DC1 RECV’D HIGH DC3 RECV’D HIGH/LOW DC1 /DC3 (no effect) (no effect) HIGH HIGH HIGH LOW HIGH/LOW E[...]

Index Command descriptions are not indexed here. For page references for specific commands, see pages A-4-6 or the Quick Reference card. A American Standard Code for Information Interchange, 3-2 Apple interfaces, E-1 - 2 Application programs, 3-1-7 ASCII, 3-2 Automatic sheet feeder, Z-1- 3 B Bail, paper, 1-10, 2-4 - 5 BASIC, 3-6 - 7 Baud rate. See [...]

E Electrical specifications, F-2 Elite, 4-2 Emphasized, 4-3 — 4 ESC/E 1-19 Escape code (ESC), 3-2. See also Commands F Foreign language characters. See International characters FORM FEED, 1-6 G Graphics, 5-1- 18, D-3 Graphics software, 3-6 H Hexadecimal, 3-3 Hexadecimal (hex) dump. See Data dump I IBM printer emulation mode, 1-19 character tables[...]

Paper guide, 1-10, 2-2 PAPER OUT light, 1-14 Paper release lever, 1-7 Paper rest, 2-3 Paper thickness lever, 2-8 Parallel interface, 1- 17, F-3 - 6 Parity. See Serial interface Pica, 4-2 - 3 Pitch, 4-2 - 3 POWER light, 1-13 Print head, 5-2 -4, C-6 life, C-5 protector, C-5 replacing, C-6 Printer cover, 1-1 Printer selection menus, 3-1 Problem solvin[...]

EPSON’ FX-86e/286 e Quick Reference[...]

DIP Switch Settings Switch number Function 1-1 Select condensed or normal characters 1-2 Select slashed or unslashed zero 1-3 Select character table* 1-4 Select printer commands 1-5 1-6 1-7 1-8 Select print quality Select international character set I In IBM printer emulation mode, a CR is added to an LF or ESC J if this switch is OFF. Action Actio[...]

Table 3. International settings E son mode h DIP switch settings IBM printer c aracter set 1-6 1-7 1-8 emulation mode USA ON ON ON Standard French ON ON OFF International German ON ON ON International UK ON OFF OFF International Danish OFF ON ON International Swedish OFF ON OFF International Italian OFF OFF ON International Spanish OFF OFF OFF Inte[...]

The following list of commands is in the order used in the command summary (Appendix A). To find details of the command you want to use, refer to the page number in the column for your operating mode-Epson or IBM printer emulation mode. Note that for commands consisting of two or more codes, the decimal and hexadecimal columns show only the second [...]

ESC 3 51 33 ESC A 65 41 ESC A 65 41 ESC J 74 4 A ESC 5 53 35 V T 11 OB ESC B 66 42 ESC b 98 62 ESC / 47 2F Horizontal motion ESC 1 108 6C ESC Q 81 51 ESC X 88 58 ESC R 82 52 BS 8 08 ESC $ 36 24 ESC 92 5 C H T 9 09 ESC D 68 44 Overall printing style ESC x ESC k ESC I ESC ! 120 78 107 6B 73 49 33 21 Select NLQ or draft Select NLQ font Select font M[...]

Print enhancement ESC E 69 45 ES C F 70 46 ESC G 71 47 ESC H 72 48 ESC SO 83 53 ESC S1 83 53 ESC T 84 54 ESC - 45 2D ESC _ 95 SF Word processing ES C a 97 61 ES C SP 32 20 Character sets ESC t 116 74 ESC 4 52 34 ES C 5 53 35 ESC R 82 52 ESC 6 54 36 ESC 7 55 37 ESC 92 5 C ESC A 94 SE Select emphasized mode Cancel emphasized mode Select double-stri[...]

10 Steps to Printing with the FXA86e/286e 1 Unpacking Your Printer 2 Selecting the Right Location 3 Installing the Ribbon[...]

Featuring: Setting Up Choosing and Loading Paper Printer Features Graphics User-defined Characters EPSON AMERICA, INC. 2780 Lomita Boulevard, Torrance, California 9 EPSON Printed in Japa[...]