what are the current dos compatible HP printers?

[Joel Kolstad]

Network, under DOS?

Remamber: those apps, where DOS is essential, are often real time
applications in industry, operating some machines, moving equipment ,
industrial robots etc. It has to be real time.

If you're not accessing the network (i.e., not printing), the network stack
isn't being called by DOS and there's no slowdown to the machine.

What I was suggesting was using the DOS network drivers, NOT running DOS
software in a "DOS box" under Windows, which certain does slow things down.
The only significant drawback I'm aware of using DOS network drivers is that
they do, of course, take up memory, and in some systems there may not be
enough memory left to run them.

Therefore in most industrial countries is use of windows for
controlling some industrial equipment simply forbidden by law.

That's quite arbitrary. It's true that Windows isn't a "real time" operating
system, but these days you can get intelligent I/O cards with their own CPUs
that perform all the real time tasks and Windows functions primary as the GUI.

 

[Otto Sykora]

Just asked around in my present company:

they still sell matrix printer with paralell or serial port for their
security systems.
Get them from EPSON and call it FX 300+. Printers on Stock at Epson in
Switzerland, cost abt 200 EUR or USD.

Looks like the printer we had in the school 1981....

 

[rwap]

The problem would relate to two issues:

1) Isolation of the equipment including the LAN.
2) The print server would need approval by BAA to be on the system -
they are not bothered about printers too much (so long as a standard
font is used), but they are bothered about any other equipment which
may not come as standard from the PLC equipment supplier (such as
Rockwell). Now they are not quick to understand non-standard equipment
and the fact that a parallel port -> LAN adaptor would not allow any
form of hacking into the system remotely and so it would need to be
supported by specific testing and regulatory approval.

However, ignoring the industrial controls equipment side of things, we
are now talking a lot of money to allow a simple machine to output to a
printer - many industries will not pay for that functionality nor will
users of early computer systems, such as Sinclairs and Commodores.

Rich Mellor
www.internetbusinessangels.com

 

[rwap]

Yes you can always get dot matrix printers, which is what we tend to
use on site but not everyone is happy with the quality of their output
especially if the output has to be photocopied and scanned afterwards

Rich Mellor
www.internetbusinessangels.com

 

[Bob Headrick]

The only thing is that this makes too many presumptions (along with
the
printer industry): [snip]
3) Believe it or not but some control systems do not have much memory
(eg. 64K) and so you cannot afford to add extra drivers - you are
lucky
if you can send a simple stream of plain text and carriage returns -
the beauty of epsons - need a lot less control codes than PCL language

A PCL printer will do just fine with just a stream of plain text.

- Bob Headrick

 

[Otto Sykora]

However, ignoring the industrial controls equipment side of things, we
are now talking a lot of money to allow a simple machine to output to
a
printer - many industries will not pay for that functionality nor will
users of early computer systems, such as Sinclairs and Commodores.
<

OK, will give it some time one day. Have some small embedded linux toy
here, it might be able to undertand stuff sent from LPT of a DOS
machine, it has lot of I/O on it, and can talk to USB devices and HP
supplies driver for Llinux for their junk inkjet printers.
I think will have to have try and see what can be done here. Then the
box would be some 100 usd I assume, well as you say, too much for the
sinclair and commodore user anyway.

 

[rwap]

so what PCL inkjet printers are currently available new with centronics
(parallel port) connection?

And does anyone know of any current printers with centronics connection
which have an EPSON compatible mode? Low cost laser or inkjet will do
but not dot matrix.

Rich Mellor
www.rwapservices.co.uk

The only thing is that this makes too many presumptions (along with
the
printer industry): [snip]
3) Believe it or not but some control systems do not have much memory
(eg. 64K) and so you cannot afford to add extra drivers - you are
lucky
if you can send a simple stream of plain text and carriage returns -
the beauty of epsons - need a lot less control codes than PCL language

A PCL printer will do just fine with just a stream of plain text.

- Bob Headrick

 

[zakezuke]

OK, will give it some time one day. Have some small embedded linux toy
here, it might be able to undertand stuff sent from LPT of a DOS
machine, it has lot of I/O on it, and can talk to USB devices and HP
supplies driver for Llinux for their junk inkjet printers.
I think will have to have try and see what can be done here. Then the
box would be some 100 usd I assume, well as you say, too much for the
sinclair and commodore user anyway.

You presume that the commodore or sinclair user is a commodore or
sinclair user because of a lack of money? I would argue that at this
point in history these classic systems would cost more money to keep up
and running than a more modern machine. A parallel port module in it
self would run $20ish in used circules, $30 for a geoCable from
www.cmdrkey.com now owned by Click Here Software Company.

MicroUSB.org

Most of these devices, though I admit I've not actually seen one as a
commercial product, Printers for these systems are rather "not" an
issue as one could go out of their way if they desired and plop down
money for a used laser with parallel port and be happy.

My vote would be for situations where you absolutly need a modern
printer, and absolutly can't add drivers or software to the host
machine, my vote would be parallel port to network, where HP emulation
and one of their laser printers which still understands old HP
protocals. It is the most simple solution, where the device would just
take the data sent to it, likely in Epson FX or straight ascii, and
transfer it to the laser. The printers onboard fonts should be more
than adquate. Such a device can either intragrate into an existing
network, or be on a isolated segment. If not HP II emulation then
postscript, which while wordy it's not a problem convert one data
stream with epson FX control codes and parce it out to postscript. And
if not HP or Postscript, oddly enough EpsonFX emulation is not unusual
on lasers, which in all likelyhood just be a 1:1 conversion between the
host machine's output and the printer.

 

[Otto Sykora]

The people in our coompany told me, that there is nothing except the
original epson at this time they could fing for their products.

 

[zakezuke]

so what PCL inkjet printers are currently available new with centronics
(parallel port) connection?

And does anyone know of any current printers with centronics connection
which have an EPSON compatible mode? Low cost laser or inkjet will do
but not dot matrix.

http://www.overstock.com/?page=proframe&prod_id=1733805
[just a link, not so useful for UK]
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/uk/en/ho/WF06a/5043-5047-5287-5287-1325417-7368033.html
[a tad more useful for UK]
The HP businessjet 1200 should do the trick.

HP Business Inkjet 2300 also should do the trick
http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/s...jets_office&subcat1=&catLevel=1#defaultAnchor

They are not cheap, but if you have to have inkjet, centronics, PLC,
which I presume HP PCL 5c can deal with older PCL commands.

There are lower priced solutions which also list a centronics port, but
not the K550 it would seem.

 

[Bob Headrick]

so what PCL inkjet printers are currently available new with
centronics
(parallel port) connection?

You might take a look at the Deskjet 5650 at
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF06a/18972-236251-236261-14438-f51-304441.html.

There are also several models in the HP Business Inkjet like:

BIJ 1200D:
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF06a/18972-236251-236261-24728-f51-411179.html
BIJ 2300:
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/e...1-24728-f51-306738.html?jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN
BIJ 2800:
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/e...1-24728-f58-429041.html?jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

The DeskJet model has the advantage that it can print with only the
black cartridge installed. I presume for this application you may not
need color. The Business Inkjet models have higher duty cycle ratings
and more built-in fonts. If you print a few dozen pages a day any of
these would work. If you are printing hundreds of pages a day you will
want to look at the BIJ models.

Regards,
Bob Headrick, MS MVP Printing/Imaging