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1991-11-03
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84 lines
PRTCOM.DOC is the documentation file for program PRTCOM.COM
Version 2.0 December 1988. This program is in the public domain.
The program has been written as a replacement for the printer
redirection function of the MODE program supplied with MS-DOS.
MS-DOS command: PRTCOM command:
MODE COM1:4800,N,8,1,(P) PRTCOM 17801
MODE LPT1:=COM1:
Back to parallel printer:
MODE LPT1: PRTCOM Q
The program redirects all LPT1, LPT2, and LPT3 output to
COM1/.../COM4. The command syntax is 'PRTCOM xblps':
x = 1,...,4 = COM1,COM2,COM3,COM4
b = 1,...,8 = 110,150,300,600,1200,2400,4800,9600 baud
l = 7,8 = 7,8 bits data length
p = 0,1,2 = parity: none,even,odd
s = 1,2 = stop bits: 1,2
The command 'PRTCOM Q' reactivates the old (ROM) printer driver.
The PRTCOM command may be included in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file.
PRTCOM becomes resident in memory and hooks software interrupt
INT 17H. IF a character is to be printed, it does the following:
1. Initialize the serial port to the parameters.
2. Loop until both DSR (data set ready) and CTS (clear to
send) signals from the printer are in asserted state.
3. Send character.
4. Return "no error" status code.
The program never returns any error status code. Therefore
it may loop forever, waiting for DSR and CTS to become active
and causing the program to 'hang'. If the printer is either
not connected or offline and you wish to interrupt the printing,
press the SCROLL LOCK key (turn SCROLL LOCK LED on). If the
SCROLL LOCK LED is on, PRTCOM does dummy prints, i.e. returns
the "no error" status codes without printing the characters.
Then you may either wait until dummy printing has been finished,
or break the printing, if the (application) program permits
it (Control-C or ESCape should work).
If there is any other memory resident printer software
(character set converters, screen graphics hardcopy routines),
PRTCOM must be loaded first.
Install your application program(s) to LPT1, PRN, LST or
"standard".
If you are having trouble to get your serial printer to work,
here is a description of the standard serial printer cable for
IBM-PCs and compatibles:
PC printer
cable has a cable has a
25 pin RS 232C 25 pin RS 232C
FEMALE connector MALE connector
1 ---------------------- 1
protective ground
7 ---------------------- 7
signal ground
2 TX ----------------------> 3 RX
3 RX <---------------------- 2 TX
4 RTS ----------------------> 5 CTS
5 CTS <---------------------- 4 RTS
6 DSR <---------------------- 20 DTR
20 DTR ----------------------> 6 DSR
Some serial printers need the DCD (data carrier detect) pin 8
signal to recognize, that there is a computer willing to print.
Add a connection from DSR pin 6 (printer site) to DCD pin 8
(printer site) in that case.
If you have any comments, write to:
Klaus D. Wloczyk
Otto-Hahn-Strasse 7
W-6458 Rodenbach 1
Germany