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Conference 7.286::postscript_printing

Title:	Digital PostScript printers and their associated software

Moderator:	REGENT::LASKOHER

Created:	Wed Jan 24 1990
Last Modified:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	7230
Total number of notes:	31971

7223.0. "DEClaser 3500 (LN14) thinks text is PostScript code" by TAV02::CHAIM (Semper ubi Sub ubi .....) Tue Jun 03 1997 04:52

DECLASER 5100 (LN09) with TCP/IP network card usinh UCX Telnet symbiont

A customer has been attempting to print some C source code files which he
received. At some point in the printout the job would abort and generates an
"undefined" error. We have been able to localize the section of the
file, and following is what it looks like:

/*--------------------------------tm_InitPTP----------------------------------*/
/******************************************************************************/
/*tm_initPTP bind and listen to port

Attempting to print these three lines returns the following:

ERROR:undefined
OFFENDING COMMAND:bind

STACK:

/*tm_InitPTP
/
/
****************************************************************************

/
/
*--------------------------------tm_InitPTP-----------------------------------*

We played around with these lines and the following lines print fine:

Added a space after the first /*

/* -------------------------------tm_InitPTP----------------------------------*/
/******************************************************************************/
/*tm_initPTP bind and listen to port

Changed bind to Bind

/*--------------------------------tm_InitPTP----------------------------------*/
/******************************************************************************/
/*tm_initPTP Bind and listen to port

It appears to me that for some reason the printer has gotten "mixed up" and
thinks it is PS code (since bind is a PS command while Bind is not - also tried
replacing bind with moveto and this also generates an error).

1.	Is this a known bug
2.	Is ther any FirmWare version to fix this

Thanks,

Cb.

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
7223.1	My error - DECLASER 3500 - LN14	TAV02::CHAIM	Semper ubi Sub ubi .....	`Tue Jun 03 1997 05:54`	5
	I made a mistake in my origibal mote; the printer is a DECLASER 3500 LN14! Thanks, Cb.
7223.2	turn off autosense	REGENT::POWERS		`Wed Jun 04 1997 15:11`	9
	It looks like the autosense setting that clues the printer to PCL and PostScript is getting fooled by the presence of slashes and words like 'bind' that are indicative of PostScript code. Adobe autosense allegedly runs all during a job to pick up transitions in code that don't have obvious job boundaries. The only fix I can suggest here is to make sure that autosense (PS/PCL sensing) is disabled in the 3500. - tom]
7223.3	IPMT time ???	52445::CHAIM	Semper ubi Sub ubi .....	`Thu Jun 05 1997 02:00`	21
	Tom, Thanks for your reply. >It looks like the autosense setting that clues the printer to PCL >and PostScript is getting fooled by the presence of slashes and words >like 'bind' that are indicative of PostScript code. >Adobe autosense allegedly runs all during a job to pick up transitions >in code that don't have obvious job boundaries. >The only fix I can suggest here is to make sure that autosense (PS/PCL >sensing) is disabled in the 3500. This "solution" is NOT acceptable to the customer as he prints both TEXT (PCL in its most primitive state) and PostScript. Should we open an IPMT? Thanks, Cb.
7223.4		7708::POWERS		`Thu Jun 05 1997 11:58`	21
	The only criterion for determining whether an IPMT is warranted is whether the customer has a need for an official response. If that's applicable in this case, then file one. DON'T expect that filing an IPMT will result in solving the customer's problem in a manner most transparent to the customer. There will be no changes to DEClaser 3500 firmware, for example, even if there is a design flaw in the printer's autosensing implementation. The BEST you will get is a documented workaround. In this case, I expect the fix will be to either demonstrate how to explicitly change the interpreter between PS and PCL (I don't recall the 3500's support for PJL, for example) or to use an external translator, as DCPS does to support text-mode printing. We may need to know more about the customer's situation and what he needs to do in what broader environment. You can continue the discussion here or file an IPMT that includes all the relevant information. - tom]