Re: printer replacement for commodore computer

Den Tue, 9 Apr 2019 16:36:36 +0200 skrev didier derny <didier_at_aida.org>:
> adapting the user port to centronics is one thing
> 
> but the existing software are compatible with the more recent
> centronics printers ?
> 
> I was rather thinking to something like the IEC floppy
> 
> a small board with one side IEC and/or IEEE-488 and on the other side
> a centronics port

For IEEE-488 you might be able to use some standard interface intended
for usage with measurement instruments or HP computers. Not sure if
those does any code conversion though. Those are probably more
expensive though as it's a part of the (expensive) measurement
instrument market.

> with a microcontroller in the middle to convert the codes from the 
> original commodore printer code to the new one

As a kind of side track: If you anyway are going to use more modern
stuff you might want to add printer support to some of the existing
modern IEC/IEEE things made for usage with Commodore 8-bit computers.

For example some of the X**1541 cables for the parallell printer port
of a PC can emulate a disk drive (like an SD2IEC, kind of, but directly
on a PC) and the software for those should be possible to adapt for
printer emulation too.

Btw sorry if I'm bringing this up now and then, and sorry that I most
probably have forgotten any good pointers previously posted here when
I've brought this up previously, but: It would be really nice if the
XUM1541/ZoomFloppy style devices got drive (and printer) emulation
added to them!

> to tell the truth I've not used a printer on a commodore till 1985
> (it was a 8096 with a 8024)

I kind of never used graphics mode on printers with my Commodore
computers. Printing in upper + lower case mode on the printer avoids
requiring PETSCII characters to be able to list basic programs and
similar. Back in the days I used an MPS 801, and later on a Diablo 1620
printing terminal. The Diablo was mostly used on my Amiga 500 but for a
short period I used it with my VIC 20 as my Amiga 500 were broken and I
needed some kind of word processor for some school work :) Btw it turns
out that the Swedish national letters ÅÄÖåäö gets converted to AAOaao
when booting from some workbench disks, while they print correctly when
booted from some other workbench disks. That did bite me, my teacher
seemed to think that I were sloppy for not proof reading. Kind of
strange as it turned out that the teacher in question actually had a
computer at home so would be familiar with the work flow using a word
processor at the time, i.e. type in stuff, print out, proof read the
printout (or *cough* let your more language skilled parent do the
proof reading), correct errors, make a new printout and assume that the
print out would be fine.
 
> it's when I discovered recent matrix printer from dascom that I
> tought to the commodore

Isn't OKI the one to go for though? They have been around for ages and
they iirc make the Microline 192 which probably are more or less the
same as it was many years ago. Only difference is that they added USB
support in more recent models.

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