stewart allen wrote:
> i have a LA-75 companion printer i need test. Asuming i already have mmj
> cable and a Digital VT320 terminal, how do i set this up to print some test
> output from the terminal. I am not talking about printing a manual test
> page - i already know how to do that. I am basically trying to test the
> ports on the printer to know if they work.

Are the settings on the VT allright (bitrate and such)?
Do you have a rollover MMJ cable?
Do you have a way to put text on the screen?
Does F2 work as a "print-screen" key?

Maybe this can help you on your way.

(Oh, F3 is usually the Setup key if you didn't know)

Alex.

"stewart allen" wrote in message news:...
> i have a LA-75 companion printer i need test. Asuming i already have mmj
> cable and a Digital VT320 terminal, how do i set this up to print some test
> output from the terminal. I am not talking about printing a manual test
> page - i already know how to do that. I am basically trying to test the
> ports on the printer to know if they work.
>
> Regards
The terminal setup should have a printer section,
check the speed and settings are the same as the printer.
I think if you press one (or more) of the buttons when you
power-on the printer then then it prints its configuration.
The terminal requires an escape sequence to switch output
from the screen to the printer. If you put the following
into a dcl procedure, then @la75 will send that
file to the printer, then redirect output back to the terminal.
$!la75.com - p1 is filename to slave print
$ say := "write sys$output"
$ esc[0,7] = 27
$ csi = "''esc'["
$!switch to slave
$ say "''csi'5i"
$ type 'p1'
$ say "''csi'4i"
$!switch back
$ exit

Phil

stewart allen wrote:
> i have a LA-75 companion printer i need test. Asuming i already have mmj
> cable and a Digital VT320 terminal, how do i set this up to print some test
> output from the terminal. I am not talking about printing a manual test
> page - i already know how to do that. I am basically trying to test the
> ports on the printer to know if they work.

1. Press F3 to go into set-up on the VT320, and make sure that the baud
rate / parity / stop bits (etc) match with what your printer is
expecting.

2. If your VT320 is not attached to a host, put it into "Local" mode.
Then F3 again to exit set-up mode, and type some stuff. (Use the
cursor keys if you want to move about the screen.)

3. If your VT320 is attached to a host, exit set-up then get a screen
full of whatever takes your fancy.

4. Finally, press F2 -- this may be marked as 'print screen'. (Not PF2.)
Your LA75 should then lurch into life.

Nice printer, by the way - solidly built. I just wish you could say the
same about the VT320! >

Good luck.

S.

That worked...thanks Simon!

"Simon Coombs" >
> 1. Press F3 to go into set-up on the VT320, and make sure that the baud
> rate / parity / stop bits (etc) match with what your printer is
> expecting.
>
> 2. If your VT320 is not attached to a host, put it into "Local" mode.
> Then F3 again to exit set-up mode, and type some stuff. (Use the
> cursor keys if you want to move about the screen.)
>
> 3. If your VT320 is attached to a host, exit set-up then get a screen
> full of whatever takes your fancy.
>
> 4. Finally, press F2 -- this may be marked as 'print screen'. (Not PF2.)
> Your LA75 should then lurch into life.
>
> Nice printer, by the way - solidly built. I just wish you could say the
> same about the VT320! >
>
> Good luck.
>
> S.
>
>