8 Apr
2026
8 Apr
'26
10:15 a.m.
On Wed, Apr 8, 2026 at 6:05 PM Bill Degnan via cctalk
<cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> wrote:
you need a parallel to USB adapter from Amazon. Otherwise, use the default
printer driver. You'll probably need a new ribbon. I used to use these
back in the early 90s. Worked well then.
Ribbon? The Diconix 150+ uses the same inkjet cartridge as the
original HP Thinkjet, but is otherwise a very different printer. If
the old cartridge has been left in the machine it will probably have
leaked. The ink is somewhat corrosive (in my case it ruined the
torsion springs for the paper bail) but unlike HP Thinkjets, the
flexiprint to the carriage tends to survive
I rebuilt one some years ago. Totally stripped the mechanism, cleaned
it up, etc. I don't recomend doing it if you don't have to,
re-threading the carriage drive cable is 'fun'. The electronics is
essentially a 78C10 microcontroller, ROM. RAM, a custom gate array and
motor drives. Note that many of the Centronics lines go to the gate
array pins, something I totally dislike. I have one of my hand-drawn
reverse-engineered schematics for the thing and lots of photos of bits
of the mechanism which I can send out if anyone needs them.
-tony