4 Nov
2016
4 Nov
'16
4:29 p.m.
Does anyone have a scan of the MX-80 Dot Matrix Printer Technical Manual?
It's apparently intended to be available here:
http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/39747/Epson-MX-80-Dot-Matrix-Printer…
but I was unable to actually download it.
4 Nov
4 Nov
4:38 p.m.
On 11/4/2016 1:29 PM, Eric Smith wrote:
Does anyone have a scan of the MX-80 Dot Matrix
Printer Technical Manual?
It's apparently intended to be available here:
http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/39747/Epson-MX-80-Dot-Matrix-Printer…
but I was unable to actually download it.
The manual is sold for 0 pounds, and the script fails in trying to check
out. Since the site is in the UK the script may fail with non UK
locales. Perhaps someone in the UK could try to get it and let Eric
have access.
Hope they don't have worse problems with a bug in a script like that,
such as having ways to get into their site and compromise financial
data. Kind of dangerous mixing routine stuff like downloads into having
to pay no fees for the copy.
thanks
Jim
5:11 p.m.
It doesn't work from the UK. I can't get to the checkout if I add an item with a
cost. I think its broken.
Dave
G4UGM
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of jim
stephens
Sent: 04 November 2016 20:38
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
<cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Subject: Re: Epson MX-80 Technical Manual?
On 11/4/2016 1:29 PM, Eric Smith wrote:
Does anyone have a scan of the MX-80 Dot Matrix
Printer Technical
Manual?
It's apparently intended to be available here:
http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/39747/Epson-MX-80-Dot-
Matrix-Pr
inter-Technical-Manual/ but I was unable to
actually download it.
The manual is sold for 0 pounds, and the script fails in trying to check out.
Since the site is in the UK the script may fail with non UK locales. Perhaps
someone in the UK could try to get it and let Eric have access.
Hope they don't have worse problems with a bug in a script like that, such as
having ways to get into their site and compromise financial data. Kind of
dangerous mixing routine stuff like downloads into having to pay no fees for
the copy.
thanks
Jim 
6:45 p.m.
On Fri, 4 Nov 2016, Eric Smith wrote:
Does anyone have a scan of the MX-80 Dot Matrix
Printer Technical Manual?
It may be a long shot, . . .
The first printer that IBM sold with the 5150 was a re-badged Epson MX-80.
The ROMs are likely to be different, but the rest of its circuitry should
be the same.
http://www.minuszerodegrees.net/manuals/IBM_5150_Technical_Reference_602500…
?
The original manual had schematics.
5 Nov
5 Nov
3:24 a.m.
On 05/11/2016, at 4:29 AM, Eric Smith <spacewar at gmail.com> wrote:
Does anyone have a scan of the MX-80 Dot Matrix
Printer Technical Manual?
It's apparently intended to be available here:
http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/39747/Epson-MX-80-Dot-Matrix-Printer…
but I was unable to actually download it.
If you do get the site working, or contact the site owners, this one might also be worth
getting (?7.5 rather than ?0, but also fails to check out):
http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/32320/Epson-FX-RX-MX-Printers-Produc…
Covers FX-85/185, FX-80/100, RX-80/100, MX-80/100.
(Principles of Operation, Wiring data, Repair Analysis Procedures, Parts Lists, Repairs
and Adjustments, Final Actions, General)
This book on pages 11-12 has a brief overview of the differences between the MX-80
versions (suggesting mostly firmware differences, and with the Type III including the
previously optional Graftrax 80 support):
http://www.atarimania.com/documents/The_Epson_Connection_Atari_Edition.pdf
This VCFED thread also discusses the ROMs (and the 5152 printer):
http://www.vcfed.org/forum/showthread.php?24184-IBM-5152-Epson-MX-80
The Graftrax 80 installation manual also has a component layout diagram on page 4:
https://archive.org/details/Graftrax-80_1981_Epson_America
Here is the Epson MX-80 III FT - Sams ComputerFacts:
https://archive.org/details/Sams_Computerfacts_Epson_MX-80_III_FT_Printer_1…
Here is the IBM 5152-002 - Sams ComputerFacts:
https://archive.org/details/Sams_IBM_5152_Printer
If you do manage to get hold of either of those Epson PDFs on computinghistory.org.uk,
I'd be very keen as well.
Scott.
9:04 a.m.
I tried this link this morning (from Utah US) and got the manual.
So the link must have gotten fixed.
I've placed here just in case:
http://www.3kranger.com/download/epson_-_mx-80_dot_matrix_printer_-_technic…
Keven Miller
----- Original Message -----
From: "Scott Kevill" <scott at kevill.com>
To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
<cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Sent: Sat 05 Nov 2016 01:24 AM
Subject: Re: Epson MX-80 Technical Manual?
On 05/11/2016, at 4:29 AM, Eric Smith <spacewar at gmail.com> wrote:
Does anyone have a scan of the MX-80 Dot Matrix
Printer Technical Manual?
It's apparently intended to be available here:
http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/39747/Epson-MX-80-Dot-Matrix-Printer…
but I was unable to actually download it.
12:36 p.m.
They said they were working on it..
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Keven
Miller
Sent: 05 November 2016 13:04
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
<cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Subject: Re: Epson MX-80 Technical Manual?
I tried this link this morning (from Utah US) and got the manual.
So the link must have gotten fixed.
I've placed here just in case:
http://www.3kranger.com/download/epson_-_mx-
80_dot_matrix_printer_-_technical_manual.pdf
Keven Miller
----- Original Message -----
From: "Scott Kevill" <scott at kevill.com>
To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
<cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Sent: Sat 05 Nov 2016 01:24 AM
Subject: Re: Epson MX-80 Technical Manual?
On 05/11/2016, at 4:29 AM, Eric Smith <spacewar at gmail.com> wrote:
Does anyone have a scan of the MX-80 Dot Matrix
Printer Technical
Manual?
It's apparently intended to be available here:
http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/39747/Epson-MX-80-Dot-
Matrix-Printer-Technical-Manual/
but I was unable to actually download it.
1:59 p.m.
A scan I did this morning will be up on bitsavers by 13:00 PDT
On 11/5/16 9:36 AM, Dave Wade wrote:
They said they were working on it..
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Keven
Miller
Sent: 05 November 2016 13:04
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
<cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Subject: Re: Epson MX-80 Technical Manual?
I tried this link this morning (from Utah US) and got the manual.
So the link must have gotten fixed.
I've placed here just in case:
http://www.3kranger.com/download/epson_-_mx-
80_dot_matrix_printer_-_technical_manual.pdf
Keven Miller
----- Original Message -----
From: "Scott Kevill" <scott at kevill.com>
To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
<cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Sent: Sat 05 Nov 2016 01:24 AM
Subject: Re: Epson MX-80 Technical Manual?
On 05/11/2016, at 4:29 AM, Eric Smith <spacewar at gmail.com> wrote:
Does anyone have a scan of the MX-80 Dot Matrix
Printer Technical
Manual?
It's apparently intended to be available here:
http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/39747/Epson-MX-80-Dot-
Matrix-Printer-Technical-Manual/
but I was unable to actually download it.
8 Nov
8 Nov
9:49 p.m.
Just wanted to say thanks for doing this scan (and of course all the other great work you
do), Al, the quality was fantastic.
For anyone else that didn't notice this (or forgot to check back), it's at:
http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pdf/epson/printer/P80000001A_M…
And it's much more readable (especially the diagrams).
Scott.
On 06/11/2016, at 1:59 AM, Al Kossow <aek at bitsavers.org> wrote:
A scan I did this morning will be up on bitsavers by
13:00 PDT
On 11/5/16 9:36 AM, Dave Wade wrote:
> They said they were working on it..
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Keven
>> Miller
>> Sent: 05 November 2016 13:04
>> To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
>> <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
>> Subject: Re: Epson MX-80 Technical Manual?
>>
>> I tried this link this morning (from Utah US) and got the manual.
>> So the link must have gotten fixed.
>>
>> I've placed here just in case:
>>
>> http://www.3kranger.com/download/epson_-_mx-
>> 80_dot_matrix_printer_-_technical_manual.pdf
>>
>> Keven Miller
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Scott Kevill" <scott at kevill.com>
>> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
>> <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
>> Sent: Sat 05 Nov 2016 01:24 AM
>> Subject: Re: Epson MX-80 Technical Manual?
>>
>>
>>
>> On 05/11/2016, at 4:29 AM, Eric Smith <spacewar at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Does anyone have a scan of the MX-80 Dot Matrix Printer Technical
>> Manual?
>>>
>>> It's apparently intended to be available here:
>>>
>>> http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/39747/Epson-MX-80-Dot-
>> Matrix-Printer-Technical-Manual/
>>> but I was unable to actually download it.
9 Nov
9 Nov
9:47 a.m.
It is interesting that the MX-80 was copied by several other
printer manufactures. For a while, the term MX-80 compatible
was an important selling feature.
The Canon Cat had configurations for many different Canon printers
built in, from daisy wheel to bubble jet. It had one extra configuration
called 'common printer' and guess which printer that is. The MX-80!
Dwight
________________________________
From: cctalk <cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org> on behalf of Scott Kevill <scott
at kevill.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 8, 2016 6:49:49 PM
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Subject: Re: Epson MX-80 Technical Manual?
Just wanted to say thanks for doing this scan (and of course all the other great work you
do), Al, the quality was fantastic.
For anyone else that didn't notice this (or forgot to check back), it's at:
http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pdf/epson/printer/P80000001A_M…
And it's much more readable (especially the diagrams).
Scott.
On 06/11/2016, at 1:59 AM, Al Kossow <aek at bitsavers.org> wrote:
A scan I did this morning will be up on bitsavers by
13:00 PDT
On 11/5/16 9:36 AM, Dave Wade wrote:
> They said they were working on it..
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Keven
>> Miller
>> Sent: 05 November 2016 13:04
>> To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
>> <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
>> Subject: Re: Epson MX-80 Technical Manual?
>>
>> I tried this link this morning (from Utah US) and got the manual.
>> So the link must have gotten fixed.
>>
>> I've placed here just in case:
>>
>> http://www.3kranger.com/download/epson_-_mx-
>> 80_dot_matrix_printer_-_technical_manual.pdf
>>
>> Keven Miller
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Scott Kevill" <scott at kevill.com>
>> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
>> <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
>> Sent: Sat 05 Nov 2016 01:24 AM
>> Subject: Re: Epson MX-80 Technical Manual?
>>
>>
>>
>> On 05/11/2016, at 4:29 AM, Eric Smith <spacewar at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Does anyone have a scan of the MX-80 Dot Matrix Printer Technical
>> Manual?
>>>
>>> It's apparently intended to be available here:
>>>
>>> http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/39747/Epson-MX-80-Dot-
>> Matrix-Printer-Technical-Manual/
>>> but I was unable to actually download it.
11:24 p.m.
"It is interesting that the MX-80 was copied by several other printer
manufactures."
The first printer I owned, ca. 1983, was a BMC BX-80. This printer was
marketed as an "Epson Compatible", and for my purposes, it most certainly
was. Driven by C-64 via the Cardco Card/?+G interface, it was capable of
several standard text & imprint modes (draft, std, ital, ul, bold, etc),
the CBM keyboard graphics characters and bitmap graphic images.
It may also have printed custom C-64 character sets..?
In any event, that printer served me flawlessly for several years until I
moved on to bigger & better things. So who was BMC, anyway? I also happen
to own a nice little green-screen monitor with their brand on it. It's
clearly based on a B&W TV case & chassis, that lacks tuning, antenna
connections, speaker and so on - in favor of a single RCA composite input.
Monitor still works great, it's my go-to for old home computers.
On Wed, Nov 9, 2016 at 8:47 AM, dwight <dkelvey at hotmail.com> wrote:
It is interesting that the MX-80 was copied by several
other
printer manufactures. For a while, the term MX-80 compatible
was an important selling feature.
The Canon Cat had configurations for many different Canon printers
built in, from daisy wheel to bubble jet. It had one extra configuration
called 'common printer' and guess which printer that is. The MX-80!
Dwight
________________________________
From: cctalk <cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org> on behalf of Scott Kevill <
scott at kevill.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 8, 2016 6:49:49 PM
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Subject: Re: Epson MX-80 Technical Manual?
Just wanted to say thanks for doing this scan (and of course all the other
great work you do), Al, the quality was fantastic.
For anyone else that didn't notice this (or forgot to check back), it's at:
http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pdf/epson/
printer/P80000001A_MX-80_Technical_Manual.pdf
And it's much more readable (especially the diagrams).
Scott.
On 06/11/2016, at 1:59 AM, Al Kossow <aek at bitsavers.org> wrote:
A scan I did this morning will be up on bitsavers
by 13:00 PDT
On 11/5/16 9:36 AM, Dave Wade wrote:
> They said they were working on it..
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Keven
>> Miller
>> Sent: 05 November 2016 13:04
>> To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
>> <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
>> Subject: Re: Epson MX-80 Technical Manual?
>>
>> I tried this link this morning (from Utah US) and got the manual.
>> So the link must have gotten fixed.
>>
>> I've placed here just in case:
>>
>> http://www.3kranger.com/download/epson_-_mx-
>> 80_dot_matrix_printer_-_technical_manual.pdf
>>
>> Keven Miller
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Scott Kevill" <scott at kevill.com>
>> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
>> <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
>> Sent: Sat 05 Nov 2016 01:24 AM
>> Subject: Re: Epson MX-80 Technical Manual?
>>
>>
>>
>> On 05/11/2016, at 4:29 AM, Eric Smith <spacewar at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Does anyone have a scan of the MX-80 Dot Matrix Printer Technical
>> Manual?
>>>
>>> It's apparently intended to be available here:
>>>
>>> http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/39747/Epson-MX-80-Dot-
>> Matrix-Printer-Technical-Manual/
>>> but I was unable to actually download it.
11:41 p.m.
On 11/09/2016 06:47 AM, dwight wrote:
It is interesting that the MX-80 was copied by several
other
printer manufactures. For a while, the term MX-80 compatible
was an important selling feature.
The MX-80 (and FX-80) were among the least expensive of widely available
dot-matrix printers that could also do graphics. Hence the wide appeal.
IIRC, the MX-80 had serial (RS232) as an option with Centronics
standard. The interesting thing was that the only thing the option
really gave you was the EIA-to-TTL level shifting logic. I recall
cobbling an adapter up using a couple of 2N2222 transistors and a 9V
battery.
--Chuck
11:59 p.m.
On Wed, Nov 9, 2016 at 9:41 PM, Chuck Guzis <cclist at sydex.com> wrote:
The MX-80 (and FX-80) were among the least expensive
of widely available
dot-matrix printers that could also do graphics. Hence the wide appeal.
Though it actually was extremely popular *before* they offered graphics for
it. The original firmware supported text only.
10 Nov
10 Nov
12:14 a.m.
So would the BMC BX-80 be a clone of the MX-80 or FX-80? Anyone have a
sense of it?
On Wed, Nov 9, 2016 at 10:59 PM, Eric Smith <spacewar at gmail.com> wrote:
On Wed, Nov 9, 2016 at 9:41 PM, Chuck Guzis <cclist
at sydex.com> wrote:
The MX-80 (and FX-80) were among the least
expensive of widely available
dot-matrix printers that could also do graphics. Hence the wide appeal.
Though it actually was extremely popular *before* they offered graphics for
it. The original firmware supported text only.
5:57 p.m.
On 10 Nov 2016, at 3:14 pm, drlegendre .
<drlegendre at gmail.com> wrote:
So would the BMC BX-80 be a clone of the MX-80 or FX-80? Anyone have a
sense of it?
It was also my first printer. I pretty sure it was a clone of the MX-80 with graphics
option. I bought it (well actually my parents) from a shop that sold Taiwanese Apple
clones, so I?m guessing it may have similar origins.
11:55 p.m.
(Of the BMC BX-80) "It was also my first printer."
And that was down in AU, event? Interesting, I guess they made their way
all over the place (mine was bought in Minnesota, USA).
What were your experiences with it? I found mine to be utterly
un-flappable, with only the occasional paper jam if I was playing around
with it way too much. Otherwise, it never skipped a beat. Print quality was
the equal or better of any genuine Epson machine I came across at that
time.
Really an ideal experience, on my end. So who were BMC, and where are they
now?
On Thu, Nov 10, 2016 at 4:57 PM, Chris Pye <pye at mactec.com.au> wrote:
On 10 Nov 2016, at 3:14 pm, drlegendre .
<drlegendre at gmail.com> wrote:
So would the BMC BX-80 be a clone of the MX-80 or FX-80? Anyone have a
sense of it?
It was also my first printer. I pretty sure it was a clone of the MX-80
with graphics option. I bought it (well actually my parents) from a shop
that sold Taiwanese Apple clones, so I?m guessing it may have similar
origins.
11 Nov
11 Nov
1:05 a.m.
On 11/10/2016 08:55 PM, drlegendre . wrote:
Really an ideal experience, on my end. So who were
BMC, and where are
they now?
BMC International is a Japanese company, based in Osaka.
http://www.bmcinc.co.jp/our-company/
I remember them mostly for their display monitors, which seemed to be
ubiquitous in the Apple market.
--Chuck
10 Nov
10 Nov
12:28 a.m.
On 11/09/2016 08:59 PM, Eric Smith wrote:
On Wed, Nov 9, 2016 at 9:41 PM, Chuck Guzis <cclist
at sydex.com>
wrote:
Sure, but then there was little use of dot-matrix graphics, which were
pretty coarse.
At the time, I think I was using a Mannesmann Tally printer that, oddly
enough (recall this was the time of the 5150) used an 8088 as its
controller.
Similarly, the Diablo 630 was often the default daisy-wheel printer,
even though it was far from the cheapest--but they were *everywhere* in
the business world.
--Chuck
The MX-80 (and FX-80) were among the least
expensive of widely
available dot-matrix printers that could also do graphics. Hence
the wide appeal.
Though it actually was extremely popular *before* they offered
graphics for it. The original firmware supported text only. 
12:31 a.m.
On Thu, Nov 10, 2016 at 5:28 AM, Chuck Guzis <cclist at sydex.com> wrote:
Similarly, the Diablo 630 was often the default
daisy-wheel printer,
even though it was far from the cheapest--but they were *everywhere* in
the business world.
To the extent that (IIRC) there was a DIP switch setting for some early
Apple Laserwriters that made it Diablo 630 compatible rather than
accepting Postscript.
-tony
12:19 a.m.
IIRC, the MX-80 had serial (RS232) as an option with
Centronics
standard. The interesting thing was that the only thing the option
really gave you was the EIA-to-TTL level shifting logic. I recall
cobbling an adapter up using a couple of 2N2222 transistors and a 9V
battery.
These Epson printers (not just the MX80, but other somewhat related models)
had a header socket on the logic board that carried the Centronics signals
and a few other things. It was designed for custom interface boards.
One such board was indeed a bit-banged (by the printer's microcontroller)
RS232 interface. There was a pin on the connector that you grounded to
get the microcontroller to read in bit-banged data. I think the Centronics
data lines were used to read a DIP switch on the interface board to
specify things like baud rate.
Other intefaces used the Centronics interface in a more conventional
way. There was an RS232 board with its own microcontroller and
buffer RAM that didn't use the bit-banging functions of the printer
microcontroller. There was an IEEE-488 interface from Epsom (it
was a load of TTL from what I recall). And HP made an HPIL
interface board to go there (microcontroller and 1LB3 chip).
-tony
--Chuck
12:31 a.m.
On 11/09/2016 09:19 PM, Tony Duell wrote:
Other intefaces used the Centronics interface in a
more conventional
way. There was an RS232 board with its own microcontroller and buffer
RAM that didn't use the bit-banging functions of the printer
microcontroller. There was an IEEE-488 interface from Epsom (it was a
load of TTL from what I recall). And HP made an HPIL interface board
to go there (microcontroller and 1LB3 chip).
Was a Dataproducts interface ever offered for the MX-80? Back in the
day, it was almost as popular as Centronics on mid-sized systems.
Now, of course, few people remember it.
--Chuck
12:36 a.m.
On Thu, Nov 10, 2016 at 5:31 AM, Chuck Guzis <cclist at sydex.com> wrote:
Was a Dataproducts interface ever offered for the
MX-80? Back in the
day, it was almost as popular as Centronics on mid-sized systems.
Was that the one that was fairly similar to Centronics but with some
signals inverted?
I have never heard of an Epson interface board for it, but it would not
surprise me if one existed. Wouldn't have to come from Epson, the
interface connector was documented so third parties could make their
own interfaces.
Incidentally. some of the RS232 interfaces for these printers did 20mA
current loop as well.
Now, of course, few people remember it.
Now, few people remember Centronics :-)
-tony
1:24 a.m.
On 11/09/2016 09:36 PM, Tony Duell wrote:
On Thu, Nov 10, 2016 at 5:31 AM, Chuck Guzis
<cclist at sydex.com>
wrote:
Yes--and IIRC, it used a 50-conductor connection as well. We had some
big CDC OEM line printers in the mid 1980s that could be configured for
either interface. Before that, in about 1975 we had a Diablo dot-matrix
printer (a strange, very loud beast) that used the DP interface. (ISTR
that it also used three Rockwell PPS-8s). Memory grows dim with each
passing year.
--Chuck
Was a Dataproducts interface ever offered for the
MX-80? Back in
the day, it was almost as popular as Centronics on mid-sized
systems.
Was that the one that was fairly similar to Centronics but with some
signals inverted?
1:13 p.m.
On Thu, Nov 10, 2016 at 6:24 AM, Chuck Guzis <cclist at sydex.com> wrote:
[Dataproducts interface]
Yes--and IIRC, it used a 50-conductor connection as
well. We had some
Which was the one that used that rectangular connector often mis-called
the V.35 connector?
I have a thing called a Ferret here. It's a combined breakout box, RS232
to current loop to parallel interface, strip printer, EPROM programmer,
Z80 computer, etc. The parellel interface can be set up to be either Centronics
or Dataproducts.
big CDC OEM line printers in the mid 1980s that could
be configured for
either interface. Before that, in about 1975 we had a Diablo dot-matrix
printer (a strange, very loud beast) that used the DP interface. (ISTR
that it also used three Rockwell PPS-8s). Memory grows dim with each
passing year.
Some of the old Daisywheel printers, both Diablo and Qume had an interface
with over 20 data lines. You specified print wheel position, amount to advance
the carriage, etc on separate lines.
-tony
1:20 p.m.
On 11/10/16 10:13 AM, Tony Duell wrote:
Which was the one that used that rectangular connector
often mis-called
the V.35 connector?
Data Products uses a 50 pin Winchester Electronics connector.
dbit makes a converter
http://www.dbit.com/wilson/dplpc/
2:09 p.m.
On 11/10/2016 10:20 AM, Al Kossow wrote:
On 11/10/16 10:13 AM, Tony Duell wrote:
Sometimes called an "M/50" connector. It has 4 rows of pins for a total
of 50 and it's quite often confused with V.35, which uses an M/34 (34
pins in 4 rows) connector. The same way that an RJ21 phone/SCSI
connector is sometimes mistaken for a "Centronics" connector.
The similarities are striking in both cases.
--Chuck
Which was the one that used that rectangular
connector often
mis-called the V.35 connector?
Data Products uses a 50 pin Winchester Electronics connector. dbit
makes a converter http://www.dbit.com/wilson/dplpc/
1:52 p.m.
On 11/10/2016 10:13 AM, Tony Duell wrote:
Some of the old Daisywheel printers, both Diablo and
Qume had an
interface with over 20 data lines. You specified print wheel
position, amount to advance the carriage, etc on separate lines.
Yup--my first daisywheel was the original Hitype--the one with the
external (3 fan noisy) power supply. It had the OEM interface and I
hooked that to an S100 card with 3 parallel ports. It was pretty cool;
you could do logic-seeking, plotting, prop spacing and a host of other
tricks with it. I think I still have the driver I wrote for it--and may
have the OEM manual as well buried somewhere.
Did I ever mention that I was well acquainted with the folks at
Diablo-before-Xerox? Several wound up at Qume.
Sigh. Daisywheels seem to be in the category of "unwanted junk". I
still have a Qume and an Olivetti (sold with the M24) unit and have been
unable to give them away. It seems that if a printer won't do graphics,
nobody wants it. I did manage to give away a Diablo 630.
--Chuck
2:05 p.m.
On Thu, Nov 10, 2016 at 6:52 PM, Chuck Guzis <cclist at sydex.com> wrote:
Yup--my first daisywheel was the original Hitype--the
one with the
external (3 fan noisy) power supply. It had the OEM interface and I
I think I have one somewhere. Don't have the PSU for it, it came with
a word processor system, and the PSU in the CPU box (large deskside
unit) powers the printer as well.
[...]
Sigh. Daisywheels seem to be in the category of
"unwanted junk". I
It's a pity that far too many classic computer enthsiasts who run the
original hardware consider the CPU to be the only part worth saving.
Not printers, not even disk units in some cases. And yet the CPU is
not the entire system at all...
still have a Qume and an Olivetti (sold with the M24)
unit and have been
unable to give them away. It seems that if a printer won't do graphics,
nobody wants it. I did manage to give away a Diablo 630.
But a daisywheel can do graphics. One of the programs for the Apple ][
-- I think it was called ApplePlot, could do a high res screen dump on
a Qume 5 daisywheel printer. It used the '.' character only, positioning
it very carefully. There were even daisywheels made with a metal pin for
the '.', everything else being plastic, so they didn't wear out too quickly
when used for such things.
Strangest thing I have seen on a Diablo 630 chassis. A Sanders 700.
That's a 7 pin dot matrix printer with the printhead in place of the
daisywheel of the 630. Same carriage/paper feed mechanism.
It takes plug-in ROM cartridges for the fonts, and does 8 passes
of the head for some of them.
-tony
--Chuck
3:44 p.m.
On 11/10/2016 11:05 AM, Tony Duell wrote:
Strangest thing I have seen on a Diablo 630 chassis. A
Sanders 700.
That's a 7 pin dot matrix printer with the printhead in place of the
daisywheel of the 630. Same carriage/paper feed mechanism. It takes
plug-in ROM cartridges for the fonts, and does 8 passes of the head
for some of them.
It was a rather incestuous community back then. One thing that our
printer designers were well aware of and referred to, were the Sanders
patent applications.
A lot later printers used a stepper for horizontal positioning; we used
a rather expensive DC motor with a precision (etched glass) optical
encoder. We could do NLQ with no more than 3 passes, although the speed
dropped considerably on the denser (downloadable) fonts. It pretty much
mandated a film ribbon to get any degree of sharpness.
--Chuck
5 Nov
5 Nov
4:14 a.m.
On 11/4/2016 1:29 PM, Eric Smith wrote:
Does anyone have a scan of the MX-80 Dot Matrix
Printer Technical Manual?
It's apparently intended to be available here:
http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/39747/Epson-MX-80-Dot-Matrix-Printer…
but I was unable to actually download it.
I tried several other schemes to find
this, and struck out. The museum
seems to be using a rack server service http://www.havnet.net/, secure
checkout, of course which is broken.
I tried going thru archive.org's images of this site, and did find that
there were epson documents on the site, but this manual is an addition
after 2013, which is as far back as I went. And the checkout scheme was
there already, though the manual was not, so I stopped that search. I
wonder if we guessed the correct url if the manual is visible, but
didn't get anywhere with that.
Hopefully someone can fix their server. I have a friend who is an
instructor in Cambridge, I will send this to her next week if you don't
get anywhere, and see if she can contact someone who can contact
someone, if the page isn't fixed. Also sending a donation is asked for,
and I could get no donation or purchase to work at all, so they will be
missing revenue for the museum (in whatever shape it is in) till they do
fix the page.
thanks to Scott for the other info, filed it away for when I feel the
need to open an Epson printer.
thanks
jim
7:38 a.m.
I know have this in my inbox, will upload some where and announce when I
am on a proper computer, not cell phone. Dave
On 4 Nov 2016 20:29, "Eric Smith" <spacewar at gmail.com> wrote:
Does anyone have a scan of the MX-80 Dot Matrix
Printer Technical Manual?
It's apparently intended to be available here:
http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/39747/Epson-MX-80-
Dot-Matrix-Printer-Technical-Manual/
but I was unable to actually download it.
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