Printer Port - Revision history

Phi2x: /* Upgrade to 8bit data */

2025-02-19T02:06:37Z

Upgrade to 8bit data

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:06, 19 February 2025
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	* [[8bit Printer Ports]]		* [[8bit Printer Ports]]

	Amstrad Plus machines can handle 8bit data natively. The 8th bit of the printer port is on bit3 of register 12 of the emulated [[CRTC]]. This bit must have "seemed" unused to Amstrad engineers. Unfortunately, they didn't know about the Overscan Bits.		Amstrad Plus machines can handle 8bit data natively. The 8th bit of the printer port is on bit3 of register 12 of the emulated [[CRTC]].

			This bit must have "seemed" unused to Amstrad engineers. Unfortunately, they didn't know about the Overscan Bits.

	== KC Compact Printer Port ==		== KC Compact Printer Port ==

Phi2x: /* Upgrade to 8bit data */

2025-02-19T02:05:37Z

Upgrade to 8bit data

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:05, 19 February 2025
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	* [[8bit Printer Ports]]		* [[8bit Printer Ports]]

	On Plus machines~~, the~~ 8th bit of the printer port is on bit3 of register 12 of the emulated [[CRTC]]. This bit must have "seemed" unused to Amstrad engineers. Unfortunately, they didn't know about the Overscan Bits.		Amstrad Plus machines can handle 8bit data natively. The 8th bit of the printer port is on bit3 of register 12 of the emulated [[CRTC]]. This bit must have "seemed" unused to Amstrad engineers. Unfortunately, they didn't know about the Overscan Bits.

	== KC Compact Printer Port ==		== KC Compact Printer Port ==

Phi2x: /* How it works */

2025-02-19T02:04:08Z

How it works

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:04, 19 February 2025
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	~~On CPC, the~~ printer is operated as follows: to send a byte, use port &EF00 by sending the value 3 times (1st: Bit7=0; 2nd: Bit7=1; 3rd: Bit7=0), with bit7 used to validate the byte. For this reason, only the 7 least significant bits were taken into account.		The printer is operated as follows: to send a byte, use port &EF00 by sending the value 3 times (1st: Bit7=0; 2nd: Bit7=1; 3rd: Bit7=0), with bit7 used to validate the byte. For this reason, only the 7 least significant bits were taken into account.

	On Plus machines, the 8th bit of the printer port is on bit3 of register 12 of the emulated [[CRTC]]. This bit must have "seemed" unused to Amstrad engineers. Unfortunately, they didn't know about the Overscan Bits.

	== Data / Strobe ==		== Data / Strobe ==

Phi2x: /* Upgrade to 8bit data */

2025-02-19T02:03:36Z

Upgrade to 8bit data

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:03, 19 February 2025
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	* [[8bit Printer Ports]]		* [[8bit Printer Ports]]

			On Plus machines, the 8th bit of the printer port is on bit3 of register 12 of the emulated [[CRTC]]. This bit must have "seemed" unused to Amstrad engineers. Unfortunately, they didn't know about the Overscan Bits.

	== KC Compact Printer Port ==		== KC Compact Printer Port ==

Phi2x: /* General Specifications */

2025-02-18T16:43:43Z

General Specifications

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:43, 18 February 2025
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	== General Specifications ==		== General Specifications ==

			*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ESC/P Epson Standard Code for Printers (ESC/P)] Wikipedia article
			*[https://files.support.epson.com/pdf/general/escp2ref.pdf Epson ESC/P Reference Manual]

	For (detailed) general information about Amstrad/Scheider printers, see:		For (detailed) general information about Amstrad/Scheider printers, see:

Phi2x: /* How it works */

2024-07-07T14:06:15Z

How it works

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:06, 7 July 2024
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	On CPC, the printer is operated as follows: to send a byte, use port &EF00 by sending the value 3 times (1st: Bit7=0; 2nd: Bit7=1; 3rd: Bit7=0), with bit7 used to validate the byte. For this reason, only the 7 least significant bits were taken into account.		On CPC, the printer is operated as follows: to send a byte, use port &EF00 by sending the value 3 times (1st: Bit7=0; 2nd: Bit7=1; 3rd: Bit7=0), with bit7 used to validate the byte. For this reason, only the 7 least significant bits were taken into account.

	On Plus machines, the 8th bit of the printer port is on bit3 of register 12 of the emulated CRTC. This bit must have "seemed" unused to Amstrad engineers. Unfortunately, they didn't know about the Overscan Bits.		On Plus machines, the 8th bit of the printer port is on bit3 of register 12 of the emulated [[CRTC]]. This bit must have "seemed" unused to Amstrad engineers. Unfortunately, they didn't know about the Overscan Bits.

	== Data / Strobe ==		== Data / Strobe ==

Phi2x: /* How it works */

2024-07-07T08:28:27Z

How it works

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:28, 7 July 2024
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	To send a byte to the printer, you first have to verify if it's ready, via bit6 of port B of the PPI located at &F500. When this bit is 0, you can send a byte. When it's 1, the printer is busy (its buffer is full, it's out of paper, it's turned off, not Online, ...).		To send a byte to the printer, you first have to verify if it's ready, via bit6 of port B of the PPI located at &F500. When this bit is 0, you can send a byte. When it's 1, the printer is busy (its buffer is full, it's out of paper, it's turned off, not Online, ...).

	Note that the system can differentiate between a full buffer and another type of error when the control bit stays at state 1 for too long.		Note that the system can differentiate between a full buffer and another type of error when the control bit stays at state 1 for too long.

Phi2x: /* How it works */

2024-07-07T08:28:14Z

How it works

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:28, 7 July 2024
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	== How it works ==		== How it works ==

	To send a byte to the printer, you first have to verify if it's ready, via bit6 of port B of the PPI located at &F500.		To send a byte to the printer, you first have to verify if it's ready, via bit6 of port B of the PPI located at &F500. When this bit is 0, you can send a byte. When it's 1, the printer is busy (its buffer is full, it's out of paper, it's turned off, not Online, ...).
			Note that the system can differentiate between a full buffer and another type of error when the control bit stays at state 1 for too long.
	When this bit is 0, you can send a byte. When it's 1, the printer is busy (its buffer is full, it's out of paper, it's turned off, not Online, ...). Note that the system can differentiate between a full buffer and another type of error when the control bit stays at state 1 for too long.

Phi2x: /* Aleste 520EX Printer Port */

2024-07-07T08:26:32Z

Aleste 520EX Printer Port

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:26, 7 July 2024
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	== Aleste 520EX Printer Port ==		== Aleste 520EX Printer Port ==

	The [[Aleste 520EX]] is '''not''' compatible with the CPCs Printer Port (it's having other, non-printer related hardware mapped to ~~EFXXh~~). Aside from the compatibility problem it's better than the CPCs port: Data is 8bit bi-directional.		The [[Aleste 520EX]] is '''not''' compatible with the CPCs Printer Port (it's having other, non-printer related hardware mapped to &EFxx). Aside from the compatibility problem it's better than the CPCs port: Data is 8bit bi-directional.

	== Non-Printer Devices that connect to the Printer Port ==		== Non-Printer Devices that connect to the Printer Port ==

Phi2x: /* KC Compact Printer Port */

2024-07-07T08:26:14Z

KC Compact Printer Port

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:26, 7 July 2024
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	The Printer Port in the [[KC Compact]] is fully compatible with the CPCs Printer Port, and includes some additional features:		The Printer Port in the [[KC Compact]] is fully compatible with the CPCs Printer Port, and includes some additional features:
	* Port ~~EFxxh~~ is CIO Port A, by default configured as Output, with inverted polarity on bit7 (same as on CPC). However, CIO Port A could be reprogrammed by software (for example: making it an Input, or disabling the bit7 inversion)		* Port &EFxx is CIO Port A, by default configured as Output, with inverted polarity on bit7 (same as on CPC). However, CIO Port A could be reprogrammed by software (for example: making it an Input, or disabling the bit7 inversion)
	* The 8th Printer bit connects to Bit5 of PIO Port C (same as the Happy Computer [[8bit Printer Ports\|8bit Printer Port]] mod)		* The 8th Printer bit connects to Bit5 of PIO Port C (same as the Happy Computer [[8bit Printer Ports\|8bit Printer Port]] mod)
	* The "TEST" Feature of the KC Compact BIOS allows to boot the computer remotely via some kind of "network" connection, which connects to some of the CIO Port A signals		* The "TEST" Feature of the KC Compact BIOS allows to boot the computer remotely via some kind of "network" connection, which connects to some of the CIO Port A signals