The Sinclair QL Forum

Some people may have noticed that I have been a little quiet of late. There are some reasons which most people on here are aware of, but I have also been working hard towards the release of the retro-printer module - www.retroprinter.com

As part of this, we have decided to make the C routines for converting Epson (ESC/P2) data to PDF available on Github. I am still working on them as time allows, but if anyone else wants to help expand on these routines to implement more of the ESC/P2 control codes (or even create a new utility based on the routines to convert ESC/P2 or PCL output to PDF), please feel free to drop by.

The printer to PDF project can be found at: https://github.com/RWAP/PrinterToPDF/

I'm interested in buying one of these addons and do some tests with ZX81 and Spectrum.
If these need additional escape sequences I'm ready to add these.
As I have no other centronics hardware testing these might me difficult.
kind regards Paul

Paul wrote:I'm interested in buying one of these addons and do some tests with ZX81 and Spectrum.
If these need additional escape sequences I'm ready to add these.
As I have no other centronics hardware testing these might me difficult.
kind regards Paul

Testing is not so diffcult once you have the Retro-Printer module itself - because this will enable you to either connect a PC to the Raspberry Pi (used by the Retro-Printer) and read the PDFs and even the plain captured data, or simply install a USB printer to the Raspberry Pi and let it print out the captured data.

The ZX81 and Spectrum centronics interfaces have been tested on the beta hardware, but we have had to make a few minor changes, so need the new PCB to test these properly. Luckily, the ZX81 and Spectrum are more likely to use original ESC/P control codes, which are mainly implemented in the routines. It is the more problematic ESC/P2 codes which I am working on at the moment (such as 720dpi graphics). You are more than welcome to view the Github code and offer changes / improvements

I have never been able to understand how the 1440dpi (or later 2880dpi) mode works on Epson printers and cannot find any information anywhere (hence why it was never supported in the ProWesS ESC/P2 drivers).

Spectrum Color hardcopy has been tested?
That's better than expected!
Meanwhile I remembered that I still have an Atari ST, has Signum been tested?
Else I could do this (or different ST Programs).

I don't think I have a Spectrum centronics interface which supports colour.... it depends on whether they support the ESC/P control codes.

Same for the ST - whilst the device works with the ST, it depends whether the software you use is designed to work with an Epson printer or not!

I have never been able to understand how the 1440dpi (or later 2880dpi) mode works on Epson printers and cannot find any information anywhere (hence why it was never supported in the ProWesS ESC/P2 drivers).

Its nasty with a half line increment and horizontal half dot increment too from memory!

XorA wrote:

I have never been able to understand how the 1440dpi (or later 2880dpi) mode works on Epson printers and cannot find any information anywhere (hence why it was never supported in the ProWesS ESC/P2 drivers).

Its nasty with a half line increment and horizontal half dot increment too from memory!

Quite probably but the control codes are not listed anywhere!