Epson FX-BO Specifications

6-1Pin labels...6-46-2Calculating numbers for pin patterns...6-56-3Designing in different densities...

The DIP SwitchesSeveral tiny switches called DIP (for Dual In-Line Package)switches are inside the FX-286 printer. These switches control a num-ber of

Selecting the IBM Proprinter ModeTo set the FX-286 in the IBM Proprinter mode, you need to resetthree DIP switches. Once the FX-286 is set in the IBM

takes over and the FX-286 starts printing out the Standard IBM Pro-printer character set, as shown in Figure A-2.Figure A-2. IBM Prop-inter mode self

Table A-2. International DIP switch settingsCountrySwitch 1-6Switch 1-7Switch 1-8USAOnOnOnFranceOnOnOffGermanyOnOffOnUnited KingdomOnOffOffDenmarkOffO

The IBM Proprinter mode does not divide its international charac-ters into sets. It does, however, have two character sets, which youcan see in Append

Appendix BLoading Single-sheet Paper in the FX-286Although the FX-286 is delivered with a tractor feed unit alreadyinstalled, there may be times when

Loading Single-sheet PaperLoading single-sheet paper in the FX-286 is just like loading paper ina typewriter.1.Remove the dust cover by tilting it up

When loading single-sheet paper, you may find that the FX-286breaks pages at different places than your word processor or applica-tions program.To ens

Installing the Tractor UnitTo reinstall the tractor unit on the FX-286:1. Remove the center cover if it’s been installed.2. Hold the tractor with the

Appendix CTroubleshooting and Problem SolvingThis appendix presents explanations of the FX-286’s advanced fea-tures and solutions for possible problem

Tables3-15-1Summary of FX-286 pitches ...5-2International characters in Epson NLQ mode ...5-3International

Paper advancingIf the printer advances the paper several pages at the end of eachpage of printing or each time it receives a form feed, see that DIPsw

Cancelling Unwanted Functions with SelecTypeIf you want to cancel the modes you have set with SelecType, youcan turn your printer off and back on with

4. Press the FORM FEED button once. Now the ON LINE light is stillblinking, but it is off more than it is on. This tells you that double-strike is can

Therefore, if you ran the following BASIC program while yourFX-286 was in the hex dump mode, you would get the printout belowit. The printer will prin

final line. Then compare your printout with the list of hex codes inorder in Figure C-1. If any are skipped or repeated, you will know thatyour softwa

IBM PC BASIC solutionsThere are three problems in using the IBM Personal ComputerBASIC to drive a printer. First, the IBM PC BASIC inserts a carriage-

Applesoft BASIC SolutionsApplesoft BASIC does not use PRINT to send data to the screenand LPRINT to send data to the printer as Microsoft BASIC does.T

The command in line 180 begins the definition process. It ends withtwo ASCII numbers that set up the range of characters to be defined.Since this prog

C-10

Appendix DMaintenanceTo keep your FX-286 working like new, always keep it in a safe andclean place. Keep it away from dust, grease, and any heat sourc

IntroductionThe FX-286 printer combines the versatility and reliability of pre-vious FX printers with a wide range of exciting new features.l The Near

to cool. Next, remove the dust cover and ribbon cartridge. Push thesilver head-lock lever on the left side of the head away from you.Figure D-1. Print

Appendix EThe Parallel InterfaceThe FX-286 printers use a parallel interface to communicate withthe computer; this appendix describes it.Connector pin

Table E-1, continuedSignalReturnPinPinSignalDirec-tion13SLCTOUT14AUTO FEEDXTIN15NC16OV17CHASSISGND18NC19 - 30GND31INITIN32ERROROUT33GND34NC3536SLCT IN

4. Data transfer must be carried out by observing the ACKNLG orBUSY signal. (Data transfer to this printer can be carried out onlyafter receipt of the

Table E-2.Printing enabled/disabled signals and control conditionsSLCT INDC1/DC3(Indicator on)(Data on/off contr.)ERRORBUSYACKNLGPrinting(Disabled/ena

Appendix FTechnical SpecificationsPrintingPrinting method... Impact dot matrixPrinting speed ...200 characters per second perline in pic

Line spacing ...Characters per line:PicaPica double-widthEliteElite double-widthCondensedCondensed eliteCondensed double-widt

Dimensions and weightHeight... 5.9in.Width (with paperfeed knob) ... 24.3 in.Depth ... 13.9 in.Weight ...

InterfaceInterface ...Centronics® compatible, 8-bit parallelSynchronization ...By externally su

Appendix GEpson Mode Command SummaryThis appendix describes the standard Epson commands first innumerical order for easy reference, and then in detail

Chapter 1Setting Up the FX-286Setting up your new FX-286 is easy. Follow the steps in this chapterto ensure that your FX-286 is properly unpacked, loc

Letters in parentheses, such as (n) or (d), are variables, which areexplained in the comments sections.In BASIC you can use either decimal or hexadeci

14 SO15SI17 DC118DC219 DC320 DC424 CAN127DELESC 14 ESC SOESC 15 ESC SIESC 25 ESC EMESC 32 ESC SPESC 33 ESC !ESC 35 ESC #ESC 36 ESC $ESC 37 ESC %ESC 38

ESC 69 ESC EESC 70 ESC FESC 71 ESC GESC 72 ESC HESC 73 ESC IESC 74 ESC JESC 75 ESC KESC 76 ESC LESC 77 ESC MESC 78 ESC NESC79 ESC OESC 80 ESC PESC 81

Epson Mode CommandsG-5

G-6

Near Letter Quality ModeESC xSelect NLQ or draftFormat:ASCII code: ESCDecimal: 27Hexadecimal: 1B(n)120 (n)78 (n)Comments:n = 0 selects draft mo

DC2Cancel Condensed ModeFormat:ASCII code:DC2Decimal :18Hexadecimal: 12Control:CTRL RComments:Cancels condensed printing set by SI or ESC SI.SOSelect

DC4Cancel Double-width Mode (one line)Format:ASCII code: DC4Decimal :20Hexadecimal: 14Control:CTRL TComments:Cancels one-line double-width printing se

ESC PSelect Pica WidthFormat:ASCII code:ESCPDecimal:2780Hexadecimal: 1B50Comments:Selects pica width (10 characters per inch). Because pica is thedefa

ESC GSelect Double-strike ModeFormat:ASCII code:ESCGDecimal :2771Hexadecimal: 1B47Comments:In double-strike each line is printed twice, with the secon

Once you’ve confirmed that you’ve received all the necessary parts,remove the sheet of paper wrapped around the printer’s platen (theblack roller). Th

ESC TFormat:ASCII code: ESCDecimal :27Hexadecimal: 1BComments:Cancels either mode.Cancel Superscript/SubscriptT8454ESC –Select/Cancel UnderliningForma

ESC 4Select Italic ModeFormat:ASCII code:ESC4Decimal:2752Hexadecimal: 1B34Comments:Causes characters to be printed in the italic character set.Not val

Page FormattingMarginsESC QSet Right MarginFormat:ASCII code:ESCQ(n)Decimal:2781 (n)Hexadecimal: 1B51 (n)Comments:Sets the right margin. Also cancels

ESC NFormat:ASCII code:ESCDecimal:.27Hexadecimal: 1BSelect Skip-over-perforationN(n)78 (n)4E (n)Comments:The variable n is the number of lines skipped

ESC 0Select 1/8-inch Line SpacingFormat:ASCII code:ESC0Decimal:27 48Hexadecimal: 1B30Comments:Sets the line spacing to l/8 of an inch for subsequent l

ESC 3Select n/216-inch Line SpacingFormat:ASCII code:ESCDecimal:27Hexadecimal: 13Comments:3(n)51 (n)33 (n)Sets the line spacing to n/216 of an inch fo

ESC jReverse Line FeedFormat:ASCII code:ESC j (n)Decimal:27106 (n)Hexadecimal: 1B6A (n)Comments:Executes reverse line feed. Line spacing of n/216ths o

ESC C0Select Page Length in InchesFormat:ASCII code: ESCC 0 (n)Decimal: 27 67 0 (n)Hexadecimal: 1B 43 00 (n)Comments:Sets the page length to n inches

VTTab VerticallyFormat:ASCII code: VTDecimal:11Hexadecimal: 0BControl:CTRL KComments:Advances the paper to the next tab setting in the channel selecte

ESC /Select Vertical Tab ChannelFormat:ASCII code:ESC/`(c)Decimal :2747 (c)Hexadecimal: 132F(c)Comments:This command is used to select the vertical ta

l Place the printer on a solid foundation. Avoid setting it on carpet,chairs, or unstable surfaces.l Use a grounded outlet; don’t use an adapter plug.

ESC (space)Select Character SpaceFormat:ASCII code: ESC (space) (n)Decimal :2732 (n)Hexadecimal: 1B20 (n)Comments:Determines the amount of space added

ESC \Format:ASCII code: ESCDecimal:27Hexadecimal: 1BComments:Select Relative Dot Position\ (n1) (n2)92 (n1) (n2)5C (n1) (n2)Determines the position at

GraphicsNote: See Chapter 6 for sample graphics programs.ESC KSelect Single-density Graphics ModeFormat:ASCII code: ESCDecimal:27Hexadecimal: 1BComme

ESC YSelect High-speed Doubledensity Graphics ModeFormat:ASCII code: ESCY (n1) (n2)Decimal: 27 89 (n1) (n2)Hexadecimal: 1B 59 (n1) (n2)Comments:Turns

ESC *Select Graphics ModeFormat:ASCII code:ESCDecimal:27Hexadecimal: 1B* (m) (n1) (n2)42 (m) (n1) (n2)2A (m) (n1) (n2)Comments:Turns on graphics mode

User-defined CharactersNote: See Chapter 7 for sample programs and further information.The commands are available in the draft mode only.ESC &Defi

ESC 6Printable Code Area ExpansionFormat:ASCII code: ESCDecimal :27Hexadecimal: 1BComments:65436ASCII codes 128 to 159 and 255 are usually not printab

ESC IFormat:ASCII code: ESCDecimal:27Hexadecimal: 1BComments:Printable Code Area ExpansionI(n)73 (n)49(n)ASCII codes 0 to 31 and 128 to 159 are usuall

ESC >MSB = 1 SettingFormat:ASCII code: ESC>Decimal:27 62Hexadecimal: 1B3EComments:Selects MSB as 1. When this code is input, the MSB of an eight

CRCarriage ReturnFormat:ASCII code: CRDecimal: 13Hexadecimal: ODControl :CTRL MComments:Prints the data in the buffer and returns the print position t

Figure 1-4. Rear view of FX-2863Installing the RibbonBefore installing the ribbon and loading the paper, you shouldremove the dust cover to allow eas

CANCancel LineFormat :ASCII code:CANDecimal :24Hexadecimal: 18Control:CTRL XComments:Removes all text in the print buffer, but does not affect control

ESC 9Enable Paper-out SensorFormat:ASCII code:ESC9Decimal:27 57Hexadecimal: 1B39Comments:Turns on paper-out sensor so that the printer beeper sounds a

ESC UFormat:ASCII code: ESCDecimal:27Hexadecimal: 1BComments:Select Unidirectional ModeU(n)85 (n)55 (n)Selects unidirectional printing for more accura

Appendix HFX-286 Character Fonts-Epson ModeThis appendix shows the character fonts available on the FX-286printer in the Epson mode. In order to prese

How to Use the ChartsTo determine the hexadecimal number that prints a particular char-acter, find the character in one of the tables; then look at th

Epson Draft Mode0123456769ABCDEF-0123456769ABCDEF0123456789ABCDEFEpson Near Letter Quality (NLQ) Mode0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D EFH-3

H-4

Appendix IASCII Code Conversion Chartand Proportional Width TablesThis appendix contains an ASCII code conversion chart and thewidth of all printable

ASCII Code Conversion ChartThis chart can be used to convert between the different names forASCII codes. The codes from 0 to 32 have both decimal and

DecimalHexadecimalAbbreviation2519<EM>261A<SUB>271B<ESC>281C<FS>291D<GS>301E<RS>311F<US>3220<SP>Decima

2.Before loading the cartridge into the printer, turn the small knob ontop in the direction of the arrow to tighten the ribbon as shown inFigure 1-5.F

DecimalHexadecimal1036710468105691066A1076B1086C1096D1106E1116F112701137111472!}~Decimal127128129130131132133134135136137138139140141142143Decimal1611

Decimal173174175176177178179180181182183184185186187188189190191192193194195196197198199200201202203204205206207208209210211212213Hexadecimal Characte

Proportional Width TableDec HexChar Width Dec Hex Char Width32 20blank 1233 21 ! 534 22 " 835 23 # 1236 24 $ 1237 25% 1236 26 & 1239 27'

International Character Width TableRoman charactersItalic charactersI-7

I-8

Appendix JIBM Proprinter ModeCommand SummaryThis appendix describes the IBM Proprinter commands first innumerical order, and then in detail. The indiv

example, the format section for the n/72-inch line spacing commandis as follows:ASCII code:ESCA(n)Decimal:2765 (n)Hexadecimal: 1B41 (n)In BASIC you ca

The DIP switch settings for the Standard and Alternate sets are:DIPSwitch1-61-71-8Standard AlternateONSet any one ofONthese threeONswitches to OFF.Run

Software Commands in Numerical OrderThe following list shows the control codes and ESC sequences thatthe FX-286 uses along with their decimal values.

ESCESCESCESCESCESCESCESCESCESCESCESCESCESCESCESCESCESCESCESCESCESCESC69 ESC E Select Emphasized Mode...J-1170 ESC F Cancel Emphasized Print..

3. Hold the ribbon cartridge by the two plastic tabs on top of thecartridge case. Lower the cartridge into the printer, guiding the twosquare pins on

J-6

IBM Proprinter Mode CommandsJ-7

J-8

Character WidthSISelect Condensed ModeFormat:ASCII code: SIDecimal:15Hexadecimal: OFControl:CTRL OComments:Condensed mode has 17.16 characters per inc

ESC :Select Elite ModeFormat:ASCII code:ESC :Decimal:27 58Hexadecimal: 3AComments:Selects 12 cpi (Elite Mode).l IBM onlySOSelect Double-width Mode (on

DC4Cancel Double-width Mode (one line)Format:ASCII code:DC4Decimal:20Hexadecimal: 14Control:CTRL TComments:Cancels one-line double-width printing sele

ESC FCancel Emphasized ModeFormat:ASCII code:ESCFDecimal :2770Hexadecimal: 1B46Comments:Turns off the mode selected by ESC E.ESC 6Select Alternate Ch

ESC GSelect NLQ (Double-strike) ModeFormat:ASCII code:ESCGDecimal:2771Hexadecimal: 1B47Comments:Selects double-strike mode, selects NLQ mode in pica o

ESC S0Format:ASCII code: ESCDecimal: 27Hexadecimal:1BComments:Selects superscript.Select SuperscriptS 083 053 0ESC S1Format:ASCII code: ESCDecimal: 27

ESC —Select/Cancel OverscoreFormat:ASCII code:ESC — (n)Decimal :2795 (n)Hexadecimal: 1B5F (n)Comments:Whe

4. The ribbon should slide between the silver ribbon guide and theprint head. If it doesn’t, you can guide the ribbon into place usingthe point of a p

ESC 0Cancel Skip-over-perforationFormat:ASCII code:ESC0Decimal:2779Hexadecimal: 1B4FComments:Cancels the mode selected by ESC N.Line spacingLFLine Fee

ESC 1Select 7/7-inch Line SpacingFormat:ASCII code:ESC1Decimal:2749Hexadecimal: 1B31Comments:Sets the line spacing to 7/72 of an inch for subsequent l

ESC ASet n/72-inch Line SpacingFormat:ASCII code:ESCA(n)Decimal:2755 (n)Hexadecimal: 13Comments:41 (n)Sets the line spacing to n/72 of an inch. This v

ESC CSelect Page Length in LinesFormat:ASCII code:ESCC(n)Decimal:2767 (n)Hexadecimal: 1B43 (n)Comments:Sets the page length to n lines. The value of n

TabsHTTab HorizontallyFormat:ASCII code: HTDecimal:9Hexadecimal: 09Control:CTRL IComments:Advances the print position to the next horizontal tab setti

ESC BFormat:ASCII code:ESCDecimal:27Hexadecimal: 1BComments:Select Vertical TabsB (n1) (n2) ... 066 (n1) (n2) ... 042 (n1) (n2) ... 00Sets up to 64 ve

ESC LSelect Low-speed Double-density Graphics ModeFormat:ASCII code:ESCL (n1) (n2)Decimal :27 76 (n1) (n2)Hexadecimal: 1B4C (n1

ESC =Define User-defined CharactersFormat:ASCII code:ESC= (n1) (n2)...(nk)Decimal :27 61 (n1) (n2)... (nk)Hexadecimal :1B 3D (n1) (n2)...(nk)Comments:

ESC \Print from All Print TableFormat:ASCII code:ESCDecimal:27Hexadecimal: 1BComments:\ (n1) (n2)92 (n1) (n2)5C (n1) (n2)Causes the

BSBackspaceFormat:ASCII code: BSDecimal:8Hexadecimal: 08Control:CTRL HComments:Prints out data in the print buffer, then moves the prints positionone

There are many types of printer stands you can use, such as the oneshown in Figure 1-8. Or you can use any other arrangement thatallows you to put the

DC1Select PrinterFormat:ASCII code:DC1Decimal:17Hexadecimal: 11Control:CTRL QComments:Returns the printer to the on-line mode if it has been switched

ESC 9Enable Paper-out SensorFormat:ASCII code:ESC9Decimal :2757Hexadecimal: 1B39Comments:Turns on paper-out sensor so that the printer beeper sounds w

J-28

Appendix KFX-286 Character Fonts-IBM ProprinterModeThis appendix shows the character fonts available on the FX-286printer in the IBM Proprinter mode.

How to Use the ChartsTo determine the hexadecimal number that prints a particular char-acter, find the character in one of the tables; then look at th

IBM Standard Character Set0123456769ABCDEF0123456789ABCDEF0123456789ABCDEFIBM NLQ Standard Character Set0123456769ABCDEFK-3

IBM Alternate Character Set0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F 0123456789ABCDEFIBM NLQ Alternate Character Set0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F0123456789ABC

IBM All Print Character Set0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F0123456789ABCDEFIBM NLQ All Print Character Set0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A BC D E F0123456789ABCDE

K-6

INDEXNote: See Appendixes G and J for listings and descriptions of specificcommands or ESCape sequences.AAccess cover, 1-3, A-2Alternate character set

The tractor unit is adjustable to accommodate paper widths from 4to 14 7/8 inches. To load continuous-feed paper, follow these instruc-tions:1. Make s

CCable, 1-21—1-23Cancelling codes, 5-4Centronics. See InterfaceCharacter fonts, shown,Epson mode H-3,IBM Proprinter mode, K-3—K-5Character size, F-1Se

EElite mode, 3-3, 4-2, 5-2—5-3, 5-5—5-6, 5-11Emphasized mode, 5-7—5-8Environment, specifications for, F-3Epson computers. See QX-10 and QX-16Error war

IIBM Proprinter mode, Intro-1, 5-1character sets, 5-1—5-2, K-1—K-5command summary, J-1—J-27DIP switch settings, A-2—A-4international characters, 5-16p

NNear Letter Quality. See NLQNine-pin graphics. See Graphics modeNLQ, Intro-1, 1-16—1-18, 5-6—5-7IBM Proprinter mode, 1-18, 3-3OOFF LINE button, 1-16—

Power switch, 1-15Print head replacement, D-1—D-2Print width summary table, 5-7See also specific widths by namePrint width. See specific widths by nam

TTabs,Epson mode, G-19—G-21IBM Proprinter mode, J-20—J-21Technical specifications, F-1—F-4Temperature, F-3Test. See Self TestTop-of-form. See Top-of-p

Control Codes by FunctionThe following control codes are briefly listed for quick reference. For a more detailedexplanation, see Appendix G or J. Vari

Character Width (Pitch)Print EnhancementPage FormattingESC Q 81 51 Set Right MarginESCI7349Set Left MarginESC N78 4ESelect Skip-over-perforationESC

GraphicsESC KESC LESC YESC Z75 4BSelect Single-density Graphics Mode76 4CSelect Double-density Graphics Mode89 59Select High-speed Double-density Grap

4. Using Figure 1-11 as a guide, pull the locking levers on the pin-feed holders forward so that you can move the holders to the leftand right.Figure

IBM Mode (See Appendix J for detailed explanations of codes.)Character Width (Pitch)

Notes

EPSON AMERICA, INC.LIMITED WARRANTYEpson America, Inc. hereby warrants that it will repair or replace, at its option, anypart of the Epson product wit

6.Open the pin-feed covers and pull the paper release lever forwardas shown in Figure 1-12.Figure 1-12. Opening the pin-feed covers and paper release

8. Slide the two paper supports on the tractor unit, spacing themevenly along the width of the paper as shown in Figure 1-13.Figure 1-13 Adjusting the

Figure 1-14. Fitting the paper over the pin feeds10. Fit the right side of the paper into the right holder, moving theholder as needed to match the wi

Installing the paper separatorOnce you’ve loaded paper into the FX-286 and are familiar with thesteps, you can attach the plastic paper separator that

5Turning the Power OnWith the ribbon and paper installed in the FX-286, it’s time toturn the printer on and become acquainted with the power-upsequenc

• The three green lights on the control panel-POWER, READY, andON LINE-go on. (The red PAPER OUT light does not go on unlessthe printer is out of pape

OFF LINE/ON LINEOFF LINE-If you press the ON LINE button when the green lightabove it is on, the ON LINE and READY lights go off and the printer isset

FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENTFOR AMERICAN USERSThis equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and if not installed and usedproperly, that is, in

The NLQ mode...In addition to the draft mode, the FX-286 has a high-quality NLQ(Near Letter Quality) mode. As explained in Chapter 4, dot-matrixcharac

Figure 1-18. Top-of-page positionTo set the top-of-page position, use the LINE FEED function toadvance the paper until a perforation between sheets li

CautionNever use the extreme rear "—" setting. This position is usedfor head alignment and will shorten print head life if used innormal ope

8Running the Self TestThe FX-286 has a built-in self test function that automaticallyprints out all of the characters in the printer’s character set,

Draft/0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWX0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXY123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ2

10Printing Your First DocumentNow that you’ve completed the basic setup and operat-ing steps, your FX-286 is ready to print.The following chapter expl

Chapter 2Using the FX-286 withCommercial SoftwareYou’ve now completed setting up your new FX-286 printer and theself test has confirmed that the print

If your word processor doesn’t list the FX-286, don’t worry. TheFX-286 recognizes the same codes as earlier models in the FX series, soyou can choose

When using these other programs, keep in mind that the FX-286 hasits own set of additional typestyles with the SelecType function (seeChapter 3). For

ContentsIntroduction...Intro-1Setting Up the FX-286...1-1Unpacking You

2-4

Chapter 3SelecTypeThe FX-286’s SelecType feature can produce nine special typestylesand skip-over-perforation. The typestyles are:This is condensed mo

NoteIf the printer beeps twice before you release the buttons, youhave pressed the FORM FEED button before the OFF LINEbutton instead of at the same t

After turning on SelecType, follow these three steps to select atypestyle:1. Find the typestyle you want in Table 3-1.Table 3-1. SelecType modesModeTy

Now, run the program by typing RUN and pressing RETURN, orprint your file or document by following the printing instructions ofyour software. The FX-2

NoteSome applications programs are designed to control all type-style functions. These programs cancel all previous typestylesettings by sending a sig

Skip-over-perforationIf you are using continuous-feed paper for printing program listingsor other material not controlled by an applications program,

Double-width mode doubles the width of each character. There-fore, be sure that each line you print in the double-width mode is lessthan half a page w

3-8

Chapter 4Elements of Dot-Matrix Printingand Computer/Printer CommunicationsThis chapter is for those of you who want to know something abouthow your p

4 Elements of Dot-Matrix Printing andComputer/Printer Communications...4-1The Print Head ...4-1Changing Widths

Changing WidthsIn addition to pica, in which there are 10 characters per inch, theFX-286 can also print in other widths. It does so by reducing the d

Computer-to-Printer CommunicationsA computer and printer communicate by means of numberedcodes. If you press the letter A on the keyboard, it is trans

Control CodesMost of the time you don’t give this code system a thought. If youpress A on the keyboard, the computer sends the code to the printerand

will probably not do much of your printing using BASIC, the demon-strations are in BASIC because nearly all personal computer usershave some version o

If you have made changes to a program and want to see all of it onthe screen, type LIST and then press RETURN to see the program onyour screen. When y

become part of the ESCape sequence that turns on double-widthprinting, which is demonstrated with the letters in quotation marksafter the ESCape seque

4-8

Chapter 5FX-286 FeaturesThis chapter describes many of the printing features of the FX-286.You can read this chapter if you wish, but you may not need

The printable characters for the Standard and Alternate sets areshown in Figure 5-1.Figure 5-1. IBM character setsThe different control codes used in

Pica PrintingThe first exercise is a simple three-line program to print a sampleline of characters in pica, the standard width. Enter this program:40

67Introduction to Dot Graphics...6-1Dot Patterns...6-2The Print Head and Graphics...6

The net addition to the program cancels elite with ESCape “P”(ASCII 18 in Proprinter mode) and turns on condensed with ASCII15:30 LPRINT CHR$(27)"

Either one of these methods returns the printer to what are called itsdefaults, which are the standard settings in effect every time you turnthe print

In fact, for even more characters than the 233 per line that con-densed gives you, elite and condensed can be combined for a modecalled condensed elit

The following modes and typestyles are available in NLQ:Epson ModeDouble-widthEmphasizedSuperscriptSubscriptUnderlineIBM Proprinter ModeDouble-widthEl

To see an example of emphasized, type and run the following pro-gram.NEW10 LPRINT "This is standard printing."20 LPRINT CHR$(27)"E"

each line in this mode is printed twice, the speed of your printing isslowed. The code to turn off double-strike is ESCape “H”.Some users prefer the e

the FX-286; your FX-286 printer can print such complicated combina-tions as double-strike emphasized double-width underlined subscript,although you ma

an underline that leaves small gaps in the line as demonstrated in theprintout below.This is underline character.If your software prints this type of

Master Select code is ESCape “I” followed by a number that is calcu-lated by adding together the values of the modes listed below:underline128italic64

The printer’s priority list causes a combination of emphasized andelite to produce elite only, a combination of emphasized and con-densed to produce e

CTroubleshooting and Problem Solving...Troubleshooting...Double-spacing or overprinting...Paperloadi

International charactersAs you know, languages other than English require a few extracharacters. In the Epson mode, the FX-286 has provided for printi

Table 5-2. International characters in Epson NLQ mode35 36 64 91 92 93 94 96 123 124 125 126USAFRANCEGERMANYUKDENMARK ISWEDENITALYSPAINJAPANNORWAYDENM

Once you have selected an international character set with the DIPswitches or the ESCape “R” code, you can use the tables to see whichkeys on your sta

most are taken care of by applications programs. Instead, this sectiondescribes a few commands that the average user might need. For moreinformation,

The IBM Proprinter mode uses a different command to set margins.It is ESCape “X” followed by two numbers. The first number is the leftmargin and the s

The standard line spacing is the only one you need for almost allprinting of text, but in some cases you may want to increase ordecrease the space bet

Chapter 6Introduction to Dot GraphicsThe dot graphics mode allows your FX-286 to produce pictures,graphs, charts, or almost any other pictorial materi

The quickest and easiest way to print graphics on your FX-286 is touse a commercial graphics program. With such programs you usuallycreate an image on

In the main graphics mode, however, the FX-286 prints only onecolumn of pins for each code it receives, and it uses only the top eightof the nine pins

The graphics command requires more than one number to specifyhow many columns to reserve because as many as 1920 columns on aneight-inch line are poss

GEpson Mode Command Summary...G-1Software Commands in Numerical Order...G-2Epson Mode Commands...G-5Near Lett

Figure 6-2. Calculating numbers for pin patternsWith this numbering system, any combination of the eight pinsadds up to a decimal number between 0 and

WIDTH StatementsSome software (including most versions of BASIC) automaticallyinserts the control codes for a carriage return and a line feed aftereve

If you run the program now, you’ll see how one line of the patternlooks:To see how more than one line combines to form a figure, enter andrun the foll

Line 30 begins a loop to produce multiple print lines. Lines 40 and50 were explained previously. Lines 70 and 80 are similar to lines 40and 50 except

Table 6-1. Graphics modesMode0123456none7Dual-DensityPlotterNote: Onlymodes 0-3DensitySingleLow-SpeedDoubleHigh-SpeedDoubleQuadrupleCRT InoneOne-to-on

FX-286 can put a dot (dot positions), but only half of them can be usedon any one pass of the print head. Having twice as many possible dotpositions e

If you need fewer than 255 columns of graphics, n1 is the number ofcolumns you want and n2 is zero. As you can see in Table 6-1, how-ever, a single ei

You should plan your figure with dots on graph paper, but beforebeginning to place the dots, you must decide which graphics densityyou want. Figure 6-

After plotting all the dots as in Figure 6-4, you calculate the num-bers for each pin pattern by dividing the design grid into separate printlines. Fo

Remember to use the proper format for your system for theWIDTH statement in line 90.In this program the number 128 in the DATA statements signals thee

KFX-286 Character Fonts-IBM Proprinter Mode...K-1How To Use the Charts...K-2Converting hexadecimal numbers to decimalnumber

Notice that the first line stores the whole graphics command in onestring variable. In order to do this you must put plus signs between theelements of

6-16

Chapter 7User-Defined CharactersThe FX-286 has several hundred different characters stored in itsRead Only Memory (ROM). Although this number includes

Your user-defined characters can be utilitarian or imaginative, any-thing from a scientific symbol to script letters for your initials. Justfollow the

Figure 7-2. Grid for designing draft charactersBecause the last two columns are reserved for the space betweencharacters, they are not included in the

Definition program 1The BASIC program below will help you translate your design intoa character your FX-286 can print. Type in the program. Then follo

Running the programNow run the program. For each of the nine columns, the programasks for the numbers of the rows in which you want dots to appear.Ent

If you want to put dots in the bottom row, change the number inline 190 from 128 to 0. Then the usable rows will be as shown in Figure7-5.Figure 7-5.

To use program 2 for your own character, change the DATA num-bers in line 200 by substituting the numbers generated by program 1.Running the programWh

Appendix ADefaults and DIP SwitchesThis appendix lists the default settings of the FX-286 printer and listsand describes the functions of the DIP swit