EasyCoder E4 Direct Protocol v2.10 – Programmer’s Reference Manual
51
Chapter 6
Setting Up the Printer
When transmitting variable input data to a predefi ned layout,
the string must contain certain separating characters. By default,
you should use
<STX>
as start-of-text separator,
<CR>
as fi eld
separator, and <
EOT>
as end-of-text separator.
However, the
FORMAT
INPUT
command allows you to select
other characters as separators if the default separators for
some reason cannot be produced or will interfere with the
host computer system. Simply insert the desired separator charac-
ters (enclosed by double quotation marks) into the
FORMAT
INPUT
command. Avoid using characters like XON/XOFF
or ENQ/ACK, which may interfere with the communication
between printer and host.
You must fi rst leave Layout Mode using an
INPUT
OFF
com-
mand, change the separators using a
FORMAT
INPUT
com-
mand, and then enter Layout Mode again using an
INPUT
ON
command.
.
If you transmit a
FORMAT
INPUT
command containing separa-
tors identical to any of the separators already stored in the
printer’s memory, an error will occur unless you fi rst enter the
Immediate Mode.
The separators are saved in the printer’s fl ash memory.
FORMAT INPUT
"<start separator>"[,"<end separator>"[,"<fi eld
separator>"[,"<character fi lter>"]]]
All separator strings may be up to 10 characters long. Characters, that
cannot be produced by the keyboard of the host, can be substituted by
CHR$(<nnn>) value commands, where nnn is the decimal ASCII
value of the character.
<start separator>
Default STX (ASCII 02 dec.)
<end separator>
Default EOT (ASCII 04 dec.)
<fi eld separator>
Default CR (ASCII 13 dec.)
<character fi lter>
Is a string of characters to be fi ltered out.
Default: "" (empty string)
Example:
INPUT OFF
↵
FORMAT INPUT "#","&",CHR$(13),"§"
↵
INPUT ON
↵
5. Separators