Printronix P8000 Series, Administrator'S Manual

Page: 15 / 422

Printronix P8000 Series Cartridge Ribbon Printers (CRP)
15
Protocols and Emulations
A protocol is a set of rules governing the exchange of information between the
printer and its host computer. These rules consist of codes that manipulate
and print data and allow for machine-to-machine communication. A printer
and its host computer must use the same protocol. As used in this manual,
protocol and emulation mean the same thing.
Most impact printers use single ASCII character codes to print text, numbers,
and punctuation marks. Some characters are defined as control codes.
Control codes instruct the printer to perform specific functions, such as
underlining text, printing subscripts, setting page margins, etc. The difference
between most printer protocols is the characters used to create control codes
and the ways in which these characters are formatted.
When the printer executes the character and control codes of a particular
printer protocol, it is emulating that printer.
Graphics Enhancements
The IGP/PGL and IGP/VGL emulations allow you to create and store forms,
generate logos, bar codes, expanded characters, and create other graphics.
Alphanumeric and bar code data are added as the form is printed.
These emulations are available as factory-installed or field-installed options,
except on H-series models. For more information, contact your authorized
service representative.
Taking Care of Your Printer
Your printer will produce high print quality jobs if it is well taken care of.
Periodic cleaning, handling the printer properly, and using the correct printer
supplies such as ribbon and paper ensures optimum performance. Chapter 8
explains how to clean the printer, and printer supplies are listed in
Appendix A.
Conventions in this Manual
Control panel keys and indicators are highlighted in UPPERCASE BOLD
PRINT .
Example: Press the CANCEL key, then press the ONLINE key.
Quotation marks (“ ”) indicate messages on the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD).
Example: Press the ONLINE key. “OFFLINE” appears on the LCD.
The + (plus) symbol represents key combinations.
Example: “Press U + V ” means press the U (UP) key and the V (DOWN)
key at the same time.