ST24E.DOC
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The Star (ADI) Printer Driver
for AutoSketch (TM) ADI (TM)
Copyright 1989, 1990, Autodesk, Inc.
Revision 1.0
April 24, 1992
License is granted for the use of this software and documentation
on a no-charge, sharing basis. You may distribute and copy this
software freely as long as it remains a completely unaltered
package and is not sold for profit.
INTRODUCTION
This document explains the installation and use of ST24ECS.EXE (COLOR)
and ST24EMS.EXE (MONOCHROME) ver 1.0, an Autodesk Device Interface (ADI)
driver designed to run with Star 24 pin printers in conjunction with
AutoSketch.
Autodesk, Inc. makes no warranty, either expressed or implied,
including but not limited to any implied warranties of
merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, regarding
these materials and makes such materials available on an "as-is"
basis.
HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS
The hardware requirements specific to using the ST24E*S printer ADI
driver with AutoSketch.
o This driver is suitable for use with all 24 pin Star printers
in the "LC24" and "XB24" series, but some printers can't use all
of the options provided by the driver. For example, a
narrow carriage printer can't handle wide plots.
Please refer to your Star user's manual for details.
o A parallel card and cable is required.
o Serial output is not supported because the time required to
plot would be unacceptably long.
HARDWARE INSTALLATION
The Star printer must be connected to the computer with a
standard Centronics-type parallel cable.
COPYING THE DRIVER SOFTWARE
The ST24E*S printer ADI (ver 1.0) driver for AutoSketch comes is 16k bytes
long. The disk also contains a file ST24E*S.HLP for on-line command line
options. You will probably want to install the driver in the same directory
where you store AutoSketch. Here's how to copy the driver software onto
your hard disk.
1. Change to the directory where you store AutoSketch:
C:> CD SKETCH [Return]
2. Insert the ADI Driver diskette in drive A.
3. Copy the driver files to your hard disk:
C:> COPY A:ST24E*S.* [Return]
INSTALLING THE ADI ST24E*S DRIVER
The AutoSketch Star printer ADI driver must be installed (loaded
into memory) prior to entering AutoSketch. It is a "terminate and
stay resident" (TSR) software program which can use up to 77K of
RAM depending on how it is configured. Once loaded, it remains
in memory until you turn off or reboot your computer.
To install the driver:
C:> ST24E*S [Return]
The Star ADI driver will then be installed with the following
defaults:
o Interrupt 7b(hex)
o 180 x 180 Dots per inch print density
o 8" Paper width
o Output directly to printer
o Input from AutoSketch
o form feed after every plot
To change this setup, you can choose to include one or more
options on the command line. These options are:
-lx parallel port x
-f plot from a file -v interrupt # -p no form feed
-o plot to a file -w wide paper -8 8 pins -dx density x
To set the horizontal plot density
C:> ST24E*S -Dx [Return] (where x is 1 to 6 in the following table):
(default is 180 x 180)
x Horizontal Vertical
Density Density
1 60 180
2 90 180
3 120 180
4 180 180
5* 360 180
6** 360 360
*Note: Option -D5, when combined with the color driver, is limited
to plots less than 11.3 inches in width.
**Note: Option -D6 is not available as a installed TSR in color
mode.
You can also install the driver to write plot files directly to
your disk drive for later printing (this will create a file named
'fname' on your default drive for later printing). This is
useful for printing multiple copies of a plot.
C:> ST24E*S -Ofname [Return]
You can use the driver to read AutoSketch Binary printer plot files
directly from your disk drive. This allows you to use plotting
modes which would use too much memory for plotting from AutoSketch
as a TSR. This option does not install the driver as a TSR, and
may be used repeatedly. See the section titled "USE AS A
POSTPROCESSOR" for more details:
C:> ST24E*S -Ffname [Return]
Note: These filenames must conform to DOS standards.
To install the driver for printing on wide paper (will create a
plot up to 13.6" wide):
C:> ST24E*S -W [Return]
(default is 8")
To install the driver to only use 8 pins of the print head (will
require much less the RAM for the TSR, but will print more
slowly):
C:> ST24E*S -8 [Return]
(default is the 24 pins)
To install the driver to use a different parallel port:
C:> ST24E*S -Lx [Return] (where x is the new port assignment 1, 2 or 3)
(default is LPT1)
To install the driver to not send a form feed after each plot:
C:> ST24E*S -P [Return]
(default is a form feed after every plot)
To install the driver for a different interrupt vector (default
is 7B hex):
C:> ST24E*S -Vxx [Return] (where xx is the new interrupt number)
To display a list of these options:
C:> ST24E*S -H or -? [Return] Prints a help message from st24e*s.hlp
To install the driver using a combination of the above options:
C:> ST24E*S -Oplotdata.plt -v7b -8 This will do the following:
1. Create a plot file 'plotdata.plt' of your drawing on your
default drive for plotting at a later time.
2. The interrupt vector will be 78 (in hex).
3. Will only use 8 pins.
MEMORY REQUIREMENTS FOR DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS
RAM Memory required by driver (8" wide plot)
n density Black & White Color
-----------------------------------------------------------
X x Y
1 = 60 x 180 dpi 19k 27k
2 = 90 x 180 dpi 20k 26k
3 = 120 x 180 dpi 20k 29k
4 = 180 x 180 dpi (default) 22k 35k
5 = 360 x 180 dpi 26k 52k
6 = 360 x 360 dpi 35k n/a
RAM memory required for wide carriage (13.6" wide plot)
n density Black & White Color
-----------------------------------------------------------
X x Y
1 = 60 x 180 dpi 20k 28k
2 = 90 x 180 dpi 21k 33k
3 = 120 x 180 dpi 22k 38k
4 = 180 x 180 dpi (default) 25k 48k
5 = 360 x 180 dpi 32k 78k
6 = 360 x 360 dpi 47k n/a
** Note: There are only 2 densities in the vertical direction.
If you do not have AutoSketch and this driver configured for the
same dots per inch, your drawing may be expanded or compressed in
the y-axis.
** Note: Each time you type in the command ST24E*S (except for the
special case of the "F" option for plotting binary files),
another copy of the driver software is loaded into memory, using
up to 82k more bytes of RAM. You need to "reboot" the system (to
clear out the any copies of ST24E*S.EXE).
USE AS A POSTPROCESSOR
The ADI driver ST24E*S.EXE can work as a postprocessor, reading
AutoSketch ADI binary files from your disk and sending them directly
to the printer. Printer plot to an ADI binary printer file from
AutoSketch. Then, when the Autodesk product is no longer running,
you may use ST24E*S.EXE to plot from the binary file to your Star printer.
USE WITH AUTOSKETCH
The ADI ST24E*S driver may be used with AutoSketch. Failure to do
this will cause driver messages to printed on the AutoSketch screen,
overwriting the drawing displayed there.
The ST24E*S driver dated 4/24/92 contains a fix so that it now works
with 8088 class machines; previously it would hang the machine.
Before you install this driver for AutoSketch, make sure that
your Star printer is turned on and on-line. If it is not the
driver will not be installed and an error message will appear
telling you that it wasn't installed.
Before every plot from AutoSketch using this ADI driver, you must
make sure that the printer is turned on, connected and on line.
Failure to do this will return you to the drawing screen with out
any error messages. If the printer goes off-line, runs out of
paper or becomes disconnected at any time during the plot, no
more data will be sent to the printer and you will be returned to
the drawing screen again without any error messages. Therefore
if your drawing is not being plotted at all or stops plotting and
you are returned to the drawing editor, make sure the printer has
paper, is turned on, connected and on line.
AutoSketch must be reconfigured so that it knows you will be
using an ADI driver to do printer plots. To initiate
AutoSketch's reconfiguration, type:
C:>SKETCH /R [Return]
or if you're installing AutoSketch for the first time, type:
C:>SKETCH [Return]
Configure AutoSketch's plotter as an Autodesk Device Interface
Printer <3>. AutoSketch will prompt you for more information
regarding this ADI driver.
Then follow the instructions in Configuring AutoSketch in Chapter
2 of the AutoSketch Users Guide. Remember this ADI driver can
only be used as a parallel device.
**Note: When you open the plot area dialogue box, the values for
x and y may be incorrect. Set them now, to the size of the paper
you have in your printer. Rotating the plot may also work.
system.