ITEM: AI3687L

Unable to correctly configure a printer

Question:

ENV: AIX 3.2.5 41T
.DESC: Unable to correctly configure a printer.
.
Response:

DESC:   Mike is trying to configure a DataSouth model XL300DD
        serial printer to either the serial port or a P10 port.

        Adding the device as an osp completes fine in smit, but when
        trying to cat to the /dev/lp0 device, it fails with:

                'unable to create device'

        However, when placing the printer on a tty port, a login
        herald is printed out by the getty and he can then cat
        to the printer.

ACT:
        We removed the printer definitions he created and readded
        the Datasouth printer as an other serial printer to the
        serial port.  Austext recommends enabling Xon/Xoff, sticky 
        Xon/Xoff and disabling DTR.  We did that and Mike was able
        to cat to the /dev/lp0 device.

        Trying to configure the printer the same way on one of the P10
        ports fails though.  After more research, it appears to be
        a cabling problem with the DataSouth printer.

        The specs show it only uses 4 pin cabling:

                1       chassi ground
                2       serial OUT
                3       serial IN
                7       signal GND
                11      DTR

        The problem appears to center on the fact that the printer
        is not setting the CTS wire high letting the RISC know that
        it is clear to send data.  There is no pin from the Datasouth
        printer to do that, so the CTS pin should be set high at all
        times and then just rely on Xon/Xoff software control to
        handle the pacing:

        Mike has a breakout box and will try setting the
        CTS pin high by strapping it to RTS.

        The pinouts used should look similar to this:

                4-Wire
                DataSouth               DB-25
                
                1 GND-------------------1 FG
                2 OUT   ----------------2 RxD
                3 IN    ----------------3 TxD
                                     +--4 RTS   (looped together)
                                     +--5 CTS
                7  GND  --------------- 7 SG
                11 DTR  -------------+-20 DTR
                                     +--8 DCD
                                     +--6 DSR

Next:   Mike will try adjusting the cables to solve the problem.
        closing call



Support Line: Unable to correctly configure a printer ITEM: AI3687L

Dated: November 1995 Category: N/A

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