Date   : Fri, 25 Jan 1985 20:30:21 GMT
From   : Ed Macke <etm%wuibc.uucp@BRL-TGR.ARPA>
Subject: Apple CP/M question

[]
A friend of mine has posed a question concerning CP/M which
is beyond my competence, so I'm hoping someone out there can
provide an answer.  The problem runs as follows:

He has a system consisting of an Apple //e, an Advanced Logic
Systems CP/M Card, and an Epson RX-80 printer (the printer
interface card is, I believe, a standard Apple Centronics card).
The version of CP/M being used is 3.01B1.  Whenever he attempts
to get a hardcopy of the file, the text always comes out double
spaced on the printer.  I came up with a band-aid solution to this
by writing a short Applesoft Basic program which set the printer
default line spacing to half normal.

The question we're trying to answer is this:
A) Are there any system parameters or switches inside the CP/M
   operating system which can be changed to cure this double spacing
   problem?  Apparently CP/M is sending a line feed with each carriage
   return, and the printer is happily appending a line feed after the
   carriage return also.  Anyway, we don't want to change the dip
   switches inside the Epson, since other software depends on them,
   so is there a way to stop CP/M from sending its own line feed?

B) If the answer to A) is no, then we would like to find out how to set
   up a 'PROFILE.SUB' file to perform the same actions as the Applesoft
   program.  Those actions are:
       --print a message to the screen to turn on the printer,
         and then press a key
       --wait for a keypress
       --establish a data channel to the printer (PR#1 in Applesoft)
       --send the appropriate control characters to the printer
         (ESC-@-CR-ESC-A-ACK-CR)
       --close the data channel (PR#0)

   I've speculated that the last 3 steps could be performed by:
       DEVICE CONOUT: = LPT
       TYPE SETUP.DAT
       DEVICE CONOUT: = CRT
   where SETUP.DAT contains the control characters for the printer;
   however, I haven't been able to create SETUP.DAT, since the only
   text editor he has is ED and I can't figure out how to enter control
   characters into a file using it.

Anyway, if anyone has any answers/solutions/clarifications concerning
the above questions, please send me mail at
       ...ihnp4!wucs!wuibc!etm
And thanks in advance to anyone who does.

Ed Macke
Computer Systems Lab
Washington University
St. Louis, Mo.

-- 
Ed Macke
Computer Systems Lab
Washington University
St. Louis, Mo.