Technical Document

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TITLE: ... *LAN TCP/IP ASCII Printer Support


*LAN TCP/IP ASCII Printer Support

*LAN TCP/IP ASCII printer support has been added in V3R7M0 to printers on the LAN that accept the PCL/PJL printer language command. This is an alternative approach to the remote writer and supports the page range function.

Completed testing with the JetDirect EX (the external version of the JetDirect card) for the HP print driver. As expected, connecting this device to printers that do not accept PCL/PJL commands was unsuccessful. The result of this test ranged from the writer issuing MSGCPD337F to the printer dumping the PJL commands as text. In any case, customers who wish to implement this print driver with any JetDirect or Marknet adapter must be connected to a printer that accepts PCL/PJL commands.

HP printers that accept PCL/PJL commands include the following printers:

LaserJet IIISi, 4Si, 4SiMx
LaserJet 4V, 4MV
LaserJet 4, 4 Plus, 4M, 4M Plus
LaserJet 4L, 4ML
LaserJet 4P, 4MP, 4PJ
LaserJet 6
Color LaserJet
DeskJet 1200C and DesignJet Family
PaintJet XL300

Required PTF Levels

R370 needs latest superceed of SF38640 and CO-REQS. It has a new format for creating the device description. See the attached cover letter for more details. This PTF has two CO-REQS SF40675 (device description support) and SF37307 (MI changes for SYSDRVPGM). SF40675 lists SF40506 (QSPWTRM1 support) as a PRE-REQ. The SF40675 requires a delayed apply with IPL. SF37307 has three PTFs listed as PRE-REQs.

R410 and above is in the base code, but if having problems, check with Supportline for latest PTF levels.

Configuration Instructions

To take advantage of this new function, the printer connected via this print driver must have a dedicated port that accepts PCL/PJL commands.

To configure such devices, the CRTDEVPRT CL command is used. The following parameters should be specified:

DEVICE CLASS = *LAN

DEVICE TYPE = 3812

DEVICE MODEL = 1

LAN ATTACHMENT = *IP

FONT = 011
- This is a default 10cpi font. A font id is required to create the device description. Unless special requirement in your operation dictate something different, this should suffice.

FORM FEED
-*CONT: For continuous forms printers.
-*CUT: For single-cut sheet printers.
-*AUTOCUT: For printers with single-cut sheets that are fed automatically.

ACTIVATION TIMER = 170 (1-2550 secs)
-The amount of time (in seconds) to wait for the device to respond.
-The device is considered not available and an error message is posted if there is no connection before this timer expires.

INACTIVITY TIMER = *SEC15 (1-30 mins, *NOMAX)
-This value determines when the print driver closes the connection after no files are in ready status.
-*NOMAX = The print driver maintains the connection until the writer is ended. The device is not capable of being shared.
- *SEC15 is the recommended value.

HOST PRINT TRANSFORM = *YES

REMOTE LOCATION = THE PRINTERS IP ADDRESS OR HOST NAME

PORT NUMBER = 9100, 2501, OR OTHER DEDICATED PCL/PJL PORT NUMBER
-Specify 9100 for all HP, Lexmark, and most IBM printers (for example, HP4, IBM4039, IBM4049, OPTRAx). If using HP JetDirect EX Plus3 box for LAN connections use port# based on the port the printer is attached to: Port# in *LAN devd: 9100, 9101, or 9102.
-Specify 2501 for IBM Network Printers (for example, IBM4317)
-If neither of these values are successful, consult the manufacturer of your printer to determine if your printer has a dedicated port that accepts PCL/PJL commands.

SYSTEM DRIVER PROGRAM = *IBMPJLDRV OR *HPPJLDRV
-Specify *IBMPJLDRV for all IBM Printers (for example, IBM4039, IBM4049, IBM4317).
-Specify *HPPJLDRV for HP and HP-compatible printers.

All other parameters should be specified like any other printer.

Problem Areas for Consideration

Getting CPD337F

- This message can be issued for different reasons
1. The STRPRTWTR command is run and the printer is not in a ready state, like power save mode.
2. The printer or adapter can not accept PCL/PJL commands. Check with the product vendors.

- This message should not end the writer. The writer will try to make a connection with the printer until the activation timer has expired. If the network is busy, change the activation timer to compensate.

Getting CPA338D

- This will be issued and the writer will end if the 'idle timeout' value in the printer expires during the printing of a spoolfile. This could happen during complex transforms. The 'idle timeout' is in the jetdirect hp printers, and 'end-of-job' timers are in the lexmark printers. To alleviate this problem if it occurs is to maximize or disable these timers.

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