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Serial connection
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The serial connector on the PhaserShare LocalTalk/serial card is an RS-232, DB-9 plug (1). The connector is wired as DTE (Data Terminal Equipment).
The default language for the serial port is PostScript. Refer to your printer's user documentation for information about changing the printer's default language.
To make a serial connection between the printer and your computer, follow these steps:
- Connect a serial interface cable to your computer and to the serial port on the PhaserShare LocalTalk/serial card. Use a null-modem cable.
Note: Tektronix part numbers for serial null modem cables: 9-pin to 9-pin, 012-1379-00;
9-pin to 25-pin, 012-1380-00.
- Use the printer's front panel menus to set the baud rate and other serial communications parameters (see Setting serial port parameters from the printer's front panel).
Serial port signals
Serial port setup (printer)
The serial port has these settings. Factory defaults are marked with an asterisk (*).
There are two ways to change the printer's serial port settings:
Setting serial port parameters from the printer's front panel
- Press the Menu button; the front panel briefly displays Entering Menu, then displays Help Pages.
Note: When you are in the menu, if the front panel is not used for 5 minutes, the printer
returns to the Ready state.
- Enter the Serial Settings menu by pressing the right (
 ) or left ( ) arrow buttons until the front panel displays Serial Settings.
- Press the Menu button; the front panel displays Baud Rate.
- Set the baud rate:
- Press the Menu button again; the front panel displays the currently
selected baud rate. The current status is marked with an asterisk (*) in
the upper-right corner of the display.
- Press the right arrow () button until the front panel displays the
desired baud rate.
- Press the OK button to set the new baud rate; the front panel briefly
displays Selected, then it displays Baud Rate.
- Set the data bits:
- Press the right arrow () button; the front panel displays Data Bits.
- Press the Menu button; the front panel displays the currently selected
setting for data bits. The current status is marked with an asterisk (*) in
the upper-right corner of the display.
- Press the right arrow () button until the front panel displays the
desired setting for data bits.
- Press the OK button to set the data bits; the front panel briefly displays
Selected, then it displays Data Bits.
- Set the stop bits:
- Press the right arrow () button until the front panel displays
Stop Bits.
- Press the Menu button; the front panel displays the currently selected
setting for stop bits. The current status is marked with an asterisk (*) in
the upper-right corner of the display.
- Press the right arrow () button until the front panel displays the
desired setting for stop bits.
- Press the OK button to set the stop bits; the front panel briefly displays
Selected, then it displays Stop Bits.
- Set the parity:
- Press the right arrow () button until the front panel displays Parity.
- Press the Menu button; the front panel displays the currently selected
setting for parity. The current status is marked with an asterisk (*) in
the upper-right corner of the display.
- Press the right arrow () button until the front panel displays the
desired setting for parity.
- Press the OK button to set the parity; the front panel briefly displays
Selected, then it displays Parity.
- Set the flow control:
- Press the right arrow () button until the front panel displays Flow
Control.
- Press the Menu button; the front panel displays the currently selected
setting for flow control. The current status is marked with an asterisk (*)
in the upper-right corner of the display.
- Press the right arrow () button until the front panel displays the
desired setting for flow control.
- Press the OK button to set the flow control; the front panel briefly
displays Selected, then it displays Flow Control.
- To return the printer to normal operation, press the Exit button until the front panel displays Ready.
Serial port setup using a PostScript utility file
You can configure the serial port by editing the DEVPARAM.PS file and sending it to the printer. The file is included with the printer's network utilities software. To edit the DEVPARAM.PS file, you should be familiar with the PostScript setdevparams command. You should also know how to use PostScript dictionaries and key value pairs.
The following example sets these parameters:
In this example, the changes are persistent across jobs and across printer power cycles; they remain in effect until you change them again.
(%Serial_NV%) 6 dict begin
/Password () def
/FlowControl /XonXoff def
/Parity /None def
/DataBits 8 def
/StopBits 2 def
/Baud 9600 def
currentdict end setdevparams
- View the DEVPARAM.PS file in a text editor and substitute the values you want to use for the current values. The possible values for each parameter are listed in the following table; the values are case-sensitive and must be entered exactly as shown in the table Parameter values.
- Save the file.
- The printer's port you are using should be configured to receive PostScript. See the printer's user documentation for more information on using different printer language modes.
- Use one of the following methods to send the file to the printer:
Serial port setup (computer)
Windows
Under Windows, you can easily set up your computer's serial port during the installation of the printer driver. See your printer's user documentation for details.
DOS
Under DOS, use the MODE command to set up your computer's serial port:
- If you are using the printer's default serial parameters, type this command at the DOS prompt (if COM1 is not available, use COM2):
- MODE COM1:9600,N,8,1,P
If you changed the printer's serial port parameters from the default values, you must enter different values for the MODE command (see your DOS documentation for details on the MODE command).
For a complete listing of the printer's default serial port parameters, see Serial port setup (printer).
- You can add the MODE command to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, so that it takes effect every time you turn on your computer. (Refer to your PC user documentation.)
Some PCs and UNIX hosts do not support Space parity; usually they accept parity values of odd, even, or none. Therefore, the closest settings are 9600 baud, 1 stop bit, 8 data bits and no parity, which have the following associated MODE statement:
MODE COM1:9600,N,8,1,P
The Space parity forces the parity bit to 0. For most users, 8 data bits and no parity is identical to 7 data bits and Space parity.
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