How to configure an ASCII printer using jetadmin?

[Rodrigo Aoki]

I´m testing a LED panel which works as an ASCII printer: We sent a text string to the IP address of the panel and the message blinks on LEDs.

The LED panel is configured to accept requests on 9100 tcp/port which is the Windows spooler default port and the jetadmin default port. Jetadmin doesn´t have an ASCII driver and if I used the lpadmin to create a remote printer the default port used is 515.

Is there a manner to configure a network printer to use jetadmin with an ASCII printer?

[Bill Hassell · Accepted solution]

It is very unusual for a non-HP device to use port 9100 for printing but you can probably use the JetDirect software to configure this printer. First: jetadmin has been obsolete since 1999 and is known to have Y2K problems. The recommended software is called hppi (HP Printer Installer) and replaces jetadmin. You can download hppi from:

10.20: http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/DriverDownload.jsp?locale=en_US&pnameOID=18923&taskId=135&prodTypeId=18972&prodSeriesId=27350&swEnvOID=6

11.xx: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareDownloadIndex?product=58284&cc=us&lc=en&dlc=en&os=7&softwareitem=ja-6671-1

With either version (jetadmin or hppi), you can add the printer with addqueue. The old and new versions of the software both have the addqueue command. cd to the /opt/hpnp/bin or /opt/hpnpl/bin directory and type the command:

./addqueue -h 12.34.56.78 -q ledpanel -i 9998

Note that an ASCII printer and a PCL-anything printer are identical. PCL is ASCII with optional escape sequences.