DCPS Print Queue

[Michelle_68]

You have all helped me many times in the past for which I am very thankful. I need more of your expertise. Here is the issue.

When we print a normal ASCII text file to a DCPS print queue, on an Itanium system running OpenVMS 8.3, we get this message.

We only print text files, but to use a DECLASER 3500 printer we were informed that we had to use DCPS. The 3500 series printers are LAT based and run perfectly, using DCPS, on an OpenVMS 6.2 platform. We do NOT print any Postscript files made by any applications. We have DCPS version 2.3


%DCPS-W-UNDEF, undefined: Name not known - offending command is currentpagedevice


Attached is the DCPS Startup sequence and the queue settings.

Any help you can give is is greatly appreciated.

[Hoff · Accepted solution]

DEClaser 3500 is supported by DCPS.

The command you are seeing is probably arising from a setup module being sent to this printer, but that's not certain.

As a start, match your setup files in your device control library from OpenVMS Alpha V6.2 and DCPS 2.3 with whatever DCPS you're using on OpenVMS I64 V8.3.

Also match up your DCPS* logical names from the old and new environments; these logical names can (do) determine default behaviors of the DCPS queues.

Since you're not seeking to print Postscript, there's no technical need for DCPS here. At all. AFAIK, OpenVMS I64 provides LAT and LAT printing, so you can set up a LAT queue here. (And if what you've posted is from OpenVMS I64, you're already using LAT to get to the printer.)

Use Google to search for a copy of the NIC manual for this printer ("DEClaser 3500 Printer Network Interface Card User's Guide"), which should be enough to get you going. There are copies available, and the copy I located points to LATSYM as well as to setting up DECprint Services (DCPS).

There is an introduction to printer device control libraries here:

http://64.223.189.234/node/622

And a DEClaser 3500? That's some old kit.

Stephen Hoffman
HoffmanLabs LLC

[Phil.Howell]

do you have a logical name for "DCPS$PF2300_FTE_PRINT_DEFAULT_TRANSLATOR"
if not try setting it to "ANSI"

Phil

[Michelle_68]

Hoorah!!! Problem solved. Setting up a LAT Queue was the answer. Thank you for the idea.

The history behind our setup is that we originally had a DecLaser 2000 which required DCPS. We then changed it to a DecLaser 3500 but kept it set up to use DCPS which was not an issue until we started using OpenVMS 8.3.

Once again....thank you for your expertise!!

[Michelle_68]

Now that the DCPS problem is solved by using LAT instead, we have another issue that maybe you could all help us with.

Our problem now is how to get it to print in landscape mode.

Originally we had a set of escape sequences (I think terminal escape sequences) that we put at the beginning of each file and a set at the end of each file. This set landscape mode and, I think, set a smaller font. We did use DCPS.

[!p
[?21 J
[0;10 G
[7 I
[35;0 G
[70;80 B

{text to print}

[!p

Without DCPS, those control sequences just print as characters without doing what user to do -- the control part.

I understand that the DECLaser 3500 will autosense PCL5 commands and I discovered that the PCL5 sequence &l1 should put the 3500 into landscape mode and &l0 should put it back into portrait mode. Again, this just prints the characters. The 3500 is in PCL/Postscript mode so it should understand.

The communication is using LAT and I wonder if any terminal setups are necessary (we already have passthru set). Any hints?

[Hoff]

There is an introduction to Device Control Libraries in the article at:

http://64.223.189.234/node/622

It specifically covers landscape, though not for this printer.

Information on PCL printing is here:

http://64.223.189.234/node/637

PCL -- based on your original thread -- wasn't part of the deal, and isn't typically necessary. You don't need (or want) to switch to PCL if you're planning on tossing ASCII ANSI control sequences and ASCII characters at this printer.

General information on OpenVMS and escape and control sequences are here:

http://64.223.189.234/node/92
http://64.223.189.234/node/150

As for the escape and control sequences specific to this printer, use Google to search for a copy of the NIC manual for this printer ("DEClaser 3500 Printer Network Interface Card User's Guide"), which should be enough to get you going. There are copies available, and the copy I located points to LATSYM as well as to setting up DECprint Services (DCPS).

Or call in some help.

[Phil.Howell]

you should use the pcl reset module as described in the user guide that Hoff suggested
Phil