Business: 608-257-9595; Technical: 608-257-8833
The Interface Guide explains how to connect a variety of devices to your Apple computer so that BEX can recognize and work with them. Some devices are standard items that are designed for and sold in the mainstream computer marketplace. Other devices are specialized sensory aids for the blind. Raised Dot Computing provides detailed interfacing information to fully support its software products. The Interface Guide does not attempt to explain how the Apple computer or other devices work; refer to your Owner's Manual for that information.
The first three Sections provide basic background concepts: read these to obtain an overview of the interfacing process. Section 5, the Interface Cookbook, provides quick recipes for each interface: what sort of interface card and cable is required, and, when appropriate, how to set switches on the external device. Section 6 provides a basic understanding of controlling the Super Serial Card, Apple IIc ports and Apple IIgs ports. Section 14 provides wiring diagrams and RDC code numbers for all the cables mentioned in the Interface Guide. The remaining Sections address specific devices in more detail.
Raised Dot Computing publishes the monthly RDC Newsletter in print, audio, and disk formats. We publish updates and corrections to interfacing information in the Newsletter. Your BEX purchase includes a complimentary one-year subscription: please return your registration card to start your subscription. If you have worked out a new interface, please provide us with the details so we can share it with others.
There are three models of Apple II computers available on the market: The Apple IIgs, Apple IIe, and the Apple IIc. The Apple II Plus, predecessor to the Apple IIe, is no longer manufactured, but many are still in use.
The Apple IIe computer looks like a beige flattened typewriter with no printing mechanism. It is a low profile box with a keyboard in front. In back, there is a power switch, a jack for the power cord, and a jack for the video signal. There are also places in the back to feed in cables to circuit cards which are plugged into the computer. The lid pops off very easily to allow access into the interior.
The easiest part about setting up the Apple computer is connecting the power cord and the video monitor. Look at the back of the Apple. The power cord goes in the lower right hand corner. Immediately to the left of the power cord is the power switch. On the lower left hand corner of the back is a female RCA phono plug jack (male connectors have prongs, female connectors have holes). This is the video output jack. Use the video cable supplied with the computer to connect the video signal to your monitor. Plug the monitor into a wall socket. You have just interfaced your video monitor. Turn on the computer with the power switch. You should see a close bracket symbol (]) on the screen. Now turn off the computer so you can plug in the disk drives.
The first part of the DOS Manual explains how to plug in your disk drives. Either one or two disk drives may be plugged into a single controller card. The disk that is plugged into the top jack of the controller card is disk drive one. The other disk is drive two.
Do not plug anything into the Apple when the
power is on. Plug the controller card into slot six of the Apple.
Once the disk drive is Inside the Apple IIe there are 8 slots. Seven slots
are in a row in the back, numbered 1 through 7. An additional slot,
located near the brick-shaped power supply, is called the auxiliary slot.
It is used for the 80 column card. There are literally dozens of different
types of cards which can plug into the Apple. A different interface
circuit card may be placed in each numbered slot.
The Apple IIe is usually sold with a special circuit
card called the extended 80 column card. This card plugs into the
auxiliary slot. It allows the computer to display 80 vertical columns on
the screen. It also doubles the memory of the computer, from 64K to 128K.
BEX functions best with the extended 80 column card. If your computer does
not have an extended 80 column card, seriously consider purchasing one.
Be aware that Apple also make an 80 column
text card. This card allows 80 column display but does NOT
contain the 64K of memory that BEX is hungry for. If you have an 80 column
text card, consider replacing it with an extended 80 column card.
Outputting to slot three on the Apple IIe engages the
card in the auxiliary slot. You can only use slot 3 if you don't have a
card in the auxiliary slot. The only exception is the Echo synthesizer.
The Echo works in slot 3 only if the card in the auxiliary slot is
The Echo synthesizer adds speech to the Apple IIe. You
can plug the Echo into any free slot. When you boot up, BEX recognizes
that an Echo is present, and voices the opening The Echo requires software called TEXTALKER in order
to operate. There is a copy of TEXTALKER on your BEX disk. Raised Dot
Computing also distributes two double sided disks called the EchostCricket
Training Set. These disks contain instructions on the use of TEXTALKER.
This material is especially useful when you want to use TEXTALKER without
BEX.
The Apple IIc has a single built-in disk drive
included in a nice compact package. The Apple IIc uses an AC adapter to
run off a wall socket. The keyboard's layout is similar to that of
the Apple IIe. There are no slots for circuit cards in the Apple IIc: it
has the equivalent of several circuit cards built-in.
There are two ports on the IIc. These ports are
treated as if there were two serial cards in "slots" 1 and 2. The Apple
IIc has 128K of memory. It is equivalent to the memory in an Apple IIe
with an extended 80 column card in the auxiliary slot. The built-in disk
drive is treated as if it was connected to slot 6.
More recent Apple IIc computers can contain additional
RAM. It is also possible to hook up a 3.5 inch disk drive to an Apple IIc.
For more information, see the Apple Memory Card, Z-RAM, and disk drive
(3.5 inch) in the Cookbook section of this Interface Guide.
The Apple IIc also has a speaker with volume control
knob and earphone jack, a game control plug, a plug for adding an external
disk drive, a phono plug for an external video monitor, and a connector
for an external color monitor.
The Cricket synthesizer adds speech to the Apple IIc.
It must be plugged into port two of the Apple IIc. You must turn on the
Cricket before you boot BEX in order for BEX to recognize that the system
includes a Cricket.
The Cricket requires software called TEXTALKER in
order to operate. There is a copy of TEXTALKER on your BEX disk. Raised
Dot Computing also distributes two double sided disks called the
EchostCricket Training Set. These disks contain instructions on the use of
TEXTALKER. This material is especially useful when you want to use
TEXTALKER without BEX.
In the spring of 1986, Apple introduced the 3.5
ROM version of the Apple IIc. If you got your Apple IIc earlier,
you can get a 3.5 ROM upgrade from your authorized Apple dealer. Contact
them for details. You must have the 3.5 ROM version of the Apple IIc to
work with DECtalk or the Apple LaserWriter.
There's a very simple test to discover if your
IIc has the 3.5 ROM feature. At any BEX menu, type Q. At the BASIC prompt,
get into the Apple monitor by typing the following ten
characters exactly:
A second disk drive can be connected to the Apple IIc.
The connector is located in the middle on the back. A second disk drive is
strongly recommended for use with BEX.
The Apple IIgs is the most recent addition to the
Apple II family. The Apple IIgs is a very sophisticated, flexible, and
powerful computer that has the capability of emulating an Apple IIe. The
Apple IIgs has some similarities to both the Apple IIe and the IIc. We
recommend you read about both those computers to deepen your understanding
of the IIgs.
The Apple IIgs is a large box with a separate
keyboard. It can be purchased with a monochrome or a color monitor and
5.25 inch or 3.5 inch disk drives. Your Apple IIgs system must have at
least one 5.25 inch floppy drive to use BEX.
On the back of the IIgs, there is a power switch, a
jack for the power cord, and a number of connectors. These connectors are
for the keyboard, a monochrome monitor or a color monitor, a
smart disk port, a joystick, two serial ports, and a
headphone jack. When you have an Apple IIgs color monitor, use the
connector labeled with the Apple logo. When you have a monochrome monitor,
use the RCA phono jack.
Built in to the Apple IIgs is a program called the
Control Panel. As its name suggests, the Control Panel lets
you set a variety of functions for the Apple IIgs, including its built-in
slots and built-in ports, the speed at which the computer operates, the
colors on the color monitor, how fast the keys repeat when held down, and
a host of other functions. Any changes you make to the Control Panel are
stored in a battery-backed memory chip, so you don't have to reset the
Control Panel every time you turn on the IIgs.
The built-in Control Panel program is incompatible
with a speech synthesizer. Included with your BEX package is a talking
control panel program written by Computer Aids Corporation. To use the
built-in Control Panel program, simultaneously depress the command (or
open-Apple) key, the control key, and the Escape key. You
must set some Control Panel functions yourself, in particular, the slots
and ports and the system speed.
For a begining computer user, how the Apple IIgs
controls its slots and ports can be confusing. The Apple IIgs is a hybrid
between the Apple IIe (with its 7 real slots) and the Apple IIc (with its
four ports). The Apple IIgs has 7 Apple IIe-style slots. (The IIgs also
has a memory expansion slot, which shares some of the characteristics of
the Apple IIe's auxiliary slot.) In addition to the slots, the IIgs
also has ports. To quote the Apple IIgs manual, "Each of the ports on the
back of the IIgs impersonates a particular slot with an interface card.
The IIgs assumes you want the ports to be active unless you activate a
particular slot by using the Control Panel."
Using the Control Panel, you tell the IIgs whether it
should pay attention to the port, or to a circuit card that you have
plugged into to the actual slot. For example, the IIgs has two serial
ports, which are referenced as "slot 1" and "slot 2." When you insert an
Apple Super Serial card in slot 1, you must change the Control Panel
setting for slot 1 from The The Apple IIgs can operate more than twice as fast as
the Apple IIe or IIc. It can be switched between fast and
normal speed, To use BEX with an Apple IIgs, you must have one 5.25
inch disk drives.
You can use both 5.25 inch and 3.5 inch disk drives on
the IIgs, and they can be connected in two different ways. When you use
5.25 or 3.5 inch disk drives that connect to an actual disk controller
card, you must plug that card into a slot, and set the Control Panel so
that slot is Newer 5.25 and 3.5 inch disk drives may be daisy
chained. These drives come with DB-19 connectors and a plug in the
back (a good example is the external disk drive for the Apple IIc.) You
plug one of these drives into the IIgs' The maximum capacity for the smart Disk Port is two
3.5 inch disk drives plus two 5.25 inch disk drives. Even though all the
drives are physically connected in a line, the Apple IIgs references these
drives as if they were in two different slots. The 3.5 inch drives are
treated as though they are connected to slot 5, and the 5.25 drives are
treated as though they were connected to slot 6.
The Apple IIgs comes with 256K, twice as much as a
128K Apple IIe or IIc. Most of the extra memory is used to support the
emulation of the Apple IIe inside the Apple IIgs. BEX uses some of this
memory to expand the Ready chapter to 20 pages We recommend the Echo IIb voice synthesizer for the
Apple IIgs. The Apple IIgs comes equipped with advanced sound generation
hardware; it can play beautiful music and you may have heard excellent
sounding speech--but only in a demonstration. That type of speech is
similar to a tape recording--the IIgs can only speak pre-programmed
messages. TEXTALKER provides the Echo IIb with unlimited text-to-speech
rules; the Echo can pronounce absolutely anything you ask it to say.
Although its pronounciation may not be as good as a human's, the
Echo's unlimited text-to-speech is what makes the Apple accessible to
a person with visual impairments.
You may plug the Echo IIb into either slot 4 or slot
7. You must then be sure to use the Control Panel program to indicate that
the Echo's slot is BEX's Editor has a braille keyboard mode, where you
can use six keys plus the spacebar for braille data entry. The braille
keyboard mode does not and can not work with the Apple IIgs keyboard. It
is a hardware limitation. If you plan to make extensive use of BEX's
braille keyboard, do not use an Apple IIgs.
An Apple dealer can perform a board-lift
on an Apple IIe that turns the older machine into a IIgs. In our tests,
this updated The Apple II Plus is one of the oldest Apple
computers. While BEX can run on an Apple II Plus, its performance is
limited.
The Apple II Plus keyboard cannot produce lower case
letters. To get around this limitation, many Apple II Pluses have a wire
going between the keyboard and the game port. This wire is called a
The keyboard buffer in BEX doesn't work with an Apple
II Plus. Because of memory limitations, an Apple II Plus cannot be
operated at BEX's Master Level.
The Apple II Plus has eight slots, labeled 0 through
7. There is no auxiliary slot (as there is on the Apple IIe). Slot 0 can
only contain a memory card. This card is either called a For information about connecting a video monitor and a
set of disk drives to the Apple II Plus, read the section on the Apple
IIe.
The purpose of this section is to define the different
catagories of devices encountered in the BEX configuration questions.
This feature is not available at Learner
Level. Some users may want to use something other than the Apple
keyboard. They may want to use their VersaBraille keyboard as a substitute
keyboard. If you want your device to be used for both input and output for
the entire computer dialogue, answer YES to both If you have an Echo or a Cricket in your computer
system, then BEX asks you if you want Echo or Cricket speech. If your
configuration has Echo speech or Cricket
speech, then the computer speaks the entire computer dialogue.
If you have an SlotBuster in your computer system,
then BEX asks you if you want SlotBuster speech. If your configuration has
SlotBuster speech the computer speaks the entire computer
dialogue.
This feature is not available at Learner
Level. If you do not have Echo or Cricket speech, you are asked,
This feature is not available at Learner
Level. When you configure, you are asked This feature is not available at Learner
Level. BEX has special software to transfer chapters between the
Apple and the VersaBraille. By answering yes to the configuration question
about the tape-based VersaBraille, you are providing information required
by these VersaBraille-only options on the Main Menu. See the separate
section on the tape-based VersaBraille for more information.
This feature is not available at Learner
Level. You can send text directly from a serial device into a BEX
chapter. For example, the output from an optical scanner (such as the
Kurzweil Reading Machine) can be used to create a BEX chapter. The remote
serial device has to be serial, it has to obey Xon/Xoff or hardware
handshakes, and it has to be able to be initiated by some external switch
or command. Examples of download devices are an IBM-PC (cabled to the
Apple), a Kurzweil Reading Machine, a disk-based VersaBraille, or any
other computer system that has a serial output port. More information is
available later in this manual: Section 9 talks about the disk-based
VersaBraille; Section 10 explains the KRM.
In conventional computer systems, a printer is
primarily a device which accepts text from the computer and produces
hard-copy inkprint on paper. BEX is designed to produce
regular inkprint on dot matrix or daisy wheel printers, large-print on
certain dot matrix printers, braille on most embossers, and text output on
various serial devices such as braille displays and serial voice
synthesizers.
When you begin using BEX, you must first define your
system configuration. When you answer the configuration questions about a
printer, you are asked for a printer class. Here are the eight possible
choices:
A generic printer is an inkprint device. By generic,
we mean that BEX does not know what model of printer it is dealing with.
BEX ignores any $$eX commands in your text. (The $$eX commands send out
command sequences for specific brands of printers.)
A specific printer means that you declare the brand
name and model of the printer. BEX executes any $$eX commands in your
text. BEX accepts only one kind of specific printer in any one
configuration.
BEX is able to generate Large Print on certain dot
matrix printers when they are used with certain interface cards. See
Section 4 on Printers for details on these important restrictions. BEX
uses special graphics software to generate large print. Large print is
also possible using the Apple LaserWriter Postscript Driver (see below).
BEX can output to a wide variety of braille output
devices. Most braillers are described in Section 5, the Interfacing
Cookbook.
A voice output printer is just a shortcut
to get voice output of larger sections of text. BEX supplies values for
carriage width and form length. An example of a voice output printer is a
DECtalk reading an entire chapter.
BEX has very special software for the tape-based
VersaBraille. However, you can output to OTHER paperless braillers by
indicating that you are printing to a paperless brailler. Examples are:
Microbrailler or the disk-based VersaBraille 2. When you define a printer
as a paperless brailler then BEX sends text without
formatting it at all. This may be appropriate for sending information to
other, print-oriented computers as well as to paperless braillers.
The review class printer allows an Echo or Cricket
user to find out exactly how a document will look when sent to a printer.
You must configure to slot 3 (your 80 column card). See Section 5, Part 4
in the Learner Level DOX for more details.
BEX provides special software capable of making
virtually typeset quality output (in normal or large print) when
interfaced to an Apple LaserWriter. See Section 11 for more details on the
Apple LaserWriter.
There are two kinds of disk drive for the Apple
computer. One kind is the 5.25 inch floppy disk drive. The other is the
3.5 inch disk drive. At the Learner and User Levels, BEX can only work
with 5.25 inch floppy drives. At the Master Level, BEX can read or write
data to a 3.5 inch disk drive. Even at the Master Level, BEX requires at
least one 5.25 inch drive to boot the BEX program.
This feature is available at the Master Level
only. At the Master Level, you can configure with up to 8 different
disk drives. These can be 5.25 inch floppy disk drives, 3.5 inch disk
drives, RAM drives, or a Sider hard drive. See the Master Level DOX,
Section 4.
This feature is available at the Master
Level only. A 3.5 inch disk can hold 800k of information. BEX uses
a program called AmDOS 3.5, written by Gary Little to read and write to a
3.5 inch disk. BEX cannot be loaded onto a 3.5 inch disk, so you must have
at least one 5.25 inch floppy drive in your system.
This feature is available at the Master Level
only. A RAM drive is a circuit card for the Apple containing a
large block of memory. The memory (called RAM) is treated like one or more
disk drives. BEX works with the RamWorks, MultiRAM, Apple Memory Card, and
Apple IIgs memory expansion. RAM drives greatly speed up your system, and
allows you to use a larger memory.
This feature is available at the Master Level
only. A Sider hard drive provides 10 or 20 megabytes of storage for
your system. BEX can only work with one Sider unit. The Sider is the only
hard disk supported by BEX.
BEX is designed to work with the Apple Super Serial
Card, the Apple IIc ports, and the Apple IIgs ports. Whenever possible, we
recommend using a Super Serial Card, an Apple IIc port, or an Apple IIgs
port.
Two applications must use either a Super Serial Card,
a IIc port, or the modem port on the SlotBuster II card:
When you are configuring a printer, BEX is much
more flexible. BEX accepts any interface card for a printer. The only
exception is large print output. BEX can generate large print output only
with one of the following: an Apple Super Serial Card, an Apple IIc serial
port, an Apple IIgs serial port, an Apple parallel card, a Grappler Plus
parallel card, a Pro Grappler parallel card (version 2.0 or above) or a
Slotbuster (serial or parallel).
Raised Dot Computing uses a standard set
of interface parameters. These parameters are 9600 baud, 2 stop bits, no
parity, auto linefeed, and hardware handshakes. Don't worry if you do not
have to have a precise understanding of the technical talk about
interfacing parameters. The most important information for computer
novices is that an interface involves setting a series of communications
parameters. Each device accepts or transmits data in a specific electronic
form, which is defined by the communications parameters. Unless these
parameters match in the two devices, then things may not work. If the
parameters don't match, you may get garbage or no communications at all or
missing chunks of your text.
The Apple IIc ports are set to the standard values
when BEX is booted.
The Apple IIgs ports have circular, 8 pin jacks. Apple
sells a short cable called the Apple IIgs Adapter Cable. This
cable plugs into the IIgs port and presents a female RS-232 25 pin jack.
The Super Serial Card has 14 little switches and a
special switch called the jumper block. The jumper block is a
"chip" with a white triangle on it. If the jumper block is pointing to the
word Unless you are instructed otherwise, always set
the switches on your Super Serial Card this way. When you use the
BEX does its best to make nice output, but you have
the responsibility of making sure that your printer is ready to print.
Since every printer is slightly different, we can't tell you exactly how
to set up yours. Your best guide will be the manual for your printer.
However, here are some general principles to keep in mind.
There are many reasons why you cannot get output to a
printer. The printer may be defective. You may have the wrong cable. You
may have the wrong switch settings on your interface card. You may have
the wrong switch settings on your printer.
Before we take apart your computer system trying to
diagnose your problem, lets deal with a common problem. When you configure
BEX, you can describe up to four different printers. The BEX printer
numbers, one through four, represent the order the printers were defined
and not the slot numbers that the printers are connected to.
If you have a printer attached to slot 2, do not answer 2 to the
If you cannot get BEX to send output to a printer,
find out if the problem is with BEX or with the printer. For example,
let's say that your printer is attached to slot 1. Press Q to Quit
from BEX. Enter the following five characters: If the output on your printer is gar4, chances are
that the switch settings on the interface card and/or your printer are
wrong. Make sure the baud rate, data bits, and stop bits match on both
devices.
One common problem is fail to configure a brailler as
a brailler. Be aware that none of the supplied configurations contain a
brailler. If you have a brailler you must set up your own configuration.
A common problem is to configure with the wrong
carriage width and form length. When you configure, BEX supplies suggested
carriage widths and form lengths (just press return to these questions).
If you give too long a carriage width, then some lines will be chopped in
the middle of a word, while others will be quite short. If you give too
long a form length, then every other page will be very short.
If you have problems with large print output, read the
section on Large Print in this manual. Ask yourself the following
questions: Have I set the switches in the printer correctly? Have I set
the printer for 8 data bits? Have I configured properly?
The printer itself keeps track of where it is printing
on the page. When you enter the printer number at the Once you have established top of form, BEX swings into
action. Using the form length you defined in your configuration, BEX keeps
track of every carriage return it sends to your printer. If It's very tempting to use the platen knobs to
roll your paper out, but it confuses the dickens out of your printer.
Suppose you have a printout that's two and one-half sheets long. When
BEX is done printing, the third sheet is halfway through the printer. As
far as the printer knows, there are still around 30 lines left on that
sheet. If you manually roll the paper out, the printer has no way of
accounting for the 30 lines. If you manually roll the paper so it looks
like it's set for the right top of form and you use your printer
before turning it off, the next time your output will only fill part of
the sheet. The printer itself will generate a bogus form feed after it
counts 30 lines.
The best way to proceed is to always use the
printer's form feed button that advances the sheet to the next top of
form. That way both the printer and BEX are operating from the same
assumptions.
The form length is the maximum number of printed lines
on each page. Generally, single spaced printer output is 6 lines per
vertical inch (see your printer's manual). Double or triple spaced
text counts the spacing lines as if they were printed. To figure out what
form length to specify, first decide how long you want your top and bottom
margins. As a rule of thumb, subtract your desired top and bottom margins
from the paper length and multiply the resulting length by the number of
lines per vertical inch to get the form length. For example, if you want
top and bottom margins of 1 inch each on 11 inch paper, that would be 9
inches of printing. Nine inches of printing times 6 lines per vertical
inch is 54. Use 54 to define your form length.
The carriage width is the maximum number of characters
on each line. Standard character output on printers is 10 or 12 per
horizontal inch (see your printer's manual). You may be able to
specify exactly which on your printer. If you specify a carriage width of
72 and you get 12 characters per inch output on your printer, then you can
have 1-1/4 inch of margin of each side of the page. Of course, the exact
margin depends on where the printing starts on the line.
When you define a carriage width of 72 for a printer
in your configuration, you are actually telling BEX: "Print as many
complete words as will fit in without exceeding 72 characters in this
line, then send the printer a carriage return." Exactly where the first
character on the line shows up depends on your printer. If the place that
the printhead returns to is too far to the left for your taste, then tell
BEX to use a left margin. See Learner Level Section 6.
Again, printers differ. On some printers, you can
physically move the spot to which the printhead returns. Then, when you
set top of form, you are also setting a left margin. If this is the case,
then BEX (and you) don't need to worry about a margin. On many other
printers, the printhead's lefthand resting place is very close to the
edge of the paper. In this case, you do need to define a margin to make
your output look standard.
When you configure a generic printer, BEX does not
know the model of printer. This means that BEX does not use any special
codes which are peculiar to certain printers.
Configure as follows:
The question The question Unless your printer needs a special sequence of
control characters to properly wake up, answer NO to the question A specific printer means that you declare the brand
name and model of the printer. BEX then executes any $$eX commands in your
text. The only difference between specific and
generic is that you can use these $$eX commands to change
pitch, use boldface, use the printer's underlining, and have
superscripts and subscripts. Please note that the Apple ImageWriter does
NOT support superscripts and subscripts.
Configure as you would for a generic printer, only
answer S for the printer class. You are asked if you have a dot matrix
printer. The tables in BEX contain entries for the following printers:
There are hundreds of printers on the market.
Obviously, this list only covers a small number of printers. There is hope
if you have a printer which is not in this list. Your printer is probably
compatible with a printer that is on this list. Check your printer manual.
You may find a statement that the printer is "compatible with the FX-80"
or "compatible with the Diablo 630." If so, then configure as an FX-80 or
Diablo 630, and things should work.
If your printer manual is lacking any statement of
compatibility, it still may be compatible. You will have to do some
research in your printer manual. Look up the control codes for underlining
and bold face printing.
If you have a letter quality printer, compare your
printer's codes with the Diablo 630 and the Qume Sprint (the two most
imitated letter quality printers). Here are the codes for Diablo 630:
<ESC> E - underline; <ESC> R - stop underline; <ESC> W -
shadow on; and <ESC> and - shadow off. Here are the codes for the
Qume Sprint: <ESC> I - underline; <ESC> J - stop underline;
If you have a dot matrix printer, there is a good
chance that your printer is compatible with the Apple ImageWriter or the
Epson FX-80. Here are the codes for the Apple ImageWriter: <ESC> X -
underline; <ESC> Y - stop underline; <ESC> to - bold face on;
and <ESC>? - bold face off. Here are the codes for the Epson FX-80:
<ESC> G - emphasized print on; and <ESC> H - emphasized print
off.
If your printer does not match any of these
combinations, do not panic. You can add to the table in BEX that contains
the specific printer control codes. When you configure at the Master
Level, you can use option P at the Starting Menu to list the
contents of chapter PRINTERS on the Boot side. Page one is for letter
quality printers, page two is for dot matrix printers. Each printer name
starts with a backslash. The end of the table is indicated by two
backslashes. Each item in the table is separated by a delete character.
Use the P option to learn the sequence of items in the table.
Use the Editor to modify chapter PRINTERS. You can add a new printer to
the list with the escape sequences of your printer. More details on this
are in the Master Level, Section 5, Part 6.
BEX can produce Large Print on some dot matrix
printers at 14 or 18 point using special graphics software. Raised Dot
Computing has extensive experience with the Apple ImageWriter. We find
that it gives fast and high quality Large Print. Because Raised Dot does
not have extensive experience with Large Print on many printers, we are at
this time unable to give explicit instructions on any printer other than
the ImageWriter. We would be very grateful to any BEX user that provided
us with detailed notes on their equipment. In addition, BEX can also
generate Large Print with a wide variety of font sizes on an Apple
LaserWriter--see Section 11 for details.
The ImageWriter or ImageWriter II can be connected to
an Apple Super Serial Card, an Apple IIc port, or an Apple IIgs port. Set
the switches on the Super Serial Card to the standard. See the Cookbook
section for the switch settings on the ImageWriter.
When you configure BEX, press carriage return to get
the suggested values for all the spacing parameters. There are some new
questions you are asked. Giving a We are sorry that we cannot provided detailed
instructions on working with other printers. We do know that the three
biggest hurdles are getting the right interface card, getting auto
linefeed right, and getting the data bits set right.
BEX can only generate Large Print with a small group
of interface cards. You CANNOT make Large Print unless you have one of
these interface cards:
If you do not have one of these interface cards
and you want to generate Large Print, you will have to purchase a
supported interface card. Please do not call us and ask us to support
additional cards. We would need a circuit card in-house, extensive
technical reports, and lots of time to support additional cards.
One distinct possibility is that you have a genuine
supported card (such as a Grappler Plus), but BEX refuses to recognize it.
Use the W option at the Starting Menu. If BEX says the card is
unidentified, then use option R at the Starting Menu to
force BEX to recognize the card. Please read Section 15 for more
information about how to use this option.
We designed the Large Print driver for two kinds of
printers, the Apple ImageWriter and the Epson FX-80. If you have a dot
matrix printer, it is quite likely that your printer emulates the graphics
mode of one of these two printers.
If your printer manual has an entry " If your printer manual has an entry " If you get a small corner of good printout, but then
it garbles characters, you have a high bit problem. If there is a thin
band of white in each sweep, you also have a high bit problem. Search
through your printer manual for any reference to a switch to control
data bits. Set the switch to 8 data bits.
If your Apple makes a continuous squeal, then the
carriage width you have specified is too great. Reconfigure your printer
with a smaller number for carriage width.
If your Interface card is a Pro Grappler, make sure
that it is marked version 2.0 or above. If not, obtain a new firmware chip
from your dealer.
BEX can generate braille on a wide variety of braille
devices. To configure for a braille device, answer the The Apple IIe Slots
The Extended 80 column card
Slot 3 WARNING
Echo Synthesizer
Enter
Configuration
prompt.
Apple IIc
Software Upgrade
]CALL -151 <CR>
The monitor now prompts you with a single asterisk
character. Respond by entering two characters: exclamation point followed
by <CR>.
* ! <CR>
The Apple IIc can respond in two ways. If it beeps
and reprompts with a single asterisk, then it lacks the 3.5 ROM
upgrade. On the other hand, if you are prompted with a single
exclamation point, then the IIc does have the 3.5 ROM upgrade.
Second Disk Drive for the IIc
Printer Port
to Your
Card.
When you install an Echo synthesizer in slot 4, the Apple
IIgs won't acknowledge that it exists until you specify that slot 4 is
Your Card
and not the Mouse Port.
What is in your computer
option at
the Starting Menu states for each slot whether it is Your
card
or a IIgs port.
Use this option to understand how
your IIgs is set up.
Apple IIgs built-in functions
Slot Number Built-in function
slot 1 serial printer port
slot 2 serial modem port
slot 3 80 column card
slot 4 mouse port
slot 5 smart disk drive port
slot 6 disk drive port
slot 7 AppleTalk port
Apple IIgs System Speed
Apple IIgs disk drives
Your Card.
smart disk port,
and subsequent drives are plugged into the back of the previous drive. The
important rule to follow is that 3.5 inch drives are plugged in first,
closest to the computer in the daisy chain. Any 5.25 inch drives must be
at the end of the daisy chain. Set the Control Panel so that slot 5 is
Smart disk port.
() Warning! If you have a second 3.5 inch disk
drive, you must set the size of the RAM drive in the control panel to
zero. Failure to do this will result in the Apple IIgs automatically
hiding the drive in a place where BEX cannot find it.
Apple IIgs System Memory
() Warning! BEX will wipe out any other programs or
data you have stored on the Apple IIgs. BEX uses all the memory that it
finds.
Apple IIgs Echo Synthesizer
Your Card.
Do not plug the Echo IIb
in slot 3 if uou have expansion memory.
No Braille Keyboard
Apple IIgs Performance Updated from an Apple IIe
Apple II Plus
shift key modification.
BEX works with or without a shift key
modification.
Slots on the Apple II Plus
language
card
or a 16K RAM card.
BEX won't function on the
Apple II Plus without this card. BEX requires 64K of memory to function.
The Apple II Plus main board has 48K. The language card contains enough
memory to bring the system up to the required 64K. There are additional
RAM memory cards available for the Apple II plus, but BEX does
not support the use of any of these.
Remote Keyboard
Do you have a
remote keyboard?
AND Do you have a braille device for all the
material going to the screen?
Echo or Cricket Speech
SlotBuster Speech
Voice Output of the Entire Computer Dialogue
Do you have a voice device for all the material going to the
screen?
You can indicate that you want the entire computer dialogue
directed to your serial voice device. Examples of serial voice devices
are: an Echo GP, a Votrax, or a DECtalk.
Do you have a
braille device for all the material going to the screen?
You can
indicate that you want the entire computer dialogue directed to your
serial braille device. This is useful for a deaf-blind person, or someone
who prefers working through their braille computer terminal. Examples of
devices that can be used in this way are the VersaBraille, the
Microbrailler, or the Cranmer Brailler.
Tape-based VersaBraille
Remote serial device to input through slot
G - Generic Printer
S - Specific Printers
L - Large Print Output
B - Braillers
P - Paperless Brailler
R - Review Class Printer
A - Apple LaserWriter Postscript Driver
Disk Drives
RAM drives
Sider Hard Disk
add LF
after CR
to yes, and set data/stop bits
to 8/2. To
cable a device to a IIgs port, follow the instructions for cabling to the
Super Serial Card. Plug the appropriate cable to the Apple IIgs Adapter
Cable.
modem,
pull out the chip,
turn it around,
and re-insert it.
What is in this computer
option in BEX's Starting Menu, you
are told whether a Super Serial Card is set to standard
or
non-standard
parameters.
Troubleshooting Your Printer
No Output
Which printer:
prompt unless BEX printer number 2 is
configured as the printer in slot 2. At the Which printer:
prompt, enter a question mark followed by a carriage return to find out
what printers are in your configuration.
PR#1
<CR>
Anything you type on your computer keyboard should go to
the printer. This method of sending text to the printer completely avoids
using BEX. There is a problem with your printer or with your interface
card if typing PR#1 <CR>
does not get text to your
printer. Please do not call RDC. All we can do is tell you to call your
computer dealer.
Bad Format
Vertical Alignment
Which
printer:
prompt, BEX assumes that you have set the top of form
correctly. Some printers have a top of form button you push to tell the
printer: "OK, remember your current position as the top of the sheet."
Less expensive printers use the position of the printhead when you turn
the machine on. If you're visually impaired, you have to establish a
landmark to use for setting top of form. An example is: the fold at the
top of the sheet is even with the bottom of the tear bar.
Generic Printer
Enter printer slot: # <CR>
Enter printer class: G <CR>
Enter carriage width: 72 <CR> (or whatever)
Enter form length: 56 <CR> (or whatever)
Do you want pause on form feed? N <CR>
Do you want auto line feed? N <CR>
Do you want pause on form
feed?
is really asking if you need to stop the computer from
sending text to the printer at the end of a page. If you are manually
inserting each sheet into the printer, answer YES. If you have tractor
feed and continuous form paper, answer NO.
Do you want auto linefeed?
is asking if you want BEX to add a line feed (a special control character)
each time it sends out a carriage return. The first time you configure,
answer NO. Most printers advance to the next line when they receive a
carriage return. If the resulting printouts are all overstriking, then
re-configure, answering YES to the auto linefeed question.
Do
you need a set up sequence for this printer?
For information about
your printer, check your printer manual.
Specific Printers
Letter Quality Printers
Large Print
character spacing
greater
than zero spreads out the letters on a line. The line spacing
determines how close the lines are to each other. Start with the
recommended values. Changing the font size changes the carriage width,
form length, and line spacing. Here is a sample configuration using the 18
point font:
Enter printer slot: # <CR>
Enter printer class: L <CR>
Enter Large Print printer code: 1 <CR> (1 is for
ImageWriter)
Enter font size: 18 <CR>
Enter line spacing: 27 <CR>
Enter extra spacing between characters: 0 <CR>
Enter carriage width: 42 <CR>
Enter form length: 24 <CR>
Do you want pause after form feed: N <CR>
Do you need a set up sequence for this printer? N
<CR>
Large Print on Other Printers
<ESC>
G nnnn
- Print 1x8 graphics corresponding to the following nnnn
data bytes" then it emulates an Apple ImageWriter. Just answer the
question about Large Print printer code
with 1 for Apple
ImageWriter.
<ESC>
L n1 n2
- Sets bit image graphics in the 960 mode, the next n1 + n2
bytes will be printed in dot graphics" then it emulates an Epson FX-80.
Answer the question about Large Print printer code
with 2 for
the Epson FX-80.
Braille Output
printer
class
question with B for braille output. You are asked for a
brailler type. Unless otherwise noted, each choice is discussed in Section
5, the Interfacing Cookbook. Here is the list of choices:
1 - Braille Previewer
2 - Braille Previewer with voice
3 - Cranmer Brailler (see section 7)
4 - MBOSS-1
5 - Thiel Brailler
6 - LED-120 using control-K
7 - LED-120 not using control-K
8 - recent LED-120
9 - Personal Brailler
10 - TSI VersaPoint
11 - Ohtsuki brailler
12 - Dipner Dots embossed (see section 12)
13 - Dipner Dots printed (see section 12)
14 - ETF-80 and IBM typewriter (write for instructions)
15 - Camwill typeball (write for instructions)
16 - PED plate embosser