EPSON AMERICA, INC.

Product Support Bulletin
Subject: 24 Pin Printer Error and Beep Codes Date: 4/3/91 Page(s): 1 of 4 PSB No: P-0076 Originator JV
Epson printers issue beep tones when certain error conditions exist. Those beeps can assist you in locating and repairing customers printers. The following error codes are listed by product name. NOTE: Most of the beeps issued by the printers are of.1 second duration with a.1 second pause between beeps. Where the beeps or the pauses are longer, it has been noted in the text. The description 3 Beeps x 2 means two sets of three beeps. LQ-200/AP-beep: 1 beep: 3 beeps: 5 beeps: On-Line light is flashing: BEL code A Control Panel setting is accepted. Paper End detected Abnormal carriage movement Printhead is over heated. Carriage will stop until the printhead cools down.
LQ-500, LQ-510, LQ-1010, LQ-850, LQ-950, LQ-1050, L1000, AP-4000, AP-beep: 1 beep: 3 beeps: 5 beeps: BEL code (.5 set beep) A Control Panel setting is accepted Paper End detected Abnormal carriage movement
PSB No: P-0076 Page: 2 of 4 LQ-800, LQ-1000, Lbeep: 1 beep: 3 beeps: 5 beeps: 5 beeps: LQ-beep: 1 beep: 3 beeps: 5 beeps: 5 beeps: 5 beeps: LQ-beep: 5 beeps: 5 beeps: BEL code Paper End detected Abnormal carriage movement (.5 sec. pause between beeps) BEL code (.5 sec. beep) A Control Panel setting is accepted Paper End detected Color select mechanism error (.5 sec. beep,.5 sec between beeps) Abnormal carriage movement (.5 sec. beep,.5 sec between beeps) CG ROM failure (.5 sec. beep,.5 sec between beeps) BEL code A Control Panel setting is accepted Paper End detected Abnormal carriage movement (.5 sec. pause between beeps) +35V supply is abnormal
PSB No: P-0076 Page: 3 of 4 LQ-2500 NOTE: Printers with LCD displays use error messages along with beeps to inform the user of problems. The following messages will help you to troubleshoot problems. A blank LCD screen with the Power-on LED lit can be caused by a bent pin on one of the PROMS or jumper J1 may be set incorrectly. 1 beep: 5 beeps: 5 beeps: LQ-2500 LCD Codes: 10 LQ-beep: 3 beeps: 5 beeps: 5 beeps: 5 beeps: LQ-2550 LCD Codes: BEL code Paper End detected Abnormal carriage movement (.5 sec. pause between beeps) Platen Gap adjustment error (.5 sec. pause between beeps) Case open Invalid ID request to CGROM EEROM read/write error Abnormal carriage movement BEL code Abnormal voltageAbnormal carriage movement (.5 sec. pause between beeps)

00 (1)

(2) 02
The font could not be found. The printers internal program could not find the target font. Missing or damaged 7A ROM
Internal ROM check does not match. The versions may have been mixed.
PSB No: P-0076 Page: 4 of 4 LQ-2550 cont. A Verify After Write check to the SRAM has failed. The SRAM could be bad. This is a motor control error. Four possible areas of failure are: a. CR home condition not detected at power up b. Platen gap motor HP not detected correctly c. Friction/Tractor feed switching error d. Physical obstruction such as a jammed ribbon Skewed paper detect error. Since the initial reading upon loading a single sheet paper, the paper has skewed. This is a printhead wire protection feature. Illegal paper positioning. (1) If the paper is loaded using the knob instead of the LOAD/EJECT switch, this error condition will occur. This is a printhead wire protection feature. (2) PE sensor may have failed or is not connected. CPU error. An undefined op-code was detected. Error codes 11 and 12 are usually caused by new operators who are un-familiar with the machine. Both of these errors are corrected by turning the printer off, taking out the paper and turning the printer back on. Both features were added to ensure proper paper handling and prevent paper jams, which can result in printhead failures. Incorrect jumper settings on the ROMA board may cause errors 10 or 20. The correct settings are documented in the Service Manual (page A-54, figure A-52) and on TIB LQ2550-005. Errors 0,2, 3, 10, and 20 may require a repair, adjustment or replacement.

NOTES:

EPSON AMERICA. INC.

SERVICE

PRODUCT SUPPORT BULLETIN
Date: 3/1/88 Subject: Epson Printer/Ribbon Compatibility Number: P-0013A PURPOSE: This list will assist in the correct matching of Epson ribbons to printers. The numbers listed below are the Epson part This list supercedes numbers and can be used to order ribbons. PSB-013. EAI #
OEM # N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A ERC-04 ERC-13 ERC-08 ERC-14 ERC-16 ERC-17 N/A N/A ALL DX
LQ-500, LQ-800, LQ-850 LQ-1000, LQ-1050 LQ-2500 (BLACK) LQ-2500 (COLOR) ALL 80-COLUMN MX, RX, FX, FX-86e, LX-800, JX-80* LQ-1500 ALL 136-COLUMN MX, RX, FX,

FX286e

JX-80 (COLOR) P-80 LX-80, LX-86, LX-90, HW-10

EX-800/1000

(BLACK)

EX-800/1000 (COLOR)

*Recommended for use when color is not required.
EPSON AMERICA SERVICE, 23610 TELO AVENUE, TORRANCE, CALIF. 90505
EPSON AMERICA INC. SERVICE DEPARTMENT

E P S O N

PRODUCT

DATE: 06/24/87

SUPPORT

BULLETIN

P-0007
SUBJECT: LQ-800/1000 IBM GRAPHICS CHARACTER PRINTING Here at Product Support we receive numerous questions about the printing of IBM-type graphics on the LQ-800/1000 printers, and about the difference between the ESC/P and IBM identity modules. The purpose of this bulletin is to address these common questions. Printing IBM Graphics Characters The LQ-800/1000 cannot print the IBM graphics characters unless it has either the ESC/P (#7696) or the IBM (#7695) identity module installed. Module Differences Various options are available when using the identity modules, depending on which is used. The ESC/P provides the character graphics forms from the IBM standard character set, as well as Greek alphabet characters, and some mathematical operation symbols. In comparison, the IBM module has the Alternate and Symbol character sets, in addition to the standard set. These may be required for some applications. Software commands also differ between the two modules. The ESC/P module will allow use of all standard Epson printer commands normally available to the LQ printers, whereas the IBM module causes the LQ printer to emulate an IBM 5152 printer, with the loss of some Epson printer commands normally available to the LQ. All font modules are usable with either identity module.

Intro-1

The compact design and light weight of the LQ make it ideal for home and business applications. A 7K buffer frees your computer so you can work on one document while printing another.
Using this manual To make it easier to set up your new LQ-800 or LQ-1000, this manual includes a 10-step guide to setting up your printer. These steps take you from unpacking, through ribbon and paper loading, to printing your first document. Easy-to-read tabs make it simple for beginners or experienced users to find information. Additional sections describe how to use your new printer with word processors, create graphics, define your own characters, and more. If you are familiar with earlier Epson manuals, youll find two terms changed to make them more descriptive. In this manual, doublewidth is used instead of expanded, and condensed is used in place of

compressed.

Intro-2

Chapter 1

Setting Up Your LQ Printer
Setting up your new LQ is easy. Simply follow the steps in this chapter. Note The LQ-800 and LQ-1000 are essentially the same printer except that the LQ-1000 can accept wider paper. Therefore, most of the illustrations in this manual show only the LQ-800. If there is a difference that you need to know about, a separate illustration shows the LQ-1000.
First, remove the printer from the box and take off all outside plastic covering and foam supports. See that you have received all the parts shown in the illustrations on the next page. (Youll find the paper feed knob inserted in the foam packing material.)

Unpacking Your Printer

Figure 1-1. The LQ-800

Figure 1-2. The LQ-1000

Remove the tape that holds the dust cover in place during shipping and take the cover off the printer. Simply tilt the dust cover up and lift it off the printer.
WARNING The print head is protected by two plastic bumpers during shipping. Both of these bumpers must be removed before turning on the printer. Remove the long bumper to the right of the print head first, then move the print head to the center of the LQ and remove the small bumper on the left side of the print head. There is a clear plastic overlay on the control panel to protect it from scratching and discoloration. Its up to you whether you remove the overlay or leave it on. Installing the paper feed knob Next install the paper feed knob. To install the knob, simply push it onto the shaft on the right side of the printer, as shown in Figure 1-3. The shaft has one flat side that must be matched with the flat side of the hole in the knob.

Figure 3-11. Installing the paper separator
The smoked plastic tractor cover is the finishing touch. Simply place it over the tractor unit, making sure the notches on the side of the cover fit into the slots on the printer, as shown in Figure 3-12.
Figure 3-12. Installing the tractor cover
Removing the Optional Tractor Unit
When you want to remove the optional tractor unit from the LQ simply push back on the tractor release levers as shown in Figure 3-13, tilt the unit back, and lift it off the printer.
Figure 3-13. Removing the optional tractor unit

Chapter 4

Using the LQ with Commercial Software
Now that you have set up and tested your printer, you can do any of these things:
Use the printer with commercial software (such as a word processor, spreadsheet, or database). Learn about the features of the printer. Write programs to use the features of the printer.
Most of you probably want to begin using your LQ with commercial software to print such items as documents, reports, letters, spreadsheets, and graphics. This chapter tells you what you need to know. If you want to learn more about the features of the LQ, also read Chapters 5 and 6. For programmers the important parts of the manual are the command summary and the other appendixes.
Using Commercial Software
Commercial software programs usually need to know what type of printer you are using. You normally supply this information as part of a setup or installation process. Either the manual for your program or an on-screen menu should explain this process for you. The program may list a number of printers from which you can choose. Pick LQ-800 or LQ-1000, depending on which printer you have.
If neither one of these printers is listed, choose LQ-1500 because that printer recognizes virtually the same codes that the LQ-800 and LQ-1000 use. (If you have a program that does not list the LQ-1500 as an option, you may be able to obtain an update from the manufacturer. Contact your software dealer or the manufacturer to see if an update that includes the LQ-1500, LQ-1000, or LQ-800 is available.) If your program does not list any LQ printers, choose a printer from the list below. They are listed in order of preference. FX LX Rx MX Epson printer Draft printer Once you have set up or installed your commercial software program for your printer, simply follow the programs printing instructions. If you have any trouble when you print, turn to the first section in Appendix D for help.

Print Quality Command

Although you can turn on the draft mode with one of the panel buttons, you can also use a software command to switch between draft and Letter Quality. Enter and run the following program to see how Letter Quality and draft are turned on and off by an ESCape sequence (note that you use a lowercase x, not a capital X, in line 10).
NEW 10 LPRINT 20 LPRINT 30 LPRINT 40 LPRINT
CHR$(27)"x0"; "This is draft." CHR$(27)"x1"; "This is Letter Quality." This is draft.

This is Letter Quality.

As you can see in this program, Letter Quality is one of the Epson modes with an ESCape code that uses a letter with the numeral one to turn on the mode and a letter with the numeral zero to turn it off. For these modes, the one or zero can be inside the quotation marks, as shown above, or as a separate character string value, as shown below:
10 LPRINT CHR$(27)"x"CHR$(0);

Other Widths

The three basic widths (pica, elite, and fifteen) cannot be combined with each other. If one is on, the other two are off. There are, however, two width modes that can be combined with the basic modes and with each other. These two are double-width and condensed. All characters printed by the LQ are widened by double-width and narrowed by condensed. Double-width printing The double-width mode doubles the width of each character. To see double-width pica printing, which is the widest typestyle available on the LQ, enter and run the program below.
As you can see in this program, double-width is another of the modes with an ESCape code that uses a letter with the numeral one to turn on the mode and a letter with the numeral zero to turn it off. Therefore, the command to turn on double-width is ESCape W1 and the command to turn it off is ESCape "W0".
10 LPRINT "This is standard pica." 20 LPRINT CHR$(27)"W1";"Double-width pica" 30 LPRINT "Still double-width" 40 LPRINT CHR$(27)"W0"; 50 LPRINT "This is standard pica again."
This is standard pica. p i c a D o u b l e - w i d t h S t i l l d o u b l e - w i d t h This is standard pica again. Double-width can also be combined with any of the three basic widths as you can see in the program below.
20 LPRINT CHR$(27)"W1";"Double-width pica" 30 LPRINT CHR$(27)"M";"Double-width elite" 40 LPRINT CHR$(27)"g";"Double-width fifteen"
p i c a D o u b l e - w i d t h D o u b l e - w i d t h e l i t e Double-width fifteen A later section in the chapter explains a special ESCape code, Master Select, which allows you to control nine modes with only one ESCape sequence. Condensed printing Condensed is a mode that narrows pica or elite characters; the fifteen mode cannot be condensed. Condensed is turned on by ASCII 15, as you can see in the following program. It is turned off by ASCII 18.

and this is emphasized printing,

double-strike

Underline mode The LQ also has a mode that underlines characters and spaces. You turn it on with ESCape -1 and off with ESCape -0. Note that the underline code is like the double-width code in that it uses a character, in this case the hyphen or minus sign, combined with numeral one to turn it on and a character combined with the numeral zero to turn it off. You can see it in action with the following program:
NEW 10 LPRINT "This is not underlined. 20 LPRINT CHR$(27)"-1"; 30 LPRINT "This text is underlined."
This This Proportional mode In the standard draft and Letter Quality modes on the LQ, each character is given the same amount of space, whether it is a narrow letter like i or a wide letter like a capital W. In the proportional mode, however, the space allowed for each letter is proportional to its size. The proportional mode is always Letter Quality. You can see the difference between standard and proportional modes if you enter and run the following program: is not underlined. text is underlined.
LPRINT LPRINT LPRINT LPRINT
CHR$(27)"p1" "Proportional mode is on." CHR$(27)"p0"; "Proportional mode is off."
Proportional mode is on. Proportional mode is off.
Notice that you must use a lowercase p, not a capital P, for this mode. The next section describes Master Select, which includes another method for turning proportional on and off. Master Select The LQ has a special: ESCape code called Master Select that allows you to choose many possible combinations of nine different modes: pica, elite, proportional, condensed, emphasized, double-strike, double-width, italic, and underline. The format of the Master Select code is ESCape ! followed by a number that is calculated by adding together the values of the modes listed below: underline 128 italic 64 double-width 32 double-strike 16 emphasized 8 condensed 4 proportional 2 elite 1 pica 0 For many combinations, just add up the values of each of the modes you want and use the total as the number after ESCape !. For example, to calculate the code for expanded underlined pica, add the following numbers together: underline 128 double-width 32 pica - 0 160

If your keyboard does not have one of the keys that you need, you will have to send the proper ASCII number to the printer in another way, such as a programming language like BASIC.

Page Formatting

Although the LQ printer has many sophisticated commands to set margins, line spacing, horizontal and vertical tabs and character spacing, this section wont take up your time with extensive discussions of these because most are taken care of by applications programs. Instead, this section describes a few commands that the average user might need. For more information, see Appendix I, where all the commands are listed and described. Margins The LQ allows you to set the left and right margins with simple ESCape sequences. The left margin command is ESCape 1 followed by the number of the column you choose for the left margin. The right margin command is ESCape Q followed by the column number of the right margin you want. (For the left margin command, be sure to use a lowercase letter 1, not the numeral one.) If your word processing program does not allow you to change the margins, you can send margin commands to your LQ with BASIC or another programming language before you print your documents. For example, if you prefer wider margins than your word processing program gives you, run the following BASIC program before printing. This program gives you a left margin of 10 and a right margin of 70, but you can use any numbers you prefer for the margin commands.
NEW 10 LPRINT CHR$(27)"1"CHR$(l0); 20 LPRINT CHR$(27)"Q"CHR$(70);
A program like this also allows you to choose the margins you prefer for program listings. Just remember that once you run a program that sets margins, those margins are in effect until you change them with new margin commands or turn off or reset the printer.
The maximum right margins are shown in Table 5-5.
Table 5-5. Maximum right margin settings
Skip-over-perforation If you are using continuous-feed paper for printing program listings or other material not controlled by an applications program, you may find that the LQ prints right over the perforations between pages. The LQ has an ESCape code to prevent this: the ESCape N command. You send ESCape N" followed by the number of lines you want the LQ to skip at the bottom of a page. For example, in BASIC the following line will make the LQ skip six lines after each 60 lines if your printer is set for 11-inch paper:

Dot patterns The LQs print head is able to print graphics as well as text because graphic images are formed on the LQ about the same way that pictures in newspapers and magazines are printed. If you look closely at a newspaper photograph, you can see that it is made up of many small dots. The LQ also forms its images with patterns of dots, as many as 360 dot positions per inch horizontally and 180 dots vertically. The images printed by the LQ can, therefore, be as finely detailed as the one on the first page of this chapter. Eight-pin graphics So that it is compatible with the many programs written for such printers such as the Epson FX and RX series, the LQ has an 8-pin graphics mode with six densities. Although this mode uses only one third of the LQs pins, it produces good quality graphics and allows you to use the many programs written for 8-pin graphics. Twenty-four-pin graphics The graphics mode that takes full advantage of the LQs print head is 24-pin graphics. It has five densities, but for simplicity this explanation will begin with only one of them, triple-density. Triple-density prints up to 180 dots per inch horizontally. As the print head moves across the paper, every 1/180th of an inch it must receive instructions about which of its 24 pins to fire. At each position it can fire any number of pins from none to 24. This means that the printer must receive 24 bits of information for each column it prints. Since the LQ uses 8-bit bytes of information in its communication with a computer, it needs three bytes of information for each position. Pin labels To tell the printer which pins to fire in each column, you first divide each of the vertical columns into three sections of eight pins each and consider each section separately. Since there are 256 possible combinations of the eight pins in each section, you need a numbering system that allows you to use a single number to specify which of the 256 possible patterns you want. This numbering system is shown in Figure 6-1.

Draft pica

Letter Quality/Proportional

Figure 6-5. Design grids

The grid on the right side of Figure 6-5 can be used for either Letter Quality or proportional characters. For Letter Quality you do not use all the columns. See Table 6-3 for further information. There is one restriction in designing characters. Dots in the same row may not print in adjacent columns. That is, there must be an empty dot position to the left and to the right of each dot that prints. This is true in draft, Letter Quality, and proportional.
Defining Your Own Characters
The first step in defining characters is to place the dots on a grid just as you want them to print. The examples here, like the ones in the graphics section, use an X to represent each dot. In Figure 6-6 you see a draft grid with a simple user-defined character planned on it.
Figure 6-6. User-defined character
Now you translate the dot pattern youve created on paper to a numeric format so you can send the information to the LQ. Every dot has an assigned value. Each vertical column (which has a maximum of 24 dots) is first divided into three groups of eight dots. Each group of eight dots is represented by one byte, which consists of eight bits. Hence, one bit represents each dot. Data numbers The bits within each byte have values of 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, and 128. In the vertical column of dots, the bits are arranged so that the most significant bit (which has a value of 128) is at the top and the least significant bit (which has a value of 1) is at the bottom. Figure 6-7 shows how to use this method to calculate the data numbers for the example character. On the left side of the figure the data numbers are calculated for the middle column. The value of each byte is calculated by adding the values of the rows where dots appear. The right side of the figure shows the whole character with the three data numbers for each column indicated at the bottom.
This manual uses decimal numbers because the example programs in this manual are written in BASIC and everyone is familiar with decimals. The data you send to the LQ, however, can be in any form (binary, decimal, hexadecimal) that you can use with your programming language.
Figure 6-7. Calculating the data
Youve seen how to design a character by placing dots on a grid and translated the dots to decimal equivalents. The last step in defining a character is to send this information to the printer. Sending information to the LQ The printer loads characters in the print style (Letter Quality, draft, or proportional) that the printer is currently using. It also records whether italic or script (either superscript or subscript) is turned on. This means that if you want to print a character in the italic mode, for example, you must have the italic mode turned on when you define the character.

Table A-4. Interface selection
Function 8-bit parallel interface Serial interface, Even parity Serial interface, Odd parity Serial interface, Non parity 2-3 OFF O N OFF ON 2-4 OFF OFF ON ON
Table A-5. Baud rate selection

Baud rate

Appendix B
The LQ Character Set and ASCII Table
This table shows the three LQ character sets: Draft, Letter Quality, and Proportional. The table also shows the Decimal and Hexadecimal values of each character. The codes from O-32 and 127-160 are control codes and therefore not represented by characters. For these codes, the abbreviations of the functions are listed (i.e. BS for Backspace, LF for Line Feed, etc.). For those programs that make use of control keys, these values are also listed. Appendix I contains complete descriptions of each control code.
Dee Hex Abbrev Control key Dec Hex Abbrev Control key

0A 0B 0c 0D 0E 0F 10

NUL SOH STX ETX EOT ENQ ACK BEL BS HT LF VT FF CR so SI DLE
Cntl-@ Cntl-A Cntl-B Cntl-C Cntl-D Cntl-E Cntl-F Cntl-G Cntl-H Cntl-I Cntl-J Cntl-K Cntl-L Cntl-M Cntl-N Cntl-0 Cntl-P

19 1A 1B 1C 1D 1E 1F 20

DC1 DC2 DC3 DC4 NAK SYN ETB CAN EM SUB ESC FS GS RS us SP
Cntl-Q Cntl-R Cntl-S Cntl-T Cntl-U Cntl-V Cntl-W Cntl-X Cntl-Y Cntl-Z Cntl-[

Hex Draft LQ Prop.

2A 2B 2c

# $ % & ' (

! "I # $ % & ' ( )

I " #

& ,
2E 2F 3A 3B 3c 3D 3E 3F 4A

< = > ? @

/ :. < = > ? @
8 9. , < = > ? @ A B C D E F G H I J

109 110

115 116
4B 4c 4D 4E 4F 5A 5B 5c 5D 5E 5F 6A 6B 6C 6D 6E 6F 74

K L M N

K L M N 0 P R S T u v w x Y z

K L M N 0 P

R S T U v

W X Y Z

u v w x Y z

h i j k m n

b c d e f g h

P Q r s t

Hex Draft

LQ Prop.

U V W X U V W X

u v w x Y

7A 7B 7c 7D 7E

z -{ | } ~

LQ Prop. Z z { } ~ { | } ~

Abbrev.

7F 8A 8B 8C 8D 8E 8F
ACK BEL BS HT LF VT FF CR so SI

The Font Module

The font modules are available in a number of different typestyles, including:
A font module must be connected to an identity module in order to work. The ESC/P Expansion Identity Module maintains and extends the LQs Epson identity, and allows you to add any of the optional fonts.
Using the Option Cartridges
When installing an option cartridge, you must turn the power OFF, plug in the cartridge, then turn the power ON again so that the printer acknowledges that an option cartridge has been installed.
WARNING Do not install or remove an option cartridge while the power is ON, because you may damage the printer. Always turn the power OFF when installing or removing an option cartridge.
With the cartridge installed, the printer reacts to the command set contained in the identity module. (For specific information on commands, see the instructions packaged with the identity module). To return to the LQs built-in command set, turn the power OFF remove the cartridge and turn the power ON again. For typestyle selection, the identity module may have a DIP switch that allows you to choose which typestyle will be in effect when you turn on the printer-either the LQs built-in typestyle, or the font module typestyle. Whichever default typestyle you select, you can still switch between the LQs built-in typestyle and the font module typestyle by using the control panel buttons or ESCape codes. See the instructions packaged with the option cartridges for further information on the DIP switches and font selection commands.

Appendix D

Troubleshooting and Maintenance
This appendix presents solutions for possible problems, explanations of the LQs advanced features, and maintenance tips.

Diagnosing the Problem

If the printouts from your LQ are not matching the document youve prepared on your computer, youll need to set up a test document. When you set up a test document on your computer, include the symbols #, [, \, ], and {, because of their variation in the different character sets. Also include numbers, punctuation marks, symbols, carriage returns, and upper and lower case letters. Now print the document. First check page B-4 to see whether the LQ is printing the correct character set. When delivered, the LQ is set to print the USA character set. If its not printing the USA character set, determine which character set it is printing. Then consult Appendix A on DIP switches to find how to select the correct character set. If the printout shows other problems, such as one line printing on top of another, or too much space between lines, consult the following list. The statements on the left list possible problems; the recommendations are listed on the right.

Problem Nothing is printed
Recommendation Make sure the printer is switched ON, and that the power source is ON. Check the connection between the printer and the computer. Be sure you are using the correct cable to connect the computer to the printer. Make sure the PAPER OUT light is OFF If its ON, reload the paper. Check the indicator light on the printer to see if the printer is on line. Use the manual for your operating system or applications software to find out the command necessary to configure the computer. Look for a command like STAT or CONFIGthe name depends on the operating system you use.
READY light flickers when you try to print.
If you are using the parallel interface, either you have changed switch 2-7 to OFF by mistake, or you have an incorrect printer cable. If you are using the serial interface, the setting of the LQs baud rate, parity, number of bits per character and number of stop bits may not match the computers settings. Either change the configuration of the computer or reset the DIP switches on the LQ until the printer and computer match. Refer to your computers manual or your dealer for details. This happens if there is no line feed signal being sent from either the computer or the printer at the end of each line of text. To remedy the problem, change the setting of DIP switch 2-8 from OFF to ON.
All the text is printed on the same line.
Problem The file is printed with an extra blank line between each line of text
Recommendation This happens if there is a line feed signal being sent from both the computer and the printer at the end of each line of text. Check the setting of DIP switch 2-8. If it is set to ON, then change it to OFF If it is set to OFF already, consult your dealer regarding a printer cable designed to correct this problem. Check the settings of DIP switches 1-1, 1-2, and 1-3 against Table A-3 in Appendix A. Change them so that your international character set is the one printed. This might happen if you are using a serial interface. It probably means that the settings of the baud rate, parity, number of bits per word and number of stop bits are not the same on the computer and the printer. Change the settings of the DIP switches to match the configuration of the serial socket of the computer. See Tables A-4 and A-5 in Appendix A. This printer has a print head protection feature that protects the head from overheating or low power supply voltage. If the head temperature exceeds a certain value, printing is stopped until the head temperature drops to the proper range. Printing is resumed at a half print speed mode at first. Check to see that computer is ON. Some printer/computer connections require that you turn on the computer to operate the printer.

WIDTH "LPT1:",255
The 255 is a special number that prevents the computer system from inserting a CR - LF into the line. Unless, of course, theres one in your program. The extra line feedCHR$(10)that accompanies each carriage returnCHR$(13)is no problem except when you need to use CHR$(13) in a graphics program. Getting rid of the extra CHR$(10) is rather complicated. First you open the printer as a random file:
OPEN "LPTl:" AS #l
Although this allows you to send any code to the printer, you can no longer use the LPRINT command. Instead, you must use a PRINT #1 command:
PRINT #1, "Now I can print anything"
This does allow you to print anything, but it ignores any previous WIDTH statements. If you want to print more than 80 columns per line in a graphics program, you must therefore change your opening statement to include the appropriate WIDTH statement:
OPEN "LPTl:" AS #l : WIDTH #l, 255
There is no easy solution to the problem with CHR$(26). It is best to change any instance of decimal 26 (hex 1A) in your programs to another number.
Applesoft BASIC Solutions
Applesoft BASIC does not use PRINT to send data to the screen and LPRINT to send data to the printer as Microsoft BASIC does. Therefore, you need to change the programs in this manual somewhat. In most cases all you need to do is to add two lines to each program and change all instances of LPRINT to PRINT. Add a line at the beginning of the program that states PR#l and a line at the end that states PR#0. For the programs in this manual that contain INPUT statements, put the line that states PR#l after the INPUT statement.
QX-10 and QX-16 Solutions
The format for the WIDTH statement for the Epson QX-10 and QX-16 computers is:

WIDTH LPRINT 255

To keep your LQ working like new, always keep it in a safe and clean place. Keep it away from dust, grease, and any heat sources. A safe temperature range is 41F to 95F. To clean the outside of the printer case, use a soft, clean cloth dampened with clear water. Stubborn stains can be removed with nonabrasive household cleaners. The inside front portion of the printer should also be cleaned periodically to get rid of dust and paper lint. First, turn the power switch OFF and unplug the power cord from the electrical outlet. Then remove the dust cover. Use a small vacuum cleaner and soft brush to clean inside the printer. Be careful not to bend or damage any of the parts inside the printer. With the power OFF, you can move the print head back and forth to clean under it. Once in a great while your LQ should be lubricated by an authorized Epson dealer. Changing the print head The expected life of an LQ print head is about 200 million strokes. See your Epson dealer for replacements. If the print head fails suddenly or long before its estimated lifetime is over, the problem is probably in another component of the printer. Take the LQ to your dealer for service. Removing the old print head Be sure the power is OFF before you touch the print head. If you have been printing, wait about 15 minutes to allow the print head to cool.

Pica width Margins set at maximums: left margin at 0 and right margin at 80 on the LQ-800 and 136 on the LQ-1000 l/6 of an inch line spacing Page length of 11 inches Horizontal tabs set at every eight characters
USA character set Top-of-page is set at the position of the print head.
Commands in Numerical Order
The following list shows the control codes and ESCape sequences that the LQ uses along with their decimal values. Beeper. I-BEL Backspace. I-27 BS 8 Tab Horizontally. I-HT Line Feed. I-LF Tab Vertically. I-VT Form Feed. I-FF Carriage Return. I-CR 14 Select Double-Width Mode (one line). I-6 so Select Condensed Mode. I-SI Select Printer. I-DC1 Cancel Condensed Mode. I-DC2 Deselect Printer. I-DC3 Cancel Double-Width Mode (one line). I-DC4 Cancel Line. I-CAN Delete Character. I-30 DEL 127 ESC 14 ESC SO Select Double-Width Mode (one line). I-6 Select Condensed Mode. I-5 ESC 15 ESC SI ESC EM Cut Sheet Feeder Control. I-29 ESC 25 ESC SP Select Character Space. I-20 ESC 32 Master Select. I-10 ESC ! ESC 33 MSB Control Sequence Cancel. I-26 ESC # ESC 35 Select Absolute Horizontal Tab. I-20 ESC $ ESC 36 Select User-Defined Set. I-25 ESC % ESC 37 Define User-Defined Characters. I-25 ESC & ESC 38 Select Graphics Mode. I-24 ESC * ESC 42 Select/Cancel Underlining. I-10 ESC ESC 45 Select Vertical Tab Channel. I-18 ESC / ESC 47 Select l/B-inch Line Spacing. I-14 ESC 0 ESC 48 Select l/6-inch Line Spacing. I-14 ESC 2 ESC 50 Select n/180-inch Line Spacing. I-14 ESC 3 ESC 51 Select Italic Mode. I-11 ESC 52 ESC 4 Cancel Italic Mode. I-11 ESC 5 ESC 53 Copy ROM into RAM. I-25 ESC 58 ESC : Unidirectional Mode (one line). I-29 ESC < ESC 60 MSB = 0 Setting. I-26 ESC = ESC 61 MSB = 1 Setting. I-26 ESC 62 ESC >
ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC ESC

115 120

ESC ? ESC @ ESC A ESC B ESC C ESC C0 ESC D ESC E ESC F ESC G ESC H ESC J ESC K ESC L ESC M ESC N ESC 0 ESC I ESC Q ESC R ESC S 0 ESC S l ESC T ESC U ESC W ESC Y ESC Z ESC \ ESC a ESC b ESC e ESC f ESC g ESC k ESC 1 ESC p ESC s ESC x
Reassign Graphics Mode. I-24 Initialize Printer. I-29 Select n/60-inch Line Spacing. I-15 Set Vertical Tabs. I-18 Select Page Length in Lines. I-16 Select Page Length in Inches. I-16 Set Horizontal Tabs. I-17 Select Emphasized Mode. I-8 Cancel Emphasized Mode. I-8 Select Double-Strike Mode. I-9 Cancel Double-Strike Mode. I-9 Immediate n/180-inch Line Feed. I-15 Single-Density Graphics Mode. I-22 Double-Density Graphics Mode. I-22 Select Elite Width. I-7 Select Skip-Over-Perforation. I-13 Cancel Skip-Over-Perforation. I-13 Select Pica Width. I-7 Set Right Margin. I-12 International Character Set. I-11 Select Superscript. I-9 Select Subscript. I-9 Cancel Superscript/Subscript. I-10 Select Unidirectional Mode. I-30 Select/Cancel Double-Width Mode. I-7 High-Speed Double-Density Graphics. I-23 Quadruple-Density Graphics. I-23 Move Print Head. I-20 Justification. I-21 Set Vertical Tabs in Channels. I-18 Set Relative Tabs. I-17 Set Print Position. I-21 Select Fifteen Width. I-8 Select Family of Typestyles. I-19 Set Left Margin. I-12 Select/Cancel Proportional Mode. I-19 Select Half-Speed Mode. I-30 Select Print Quality. I-5

Select an International Character Set R

( n ) (n)

See Chapter 5 for details on this command.
Margins Set Right Margin Q
ESC ASCII code: 27 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 1B
Sets the right margin. Also cancels all text in the print buffer. The range of n is 1 to 255.

Set Left Margin I 108

Sets the left margin. n = first printing column in the current width The value of n is 0 to 255. Clears previous tab settings; therefore should be set before tabs are set. Use lowercase 1, not the numeral one.
Select Skip-Over-Perforation N 78
ESC ASCII code: Decimal: 27 Hexadecimal: 1 B
The variable n is the number of lines skipped between the last line printed on one page and the first line on the next page. The range of n is 0 to 127. You can select a one-inch margin as the printer default setting by moving DIP switch 1-7 to the OFF position.
Cancel Skip-Over-Perforation O 79 4F
Cancels the mode selected by ESC N. Use the letter O, not the number 0.

Line spacing

Line Feed
ASCII code: L F Decimal : 10 Hexadecimal: 0 A Control: CTRL J Advances the paper one line. The paper is advanced the default value (l/6-inch) or may be set to advance another value.
Format: ESC ASCII code: 27 Decimal : Hexadecimal: 1B 30
Select l/&inch Line Spacing
Comments: Sets the line spacing to l/8 of an inch for subsequent line feed commands. The 0 is the digit zero and not ASCII code 0.
Format: ESC ASCII code: Decimal: 27 Hexadecimal: 1B 32
Select 1/6-inch Line Spacing
Comments: Sets the line spacing to l/6 of an inch for subsequent line feed commands. The 2 is the digit two and not ASCII code 2. This is the default at power on.
Format: ASCII code: Decimal: Hexadecimal : ESC 27 1B 33
Select n/180-inch Line Spacing (n) (n) (n)
Comments: Sets the line spacing to n/180 of an inch for subsequent line feed commands. The 3 is the digit three and not ASCII code 3. The value of n should be in the range 0 to 255.
Immediate n/180-inch Line Feed ESC 27 1B J 74
Advances the paper by one line at a spacing of n/180 of an inch. The value of n should be in the range 0 to 255. This produces an immediate line feed but does not affect subsequent line spacing and does not produce a carriage return.
Select n/60-inch Line Spacing A
Sets the line spacing to n/60 of an inch for subsequent line feed commands. The value of n should be in the range 0 to 85.
Form feed and page length

Form Feed

ASCII code: F F 12 Decimal: Hexadecimal: 0C CTRL L Control: Advances the paper to the top of the next page according to the current page length.
Select Page Length in Lines C 97
Sets the page length to n lines. The value of n is 0 to 127 lines.

ESC CO

Select Page Length in Inches C 0 (n) 0 ( n ) 00 ( n )