From: adachir@cuug.ab.ca (Rob Adachi 297-3607)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.appletalk
Subject: Re: papif+fastpath5+postscript2 printer problem
Date: 17 Nov 92 15:48:22 GMT
Organization: Calgary UNIX Users' Group

>
>I've had problems with two QMS printers connected to our LocalTalk
>network (a QMS 1700 we had on trial, I believe, and a QMS 860).  The
>symptoms are quite consistent:  the printers simply do not show up in
>the Chooser on any Macintosh (on either LocalTalk or EtherTalk) or via
>atlook.
>
>Based on experiments I've performed, I believe that the QMS LocalTalk
>interfaces are particularly sensitive to the physical network-wiring
>configuration... more so than any other devices on our network.  If I
>connect one of the affected QMS printers to a "stub" LocalTalk net
>consisting of one Mac, two terminated PhoneNet boxes, and one piece of
>wire, it shows up in that Mac's Chooser and works just fine.  As soon as
>I connect this "stub" network into the rest of our LocalTalk network,
>the printer vanishes from the Chooser.
>
>I've tried plugging the QMS printers into the LocalTalk network at
>several different locations... including one PhoneNet box which is
>normally used to drive our LaserWriter IINT (which works with complete
>reliability).  They won't work at any of those locations.
>
>Our PhoneNet is pretty large - there's a lot of wire strung through the
>walls (it's a pure daisy-chain rather than a star).  It's entirely
>possible that our net is outside the "official" limits of PhoneNet, and
>that the signal received by the QMS printers is either weak or suffers
>from reflections.  It's also possible that the QMS LocalTalk
>transmitters are a bit under-powered, and other machines simply are not
>"hearing" them.
>
>QMS Tech Support was not terribly helpful... I was told that they've
>seen this problem on QMS printers, and on LaserWriters and other brands
>as well.  According to the tech with whom I spoke, this sort of flaky
>behavior is a common symptom of a LocalTalk network which is
>misconfigured or is pushing (or is actually beyond) the specified
>network limits, and it can affect any device on the net.
>
>My hunch, though, is that the QMS printers are more sensitive than most
>other devices.
>
>While we're on the subject of QMS printers - I've run into what appears
>to be a significant bug in the QMS UltraScript interpreter.  I've tried
>generating some output from the Douglas CAD/CAM PC-board layout
>program... it comes out fine on a LaserWriter IINT, and on the 600 DPI
>laser-printer at a local service bureau, and on the QMS 1700 (all of
>which have true Adobe PostScript), but there are major "bleeding arcs"
>(moon-shaped defects) in the output from the QMS 860 (which uses
>UltraScript).
>
>I've provided the complete PostScript file to QMS Tech Support, and also
>given a copy to our QMS salesman (complete with printouts showing the
>appearnace of the problem).  To date, I've received _no_ followup from
>QMS - no explanation of the problem, no suggested workaround, no
>estimate as to when a fix will be available.
>
>I'm not terribly happy with this situation, and at the moment I cannot
>recommend buying a QMS printer with UltraScript.
>
>-- 
>Dave Platt                                                VOICE: (415) 813-8917
>              Domain: dplatt@ntg.com      UUCP: ...netcomsv!ntg!dplatt
> USNAIL: New Technologies Group Inc. 2468 Embarcardero Way, Palo Alto CA 94303
>
>


	We had the exact same problem with the QMS 860 and 1700. And I agree
QMS support for the new products really sucks. We also tried to ask QMS what
was wrong with the laser printers, but they could only give us a song and
dance about how great the printers are. They never did help us with the 
printer problem.

	Tom Evans, (thanks Tom) suggested that I try turning the DDP checksums
off on the CAP 60 software to get the QMS 860 printing to work. I think you
need CAP 60 patch level 126 to do this. 

	Another problem that we have with the QMS 860 is getting a proper
page count from the laser printer. On all the previous QMS models we could
query the laser printer for a page count before and after a print job , but
on this model the page count seems to be updated only after processing all
postscript code.

	QMS says that the new models are the greatest thing since the invention
of football. But what good is the printer if you can`t print to it!


 
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Rob Adachi		Internet : adachir@cuug.ab.ca
			UUCP	 : cpsc.ucalgary.ca!aostra!adachi
AOSTRA			Phone	 : (403) 297-3607
Calgary Alberta Canada
A.O.S.T.R.A : Alberta Oil Sands Technology and Research Authority
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Newsgroups: comp.protocols.appletalk