[171] in Enterprise Print Delivery Team
MIT 6400 question
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (jeffbant@us.ibm.com)
Fri Apr 7 10:20:34 2000
Resent-From: "David F. Lambert" <LAMBERT@MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
Resent-To: Enterprise Printing Delivery Project Team <printdel@MIT.EDU>
From: jeffbant@us.ibm.com
To: LAMBERT@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Cc: pmuolo@us.ibm.com
Message-Id: <872568B9.0044D28F.00@d53mta03h.boulder.ibm.com>
Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2000 06:31:33 -0600
Mime-Version: 1.0
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Team,
Here's a note back from Bob Johnson & Jeff Banta re two issues I posed
to them - 3827 to 3160 conversion issues (mostly around duplex handling)
and replacement of the 4245 line printers with network attached
impact printers...
-Dave
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
David, here is Bob Johnson's response to your 6400 question. I personally
find it a bit much. I intended to sort it down but won't get to it before
Boulder. Thought you should have it sooner than I could tailor. jb
I read Rachel's notes on 3160 and it brings back issues all too clearly. I
would think that with a 3160 already installed most issues have been
resolved. The major issue being the printer prints side 2 in the first
pass. If you want to print simplex at rated speed you print the page on
side 2 (usually the back of a duplex page) and the printer runs at 60PPM.
If you want to print simplex on the same side that a front page prints in
duplex (side 1) you must define the paper as having "side sensitivity" and
the printer will automatically add a "blank" page on the first pass (Side
2) and then print the simplex page on the front (Side 1) on the second
pass. (note: 30PPM). I bet the developer didn't go to MIT!! Anyway, no
magic fix or solution. I'd be happy(?) to talk or work with Rachel on
solving the remaining issues. By the way there are several printers that
print this way.
As far as the question on whether Boulder will consider integrating the
rules, in addition to Kerberos, I haven't heard. I think the IPM manager
must be away as I haven't gotten a response to the 3 messages I have sent
him on the subject. I think if you detail your requirements all will be
considered and priced.
Jeff Banta
IBM Printing Systems Co.
404 Wyman St.
Waltham, Ma. 02454
8-362-2295 / 781-895-2295
mobile 617-513-5400
internet jeffbant@us.ibm.com
---------------------- Forwarded by Jeff Banta/Waltham/Contr/IBM on
04/06/2000 08:04 PM ---------------------------
Bob Johnson
04/03/2000 12:59 PM
To: Jeff Banta/Waltham/Contr/IBM@IBMUS
cc: Philip Muolo/Waltham/IBM@IBMUS
From: Bob Johnson/Waltham/IBM@IBMUS
Subject: MIT 6400 question
Hi, Jeff --
Answering this question is "simple": it all depends on what they want to
do and what hardware/
software environment they want to play in, but I think the following
recommendation is probably
the smoothest:
6400-015 1500 lpm shuttle matrix printer $11,595
f/c 6861 Ethernet IPDS - Coax/Twinax (Plant) 1,424
This provides Ethernet IPDS and could also be used for coax if they needed
that capability.
I've never had real good luck with replacing channel with coax and I think
that using IPDS which
means that PSF/VM handles most of the communications work will work best
from a systems
programming and operator activity point of view. Note that the printer
will probably have to be
run in Data Processing mode [print quality] to get output comparable to the
4245. Please look
through the supporting information that follows [Sales Manual
"cut-and-paste" extracts plus my
own comments] and feel free to pass ANY AND/OR ALL of this to MIT. I'll
try to log on at least
once a day if someone has follow-on questions and PHONEMAIL seems to be
working very
well out here!
===== SUPPORTING INFORMATION ==============================================
The hardware side is fairly straightforward: they HAVE to go with the 6400
which comes in 500,
1000, and 1500 lpm models (the 05, 10, and 15, respectively). Since they
would be replacing
4245-12's, I would STRONGLY recommend the 6400-015 which is 1500 lpm, but
in DRAFT mode.
The Data Processing mode runs at 1125 lpm [very similar to the
currently-installed printers] and
Near Letter Quality mode runs at 600 lpm [this sort of speed vs. print
quality situation is typical
for matrix printers, although the 6400 actually holds its speeds higher
than most competitors as
quality is increased]. There are some limitations related to the design of
the 6400 which MAY
cause problems when replacing 4245's [taken from Sales Manual]:
Maximum forms length of 24 inches.
Maximum forms width of 17 inches (including tear strips) or 16 inches
(without tear
strips).
Maximum print line of 13.6 inches.
Processing of forms with black or dark-colored backing, or forms with
see-through
plastic or cellophane-covered openings or windows, may give false
End-of-Forms
(EOF) signals. RPQ S02392 (factory-installed) or S02394
(field-installed) may be
ordered to provide a modified EOF switch to handle these types of
forms.
6400 connectivity options include coax, twinax, Ethernet, and ASCII
parallel. Neither twinax nor
ASCII parallel would apply here -- the options are (1.) coax if they want
to direct attach to the VM host
for either IPDS or SCS printing or (2.) Ethernet if they want to attach to
a LAN which can be accessed
by the VM host. Coax has a few limitations which may or may not apply to
MIT:
Following limitations, and the following features are not supported:
Minimum dot matrix of 9 wide by 8 high
Minimum dot matrix of 4 or 7 wide by 8 high
IBM 3287 Models 1C and 2C
Programmed symbols 2 and 4, 190 character downloadable fonts. For
SCS/DSC/DSE mode only.
Data analysis = APL feature
Graphic escape
Ethernet USED to be strictly through a Network Printer Server
[cigarette-sized
"black box" that plugged into the parallel port and provided an Ethernet
10BaseT or Ethernet
10Base2 or Token-Ring type 1 or type 3. I've NEVER had a customer opt for
Token-Ring so I
can't speak with any authority on the subject, but I strongly suspect that
MIT would be an Ethernet
shop. Ethernet connectivity is NOW done via an in-board Network Interface
Card that can also
support EITHER coax/twinax OR ASCII parallel attach, but NOT both. This
has a number of
advantages including the elimination of the need for an additional wall
outlet (the NPS needed its
own external power) and IPDS is now possible without using a 7913 protocol
converter (the NPS
did NOT support IPDS as it came in through the ASCII parallel port and the
7913 HAD to come
in through the coax port at a cost of $925). There are other advantages to
going with the new
internal Ethernet NIC option as evidenced by the paragraph included below
[from Sales Manual]:
6400 Printer Management Utility
The IBM 6400 family can be easily managed by the 6400 Printer Management
Utility.
This utility provides the ability to remotely manage multiple printers by
organizing the
printers in a single database, and downloading software and printer
settings from a host
computer. A virtual operator panel is provided that can be can be used to
configure printers.
The 6400 Printer Management Utility requires that the IBM 6400 be attached
to the host
system with the internal Ethernet adapter (FC 4166, 4167, 4168, 4169).
More information on the applicable Ethernet feature(s) for this
environment:
IPDS Ethernet Connectivity Features
The IPDS Ethernet connectivity features are available both for new orders
and for upgrades
of existing IBM 6400 Model 015 printers.
Ethernet IPDS (with NIC) for Coax/Twinax - Initial Order (#6861)
This feature provides the capability to use IPDS over an Ethernet
TCP/IP LAN.
This feature also includes the function provided by IPDS
(Coax/Twinax), which
is #4861 or #4866. The feature includes the Ethernet Network Interface
Card
10BaseT adapter (#4166, #4168) and the necessary microcode.
Ethernet IPDS (with NIC) for ASCII - Initial Order (#5861)
This feature provides the capability to attach an IBM 6400 printer to
a TCP/IP LAN.
The feature consists of the Ethernet 10BaseT adapter (#4166 or #4168)
and the
necessary microcode. Since the parallel port is replaced by the
Ethernet adapter,
no IPDS with the parallel port is possible when this feature is
installed.
FC 4166 - Ethernet 10BaseT Adapter (RJ45)- Plant Only [NOTE WEB FUNCTION]
The Ethernet Network Interface Card (NIC) is an internal adapter to
connect the
printer to an Ethernet network using IPDS, TCP/IP, NetBIOS TCP/IP, and
IPX.
The ASCII parallel interface is replaced by the Ethernet adapter card.
The adapter
provides the capability to provide printer staus information via a Web
page when
the printer's IP address is supplied to a standard Web browser. This
is in addition
to the function provided by the 6400 Printer Management Utility.
On the software side, they can go with either SCS [old 3270] or IPDS. SCS
printing means coax and
they would be subject to the same operational characteristics that are
associated with ANY coax-
attached printer. There ARE some limitations with IPDS, but these are
typically not a problem unless
the end-users are used to using some unusual print bands on their 4245's
[and could therefore need
special fonts on the 6400 that the printer cannot produce -- there are a
number of font and codepage
charts in the Sales Manual that did not transfer to this note very well].
Also check the charts titled
"6400 Compatibility - Coax (non-IPDS)" and "6400 Compatibility - Coax
(IPDS)" which
are NOT included here because the formatting fell apart during my "cut and
paste" operation.
IBM 6400 vs 4234 IPDS Comparisons -- 4234 Emulation Differences
The 4234 emulation will not support Load Symbol Sets (LSS).
The 4234 emulation will use Courier for all Near Letter Quality
(NLQ) mode printing,
whereas 4234 NLQ mode was Gothic for 13.3, 16.7, and 18 CPI.
The dot sizes are different. Also, the 6400 has a single dot size
versus three with the
4234. For bar code applications, some combinations of unit module
width,
wide-to-narrow ratio, and element height may affect read rates.
The 4234 emulation will report image and font resolution of 120 x
144 pel, compared
to 144 x 144 pel in the 4234. This will cause images to change size in
the vertical
dimension.
Proportional Space Mode (PSM) is not the same. See Compatibility
charts.
IBM 6400 vs 4234 IPDS Comparisons -- 6400 Deviations
The 6400 will report Loaded Font command set (LF2) in the Sense
Type Module (STM),
but will not support Load Symbol Set (LSS).
The 6400 will support Page Continuation Actions (PCA) without
highlighting.
The 6400 cannot detect Human-readable Interpretations (HRI)
outside of the Bar Code
Presentation space under all circumstances.
Host software support information for VM as extracted from Sales Manual:
System/390(TM) Programming Support (VM) Environment:
Existing non-graphics printing applications for the IBM 4234 Model 001 and
IBM 3262
Model 3 and 13 will be supported on the IBM 6400-015 when the printer
is
equipped with the coax/twinax feature and printing in non-IPDS mode.
In IPDS mode, the IBM 6400 Models 015, with both coax/twinax and IPDS-coax
features,
emulating a 4234 Model 007 or 011, is supported by the following IBM
software:
Graphical Data Display Manager (GDDM) Version 2.2 with APAR fixes:
PL30676 +
PL37458 for VM, PL30677 + PL37464 for VM/XA(TM), or GDDM Version 2.3
for VM/XA.
VM/RSCS Version 2.3
PSF/VM Release 2.1
DCF Release 4.0
=================================================================
I hope this helps!
Bob Johnson
IBM Printing Systems Company
404 Wyman Street, M/S 403
Waltham, MA 02454
Phone: (781)895-2237 Tie-Line: 362-2237 Fax: (781)895-2886
Internet: rcj@us.ibm.com
---------------------- Forwarded by Bob Johnson/Waltham/IBM on 04/03/2000
03:16 AM ---------------------------
Jeff Banta
03/30/2000 09:57 AM
To: Bob Johnson/Waltham/IBM@IBMUS
cc: Philip Muolo/Waltham/IBM@IBMUS
From: Jeff Banta/Waltham/Contr/IBM@IBMUS
Subject: MIT 6400 question
Bob, could you answer this question on 6400's from MIT? When I responded
saying we had TCP/IP adddressable impact printers (6400s) it was a core
dump of my knowledge. jb
2. What are our options for network attached impact printers? In an
earlier
email you mentioned the 6400s, saying that they were TCP/IP addressable
and supported by IPM. Can you tell us more about these (i.e. price and
options, etc.). How would our operations be affected by using them to
replace our impact printers?
p.s. I asked for a list of their impact printers.
Jeff Banta
IBM Printing Systems Co.
404 Wyman St.
Waltham, Ma. 02454
8-362-2295 / 781-895-2295
mobile 617-513-5400
internet jeffbant@us.ibm.com
