CompTIA PDI+ Support Skills (sample) by James Pengelly

CompTIA PDI+ Certification Support Skills Instructor Edition Study Notes G670Teng ver038

Acknowledgements Course Developer ............................................... gtslearning Editor ........................................................... James Pengelly This courseware is owned, published, and distributed by gtslearning, the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only specialist supplier of CompTIA learning solutions. sales@gtslearning.com +44 (0)20 7887 7999 ÂŹ +44 (0)20 7887 7988 Three Elysium Gate, 126-128 New Kings Road, London, SW6 4LZ, UK www.gtslearning.com

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Study Notes

Table of Contents

Table of Contents Course Introduction About This Course

Table of Contents...................................................................................................................iii About This Course ................................................................................................................vii Module 1 Print and Document Imaging Basics

Module 1 / Unit 1 Print Processes

The Print and Digital Imaging Industry................................................................................... 3 The Print Process .................................................................................................................. 4 Printer Technologies ............................................................................................................ 13 Module 1 / Unit 2 Printer Connections

Printer Connection Standards.............................................................................................. 23 USB Connections................................................................................................................. 24 IEEE 1394 (Firewire) Connections....................................................................................... 25 Wireless Connections .......................................................................................................... 26 Network Connections........................................................................................................... 27 Parallel Port Connections .................................................................................................... 27 Serial Port Connections ....................................................................................................... 29 SCSI Connections................................................................................................................ 29 Memory Cards ..................................................................................................................... 31 Module 1 / Unit 3 Printer Drivers

Configuring Printer Drivers................................................................................................... 34 Software Printer Ports.......................................................................................................... 38 Configuring Printer Properties.............................................................................................. 40 Module 1 / Unit 4 Scanner Technologies

Scanner Technologies ......................................................................................................... 48 Installing a Scanner ............................................................................................................. 52 Theory................................................................................................................................. 53 Configuring a Scanner ......................................................................................................... 57

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CompTIA PDI+ Certification Support Skills

Using a Scanner .................................................................................................................. 59 Anti-counterfeiting Features................................................................................................. 67 Module 1 / Summary Print and Document Imaging Basics

Module 2 Networking

Module 2 / Unit 1 Network Basics

Fundamental Principles of Networks ................................................................................... 73 Cabling and Connectors ...................................................................................................... 78 Network Technologies ......................................................................................................... 83 Network and Transport Protocols ........................................................................................ 91 TCP/IP ................................................................................................................................. 92 IPX / SPX (NWLink) ........................................................................................................... 100 NetBEUI / NetBIOS............................................................................................................ 101 Module 2 / Unit 2 Network Printing

104

Network Printer Types ....................................................................................................... 104 Configuring a Shared Printer ............................................................................................. 109 Configuring a Network Attached Printer............................................................................. 121 Module 2 / Unit 3 Network Scanning

131

Scanning to Email .............................................................................................................. 131 Scanning to a Document Server or Shared Folder ............................................................ 141 Scanning to an FTP Server................................................................................................ 143 Module 2 / Unit 4 Fax Modems

146

Fax Technologies............................................................................................................... 146 Fax Services for Windows ................................................................................................. 150 Module 2 / Summary Networking

157

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Study Notes

Table of Contents

Module 3 Printer Technologies

158

Module 3 / Unit 1 Laser Printer Technologies

160

Laser Print Process............................................................................................................ 160 Laser Printer Components ................................................................................................. 163 Electrical and Mechanical Components............................................................................. 172 Laser Printer Accessories .................................................................................................. 186 Laser Printer Media............................................................................................................ 190 Module 3 / Unit 2 Ink Dispersion Printer Technologies

198

Ink Dispersion Print Process and Components ................................................................. 198 Ink Dispersion Printer Media.............................................................................................. 203 Module 3 / Summary Printer Technologies

205

Module 4 Maintenance and Troubleshooting

206

Module 4 / Unit 1 Safety and Environmental Issues

209

Health and Safety .............................................................................................................. 209 Operating Environment ...................................................................................................... 218 Component and Media Storage Issues.............................................................................. 223 Component and Media Disposal Issues ............................................................................ 226 Module 4 / Unit 2 Printer Maintenance

230

Maintenance Toolkit........................................................................................................... 230 Scheduled Preventive Maintenance .................................................................................. 239 Unscheduled Service Calls ................................................................................................ 248 Module 4 / Unit 3 General Troubleshooting

250

Troubleshooting Procedures.............................................................................................. 250 Troubleshooting Techniques.............................................................................................. 255

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Module 4 / Unit 4 Printer Troubleshooting

258

Diagnostic Tools ................................................................................................................ 258 Printer Hardware Troubleshooting ..................................................................................... 261 Printer Software Troubleshooting ...................................................................................... 269 Module 4 / Unit 5 Scanner Troubleshooting

274

Scanner Hardware Troubleshooting .................................................................................. 274 Scanner Software Troubleshooting.................................................................................... 278 Module 4 / Unit 6 Network and Fax Troubleshooting

282

Troubleshooting Connectivity............................................................................................. 282 Troubleshooting TCP/IP..................................................................................................... 286 Troubleshooting Network Printing...................................................................................... 295 Troubleshooting Fax Issues............................................................................................... 296 Module 4 / Summary Maintenance and Troubleshooting

303

Module 5 Professionalism and Communication

305

Module 5 / Unit 1 Professionalism and Communication

306

Customer Service Skills ..................................................................................................... 306 Communication with a Customer ....................................................................................... 307 Basic Troubleshooting Approach ....................................................................................... 310 Professionalism.................................................................................................................. 315 Quality Assurance.............................................................................................................. 321 Module 5 / Summary Professionalism and Communication

328

Index Index

329

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Study Notes

About This Course

About This Course Who Should Follow This Course? This course is intended for new and intending printer technicians wishing to qualify with CompTIA PDI+ Certification for Printer and Document Imaging Support professionals. It is also suitable for experienced technicians who require an industry-backed credential that validates their skills and knowledge. "CompTIA Printing and Document Imaging (PDI+) validates the knowledge and skills necessary to support printing and document imaging devices including printers, copiers, scanners, multi-functional devices and fax machines. It is a vendor-neutral certification that recognises a technician's understanding of basic electromechanical components and tools, print engine and scan processes and components, colour theory and connectivity/networking. The exam also covers soft skills such as customer service, professionalism, safety and environment." CompTIA website

What are the Course Prerequisites? Ideally, you should have successfully completed gtslearning's "PC Fundamentals" course or have some basic experience of using a PC. Specifically, it is recommended that you have the following skills and knowledge before starting this course: ♦ Use a keyboard and mouse. ♦ Recognise the main components of a PC (disk drives, CPU, memory, and input and output components). ♦ Start the computer and navigate the Desktop. ♦ Use Windows Explorer to create directories and subdirectories and move, copy or rename files and directories. ♦ Use Internet Explorer to view websites.

Course Outcomes This practical “hands-on” course will teach you the fundamental principles of supporting printers, scanners, and Multi-Functional Devices (MFD). On course completion, you will be able to: ♦ Install and configure printer and document imaging hardware and drivers. ♦ Perform colour management to calibrate devices. ♦ Configure network connectivity and functionality for printers, scanners, and fax machines.

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CompTIA PDI+ Certification Support Skills

♦ Describe the processes and components of laser and ink dispersion print technologies. ♦ Perform basic printer maintenance. ♦ Understand and apply safety and environmental considerations. ♦ Use appropriate tools and procedures to troubleshoot printer, scanner, and fax hardware, software, and network issues. ♦ Communicate effectively with customers and use problem management tools and techniques.

About the Course Material The course material has been prepared as an aid for your use throughout the training course. You may keep this manual for your own reference after the course is finished. We hope you will find the course material useful for future reference.

Course Organisation This course book contains the study notes for you to refer to in class and to review at home as you prepare for the exam. The course is divided into several modules, each covering a different subject area. Each module is split into a series of units containing related topics for study. Each unit has a set of review questions designed to test your knowledge of the topics covered in the unit. Answers to the review questions are located in the companion volume. Throughout the course, there will be ample opportunity for you to learn through practical work. A series of "hands-on" labs help to familiarise you with the concepts and technologies that are taught on this course. At the back of the book there is an index to help you look up key terms and concepts from the course and locate particular topics from the CompTIA exam objectives. The accompanying book contains a list of the CompTIA PDI+ certification objectives (and where in the study notes you can find useful material to prepare for each objective), tips for taking the CompTIA exams, the practical labs for you to complete in class, a glossary of terms and concepts used in the course, and answers to the end of unit review questions.

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Study Notes

About This Course

Conventions Used in the Course Certain conventions have been followed to help you use this course material. These are especially useful for following the practical lab exercises.

Bullet Points Steps for you to follow in the course of completing a task or hands-on exercise and review questions are indicated by numbered bullet points. Other bullet points indicate learning objectives and feature lists.

File Conventions The steps to follow to open a file or activate a command are shown in bold with arrows. For example, if you need to access the Control Panel in Windows, this would be shown in the text by: Start > Settings > Control Panel

Text Conventions Commands Commands or information that needs to be supplied by you that are entered from the keyboard are shown in Courier New bold. For example: Type webadmin@somewhere.com Displayed Text and Buttons Information that is displayed on the screen by the computer is shown in sans serif bold. This includes button text and messages. For example: Click OK, Click Continue...

Symbols Used in the Course Icon

Meaning A note or warning about a feature.

More information on this topic can be found in the section mentioned. An area for your notes.

Review questions to help test what you have learned. A hands-on exercise for you to practise skills learned during the lesson.

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Course Introduction

CompTIA PDI+ Certification Support Skills

CompTIA Authorised Quality Curriculum Program The logo of the CompTIA Authorised Quality Curriculum Program and the status of this or other training material as “Authorised” under the CompTIA Authorised Curriculum Program signifies that, in CompTIA’s opinion, such training material covers the content of the CompTIA’s related certification exam. The contents of this training material were created for the CompTIA PDI+ Certification exam (exam code: PD0-001) covering CompTIA certification exam objectives that were current as of December 2007. CompTIA has not reviewed or approved the accuracy of the contents of this training material and specifically disclaims any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. CompTIA makes no guarantee concerning the success of persons using any such “Authorised” or other training material in order to prepare for any CompTIA certification exam.

How to Become CompTIA Certified This training material can help you prepare for and pass a related CompTIA certification exam or exams. In order to achieve CompTIA certification, you must register for and pass a CompTIA certification exam or exams. In order to become CompTIA certified, you must: 1) Select a certification exam provider. For more information please visit http://certification.comptia.org/resources/registration.aspx

2) Register for and schedule a time to take the CompTIA certification exam(s) at a convenient location. 3) Read and sign the Candidate Agreement, which will be presented at the time of the exam(s). The text of the Candidate Agreement can be found at http://certification.comptia.org/resources/candidate_agreement.aspx

4) Take and pass the CompTIA certification exam(s). For more information about CompTIA’s certifications, such as their industry acceptance, benefits, or program news, please visit http://certification.comptia.org/ CompTIA is a not-for-profit information technology (IT) trade association. CompTIA’s certifications are designed by subject matter experts from across the IT industry. Each CompTIA certification is vendor-neutral, covers multiple technologies, and requires demonstration of skills and knowledge widely sought after by the IT industry. To contact CompTIA with any questions or comments, please call (1) (630) 678 8300 or email questions@comptia.org.

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Study Notes

Print and Document Imaging Basics

Module 1 Print and Document Imaging Basics CompTIA PDI+ Certification Domain Areas 1.0 Print Engine Process and Components 2.0 Scan Process and Components 3.0 General Troubleshooting 4.0 Basic Electromechanical Components and Tools 5.0 Connectivity 6.0 Colour Theory 7.0 Professionalism and Communication 8.0 Safety and Environment

Unit Unit 1.1

Unit 1.2

Unit 1.3

% of Exam 21% 10% 23% 13% 11% 8% 8% 6%

Domain Objectives/Examples 1.4 Identify and describe print data flow and job processing Demonstrate awareness of the interaction between software application, driver, printer control languages, raster image processing, printing and image creation • Identify the impact of memory on the printer 5.4 Identify the basic purpose and use of printer drivers Printer control languages (PCL, Postscript, GDI, PJL, Demonstrate awareness of vendor specific drivers and languages) 5.5 Identify common device ports Types of physical ports (LPT, USB, serial, Firewire, parallel, miniparallel, SCSI) • Types of memory card slots (SD Slot, Compact Flash) 3.3 Identify and isolate printing software issues using the following methods Verify use of appropriate drivers by checking driver type/version • Verify driver port setting • Print driver test page • Proper driver accessory/option configuration • Application settings vs. driver settings • Installing and uninstalling drivers 5.4 Identify the basic purpose and use of printer drivers Install, remove and update drivers (using Windows 2000 and XP) • Verify driver versions • Follow manufacturer documentation when installing USB devices (software vs. hardware install) • Basic features and settings of printer drivers (Duplex printing, tray settings, media settings, paper sizes, finishing, quantity, scaling) • Spooling (Operation and configuration) • Demonstrate awareness of the effect of application settings on driver settings 5.5 Identify common device ports Assignment of printer driver to ports

No part of these notes may be reproduced in any form, electronic or printed, without the written permission of a director of gtslearning International Limited. If you suspect that these notes have been unlawfully copied, please telephone +44 (0)207 887 7999 or email support@gtslearning.com

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CompTIA PDI+ Certification Support Skills

Unit Unit 1.4

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Domain Objectives/Examples 2.1 Identify and describe common hardware scanner components Lamps, mirrors, CCD, CIS, CMOS, lens, glass, analogue to digital converter, colour filters • Differentiate between ADF (Automatic Document Feeder) and flatbed component 2.2 Describe and summarise image capture in relation to scanning technologies Identify and describe common scanner technologies such as TWAIN and network scanning methods • Identify the effects of using different image formats (i.e.: PDF, JPG, GIF, TIFF) • Impact on file size, quality, scan time, network bandwidth, storage, resolution, colour, depth, reduction, enlargement, compression • Define the image capture process (Light exposure, reflection, focus, filter, capture (CCD), Analogue to Digital conversion, image processing) • Recognise the reasons for and potential impact of security and anticounterfeiting features 5.3 Identify the basics of network scanning technologies Requirements to utilise Scan to File functionality (Application based, drivers, TWAIN, ISIS) 6.1 Identify and describe the basics of colour theory Differentiate between additive and subtractive colour (RGB vs. CMYK) • Describe colour gamut and its relationship to device limitations • Explain perception of colour and what affects perception (Light, media, contrast, the observer) 6.2 Define and explain basic colour management Identify how colour adjustments affect the quality of image output • Describe the need for colour calibration

Study Notes

Print Processes

Module 1 / Unit 1 Print Processes Objectives On completion of this unit, you will be able to: â&#x2122;Ś Understand the main components of print data flow and job processing. â&#x2122;Ś Understand the features of printer control languages and printer drivers. â&#x2122;Ś Distinguish the capabilities and uses of different printer technologies (laser, inkjet, dot matrix, thermal, solid ink, and dye sublimation).

The Print and Digital Imaging Industry Printed output has been an essential part of Information Technology (IT) systems since the first computers were created. The sophistication of home desktop and office enterprise digital printing solutions has more than kept pace with improvements in computer technology. Devices are available that can produce photographic prints of near professional standard or cope with the thousands of page impressions demanded by busy departments. In fact, digital printing is now of sufficient quality to replace (or complement) the traditional plate-based presses of professional print service bureaus. In the last 20 years, the use of digital imaging to scan, copy, and fax documents has also become established as a mature technology, easily accessible in terms of cost and features to domestic and commercial consumers. Of course, IT devices need support from qualified technicians to perform standard maintenance and troubleshoot problems. While print and digital imaging vendors (such as Brother, Canon, Epson, Hewlett-Packard [HP], Konica Minolta, Lexmark, OKI, Ricoh, Samsung, Sharp, and Xerox) have long run certification schemes for their own products, CompTIA's creation of the PDI+ certification programme to benchmark vendor-neutral, entry-level skills demonstrates the importance of this job role to vendors and service providers and their customers around the world.

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CompTIA PDI+ Certification Support Skills

The Print Process

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Study Notes

Print Processes

Printing from a PC, specifically one that runs the Microsoft Windows operating system (OS), is quite a complex process, involving several components 1. The print process determines how 1

Of course, printers also work with other operating systems, such as Linux and Apple Mac OS, but PDI+ focuses on use of Windows (and specifically Windows 2000 and Windows XP). Print processing for other operating systems follow similar steps (driver, spooling, status monitoring) but the specific components are different. 2 %SystemRoot% is a variable referring to the location of the Windows system folder (typically either c:\WINNT or c:\Windows). 3 In fact, two files are created - an SPL file containing print data and an SHD file containing job settings. 4 Though by default, legacy applications not compatible with WPF revert to GDI. 5 A bitmap font consists of a number of dot-by-dot images of each character at a particular font size. A vector font consists of a description of how each character should be drawn. This description can be scaled up or down to different font sizes. 6 In fact, most fonts are now OpenType. OpenType is an extension of TrueType, developed jointly by Microsoft and Adobe. OpenType offers portability between Windows and Mac OS, better character (Unicode) support, and more advanced typographic options. 7 An additive model combines differently coloured transmitted light (Red, Green, and Blue for instance) to form different shades. A subtractive model works using the reflective properties of inks (Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow [plus Black ink for "true" blacks]). 8 Printer dots and screen image pixels are not equivalent. It requires multiple dots to reproduce one pixel at an acceptable quality. Pixel dimensions are typically quoted in Pixels Per Inch (ppi) to avoid confusion. Also vertical and horizontal resolution are often different, so you may see figures such as 2400x600 quoted. The horizontal resolution is determined by the print engine (that is, either the laser scanning unit or inkjet print head); vertical resolution is determined by the paper handling mechanism. 9 The best image quality inkjet printers are referred to as photo printers. They are typically higher resolution and come with additional ink colours (six or eight rather than four). They are principally designed for home printing of digital photos. 10 The ribbons consist of four "plates" applied in four passes: one each for the print colours (Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow) and one to laminate the print to prevent smudging. The protective layer is available in gloss or matte finishes. A variant of dye sublimation technology is used with some inkjets, but pages are still printed in strips not in one go. 11 IEEE is the Industry of Electronic and Electrical Engineers; a professional body that oversees the development and registration of electronic standards. 12 A PC may not have built-in Firewire ports, in which case an expansion card can be fitted. 13 New PCs may not ship with a parallel port. Notebooks no longer feature these ports. Adapters are available for parallel to USB connections. 14 Some models of printer featured a mini-Centronics (or mini-parallel or Type C) connector, which has the same number of pins but is more compact. 15 There are passive and active terminators. Passive terminators are generally used with older devices (pre-Ultra SCSI). When installing a terminator pack, the terminator must match the signalling type (SE, LVD, HVD, or SE/LVD). Termination is also made more complex if there is a mix of narrow (8-bit) and wide (16-bit) devices on the bus. 16 Under Windows, the "printer" is the combination of a print driver and port. The printer hardware is referred to as the "print device". 17 Under Windows 2000, the "Printers" and "Faxes" folders are separate items. 18 The quality of CMOS sensors is improving with time and the market perception of them as low quality compared to CCD is generally false. CMOS is used in some Canon Digital SLRs for instance. 19 TWAIN is just a name rather than an acronym (that is, the letters do not officially stand for anything). 20 This is the basis on which a colour filter works; it absorbs some wavelengths and allows others to pass through. 21 Highly saturated colour is more vivid. 22 The first label is the one used by the ICC; the second is used by Microsoft. 23 It is also possible to use 16 bits for each channel (0 to 65,535), allowing for 281 trillion possible colours. The drawback is massively increased file sizes. 24 It is important to realise that the eye's "colour model" is not RGB; it works quite differently. 25 You need a reference card printed by the vendor or colour management solution provider.

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CompTIA PDI+ Certification Support Skills

a printer creates images on paper given output from an application. Microsoft Windows applications that support printing are typically WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get), which means that the screen and print output are supposed to be the same. ♦ The print driver provides an interface between the print device and Windows / software applications. ♦ Support for one or more print languages determines how accurate the output can be. ♦ The technology used by the print device determines the quality, speed, and cost of the output.

Windows Print Process The basic process of printing to a local print device using the Windows operating system is as follows: 1) When the user selects the Print command using a local printer, the Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI.EXE) calls the printer's driver. 2) The GDI and print driver translate the application's print commands into commands understood by the printer (see "Printer Control Languages" below).

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Study Notes

Print Processes

3) The resulting print job is stored as a file in the printer's spool folder (by default this is %SystemRoot%\System32\Spool\Printers\) 2. The print job can initially be collated as EMF or RAW (see below). 4) The print processor (WINPRINT.DLL by default or a vendorsupplied utility) fully renders the spooled file into the RAW format that can be sent to the print device. The print processor converts the commands in the spooled file into a raster; a description of how to place dots on the page to create the required image. 5) The print monitor (typically LOCALMON.DLL or a vendorsupplied utility) transmits the print job to the printer and provides status information. If a problem is encountered during printing, the printer sends a status message back to the print monitor, informing the user. Users can also print to network printers. In this case, a client spooler service on the local computer passes the print job from the locally spooled file to the spooler on the remote print server. Note that a print driver for the network device must still be installed locally.

Spool File Format A print job usually needs to be spooled so that the printer is not "overloaded" with information. The printer's memory (and possibly an optional hard disk) determine how much of a particular job it can process locally at any one time. If one particular job is very large or the printer is busy with other jobs, any "excess" must be stored by the spooler. The spooled file is usually in one of two formats: EMF or RAW 3.

EMF (Enhanced Metafile) When using EMF, the software application and GDI quickly produce a partial print job. Control is then released back to the user while spooling continues in the background (GDI and the print driver are called to complete the processing of the job). The printer must support EMF (or Advanced Printing Features) for this to work. The drawback is that this typically creates a larger file, requiring more disk space on the spooler. It can also sometimes introduce print errors, especially when using a remote (network) printer or printing a high-resolution job with complex graphics.

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CompTIA PDI+ Certification Support Skills

RAW RAW is a fully-rendered print file using code specific to the printer. RAW files are completely formatted for the printer at the spooling stage. Therefore it takes longer to spool the file and release control of the application back to the user. The advantages are that the spooled file is usually smaller and errors in job processing are less likely.

Normally the print processor will select the best format automatically. You can force use of RAW format by disabling the "Enable Advanced Printing Features" option through the driver (see unit 1.3). Other Spool Formats Windows Vista features a new printing system with better support for colour management and effects such as gradients and transparency. Display and print functions are handled by Windows Presentation Foundation 4. The print job is formatted and stored as an XML Print Specification (XPS) file. This may then either be output directly to an XPS-compatible print device or rendered using the older GDI process (to support legacy devices).

Note that knowledge of Windows Vista is not currently required for the exam. Another option is to spool a job as plain text, meaning that the device's default options for font, margins, orientation, and so on are used.

Printer Control Languages A printer control language (or Page Description Language [PDL]) is the instructions that the printer can use to create an image on the page and select appropriate options for printing the job. Typically, one of three languages is used:

PostScript Developed by Adobe, PostScript is a powerful language capable of creating accurate, device-independent output. This means that two different printer models will produce exactly the same output from the same print file.

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Study Notes

Print Processes

Most high-end printers support PostScript but cheaper printers do not, as it is a complex language, requiring a powerful print processor and plenty of memory installed on the device. One advantage of PostScript is that print processor functions (RIP) are handled by the print device, reducing the load on the print server. There are three levels of PostScript. Most printers will support level 3, but some may only support level 2. Level 3 adds better shading and colour support.

PostScript print job viewed in Notepad

PCL (Printer Control Language) This is a simpler language than PostScript (though still powerful). It was developed by HP for their LaserJet and DeskJet printer ranges but is also supported (or emulated) on many non-HP printers. There are several versions, with most printers supporting PCL 5e, PCL 5C(olor), or PCL 6. PCL supports four types of command: ♦ Control codes - commands used to activate functions on the most basic print devices (line feed for example). ♦ PCL - page description commands supporting the features of modern printers. ♦ HP-GL/2 - page description commands for vector graphics processing. ♦ PJL (Printer Job Language) - job-level commands, such as switching between page description languages, changing printer settings, and monitoring device and job status.

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Graphics Device Interface (GDI) The cheapest printers simply use Windows' GDI language to create print jobs. Windows XP supports GDI+, which has improved support for transparency, gradients, and the JPEG and PNG picture file formats.

Other Command Languages Most print devices emulate PostScript or PCL. Other page description languages are mostly associated with older print devices; examples include Epson Standard Code for Printers (ESC/P), IBM's Personal Printer Data Stream, and Samsung Printer Language. There are also vendor-specific PostScript interpreters (emulators). Most of the major vendors write their own PostScript interpreters (rather than licensing Adobe's). The GhostScript freeware PostScript emulator is also popular for use with printers that do not have native PostScript support. Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF) is a streamlined version of PostScript. PDFs are optimised for viewing on-screen as well as providing device-independent print output. Microsoft has also created the XML Paper Specification (XPS) file format, which is based on XML rather than PostScript. XPS is used as the default spool format for the Windows Vista operating system.

Features of Command Languages Command languages support the following features: â&#x2122;Ś Scalable fonts - on the earliest printers, characters were printed as bitmaps. This meant that the character could only be printed at sizes defined in the font. Scalable fonts are described by vectors 5. All Windows printers support scalable TrueType fonts 6. PostScript compatible printers will also support PostScript outline fonts. â&#x2122;Ś Colour printing - the colour model used by display systems is different to that used by printers (additive versus subtractive 7). Use of colour profiles and management provides an accurate translation between on-screen colours and print output and ensures that different devices produce identical output. Only PostScript supports a full range of professional colour correction features but PCL and GDI are sufficient for desktop applications.

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Study Notes

Print Processes

â&#x2122;Ś Vector graphics - as with fonts, scalable images are built from vectors, which describe how a line should be drawn, rather than providing a pixel-by-pixel description, as is the case with bitmap graphics.

Configuring Command Languages A printer vendor may release two drivers for a printer; one supporting PostScript and one supporting PCL. You should install the driver that provides the best compatibility with the applications you use to print. Design and publishing applications will probably work best with PostScript while more general office and database software may work better with PCL. PCL is also likely to be faster than PostScript, unless the printer is very highly specified. You can also install both drivers. Either install the printer twice (one with the PS driver and one with the PCL driver; make sure you use descriptive names) or change the driver used by opening the printer's property sheet and selecting a new driver on the Advanced tab.

Configuring printer properties is covered in detail in unit 1.3.

Raster Image Processing A print device's Raster Image Processor (RIP) is the component responsible for converting instructions in the Page Description Language (PDL) to instructions that control the printer's image development components or print engine (an inkjet's ink dispersion nozzles or a laser printer's developer laser for instance). A PDL might contain instructions for printing vector graphics and fonts; the RIP translates these instructions into a pattern of dots (raster) at the required resolution. The RIP can either be provided as hardware or software: â&#x2122;Ś Hardware / firmware - the RIP is encoded in a chip built into the print device. â&#x2122;Ś Software - RIP runs on a print server rather than the print device. This is useful if numerous print devices need to be managed from one location or if page processing requires more CPU and memory capacity than would be available on the print device (as is the case with professional imagesetters). Software RIPs also provide additional features, such as colour management, halftone settings, and image adjustment (scaling or rotating for instance).

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CompTIA PDI+ Certification Support Skills

Printer Driver The printer driver is software code that provides an interface between the print device and operating system (and consequently software applications).

The printer driver allows configuration of the printer through Windows

Printer drivers are usually model-specific, though some vendors release universal drivers that work with a series of printers. A given printer model may also have more than one driver; to support different operating systems or PostScript or PCL printing for instance. PostScript-compatible printers ship with PostScript Printer Description (PPD) files. These files describe the capabilities of the printer model for use by the PostScript print processor.

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PPD for an HP LaserJet 5Si

There is no default file extension for device information for other types of printer, though GPD and DAT are commonly used. Printer driver files are stored in %SystemRoot%\System32\Spool\Drivers\.

Printer Technologies A printer technology (or print engine) is the mechanism used to make images on the paper. The most common technologies for general home and office use are ink dispersion and laser, though others are used for more specialist applications.

Choosing a Printer The following criteria are used to select a type and model of printer: â&#x2122;Ś Speed - the basic speed of a printer is measured in Pages Per Minute (ppm). You will see different speeds quoted for different types of output (for example, pages of monochrome text will print more quickly than colour photos). â&#x2122;Ś Connections - almost all printers now support USB, but printer models designed for workgroups also support network connections, usually at a higher cost than standard models. Wireless connections may also carry a price premium.

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♦ Image quality - the basic measure of image quality is the maximum supported resolution, measured in dots per inch (dpi) 8. The minimum resolution for a monochrome printer should be 600 dpi. Photo-quality printers start at 1200 dpi. Resolution is not the only factor in determining overall print quality however (especially with colour output). When evaluating a printer, obtain a number of samples to judge text and colour output.

Image quality needs to be matched to use. The best quality will be correspondingly expensive. Always request sample sheets when evaluating a printer. ♦ Non-printable area - most digital printers have to leave a non-printable border up to around ¼" (½ cm). Some professional-level devices and consumer devices designed to make photo prints are capable of borderless printing. ♦ Paper handling - this means the type of paper or media that can be loaded. It may be important that the printer can handle labels, envelopes, card stock, acetate, and so on. The quantity of paper that can be loaded and output is also important in high volume environments. ♦ Processing power - the CPU and amount of memory installed in the printer partly control how quickly it can print. Insufficient processing power may also render very high resolution jobs unprintable. More memory enables a network printer to cache more jobs, reducing load on the print server. Some printers may be supplemented with an internal hard disk drive to cache jobs. ♦ Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) - this is the cost of the printer over its lifetime, including the cost of replacement components and consumables. It is important to know how a printer will be used to work out TCO. ♦ Options - additional memory, duplex (double-sided) printing, large format (posters for instance), binding, and so on. These options may be default or additional extras. Many print devices are Multi-Function Devices (MFD), combing print with scanning, copying, and fax capability.

Laser Printers Laser printers are standard office equipment, used for fast, goodquality text and graphics output.

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Print Processes

HP LaserJet laser printer

A laser printer works by fixing a fine powder called toner to the paper surface. The toner is applied using electrostatic charging (xerography); a similar process to that used by photocopiers. The name "laser printer" is derived from the fact that a laser is used to develop (or "write") the page image on a photoconductive drum. Laser printers can produce resolutions of up to 2400 dpi and the fixing process creates durable printouts that do not smear or fade. Laser printers are available in both Black-and-White (or monochrome) and colour models. Colour laser printers, once very highly priced and positioned at the top end of the market, are becoming more affordable, with medium quality, entry-level models priced competitively against inkjet equivalents. Colour lasers use four colour toner cartridges (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black) but employ different processes to create the image (some may use four passes to put down each colour layer; others combine the colours on a drum or belt and print in one pass).

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LED Printers LED printers are a variant of laser printer where the writing step is performed by an array of Light Emitting Diodes (LED) rather than a laser. LED printers are cheaper than laser printers though resolution is usually limited to 1200 dpi.

Inkjet Printers Inkjets (or more generally ink dispersion printers) are often used for good-quality colour output and domestic use. They work by firing microscopic amounts of ink at the paper. An ink dispersion print engine is capable of high resolution (up to 1440 dpi) "photoquality" images, especially when specially treated paper is used. However, output can be prone to smearing and to fading over time 9. Inkjets are typically cheap to buy but expensive to run, with high cost consumables such as ink cartridges and high-grade paper. Compared to laser printers, they are slower and often noisier, making them less popular in office environments, except as an option for low volume, good quality colour printing.

HP DeskJet inkjet printer

Multifunction Devices (MFD) Many "printers" available are actually Multifunction Devices (MFD), combining the capabilities of printing, document imaging (scanning and copying), and faxing. MFDs can incorporate either laser or ink dispersion printing in black-and-white or colour.

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Print Processes

HP LaserJet 9040 MFD (duplex B&W printing and finishing, scanning/copying, and fax)

MFDs tend to be split between the type of bulky "departmental" printer / copier shown above and desktop "all-in-one" printer / copier / fax machines.

Dot Matrix Printers A dot matrix printer produces output by firing pins (also known as print wires) in a print head at an inked ribbon, which strikes and leaves marks on the paper. Dot matrix printers are described as impact printers.

Dot matrix printer

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Desktop dot matrix printers are no longer widely deployed as standard office printers, but where they are used it is typically for specialist functions such as high volume printing of invoices, payslips, and the like on continuous, tractor-fed paper. Portable models are still used for printing receipts.

Thermal Transfer Printers Portable or small form factor thermal transfer printers are used for high volume barcode and label printing and also to print receipts. They work using a heat transfer process similar to laser printers, but without the use of toner. There are two types: â&#x2122;Ś Direct thermal - a print head selectively heats areas of specially coated paper to form the image. â&#x2122;Ś Thermal wax - "ink" from a wax-based ribbon is melted onto the paper by the print head. Devices typically support 200-300 dpi, with some models able to print one or two colours (typically red and/or blue). Print speeds are measured in inches per second.

HP Point-of-Sale solution with barcode reader and thermal receipt printer

Solid Ink Printers Solid ink printers (that is, the Xerox/Tektronix Phaser) provide a fast and good quality solution for high-quality colour printing. The solid ink comes in the form of wax sticks, which are liquefied and applied to a transfer drum, which fuses the image of the page onto paper in one pass.

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Print Processes

Phasers are designed to be left switched on. Once the wax has liquefied, the printer must not be moved. Allow at least 30 minutes after turning the printer off for the ink to solidify before attempting to move it. Solid ink printers produce high-quality colour output (though not as good as high-end colour laser printers or dye sublimation printers) and are fast, but have become less economical as the costs of colour laser printers and consumables have fallen. They produce acceptable output on standard printer paper stock.

Thermal Wax Full Colour Printers A variant on the solid ink printer is a full colour thermal wax printer. This uses a wax-coated ribbon rather than ink sticks. Thermal wax printers require very high quality paper. They are not widely used except to create transparencies for business presentations.

Dye Sublimation Printers Dye sublimation involves heating each colour dye in a "donor" ribbon of film 10 so that it vaporises and fuses to specially-coated paper. A platen roller passes the paper and ribbon under a thermal print head. As the dye cools, it is absorbed into the paper, creating very high-quality (continuous tone), long-lasting images (that is, colours do not fade over time if the print is stored safely). This is the same technology as is used in professional photo labs adapted for consumer demands after the explosion in the popularity of digital imaging. Consequently, dye-sub printers occupy a wide range of market positions. Expensive professional lab products and desktop models designed for photographers can often handle multiple paper formats and large format prints. Cheaper and smaller models designed for consumer printing can handle one or two photo sizes (up to 8x6" or A4).

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Dye sub unit for HP's Scitex large format digital press

The cost of paper and consumables, slow print speed, and lack of dedicated black "ink" means that this type of printer is not suited to other print jobs, such as text or multi-page documents.

Thermal Autochrome Printers Thermal Autochrome (TA) printers (made by Fujifilm) work with special heat-sensitive paper, which contains layers of coloured pigment (Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow). Each layer is activated by a thermal print head, which passes over the paper three times. After the first and second passes, the image is fixed by an ultraviolet print head. The main advantage of these printers is that the only consumable is the paper. There is no fixing process so prints are permanent and resistant to fading.

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Print Processes

Review Questions Unit 1.1: Print Processes Answer the following questions. The correct answers are in the accompanying "Labs and References" manual. 1) What effect does a printer's support for a particular command language have on print jobs? PostScript is the most powerful language, supporting more accurate, device-independent output. This language is likely to be required for high-end, professional quality printing. Ordinary desktop printing will be improved by support for PCL, which is more powerful than Windows' native GDI. 2) Where on disk is the print file spooled? %SystemRoot%\System32\Spool\Printers 3) Why is it important to calibrate imaging devices? So that colour output is consistent between different display, print, and scanning devices. 4) What is a TrueType font? One where the characters are described by vectors and are therefore scalable to different sizes. This is in contrast to bitmap fonts, where a character must be installed for any particular font size that you wish to use. 5) What is the function of RIP? Raster Image Processing (RIP) is the process of converting a print job in PostScript or PCL format to instructions that create the page image as a series of dots (raster) at the required resolution. RIP can either be implemented as hardware, firmware, or software. 6) In purchasing a new printer, what would you need to decide between when evaluating connections? Almost all new printers use USB, so the main consideration would be whether you needed support for a wireless or network connection. 7) Why is a printer's output resolution measured differently to monitor resolution? Print images are made up of dots, but the dots are finer than the pixels used for display output (it takes more than one dot to make a pixel).

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8) What sort of paper handling options would you need to consider when buying a new printer? One of the main considerations is how much paper the printer can hold. Smaller trays mean that a printer will need to be refilled more often. Some printers also support advanced output and finishing accessories (stapling, sorting, and so on). Other considerations include the range of paper stock that the printer can handle and support for duplex (double-sided) printing. 9) Why is a laser printer better suited to most office printing tasks than an inkjet? Most office documents are monochrome text. Laser printers are much faster, quieter, and better quality (the pages do not smear) than inkjets at this type of output. They also have lower running costs. 10) Why would you recommend a dye sublimation printer to a user? For printing digital photographs. 11) Where are you must likely to encounter thermal printers? They are typically used as receipt printers in handheld devices. 12) What type of printer technology is a dot matrix printer? It is commonly described as an impact printer.

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Printer Connections

Module 1 / Unit 2 Printer Connections Objectives On completion of this unit, you will be able to: ♦ Identify and describe different printer connectivity technologies: ⎯ USB ⎯ Firewire ⎯ Wireless (IrDA, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi) ⎯ Network ⎯ Parallel ⎯ Serial ⎯ SCSI ⎯ Memory Card

Printer Connection Standards Like any peripheral device, a printer needs to be connected to an Input / Output (I/O) port on the PC using some type of connector and cabling. The standard connection for PC printing was the parallel / Centronics interface for many years. Most modern printers now have USB connections. This makes it easier to install multiple printers on one machine and takes advantage of the Plug-and-Play and hot-swappable features of USB. Some devices may also use SCSI or Firewire connections; these are not often used for printers but are quite a common connection method for scanners. Because USB 2.0 (480 Mbps) and Firewire (400 Mbps) are very fast, they are the best solution for image intensive documents and colour printing. Many printers also support wireless and / or network connections, either as a standard feature or an optional extra.

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USB Connections The Universal Series Bus (USB) has become the standard means of connecting peripheral devices to a PC. Unlike earlier serial and parallel ports, it supports compact connectors and high data rates. A USB bus consists of a host (the PC) and up to 127 devices, which may either be hubs or functions. Functions are divided into classes, such as human interface, mass storage, printer, audio device, and so on. Power is supplied by the host at 5V and a single device may draw up to 500 mA (milliamps) or 2.5W. USB ports

Even though USB and Firewire connections are powered, you will still need to connect the printer to the mains as it will draw down more power than USB/Firewire can supply. Portable printers may have a battery supply. Another feature of USB is that devices are hot-swappable. A serial, parallel, or SCSI device requires the system to be restarted if it is added or removed. A USB host can detect and configure a device without requiring a restart. Two connector types are defined by the USB specification: â&#x2122;Ś Type A - for connection to the host or to hub ports. â&#x2122;Ś Type B - for connection to a device. USB On-the-Go (USB-OTG) defines a compact mini-Type B connector for portable devices.

Type A (left) and Type B (right) USB Connectors

Cabling can be screened or unscreened. Screened cables can be up to 5m (about 16.5 feet). The data rate for USB 1.1 (maximum, shared between connected devices) is 12 Mbps for a screened cable and 1.5 Mbps for an unscreened cable (used for low bandwidth devices such as keyboards and mice).

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Printer Connections

Most USB hosts and devices now conform to the USB 2.0 (HiSpeed) standard, with a data rate of 480 Mbps. USB 2.0 uses the same connectors as USB 1.1 and is completely compatible with the older standard. A USB 1.1 device can be plugged into a USB 2.0 bus, but will operate at the lower speed.

IEEE 1394 (Firewire) Connections The Firewire bus, based on the IEEE 1394 standard, is another modern series bus 11. IEEE 1394 was developed from the SCSI command set (see below) but uses serial rather than parallel communications and much smaller connectors. Firewire is quite similar to USB but has not received such mainstream support amongst PC vendors 12. A single bus can connect up to 63 devices. Like USB, the bus is powered and supports Plug-and-Play and hot-swapping. The maximum transfer rate is 400 Mbps. Firewire supports isochronous transfer mode, where the data rate to a particular device is guaranteed, making it very well matched to the transfer of real-time data such as video. There are unpowered 4-pin cables in addition to 6-pin powered connectors. The maximum cable length between two devices is 4.5 meters (14.85 feet). The IEEE 1394b (Firewire 800) standard supports transfer rates up to 800 Mbps and increased power from the bus (up to 45 watts) to support larger devices without the need for a separate power source. The new standard uses 9-pin connectors and cabling but is backward compatible with IEEE 1394a. It also supports different cabling media (twisted pair and fibre optical) for networking use over longer distances (up to 100m).

Firewire cables

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Wireless Connections Some printers have a wireless port, either integrated in the device or available as an optional add-in. As the name suggests, a wireless port enables a PC or laptop computer to send jobs to the printer without connecting the two devices with cables.

Another way to fit a wireless port is to purchase a USB wireless adapter that can plug into the printer's USB port. There are three commonly used wireless technologies: ♦ Infrared (IrDA) - these use infrared (IR) lasers (to transmit) and photodiodes (to receive) to transfer data at a reasonable rate (up to about 4 Mbps) at close range (up to 1m or 3 feet), making them suitable for print applications. Devices must have "line-of-sight" between one another. The beams can also be disrupted by strong sunlight. ♦ Bluetooth - this is a short-range radio-based technology, working at up to 10 m (30 feet) at up to 1 Mbps (or 3 Mbps for devices supporting version 2.0 of the standard). The advantage of radio-based signals is that devices do not need line-of-sight, though the signals can still be blocked by thick walls and metal and can suffer from interference from other radio sources operating at the same frequency (2.4 GHz). Bluetooth has similar applications to IrDA. ♦ Wi-Fi (802.11) - this is a set of standards developed by IEEE for radio-based Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) products. The main standard in use is 802.11g, which supports up to 54 Mbps at a range of up to about 30m (100 feet). A Wi-Fi adapter allows a printer to join a wireless network. Wi-Fi devices can also communicate with a cabled network through an Access Point. The printer and PC / laptop must be fitted with the same wireless technology (that is, a Bluetooth adapter cannot send signals to a Wi-Fi card or IrDA port).

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Printer Connections

Network Connections A printer can be networked either by making it a shared device locally attached to a networked PC (a print server) or by connecting it directly to the network with its own internal network adapter or Network Interface Card (NIC), in which case the printer is its own print server. In the second scenario, the manufacturer's management software (such as HP JetAdmin) can be used to detect, configure, and share the device.

You can also purchase external print servers, such as HP's JetDirect, that connect to a USB or parallel port on the printer and to the network via a standard port. As mentioned above, a printer could also be fitted with a Wi-Fi wireless adapter to make it a client device in a wireless network.

See unit 2.1 for more details on the various wireless and network standards.

Parallel Port Connections The parallel port (also known as the printer or Centronics port) is so-called because data is transferred simultaneously over 8 wires, each of which carries 1-bit of data (there are extra "handshake" wires for controlling the signals). This restricts the maximum length of cabling as tiny differences in the properties of the wire cause delays in the signal (data skew), which get worse the farther the signal travels.

Parallel port

The parallel port was used to connect devices such as printers and scanners. As with other legacy interfaces, it has largely been replaced by USB. The original interface developed by Centronics was unidirectional (that is, the computer could send data to a printer but the printer could not send data back). IEEE 1284 standards defined new interfaces, using the same type of connectors and cabling:

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♦ Compatibility/Centronics/Standard Mode - data transfer is unidirectional from PC to peripheral 8 bits at a time at a maximum possible rate of 150 KBps. ♦ Nibble (4-bit) / Bi-tronics Mode - this mode supports 4-bit input back to the PC. The transfer rate into the PC is limited to 50 KBps. It is suitable for sending printer status messages (for example, Out of Toner or Paper Jam). ♦ Byte (8-bit) Mode - this mode allows half-duplex transfer speeds of approximately 150 KBps in both directions. Halfduplex means that the devices cannot send and receive at the same time. ♦ Enhanced Parallel Port (EPP) - supports half-duplex data transfer rates of up to 2 MBps. ♦ Extended Capabilities Port (ECP) - supports half-duplex data transfer rates of up to 2.5 MBps. The parallel port on the PC is a 25-pin female DB25 (or D-sub) type, which accepts a male DB25 connector 13. The port on the printer or scanner is typically a 36-pin Centronics edge connector 14.

Printer cable with Centronics (left) and DB25 (right) male connectors

Parallel connections are not suitable for long-distance operation; the official maximum length for standard parallel cable is 5m (15 feet). Some high-quality, screened cables will work over greater distances, but devices known as line drivers are required for reliable long cable runs. In enhanced modes, the quality of the cable is very important. If the cable is of poor quality or not to IEEE 1284 specification, problems may be encountered, such as corrupted printouts. The official maximum length of IEEE 1284 cable is 10m (30 feet). In software terms, the parallel port is referred to as an LPT (Line Printer) port.

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Printer Connections

Serial Port Connections The serial port (or RS-232) is so-called because data is transmitted over one wire one bit at a time. Start, stop, and parity bits are used to format and verify data transmission. The port supports data rates up to about 115 Kbps.

Serial port

Serial ports are generally associated with connecting external modems but were also used for some types of printer (notably dot matrix printers). As with parallel ports, this function has largely been superseded by USB. Serial ports cannot support the requirements of modern printing. The RS-232 standard for serial ports specified a 25-pin D-sub connector but in practice PC manufacturers use the cheaper 9-pin DE-9 male connector shown above. The printer connection is more likely to use a 25-pin DB-25 connector. Without line drivers to improve the signal, serial cable can generally extend to around 10m (30 feet). In software terms, the serial port is referred to as a COM (Communications) port.

SCSI Connections Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) has been used as an interface for peripheral devices since the 1980s. There have been many revisions to the standard. SCSI supports any type of internal or external device (including disk drives, scanners, and printers). In terms of PC use, it is more closely associated with attaching scanners than printers. The main SCSI standards and configuration issues are summarised below.

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Max Cable Length (m) Interface Protocol

Bus Speed MBps Max

Bus Width

Devices Single-

(bits)

LVD

HVD

per Bus

ended SCSI-1

Fast SCSI

Fast-Wide SCSI

Ultra SCSI

1.5

Wide Ultra SCSI

Ultra2 SCSI

Wide Ultra2 SCSI

Ultra3 SCSI (Ultra160 SCSI)

160

Ultra320 SCSI

320

♦ Host adapter - the SCSI host adapter must be installed and recognised by the PC for devices to be detected. The vendor's driver must usually be installed for the host adapter to be recognised. ♦ Signalling - SCSI specifies three signalling methods. Most buses and devices use LVD (Low Voltage Differential). Older SE (Single Ended) devices can be added to an LVD bus, but it reduces the performance of the whole bus. H(igh)VD is incompatible with the other two and must not be mixed with them. ♦ Connectors - there are numerous SCSI connectors. The most common are 68-pin High Density (HD) internal and external connectors or 80-pin Single Connector Attachments (SCA), which incorporate a power connector and configuration wires. ♦ Termination - a SCSI bus must be terminated at both ends by enabling termination on the first and last devices in the chain. Termination may either be enabled internally on the device by setting a switch or by physically connecting a terminator pack to a device or the host adapter 15.

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Printer Connections

Correct termination and device identification of a SCSI chain

â&#x2122;Ś ID - each SCSI device must be allocated a unique ID from 0 to 7 (or 15 for wide SCSI). IDs may be allocated automatically or by setting a jumper or click-wheel on the device itself. The order of SCSI ID priorities (from highest to lowest) is 7 through to 0 then 15 through to 8.

SCSI connectors plus switches to set termination and SCSI ID on an Epson scanner

The host adapter is usually set to 7.

Memory Cards Solid state storage uses a type of non-volatile Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM) technology called flash memory. Flash memory is non-volatile because it does not need a power source to retain information. Compared to other types of storage, flash memory is very small and light. Mass manufacturing has seen prices fall to very affordable levels. Storage capacity ranges from 512 MB to 30 GB. A popular type of solid state storage packaging is the memory card, used extensively in consumer digital imaging products, such as digital still and video cameras. There are several proprietary types of memory card. Some popular examples include Compact Flash (CF), Secure Digital (SD), Sony Memory Stick, and xD Picture Card. The largest cards have up to 8 GB capacity.

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Data transfer rates are rated on the same system as CDs, using multiples of 150 KBps. Actual rates depend on the type of card and type of device and can vary between about 1 and 20 MBps. Many printers are fitted with Memory Card Readers with 2 or 3 slots that between them will accommodate most of the sticks on the market.

Memory card reader on an HP Photosmart printer (far right)

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Printer Connections

Review Questions Unit 1.2: Printer Connections Answer the following questions. The correct answers are in the accompanying "Labs and References" manual. 1) What type of local connection would you expect to find on a new printer? USB. 2) True or false? A desktop printer connected via USB does not require a mains power connection? False. 3) What standard is Firewire closely related to? SCSI. 4) True or false? Bluetooth provides similar bandwidth to USB over a wireless connection. False. 5) When printing from a PC to a printer over an Infrared (IR) connection, how close must the devices be for reliable data transmission? About 1m (3 feet). IR also requires line of sight between the receivers, so there should be no other objects in the way. 6) What term is used to describe a computer with a locally attached printer made available to other computers over a network? Print server (or shared printing). 7) What type of port would you expect to find on a printer that supports parallel communications? 36-pin Centronics connector (or a mini-Centronics / miniparallel / Type C connector on some older models of printers). 8) What type of connection is a "LPT"? This is how the PC's parallel ports are labelled in Windows. 9) You are installing a SCSI printer. Assuming the printer is compatible with the SCSI host adapter installed in the PC, what configuration issues would you need to consider? Termination and device ID. 10) What storage format can be used to transfer digital photos to a printer? Memory card (flash memory).

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Module 1 / Unit 3 Printer Drivers Objectives On completion of this unit, you will be able to: â&#x2122;Ś Install, remove, and configure printer drivers. â&#x2122;Ś Set printer properties and printing preferences (defaults).

Configuring Printer Drivers The printer driver is the basic interface between the print device (hardware) and the operating system 16. Applications software use the OS to access the print hardware.

Installing Drivers You need to log on with administrative privileges to install a printer and its software.

To Install a Local Printer Using the Vendor Software Using the vendor's software is the simplest way to install a printer. The setup program will include the basic printer driver and possibly management software and utilities to use with the printer. When using a setup CD (or software downloaded from the internet), run the setup program before connecting the printer:

Run setup software before connecting the device

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Printer Drivers

To Install a Local Printer Using Windows If vendor setup software is not available, you may be able to use a driver from the ones shipped with Windows. These drivers can be installed using the Printers and Faxes folder and the Add Printer Wizard 17. 1) Click Start > Printers and Faxes > Add Printer. This starts a step-by-step process that installs the relevant drivers. If the printer type is not detected automatically, you can manually install a driver from those supplied on the Windows CD, from a CD or floppy disk provided with the printer, from the network, or from the Windows Update website. 2) In the Add Printer Wizard, select the port to which the printer is connected (normally LPT1 or USB).

Add Printer Wizard

3) Select a manufacturer and printer model or click Have Disk or Windows Update to install updated drivers.

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Adding a printer

If no up-to-date driver is available from Microsoft, download the driver from the printer vendor's website, extract it to a folder on your PC, then use the Have Disk option to install it. 4) The last few steps of the wizard allow you to name the printer, set it as the default, share it with other users, and print a test page. 5) When the driver has been installed, for a USB or Firewire printer, you can connect the device and switch it on. For other types of printer (parallel or SCSI), shut down the PC, connect the printer and switch it on, and then restart the PC. Once the driver has been installed all applications will use it to send output to the printer.

Verifying Driver Version The current driver version can be listed through the Printing Preferences option or using the Server Properties option (see below). Open the Printers and Faxes folder, alt-click the printer, then select Printing Preferences. The location of the driver information varies from vendor-to-vendor. Often there is an About button on one of the tabs; you may also be able to alt-click the dialogue box or any printer icon in the dialogue box and select About.

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Printer Drivers

Look for an About option in Printing Preferences to determine the driver version

Driver Update A driver update may be necessary to fix operational or performance problems or provide support for optional components. 1) To update a driver, log on as administrator and download the file from the manufacturer's website, saving it to a folder on your computer. 2) Open the printer's property sheet and click the Advanced tab. 3) Click the New Driver button then click Have Disk and browse for the file you downloaded.

Removing Drivers If you have disconnected a printer and no longer wish to use it, you can delete the printer object to make it unavailable to users. Just select the printer's icon in the Printers and Faxes folder and press Delete. If you installed the vendor software along with the drivers, use the Add or Remove Programs applet to uninstall the software. This should also remove the drivers and printer object automatically.

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If you want to check what drivers are installed on the local machine, alt-click an empty area in the Printers and Faxes folder and select Server Properties. Click the Drivers tab.

Printer drivers installed on the local machine

To remove a driver, select it then click Remove. You can also use the Properties button to discover the driver version and file names; the Replace button allows you to update the driver.

Software Printer Ports The term port refers both to the physical interface between the computer and the printer and, under Windows, to the software interface. Different types of hardware ports have different labels: ♦ LPT - ports using the parallel interface. ♦ COM - ports using the serial interface. ♦ USB - ports using the USB interface.

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Printer Drivers

There is a 1:1 mapping between the physical ports installed on the computer and the printer software ports. For example, the first physical parallel interface is LPT1, the second is LPT2, and so on. In addition to the local ports listed above, Windows can use network ports (such as TCP/IP or LPR) or "print" to an output file (FILE). Vendors may also install differently named ports to work with their driver software. You can change the port used to print from a driver to a particular print device using the printer's property sheet. Open the Printers and Faxes folder then alt-click the printer and select Properties. Click the Ports tab.

Configuring printer port settings

Uncheck the current port then check the port that you want to use.

You would generally use this feature in connection with remote (network-attached) printers. See unit 2.2 for more information.

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Configuring Printer Properties A local printer can be managed through the driver using Printer Properties and Printing Preferences. To get either dialogue, altclick the printer icon in the Printers and Faxes folder.

Printer Properties Properties allows you to update the driver, print to a different port, configure sharing and permissions, set basic device options (such as whether a duplex unit is installed), and configure default paper types for different feed trays. This dialogue also lets you print a test page (off the General tab).

Printer properties for an HP 5Si laser printer

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