Epson LQ-1500 User manual

FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT
FOR AMERICAN USERS
This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and if not installed and used
properly, that is, in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, may cause
interference to radio and television reception. It has been type tested and found to comply
with the limits for a Class B computing device in accordance with the specifications in
Subpart J of part 15 of FCC Rules, which are designed to provide reasonable protection
against such interference in a residential installation. However, there is no guarantee that
interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause inter-
ference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equip-
ment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of
the following measures:
- Reorient the receiving antenna
- Relocate the computer with respect to the receiver
- Plug the computer into a different outlet so that the computer and receiver are on
different branch circuits.
If necessary, the user should consult the dealer or an experienced radio/television techni-
cian for additional suggestions. The user may find the following booklet prepared by the
Federal Communications Commission helpful:
“How to Identify and Resolve Radio-TV Interference Problems.”
This booklet is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC
20402. Stock No. 004-000-00345-4.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted, in any form or by any means, mechanical, photocopying, recording or other-
wise, without the prior written permission of Epson America, Inc. No patent liability is
assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. While every precaution
has been taken in the preparation of this book, Epson America, Inc. assumes no responsibility
for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of
the information contained herein.
LQ-1500 is a trademark of Epson America, Inc.
Copyright © 1984 by Epson America, Inc.
Torrance, California 90505 PB490012
ii

Contents
Introduction
..................................
1
LQ-1500 Features
..............................
1
About This Manual
............................
2
1
Setting Up Your LQ-1500
.......................
3
Finding a Suitable Location
.....................
3
Getting to Know Your Printer
...................
5
Installing the paper feed knob
.................
5
Removing the dust cover
.....................
7
Removing the front cover
.....................
7
Discovering what’s inside
.....................
8
Installing the Ribbon Cartridge
..................
9
Installing the Sheet Guide
.......................
12
Assembling the three pieces
...................
12
Attaching the sheet guide
.....................
12
Connecting the LQ-1500 to Your Computer
........
15
Locating the interface card
....................
15
Installing the interface card
....................
17
Attaching the cable to the printer
...............
18
Connecting the printer cable
...................
18
Setting the DIP Switches
........................
19
Switch1 ...................................
21
Switch2 ...................................
22
Installing the Power Cord
.......................
24
2Operation
and Maintenance
.....................
25
Controls and Indicators
.........................
25
The power switch
...........................
25
The control panel ............................
25
The paper-out detector
.......................
27
Maintenance
..................................
27
Cleaning the LQ-1500
........................
27
Other maintenance
..........................
28
iii

3Installing Paper and Paper Feeders
................
29
Types of Paper and Paper Feeders
................
29
Single-sheet paper and sheet guide
..............
29
Pin-feed paper and tractor unit
................
29
More Printer Parts
.............................
30
Platen release lever
..........................
30
Print head adjustment lever
...................
31
Loading Single-Sheet Paper
.....................
31
Preparing the printer for single-sheet feed
........
31
Loading single-sheet paper
....................
32
Removing single-sheet paper
..................
34
Loading Pin-feed Paper
.........................
34
Installing the tractor unit
.....................
34
Preparing the printer for pin-feed paper
.........
35
Inserting pin-feed paper
.......................
37
Proper placement of pin-feed paper
.............
40
Removing pin-feed paper
.....................
41
Removing the tractor unit
.....................
41
The LQ-1500 Self-Test
..........................
42
4Control codes
.................................
45
Computer-to-Printer-Communications
............
45
How Many Names Can One Code Have?
.........
46
Appendixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
49
ALQ-1500 Command Summary
...................
49
Vertical Spacing Commands
.....................
50
Horizontal Spacing Commands
..................
54
Print Style Commands
.........................
56
Character Set Commands
.......................
61
Graphics Commands
...........................
62
Miscellaneous Commands
......................
64
B
Changing Print Styles
..........................
69
Proportional Print Styles
.......................
70
Letter Quality Print Styles
......................
71
Draft Pica Print Styles
..........................
72
Draft Elite Print Styles
..........................
73
iv

CThe LQ-1500 Character Set
..................... 75
Regular Characters ............................
75
International Character sets
..................... 78
D Widths of the Proportional Characters . . . . . . . . . . . .
79
E ASCII Code Conversion Chart
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
F Specifications of the LQ-1500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
91
v

Figures
1-1
Unpacking the LQ-1500
.....................
4
1-2
Paperplacement
...........................
5
1-3
The LQ-1500 printer
........................
6
1-4 Paper feed knob
...........................
7
1-5
Removing the front cover
....................
8
1-6 Printer parts
...............................
9
1-7
Ribbon cartridge
...........................
10
1-8 Ribbon installation
.........................
11
1-9
Ribbon operation
..........................
11
1-10 Sheet guide assembly
.......................
13
1-11 Paper guide position
........................
14
1-12 Sheet guide installation
......................
14
1-13 Printing single sheets
........................
15
1-14
The dust cover
.............................
16
1-15 Interface card
..............................
16
1-16 Locating the interface card
...................
17
1-17 Interface card installation
....................
19
1-18
Interface connection to computer
.............
20
1-19 Switch settings
.............................
21
2-1 Controls and indicators
.....................
26
2-2
Maintenance
..............................
28
3-1 Adjustment levers
..........................
30
3-2
Sheetload
................................
33
3-3 Protective cover removed
....................
35
3-4 Tractor unit installation
.....................
36
3-5 Printer parts used with pin-feed paper
.........
37
3-6
Paper inserted
.............................
38
3-7
Aligning pin frames
.........................
39
3-8 Pin-feeder covers
...........................
40
3-9
Paper path
................................
41
3-10 Removing the tractor unit
...................
42
3-11
The LQ-1500 self-test
.......................
43
D-1
A character and its widths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
80
vii

Tables
1-1 Settings for switch 1
........................
22
1-2 Settings for switch 2
........................
23
1-3 International character switch settings
.........
23
ix

Introduction
Congratulations! You’ve purchased the Epson LQ-1500TM. This
advanced, state-of-the-art printer combines the quality of typewriter
print with the speed of a dot matrix printer. Of course, it has all the
capabilities of the other Epson printers-and more too.
LQ-1500 Features
The LQ-1500 is designed to be used day in and day out in an office
environment. Its size and rugged good looks proclaim this fact. Its
Epson engineering guarantees it.
The LQ-1500 has a long list of features. Just a few of the highlights
include:
l Letter quality printing. The LQ-1500’s 24-pin print head can print
letter quality characters in four widths.
l Proportional letter quality printing. The LQ-1500 can print in two
widths of proportional letter quality characters.
l Draft speed. The LQ-1500 can print at 200 characters per second
using the draft character set.
l Two hundred and twenty-four printing styles. The LQ-1500 can
print in 224 different printing styles, not counting superscripts and
subscripts.
l Upward compatibility. The LQ-1500 includes all of the major fea-
tures of the FX series of printers.
l Userdefined characters. The LQ-1500 allows you to design your
own character sets, in either draft or letter quality mode.
1

l High-resolution graphics. The LQ-1500 has all the graphics capabi-
lities of the FX series of printers and more. The 24-pin print head
provides top-quality, high-resolution graphics.
l Text buffer. The LQ-1500 has a 2048 character text buffer to increase
printing speed. The buffer takes information quickly from your
computer, leaving the computer free for other tasks while the
LQ-1500 finishes printing.
About This Manual
The LQ-1500 is a sophisticated machine. Although it is simple to
operate, writing programs for it can be complicated. In many cases,
the people who use the LQ-1500 are not the ones who do the program-
ming. Therefore, Epson has provided two different manuals. This
LQ-1500 User’s Manual contains all the information required to set up
and operate, the LQ-1500. The LQ-1500 Programmer’s Manual con-
tains the information required to write programs for the LQ-1500.
Epson also supplies Application Notes that tell you how to use the
LQ-1500 with specific software programs.
The first three chapters of this manual will help you set up, operate
and maintain your printer. Chapter 4 contains information on how to
use control codes with your printer.
The appendixes contain helpful information about selecting print
styles and character sets, and about using control codes to command
certain printer functions. Appendix A summarizes the control codes.
Appendix B explains how to change from one print style to another
and shows examples of different print styles. Appendix C shows the
character sets available on the LQ-1500, including the regular and
international sets. Appendix D gives the dot width of each of the
available proportional characters. Finally, Appendix E, a convenient
conversion chart, provides all the possible names for each ASCII
code.
This user’s manual is not long, but it contains a lot of important
information. In spite of its simple design, the LQ-1500 is a precision
printer, and you should know the right way to assemble and take care
of it. Reading this manual will help assure you of success when you
begin to use the LQ-1500.
2

Chapter 1
Setting Up Your LQ-1500
You’ve just purchased a terrific new printer, and dug far enough into
the box to find this manual. Now what? In this chapter we’ll show you
how to set up your LQ-1500 and connect it to your computer.
First, take inventory. Carefully unpack the carton and make sure
that you have all of the pieces shown in Figure 1-1:
l LQ-1500 printer
l Sheet guide (three pieces)
l Dust cover
l Front cover (installed on the printer)
l Paper feed knob
l Power cord
l Ribbon cartridge
l This User’s Manual.
Note: It’s a good idea to save all of the packing materials in case you
want to move your LQ-1500 some day.
Finding a Suitable Location
Before you actually set up your printer, you should give some
thought to where you are going to put it. Of course, your printer must
sit somewhere near your computer (the length of the printer cable is
the limiting factor). However, you may not want to place your com-
puter and printer side by side because the printer does make noise
3

Fig-we 1-1. Unpacking the LQ-1500
during operation. Here are some additional suggestions to follow:
1. Place the LQ-1500 on a flat, stable surface. The printer will make
more noise if you place it on a table that moves or vibrates.
2. Connect the printer to a grounded electrical outlet (do not use an
adapter plug). It’s a good idea to choose an outlet which is not
controlled by a wall switch that could be accidentally shut off dur-
ing the printing process.
3. Choose a location which will allow enough space beneath or
behind the printer to load the paper. If you are using continuous (or
pin-feed) paper, the paper path should be free from obstruction
(see Figure 1-2).
4. Protect the printer from prolonged exposure to direct sunlight,
moisture, and dust. Make sure that it is not close to a heater or any
other heat source.
4

5. Use the LQ-1500 in areas that are comfortable for you. If you find
it too hot, too cold, or too humid, the environment is not right for
the LQ-1500; it may not operate properly.
Figure 1-2. Paper placement
Getting to Know Your Printer
Now you’ve got a small collection of odd-shaped pieces placed in a
suitable location. The next step is to put them all together to form a
functional printer. Figure 1-3 shows the assembled printer and iden-
tifies some of the main parts.
WARNING: To avoid shock hazard and prevent damage to the
LQ-1500, complete all of the installation procedures
described here with the power to the printer turned OFF.
Installing the paper feed knob
The first piece to install is the paper feed knob, which you use to
manually turn the platen and advance the paper-just as you do on a
typewriter. To install the paper feed knob, simply push it onto the
shaft on the right side of the printer. This is shown in Figure 1-4.
5

Figure 1-3. The LQ-1500 printer
6

Figure 1-4. Paper feed knob
Removing the dust cover
The dust cover is the brown plastic cover which keeps dust out of
the print mechanism and reduces the noise level when the printer is
on. If you are using the optional tractor unit, you will not use the dust
cover.
Lift off the dust cover. It just sits in a recess on the top of the printer
so removal is easy Set the dust cover aside if you will be needing it.
Put it away in the printer box if you plan to use the optional tractor
unit.
Removing the front cover
The next assembly step, installing the ribbon cartridge, first
requires a bit of disassembly. You should remove the front cover to
gain easier access to the print head when you install the ribbon.
Open the front cover by tilting the back edge up and toward you.
Push left and up. Gently lift off the cover and set it aside (see Figure
1-5). You’ll see it’s easier to do than it is to describe!
7

Figure 1-5. Removing the front cover
Discovering what’s inside
Now that you can see the insides of the printer, take a few moments
to find some of the parts that you need to know about. Study Figure
1-6 until you can identify these parts:
The print head is probably the easiest part to locate, so start with it.
The print head is the large, black, finned object that moves back and
forth on two silver rods across the printer.
The ribbon guide is the silver shield on the side of the print head
next to the paper. The ribbon guide guides the ribbon between the
print head and the paper.
The paper is guided through the printer by a large rubber roller
called the platen. It has the same function as the platen in a typewriter.
The paper bail is the numbered scale with three black rollers on it.
The paper bail rests against the platen and holds the paper in place as it
moves through the printer.
8

Figure 1-6. Printer parts
Once you identify these parts, you will know enough about the
printer to get started. This manual will help you identify other parts as
the need arises.
Installing the Ribbon Cartridge
The LQ-1500’s ribbon cartridge is easy to install, and it won’t get
your hands dirty. Follow these steps for a quick installation.
1. Close the paper bail so that it is against the platen.
2. Grasp the print head by the finned part and slide it along the silver
rods until it is positioned at 40 on the paper bail scale. You will need
space on either side of the print head when you insert the ribbon
cartridge.
3. Rotate the ribbon cartridge take-up knob in the direction indicated
by the arrow next to it so that the ribbon is tight (see Figure 1-7).
Don’t worry about wasting the ribbon by turning too much; the
ribbon is a continuous loop inside the ribbon cartridge.
9

Figure 1-7. Ribbon cartridge
4. Hold the ribbon cartridge in both hands to position it over the print
head (the hole in the ribbon cartridge fits over the finned part of the
print head). The short piece of exposed ribbon must go between
the print head and the ribbon guide so that the ribbon does not rest
directly against the platen (see Figure 1-8). Lower the ribbon car-
tridge and press the spot marked PUSH to seat the back of the
ribbon cartridge first.
5. Once you have positioned the exposed ribbon and secured the
back end of the ribbon cartridge, push down on the front of the
cartridge to snap it into place. The ribbon cartridge will sit level
when it is positioned correctly.
6. Now give the take-up knob several turns to straighten out the rib-
bon so that it is not wrinkled or twisted. The ribbon should move
freely between the print head and the ribbon guide (Figure 1-9).
10

Figure 1-8. Ribbon installation
Figure 1-9. Ribbon operation
To replace the front cover, simply reverse the steps you took to
remove it. Fit the right end into place first and then lower the left end
until it is securely in place. Tilt the cover back into the closed position.
It should fit snugly.
11

Installing the Sheet Guide
The sheet guide serves a dual purpose on the LQ-1500. If you are
using single sheets of paper, the guide ensures consistent margins and
straight lines of print. If you are using pin-feed paper, the sheet guide is
used as a paper separator to keep the incoming and outgoing paper
from interfering with each other.
Assembling the three pieces
First, you must assemble the three pieces of the sheet guide.
1. Orient the sheet guide so that the textured side is up and the metal
mounting pins are facing you. Lay one of the two sliding paper
guides on top of the sheet guide. The matching textured side should
be facing up and the lipped end should be facing toward you. Now
tilt the top of the sheet guide up so that you can hook the tabs at the
top of the sliding paper guide over the top edge of the sheet guide
(see Figure 1-10).
2.Next, turn the sheet guide over so the back side is facing you. Use
your thumbs to snap the the two plastic spring clips over the bot-
tom edge of the sheet guide. One of the sliding paper guides should
now be securely in place.
3.Again, position the sheet guide so that the textured side is facing
you. Move the installed sliding guide to the proper end of the sheet
guide. The vertical standing edge of the sliding paper guide should
be flush against the outer edge of the sheet guide. The flattened side
of the sliding guide faces toward the center.
4.
To install the other paper guide, just repeat the steps above. Be sure
to attach the second sliding guide with the vertical standing edge
facing out toward the end of the sheet guide and away from the
center (see Figure 1-11).
Attaching the sheet guide
To install the sheet guide, place the metal mounting pin on the right
side of the sheet guide into the corresponding hole in the metal frame.
Then lower the left side until the tab on the left side drops into the slot
in the metal frame. Figure 1-12 shows how to do this.
12