Radio Shack TRS-80 User manual

TRS-80
CGP-115
OPERATION
MANUAL
Catalog
Number
26-1192
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SERVICE POLICY
Radio Shack’s nationwide network of service facilities provides quick, conve-
nient, and reliable repair services for all of its computer products, in most
instances. Warranty service will be performed in accordance with Radio
Shack’s Limited Warranty. Non-warranty service will be provided at reasonable
parts and labor costs.
Because of the sensitivity of computer equipment, and the problems which can
result from improper servicing, the following limitations also apply to the
services offered by Radio Shack:
i:
If any of the warranty seals on any Radio Shack computer products are
broken, Radio Shack reserves the right to refuse to service the equipment or
to void any remaining warranty on the equipment.
. If any Radio Shack computer equipment has been modified so that it is not
within manufacturer's specifications, including, but not limited to, the in-
stallation of any non-Radio Shack parts, components, or replacement
boards, then Radio Shack reserves the right to refuse to service the equip-
ment, void any remaining warranty, remove and replace any non-Radio
Shack part found in the equipment, and perform whatever modifications are
necessary to return the equipment to original factory manufacturer's speci-
fications.
. The cost for the labor and parts required to return the Radio Shack com-
puter equipment to original manufacturer's specifications will be charged to
the customer in addition to the normal repair charge.

Contents
Introduction
1/Description
of
the
Color
Graphic
Printer.................
2/Setting
Up
the
Color
Graphic
Printer
.................0..
3/A
Little
Background
Information............-......eeeee.
4/Using the Color Graphic Printer................ eee eee,
Control COdES v7s55 ie ceacrigcen okie ri eeireeon ees
Graphic Commands jo jcc. 5siiccsrccnssettsavnsseieee ds
5/Care
and
Maintenance...........0.ceceeseeeseeeeesteneenes
6/S peCilICATIONS 32 acaicet hii ced cavcenavnads estas tenash tare neeus
Appendix A/ Using the Color Graphic Printer with
the TRS-80 Model II/16............... cece cece eee,
Appendix
B/
Sample
programs.................
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reece
ees
Appendix C/ Color Graphic Printer Command
SUMMAIY: 2005005 cadeeuered Soe s eine nes waeed eee ee
Appendix D/ ASCII Chatacter Seticscvaccumcesatenosedden

Introduction
Congratulations for selecting this high-quality, low-cost Color
Graphic Printer! We feel this Printer is the ideal graphic printer
for home or business use when you want to create anything from
four-color pie charts to Computer generated “doodles.”
The TRS-80 Color Graphic Printer is unique among other graphic
printers. Its special features include:
Its own set of simple instructions that allow you to change
colors, backspace the Pens, reverse “feed” the paper, and
more!
Four-color print-outs (black, red, green, and blue).
“Standard” roll paper (4 1/2” wide by 180’ long).
Serial or Parallel interface capabilities for use with any
TRS-80 that has printer interface capabilities.
Selectable 40-character or 80-character per line printing.
The Color Graphic Printer can be used with TRS-80:
Model I
Model II
Model III
Model 16
DT-| Data Terminal
Color Computer
This manual will:
Describe the Color Graphic Printer to you.
Detail you how to install paper and pens.
Show you how to connect the Printer to your TRS-80.
And illustrate how to use the Color Graphic Printer to print data
or create beautiful, 4-color graphic print-outs.

1 Description of the Color Graphic Printer
Figure 1. Graphic Printer (Front View)
illuminate when you turn the Graphic
Printer ON.
@ PAPER FEED Switch. Press this button
to move the paper forward.
@ COLOR SELECT Switch. Press the
COLOR SELECT switch tochange the
pen color. The Pen Holder will rotate
one quarter turn to the next pen.
The Graphic Printer will return to Pen
#1 on power- up.
5
@ POWER On Indicator. This light will 4) Top Cover. Always keep the Cover closed
when the Printer is operating. Raise the
Cover from the front to change when
changing paper or pens. Note the serrated
edge for neat and easy paper tearing.
Also note that the Printer will not print when
the Cover is up.
Paper Separator. The Separator keeps
“out-going” paper separated from “in- —
coming” paper during printing.
When the Printer is printing, be sure to
have the Paper Separator correctly in
place or “out-going” paper may be fed
back into the Printer causing a “paper
jam” situation.

Figure 2. Graphic Printer (Inside View)
@ PEN CHANGE SWitch. Press this
switch and the Pen Holder will move
to the right and stop. Always press this
switch before changing pens.
Pen Ejection Lever. When you remove
a pen from the Pen Holder, gently
press this Lever.
& Pen Holder. This Holder contains the
ae
PD
four pens. Press the COLOR SELECT
Switch to move from one pen to the
other. Press the PEN CHANGE SWitch
before changing pens. Do not move or
rotate the Holder manually.
4
6
Pen Guide Wheel. Insert the “ink” tips
of the Pens into the guide holes of the
wheel. Note that each hole is color
coded for the appropriate pen color.
Paper Platen. “Holds” the paper during
printing. Never print on the platen; always
be sure you have paper in the Printer
before printing.

0 oe 89
Figure 3. Graphic Printer (Rear View)
@ PwR SWitch. Press the white dot to @ PARALLEL 1/O Jack. Connect the
2
turn the power ON. Press again to turn
the power OFF.
SERIAL I/O Jack. Connect the Graphic
Printer to a Color Computer via this
jack. Use the 4-Pin DIN to 4-Pin Din
Cable (Radio Shack Catalog Number
26-3020).
AC ADPT Jack. Connect the Graphic
Printer to its Power Supply via this
Jack.
DIP SWitch. The settings of this Switch
will determine how the Printer will
operate. For instance, whether you want
80 characters per line or 40 characters;
whether the Computer connected to the
Printer uses a serial interface (Color
Computer) or parallel Interface.
Graphic Printer to the Model I, II, III, 16
and the DT-1 via this Jack. For Model
1/IIl, use the 34-Pin Card Edge to 36-Pin
plug (26-1401); for Model II/16/DT-1,
use 34-Pin Header to 36-Pin Plug
(26-4401).
Power Supply. Connect the Power
Supply to the Printer via the Rear
Panel. Do not use any Power Supply
except for the one supplied with the
Printer.

2/Setting
Up
the
Color
Graphic
Printer
Figure 4. Power Supply Connections
Do
not
attempt
to
operate
the
Color
Graphic
Printer
with
any
power
supply
other
than
the
supplied
one!
1. Connect the AC Adapter to a wall outlet.
2. Then connect the power cable from the AC Adapter to the
Color
Graphic
Printer’s
power
supply
AC
ADPT
jack
(see
Figure
4).
Connecting
the
Color
Graphic
Printer
to
a
Computer
When connecting the Color Graphic Printer to a TRS-80, be sure
to
use
the
correct
cable.
Table
|
details
the
proper
cable
to
use
with
your
TRS-80;
Table
2
provides
quick
instructions
on
locating the printer connection location on TRS-80. See your
TRS-80
owner’s
manual
for
complete
details
on
connecting
printers.
1. Connect one end of the appropriate cable (see Table 1)
to the Color Graphic Printer.
- If you’re using a Color Computer, connect one end of the
DIN cable to the round, 4-pin SERIAL I/O Jack on the
rear panel of the Printer.
aa
A
Pe

- If you’re using a Model I/II/III/16 or DT-1, connect the
cable connector to the PARALLEL I/O Jack on the rear
panel of the Printer.
2. Connect the other end of the cable to the TRS-80 (see
Table 2).
Note: Only one Printer Jack should have a cable connected to
it at a time. That is, if you have a cable connected to the
PARALLEL I/O Jack, do not have a cable connected to the
SERIAL I/O Jack (and vice versa).
Printer-to-TRS-80 Cables
Table |
TRS-80 Connection Points
Location
Model II/16

Paper Loading
Be
sure
to
use
Radio
Shack
Color
Graphic
Printer
paper
(26-1428)
with
the
Printer.
When
loading
paper
into
the
Printer,
follow
these
steps:
1.
ne
With
scissors,
cut
the
end
of
the
paper
square.
(See
Figure
5.)
Insert
the
end
of
the
paper
into
the
slot
in
the
bottom
of
the
Printer
(see
Figure
6).
_
Insert
the
shaft
into
the
roll
and
place
the
roll
of
paper
into
paper compartment.
. Turn power on.
.
Raise
the
Top
Cover
so
printing
will
not
take
place
on
the
Platen.
.
Press
the
PAPER
FEED
button
to
get
the
paper
through
the
slot
and
around
the
Platen.
Figure
5.
Cut
Paper
Square
Figure
6.
Inserting
Paper

Paper Separator
Always be sure the Paper Separator is in place when you are
using the Printer. The Separator keeps the “out-going” paper
from re-entering the Printer. If out-going paper does re-enter
the Printer, a paper-jam condition will occur which could
damage the Printer. To install the Separator:
1. Gently squeeze the two ends of the Separator together.
2. Insert the ends of the Separator into the Separator slot.
3. Release the two end of the Separator. Be sure the Separator
is properly seated.
Figure 7. Installing the Paper Separator

Pen Installation
Be
very
careful
when
touching
the
Pen
Holder.
The
Holder
is
delicate
and
can
be
easily
damaged.
Never
rotate
or
move
the
Pen
Holder
manually.
Use
the
Printer
controls
to
move
the
Pen
Holder.
@ Pen Change Switch
@ Pen
3) Pen Holder
4) Pen Guide Wheel
5) Pen Ejection Lever
Figure 8. Pen Holder Mechanism
Pen Installation/Removal
Important Note: You must always use four pens.
Using
the
Printer
with
only
three
(or
fewer)
pens
may
cause
incorrect color changes when you are changing color.
Be sure to use only Radio Shack Color Graphic Printer Pens
with your Printer. Using other pens may damage the Printer.
Table 3 describes the Pens Radio Shack provides for the Color
Graphic Printer.
Color Graphic Printer Pens
Cat. No. Description
1 each Red, Blue, Green
Table 3

You can install the Pens in any order you need. However, the
Printer recognizes four specific Pen Positions--Pen #1, Pen #2,
Pen +3, and Pen #4. We suggest you use the sequence detailed
in Table 4 when installing pens. When referring to Pen Colors
and Pen Positions in this manual, we'll be using this sequence:
Pen Positions vs. Pen Colors
Pen + Color
Table 4
There are two ways to identify a particular Pen Position +:
- The Pen Guide Wheel is color-coded. Simply look carefully
near the center of the Wheel and match up the color of the
Pen with the color on the Wheel.
- Turn the Printer OFF, then turn it back ON. On power-up,
Pen +1 (color-coded Black) is always “on top.” To get to
Pen +2, press COLOR SELECT; to get to Pen #3, press
COLOR SELECT again, etc.
We recommend that if you know that you won’t be using the
Printer for a while (e.g., more than a day or two), you remove
the Pens from the Printer and “cap” them so the ink won't
dry out. In the same sense, it’s a good idea to rub the Pen Point
back and forth on a piece of paper to get the ink flowing
before you install it in the Printer.
Before you install, remove, or replace any Pens, take a look at
(and become familiar with) what’s “under the hood.”
Raise the Top Cover and look at the right side printing area.
You'll see a wire about |/2” long pointing to the left. Above it,
and to the right, there will be a small white lever--the Pen
Ejection Lever. Gently press down on this lever and the wire
will go up. When a Pen is in the Holder, this will “pop” the
Pen out.

Sp
a
gE
a
Remember!
Never
move
or
rotate
the
Pen
Holder
manually.
To
install,
remove,
or
change
Pens:
1.
Raise
the
Top
Cover.
2.
Press
the
COLOR
SELECT
Switch
to
rotate
to
the
the
Pen
Postion
#
you
need.
3.
Press
the
PEN
CHANGE
SWitch.
The
Pen
Holder
will
move
to
the
far
right.
Note
that
the
Pen
Ejection
Lever
wire
will
be
under
the
Pen.
4.
If
you’re
removing
or
changing
a
Pen:
-
Gently
hold
the
Pen
down
with
one
finger.
-
Gently
press
down
on
the
Pen
Ejection
Lever.
If
the
Pen
“pops”
into
the
Printer,
hold
the
Paper
Roll
(if
installed),
turn
the
Printer
upside-down,
and
gently
shake
Printer
until
the
Pen
falls
out.
Do
not
operate
the
Printer
with
a
Pen
loose
in
the
printing
mechanism
or
damage
to
the
Printer
may
result.
» Remove the Pen.
To
install
a
new
Pen,
insert
the
“ink”
tip
of
Pen
into
the
Pen
Wheel
Guide
hole.
(Match
up
the
color
on
the
pen
with
the
color
on
the
Wheel.)
Gently
“snap”
the
other
end
of
the
Pen
into
place.
5.
To
rotate
the
Pen
Holder
to
the
next
Pen
Position
#2,
press
the
COLOR
SELECT
Switch.
The
Pen
Holder
will
move
to
the
left,
rotate
to
Pen
Position
#2,
and
return
to
the
right
most
position.
To
select
Pen
Position
$3,
repeat
the
above
procedure.
6.
Close
the
Top
Cover.
7.
Press
the
PAPER
FEED
Switch
and
the
Pen
Holder
will
return
to
the
left
margin
and
will
be
ready
to
begin
printing.

Setting
the
Print
Parameters
(DIP
Switch)
The settings of the DIP SWitch (on the Rear Panel) of the
Graphic Printer determine how the Printer will print. They must
also be appropriately adjusted for the Computer the Printer is
connected to. Figure 9 describes the settings of the DIP Switch.
Parallel Printer l. Serial Printer
80 Characters 7 40 Characters
Per Line : Per Line
Carriage Return 3 Carriage Return
Only and Line Feed
Special
Charactex 4, 7-Bit ASCII
Figure 9. The DIP Switches
Set
each
Switch
to
either
right
or
left
using
a
tool
such
as
a
pencil
point
or
ball-point
pen
with
the
pen-point
retracted.
For instance, if you’re using a TRS-80 Color Computer and
the Computer is connected to the Printer via the SERIAL I/O
Jack, set DIP Switch #1 to the right (Serial Printer).
Or, if you’re in Text Mode (see Text Mode vs. Graphic Mode),
and
you
want
to
print
80
characters
per
line
(small
print),
set
DIP Switch #2 to the left.
—
~.
at
Print
parameter
settings
must
be
set
when
the
CPG-115
is
turned
off.
If
you
need
to
change
a
setting,
set
the
Switch
to
the
OFF
position,
change
the
setting
and
turn
the
power
back
on.

3/A Little Background Information
The BASIC command to send information to the printer is
LPRINT. The same command for the Color Computer is PRINT
+ -2. For example:
LPRINT "VV" (ENTER
or
PRINT#—2, "V"
Before printing, the Printer checks to see if the character sent is
an instruction (on how to print) instead of data (to be printed).
An instruction, for example, might tell the Printer to backspace
or change to a different Pen.
Consequently, some ASCII codes were created as instructions
to control printers (and therefore are called “Control Codes’’).
How do we send instructions to the Printer?
To send instructions to the Printer, you must use “control
codes.” To do this, use the BASIC function CHR$(_). For
example, to tell the Printer to backspace (ASCII Code 08),
use the command:
LPRINT
CHRS(@&)
(ENTER
in a program line (or in the “immediate mode’’) and the
Printer will backspace.
Any ASCII code (control codes as well as data) can be sent to
the Printer this way. Appendix D lists the ASCII codes the
Color Graphic Printer recognizes. For instance, Appendix
D will tell you that the ASCII code for the letter Z is 90
(decimal). If you use the command:
LPRINT CHR#(9@) (ENTER
The Printer will print the letter Z.

Text Mode vs. Graphic Mode
The Graphic Printer has two modes of operation:
- Text Mode for word processing, note writing, program listings
and program output.
- Graphic Mode for generating graphs, pictures and other visual
creations.
Text Mode. On initial power-up, the Color Graphic printer 1s in
Text Mode. However, if the Printer is in Graphic Mode and you
want to return to Text Mode, type:
LPRINT CHR$(17) (ENTER
or
PRINT#-2, CHRS(17) (ENTER
In Text Mode, the Printer will use whatever settings the DIP
Switch is currently set to. For instance, if DIP Switch #2 is set
to 80 characters per line, the Printer will print in small print.
Graphic Mode. In this mode, you can generate graphs, pictures
and other visual creations. To put the Printer in Graphic Mode,
send a Control Code 18 (decimal) to the Printer using LPRINT or
PRINT +#-2. For instance:
LPRINT CHRS(18) (ENTER
or
PRINT#-2, CHR$(16) (ENTER
In Graphic Mode, you can move the Pen to any point on the paper
and draw a line to any other point.
You must think of the Pen as being on a Cartesian coordinate plane,
with the X-axis running left and right (horizontal) and the Y-axis
going up and down (vertical).
Positive is up and to the right, negative is to the left and down the
paper. See Figure 10.
The origin may be set anywhere on the paper. When you first enter
Graphic Mode, the origin is at the left margin and under the Pen.
—413=

=.
Figure 10. Coordinate (X-Y) Axis
Generally
speaking,
you
can
tell
the
Pen
to
do
two
things:
- MOVE (with the Pen up)
- DRAW (with the Pen down).
The
Pen
can
move
(or
draw)
two
different
ways:
-
RELATIVE
Movement
(from
the
current
Pen
position
to
a
point
relative
to
the
pen
location.)
-
ABSOLUTE
Movement
(from
the
current
Pen
position
to
a
point
relative to the Origin.)
There
are
times
when
one
or
the
other
way
of
moving
will
be
more
convenient
to
use.
How
far
does
the
Pen
move?
In
both
horizontal
and
vertical
directions,
Pen
movement
is
measured
in
“steps.”
Each
step
is
0.2
mm
long
(about
the
size
of
a
period)
and
there
are
480
of
them
across
the
paper.
Fa
a
a
a
eh

4/Using the Graphic Printer
Automatic Start-up Sequence
Once the Printer is properly connected, it will execute a short,
built-in routine that resets the Pen Holder and draws four small
boxes in each available pen color on power-up.
This allows you to be sure that each Pen has enough ink and is
drawing correctly before you begin using the Printer.
If
the
Top
Cover
is
open
on
power-up,
the
Printer
will
execute
the
routine
but
the
Pens
will
not
touch
the
paper.
This
will
prevent
the
Pens
from
drawing
on
the
Platen
when
paper
is
not
being
loaded.
(JOO
Figure 11. Automatic Start-Up Sequence
After the four boxes are drawn, the Pen will return to the left margin.
The Graphic Printer will then be in Text Mode and ready for
operation.
Manual Operation
You
can
change
Pen
color
with
the
COLOR
SELECT
key
and
advance
the
paper
using
the
PAPER
FEED
key.
Program Control
You
can
use
all
the
Power
of
your
Graphic
Printer
from
within
a
BASIC
program.
Note
that
you
can
use
Control
Codes
(CHRS$(_))
to
send
instructions
to
the
Printer
as
well
as
data
to
be
printed.
In
this
section,
we’ll
describe
the
Control
Codes
sequentially
starting
with
CHR$
(08)
through
CHR$
(29).
Then
we’ll
describe
the
Graphic
Commands
listed
alphabetically.
With
each
code
or
command,
we’ve
included
a
short
example.
The
examples
serve
two
purposes.
First,
they
show
how
to
use
the
command
being
discussed.
Second,
they
show
how
to
use
combinations
of
commands
to
draw
with
the
Graphic
Printer.
Once
you
see
how

simple
it
is
to
program
the
Graphic
Printer,
you
can
write
your
own
graphic
programs.
(For
more
involved
programs,
see
Appendix
A.)
Control Codes
‘CHRS (8)
Backspace (Text Mode)
This
command
backspaces
the
Pen
one
character
at
a
time.
You'll
find
CHR$
(8)
very
useful
when
you
need
to
underline.
‘Example
i@ LPRINT "A":
2@ LPRINT CHRS$(3) 3
2@ LPRINT CHR®¢95)
This
program
will
print
the
letter
A,
then
ene
(line
20)
and
print
an
underline.
|
CHR$
(11)
-
Reverse
Line
Feed
(Text
Mode)
CHR$
(11)
moves
the
paper
backwards
(reverse)
one
line
at
a
time.
This
is
often
used
for
superscripting
characters.
Example
i@ REM SUPERSCRIPT DEMONSTRATION
20 PRINTH-2) "2"3
3Q PRINTH-2) CHRSC11)3
46 PRINT#—-2;2 "2"5
5Q@ PRINT#-2, CHR$C1@) + REM LINEFEED
60 END
CHRS (18)
Select Graphic Mode
When
the
Printer
is
in
Text
Mode,
this
command
will
put
it
into
Graphic
Mode.