Code Convertor For Centronics-Compatible Printers

54 CODE CONVERTOR FOR CENTRONICS-COMPATIBLE This simple EPROM-based converter solves awkward interfacing problems raised by incompatibility of the character codes used by certain computer programs and those actually available in parallel printers. Very few problems can be expected to arise when a computer sends nothing but straight ASCII to. a Centronics-com- patible printer. Not so with many special signs, diacriticals and Greek characters, however, which many printers have available but never seem to get right until lots of DIP switches have been reset, and the printer is found to run in a mode entirely different from that desired. Fortunately, today"s wordprocessors provide configurable printer drivers that obviate the use of copied ASCII code tables and overviews of DIP switch con- figurations. Such a printer driver is, however, not available with many other programs, such as assemblers, interpre- ters, compilers (BASIC, PASCAL), CAD/CAM programs (netlisting!) and a number of ...