Forums Calendar Active Threads
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 8 of 11 1 2 … 6 7 8 9 10 11
Re: Ap2000 signs of life
Golden Child #117970 10/10/20 01:59 AM
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,213
Likes: 221
G
Golden Child
Offline
Very Senior Member
Golden Child
Very Senior Member
G Offline
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,213
Likes: 221
More fiddling with Color Print Shop...using a rainbow background.

I was integerizing the coordinates, and that wasn't quite right.

It looks more like dot matrix output now:

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

but the file size is huge: 515MB

515665131 Oct 9 18:41 test94.pdf

No wonder it takes a minute to render it.
Re: Ap2000 signs of life
Golden Child #117971 10/10/20 11:34 PM
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,213
Likes: 221
G
Golden Child
Offline
Very Senior Member
Golden Child
Very Senior Member
G Offline
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,213
Likes: 221
[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Reproducing this color print shop demo on youtube:



It's interesting how the bitmap colors differ from the output pdf where the pdf looks more authentic.

I also got the file size a bit smaller (like 10x smaller) by not setting the color for every output dot and by using strokes instead of fills to make the dots.
Re: Ap2000 signs of life
Golden Child #117972 10/12/20 04:57 PM
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,213
Likes: 221
G
Golden Child
Offline
Very Senior Member
Golden Child
Very Senior Member
G Offline
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,213
Likes: 221
Loading the png into gimp it's pretty easy to manually color correct by adjusting HSL:

(split view)

[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]
Re: Ap2000 signs of life
Golden Child #117973 10/12/20 08:36 PM
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,213
Likes: 221
G
Golden Child
Offline
Very Senior Member
Golden Child
Very Senior Member
G Offline
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,213
Likes: 221
I just figured out how to directly access members in luaengine, just specify them directly, what could be easier?

It's shocking how easy that is...

and if you want it read only just make it a property.

Code
device_luaprinter_interface_type.set("xposprop", sol::property(&device_luaprinter_interface::m_lp_xpos));
device_luaprinter_interface_type.set("name", &device_luaprinter_interface::m_lp_luaprintername);
device_luaprinter_interface_type.set("xpos", &device_luaprinter_interface::m_lp_xpos);

So then you can modify the variables directly, like manager:machine().lp[1].xpos = 200

Code
[MAME] function listlp()
[MAME]>>   print("listlp()  list of luaprinters:")
[MAME]>>   print("------------------------------")
[MAME]>>   for i,j in pairs(manager:machine().lp) do
[MAME]>>     print("lp["..i.."] = "..j:getprintername())
[MAME]>>   end
[MAME]>>   print("------------------------------")
[MAME]>> end
[MAME]> 
[MAME]> listlp()
listlp()  list of luaprinters:
------------------------------
lp[1] = 2020-10-12 10-36-18 apple2e-sl1-parallel-pic_ctx-luaprinter
lp[:sl1:parallel:pic_ctx:luaprinter] = 2020-10-12 10-36-18 apple2e-sl1-parallel-pic_ctx-luaprinter
------------------------------
[MAME]> print(manager:machine().lp[1].name)
2020-10-12 10-36-18 apple2e-sl1-parallel-pic_ctx-luaprinter
[MAME]> manager:machine().lp[1].name = "hi_there"
[MAME]> print(manager:machine().lp[1].name)
hi_there


And I was also experimenting with being able to execute lua code from inside the ap2000 driver, so I could call a lua function to say, generate dots for a pdf. So how to execute lua code? Just call load_string.


Code
device_luaprinter_interface_type.set("loadstring", [this](char const *astr)
     { printf("Trying %s\n",astr); return lua_engine::load_string(astr);  });

Code
[MAME]> manager:machine().lp[1].loadstring('print("IT WORKS")')
Trying print("IT WORKS")
IT WORKS
[MAME]> function dude(x) print ("This is a function that prints "..x) end
[MAME]> manager:machine().lp[1].loadstring('dude("IT WORKS")')
Trying dude("IT WORKS")
This is a function that prints IT WORKS

So now I need to figure out how to make it possible to call the luaengine from inside the driver.

It'd also be cool if you could load_string a string from the debugger, so you could do something complex in lua, so do something similar to a printf but make it lua code to execute.
Re: Ap2000 signs of life
Golden Child #117974 10/13/20 01:25 AM
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,213
Likes: 221
G
Golden Child
Offline
Very Senior Member
Golden Child
Very Senior Member
G Offline
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,213
Likes: 221
Ok, so I add this to my device_luaprinter_interface:

It's a pointer to lua_engine in m_luaengine,
and also a pointer to a member function of lua_engine.

So I can call the function by

((*m_luaengine).*lualoadstring)(astr);
where astr is the string to execute.

Code

static void (lua_engine::* lualoadstring)(const char * astr);
static lua_engine *m_luaengine;

void callloadstring(const char *astr) { 
     printf("Trying callloadstring %s\n",astr); 
     ((*m_luaengine).*lualoadstring)(astr); 
}

and then in luaengine initialize them:

Code
device_luaprinter_interface::lualoadstring = &lua_engine::load_string;
device_luaprinter_interface::m_luaengine = this;

so now I can do this:

Code
[MAME]> l = manager:machine().lp[1]
[MAME]> l:callloadstring(" l:callloadstring('print(\"whoa!\")') ")
Trying callloadstring  l:callloadstring('print("whoa!")') 
Trying callloadstring print("whoa!")
whoa!

Re: Ap2000 signs of life
Golden Child #117975 10/13/20 07:43 PM
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,213
Likes: 221
G
Golden Child
Offline
Very Senior Member
Golden Child
Very Senior Member
G Offline
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,213
Likes: 221

Modifying the dot printing routine to call lua seems to work:

Code
char buffer[128];
snprintf(buffer,128,"if drawdot then drawdot( %f, %f ) end",
           (double) m_real_cr_pos + CR_OFFSET, yd);
callloadstring( buffer );

I use the if to check if the drawdot routine has been defined.

Code
Trying callloadstring if drawdot then drawdot( 971.000000, 170.333333 ) end
Trying callloadstring if drawdot then drawdot( 971.000000, 171.333333 ) end
Trying callloadstring if drawdot then drawdot( 971.000000, 172.333333 ) end
Trying callloadstring if drawdot then drawdot( 971.000000, 173.333333 ) end
Trying callloadstring if drawdot then drawdot( 971.000000, 174.333333 ) end


and if I define the drawdot routine from the console:

Code
function drawdot(x,y) print("DRAWDOT !!! "..x.."  "..y) end

Trying callloadstring if drawdot then drawdot( 35.000000, 60.000000 ) end
DRAWDOT !!! 35.0  60.0
Trying callloadstring if drawdot then drawdot( 35.000000, 61.000000 ) end
DRAWDOT !!! 35.0  61.0
Now I need to figure out how the ap2000 does 240 dpi because the steppers seem to step at 120 dpi, perhaps you have to watch the timing of when the printhead is fired, firing it when it's moving in-between stepper positions.
Re: Ap2000 signs of life
Golden Child #117981 10/14/20 06:16 PM
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 4
R
Ramiro Polla Offline
Member
Ramiro Polla
Member
R Offline
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 4
Originally Posted by Golden Child
Now I need to figure out how the ap2000 does 240 dpi because the steppers seem to step at 120 dpi, perhaps you have to watch the timing of when the printhead is fired, firing it when it's moving in-between stepper positions.
The firmware was beautifully written and calculated down to the microseconds it takes for the printhead to hit the paper. Look for two comments which have "417 microseconds" in epson_lx810l.cpp.

In epson_lx810l_device::co0_w():
Quote
The firmware expects a 300 microseconds delay between the fire signal and the impact of the printhead on the paper. This can be verified by the timings of the steps and fire signals for the same positions with different directions (left to right or right to left). We don't simulate this delay since it is smaller than the time it takes the printhead to travel one pixel (which would be 417 microseconds), so it makes no difference to us. It is interesting to note that the vertical alignment between lines which are being printed in different directions is noticeably off in the 20+ years old printer used for testing =).

In epson_lx810l_device::device_timer()
Quote
The firmware issues two half-steps in sequence, one immediately after the other. At full speed, the motor does two half-steps at each 833 microseconds. A timer fires the printhead twice, with the same period as each half-step (417 microseconds), but with a 356 microseconds delay relative to the motor steps.
Re: Ap2000 signs of life
Ramiro Polla #117982 10/15/20 03:49 AM
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,213
Likes: 221
G
Golden Child
Offline
Very Senior Member
Golden Child
Very Senior Member
G Offline
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,213
Likes: 221
Hi Raimro,

Thanks for the pointers. I stuck some instrumenting in to see the delay between changes to the stepper and the timers.

yes the write to co0_w is 417 ms apart: (2525-2107 = 418)

Code
POS = 0   DATA=0
POS = 1   DATA=0
STEPPER:d
CR_STEPPER_MSECS: time = 835.9782 microsecs

CR_STEPPER current pos: -49
POS = 0   DATA=0
POS = 1   DATA=0
CR_TIMER_MSECS: time = 835.978

POS = 0   DATA=0
POS = 1   DATA=44
Fractional time co0_w: 152107.340486 
Trying callloadstring if drawdot then drawdot( 33.000000, 25.333333 ) end
Fractional time co0_w: 152107.340486 
Trying callloadstring if drawdot then drawdot( 33.000000, 29.333333 ) end
STEPPER:8
CR_STEPPER_MSECS: time = 830.0781 microsecs

CR_STEPPER current pos: -48
POS = 0   DATA=0
POS = 1   DATA=38
Fractional time co0_w: 152525.024406 
Trying callloadstring if drawdot then drawdot( 33.000000, 26.333333 ) end
Fractional time co0_w: 152525.024406 
Trying callloadstring if drawdot then drawdot( 33.000000, 27.333333 ) end
Fractional time co0_w: 152525.024406 
Trying callloadstring if drawdot then drawdot( 33.000000, 28.333333 ) end
CR_TIMER_MSECS: time = 830.078

Gonna have to study this some more 8-)
Re: Ap2000 signs of life
Golden Child #117983 10/15/20 01:36 PM
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,213
Likes: 221
G
Golden Child
Offline
Very Senior Member
Golden Child
Very Senior Member
G Offline
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 1,213
Likes: 221
and checking the time since the last stepper change, it says 337 usec and 755 usec (755-337 usec = 418 usec) so yes very close to expected

Code
POS = 0   DATA=0
POS = 1   DATA=20
Fractional time co0_w: 110442.708325 
Time since last step: 757.446289 
Trying callloadstring if drawdot then drawdot( 83.000000, 26.333333 ) end
STEPPER:5
CR_STEPPER_MSECS: time = 833.9437 microsecs

CR_STEPPER current pos: -98
POS = 0   DATA=0
POS = 1   DATA=8
Fractional time co0_w: 110857.137036 
Time since last step: 337.931315 
Trying callloadstring if drawdot then drawdot( 83.000000, 28.333333 ) end
CR_TIMER_MSECS: time = 833.944

POS = 0   DATA=0
POS = 1   DATA=20
Fractional time co0_w: 111274.210604 
Time since last step: 755.004883 
Trying callloadstring if drawdot then drawdot( 82.000000, 26.333333 ) end
STEPPER:d
CR_STEPPER_MSECS: time = 831.5023 microsecs

CR_STEPPER current pos: -97
POS = 0   DATA=0
POS = 1   DATA=8
Fractional time co0_w: 111690.470369 
Time since last step: 339.762370 
Trying callloadstring if drawdot then drawdot( 82.000000, 28.333333 ) end
CR_TIMER_MSECS: time = 831.502

POS = 0   DATA=0
POS = 1   DATA=2
Fractional time co0_w: 112107.543937 
Time since last step: 756.835937 
Trying callloadstring if drawdot then drawdot( 81.000000, 30.333333 ) end
STEPPER:8
CR_STEPPER_MSECS: time = 833.3333 microsecs

Re: Ap2000 signs of life
Golden Child #117984 10/15/20 02:15 PM
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,284
Likes: 268
USA
R
R. Belmont Offline
Very Senior Member
R. Belmont
Very Senior Member
R Offline
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 17,284
Likes: 268
USA
Reading this makes me realize how much a dot-matrix printer is like a write-only floppy drive, except it controls the exact media position instead of waiting for it to come around to the right spot.
Page 8 of 11 1 2 … 6 7 8 9 10 11

Moderated by  Bletch, R. Belmont, Richard Bannister 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Who's Online Now
2 members (2 invisible), 299 guests, and 2 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
ShoutChat
Comment Guidelines: Do post respectful and insightful comments. Don't flame, hate, spam.
Forum Statistics
Forums9
Topics9,372
Posts122,600
Members5,085
Most Online1,529
Jun 7th, 2025
Our Sponsor
These forums are sponsored by Superior Solitaire, an ad-free card game collection for macOS and iOS. Download it today!

Superior Solitaire
Forum Rules · Mark All Read Contact Us · Forum Help · Home Page
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 8.0.0