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(gimpprint.info.gz) ESC/P2 Remote Mode Commands

Info Catalog (gimpprint.info.gz) ESC/P2 Standard Commands (gimpprint.info.gz) ESC/P2 (gimpprint.info.gz) ESC/P2 Appropriate Remote Commands
 
 Remote Mode Commands
 ====================
 
    The following description of remote commands comes out of an
 examination of the sequences used by the printer utilities bundled with
 the Windows drivers for the ESC740, and from other sources (some Epson
 manuals, experimentation, analysis of print files).  It is largely
 speculative as these commands are not all documented in the Epson
 documentation we have access to.  Generally, newer manuals provide more
 thorough documentation.
 
    Remote command mode is entered when the printer is sent the following
 sequence:
 
      ESC (R BC=8 00 R E M O T E 1
 
    Remote mode commands are then sent, and terminated with the following
 sequence:
 
      ESC 00 00 00
 
    All remote mode commands must be sent before the initial `ESC (G'
 command is sent.
 
    This introductory sequence is then followed by a sequence of
 commands.  Each command is constructed as follows:
 
    * Two ASCII bytes indicating the function
 
    * A byte count (two bytes, little-endian) for the parameters
 
    * Binary parameters, if any
 
    This is a list of all remote commands we have seen:
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `NC BC=2 00 00'
      Print a nozzle check pattern
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `VI BC=2 00 00'
      on my 740, prints the following:
 
           W01286 I02382\r\n
 
      probably "version information"
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* AI BC=3 00 00 00'
      Prints a "printer ID".  On one 870, prints the following:
           51-51-50-51-49-48\r\n
 
      The Windows driver has a text entry field where this number can be
      entered, but its purpose is unknown.
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* LD BC=0'
      Load printer defaults from NVRAM, DIP switches, and/or ROM. This
      apparently does not load factory defaults per se, but any settings
      that are saved.  This is commonly used right at the end of each
      print job after the `ESC @' printer reset command.
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* CH BC=2 00 XX'
      Perform a head cleaning cycle.  The heads to clean are determined
      by parameter XX:
 
     `00'
           clean all heads
 
     `01'
           clean black head
 
     `02'
           clean color heads
 
      While XX = `00' is probably supported by all printers, XX = `01'
      and `02' may well not be.
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* DT BC=3 00 XX 00'
      Print an alignment pattern.  There are three patterns, which are
      picked via the choice of XX.  Pattern `0' is coarse, pattern `1'
      is medium, and pattern `2' is fine.
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* DU BC=6 00 XX 00 09 00 YY'
      Print another alignment pattern.  It isn't entirely clear what XX
      and YY are, but it appears that XX takes on the values `1' and `2'
      , and YY takes on the values `0' and 1.  This may only work on the
      580 and/or 480.
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* DA BC=4 00 XX 00 YY'
      Set results for the first alignment pattern.  XX is the pattern
      (`1'-`3'); YY is the best choice from the set (`1'-`7' or
      `1'-`15').  This does not save to NVRAM, so when the printer is
      powered off, the setting will be lost.
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* DA BC=6 00 XX 00 YY 09 00'
      Set results for alternate alignment pattern.  XX appears to be the
      pass, and YY appears to be the optimum pattern.  This does not
      save to NVRAM, so when the printer is powered off, the setting
      will be lost.
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* SV BC=0'
      Save the current settings to NVRAM.
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* RS BC=1 01'
      Reset the printer.
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* IQ BC=1 01'
      Get ink quantity.  This requires direct access to the printer
      port.  The return looks like
 
           IQ:KKCCMMYY
 
      or
 
           IQ:KKCCMMYYccmm
 
      (for 4-color and 6-color printers respectively), where each pair of
      digits are hexadecimal representations of percent.
 
    The following two commands have been observed on an STP 870.
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* IR BC=2 00 XX'
      *Function unknown*. This command has been observed on an STP 870
      with XX=`03' at the start of a job and XX=`02' at the end of a job
      (where it is followed by an `LD' command).  When in roll mode, the
      values change to XX=`01' at the start of a job and XX=`00' at the
      end of a job.
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* FP BC=3 00 XX YY'
      XX=`00' and YY=`00' selects the printer's normal left margin
      (about 3mm).  XX=`0xb0' and YY=`0xff' selects zero-margin mode,
      where the left-most print position is shifted to a point about
      0.1" to the left of the left-hand edge of the paper, allowing
      printing up to (and off) the left-hand edge of the paper.
 
    The commands below are partially documented in the Stylus Pro 9000
 manual.  Much of this information is interpreted; none is tested.
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* SN BC=3 00 XX YY'
      Select Mechanism Sequence.  XX controls which sub-operation is
      performed.  XX=`00' selects the "Feed paper sequence setting".  YY
      can take on the following values (on the STP 870, at any rate):
 
     `0'
           default
 
     `1'
           plain paper
 
     `2'
           postcards
 
     `3'
           film (photo quality glossy film, transparencies)
 
     `4'
           envelopes
 
     `5'
           plain paper (fast load)
 
     `6'
           back light film (although this has been observed with
           heavyweight matte paper)
 
     `7'
           matte paper (observed with 360 dpi inkjet paper, and photo
           quality inkjet paper)
 
     `8'
           photo paper
 
      Experimentation suggests that this setting changes details of how
      the printers' cut sheet feeder works, presumably to tune it for
      different types of paper.
 
      XX=`01' controls the platen gap setting; YY=`00' is the default,
      YY=`1' or `2' are higher settings.
 
      XX=`02' controls paper loading speed (YY=`0' is normal, `1' is
      fast, `2' is slow).  It appears that `1' is used when printing on
      "plain paper", "360dpi ink jet paper" or "ink jet transparencies",
      and YY=`00' for all other paper type settings.
 
      XX=`07' controls duplex printing for printers with that capability
      (YY=0 is default, for non-duplex printing; `1' is front side of
      the paper, and 2 is back side).
 
      XX=`09' controls zero margin printing on the printers with the
      capability of printing zero-margin on all sides (Stylus Photo
      780/790, 890, and 1280/1290).  YY=`0' is the default; `1' enables
      zero margin printing.
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* PP BC=3 00 XX YY'
      Set Paper Path.  XX=`2' indicates manual feed, XX=`3' is for roll
      paper.  YY selects "paper path number".
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* AC BC=2 00 XX'
      Set Auto Cutting State.  XX=`0' selects auto cutting off, XX=`1'
      selects auto cutting on, and XX=`2' indicates horizontal print
      page line on.  It appears that with auto cutting on, roll paper is
      cut automatically at the point a formfeed character is sent.  The
      formfeed character is normally used to eject a page; with this
      turned on, it also cuts the roll paper.  Horizontal print page
      line on prints a narrow line of black dots at the position the
      paper should be cut manually.
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* DR BC=4 00 xx DT2'
      Set Drying Time.  XX=`00' sets the drying time "per scan" (per
      pass?); XX=`01' sets the drying time per page. DT indicates the
      drying time, which is in seconds if page mode is used and in
      milliseconds if scan mode is used.  DT must not exceed 3600
      seconds in per-page mode and 10000 milliseconds in per-scan mode.
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* IK BC=2 00 XX'
      Select Ink Type.  XX=`00' selects dye ink.  Pigment ink is
      apparently selected by XX=`01'.  This probably does not apply to
      the consumer-grade printers.
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* PZ BC=2 00 xx'
      Set Pause After Printing.  XX=`00' selects no pause after
      printing; XX=`01' selects pause after printing.  If turned on, the
      printer is paused after the page is ejected (by the FF byte).  If
      cutting is turned on, the printer is paused *after* the cutting or
      printing of the horizontal cut line.
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* EX BC=6 00 00 00 00 0x14 XX'
      Set Vertical Print Page Line Mode.  XX=`00' is off, XX=`01' is on.
      If turned on, this prints vertical trim lines at the left and
      right margins.
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* EX BC=6 00 00 00 00 0x05 XX'
      Set Roll Paper Mode.  If XX is `0', roll paper mode is off; if XX
      is `1', roll paper mode is on.
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* EX BC=3 00 XX YY'
      Appears to be a synonym for the `SN' command described above.
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* PH BC=2 00 XX'
      Select Paper Thickness.  Set the paper thickness XX in .1 mm
      units.  This must not exceed 0x10 (1.6 mm).  If the thickness is
      set "more than" .6 mm (which probably means "at least" .6 mm,
      since the other case reads "less than 0.5 mm"), the platen gap is
      set high irrespective of the `SN' command.
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* PM BC=2 00 00'
      *Function unknown*. Used on the STC 3000 at least when using roll
      feed, and on the STP 870 in all print files analysed to date.
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* ST BC=2 00 XX'
      Epson's STP 750/1200 programming guide refers to the `ST' command
      as "Set printer state reply".  If XX is `0' or `2', the printer
      will not send status replies.  If XX is `1' or `3', the printer
      will send status replies.  The status replies consist of state,
      error codes, ink leve, firmware version, and warning status.
 
      The actual reply is documented as
 
           @BDC ST\r
           ST: xx;
           [ER: yy;]
           IQ: n1n2n3n4;
           [WR: w1,w2...;]
           RV: zz;
           AI:CW:02kkccmmyy, MI:mm
           [TC:tttt;]
           INK:...;
           \f
 
      (`\r' is carriage return; `\n' is newline; `\f' is formfeed.)
 
      `ST' is the printer status:
 
     `00'
           Error
 
     `01'
           Self-test
 
     `02'
           Busy
 
     `03'
           Waiting while printing
 
     `04'
           Idle
 
     `07'
           Cleaning/filling ink heads
 
     `08'
           Not yet initialized/filling heads
 
      `ER', if provided, is the error status:
 
     `00'
           Fatal error
 
     `01'
           Interface not selected
 
     `04'
           Paper jam
 
     `05'
           Out of ink
 
     `06'
           Paper out
 
      `IQ' is the amount of ink left, as a (decimal!) percentage
      expressed in hexadecimal.  The values are black, cyan, magenta, and
      yellow (presumably 6-color printers supply light cyan and light
      magenta inks as additional parameters).
 
      `WR', if provided, is the warning status:
 
     `10'
           Black ink low
 
     `11'
           Cyan
 
     `12'
           Magenta
 
     `13'
           Yellow
 
     `14'
           Light cyan (presumably)
 
     `15'
           Light magenta (presumably)
 
      `RV' is the firmware revision (one byte ASCII).
 
      `AI' is actuator information.  These are two byte ASCII codes that
      indicate "ink weight rank ID" of KCMY, respectively.
 
      `TC', if provided, is the total time of cleaning or ink filling
      (?).
 
      `INK:' and `MI' are *not documented*.
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* SM BC=2 00 XX'
      Set Status Reply Rate.  XX is the repeat interval in seconds.  If
      XX is `0', the status is returned only when the printer's state
      changes.
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* ST BC=1 01'
      Reply Printer Status.  The reply is formatted as
 
           @BDC PS\r\nST:XX;\f
 
      (`\r' is carriage return; `\n' is newline; `\f' is formfeed).  If
      XX (the reply value) is `0' or `2', automatic status update is
      disabled; if `1' or `3', it is enabled.
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* SM BC=1 01'
      Reply Printer Status Rate.  The reply is formatted as
 
           @BDC PS\r\nST:xx;\f
 
      (`\r' is carriage return; `\n' is newline; `\f' is formfeed).  See
      `SM BC=2' above for the meaning of the return value.
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* ?? BC=XX Y[1] ... Y[xx]'
      Echo Parameters (perhaps better described as Echo Commands).  The
      command string is executed (it would appear from the
      documentation), and the string sent is returned using a sequence
      similar to that described in the `ST BC=1' and `SM BC=1' commands.
      Note that in this case the number of bytes is variable!
 
  - ESC/P2 remote command: `* SM BC=2 00 02'
      *Function unknown*.  Used on the STC 3000 at least when using roll
      feed.
 
Info Catalog (gimpprint.info.gz) ESC/P2 Standard Commands (gimpprint.info.gz) ESC/P2 (gimpprint.info.gz) ESC/P2 Appropriate Remote Commands
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