[NFBCS] VersaPoint Duo Braille printers

[Tracy Carcione]

I have a printer attached using a USB to serial cable, and it's very
particular about what port the cable is plugged into.  It will not work
plugged into a USB hub, but will work if I unplug the hub and put the cable
in that port.  Drove me nuts, finding the port it wanted to use.
Tracy


-----Original Message-----
From: NFBCS [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Brian Buhrow via
NFBCS
Sent: Thursday, August 19, 2021 6:04 PM
To: NFB in Computer Science Mailing List
Cc: Brian Buhrow; Jim Barbour
Subject: Re: [NFBCS] VersaPoint Duo Braille printers

	hello.  If you can produce brf files, you can make it emboss.  that
is to say, you don't
need Duxbury.  I, for example, use an ancient copy of nfbtrans to produce
braille copy, which
works fine, but doesn't produce UEB.

	But, even more simply, a simple ASCII file with a line or two in it
will tell you if you
can get the thing working.   It will emboss ASCII into grade I braille.  
Suggested steps:

1.  Attach USB->serial cable to computer and printer.  

2.  Turn the printer on and make it produce a configuration page, or talk
you through the
configuration.  

3.   Look at the communications settings for the printer, including whether
it expects data on
its serial port, its parallel port or something else.  If it is expecting
data on its serial
port, check to see what the port settings are set to.  I'd expect,
9600,n,8,1, i.e. 9600 baud,
no parity, 8 bits data and 1 stop bit.

4.  Find a program that will copy a file to the serial port on your computer
and feed your
ASCII file into that.  If you're testing with linux, use stty to set the
serial parameters of
the port you're using, then use cat to send your test file to the printer.
( To make the
serial port settings stick between opens, use stty -a < /dev/serialport,
which should cause
stty to set the port on its standard input and, I think, tell the OS to hold
those settings
even after it closes the file.  You may need to read the serial port driver
man page on linux
to get this exactly right.

5.  If you can walk through the printer's configuration settings and you
have some braille
paper, get it to produce a full copy of its settings on paper, so you can
check things like
whether it's set to print double sided, single sided, what its line and page
lengths are, etc.

When you get the computer talking to it, I suggest ASCII files that test the
dot patterns so
make sure all dots are working.

For example, a line of = signs, to test the 6 dot pattern.  
A line of "c"'s to te dots 1 and 4, a line of "3"s, to test dots 2 and 5,
etc.  

Hope that helps.
-Brian

On Aug 19,  2:22pm, Jim Barbour via NFBCS wrote:
} Subject: [NFBCS] VersaPoint Duo Braille printers
} Hey All,
} 
} I have inherited a VersaPoint Duo with speech interleaving Braille
embosser
} 
} It was purchased in the early 2000s.
} 
} To start getting it working, it looks like I'll need a serial to USB
adapter, drivers from somewhere and Duxbury.
} 
} My ultimate goal is to sell it.
} 
} Anybody have any advise for me?  Anybody know who the vendor was for this
product?  Google says everything from Freedom to Enabling to Humanware.
} 
} To help inspire replies, I'd love to hear something like one of these.
} 
} * John Smith knows all about these printers.
} 
} * I tried to get that printer working a few years ago, and it totally
wasn't worth it.
} 
} * I refurbish these all the time, hit me up and I may be willing to take
it off your hands
} 
} * I have this printer and it does work.  Not sure what it would take to
get the one you have up and running.
} 
} Any other replies are also welcome.
} 
} With all my thanks!
} 
} Jim
} 
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>-- End of excerpt from Jim Barbour via NFBCS



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