DOS Compatibility Card: Printing is Slow in MS-DOS

I have the DOS Compatibility Card for the Power Macintosh 6100 connected using Ethernet to a LaserWriter Pro 630. When I am printing from within any Windows applications, it prints without any problems. However, when I use MS-DOS applications, specifically FoxPro, it is extremely slow printing. It can take up to 10 minutes for something I send to the printer to start printing. I have changed settings in the Macintosh PC Spooler application from PCL to Epson emulation, but that has not increased the printing speed.

I am also concerned about the typeface used when printing from MS-DOS applications. The font looks like Geneva, and I need the font to be in a mono-spaced font like courier. How can I change this?
There are two possible solutions to increase the speed; connect the LaserWriter Pro 630 directly to the DOS Compatibility Card using a custom serial cable, or print from MS-DOS using a utility from LaserTools. Printing from MS-DOS to the LaserWriter Pro 630 over a network can be extremely slow.


Hardware Configuration
======================

In order to print to a LaserWriter 630 connected to the DOS Compatibility Card, a serial cable like the one below needs to be built.

Cable Pinouts No Handshaking
----------------------------

      DB9                     Din-8
(LaserWriter Pro 630)       (Macintosh)
---------------------       -----------

  DCD 1----|
  DTR 4----|--------------------|----1 HSKo (DTR)
  RTS 7----|                    |----2 HSKi (CTS)
  CTS 8----|
     TxD 3------------------------5 RxD-
     RxD 2------------------------3 TxD-
 SIG GND 5----------------------|----4 SIG GND
                                |----7 GPi
     DSR 6 - No Connection
     RI  9 - No Connection

This cable is a straight through connection without handshaking. Pins 1,4,7, and 8 on the DB9 are connected to pins 1 and 2 on the Din-8. Pin 5 on the DB9 is connected to both pins 4 and 7 on the Din-8. On this cable everything is grounded except for transmit and receive. The HSKo and HSKi on the Macintosh are not used, so a more straight forward cable like the one below can be used instead.

Alternate Cable Pinouts
-----------------------

      DB9                      Din-8
      ---                      -----
DCD     1 No Connection           1  HSKo (DTR) No Connection
DTR     4 No Connection           2  HSKi (CTS) No Connection
RTS     7 No Connection
CTS     8 No Connection
TxD     3-------------------------5  RxD-
RxD     2-------------------------3  TxD-
SIG GND 5 No Connection           4  SIG GND  No Connection
DSR     6 No Connection           7  GPi      No Connection
RI      9 No Connection


Both of these cables work in Windows and MS-DOS. You can use these cables in
Windows at either 19,200 or 9600 baud. However, you can only use 9600 baud when you are using MS-DOS.


Software Configuration
======================

Once the LaserWriter Pro 630 is connected to the Macintosh, you need to configure the printer port in the Macintosh OS as: COM1 for MS-DOS and Windows. Here is how to configure the printer port.

Mac Control Panel PC Setup
--------------------------
Printing From Windows
---------------------

Printing in MS-DOS Using Printer Control Panel
==============================================

The best option printing in MS-DOS is to use a printer mode switching utility from LaserTools. The Printer Control Panel software was licensed and originally included in specific LaserWriters for Windows products. In LaserWriter printers not specifically marketed as Windows printers, this software was not included. If your LaserWriter Pro 630 did not come with the Printer Control Panel software, you need to purchase a copy of it.

The product is a TSR (terminate and stay resident) called Printer Control Panel and works for both DOS and Windows environments.  It supports the LaserWriter Pro 600 and 630, Personal LaserWriter NTR, and the LaserWriter Select 310.

The product checks all print jobs from the PC and downloads the appropriate emulation switching PostScript commands to the printer.  Thus, the "automatic" emulation switching takes place at the PC-level and not at the LaserWriter, since the LaserWriter cannot automatically sense the type of jobs coming in.
Published Date: Feb 19, 2012