Apple II Dot Matrix printer churns out rubbish

It could be the settings on the card do match the settings on the printer. Witch card are you using? What program are you trying to print from?

Since you have the manual for the Printer, I would start at the lowest speed baud rate and move it up one speed at a time to see if that worked. The Apple Dot Matrix printer is before the Imaga Writer. So I do not think there is 2 blocks of dip switches?

Take Care

Hi thanks for your reply!
I am using a "Aristocard Centronics interface" apparently made by "Simon Computer Limited", and I have tried to print from the printer demo disk that is included with the printer.
The printer does have two banks of DIP switches, but the manual gives no indication on how to change the speed with them

Regards
Tom

I would supect that with 2 banks of dip switches. It is like the Apple Image Writer printer. That is the first bank is the one you want to look at. They may even work the same way.
So I would right down the way both banks are now before you try and play with them.
Then I would search for dip switch setting Apple printers.

This might help.

http://faqs.org/faqs/apple2/faq/part18/

http://www.nefec.org/UPM/printers/mapiw2.htm

Take Care

I have had some trouble with my Apple Dot Matrix
Printer. It has begun printing the European "L"
for 'pound' instead of the "#" character. Nothing
was ever done to disturb the setup either physically
or electronically. I think that the 'firmware' chip
might be going bad in it.

Wish there was a way to correct this problem as I
use the "#" for numbering.

Hi
Thanks for the replies both of you!
I think that firmware is probably most likely the case too, I have tried the dip switch alterations (as mentioned by Twilight_Rodent) but no matter what I have tried it does the same.

Shame really, but this stuff can't be expected to last forever I suppose...

Thanks,
Tom

Sometimes the software can cause this. But only with that piece of software.
On the IIgs some software, can actually change the settings in the control pannel to a different language, french which is a bit different.
This can be using a certain game. You have to go back in the control pannel and change it back.

Take Care

Printer cards for the Apple II are cheap. $5-10. I have some, but have a few other people to get things out to.

Take Care

When you print out something, does the "rubbish" seem to have a relationship to what you're printing? (IE, if you print the alphabet, do you get 26 different characters which are internally consistant, or just a streak of garbage? If you print an "A" is it always the same "other character"?)

If so, your problem could be a broken wire in your cable. (or a damaged interface plug or card, of course, but a cable's easier.) A broken wire or bad connection can mean that one of the 8 parallel bits gets stuck in a "0" position, which depending on which bit it is can mean you get, for instance, punctuation and numbers instead of letters.

And, yeah, I had this happen to me once with my TRS-80 Model I.

--Peace

Eudi;

In my case the "rubbish" does correspond with
a particular character (see previous posts). I
will try (again) to clean all connections. My
particualr problem cropped up all by itself and
so far has only involved that one particular
character. (This is why I think it's a Firmware
situation)

Thanks anyway, and I'm gonna try again (cussability
factor with this has risen to 7 on a 10-scale).