Customization › TCP/IP PrintDirect › PJL5 PrintDirect Driver

PJL5 PrintDirect Driver

Some HP LaserJet-compatible printers support PJL status read-back from the printer to the host. This support can be used to query the printer configuration and printer status information, and to receive unsolicited printer and print job status information. This bi-directional PJL support is utilized to implement the CA Spool TCP/IP PrintDirect support.

Activate this PJL status read-back support by specifying TCPDRIV=PJL5 on the printer node definition; this does the following:

1. Performs the same functions as the LPR PJL4 print driver support.
2. Before the ESFU010X start separator page exit call, 'PJL USTATUS' commands are sent to allow the printer to send unsolicited device, job, and page status messages. The initial status of the printer device is obtained from the printer.
3. During the sending of the data file, only 5 - 10 pages at a time are sent to the printer to avoid overloading the printer buffer; the following events are also occurring:
   • Each time a physical page is completed, the count of pages printed is updated for display on the Menu system Printer panel.
   • Each time the number of pages specified by the printer node CKPTPGS parameter has been physically printed, the file print status is checkpointed.
   • If a PJL unsolicited printer device attendance message is received from the printer, it is written to the ESFLOG and saved so that it can be displayed on the Menu System Printer panel.
   • If a printer device attendance message indicates operator intervention, the printer status is changed to Intervention Required; printing is halted until the intervention has been cleared or until the printer times out.
   • If a restart, forward-space, or backspace printer command is received, the printing is interrupted and restarted at the requested page in the file.
4. After the file has been printed and after the ESFU010X end separator page exit call, a 'PJL USTATUSOFF' command is sent to turn off all unsolicited status messages.

Note the following:

• Printer responses to PJL DINQUIRE, INQUIRE, and INFO commands, can be saved as a TCP/IP trace file, as a PJL trace file, or as a PJL Info file. The PJL Info file is not opened until the first DINQUIRE, INQUIRE, or INFO response is received.

  To obtain information about the type of printer used, the amount of memory available, and the number of pages printed by the print engine, specify printer node TCPDRIV=PJL5I. For example, when FORM=INFO is a file attribute, you can use the PJL resource member FORMINFO to query the printer, as follows:

  @PJL INFO ID
  

  @PJL INFO MEMORY
  

  @PJL PAGECOUNT
  

• The INFTRACE spool file resulting from using the previously mentioned FORMINFO PJL resource with an HP LaserJet 4 printer is as follows:

  Printer: HP69File:1995Name: SUBSPJL4

  @PJL INFO ID
  

  "LASERJET 4"
  

  @PJL INFO MEMORY
  

  TOTAL=1445960
  

  LARGEST=1418556
  

  @PJL INFO PAGECOUNT
  

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