Serial Config help.

Perhaps this thread will help:

http://www.arduino.cc/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1243894373

Good luck! Salvador

I`d looked at that earlier today, and the parts I could make sense of don`t address the Start Bit issue, that`s why I was even wondering if it was possible?

Have you tried casting the variable as a double?

Here is my idea:

Given an AsciiChar Byte which Serial.read() has provided from the Console:

NewChar = AsciiChar|0x80;  // set the first bit high so you have the "Start Bit"

DoubleChar = (NewChar * 4) + 3;  // shift the bit pattern left 2 positions and

// set the two low order bits high for the "Stop bits"

If softwareserial cannot handle the double, then break it into two bytes

and send them one after the other using myserial.write.

// On the other hand it seems that

myserial.print(NewChar + 0xc0);  // might get the job done too.

// this +  is a string concatination. 

I`ll give both of those ideas a shot tomorrow

just out of curiosity however, does anyone know what Endian the arduino sends it`s serial data?

another quirk of this printer is that it has to be little endian to work  *sigh*

Additional info:

We cannot trust what we see on the Serial Monitor.  (reference here)

Instead of the last line in the code above; I recommend trying the following:

mySerial.write(((double(Serial.read()| 0x80)) *4)+3);

or

mySerial.write((((double(Serial.read()| 0x80)) *4)+3)* 0x0010);

A really complete ASCII chart can be found here.

Okay, I don't know if this will work for you or not; it is just my theory.

If it does not work out then feel free to say so after

reporting your Serial Monitor test inputs and outputs from the PXP-40.

A screen capture and a clear photo of the thermal paper would be ideal.

Always remember to "Stay Calm and Carry On."

ok, here`s what I have so far:

#include <NewSoftSerial.h>

NewSoftSerial Thermal(2,3); // RX TX. only TX used

void setup()

{

   Serial.begin(9600);

   Serial.println("Enter text to be printed:"); 

   // set the data rate for the SoftwareSerial port

   Thermal.begin(1200);

    // UCSR0C = B00100100; <--doesn`t change anything?

}

void loop()

{

   if (Thermal.available())

     Serial.write(Thermal.read());

   if (Serial.available())

   // Thermal.write((((double(Serial.read()| 0x80)) *4)+3)* 0x0010); <--won`t compile

   // Thermal.write(((double(Serial.read()|0x80))*4)+3); <--won`t compile

     Thermal.print(Serial.read()|0x80);

}

using the above, I get "393636" printed as a result of typing in "hello world".

using the line(s):

mySerial.write(((double(Serial.read()| 0x80)) *4)+3);

or

mySerial.write((((double(Serial.read()| 0x80)) *4)+3)* 0x0010);

I get:

/newsoftserial.h71: error: 'virtual void

newsoftserial::write(uint8_t)' is private

_7e2test:20: error: within this context

so really I have no way to test if this will work or not?

I`ll keep going though

If your IDE is version 1.0, don't include NewSoftwareSerial. It is already in the IDE. so just include SoftwareSerial.

I use version 22 for almost everything, version one only really gets used if I program an ATtiny85.

22 has all my collection of libs and hardware tweeks, I`m of the mind that if it aint broken, don`t fix it, so I stick with 22.

anyway, my lunch break is over, so I`m trying with Thermal.Print instead of Write, it will at least compile then.

results later

That is curious. I compiled those lines on Arduino 0023 and the platform is Duemillanova with no complaints.  Very curious indeed.

here is what I am using:

   if (Serial.available())

   {  

     Serial.write((((double(Serial.read()| 0x80)) *4)+3)* 0x0010);  

    // I am pretty sure the 0x0010 can be replaced with 8

     Serial.println (kount++);

   }

Most of the time it returns a weird "p"  but each character output is on a new line with a number next to it.

Well, the time has come to step into the future with Arduino 1.0.

The thermal printer solution is here.  It uses a 'Modern' Thermal Printer.

this is what I`m using currently that will compile:

#include <NewSoftSerial.h>

NewSoftSerial Thermal(2,3); // RX TX. only TX used

void setup()

{

  Serial.begin(9600);

   Serial.println("Enter text to be printed:"); 

   Thermal.begin(1200);

     //UCSR0C = B00100100; //<--doesn`t change anything?

}

void loop()

{

   if (Serial.available())

    //Thermal.print((((double(Serial.read()| 0x80)) *4)+3)* 0x0010);

    Thermal.print(((double(Serial.read()|0x80))*4)+3);

   // Thermal.print(Serial.read()|0x80);

}

the results I get for the line "Thermal.print(((double(Serial.read()|0x80))*4)+3);" after typing in "hello world" are:

93.0099.009.009.009.0095.00555.0

for the line "Thermal.print((((double(Serial.read()| 0x80)) *4)+3)* 0x0010)" again with "hello world", i get:

96.00theta0.0055.00theta5536.0055.0060.000.0

and plain old "Thermal.print(Serial.read()|0x80);" gives me:

393636  again with "hello world"

I`m getting a LOT of banding now as well, old paper maybe?

as for the other thermal printer, I already have one of those that I use occasionally with my Seimens TC35 GSM module

My last suggestion is to put

Thermal.print(kount++);

inside the Loop()

just to see if you ever get anything intelligible.

and if you really want to push it make kount type double.

My last suggestion is to put

Thermal.print(kount++);

inside the Loop()

just to see if you ever get anything intelligible.

and if you really want to push it make kount type double.

OK, I`ll do that too

it`ll likely not be until the weekend though, and in the meantime I`m going to throw this problem OPEN and include PIC chip solutions too.

I use 16F877a and 18F4550, I think these could also be capable of such a task, perhaps?

meanwhile, i`m going to get some welding done on MINDI, I need a break from all this software stuff!

I would not know about the PICs but that brings a thought to mind about putting to use additional ICs like a serial to parallel for trouble shooting or solution implementation.  I seem to recall some chips that have the capability to generate more than 8 bits on their serial output pin.  So something with an I2c interface would be an cool option.  Of course the Arduino Uno can and does have the capability but apparently not under the control of SoftwareSerial unless our trick with using type double pays off. 

Wait a second; what software resources are applied when communicating over the I2C wires? Could the I2C packet be configured so that the Univeral receiver (PXP-40) is fooled into printing the desired characters?

N.B. You may want to put a little wait state in the Loop() to give that antique thermal printer enough time to figure out what to do with the bits it is getting.  It is possible that is its problem even now with the 'Hello World' string.

if I were to use other chips, i`d do it from scratch like I did before with a  1200CPS clock, a Binary counter to feed a 74150 and a 10 count RTS for next byte into the 150, the other code would be set with DIP switches.

parity would be parsed with an inverter on on the LSB (as anything Higher will be an even number anyway).

as for I2C I know very little to nothing about it yet, beyond a single temp sensor anyway