# HP DECprint Supervisor (DCPS) for OpenVMS
Release Notes

Previous | Contents

# Chapter 2
Printer-Specific Information

This chapter provides information about using DCPS with specific printers. The System Manager's GuideSystem Manager's Guide and User's GuideUser's Guide contain additional printer-specific information.

# 2.1 Printer Firmware

Your printer's firmware version is displayed as "Firmware Datecode" on the printed configuration page, the printer's web page and the WebJetAdmin printer management utility.

Printer firmware and instructions for downloading it to your printer can be obtained from the HP web page. Choose Printing and Multifunction and then Support and Drivers.

## 2.1.1 Printers Fail with Service Error

When printing certain PostScript files, some HP printers fail with a 49.4C02 service error. This problem has been fixed in printer firmware. Table 2-1 shows which printers have this problem and in which firmware version the problem is fixed. Your printer must be running this version of firmware at a minimum to avoid this problem.

Table 2-1 Firmware with Service Error Fix
Printer | Firmware Version
--- | ---
HP Color LaserJet 4650 | 20050524 07.003.3
HP Color LaserJet 5550 | 20050524 07.007.3
HP LaserJet 4250 | 20050831 08.009.3
HP LaserJet 4350 | 20050831 08.009.3
HP LaserJet 9050 | 20050617 08.102.2
HP LaserJet 9055 MFP | 20050601 07.004.0
HP LaserJet 9065 MFP | 20050601 07.004.0

## 2.1.2 Problems Starting Queues

Some HP printers do not respond to the DCPS synchronization request at the beginning of a job. Therefore, you must upgrade the printer's firmware to at least the version shown in Table 2-2 or define the logical name DCPS$queue-name_NO_SYNC before queues to these printers are started, or DCPS jobs will not start. See Section 3.3 in these Release Notes or the System Manager's GuideSystem Manager's Guide for more information.

It is also recommended that the printer's personality setting be set to PS (PostScript). Setting the printer's personality to PS (PostScript) alone will not solve the problem for these printers. This problem is resolved in the following versions of printer firmware:

Table 2-2 Minimum Recommended Firmware
Printer | Firmware
--- | ---
HP Color LaserJet 5500 | 20030605 04.016.2
HP LaserJet 2300 | 20030530 04.047.2
HP LaserJet 4200 | 20030530 04.016.1
HP LaserJet 4300 | 20030530 04.016.1

This restriction is still in effect for the HP Color LaserJet 2500 printer.

# Chapter 3
DCPS Restrictions

This chapter identifies the current restrictions that exist with DCPS. See the System Manager's GuideSystem Manager's Guide and User's GuideUser's Guide for printer-specific restrictions.

# 3.1 AppleTalk on OpenVMS V8.2 and Later Systems

One of the network protocols used by DCPS is AppleTalk, provided on OpenVMS Alpha and VAX systems by the layered product PATHWORKS for OpenVMS (Macintosh). Although this product is retired and no longer supported, DCPS has continued to work with AppleTalk queues.

However, changes made to OpenVMS in V8.2 prevent the AppleTalk protocol from being started. Therefore, DCPS does not work with AppleTalk queues starting with OpenVMS V8.2.

Starting a DCPS queue that executes on an OpenVMS V8.2 and later system will fail with the following operator message:

        %DCPS-F-CANNOTSTART, cannot start queue queue_name
        %DCPS-F-TRANSPORTNOTSUP, transport not supported - AppleTalk
        %SYSTEM-F-IVPARAM, invalid parameter specified

To avoid this problem in an OpenVMS cluster, change the node on which the queue executes to one running an OpenVMS version earlier than V8.2, if possible.

# 3.2 Printers with Auto-Sensing Features

Many printers can sense the data type of a print job. Such printers allow you to specify how and whether the auto-sensing feature is enabled, per interconnect channel, through the front panel or printer management software.

For most printers that offer this feature, the DCPS software works properly when the printer is set to "PostScript" mode or to "Auto-Sensing" mode. You must set such printers to operate in one of these modes before starting the DCPS queues. The DCPS software does not operate properly if the printer is set to "PCL" mode.

See Chapter 2 and the System Manager's GuideSystem Manager's Guide for additional information.

# 3.3 Job Remains in Starting State for Raw TCP/IP or LAT Queue

Most printers respond to the PostScript synchronization command at the beginning of a DCPS job, but some do not. If all jobs to a queue remain in the Starting state, you may need to take one of the following steps:

- Change Printer Language Setting
  Often, setting the printer's language-sensing mode to PostScript, instead of auto-sensing between PostScript and PCL, will solve the problem. Refer to your printer documentation for instructions on changing the language for the appropriate port. This is the preferred method for avoiding the problem.
- Define NO_SYNC Logical Name
  If the problem is not solved by changing the printer setting, you can tell DCPS to skip the PostScript synchronization command by defining the logical name DCPS$queue-name_NO_SYNC and restarting the queue. This works with printers that use Raw TCP/IP or LAT connections on built-in Network Interface Cards (NICs). It has no effect when using printers connected with other interconnects.

# 3.4 Job Remains in Starting State for Raw TCP/IP Queue

If you set up a DCPS queue that uses a Raw TCP/IP connection and specify an incorrect TCP port number for the printer, any print jobs that you submit to the queue will remain in a starting state. DCPS cannot determine that you have provided an incorrect port number, because the network failure that it receives is no different than if the printer had been busy or offline.

Note that a print job in a Raw TCP/IP queue may remain in a starting state for other reasons as well.

Check the documentation for your printer, network interface card, print server, or terminal server to determine the correct TCP port number to use. The TCP port number may also be listed in Table A-1.

# 3.5 Connection Terminations for Raw TCP/IP Queue

You may get CONTERMINATED errors for long print jobs when using Raw TCP/IP connections, especially with printers that have large memory or disks for spooling data, such as the HP Color LaserJet 9500 and LaserJet 9055 MFP and 9065 MFP printers.

For jobs that consist of a single file or that only use the native PostScript capability of the printer, these errors are most likely to occur at the end of the job, with job trailer pages (if specified) and print job accounting (if enabled) being lost. For other jobs, these errors may occur in the middle of the job, with subsequent documents as well as the trailer pages and accounting information being lost. DCPS requeues the terminated jobs, placing them in a Holding state so that you can reprint them once you resolve the termination problem.

Some network devices, including HP JetDirect cards, drop a TCP/IP connection if they do not receive any input from the host system within a specified amount of time. This is a feature meant to prevent host software from monopolizing the device. DCPS, however, waits for the printer to acknowledge that previous documents are printed before switching from PostScript to some other native printer language and also before printing a trailer page and gathering accounting information. Even though the printer may be busy, the NIC may not receive any more input from DCPS before the timeout is reached.

If your NIC allows you to alter the TCP/IP idle timeout value, you can work around this problem by disabling or increasing the timeout. Check your NIC documentation to determine if and how this is possible. (Recent HP printers call this setting the TCP/IP "idle timeout".) Then release any requeued jobs for which desired output was lost, and delete the other requeued jobs.

Note that it is the length of a job in time (versus size) that is important. For example, a small PostScript program can take a long time to print. Therefore, it is difficult to predict how large a timeout is adequate.

# 3.6 NOT_READY Warnings for Unavailable Raw TCP/IP Printer

If a job is queued to a printer that uses a Raw TCP/IP connection, and the printer is busy or offline, you will get NOT_READY warning messages for the printer.

If you believe or determine that the printer is busy, you can ignore these messages. DCPS cannot differentiate between the printer being busy, offline or otherwise unavailable.

# 3.7 Translators Do Not Generate Color PostScript

The translators provided with DCPS (for example, ReGIS) do not generate color PostScript commands, even if your source file contains color information. The colors are instead translated to various shades of gray.

# 3.8 Job Trailer Page Jogs with PostScript Level 2 Printers

When job jogging is enabled on PostScript Level 2 printers, jogging occurs between the body of a job and its trailer page (if any).

# 3.9 Unable to Perform ANSI Tray Selection for Certain Printers

An attempt to print an ANSI file containing a tray selection escape sequence might fail, depending on which printer you are using. If so, the job might abort with a PostScript configuration error, with the offending command being "setpapertray".

Also, some printers, such as the Compaq Laser Printer LN16 and GENICOM microLaser 170, have input trays with PostScript tray numbers of 0. The ANSI escape sequence DECASFC is used to select trays, but a value of 0 means "no tray change" and selecting tray 0 is therefore not possible. For example, an ANSI escape sequence of

        <CSI>0!v

does not select tray 0, but rather indicates no change of tray.

A workaround to this problem is to create and subsequently invoke a setup module that redefines the settoptray, setbottomtray, setlcittray and setmanualfeedtray PostScript commands within the TRN$XLATE_DICT dictionary.

For example, for a Compaq Laser Printer LN16, DIGITAL Laser Printer LN15 or LN15+, or GENICOM microLaser 170, you should create a setup module that contains the following definitions for settoptray, setbottomtray and setmanualfeedtray:

        TRN$XLATE_DICT begin
          /settoptray        { statusdict begin 0 setpapertray end } def
          /setbottomtray     { statusdict begin 1 setpapertray end } def
          /setmanualfeedtray { statusdict begin 3 setpapertray end } def
        end

For an HP LaserJet 4M Plus, you should create a setup module that contains:

        TRN$XLATE_DICT begin
          /settoptray    { statusdict begin 3 setpapertray end } def
          /setbottomtray { statusdict begin 0 setpapertray end } def
          /setlcittray   { statusdict begin 1 setpapertray end } def
        end

PostScript tray numbers are documented in the User's GuideUser's Guide.

# 3.10 Some Printers Do Not Send Status Messages to the Host

Because of their internal architecture, some PostScript printers report status information only to the printer console and not to the host system with which they are communicating. As a result, DCPS is not aware of some status conditions (for example, paper out, paper jam, page too complex and cover open) and cannot report them to you. Instead, the DCPS queue will enter the Stalled state if DCPS subsequently attempts to communicate with the printer. This subsequent attempt may come during the same job that first experienced the problem or in a later one.

The following is a list of some of the printers which exhibit this behavior:

> - DEClaser 5100 printer
> - LN17ps printer
> - some HP LaserJet III and IV printers (but not the HP LaserJet III with the HP PostScript-Plus Level 2 cartridge or the HP LaserJet IIISi if jam recovery is disabled)

# 3.11 Printer Name Is Not Always Printed Correctly

When multinational characters are used in the PostScript "printername", the printer name printed on the bottom of separation pages may be printed in the wrong character set.

# 3.12 DDIF Printing Requires DECwindows Software or DECimage Application Services

To print DDIF encoded bitonal images, DCPS requires that either DECwindows software or Version 3.1 of DECimage Application Services (DAS) be installed on your system. DAS is only available on OpenVMS VAX systems.

# 3.13 Compatibility of NUMBER_UP and PostScript Drivers

PostScript files created with the LaserWriter 8.0 or 8.1.1 driver or the Adobe® 2.1.1 Windows® driver, in conjunction with the user application, may produce PostScript files that do not print as expected with NUMBER_UP greater than 1.

Symptoms include pages being clipped, printed outside of the NUMBER_UP page spots, or being improperly scaled.

# 3.14 LIST Translator Ignores PAGE_SIZE Parameter

The LIST translator ignores the PAGE_SIZE parameter when formatting pages. It creates pages with maximum content at a size adequate for both A (Letter) and A4 paper:

> PORTRAIT ORIENTATION: 80 columns, 70 lines
> LANDSCAPE ORIENTATION: 150 columns, 66 lines

It is still possible to use PAGE_SIZE and SHEET_SIZE parameters together to scale the logical page onto a different size sheet.

# 3.15 Embedded PJL Commands Discarded; Avoid Binary Mode

Drivers that create files for PJL printers, such as those for the DEClaser 5100 and the HP LaserJet IV family, include printer control commands in HP Printer Job Language (PJL). DCPS filters out and discards that data. Therefore, printer options selected by such drivers do not affect the print job.

When using these drivers, do NOT select binary mode. It will insert additional commands into the file that can cause incorrect behavior when printing via DCPS. The exact form of behavior depends on which printer is actually connected to the queue and whether or not the job passes through a DCPS translator.

# 3.16 Avoid STOP /QUEUE /RESET Usage for PrintServer Printer Which Is Rejecting Connections

If you issue a STOP /QUEUE /RESET command for a queue to a DIGITAL PrintServer printer while there is a job in the "Starting" state and while the printer is rejecting connections (because, for example, the PrintServer is powered off or is booting), the queue will stop. Occasionally the symbiont process will not terminate. Avoid issuing this command until the PrintServer printer becomes available. If the job is in the "Starting" state and also in the PrintServer printer's job queue, a STOP /QUEUE /RESET will execute correctly.

# 3.17 No Job Trailer Page on DELETE /ENTRY

If you issue a DELETE /ENTRY command when the printer is printing the job trailer page, it is possible to delete the printing of this page. Also, if you issue a DELETE /ENTRY command for a job printing on a PrintServer printer after all the data for the file is sent, it is possible that the job trailer page will not print.

# 3.18 Problems with PostScript Files When Printing with /COPIES

When you use the /COPIES qualifier with a PostScript file, DCPS surrounds each file with a PostScript "save" and "restore" to avoid exhausting virtual memory in the printer.

However, there are infrequent cases when the print job aborts with an invalid restore error message. If this occurs, use the /JOB_COUNT qualifier instead of /COPIES.

# 3.19 Problems Using PAGE_LIMIT with /JOB_COUNT

If you use the PAGE_LIMIT parameter with the /JOB_COUNT qualifier, you may get undesired results. In particular, if your intent is to suppress some initial pages of your job, DCPS will suppress them for the first copy of the job but print all pages of subsequent job copies. If your intent is to suppress some of the trailing pages of your job, DCPS will suppress them for the first copy of the job and omit subsequent job copies.

If you want multiple copies of your job with some pages suppressed, issue the PRINT command the desired number of times rather than using the /JOB_COUNT qualifier.

# 3.20 Setting I/O Buffers Too Small May Produce OPCOM Errors

If the size of the I/O buffers (set by the SYSGEN parameter MAXBUF) is too small, the print queue will be stopped and the following message will be displayed to OPCOM:

        %SYSTEM-E-EXQUOTA, process quota exceeded

If this error occurs, increase the value of the SYSGEN parameter MAXBUF.

Previous | Next | Contents