AIX

Hi,

I am new to printing with Unix (AIX on HP).

I am printing from a COBOL program.

On our test system the page prints and does a Form Feed to the next page. This is good.

When I release the program to our customer it prints the page but waits 5 or more seconds before doing a page throw. They say the the final FF delay is unacceptable.


Any ideas where to start? I have experimented with SEQUENTIAL and LINE SEQUENTIAL files but I feel that it is a configuration issue (BSD queue).

Name of queue qrintronix
ACTIVATE the queue? yes +
Queuing DISCIPLINE first come first serve +
ACCOUNTING FILE pathname [FALSE] /
HOSTNAME of remote server [printronix]
Name of QUEUE on remote server [d1prn]
Pathname of the SHORT FORM FILTER for queue [/usr/lib/lpd/bsdshort] +/
status output
Pathname of the LONG FORM FILTER for queue [/usr/lib/lpd/bsdlong] +/
status output

Regards,
Andrew

Have you tried adding a form feed just before closing the print file. Test if doing this will cause the printer to immediately do a form feed, and then not add its own form feed when it (the printer) finally realizes there is no more data coming and goes to top of form.

Thanks for that. I just tried it (WRITE NOTE-PRN-REC BEFORE ADVANCING PAGE) and it gives me the required form feed immediately - but then it throws another (unwanted) page...

Regards,
Andrew

Are you printing one page at a time (invoice/packing slip/etc)? Is there a tear off function on the printer? If you tear off the printed form, and press the top of form button on the printer, does the printer suck the unprinted form back so that no forms are actually wasted. And is this behavior different than the test printer that you used?

Jack

Hi Jack,
This is a Delivery Note print program. Sometimes one Delivery Note (running to 1 or more pages) is printed, sometimes many Notes (many spool files with around 1-5 pages each) are printed. The printer (a Printronix PSA3) does not suck unprinted forms back. The development printer and customer printer are the same model.

Regards,
Andrew

Since the print method is LPR/LPD is it possible to print on the production printer from the test cpu and on the test printer from the production cpu?
Is there a way to stop the printing from starting until the file is completely received by the printer. In other words bury the 5 seconds in the beginning of the print job.

Thanks for your advice. I am not sure how to do that at the moment. I think I will now try to get a queue set up in my office that exactly mimics the customer's queue. If I can reproduce the problem I may be able to spot the difference(s) between the queue configurations. If not, I will follow up your suggestion. Many thanks.