MiniDriver Data Dialog Box

Select MiniDriver Data from the Printer Data menu to use the MiniDriver Data dialog box to specify a GPC specification version number, a minidriver version number, the horizontal and vertical master units, the printer’s technology, and the absence or presence of a private help file as needed.

Major Revision (GPC Specification Version Number)

Major Revision contains the version number of the GPC specification that applies to the minidriver. The GPC specification refers to the format of data resources contained in the minidriver. For current minidrivers, including the Diconix 150 Plus and the HP LaserJet IIP, the version number is 3.

Minor Revision (Minidriver Version Number)

Minor Revision contains the version number of the minidriver. This value can be any integer between 0 and 255.

If the driver is installed, changing this value and rebuilding the minidriver causes RasDD to rebuild the driver’s font-summary file. Unitool builds a font-summary file for each printer that can download soft fonts using a font installer (as with the HP LaserJets and HP DeskJets). The font-summary file contains a list of fonts currently available for a particular printer model, including the internal and downloadable fonts.

Diconix 150 Plus: Use 1 for the first version of the minidriver.

HP LaserJet IIP: Use 41 for the forty-first version of the minidriver.

X Master Units

X Master Units specifies the horizontal master unit, which is the least-common multiple of the selected horizontal cursor-movement command and the supported graphics resolutions.

For the Diconix printer, the horizontal master unit is 960 dpi (dots per inch). This value is the least-common multiple of the following graphics and cursor-movement resolutions:

·80-dpi  (normal/expanded-mode graphics)

·160-dpi  (normal/expanded-mode graphics)

·320-dpi  (normal/expanded-mode graphics)

·12-cpi  (default font-character width)

A minidriver typically supports three graphics resolutions: low, medium, and high. For the Diconix printer, there are four horizontal graphics resolutions: 80, 96, 160, and 320. 96 dpi is not used because the resolution does not factor evenly into any of the others, but the remaining three values (80, 160, and 320) support horizontal graphics resolutions. For the HP LaserJet IIP printer, each of the supported graphics resolutions (75, 150, and 300) factor evenly into the specified least-common multiple of 300.

Many dot-matrix and laser printers support commands that move the printhead or cursor horizontally across the page. For the dot-matrix printers that do not, RasDD uses the space character from the narrowest printer font to move the printhead or cursor horizontally across the page. For more information, see Control Information.

Because Diconix printer falls into the latter category, the space character from the narrowest printer font (12 pitch font) is selected as the horizontal space command. This means the resolution of the horizontal cursor-movement command for the Diconix printer is 1/12th of an inch.

Diconix 150 Plus: Use 960.

HP LaserJet IIP: Use 300.

Y Master Units

Y Master Units specifies the vertical master unit. This value is the least-common multiple for the line spacing command and the vertical resolution for graphics output.

For the Diconix printer, the vertical master unit is 576 dpi. This value is the least common multiple of the following line spacing and graphics resolutions:

·1/288-inch (line spacing)

·1/96-inch (normal-mode graphics)

A minidriver for a dot-matrix printer typically supports three graphics resolutions: low, medium, and high. For the Diconix printer, there are only two vertical graphics resolutions. When possible, select the lower resolution (96 dpi). The higher resolution requires the factory settings to be altered and results in slower printer (requires interlaced graphic output in the y-direction). Minidrivers ideally support the default switch settings for printer, although this is not always possible.

The Diconix printer supports six line-spacing commands that provide the following vertical resolutions:

·1/8-inch (line spacing)

·7/72-inch (line spacing)

·7/96-inch (line spacing)

·1/6-inch (line spacing)

·n/216-inch (line spacing)

·n/288-inch (line spacing)

Of these resolutions, the finest (288 dpi) was chosen for the Diconix.

Diconix 150 Plus: Use 576. This is the least common multiple of the 1/288 inch Line Spacing command and the 1/96 inch vertical graphics resolution.

HP LaserJet IIP: Use 300.

For the HP LaserJet IIP, the resolution for the line-spacing command and the vertical resolution for graphics output are equivalent at 300 dpi (the aspect ration is 1:1).

Note A printer’s aspect ratio is the ratio formed by the x- and the y-printer resolution values. For many printers, the aspect ratio is 1. For example, the HP LaserJet IIP supports a 300 dpi resolution in both the vertical and horizontal directions. For the Diconix printer, the aspect ratio is 3.333 (320/96) for the highest resolution. To produce the highest quality, avoid using aspect ratios greater than 2.

Update References

Update References indicates whether Unitool is to update each of the measurement values (graphics resolutions, paper sizes, unpintable-region dimensions, line-feed values, and so on) that are specified in master units, in each of the related data structures. Check this control and click OK for UniTool to update all measurements. If left blank, UniTool leaves the original measurement values. If some of the measurements do not factor evenly into the new master units and the Update References box is checked, UniTool issues an error message that identifies the faulty value.

fTechnology (Printer Technology)

fTechnology contains a list of values that identify device technologies used by the printer:

Select the value from the list that corresponds to the device technology for your printer.

Diconix 150 Plus: The GPC_TECH_PCL4 box is not checked.

HP LaserJet IIP: The GPC_TECH_PCL4 box is checked.

fGeneral

(Not supported; no boxes should be checked.)