PCL command hiearchy?

[Sweaver99]

I'm having a small issue I hope someone can point me in the right direction. I have a pcl file that needs to be duplexed and pull paper from 2 trays. The file came in simplex and with no paper source commands. I have written a script that adds the calls needed to do both. The problem is when I test 1 call seems to cancel the other out. If I get the duplex working then it wont pull paper from both trays. If I get the paper to pull from both trays it won't duplex. Perhaps I am putting the calls out of order? I have searched and can't find a hiearchy list of pcl5 commands. Can anyone point me to such a list?

What I am doing is turning on Duplex in the pcl header before page 1 using: hex '1B266C3153'. Then on each page I have:
Form Feed, Paper Source (page1 pulls from lower tray) hex '1B266C3448' (all other pages pull from Aux tray) hex '1B266C3548'. Next I send the page side commands as needed. For front side printing hex '1B26613147' and for back side I send print next side hex '1B26613047'.........are these calls out of order? Each works without the other call so I think the calls are correct. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[DansDadUK]

There is no STRICT hierarchy as such, but some sequences do affect others. Would need to see your examples in more detail to offer further advice.

One point which may (or not) be relevant: although <FormFeed> (0x0c) followed by a duplex page side selection sequence (e.g. <esc>&a0G (0x1b26613047)) is OK on most devices (provided there are no 'page-marking' sequences
in between), on some devices (which don't strictly follow the PCL specification) this might result in extra page throws, giving the impression of simplex.

 

[Sweaver99]

Well I've gone thru the manual several times and its not much help. The call to turn on duplex and to print front side or next side are there. And so is the call to pull from diffrent trays. What's missing is how to group these together so one does not turn off the other. When used together I get paper pulled from the diffrent tray but no duplexing.

I know both calls work as I have tested them without the other. I have removed the FF's as you stated above will give that a go. It's such a trivial issue but its holding up production.

 

[DansDadUK]

As stated before, we would need to see your example file in more detail to offer further advice.

Just post an example here using ASCII representation, showing escape characters as <esc>; e.g.:

<esc>E
<esc>&u600D
etc.

Show from the start, and show sufficient to get to the point where it 'fails'.

Have you tried it on a different model of printer? The HP ones generally follow the PCL specification (as you would expect, HP having created the language).

But there are some printers out there (e.g. some Konica-Minolta models) which (by design or accident) only action the 'set duplex' if it is right at the start of the stream; any subsequent sequences to change this (e.g. to switch from simplex to duplex) are ignored.

 

[Sweaver99]

This is the top of the PCL header

This is the top of page 1

This is just 1 example..I've tried writing the calls in every order I can think of....seperate they work...but together I lose duplexing.

 

[Sweaver99]

Some progress in 2 test files did get tray pulls and some duplexing together. It was sporadic and never on the 1st page of a multi page document. Since page 1 prints from a diffrent tray I was thinking perhaps a tray issue. But I was told duplexing is available on all of the trays. I will post sections of the partial working file soon. Perhaps someone can see something I missed...

 

[Sweaver99]

I forogt to mention I also print a banner page before the first document. This page prints simplex. So I moved the duplex call below this page and added a simplex call above it...and everything works now!