🚀 go-pugleaf

This file is a binary postscript file. You will need a postscript reader in
order to view the file contents.

"budgie" <budgie@nowhere.cantech.net.au> wrote in message
news:3d45381c.6612792@news.cantech.net.au...
> I have a file as per header, sent by colleague.  It was the only
> electronic output option he had, and it sounded great at the time.
>
> Problem is, I want it in soft form for digestion into something else -
> almost anything else in fact.  But the format baffles everything I
> have tried on it.  Obviously I can "copy file.prn lpt1:" at a DOS
> prompt, but that wasn't the objective.
>
> Can anyone suggest a redigestion route?
>
> TIA
>
> Peter

>This file is a binary postscript file. You will need a postscript reader in
>order to view the file contents.

... or try Acrobat Distiller to convert it to PDF...

Helmut
--
Brought to you by IBM PS/2 power

If its a true postscript file, it will be text, not binary.  That isnt to
say it will be readable, except by a postscript reader.  Ghostscript works
on almost any postscript files I have tried, certainly on files produced by
my old DOS version of Orcad.

--
--
Regards,

Adrian Jansen           adrianqjanqsen@oqzemail.com.au
Design Engineer         J & K Micro Systems
Microcomputer solutions for industrial control
Note reply address is invalid, remove q's from address above to reply.

budgie wrote in message <3d45381c.6612792@news.cantech.net.au>...
>I have a file as per header, sent by colleague.  It was the only
>electronic output option he had, and it sounded great at the time.
>
>Problem is, I want it in soft form for digestion into something else -
>almost anything else in fact.  But the format baffles everything I
>have tried on it.  Obviously I can "copy file.prn lpt1:" at a DOS
>prompt, but that wasn't the objective.
>
>Can anyone suggest a redigestion route?
>
>TIA
>
>Peter

Hello Pete,

Most .PRN files I have seen have been bit image files, never heard of
a "binary postscript file" . Postscript was something I worked with on
the KL-10, since then nothing. IIRC we had a postscript plotter in the
terminal room.

Rolie.

On Mon, 29 Jul 2002 17:12:36 +0100, "Adam Cox"
<adam.cox@uk.thalesdefence.com> wrote:

>This file is a binary postscript file. You will need a postscript reader in
>order to view the file contents.
>
>"budgie" <budgie@nowhere.cantech.net.au> wrote in message
>news:3d45381c.6612792@news.cantech.net.au...
>> I have a file as per header, sent by colleague.  It was the only
>> electronic output option he had, and it sounded great at the time.
>>
>> Problem is, I want it in soft form for digestion into something else -
>> almost anything else in fact.  But the format baffles everything I
>> have tried on it.  Obviously I can "copy file.prn lpt1:" at a DOS
>> prompt, but that wasn't the objective.
>>
>> Can anyone suggest a redigestion route?
>>
>> TIA
>>
>> Peter
>
>

aeolus

A .PRN file is just a Windows "print to file"-format file. It isn't
necessarily formatted as Postscript, depends on what printer was selected
when the print was done. A specific printer interface would be required to
read it.As the OP says, this is unsuitable for 'digestion' elsewhere.

Ken

<berdpee@ami.com.au> wrote in message
news:3d45ccd6.1974794@news.ami.com.au...
> Hello Pete,
>
> Most .PRN files I have seen have been bit image files, never heard of
> a "binary postscript file" . Postscript was something I worked with on
> the KL-10, since then nothing. IIRC we had a postscript plotter in the
> terminal room.
>
> Rolie.
>
> On Mon, 29 Jul 2002 17:12:36 +0100, "Adam Cox"
> <adam.cox@uk.thalesdefence.com> wrote:
>
> >This file is a binary postscript file. You will need a postscript reader
in
> >order to view the file contents.
> >
> >"budgie" <budgie@nowhere.cantech.net.au> wrote in message
> >news:3d45381c.6612792@news.cantech.net.au...
> >> I have a file as per header, sent by colleague.  It was the only
> >> electronic output option he had, and it sounded great at the time.
> >>
> >> Problem is, I want it in soft form for digestion into something else -
> >> almost anything else in fact.  But the format baffles everything I
> >> have tried on it.  Obviously I can "copy file.prn lpt1:" at a DOS
> >> prompt, but that wasn't the objective.
> >>
> >> Can anyone suggest a redigestion route?
> >>
> >> TIA
> >>
> >> Peter
> >
> >
>
> aeolus

On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 08:55:28 +1000, "Adrian M Jansen" <qqv@xyz.com>
wrote:

>If its a true postscript file, it will be text, not binary.  That isnt to
>say it will be readable, except by a postscript reader.  Ghostscript works
>on almost any postscript files I have tried, certainly on files produced by
>my old DOS version of Orcad.

That's what has me concerned - I did the copy command as previously
posted and it spat out the correct schematic image.  I have 5D (Jaws)
for ps to pdf conversions, and it spat the dummy - said "not a ps
file".   I checked and his SDT is version 3.something.

Peter

>budgie wrote in message <3d45381c.6612792@news.cantech.net.au>...
>>I have a file as per header, sent by colleague.  It was the only
>>electronic output option he had, and it sounded great at the time.
>>
>>Problem is, I want it in soft form for digestion into something else -
>>almost anything else in fact.  But the format baffles everything I
>>have tried on it.  Obviously I can "copy file.prn lpt1:" at a DOS
>>prompt, but that wasn't the objective.
>>
>>Can anyone suggest a redigestion route?
>>
>>TIA
>>
>>Peter
>
>

On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 11:46:19 +1200, "Ken Taylor" <ken@xtra.co.nz>
wrote:

>A .PRN file is just a Windows "print to file"-format file. It isn't
>necessarily formatted as Postscript, depends on what printer was selected
>when the print was done. A specific printer interface would be required to
>read it.As the OP says, this is unsuitable for 'digestion' elsewhere.

IIRC the print doesn't allow any choice of printer, just a "print to
file" option.  That file, tagged .prn, is printed properly with the
DOS copy command with no switches.    My ps-pdf converter says it
isn't a .ps file.  So I am still looking for any redigestion
suggestions.

On Mon, 29 Jul 2002 16:26:12 -0000, "Helmut P. Einfalt"
<hp.einfalt@t-online.de> wrote:

>>This file is a binary postscript file. You will need a postscript reader in
>>order to view the file contents.
>
>... or try Acrobat Distiller to convert it to PDF...

Sorry fellas, it isn't a .ps file.  My ps-pdf converter assured me of
that it no uncertain terms.

What printer, connection and commands exactly "spat out the correct schematic
image" ?

That may give some clues to the format...


"budgie" <budgie@nowhere.cantech.net.au> wrote in message
news:3d462082.3342289@news.cantech.net.au...
> On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 08:55:28 +1000, "Adrian M Jansen" <qqv@xyz.com>
> wrote:
>
> >If its a true postscript file, it will be text, not binary.  That isnt to
> >say it will be readable, except by a postscript reader.  Ghostscript works
> >on almost any postscript files I have tried, certainly on files produced by
> >my old DOS version of Orcad.
>
> That's what has me concerned - I did the copy command as previously
> posted and it spat out the correct schematic image.  I have 5D (Jaws)
> for ps to pdf conversions, and it spat the dummy - said "not a ps
> file".   I checked and his SDT is version 3.something.
>
> Peter
>
> >budgie wrote in message <3d45381c.6612792@news.cantech.net.au>...
> >>I have a file as per header, sent by colleague.  It was the only
> >>electronic output option he had, and it sounded great at the time.
> >>
> >>Problem is, I want it in soft form for digestion into something else -
> >>almost anything else in fact.  But the format baffles everything I
> >>have tried on it.  Obviously I can "copy file.prn lpt1:" at a DOS
> >>prompt, but that wasn't the objective.
> >>
> >>Can anyone suggest a redigestion route?
> >>
> >>TIA
> >>
> >>Peter
> >
> >
>

On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 15:36:15 +1000, "Marc"
<marcwolf123@killthespam.yahoo.com> wrote:

>
>What printer, connection and commands exactly "spat out the correct schematic
>image" ?
>
>That may give some clues to the format...

HP5L on LPT1: in DOS box under 98SE.

Command spelled out exactly in O/P.

Peter

>"budgie" <budgie@nowhere.cantech.net.au> wrote in message
>news:3d462082.3342289@news.cantech.net.au...
>> On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 08:55:28 +1000, "Adrian M Jansen" <qqv@xyz.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >If its a true postscript file, it will be text, not binary.  That isnt to
>> >say it will be readable, except by a postscript reader.  Ghostscript works
>> >on almost any postscript files I have tried, certainly on files produced by
>> >my old DOS version of Orcad.
>>
>> That's what has me concerned - I did the copy command as previously
>> posted and it spat out the correct schematic image.  I have 5D (Jaws)
>> for ps to pdf conversions, and it spat the dummy - said "not a ps
>> file".   I checked and his SDT is version 3.something.
>>
>> Peter
>>
>> >budgie wrote in message <3d45381c.6612792@news.cantech.net.au>...
>> >>I have a file as per header, sent by colleague.  It was the only
>> >>electronic output option he had, and it sounded great at the time.
>> >>
>> >>Problem is, I want it in soft form for digestion into something else -
>> >>almost anything else in fact.  But the format baffles everything I
>> >>have tried on it.  Obviously I can "copy file.prn lpt1:" at a DOS
>> >>prompt, but that wasn't the objective.
>> >>
>> >>Can anyone suggest a redigestion route?
>> >>
>> >>TIA
>> >>
>> >>Peter
>> >
>> >
>>
>
>

In article <3d462aee.6010708@news.cantech.net.au>,
 budgie@nowhere.cantech.net.au (budgie) wrote:

> HP5L on LPT1: in DOS box under 98SE.
> 
> Command spelled out exactly in O/P.
> 
> Peter

Wouldn't that produce a PCL 5 print file?  I thought you had to have a 
"P" in the name of a Hewlett Packard printer for it to be PostScript 
compatible.

So the file may contain PCL 5 data, not PostScript.

         MK.

>Wouldn't that produce a PCL 5 print file?  I thought you had to have a
>"P" in the name of a Hewlett Packard printer for it to be PostScript
>compatible.

Not necessarily. The Laserjet 4M+, for instance, had no "P" and was both PCL
and PostScript compatible. Furthermore, there were (or are) upgrade option
kits, too.

The problem wih a *.prn file is that it doesn't give you *any* clue
whatsoever about what kind of file it is. If, for instance, you print to a
PostScript printer on "FILE" from M$ Word, it won't let you specify any
other extension than *.prn at all (and if you try to be wise and specify a
filename like "filename.ps", Word will rename it to "filename.ps.prn"...

One way of tackling the problem would be to look at the file in a text
editor capable of reading large files (notepad probably won't do) and trying
to find the file format from the header.

Helmut
--
Brought to you by IBM PS/2 power

to copy a file to the lpt1 port you need to add a binary switch option

copy /b file.prn lpt1

there you go.

"budgie" <budgie@nowhere.cantech.net.au> wrote in message
news:3d45381c.6612792@news.cantech.net.au...
> I have a file as per header, sent by colleague.  It was the only
> electronic output option he had, and it sounded great at the time.
>
> Problem is, I want it in soft form for digestion into something else -
> almost anything else in fact.  But the format baffles everything I
> have tried on it.  Obviously I can "copy file.prn lpt1:" at a DOS
> prompt, but that wasn't the objective.
>
> Can anyone suggest a redigestion route?
>
> TIA
>
> Peter

To any1 who can help me out.

i flash the bios on my abit kt7a motherbaord and now the damm thing isn't
even booting.

what can i do? can some1 out there help me please

thanks

JL

I regret to say that you are probably in need of purchasing a new
motherboard.

That is the risk you take when you flash a mobo.

"James Lee" <s355789@student.uq.edu.au> wrote in message
news:Pine.OSF.4.30.0207302206550.16586-100000@student.uq.edu.au...
> To any1 who can help me out.
>
> i flash the bios on my abit kt7a motherbaord and now the damm thing isn't
> even booting.
>
> what can i do? can some1 out there help me please
>
> thanks
>
> JL
>

"budgie" <budgie@nowhere.cantech.net.au> wrote in message
news:3d47c822.3069227@news.cantech.net.au...
> On Wed, 31 Jul 2002 20:31:01 +1000, "al" <alxx/*nospam*/@/*
> */ihug/*spammers suck */.com/ * ! */.au> wrote:
>
>
> >ghostscript and ghost view
> >windows, linux, mac etc
> >
> >many places to get it from
> >google it
> >
> >convert to pdf or text or picture
> >
> >http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/
> >http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/5682/postscript.html
> >http://sourceforge.net/projects/ghostscript/
> >http://cm.bell-labs.com/who/wim/ghost/
> >
> >It will open prn files, depending on
> >printer format(can be problems with hp 's).
> >
> >Suggest if it will open the file
> >without errors, print to pdf.
>
> (replied via email)
>
> My .ps -> .pdf converter won't accept it, otherwise I would go to .pdf
> as a substantially platform-independent format.

No, use ghostscript view, not your converter.
ghostscript view  should read it, sometimes spits the dummy
with some prn files when an hp printer is installed and set as defualt
printer(due to HP PCL).

Using ghostscript view open the file then print to pdf.

Alex

"budgie" <budgie@nowhere.cantech.net.au> wrote in message
news:3d45381c.6612792@news.cantech.net.au...
> I have a file as per header, sent by colleague.  It was the only
> electronic output option he had, and it sounded great at the time.
>
> Problem is, I want it in soft form for digestion into something else -
> almost anything else in fact.  But the format baffles everything I
> have tried on it.  Obviously I can "copy file.prn lpt1:" at a DOS
> prompt, but that wasn't the objective.
>
> Can anyone suggest a redigestion route?
>
> TIA
>
> Peter

Have you looked at this site
http://www.pclviewer.com/
Regards
Steve

On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 17:40:55 +1000, Matthew Kirkcaldie
<matthewk@mail.newcastle.edu.au> wrote:

>In article <3d462aee.6010708@news.cantech.net.au>,
> budgie@nowhere.cantech.net.au (budgie) wrote:
>
>> HP5L on LPT1: in DOS box under 98SE.
>> 
>> Command spelled out exactly in O/P.
>> 
>> Peter
>
>Wouldn't that produce a PCL 5 print file?

HUH?

The file was CREATED on another machine running Orcad SDT v3.x and
using the command "hardcopy -> file.".

I printed it on the above config using the command described
previously - copy filename.prn LPT1:

Why would the other machine with a DMP produce a PCL5 file?

>I thought you had to have a 
>"P" in the name of a Hewlett Packard printer for it to be PostScript 
>compatible.
>
>So the file may contain PCL 5 data, not PostScript.

Both appear academic speculations.

On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 21:01:51 +1000, "AnthonyP"
<preston_anthony@hotmail.com> wrote:

>to copy a file to the lpt1 port you need to add a binary switch option
>
>copy /b file.prn lpt1
>
>there you go.


Not sure if you really read my O/P, but I copied it without any
switch.

The question in any event was not how to print it, it was how (and
with what) I could redigest it into some manipulatable graphics
format.

Peter

>"budgie" <budgie@nowhere.cantech.net.au> wrote in message
>news:3d45381c.6612792@news.cantech.net.au...
>> I have a file as per header, sent by colleague.  It was the only
>> electronic output option he had, and it sounded great at the time.
>>
>> Problem is, I want it in soft form for digestion into something else -
>> almost anything else in fact.  But the format baffles everything I
>> have tried on it.  Obviously I can "copy file.prn lpt1:" at a DOS
>> prompt, but that wasn't the objective.
>>
>> Can anyone suggest a redigestion route?
>>
>> TIA
>>
>> Peter
>
>

On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 22:09:12 +1000, James Lee
<s355789@student.uq.edu.au> wrote:

>To any1 who can help me out.
>
>i flash the bios on my abit kt7a motherbaord and now the damm thing isn't
>even booting.
>
>what can i do? can some1 out there help me please

When I had to flash my Asus m/b with the software I had the message do
you want to backup the bios to a floppy. I entered yes and if you
didn't do that then I'm not sure what you can try.

Maybe get a older version flash firmware and do it again in the hope
you get it back to where it was.

>
>thanks
>
>JL
>

On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 08:58:13 -0000, "Helmut P. Einfalt"
<hp.einfalt@t-online.de> wrote:

(snip)
>One way of tackling the problem would be to look at the file in a text
>editor capable of reading large files (notepad probably won't do) and trying
>to find the file format from the header.

I already tried that but there was no clue there that suggested any
particular app/type.  But tnx for the suggestion.

Peter

On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 22:14:36 +0930, "Steve Pugh"
<stevepugh@optusnet.com.au> wrote:

>
>"budgie" <budgie@nowhere.cantech.net.au> wrote in message
>news:3d45381c.6612792@news.cantech.net.au...
>> I have a file as per header, sent by colleague.  It was the only
>> electronic output option he had, and it sounded great at the time.
>>
>> Problem is, I want it in soft form for digestion into something else -
>> almost anything else in fact.  But the format baffles everything I
>> have tried on it.  Obviously I can "copy file.prn lpt1:" at a DOS
>> prompt, but that wasn't the objective.
>>
>> Can anyone suggest a redigestion route?
>>
>> TIA
>>
>> Peter
>
>Have you looked at this site
>http://www.pclviewer.com/
>Regards
>Steve

I've looked at the file with a hex editor, and it doesan't have any
hint of a header thatgives any clues.  I am unable to see WHY it would
be a PCL format file, given that the box it was created on (read O/P)
hasn't heard about PCL.

i would love to try a different version on the board but the screen does
not even load up anymore!

;(

On Tue, 30 Jul 2002, Jes wrote:

> On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 22:09:12 +1000, James Lee
> <s355789@student.uq.edu.au> wrote:
>
> >To any1 who can help me out.
> >
> >i flash the bios on my abit kt7a motherbaord and now the damm thing isn't
> >even booting.
> >
> >what can i do? can some1 out there help me please
>
> When I had to flash my Asus m/b with the software I had the message do
> you want to backup the bios to a floppy. I entered yes and if you
> didn't do that then I'm not sure what you can try.
>
> Maybe get a older version flash firmware and do it again in the hope
> you get it back to where it was.
>
> >
> >thanks
> >
> >JL
> >
>
>

"James Lee" <s355789@student.uq.edu.au> wrote in message
news:Pine.OSF.4.30.0207302206550.16586-100000@student.uq.edu.au...
> To any1 who can help me out.
>
> i flash the bios on my abit kt7a motherbaord and now the damm thing isn't
> even booting.
>
> what can i do? can some1 out there help me please


You need to find someone with an external PROM burner.  Download the image
from the Abit website on another computer and take the file with your chip.

On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 23:20:01 +1000, James Lee
<s355789@student.uq.edu.au> wrote:

>i would love to try a different version on the board but the screen does
>not even load up anymore!
>
>;(

Still under warranty ?
If yes you could try taking it back.
Say nothing about flashing the bios. 
If you admit to that then warranty maybe void.

If it's out of warranty then you may have to buy a new motherboard
which means a new cpu, ram etc.... depending how old the board is and
if the newer boards are compatible with the cpu and ram youcurrently
have. Things get outdated so quickly these days.

PS. Is anything on the pc over clocked?
If yes then undo it so it's back to what it's suppose to be then
reboot. Of course unplug the power supply and make sure to earth
yourself before going into your pc for a look.

>
>On Tue, 30 Jul 2002, Jes wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 22:09:12 +1000, James Lee
>> <s355789@student.uq.edu.au> wrote:
>>
>> >To any1 who can help me out.
>> >
>> >i flash the bios on my abit kt7a motherbaord and now the damm thing isn't
>> >even booting.
>> >
>> >what can i do? can some1 out there help me please
>>
>> When I had to flash my Asus m/b with the software I had the message do
>> you want to backup the bios to a floppy. I entered yes and if you
>> didn't do that then I'm not sure what you can try.
>>
>> Maybe get a older version flash firmware and do it again in the hope
>> you get it back to where it was.
>>
>> >
>> >thanks
>> >
>> >JL
>> >
>>
>>
>

On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 12:59:20 GMT
budgie@nowhere.cantech.net.au (budgie) wrote:

> The file was CREATED on another machine running Orcad SDT
v3.x and
> using the command "hardcopy -> file.".
> 
> I printed it on the above config using the command
described
> previously - copy filename.prn LPT1:
> 
> Why would the other machine with a DMP produce a PCL5
file?

Well, it would produce a file containing printer commands
for the default printer at that location.  As it happens,
your HP understood those commands when you sent the file to
it.  Otherwise, it would have printed garbage.  

"budgie" <budgie@nowhere.cantech.net.au> wrote in message
news:3d469143.9683459@news.cantech.net.au...
> On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 22:14:36 +0930, "Steve Pugh"
> <stevepugh@optusnet.com.au> wrote:
>
> >
> >"budgie" <budgie@nowhere.cantech.net.au> wrote in message
> >news:3d45381c.6612792@news.cantech.net.au...
> >> I have a file as per header, sent by colleague.  It was the only
> >> electronic output option he had, and it sounded great at the time.
> >>
> >> Problem is, I want it in soft form for digestion into something else -
> >> almost anything else in fact.  But the format baffles everything I
> >> have tried on it.  Obviously I can "copy file.prn lpt1:" at a DOS
> >> prompt, but that wasn't the objective.
> >>
> >> Can anyone suggest a redigestion route?
> >>
> >> TIA
> >>
> >> Peter
> >
> >Have you looked at this site
> >http://www.pclviewer.com/
> >Regards
> >Steve
>
> I've looked at the file with a hex editor, and it doesan't have any
> hint of a header thatgives any clues.  I am unable to see WHY it would
> be a PCL format file, given that the box it was created on (read O/P)
> hasn't heard about PCL.
You responded to a previous post with the information that the prn file in
question printed perfectly on a HP printer.
When you save to file on a pc the default printer driver installed on that
pc directs the inscribed print file to disc instead of to the printer. You
yourself by using the DOS redirector command > have sent that inscribed file
to your HP printer producing useful output.
This suggests that the prn file has been inscribed by a driver that either
emulates Printer Control Language or was itself a HP driver.

James Lee <s355789@student.uq.edu.au> wrote:

>To any1 who can help me out.
>
>i flash the bios on my abit kt7a motherbaord and now the damm thing isn't
>even booting.
>
>what can i do? can some1 out there help me please
>
>thanks
>
>JL
1. Find someone with the same motherboard who is willing to risk the
following procedure.

2. Prise their BIOS out of the socket so it is ready to remove easily
but still makes electrical contact.

3. Boot their machine and get it ready to flash a new BIOS

4. Remove their BIOS chip and insert yours without switching the
machine off.

5 Flash yours.

I haven't actually done this but someone who works on the campus at
U.Q. has and I'm sure he would be willing to advise you if you can
manage step 1.

On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 14:55:42 GMT, David Segall <david@segall.net>
wrote:

>James Lee <s355789@student.uq.edu.au> wrote:
>
>>To any1 who can help me out.
>>
>>i flash the bios on my abit kt7a motherbaord and now the damm thing isn't
>>even booting.
>>
>>what can i do? can some1 out there help me please
>>
>>thanks
>>
>>JL
>1. Find someone with the same motherboard who is willing to risk the
>following procedure.
>
>2. Prise their BIOS out of the socket so it is ready to remove easily
>but still makes electrical contact.
>
>3. Boot their machine and get it ready to flash a new BIOS
>
>4. Remove their BIOS chip and insert yours without switching the
>machine off.
>
>5 Flash yours.
>
>I haven't actually done this but someone who works on the campus at
>U.Q. has and I'm sure he would be willing to advise you if you can
>manage step 1.

Something like that works for Thomson TV's.

Tom

Ok,  most people have forgotten about the DOS versions, and how they work.
Orcad SDT 3.xx was a DOS program ,and had its own printer and plotter
drivers.  You can specify them in one of the configuration menus on starting
Orcad with the /c switch.  I depends only on what printer driver was
configured here, there are no 'default printer drivers' within the DOS
system.  Since you say the file is binary, and with no obvious header
strings, my guess is its a HP printer language file, not postscript, which
is text.  There are some programs to turn that back into editable form, sort
of.  A search on google should show some up.  I've never done it.  Orcad was
pretty poor at that sort of compatibility.  Even if you get the files resent
as a postscript file, which at least is text, you still cant directly put
them in editable form.

--
--
Regards,

Adrian Jansen           adrianqjanqsen@oqzemail.com.au
Design Engineer         J & K Micro Systems
Microcomputer solutions for industrial control
Note reply address is invalid, remove q's from address above to reply.

budgie wrote in message <3d468d12.8609810@news.cantech.net.au>...
>On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 17:40:55 +1000, Matthew Kirkcaldie
><matthewk@mail.newcastle.edu.au> wrote:
>
>>In article <3d462aee.6010708@news.cantech.net.au>,
>> budgie@nowhere.cantech.net.au (budgie) wrote:
>>
>>> HP5L on LPT1: in DOS box under 98SE.
>>>
>>> Command spelled out exactly in O/P.
>>>
>>> Peter
>>
>>Wouldn't that produce a PCL 5 print file?
>
>HUH?
>
>The file was CREATED on another machine running Orcad SDT v3.x and
>using the command "hardcopy -> file.".
>
>I printed it on the above config using the command described
>previously - copy filename.prn LPT1:
>
>Why would the other machine with a DMP produce a PCL5 file?
>
>>I thought you had to have a
>>"P" in the name of a Hewlett Packard printer for it to be PostScript
>>compatible.
>>
>>So the file may contain PCL 5 data, not PostScript.
>
>Both appear academic speculations.

In article <3d468d12.8609810@news.cantech.net.au>,
 budgie@nowhere.cantech.net.au (budgie) wrote:

> I printed it on the above config using the command described
> previously - copy filename.prn LPT1:
> 
> Why would the other machine with a DMP produce a PCL5 file?

I can't answer that for you.  However, if an HP5L produced a 
recognisable image from the file, it has to be in a language the printer 
understands for describing the contents of a page.  If it's not text, 
it's not PostScript.  Therefore it must be another page description 
language understood by an HP5L, which would make it PCL5, the HP page 
description format.

> >I thought you had to have a 
> >"P" in the name of a Hewlett Packard printer for it to be PostScript 
> >compatible.
> >
> >So the file may contain PCL 5 data, not PostScript.
> 
> Both appear academic speculations.

Well I'm terribly sorry for trying to help.  Tell you what, how about I 
refund your money?  Sheesh.

         MK.

On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 22:09:12 +1000, James Lee
<s355789@student.uq.edu.au> put finger to keyboard and composed:

>To any1 who can help me out.
>
>i flash the bios on my abit kt7a motherbaord and now the damm thing isn't
>even booting.
>
>what can i do? can some1 out there help me please

I have a PROM burner. If your chip is a supported type, I can
reprogram it for you for $5 plus postage. If interested, please email
me with the part number and physical description of your chip.

But first, try clearing your CMOS RAM. Some BIOSes also respond to
holding down either the Home or Insert keys while powering up the PC.


-- Franc Zabkar

Please remove the 'g' from my address when replying by email.

On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 23:58:10 +0930, "Steve Pugh"
<stevepugh@optusnet.com.au> wrote:

>
>"budgie" <budgie@nowhere.cantech.net.au> wrote in message
>news:3d469143.9683459@news.cantech.net.au...
>> On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 22:14:36 +0930, "Steve Pugh"
>> <stevepugh@optusnet.com.au> wrote:
>>
>> >
>> >"budgie" <budgie@nowhere.cantech.net.au> wrote in message
>> >news:3d45381c.6612792@news.cantech.net.au...
>> >> I have a file as per header, sent by colleague.  It was the only
>> >> electronic output option he had, and it sounded great at the time.
>> >>
>> >> Problem is, I want it in soft form for digestion into something else -
>> >> almost anything else in fact.  But the format baffles everything I
>> >> have tried on it.  Obviously I can "copy file.prn lpt1:" at a DOS
>> >> prompt, but that wasn't the objective.
>> >>
>> >> Can anyone suggest a redigestion route?
>> >>
>> >> TIA
>> >>
>> >> Peter
>> >
>> >Have you looked at this site
>> >http://www.pclviewer.com/
>> >Regards
>> >Steve
>>
>> I've looked at the file with a hex editor, and it doesan't have any
>> hint of a header thatgives any clues.  I am unable to see WHY it would
>> be a PCL format file, given that the box it was created on (read O/P)
>> hasn't heard about PCL.
>You responded to a previous post with the information that the prn file in
>question printed perfectly on a HP printer.

Yes.

>When you save to file on a pc the default printer driver installed on that
>pc directs the inscribed print file to disc instead of to the printer. You
>yourself by using the DOS redirector command > have sent that inscribed file
>to your HP printer producing useful output.

Actually the DOS copy command, rather than a">" redirector.

In OrcadSDTv3.x, the hardcopy command offers the choice of LPT1: (with
whatever printer is defined as being there?) or "file".  There are no
further electives or modifiers for the file option, not even a
destination.

>This suggests that the prn file has been inscribed by a driver that either
>emulates Printer Control Language or was itself a HP driver.

I can't fault your logic.

My only residual query along your line of thinking is:
From what .prn file "formats" other than PCL5 (or PCLx for that
matter) would an HP5L interpret correctly for a schematic image?

On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 13:44:28 GMT, George Durbridge
<gdurbrid@bigpond.net.au> wrote:

>On Tue, 30 Jul 2002 12:59:20 GMT
>budgie@nowhere.cantech.net.au (budgie) wrote:
>
>> The file was CREATED on another machine running Orcad SDT
>v3.x and
>> using the command "hardcopy -> file.".
>> 
>> I printed it on the above config using the command
>described
>> previously - copy filename.prn LPT1:
>> 
>> Why would the other machine with a DMP produce a PCL5
>file?
>
>Well, it would produce a file containing printer commands
>for the default printer at that location.  As it happens,
>your HP understood those commands when you sent the file to
>it.  Otherwise, it would have printed garbage.  

Agree that it understood the embedded commands (if any).  Apart from
PCL, what else could it be?

On Wed, 31 Jul 2002 09:02:59 +1000, "Adrian M Jansen" <qqv@xyz.com>
wrote:

>Ok,  most people have forgotten about the DOS versions, and how they work.
>Orcad SDT 3.xx was a DOS program ,and had its own printer and plotter
>drivers.  You can specify them in one of the configuration menus on starting
>Orcad with the /c switch.  I depends only on what printer driver was
>configured here, there are no 'default printer drivers' within the DOS
>system.  Since you say the file is binary,

no, I never claimed any such thing.

> and with no obvious header
>strings, my guess is its a HP printer language file, not postscript, which
>is text.  There are some programs to turn that back into editable form, sort
>of.  A search on google should show some up.  I've never done it.  Orcad was
>pretty poor at that sort of compatibility.  Even if you get the files resent
>as a postscript file, which at least is text, you still cant directly put
>them in editable form.

Maybe my word selection was misleading.   I used redigestion rather
than editable - the intention was to have it in an electronically
transportable form which was moderately platform-independent.
Ironically, the .prn file seems to do a lot of that, although I guess
I was expecting a graphics_package-compatible form.

On Wed, 31 Jul 2002 10:15:03 +1000, Matthew Kirkcaldie
<matthewk@mail.newcastle.edu.au> wrote:

>In article <3d468d12.8609810@news.cantech.net.au>,
> budgie@nowhere.cantech.net.au (budgie) wrote:
>
>> I printed it on the above config using the command described
>> previously - copy filename.prn LPT1:
>> 
>> Why would the other machine with a DMP produce a PCL5 file?
>
>I can't answer that for you.  However, if an HP5L produced a 
>recognisable image from the file, it has to be in a language the printer 
>understands for describing the contents of a page.

Yes, agree with that bit.

>If it's not text, it's not PostScript.

I'll bow to your obviously far greater knowledge of .ps file
structure.  I wouldn't have any idea what they look like.

>Therefore it must be another page description 
>language understood by an HP5L, which would make it PCL5, the HP page 
>description format.

I'm not convinced that a 5L would ONLY understand PCL5.  That is a
leap of faith which I haven't made.

>> >I thought you had to have a 
>> >"P" in the name of a Hewlett Packard printer for it to be PostScript 
>> >compatible.
>> >
>> >So the file may contain PCL 5 data, not PostScript.
>> 
>> Both appear academic speculations.
>
>Well I'm terribly sorry for trying to help.  Tell you what, how about I 
>refund your money?  Sheesh.

Sounds good ;-)

In article <3d478d58.5081138@news.cantech.net.au>,
 budgie@nowhere.cantech.net.au (budgie) wrote:

> >If it's not text, it's not PostScript.
> 
> I'll bow to your obviously far greater knowledge of .ps file
> structure.  I wouldn't have any idea what they look like.

It's just a text file written in a language which looks a bit like a 
procedural language like C or similar.  The printer then interprets the 
language in the process of drawing the page as a bitmap in memory, which 
is then transferred to the paper using the laser to write it onto the 
drum, a line at a time.

IIRC, the HP laserjet series understand both PCL and HPGL (the HP plotter
language), and if equipped for it, also PostScript.

Have you tried opening the file with any other vector grpahics programs,
such as CorelDraw, Adobe Illustrator and/or Macromedia FreeHand?
There is a fair chance that they might understand it, you know.

If necessary I could give that method a try -- drop me a line...

Helmut
--
Brought to you by IBM PS/2 power

"budgie" <budgie@nowhere.cantech.net.au> wrote in message
news:3d45381c.6612792@news.cantech.net.au...
> I have a file as per header, sent by colleague.  It was the only
> electronic output option he had, and it sounded great at the time.
>
> Problem is, I want it in soft form for digestion into something else -
> almost anything else in fact.  But the format baffles everything I
> have tried on it.  Obviously I can "copy file.prn lpt1:" at a DOS
> prompt, but that wasn't the objective.
>
> Can anyone suggest a redigestion route?
>
> TIA
>
> Peter

ghostscript and ghost view
windows, linux, mac etc

many places to get it from
google it

convert to pdf or text or picture

http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/5682/postscript.html
http://sourceforge.net/projects/ghostscript/
http://cm.bell-labs.com/who/wim/ghost/

It will open prn files, depending on
printer format(can be problems with hp 's).

Suggest if it will open the file
without errors, print to pdf.

Alex

On Wed, 31 Jul 2002 09:58:00 -0000, "Helmut P. Einfalt"
<hp.einfalt@t-online.de> wrote:

>IIRC, the HP laserjet series understand both PCL and HPGL (the HP plotter
>language), and if equipped for it, also PostScript.
>
>Have you tried opening the file with any other vector grpahics programs,
>such as CorelDraw, Adobe Illustrator and/or Macromedia FreeHand?
>There is a fair chance that they might understand it, you know.
>
>If necessary I could give that method a try -- drop me a line...

I have none of the above available here, so I would like to take you
up on that offer. <email coming>

On Wed, 31 Jul 2002 20:31:01 +1000, "al" <alxx/*nospam*/@/*
*/ihug/*spammers suck */.com/ * ! */.au> wrote:


>ghostscript and ghost view
>windows, linux, mac etc
>
>many places to get it from
>google it
>
>convert to pdf or text or picture
>
>http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/
>http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/5682/postscript.html
>http://sourceforge.net/projects/ghostscript/
>http://cm.bell-labs.com/who/wim/ghost/
>
>It will open prn files, depending on
>printer format(can be problems with hp 's).
>
>Suggest if it will open the file
>without errors, print to pdf.

(replied via email)

My .ps -> .pdf converter won't accept it, otherwise I would go to .pdf
as a substantially platform-independent format.

"budgie" <budgie@nowhere.cantech.net.au> wrote in message
news:3d47c822.3069227@news.cantech.net.au...
> On Wed, 31 Jul 2002 20:31:01 +1000, "al" <alxx/*nospam*/@/*
> */ihug/*spammers suck */.com/ * ! */.au> wrote:
>
>
> >ghostscript and ghost view
> >windows, linux, mac etc
> >
> >many places to get it from
> >google it
> >
> >convert to pdf or text or picture
> >
> >http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/
> >http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/5682/postscript.html
> >http://sourceforge.net/projects/ghostscript/
> >http://cm.bell-labs.com/who/wim/ghost/
> >
> >It will open prn files, depending on
> >printer format(can be problems with hp 's).
> >
> >Suggest if it will open the file
> >without errors, print to pdf.
>
> (replied via email)
>
> My .ps -> .pdf converter won't accept it, otherwise I would go to .pdf
> as a substantially platform-independent format.

No, use ghostscript view, not your converter.
ghostscript view  should read it, sometimes spits the dummy
with some prn files when an hp printer is installed and set as defualt
printer(due to HP PCL).

Using ghostscript view open the file then print to pdf.

Alex

:>If it's not text, it's not PostScript.
:
:I'll bow to your obviously far greater knowledge of .ps file
:structure.  I wouldn't have any idea what they look like.

have you opened it and looked? You could possably have ps with
a couple of binary printer control bytes at the top. You would need
to strip the junk off for something like ghostscipt to read it.

also, there is absolutly no logic to HP's naming conventions with
regard to postscript support. See if you can get the printer to
generate a test/startup page, that should give some clues.

Ah! Well if your source of the orcad files is still available, why dont you
ask for it sent as a postscript file ?  Orcad certainly had that capability,
just by setting the PLOTTER driver to postscript - Yes - I said PLOTTER
driver, not PRINTER driver - there are two separate settings.  Then you use
the Plotall command from DOS to print the orcad files to a postscript file.
You should be able to read that with ghostscript, or whatever.

--
--
Regards,

Adrian Jansen           adrianqjanqsen@oqzemail.com.au
Design Engineer         J & K Micro Systems
Microcomputer solutions for industrial control
Note reply address is invalid, remove q's from address above to reply.

budgie wrote in message <3d478c7b.4860249@news.cantech.net.au>...
>On Wed, 31 Jul 2002 09:02:59 +1000, "Adrian M Jansen" <qqv@xyz.com>
>wrote:
>
>>Ok,  most people have forgotten about the DOS versions, and how they work.
>>Orcad SDT 3.xx was a DOS program ,and had its own printer and plotter
>>drivers.  You can specify them in one of the configuration menus on
starting
>>Orcad with the /c switch.  I depends only on what printer driver was
>>configured here, there are no 'default printer drivers' within the DOS
>>system.  Since you say the file is binary,
>
>no, I never claimed any such thing.
>
>> and with no obvious header
>>strings, my guess is its a HP printer language file, not postscript, which
>>is text.  There are some programs to turn that back into editable form,
sort
>>of.  A search on google should show some up.  I've never done it.  Orcad
was
>>pretty poor at that sort of compatibility.  Even if you get the files
resent
>>as a postscript file, which at least is text, you still cant directly put
>>them in editable form.
>
>Maybe my word selection was misleading.   I used redigestion rather
>than editable - the intention was to have it in an electronically
>transportable form which was moderately platform-independent.
>Ironically, the .prn file seems to do a lot of that, although I guess
>I was expecting a graphics_package-compatible form.

On Thu, 1 Aug 2002 09:22:42 +1000, "Adrian M Jansen" <qqv@xyz.com>
wrote:

>Ah! Well if your source of the orcad files is still available, why dont you
>ask for it sent as a postscript file ?  Orcad certainly had that capability,
>just by setting the PLOTTER driver to postscript - Yes - I said PLOTTER
>driver, not PRINTER driver - there are two separate settings.  Then you use
>the Plotall command from DOS to print the orcad files to a postscript file.
>You should be able to read that with ghostscript, or whatever.

OrcadSDT v3.x doesn't list a postscript plotter option apparently.  It
offers only:
1.	 various HP
2.	various Houston Instruments
3.	Western Graphtec (sp?)
4.	Calcomp (smart)
5.	Calcomp (dumb)
6.	DXF (interface to AutoCAD)

On Wed, 31 Jul 2002 15:23:32 -0000, gjeff@one.net ( George Jefferson )
wrote:

>:>If it's not text, it's not PostScript.
>:
>:I'll bow to your obviously far greater knowledge of .ps file
>:structure.  I wouldn't have any idea what they look like.
>
>have you opened it and looked?

I've looked witha hex editor.  Nothing that looks like "text", and
certainly no sign of ascii strings.

> You could possably have ps with
>a couple of binary printer control bytes at the top. You would need
>to strip the junk off for something like ghostscipt to read it.

Unless identifying the "junk" is straightforward, that may not be a
simple task.

>also, there is absolutly no logic to HP's naming conventions with
>regard to postscript support. See if you can get the printer to
>generate a test/startup page, that should give some clues.

The HP5L here is running the PCL5 driver.

This is a sample of the first few lines of a PostScript file written for 
an Apple LaserWriter 12/640 here - one for an HP would be essentially 
similar:

%%CreationDate: (Thursday, August 01 2002 15:44:04 EST)
%%For: (Matthew Kirkcaldie)
%%DocumentData: Clean7Bit
%%Pages: (atend)
%%PageOrder: Ascend
%%Orientation: Portrait
%RBINumCopies: 1
%RBINupNess: 1 1
%RBIPCFileName: (APLWMGS1.PPD)
%RBIPPDFileVersion: (1.1)
%%EndComments
%%BeginDefaults
%%ViewingOrientation: 1 0 0 1
%%EndDefaults
%%BeginProlog
%%BeginFile: tioga_feature-1.00
%%Copyright: Copyright 1990-2000 Adobe Systems Incorporated and Apple 
Computer Incorporated. All Rights Reserved.
/level2
/languagelevel where
{
pop languagelevel 2 ge
}{
false
}ifelse
def
/odictstk 0 def
/oopstk 0 def
/fcl
{
count oopstk sub dup 0 gt
{
{pop}repeat
}{
pop
}ifelse
countdictstack odictstk sub dup 0 gt
{
{end}repeat
}{
pop
}ifelse
}bind def
/sfcl2
...

>1. various HP
>2. various Houston Instruments
>3. Western Graphtec (sp?)
>4. Calcomp (smart)
>5. Calcomp (dumb)
>6. DXF (interface to AutoCAD)

DXF would be one way to go -- one could open that file with AutoCad or any
program able to interpret DXF...

And if it lists various HP -- could that be a HPGL (portter graphics)
format?

(I don't want to accept defeat, you know...)

Helmut
--
Brought to you by IBM PS/2 power

On Thu, 1 Aug 2002 08:18:44 -0000, "Helmut P. Einfalt"
<hp.einfalt@t-online.de> wrote:

>>1. various HP
>>2. various Houston Instruments
>>3. Western Graphtec (sp?)
>>4. Calcomp (smart)
>>5. Calcomp (dumb)
>>6. DXF (interface to AutoCAD)
>
>DXF would be one way to go -- one could open that file with AutoCad or any
>program able to interpret DXF...
>
>And if it lists various HP -- could that be a HPGL (portter graphics)
>format?

Yes, he's confirmed it is 74xx/75xx (HP-GL)

>(I don't want to accept defeat, you know...)

Tnx.

On Thu, 01 Aug 2002 15:46:08 +1000, Matthew Kirkcaldie
<matthewk@mail.newcastle.edu.au> wrote:

>This is a sample of the first few lines of a PostScript file written for 
>an Apple LaserWriter 12/640 here - one for an HP would be essentially 
>similar:

(snip ps file info)

As I said, no ascii strings anywhere in sight.  Helmut has seen the
file also, so he can cfm this.