Epson Multi-mode Data Controller MFJ-1278B User Manual

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MFJ-1278B MULTI-MODE                                     BASIC OPERATION 
Display FAX Picture on Computer Screen & Save it to Disk 
The MFJ-1278B firmware does not support printing to your computer screen or allow you to 
save FAX pictures in disk files.  Printing of fax pictures to your computer screen, and saving 
pictures to disk are a function of the computer software.  Any good terminal program has a 
save to disk routine.  In order to print the fax pictures to your screen, you need special 
software for your particular computer that provides this feature. 
 
For IBM PC and compatibles, Macintosh, Amiga and Commodore C64/128 computer users, 
MFJ offers an optional Starter Pack that will allow you to receive SSTV/FAX in near real 
time to your computer screen.  SSTV/FAX pictures can also be saved on disk with software 
supplied with the Starter Pack.  Pictures saved on disk may be re-transmitted or recalled to 
print to the screen at any time. 
 
If you are using one of the above terminal program you should first turn PRINTGRA OFF.  
Follow the instructions given in the software documentation to receive FAX pictures on 
the screen or to save the pictures to disk files. 
 
For those who wish to write special software to handle FAX graphics and display it on 
screen, the following information may be useful for you. 
 
When the  PRINTGRA command of the MFJ-1278B is ON, FAX pictures received will be 
sent to the graphics printer attached to the MFJ-1278B printer port.  If the  PRINTGRA 
command is OFF, then the MFJ-1278B will direct the picture graphics to your terminal thru 
the RS-232C port of the MFJ-1278B.  This FAX format thru the RS-232 port will be in either 
2 level (MULTIFAX OFF) or multi-level raw data format (MULTIFAX ON).  The default is 
the 2 level data format.  To save to disk or display on your computer screen, the terminal 
program you used must be compatible with the multi-level raw data format or it must be 
compatible with the 2 level "FAX frame" format: 
 
LF, CR, ESC x x, ESC x x x, <<nnn character of graphics>> 
Two Level FAX Picture Format 
The FAX frame sent to the user's terminal contains carriage control information, graphics 
setup information and "nnn" columns of 6-row high dot graphics. 
 
Special note: In order to allow the FAX frames to pass through without special handling, each 
character in the frame is  biased upward with the value $30 (Hex), so only 
characters of ASCII value $30 through $7F are sent to the terminal. 
 
A few side effects of the special handling: