The NLQ401 is a Near Letter Quality printer from Schneider, for use with German Schneider CPC computers. The SFT401 tractor feed add-on was sold separately. Both NLQ401 and SFT401 were advertised as official Schneider expansions on the back of the german CPC6128 users manual.
The plaque, saying Centronics Data Computer Corp., Model No. 3101, at the bottom of the NLQ401 printer reveals that the hardware wasn't produced by Schneider themselves. Nearly identical hardware was also distributed by other companies, like the Brother M1009.
Reportedly, the Schneider NLQ 401 is same as Centronics GLP 500 and Brother M1009 (but, see below for extra info concerning missing near-letter quality support on Brother M1009).
The NLQ 401 does also resemble the Commodore MPS-803 (at least externally).
Technical
Manual
Pictures
NLQ401 set
NLQ401 printer
NLQ401 printer
NLQ401 bottom
NLQ401 and SFT401
Commodore MPS-803
Commodore printer, apparently from the same manufacturer, and probably containing more or less the same hardware. Known differences are: MPS-803 uses a CBM-style serial port (no centronics port). And control codes and character set in BIOS may differ from the Amstrad version, too. (other picture)
Brother M1009
Info from Michael Wessel:
- I was very happy when I could acquire a brand new, very inexpensive 9-pin dot matrix printer for only 200,- DM. The Brother M1009 was a discontinued model. The only difference to the official 'CPC printer' which was sold by Schneider, the NLQ401, was a different case color, different label, and a software Eprom which enabled the NLQ 401 to print in Near Letter Quality which was something the M1009 couldn't do.
Robotron 6313
The east-german Robotron 6313 consists of different hardware, but it supports a NLQ401 software compatible mode which can be activated via DIP switches.