The Robotron K6313 printer was a 9-pin dot matrix printer manufactured by the VEB Robotron (East Germany).
What made it special and worth mentioning in the CPC-Wikipedia is the fact that it could be DIP-switched to be 100% compatible with the Amstrad/Schneider NLQ401, that means it could print the whole CPC character set and understood the code sequence to switch the 8th bit.
In Western Germany it was sold under the names Präsident 6320 or Europrint FT80X. After the fall of the GDR, it was sold under the name Soemtron K6313. In Eastern Germany it was also sold under the name Robotron K6311M (M = modified).
Technical Specs.
| Mechanical data (excerpts) | |
| print principle: | serial dot matrix printer with pin system |
| print speed: | 100cps |
| print direction: | bidirectional with logical optimization for the print head movement |
| number of pins: | 9 |
| copies: | 1 original plus 2 carbon copies overall thickness max. 0.3mm max. areal weigth 80g/m² |
| printer cassette: | type 615 FBK 1 Tally 1000 or equivalent |
| Electrical data | |
| input voltage: | 220V +10%/-15% 110V +10%/-15% |
| frequency: | 47-63Hz |
| power consumption: | max. 70W |
| Environmental conditions | |
| temperature: | 10-35°C |
| rel. humiditity: | 40-90% |
| noise level: | max. 58.5dB (AS) |
Weblinks
Pictures and alternative names were taken from http://www.robotrontechnik.de/html/drucker/k631x.htm
Manual
| Setting DIL switches | |||
| Nr. | Function | OFF | ON |
| 5-1 | case contact | don't use | |
| 5-2 | not used | ||
| 6-1 | paper end contact | active | inactive |
| 6-2 | buzzer | active | inactive |
| 7-1 | autom. line feed (LF) | no LF on CR | autom. LF on CR |
| 7-2 | autom. carriage return (CR) | autom. CR on LF | no CR on LF |
| 8-1 | character set | Set 2 | Set 1 (incl. umlauts) |
| 8-2 | buffer full condition | print+LF | print only |
| 9-1 | CANcel mode | valid | invalid |
| 9-2 | character codes | IBM | Schneider |
| 10-1 10-2 | font | see table 1 | |
| 11-1 | Zero | O | slashed 0 |
| 11-2 | line feed | 1/6 inch | 1/8 inch |
| 12-1 12-2 | paper format | See table 2 | |
| 13-1 | 1 inch feed over paper edge | active | inactive |
| 13-2 | control codes compatible with | IBM/Schneider | EPSON |
| 14-1 | NLQ | inactive | active |
| Centronics Interface | |||
| 14-2 | Signal /INIT | external | internal |
| 15-1 | Signal /AUTO FEED XT | external | internal |
| 15-2 | Signal /SELECT IN | external | internal |
| 16-1 .. 18-2 | no function |
Table 1 - Font
| Switch position | |||
| 10-1 | 10-2 | ||
| PICA | 1/10" | OFF | OFF |
| ELITE | 1/12" | ON | OFF |
| condensed | 1/17" | ON | ON |
| bold | 1/10" | OFF | ON |
Table 2 - paper size
| Switch position | ||
| 12-1 | 12-2 | |
| 12 inch | OFF | OFF |
| 11 inch | ON | OFF |
| 6 inch | ON | ON |
| 5.5 inch | OFF | ON |
Control codes (additional to IBM PC control set)
ESC = = Select switched character set
Encoding:
- CHR$(27); "=";
Function:
- This command selects the printable characters that equal the 7-Bit characters from CHR$(1) to CHR$(127).
- The reception of the command ESC = results in bit 8 to be regarded as 1 for all received characters.
NUL = Unselect switched character set
Encoding:
- CHR$(0);
Function:
- The reception of the command NUL results in bit 8 to be regarded as 0 for all received characters.