IBM Support

Using Host Print Transform (HPT) with a PC5250 Printer Session

Troubleshooting


Problem

This document provides information about using Host Print Transform (HPT) with a PC5250 printer session at V5R1M0 IBM OS/400 and above.

Resolving The Problem

Important Note: This document discusses Client Access for Microsoft Windows 95 and Windows NT, Client Access Express, and IBM iSeries Access products. These names essentially refer to the same product; however, the functionality and name changed over the last several releases. For the purposes of this document, the terms Client Access, Client Access Express, and iSeries Access may be used interchangeably. Where a difference is important, the version of the product is used to identify the differences.


This document provides information about using Host Print Transform (HPT) with a PC5250 printer session at V5R1M0 IBM OS/400 and above. For information on using Host Print Transform (HPT) with a PC5250 printer session at V4R5M0 OS/400 and below, contact the Rochester Support Center.

For instructions on using Host Print Transform (HPT) with other types of device descriptions or Remote Output Queues (RMTOUTQs), please refer to one of the following documents:

N1010288: Using Host Print Transform (HPT) with a *LAN Device Description
N1019713: Using Host Print Transform (HPT) with a Remote Output Queue (RMTOUTQ)
N1019712: Using Host Print Transform (HPT) with a *LCL or *RMT Device Description
N1019670: Using Host Print Transform (HPT) with a Third Party Emulation Package

Note: Information in this document can also be found in the following document:

N1018716: System i Access for Windows: Configuring a PC5250 Printer Session

This document was last updated on 24 April 2014.


General Information About Host Print Transform (HPT)

ASCII printers can be attached to the IBM System i products through a PC (using WSF, RUMBA/400, PC5250, or a third-party emulation package) or through hardware (for example, a 3179 or 3477 display, an ASCII Workstation Controller, a Lexmark MarkNet XLE, or an HP JetDirect card).

Host Print Transform is an OS/400 or IBM i5/OS function that converts a spooled file (in either the *SCS or *AFPDS data stream) into an ASCII printer data stream. This can be used in conjunction with most printer emulation software and hardware. One of its benefits is that it can create the same look and feel when printing through a variety of printer emulation software and hardware. For instance, if you have printers connected to some PCs running WSF under Client Access for DOS with Extended Memory, others running RUMBA/400 under Client Access for Windows 3.1, others running PC5250 under Client Access/400 for Windows 95/98/NT and still others connected to the LAN with a TCP/IP address, you can use Host Print Transform with all of these. The output will look very similar across all of the ASCII printers.

Some printer emulation software (such as PC5250 and WSF) require that Host Print Transform (HPT) is specified in the printer session profile. When the printer session connects to OS/400 or i5/OS, the emulation software automatically changes the OS/400 or i5/OS printer device description to reflect the settings made in the printer session profile. If you change the OS/400 or i5/OS printer device description instead, your changes are automatically removed the next time you connect the PC5250 printer session.

Host Print Transform (HPT) is generally recommended when printing to an HP PCL capable laser printer, an HP PCL3 capable ink jet printer, or an IBM Proprinter or Epson compatible dot matrix or line printer. However, HPT cannot be used when printing to a Host-based or Windows-only printer. For more information, refer to the section titled Configuring a PC5250 Printer Session to use Host Print Transform (HPT) below.

If printing to a host-based HP LaserJet printer that also supports HP PCL5e, or a host-based HP OfficeJet that also supports PCL3, you may be able to still use Host Print Transform (HPT) with a PC5250 printer session. However, it is recommended that you configure a second instance that uses the HP Universal Print Driver for Windows, which you can download from hp.com. Your Windows applications can continue to use the printer driver supplied with the printer, but you can setup the PC5250 printer session to use the HP Universal Print Driver for Windows.

Note: To determine whether or not a specific printer model is a Host-based or Windows-only printer, refer to your printer manuals, search on the manufacturer Web site, contact the manufacturer directly, or see if the Software Knowledge Base has any information on your specfic printer model, or a similar printer model, starting with the following document:

N1019605: Information on Printers from Various Manufacturers
    • - Configuring a PC5250 Printer Session to Use Host Print Transform (HPT)



      To configure a PC5250 printer session to use Host Print Transform (HPT), do the following:

      1.Select Communication > Configure on the menu bar to bring up the Configure PC5250 dialog box.
      2.Verify that the Type of emulation is set to Printer, and click Setup to bring up the PC5250 Printer Emulation Setup dialog box.

      This print screen shows the Configure PC5250 dialog box after specifying the system name, the workstation ID, and selecting a type of emulation of "Printer".
      3.Select Transform print data to ASCII on System i or Transform print data to ASCII on AS/400.
      4.Click on the down arrow next to Printer Model, and look through the list for a printer that corresponds to the Windows printer driver being used. Click on the printer to select it.

      Caution: Do not leave the Printer Model set to *NONE and do not leave it set to IBM 3812 Pageprinter unless you are actually printing to an old IBM 3812 ASCII printer. The Printer Model refers to the type of printer that is attached to your PC, not the type of printer emulation that is done on the operating system.

      Note: If you cannot find a printer in the list that corresponds to your printer, check your printer manual or refer to the following Rochester Support Center knowledgebase document to see what other types of printers it emulates:

      N1019605: Information on Printers from Various Manufacturers
      5.Verify the settings for Drawer 1, Drawer 2, Envelope Hopper, and ASCII Code Page 899.
      6.Leave the Customizing Object set to *NONE unless using a system-supplied or modified Workstation Customizing Object (WSCST). For more information on the Customizing Object option, refer to section titled Configuring a PC5250 Printer Session to use a Workstation Customizing Object (WSCST) with HPT below.
      7.Click OK to exit the PC5250 Printer Emulation Setup panel.

      This print screen shows an example of the PC5250 Printer Emulation Setup dialog box after selecting "Transform print data to ASCII on System i".
      8.Click OK to exit the Configure PC5250 panel.
      9.You will see a PC5250 dialog box that displays message, PCSCC041 - Because you have changed the configuration, communication will be terminated if you proceed. Are you sure?. Click on the OK button. This causes PC5250 to disconnect the display session and reconnect as a printer session using the workstation ID that you specified.

      This print screen shows the dialog box for message PCSCC041.
      10.Select File > Save on the menu bar.
      11.Sign on the operating system using a PC5250 display session. Use the Display Device Description (DSPDEVD) command to verify that Host Print Transform has been set up correctly on the operating system.

      • - Configuring a PC5250 Printer Session to use a Workstation Customizing Object (WSCST) with HPT



        Host Print Transform provides a way to change the way it converts spooled files into the ASCII printer data stream. This is done by retrieving a workstation customization table, editing the source file member, creating a new workstation customizing object, and using that modified workstation customizing object (WSCST) with a PC5250 printer session, a *LAN 3812 device description or a Remote Output Queue (RMTOUTQ).

        To configure a PC5250 printer session to use Host Print Transform (HPT) with a system-supplied or modified Workstation Customizing Object (WSCST), do the following:

        1.Select Communication, Configure on the menu bar.
        2.Verify that the Type of emulation is set to Printer, and click on the Setup button.

        This print screen shows the Configure PC5250 dialog box after specifying the system name, the workstation ID, and selecting a type of emulation of "Printer".
        3.Select Transform print data to ASCII on System i or Transform print data to ASCII on AS/400.
        4.Click on the down arrow next to Printer Model, scroll down to the bottom of the list, and select *WSCST or select one of the options for using a Workstation Customizing Object (WSCST) with a specific paper size, such as *WSCSTLETTER (for letter-sized paper), *WSCSTCONT80 (for 80-column or narrow-carriage continuous form paper), or *WSCSTCONT132 (for 132-column or wide-carriage continuous form paper).
        5.Verify the settings for Drawer 1, Drawer 2, Envelope Hopper, and ASCII Code Page 899.
        6.Set the Customizing Object to the name of the system-supplied or modified Workstation Customizing Object (WSCST). Also specify the name of the library that contains this modified workstation customizing object.

        This print screen shows the PC5250 Printer Emulation Setup dialog box when selecting a system-supplied Workstation Customizing Object (WSCST) of QWPLEXOPT.

        If printing to a thermal label printer, a receipt printer, or any type of dot matrix or line printer that is not directly supported by i5/OS, you typically will need to set the printer model to *WSCSTCONT132 and set the customizing object to QWPDEFAULT in library QSYS, for example:

        This print screen shows the PC5250 Printer Emulation Setup dialog box when selecting a system-supplied Workstation Customizing Object (WSCST) of QWPDEFAULT.

        Note: For more information on configuring a PC5250 printer session for a thermal label or bar code printer, please refer to the following document:

        N1018917: Configuring a PC5250 Printer Session for a Label, Barcode or Receipt Printer
        7.Click OK to exit the PC5250 Printer Emulation Setup panel, and click OK to exit the Configure PC5250 panel.
        8.You should get a message that reads, Personal Communications: PCSCC041 - Because you have changed the configuration, communication will be terminated if your proceed. Are you sure?. If you get this message, click OK. At this point, PC5250 is disconnecting and changing the printer device description on the operating system.

        This print screen shows the dialog box for message PCSCC041.
        9.Select File, Save on the menu bar.
        10.Sign on the system using a PC5250 display session. Use the Display Device Description (DSPDEVD) command to verify that Host Print Transform has been set up correctly.

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      Historical Number

      23354524

      Document Information

      Modified date:
      18 December 2019

      UID

      nas8N1019470