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Thread: Sjohn Gets Technical, Part II

  1. #1
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    Post Sjohn Gets Technical, Part II

    Oboy. More fun, and two only quasi-related techie questions for those in the know willing to help an ignorant writer get wise:

    (1) Okay, on the Transferring Data thread I learned a bit about those IDE ribbon cables, but now I need concrete advice: When you've got one that isn't striped, and there isn't a blocked-out-hole to make inserting it the wrong way impossible ... how the heck do you know which way to orient it? And even if I did know which side is which, what do I look for to know which side to put where? One poster mentioned that the "pin 1" side goes toward the power (I'm assuming he meant the power hookup for the hard drive) but what about on the motherboard itself?

    (2) Is there an easy, braindead-simple, drag-and-drop method for converting .PRN printer files to .PS or .EPS format?

    Help!

    [This message has been edited by Sjohn (edited 01-18-2001).]

  2. #2
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    Take a close look on the connector, or the side of the plastic surrounding the pins. There should be a small triangle in one end (or a square at the base of a pin). That is pin nr 1 (Sometimes they even have the curtesy to write the number).

    This should work for both the motherboard and the Harddisk. Then just use the same side of the cable as nr 1 on both ends.

    But about the .PRN -> .PS convertion. I don't have a clue. Sorry.

    ------------------
    "A penny for my thought. A dollar for my silence."

    [This message has been edited by Cpt. Lundgren (edited 01-18-2001).]

  3. #3
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    Okay ... I think I may be misunderstanding: it doesn't matter which way the cable is connected as long as each of the connectors is lined up the same way?

  4. #4
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    If you have an IDE cable which has no stripe of key on it to tell you which way Pin 1 is, then get a marker pen and colour one edge. That way, Pin 1 is marked for the cable...it doesn't really matter, as the ribbon cable is a "straight-through" cable, and won't be too fussed if you turn it over.

    The problem is in connecting the cable to devices. On your HDD, CD, etc... pin 1 is marked and easy to find; it is typically near the power plug on the device (but have a look just to be certain. )

    On the mainboard, however, there is no rule as to which way Pin 1 is located - board manufacturers place the IDE connectors according to the layout of the board, in line with the design and data track paths. Have a look on the mainboard for the two IDE sockets (they'll be easy to identify - they're the only sockets of their size and type, and they're usually mounted next to each other). They will generally have printed on the board near them (if not above them) IDE1 and IDE2. Have a close look at the mainboard near the IDE sockets - there will typically be a "1" at one corner - this will tell you where Pin 1 is on the mainboard. Look hard, and look carefully - sometimes it can be tricky to find. If you can't find Pin 1 marked on the mainboard, go to your mainboard manual (or similar documentation for your mainboard) and look at the diagram - Pin 1 should be marked on that.

    If you still can't find it, ask your local computer store for a diagram of the mainboard - don't forget to identify the board for them (the mainboard type and version number will be printed on the edge of the board somewhere).

    Hope I haven't bamboozled you too much...

    ------------------
    "Just think of it - a blind man, teaching an android how to paint? That's gotta be worth a couple of pages in somebody's book." - Riker to La Forge.

    [This message has been edited by Paul (edited 01-18-2001).]

  5. #5
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    I ended up improvising and doing the Learn-By-Doing method

    While there was no stripe or notching or anyting, I noticed a little bit of writing on one side of the ribbon. A website I found with google indicated that that would serve as an alternate "stripe."

    I experiemented with different combinations, and I looked to see how the CD was attached the the motherboard. it's writing-edge was on the left ... so I put the writing-edge on the left for the HD. I put the writing-edge on the power side of the CD socket.

    Sure enough, with that configuration, the computer went beep and Bob started whirring, just like it was booting up ... just as it had done with the FIRST try, but not with any tries since. Yet, just as with the first try, the monitor remained blank.

    And then it occurred to me that while I had hooked up the monitor power supply, I hadn't actually connected it to the CPU.

    This is where I blush.

  6. #6
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    Cool

    Originally posted by Sjohn:
    And then it occurred to me that while I had hooked up the monitor power supply, I hadn't actually connected it to the CPU.
    Been there, done that...it's the most frustrating thing, knowing that everything is plugged in and working, but the screen still doesn't light up - and it's then the most embarrassing thing to find out that the monitor's not plugged in properly (or at all...) in the first place.

    You're not alone there, my friend.

    ------------------
    "Just think of it - a blind man, teaching an android how to paint? That's gotta be worth a couple of pages in somebody's book." - Riker to La Forge.

  7. #7
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    Yeah, computers are designed to make ordinary joes feel their ordinariness acutely

    >sigh<

    So ... about those .PRN files ...?

  8. #8
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    Whats even worse is when you know you've put it back together right but it doesn't boot up.
    You sit there scratching your head when it hits you that the power plug is not in. (Being a OH&S friendly fellow, you have unplugged it to avoid sparking)

    I can be known to do this upwards of atleast 1 a month if not more

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    SIR SIG a Aussie TREK Narrator

  9. #9
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    Question

    (2) Is there an easy, braindead-simple, drag-and-drop method for converting .PRN printer files
    to .PS or .EPS format?


    Well Sjohn, I too have tried doing that nifty thing of printing to file. Now you would think that printing to file would mean you could print it off at your leisure. WRONG. My advice is to give up, and start crying now over the loss of files. In all my experience with file names, I have never found what in the nine hells is a *.prn? I have tried opening it on various programs but nothing. The closest I have gotten is something called Navy dif(?). So best of luck, maybe someone else out there knows what to do. I have tried the print to file twice, went back to get the info, and it was hopeless. Sorry to burst your bubble like that Sjohn.

    ------------------
    The pain, the pain. I think a neuron
    just short circuited. *thud*

  10. #10
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    Unhappy

    I have been checking some of the things rustling around in the back of my head. And the result was that I unfortunately have an answer to question 2.

    No, there is no easy (not even an compicated) way to convert .PRN to .PS. If not someone have created any 3rd part application that do the trick. But if you have access to the document that created the .PRN it is easy to create an .PS file from it (but I have a strong feeling that you already knew this).

    Lolth-org, the .PRN is a file with PCL instruction. So it is already processed to send to a PCL printer (Sorry everyone for the Technobabble. Engineering out! )
    ------------------
    "A penny for my thought. A dollar for my silence."

    [This message has been edited by Cpt. Lundgren (edited 01-19-2001).]

  11. #11
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    Originally posted by Sjohn:
    Yeah, computers are designed to make ordinary joes feel their ordinariness acutely
    Before I became a tech myself, I definitely knew that feeling. Especially with my brother spouting modern-day technobabble at me every chance he got...

    Butthat makes it even more entertaining when a group of certified (and some would say certifiable) techs get together for a net party and can't figure out that the reason one computer is getting no sound is because the speakers are plugged into the wrong port. The expressions were priceless when the one non-techie of the group innocently asked "What about the speaker connection?" and they all realized their mistake...


    ------------------
    Doug Burke



    McCoy: "You're taking me to the promised land?"
    Kirk: "That's what you get for missing staff meetings, Doctor."

    [This message has been edited by Doug Burke (edited 01-19-2001).]

  12. #12
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    Question

    Lolth-org, the .PRN is a file with PCL instruction. So it is already processed to send to a PCL
    printer (Sorry everyone for the Technobabble. Engineering out! )



    What the nine hells is a PCL printer????

    Good explanation but. . . . .

    ------------------
    The pain, the pain. I think a neuron
    just short circuited. *thud*

  13. #13
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    Okay, I found the deal with .PRN files:

    If they're generated by a postscript printer driver, the conversion is easy: They're already in .PS form, with a .PRN extension. Just change the extension and voila - Illustrator can open them.

    If they're generated by a non-postscript printer driver, then there's no real way.

    This is a handy way that anyone can generate PS files in Windows: just go to the "add printer" thingy in the controls, and add a driver for an Apple Laserwriter (you don't actually need such a printer ... Windows is none the wiser) and click on the "print to file" option when creating the printer. That driver will automatically spit out postscript format .PRN files whenever you need them, which is awfully handy (I've tried this and it works like a charm).


  14. #14
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    Smile

    Also, .PS will be ready to convert directly to .PDF through Acrobat distiller.

    A quick detour from the topic (will probably be busy the next week, fending of a Jem'hadar fleet sent from Surak or Don ). .PS is an more precise form of printing. It's the only choise for Apple users (now we are talking religion ). When using different PostScript printers, the printouts will be exactly the same, except quality and color depth.

    PCL is the biggest standard in the PC environment. Sometimes PCL is just called "not postscript mode". So if you have a printer, and don't use postscript, then you are using PCL. Unfortunately, the perfect layout you have made for one printer wouldn't work for another (even from the same manufacturer). The printout will be a little smaller or a little bit larger. A typical symtom of this is a 4 page printout from a 1 page document. Where 3 of the pages only have a little text on the side.

    Postscript printers was much more expensive a couple of years ago. But now most of the printers are capable of both. So the reason that we still use them in PCL mode is mostly ignorance and laziness (and now am I talking about us who are administrating the computers and networks).

    "Engineering to Bridge. If needed, we will be in our newly digged trenches. Engineering out."

    [This message has been edited by Cpt. Lundgren (edited 01-20-2001).]

  15. #15
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    Also, .PS will be ready to convert directly to .PDF through Acrobat distiller.

    Usually! There are so many "flavors" of postscript and Distiller chokes on some of them, including the ones that the method I describe spits out BUT ... Adobe Illustrator can open them and then run them through the Distiller no problem, which is handy.

    [This message has been edited by Sjohn (edited 01-20-2001).]

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