The dos print spooler polls the parallel port on the timer interrupt, no interrupt from the printer is needed -timer interrupt jumps to hooked service routine (about 18 times a second) -printer status check -if printer buffer empty send new characters -if printing done unhook timer interrupt -jump to original timer service routine -original timer service routine returns controll to dos till next timer interrupt Peter pvh@vertonet.com -----Original Message----- From: Sean Breheny To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU Date: Tuesday, May 18, 1999 8:42 PM Subject: Re: Multitasking without interrupt ? >Hi Imre, > >How does it work on PC's without a printer IRQ? I thought I had used it on >ones that probably didn't have a printer interrupt. > >Sean > >At 11:32 AM 5/17/99 +0200, you wrote: >>Hi, >>only as a small remark: the DOS print spooler (I do not know whether >>another ones...) is working on an interrupt basis, as the printer tells >>with an IT if the data has been printed, so asks for new data. There is no >>time slicing. >>Imre >> >> > >| >| Sean Breheny >| Amateur Radio Callsign: KA3YXM >| Electrical Engineering Student >\--------------=---------------- >Save lives, please look at http://www.all.org >Personal page: http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/shb7 >mailto:shb7@cornell.edu ICQ #: 3329174