AMSTRAD PCW8256 systems & sw available

[Tony Duell]

> 
> On 01/12/2007, Steven Martin <speedracer005 at mac.com> wrote:
> > My dad is 82, a retired College Professor, he owns a Amstrad PCW 8256
> > and his printer is broken. The printer head doesn't seem to go
> > anywhere so it can't print. Is there someone in the USA that you know
> > of that can help me, we are in California. If you do not know of
> > anyone in the USA is there a way you can direct me to someone I can
> > buy parts from that speaks english or at least can communicate
> > through email in english.
> 
> It's a British machine, so English shouldn't be a problem.

I should have the service manual for it somewhere. It's an Amstrad 
manual, so just schematics and parts lists, but that's all you really need...

> 
> They're still quite common over here, but international freight for a
> printer isn't worth it. The bundled printer is dumb, with no
> controller electronics; all the logic is in the computer.

Tjhere's a little PCB in the printer. It contains, from waht I remember, 
the driver transsitors, etc. The printer is controlled (again IIRC), by 
aprogrammed 8042 microcontroller on the main PCB.

The fault could be any number of things, most of them fixable (dry 
joints, blown driver transsitors, etc). A defective 8042 could be a 
problem, oyu'd have to take a spare from a similar machine, as I suspect 
oriignals are long since unavailable.

-tony