[sane-devel] Two questions: ESC/P control set, and drum scanners

[Gernot Hassenpflug]

Hi all,

I've got 2 questions:

1) About scanners using ESC/P command set

I've just received some UsbSnoop data for a Canon MP130 multi-funtion machine.
Unlike the usual pixma command set, this seems to use an extremely
simple and abbreviated set of commands that looks like ESC/P.
The pre-data and post-data interaction uses an ESC S (capital letter)
for write and read, and the data reading uses ESC s (small letter).
I'm wondering if there is a backend already that uses a protocol based
on ESC/P command set?

2) about drum-scanners

I have a couple of ALPS drum-scanner printer/scanner combos (MD-4000
and MD-1500) which function through either a SCSI connection (for
Macs) or a parallel connection (for PCs). I haven't yet installed the
native scan software for Windows so I don't have any data yet, but I
wonder which backend might be best to look at for support. I don't
know if I should be expecting SCSI-over-parallel or something
complicated, and am unsure at this stage how easy it will be to snoop
the parallel connection.
What is a recommended way to do that? I am thinking that maybe I can
install Windows2000 (not sure if the scan software can run on XP) in a
VM, and then install the parallel driver via a USB converter cable
(the printers function well like that). If that works, I can use
UsbSnoop. But if not, I'll have to find a way to snoop the parallel
port maybe? For that would I need portmon, or is there some other
recommended software?

Regards,
Gernot Hassenpflug