A protocol converter is a DLL written to support printers that are capable of returning information to the host PC. A protocol converter is responsible for understanding the control language of the printer. Examples of control languages are as follows:

• Network Printer Alliance Protocol (NPAP)

• Printer Job Language (PJL)

• Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)

The file type of a protocol converter is ".CNV". The protocol converter does not get involved in the physical transmission of commands or data to the printer. The converter will generate appropriate printer commands to send to the printer, and the converter is able to translate the data sent from the printer to the host PC.

Developers can write a protocol converter if they have a port driver that can communicate with a group of printers that does not yet have a protocol converter. See the "Bidirectional Communications" chapter in the Printer Device Driver Reference for OS/2 for more information.

The functions exported from a protocol converter are as follows:

• SplProtSendCmd

• SplProtXlateCmd

Note: SplProtWrite is an optional function that can be exported from a protocol converter.

A protocol converter is installed in a system by adding the following entry to the system .INI file:

AppName =

PM_PROTOCOL_CONVERTER

ConverterName Example: "PJL", "NPAP"

Path to converter
Example: "C:\OS2\DLL\PROT.CNV"