I have in my possession a Siemesn-Nixdorf ATB printer model 457a (that
is the kind of printer used to print Airplaine tickets, boarding
passes and ins some parts of Europe, train tickets. I am looking for
drivers for dos / windows for this machine and a cable pinout schema.
Printing software and user manuals are optional but it would be nice
to have them too.

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Clarification of Question by vax-ga on 07 Apr 2003 08:28 PDT

I Do not see any answer coming up... Is it becasue the fee is too
small or simply becasue nobody could find what I was looking for ?
Let me know, and if needed, i will raise the fee.
Thanks in advance

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Clarification of Question by vax-ga on 17 Apr 2003 03:26 PDT

It seems from My research that all ATB printers have to respect some
IATA standarts, It might very well be that the printer does not need a
specific driver, but just a set of standart instruction ( a bit like
HAYES strings for modems) If someone finds this and it is working , i
will consider that a valid answer.

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Request for Question Clarification by wellen-ga on 28 Apr 2003 00:08 PDT

Hello vax,

I just saw your question and have sent out a few emails to see if I
can find anything for you. I believe you have a typing error in the
name of the printer (as discovered by 'Google' search). Should it be
Siemens rather than Siemesn? Also, do you mean 'cable printout'?

I will let you know if anyone responds to my emails.

wellen
Google Researcher

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Clarification of Question by vax-ga on 28 Apr 2003 13:24 PDT

Hello Wellen,
Thanks for your feedback,
Indeed, I meant Siemens, a typing mistake that escaped me . 
By cable pinout , i mean cable pin layout, a diagram of the connector
cable needed with mention of which pin should be connected where ( I
susect a standard serial would do, the printer has a large type
parralel plug, but I'm not sure)
Pinout is a term I have heard used a lot, but always by non- english
natives, so maybe it's not even an english word.
As for the request for information, thanks a lot for those emails, I
hope you'll get answers.
 I must just say that, even if their sale is in now way restricted by
any lay ( at least here in europe) ATB printers are somwhat of a
'sensitive' item and generally threated as such by the comapanies that
make them. This might explain the reluctance of some companies to
hadle out some information about a product legally bought that I had
to face and that you might encounter.
So, a bit of a challenge then.
Looking forward for news from you.

Hello Vax,

I've heard back from 2 places but without any success. One just
referred me to the the Siemens web site:

"Thank you for your e-mail. Please click on the following link for
service
and support numbers for Fujitsu Siemens Computers, who can help with
your
query:

http://www.fujitsu-siemens.co.uk/rl/servicesupport/helpdesk.asp

Kind regards,
Neil Jenkins "


and the other sent this response:

"Hello,

to be honest I don't know the printer Siemens-Nixdorf 457a. Can you
have a
look to the type label at the printer? There should be another name
(hopefully). Anyway, most of the older Siemens-Nixdorf printers are
supported by
Fujitsu-Siemens now: www.fujitsu-siemens.com

Best regards - Werner von R??den "


I went to the Fujitsu-Siemens site and sent an email to them but have
not received a reply yet.

I also came across this web site and searched for your printer, but,
alas, no success ( http://www.driverguide.com ).

If I receive a response from the Siemens web site I will let you know,
but at this point I feel I have tried what I could and wish I could
have been more helpful.


wellen
Google Answers Researcher




"

I imagine that this information will be next to impossible to find
online. Airlines and companies that manufacture ticketing equipment
and/or software have an extremely strong vested interest in preventing
that information from becoming available to the general public, since
someone who has gotten hold of one of the printers might use that
information to create counterfeit tickets.

Airlines and ticketing agents with a legitimate need for this
information are able to obtain it directly through the manufacturers
of the hardware and software for the equipment.