HP 24SII - Manual (Page 60)

The Model 24SII Data Exchange System allows peripheral (printer,
plotter) sharing, specific peripheral selection or peripheral contention,
and buffering of print data. The Model 24SII DES will let several users
automatically share one printer. In multiple printer applications, it will
let users contend for the next available printer on a
first-come-first-served basis or select a specific printer. Data is stored
in the buffer of the Model 24SII DES and is sent to the printer as the
printer can receive it.
From the factory, the Model 24SII DES is preset to allow multiple
computers to share one printer. If this configuration does not
correspond to your application, you should make the necessary
changes to the Port Designations by accessing the configuration
mode of the Model 24SII DES (see
Section 8 ). For a description of
the various changes that may be made by accessing the configuration
mode please see
Section 6 .
It is highly recommended that printers or plotters connected to the
Model 24SII DES be plugged in and turned on at all times while there
is activity occurring on the Model 24SII DES; however printers need
not be in the "on line" mode at all times.
In applications where several users are sharing one peripheral
(printer, plotter, etc.), printer sharing is automatic. The user performs
his normal print operation; there are no codes to send. Data is
automatically sent to the printer. The Model 24SII DES can receive
print jobs simultaneously from all computers and will pass print jobs to
the printer in the same order in which they were received in the buffer.