Reading Agfa Star RIP files (readback to computer)

[anfrmite]

Hello everyone,

I think the question is pretty straight-forward for "old ancient equipment" Agfa systems users (or premium experienced service techs like VladCanada).

For Agfa Star RIPs (Star 400, 600, MultiStar, etc.), is there some command (if any exist) to readback the files -any file- from the RIP to the user's computer?

I mean some kind of PS command with the appropiate syntax, created with a plain ASCII editor, that I could send to the RIP, maybe with AgfaSet, maybe with RIPSOFT, that could command the RIP to execute a readback of a file that already exists in the SCSI hard-disk RIP, and then sending this file to the user's computer?

Same question applies if there exist some kind of DIR command to know the directory or folder contents of the RIP.

Of course there is "Ask RIP.EDF" in AgfaSet that provides some information from the RIP to the user's computer, but I am looking if there is some (maybe undocumented) way of knowing the RIP's hard-disk content and reading back this content (specific files) back to the user's computer.

Thank you in advance for any information.

 

[Contrariness]

I doubt it's possible to recover a file that has already been interpreted by the RIP. What is kept must be a rasterized image (probably a compressed 1-bit bitmap file) in order to restart the job without having to pass it through the RIP again. This file must include additional configuration information.

 

[anfrmite]

Thank for your reply, but I am not talking about reading back a file job that has been sent to the RIP for outputting to the imagesetter. I mean the system files that reside in the RIP itself. Like any MSDOS, Windows, Mac, etc. computer system, the Agfa's RIP propietary file system have some files for its own internal use, and also have some files that you must install -from the RIP installation floppy disks- that include the Postscript interpreter, Ethernet config files, PS user configuration, etc. In the case of a catastrophical SCSI hard-disk crash (because of age of this old equipment) and the lack (or crash or unreadable) of the floppy media, it would be useful to have a backup of these files.

 

[Contrariness]

Oh yes, that's different. We'd need the documentation or a former technician who remembers this hardware.
On one of my image setter, we backed up the RIP hard drive using a computer in command mode connected to the setter in serial mode (RS232).
But I think it should also be possible to clone the hard drive(s) with software like "Acronis," which copies segment by segment without worrying about their contents. However, this requires access to these drives, which may be SCSI or other.
Personally, I switched to RIP software (ECRM's RIPMate, Xitron's Navigator, or HighWater's).