About RWAP Software

Formed in November 1986, UK based RWAP Software, is a leading provider of solutions for 1980s era computers.  Our team specializes in the development and implementation of high-quality software across various industries. With a strong emphasis on extending the lifecycle of existing equipment, we always put customers first and work to ensure that our products are designed, tested, and maintained to the highest standards.

Over the years, we have expanded our range of products and services to encompass new technologies as they have emerged and offering them to both home computer users and the industrial market in order to help extend the useful life of existing equipment.  As part of this we developed the innovative Retro-Printer Module which allows equipment reliant on a dot-matrix printer to continue working through using our module and software to emulate the original printer.

We develop our own software applications as well as use third party software to create enhancements and bugfixes to continue supporting existing and new customers.  As part of this, in 2010, we expanded from provision of software only services, to sourcing replacement parts and arranging for the manufacture of new replacement products, including keyboard membranes, faceplates and overlays for such household names as Amstrad, Commodore, Sinclair and Vectrex.

Our background in real-time programming on the Sinclair QL, coupled with experience in the industrial controls sector puts us in a unique position to see niches in the existing market and to offer solutions which appeal to a wide range of customers, from the home user to large industrials.  We have worked on both small industrial jobs such as replacing the printer on a bagging machine, to large complex conveyor based systems which continue to benefit from our modular approach to programming to realise solutions which are easily extendable and configurable to meet clients’ needs.

We therefore offer to work alongside end customers to develop bespoke solutions to their problems, which can include bespoke development of the software running on the Retro-Printer module, or bespoke hardware development if necessary.

Trust RWAP Software to deliver reliable and efficient solutions tailored to meet your specific business needs.

The Birth of the Retro-Printer Module

It seems surprising that our first foray into programming in C (1997) was an improved printer Epson ESC/P2 driver for the Sinclair QL home computer, which supported 720dpi printing, utilising both TIFF and Delta Row compression.  Although this improvement was widely received, increasing difficulties with obtaining suitable Epson ESC/P2 printers by 2000 highlighted the need to develop a low cost replacement for a standard dot matrix printer.

Our experience with industrial PLC applications helped us to develop an understanding of what is required by industry.  During our work on baggage handling controls system for a major UK airport, we saw the importance of having physical printouts to provide real-time data from an industrial process.  Even by 2000, the number of Centronics printers capable of being plugged into a parallel port and printing even simple plain text from an I/O card was quickly diminishing.  We thus first conceived the idea of the Retro-Printer in 2000 – a means of providing easy access to modern USB and network printers.

The cost of suitable hardware and operating systems was seen as a barrier particularly to the home market, and it was the advent of the low cost Raspberry Pi which re-ignited our interest in this project. In 2015, the Retro-Printer module was born; with the help of a hardware designer in Germany, who had already designed various hardware modules for the Sinclair ZX81 home computer.  The Retro-Printer Module was officially launched in 2019.  The software has continued to be maintained and regularly updated since then to address different market needs and different printer standards.

In fact, the printer emulators which we have devised for the Retro-Printer form only our second program in C.

What Makes RWAP Software Different?

Our team has a wealth of experience of developing software for both home users and industrial applications.

Our software back catalogue includes a range of software developed using SuperBASIC and Visual Basic; 68000 Assembly Language; PHP; Javascript; Perl; and C; as well as Rockwell (Allan-Bradley) based PLCs.  Specific applications include 3D engines; route finding programs; games; online auction sites; SCADA; baggage handling and car plant automation systems.

We are happy to work with customers to develop bespoke printer emulator and conversion routines for the Retro-Printer to suit specific situations.  To give a flavour of how our services have assisted customers to date, this includes:

• capturing data sent to a receipt printer;
• extracting data from an old accounts package;
• replacing a high speed printer on a parcel line;
• adding PLC control logic to identify the end of a print job (where previously the data was sent to a fanfold printout);
• correcting the date in output to handle Y2K bugs;
• extracting information from a printout to form the filename automatically;
• creating a CSV file from the printed data;
• sending the printed data over TCP/IP or HTTPS;
• adding the printed data directly to a SQL database;
• fixing a long-standing bug in the firmware for some sports equipment.

We continue to evolve our software offering for the Retro-Printer module, to meet the growing needs of industry to turn what was previously mere printer output into a true Internet of Things (IoT) connected device – with captured printer data logged automatically to SCADA systems and databases, or triggering email notifications as required.

Whilst general 12 month warranties apply to our equipment, we still continue to support our customers well past that timescale without charge – as a result many of our clients have been known to us for over 30 years and we treat them more as friends.

If you feel that your project could benefit from the Retro-Printer or our companion product, the RWAP Interceptor, please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss your requirements.

Impact on the Environment

The environment is at the heart of what we do.  By providing print solutions for  vintage computers and electronics equipment, we are helping to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill as well as increase the lifespan of such equipment.  We design our code to provide efficient routines which help to reduce energy usage, as well as time and expense.

We support local recycling initiatives and undertake practical conservation work in the local area to preserve the environment.

We are continuously striving to reduce our environmental impact further and have compiled an environmental impact statement for the whole of the RWAP Family.