Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!udel!rochester!kodak!uupsi!vmp!monymsys!mony815!jkinz
From: jkinz@mony815.uucp (Jeff Kinz)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp
Subject: Re: Plotter on HP9000/835
Summary: Small steps to try
Keywords: plotter serial, hpgl HPGL
Message-ID: <1990Nov16.145516.29574@mony815.uucp>
Date: 16 Nov 90 14:55:16 GMT
References: <11230@ccncsu.ColoState.EDU>
Reply-To: jkinz@mony815.UUCP (Jeff Kinz)
Organization: MONY Financial Services, Microcomputer Systems, Teaneck, NJ
Lines: 37

conca@handel.cs.colostate.edu (michael vincen conca) writes:
>Has anyone successfully set up a serial port plotter on an HP9000/835?  
>
>What I am trying to do is set up an HP7550a plotter to run off of one of
>the mux ports (tty2p3).  I want to be able to spool to it using the lp
>spooler.
>
Mike, I am not familiar with the particular model of plotter that you
are working with but I was able to set up an HP plotter ( Big E-sheet
model) on the serial port of a SUN about 6 years ago. I believe the model
I was using used "HPGL"? as a graphics language.  It worked superbly well
as a serial device. I have some ideas:

First make sure the serial cable pinouts match the needs of the HP
equipment - if you have the manuals for your plotter and system they will
contain some very complete diagrams.  The HP response center had better be able
to give good advise on this.  I don't think that the response they gave
is at all appropriate.  If they put a serial port on the plotter, it had
darned well better work on the serial port of an HP computer.  
Call them back and insist on some good advice!  Also I think that HP
actually has a cable pinout (and part number) specifically for this
application.

Second, if you don't have a datascope you can at least start with a 
dumb terminal and see if your file of commands is getting out of the port. 
Third, create a very small and simple file of plotter commands and try 
catting them out the port to the plotter.  

(apologies to the net if this posting does not match standards and formats.
I'm new at this - please e-mail me if I botched something, thx Jeff)


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