nick@kralizec.fido.oz.au (Nick Andrew) (10/28/90)
G'day, A friend has just bought a Hewlett-Packard 9872A plotter from auction. The beast has 2 Centronics sockets on the back, for which we need pinouts before we can get it going. Some details ... there are 2 centronics sockets. The first is labelled HPIB and is a 14-pin; the second is labelled 9815a and is 24 pins wide. Can anybody help with the specs for these? I assume (not being familiar with plotters) they're standard type connectors for which the pinouts and interfacing is readily available. Please reply to nick@ultima.socs.uts.edu.au or nick@kralizec.fido.oz.au BTW he also bought a HP-7225A with a card-edge connector, but we gave up thinking about that one. Onegaishimasu, Nick.
rjn@hpfcso.HP.COM (Bob Niland) (10/30/90)
re: > A friend has just bought a Hewlett-Packard 9872A plotter from > auction. The beast has 2 Centronics sockets on the back, for which > we need pinouts before we can get it going. > Some details ... there are 2 centronics sockets. The first is labelled > HPIB and is a 14-pin; the second is labelled 9815a and is 24 pins wide. There are no Centronics interfaces on the 9872 family. The 24-pin socket is HP-IB (aka IEEE 488-1975) and speaks an early dialect of the now-common HP-GL plotter command language (the 9872 "A" model it has no readback, so the safe way to test it is to plot to a file, then dump the file on the plotter). The 14-pin socket is for an electrical and lingusitic interface that was unique to the 9815A programmable desktop calculator. What are you trying to hook the plotter to? There are HP-IB interfaces available for PCs. How much trouble you will have getting it to work is difficult to say. Regards, Hewlett-Packard Bob Niland Internet: rjn@hpfcrjn.FC.HP.COM 3404 East Harmony Road UUCP: [hplabs|hpfcse]!hpfcrjn!rjn Ft Collins CO 80525-9599
walter@hpsadle.HP.COM (Walter Coole) (10/30/90)
I think you mean that there are 2 micro-ribbon connectors; Centronics used a micro-ribbon connector for their parallel printer interface. The one labeled "HPIB" is just that, HPIB is HP's implementation of IEEE-488 (GPIB); the standard cable has stacking connectors on both ends and is wired straight through (pin 1 -> pin 1, etc.). The one labeled 9815 is for a proprietary interface that was only implemented on HP 9815 computers. The HPIB interface should work with most GPIB interfaces; try pretending that it's an HP7475 or other HPGL plotter (note that HPGL is the language used by HP plotters, and is distinct from PCL, the language used by LaserJets and other HP printers). Not an official statement.
myers@hpfcdj.HP.COM (Bob Myers) (10/30/90)
> A friend has just bought a Hewlett-Packard 9872A plotter from >auction. The beast has 2 Centronics sockets on the back, for which >we need pinouts before we can get it going. Actually, NEITHER of these is a "Centronics" socket! >Some details ... there are 2 centronics sockets. The first is labelled >HPIB and is a 14-pin; the second is labelled 9815a and is 24 pins wide. The one labelled "HPIB" is the one you want to use; the other is for connecting to the 9815A calculator/computer (whichever name you prefer for that model). The HPIB (Hewlett-Packard Interface Bus) is HP's implementation of the IEE-488 standard for instrumemt control/communications. (It was actually developed by HP first, and then adopted, with very slight modifications, as a standard.) You might also know IEEE-488 as the "GPIB". By any name, it's not exactly the Centronics interface, although both are 8-bit parallel busses with similar handshaking. HPIB/GPIB to Centronics convertors are available (or easily constructed), at least for devices such as printers and plotters. For further details, I'd suggest looking at this IEEE standard, or guides on this interface from HP or any of a number of HPIB/GPIB instrument or controller suppliers. Bob Myers KC0EW HP Graphics Tech. Div.| Opinions expressed here are not Ft. Collins, Colorado | those of my employer or any other myers@fc.hp.com | sentient life-form on this planet.
myers@hpfcdj.HP.COM (Bob Myers) (10/30/90)
/ hpfcdj:comp.sys.hp / myers@hpfcdj.HP.COM (Bob Myers) / 1:09 pm Oct 29, 1990 / > A friend has just bought a Hewlett-Packard 9872A plotter from >auction. The beast has 2 Centronics sockets on the back, for which >we need pinouts before we can get it going. Actually, NEITHER of these is a "Centronics" socket! >Some details ... there are 2 centronics sockets. The first is labelled >HPIB and is a 14-pin; the second is labelled 9815a and is 24 pins wide. The one labelled "HPIB" is the one you want to use; the other is for connecting to the 9815A calculator/computer (whichever name you prefer for that model). The HPIB (Hewlett-Packard Interface Bus) is HP's implementation of the IEE-488 standard for instrumemt control/communications. (It was actually developed by HP first, and then adopted, with very slight modifications, as a standard.) You might also know IEEE-488 as the "GPIB". By any name, it's not exactly the Centronics interface, although both are 8-bit parallel busses with similar handshaking. HPIB/GPIB to Centronics convertors are available (or easily constructed), at least for devices such as printers and plotters. For further details, I'd suggest looking at this IEEE standard, or guides on this interface from HP or any of a number of HPIB/GPIB instrument or controller suppliers. (HP's is _Tutorial_Description_of_the_Hewlett-Packard _Interface_Bus_, HP p/n 5952-0156, available from your nearest HP office.) Bob Myers KC0EW HP Graphics Tech. Div.| Opinions expressed here are not Ft. Collins, Colorado | those of my employer or any other myers@fc.hp.com | sentient life-form on this planet. ----------