[comp.sys.hp] HP PC-300/BLP problems.....

ghynes@kean.ucs.mun.ca (Gerard Hynes, Tech_SvS) (11/21/89)

	I am posting this for a professor who is having some problems 
with his HP equipment....

	Here is the lineup:

	1: HP PC-305CL w/ HP Basic Language Processor (83221B upgraded 
           to Basic 5.13 and PC 3.0 Boot Roms)
           - 9 Pin RS-232 serial port

	2: HP 7475A Plotter - RS-232 

	The PC-300's serial port works great when running a Vt-1xx or 
Tek 4010 emulation package to one of the Vaxen. The plotter works 
great when hooked up to the Vax (in eavesdrop mode) or straight from a 
HP-86. But......when running the Basic Language Processor we have been 
unable to get the plotter to respond. The BLP comes back with an 
serial port error. We have tried a number of different cable 
and serial port configurations to no avail. 

	If anyone has a configuration as above and could help us 
please respond via e-mail to the address below. If there is enough 
interest I'll post a summary. Thanx in advance, Gerard.

                                              ghynes@mun.BITNET
                                              ghynes@kean.mun.edu.ca

steve-t@hpfcso.HP.COM (Steve Taylor) (11/23/89)

 I tried to mail this (as requested), but it bounced, so I'm posting it here
 instead.
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Re:  HP PC-300/BLP problems.....  (comp.sys.hp)

Gerard,

>	1: HP PC-305CL w/ HP Basic Language Processor 
>          - 9 Pin RS-232 serial port
>	2: HP 7475A Plotter - RS-232 

I haven't used this exact set-up, but I have tried an HP 7440A (ColorPro)
plotter on the serial interface of an HP 9000 Model 310 running HP BASIC 5.

> The BLP comes back with an serial port error.  We have tried a number of
> different cable and serial port configurations to no avail. 

I suspect that your problem has to do with the OP command BASIC sends when it
executes the PLOTTER IS statement.  BASIC expects the response to be terminated
with a line-feed character.  The plotter, by default, will terminate with a
carriage-return character.  You can't change what BASIC expects, but you can
change what the plotter sends.  Here's the preamble I used with the ColorPro:

	30	CONTROL 9,3;9600	! Baud Rate
	40	CONTROL 9,4;32+16+8+2	! Parity 0 & On, 1 Stop Bit, 7 Bits
	50	CONTROL 9,12;128+32	! Carrier Detect Disable,
	60				! Data Set Ready Disable
	70	OUTPUT 9;CHR$(27)&".M250;10;;10:"
	80	! 250ms Turnaround Delay, <LF> Output Trigger, No Echo,
	90	! <LF> Output Terminator
       100	PLOTTER IS 9,"HPGL"

I can't say that the CONTROL stuff will be exactly the same on the BLP, but
some form of line 70 is necessary with any version of HP BASIC 5 and a serial
plotter.  Version 5 is the earliest that will work with serial plotters, for
other reasons.  Note that serial plotters are unsupported on Series 300.

(I used a cable that provided a hardware handshake on the 310, but that may
not be necessary / appropriate for the Vectra.)

>	If anyone has a configuration as above and could help us please respond
> via e-mail to the address below. If there is enough  interest I'll post a
> summary. Thanx in advance, Gerard.
>                                              ghynes@kean.mun.edu.ca

						Hope this helps,
						Steve Taylor

NOT A STATEMENT, OFFICIAL OR OTHERWISE, OF THE HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY.