manager@a.coe.wvu.wvnet.edu (Cris Fuhrman, G40B Eng Sci Bldg, (304)293-2190) (02/28/89)
We have several HP7475a plotters that we have connected to PC's with communications to various mainframes with SAS and other graphics software which support plotters. Ultimately, we'd like to get the PC's to work as dumb terminals that initiate the mainframes to send plotting data to the plotter. The HP manual mentions the use of a Y-cable to get this to work. We have configured a cable to the specs in the manual, but have had no luck in getting it to work. It seems that the plotter is the problem. The plotter is situated "between" the host machine and the PC. We have verified continuity on the send/receive lines in the cable (i.e. we've jumpered the send and receive lines on the plotter's connector) and we can communicate from host to PC. Once we remove the jumpers and insert the plotter onto the line, we get nothing. It's as if the plotter isn't allowing the data to pass through. We've tried several switch settings (i.e. Y/D, hardware/software hand- shaking, etc), but nothing seems to make a difference. Can anyone shed some light on their own experiences with this? Is there a simpler way of achieving our goal of using a PC as a dumb terminal to a plotter (i.e. mainframe plots to an HP7475 interactively)? -Cris