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IndustryArena Forum > Other Machines > Printing, Scanners, Vinyl cutting and Plotters > Problems with the serial connection of a vintage HP plotter
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2018
    Posts
    3

    Question Problems with the serial connection of a vintage HP plotter

    Hello!

    first of all I am not sure if this is the right place to post this so apologies if it isnt and ill delete it.

    I recently gotten a vintage HP draftpro DXL 7575A plotter and ive been trying to get it to work on my windows 10 machine.
    It has a serial RS-232-C port on the back and im using a serial rs-232 to usb converter to connect it to my PC.
    But when i use the terminal to send commands I receive nothing.

    I installed and reinstalled the drivers of the converter. and confirmed it worked because i shorted the RX and TX pin and i got a feedback loop.
    The plotter itself also isnt the problem because everything on it works. the demo plot works fine and so do all the buttons.

    so it must be a connection problem. and thats where im stuck.

    the code im sending is HPGL which is easy to send a few commands.

    the code:
    IN;
    SP1;
    PA2000,2000;
    CI500;

    which means it initialises the plotter, picks pen 1, goes to coordinates 2000,2000 and draws a circle.

    I checked the manual if i put the DIP switches in the right spot and the BAUD rate is correct

    manual: HP Computer Museum

    I also added some pictures of the back and the cable im using.

    Thanks for reading all of this!
    Damnub

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    24216

    Re: Problems with the serial connection of a vintage HP plotter

    I ran one many years ago but had a COM port on the PC, it may need to see the hardware handshake, which, if you have a COM port cable they can be jumpered out.
    It may pay to see if you have a COM port connection on the MoBo as many modern PC's have it, but do not bring it out to the exterior.
    Al.
    CNC, Mechatronics Integration and Custom Machine Design

    “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.”
    Albert E.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2018
    Posts
    3

    Re: Problems with the serial connection of a vintage HP plotter

    unfortunately i dont have a serial port on my MOBO. I looked into the serial port PCI's but they are expensive (50 euros). the hardware handshake might be the problem but I dont have any knowledge about it. I read that i might need a null modem. because i dont know if the plotter is DTE or DCE. So I bought that and its comming in tomorrow.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2018
    Posts
    3

    Re: Problems with the serial connection of a vintage HP plotter

    So an update!

    I got the null modem in the email and now im receiving something in the Com port:
    picture: https://i.imgur.com/vJXh2Tc.png

    this is turning the plotter on. waiting, and turning it off. (after the DSR Turned on ... )

    I am playing around with the bBaud rates and Parity settings and that seems to chance the encrypted code (000 063 063 063 063 063 063 ) but I am not sure what it means.

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