test-drb May 2001

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

273 participants
642 discussions

by Marion.Bates＠dartmouth.edu

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23 years, 7 months

classiccmp-digest V1 #606

by philpem＠btinternet.com

Hi, > Date: Sun, 20 May 2001 22:40:50 +0100 (BST) > From: ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) > Subject: Re: Sharp CE-515P plotter/printer - info? > > > > > Hi, > > I've just acquired a nice little Sharp plotter/printer (model CE-515P). > > I assume this is one of the little 4 colour units with the tiny ballpoint > pens on the carriage and paper about 4" wide. Yup. > The same mechanism was used by other companies (Oric printer, Tandy > CGP115, Commodore 1520, and so on). Many of them (but not the Commodore) > used the same microcontroller chip to operate the mechanism, and they all > respond to the same commands. Not my Sharp - it works with some of the graphics commands (not AXIS or Text Rotation, though), but not others, and it needs an ESC b to put it into graphics mode. > Somewhere I have the service manual for the mechanism (how to take it > apart and replace mechanical bits). No idea where you'd get spares from, > though. Anyone got a metal milling machine? > > It seems to be in reasonably good condition and it works (to some extent). > > The most common problem with these units is that the little pinion gears > on the stepper motor shafts break. They're force-fitted onto the shafts > and the crack. This causes them (a) to slip and (b) not to mesh properly > with the next gear in the train. Urk... > At one time you could get spares from Tandy National Parts (as a spare > for the CGP115 plotter), but not any more (and not for many years, > actually). I've heard various solutions involving binding them up with a > twist of wire (wound round the part of the pinion that doesn't mesh with > the next gear) so as to close the crack, but I am not sure how good these > solutions are. How about putting a bit of copper wire over the crack, squeezing the gear together, heating the wire up with a soldering iron, pushing the wire into the plastic and cutting off the excess? Or it might be possible to use a metal staple or two. Should be quite strong. > It might almost be worth trying to make some replacements from scratch. > You'd need a milling machine (or lathe with vertical slide) and a > dividing head. And you'd need to make a special cutter (probably a fly > cutter), since IIRC, these gears are a non-standard pitch. But it should > be possible. Oh. I wouldn't mind a set of metal gears for it if they're all plastic. Two of each should be enough. :-) > > Only problem is, I don't have a manual. Does anyone here know what the > > control codes for this little thing are? I also need the pinouts for the > > RS232C port on the back. > > How many pins on the RS232 port. And is it known to be RS232? Many of these > plotters have a parallel interface on a strange connector (such as a 0.1" > header plug). The standard microcontroller implements a parallel > interface and 3 wire RS232 (input data, ready, ground) at 600 baud. It's a four pin DIN socket and it's labelled "RS-232C". > Here are the standard commands for these printers (assuming it does use > the normal microcontroller). > > It starts off in text mode. In this mode, characters are printed in the > way you'd expect, carriage return and/or line feed do what you'd expect > (there's a dip switch to select whether it automatically does linefeed on > carriage return). There are 2 other control codes to know about : > > 18 (decimal) : go into graphics mode Doesn't work, see above. > 29 (decimal) : Select the next pen Doesn't work - ESC 0 to ESC 3 work on mine. > In graphics mode, you send it printable commands to make it do things. > The main ones are : > > A go back to text mode Works, > Cn Select pen <n> (0-3) Doesn't work - ESC 0-3 works, though. > D x,y... Draw from current point to x,y (absolute). You can specify > several points as D x1,y1,x2,y2,x3,y3.... > I Set origin to current pen position > H Move pen back to origin > J x,y Draw relative by x,y > M x,y Move pen (without drawing) to x,y (absolute) Work fine. > Ln Set line type to <n> (0-15). Different forms of dashed line Haven't tried that yet. > Pstring Print character string (until CR received IIRC). Works. > Qn Set print direction to <n> (0-3 = normal, down, reversed, up) Dowsn't work. > R x,y Move relative by x,y Works fine > Sn Set text size to n (0-63, larger numbers = larger text. 0 = 80 > cpl, 1 = 40 cpl) > Xa,n,d Draw axis. a=0 for Y, 1 for X. n = number of divisions, d = size > of division. None of those work. > That should get you started, assuming it's the standard controller chip. > > > > Also, does anyone know where to get pens and plotter rolls for this > > thing? > > No, but I wish I did. I have several of them, and even an electronic > 'typewriter' using a wider version of the same mechanism. I've just found a source for paper and pens. In Germany... And now onto the next mail... > Date: Sun, 20 May 2001 18:26:27 -0400 > From: Christopher Caldwell <hardwire(a)ptd.net> > Subject: Re: Sharp CE-515P plotter/printer - info? > > Philip Pemberton wrote: > > > Also, does anyone know where to get pens and plotter rolls for this > > thing? > > If we're talking about a similar type of gizmo here, there is a US > company called Alltronics (www.alltronics.com) that currently offers > the following: > > ALPS PRINTER/PLOTTER PENS > > As used by Radio Shack, Atari, Commodore, Workslate and other printers > and plotters. Set of four black pens. 92C084 One Set - $1.99 When I can get them for about 1 UK? exc. P&P, why bother? > ...and to make things even stranger, they also have an Atari 8-bit > plotter for sale too: > > ATARI 1020 COLOR PRINTER > > For all Atari 8-bit computers. Package includes: printer, power supply, > software, pens, paper and interface cable. These are new units in > factory sealed boxes. 94C037 $14.95 each Nice. -- Phil. http://www.philpem.f9.co.uk/ philpem(a)bigfoot.com

23 years, 7 months

tape drives

by jim＠calico.litterbox.com

The commodore tape drive system apparently put a header at the start of each file. You could fast forward through the tape manually until you got to about where the file you wanted was. Of course, most of us just bought 10 minute computer grade tapes and put one program or whatever on each side... -- Jim Strickland jim(a)DIESPAMMERSCUMcalico.litterbox.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------- BeOS Powered! -----------------------------------------------------------------------

23 years, 7 months

Exidy Sorcerer

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On May 21, 21:17, Tony Duell wrote: > > > Or cut off the existing plug and fit a nice, UK mains plug. Which I would > > > do anyway, since like you I regard mains adapter plugs to be the > > > invention of the devil. > > > > Could we agree on a fine DIN plug ? :)) > > Anybody who uses an (audio-type) DIN plug for a mains connection is > likely to be a candidate for a Darwin award :-) I think Hans may be referring to a Schuko plug -- it's a DIN standard :-) > Often it's simpler (if the motor itself will run at 50Hz) just to make a > different drive pulley. Which is why all us computer collectors have a lathe in the workshop :-) -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York

23 years, 7 months

NeXTstation questions

by CARL.P.HIRSCH＠sargentlundy.com

Here's the NeXT FAQ - http://www.channelu.com/NeXT/NeXTFAQ-new/NeXTFAQ.toc.html That's for telling me about Black Hole computing. Definitely more deserving of one's business than your average eBay profiteer. -carl Marion.Bates@dartmout h.edu (Marion Bates) To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org Sent by: cc: owner-classiccmp@clas Subject: Re: NeXTstation questions siccmp.org 05/22/01 03:27 PM Please respond to classiccmp Hey all, It's definitely not an ADB port...I didn't look carefully enough. :) I ended up ordering a monitor cable and keyboard/mouse from Black Hole Inc. which has some nice historical info and quite a selection of NeXT hardware and software for sale. Thanks for all the info, folks! -- MB

23 years, 7 months

Looking for laptop docking station resources on the Web

by ethan_dicks＠yahoo.com

It may be off topic, so let me ask that people send replies directly, but I just picked up this Thinkpad and docking station at Dayton and am looking for information on the docking station. It's the one with the speakers that stick out like Mickey Mouse ears on both sides. It appears to have an internal SCSI adapter, some odd, high-density ribbon connectors (26 pin, 50 pin and 60 pin), and a slot for a CD-ROM. I'd love to enhance this thing just a little bit, at least enough to use it for Linux (16Mb RAM, 800Mb disk). Any pointers to docking station resources are appreciated. I am also looking for docks for a couple other laptops I have (Toshiba T2100 and Compaq Aero 4/25) Thanks, -ethan ===== Visit "The Seventh Continent" http://penguincentral.com/penguincentral.html __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - buy the things you want at great prices http://auctions.yahoo.com/

23 years, 7 months

NeXTstation questions

by mcguire＠neurotica.com

On May 22, Shawn T. Rutledge wrote: > On Tue, May 22, 2001 at 02:58:43PM -0400, Jeff Hellige wrote: > > > What is the purpose of the "DSP" port? (Two triangles beside it, one > > > pointing up and one down, and the connector is 15-pin) > > > > I'm sure there must have been something that was made to plug into > > that port, but I don't know what. It leads to a Digital Signal > > Processor. > > Yeah I think there's a sound box with a speaker, and some audio connectors. ...which doesn't connect to the DSP port. It connects to the video/kbd/audio connector on color NeXT machines. The NeXT soundbox isn't used on mono machines because the speakers and audio connectors (and sometimes the mic, depending on version) are built into the monitor. -Dave McGuire

23 years, 7 months

DEC site

by brian.roth＠firstniagarabank.com

Well, I haven't decided on a site to host this yet but it sits here http://www.wzrd.com/homeb/jroth/wirzhome/webwirz.htm temporarily. I may just decide to leave it on Yahoo. Let me know what you think. I'm not going to reinvent the wheel with these pages so I am basically just going to concentrate on my personal collection. I welcome any ideas on how to improve the site or something you might like to see. Its a little unpolished and very incomplete but that will hopefully change with weekly improvements. I should have the domain in someones DNS in a couple of weeks so you'll be able to access it as webwirz.com. I want to add a phpbb message board in the future but that will depend on the host having Php and Mysql available. Please note that nothing in my equipment listing is for sale but I do trade occaisionally for things I'm looking for. Thanks, Brian. Brian Roth Network Services First Niagara Bank (716) 625-7500 X2186 Brian.Roth(a)FirstNiagaraBank.com

23 years, 7 months

Exidy Sorcerer

by Lee.Davison＠merlincommunications.com

That said, actually the better makes of D-connector are rated for quite high voltages (500V and above). They were used on valved equipment, for example. So I you could use a D connector for mains, not that I would, of course. 9 pin D connectors were quite common for mains on BBC equipment but only on backplanes for slot mounted units, never as flying leads. Lee. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- This email is intended only for the above named addressee(s). The information contained in this email may contain information which is confidential. The views expressed in this email are personal to the sender and do not in any way reflect the views of the company. If you have received this email and you are not a named addressee please delete it from your system and contact Merlin Communications International IT Department on +44 20 7344 5888. _____________________________________________________________________ This message has been checked for all known viruses by Star Internet delivered through the MessageLabs Virus Scanning Service. For further information visit http://www.star.net.uk/stats.asp

23 years, 7 months

RMA, RTMA, EIA and one more

by mcguire＠neurotica.com

While I did laugh my ass off when I read this, it took me a while to get to the actual text. 3826 bytes of embedded html/xml garbage to transfer 350 bytes of text. God I love Microsoft. -Dave McGuire On May 21, Bob Stek wrote [useless html/xml garbage removed]: > After the RMA, RTMA and EIA published standards, aother industry > association tried to make some sense of the various computer connectors. > The retiring president James McDonald of the Electronics Industry > Engineers' (EIE) tried unsuccessfully to promulgate yet another set of > standards for computer inter-connects. This was known as old McDonald's > EIE I/O.

23 years, 7 months

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test-drb May 2001