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A SHAREWARE Plotting Utility ┌─────────┐ ┌─────┴───┐ │ (tm) ──│ │o │────────────────── │ ┌─────┴╨──┐ │ Association of │ │ │─┘ Shareware └───│ o │ Professionals ──────│ ║ │──────────────────── └────╨────┘ MEMBER Copyright (c) 1992 by J. Edward Ayliffe All Rights Reserved TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. 2 Legal Stuff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 4 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 5 Program Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 6 File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 7 Plotter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 8 Foreground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 9 Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 10 Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 11 Tips on using AutoPlot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 12 Popping back into TSRPLOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 13 Error Handling During Background Plotting . . . . . . . 26 14 Command Line Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 15 Trouble Shooting Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 16 Misc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 17 System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. 2 Legal Stuff This product uses the TesSeRact(TM) Ram-Resident Library and supports the TesSeRact Standard for Ram-Resident Program Communication. For information about TesSeRact, contact the TesSeRact Development Team at: Innovative Data Concepts 1657 The Fairways Suite 101 Jenkintown, PA 19046 Phone: 215-884-3373 CIS: 76702,1361 MCI: 315-5415 FAX: 215-886-4225 This MCIMAIL Account has been provided to the TesSeRact Development Team by Borland International, Inc. The TesSeRact Development Team is in no way associated with Borland International, Inc. TesSeRact is a trademark of the TesSeRact Development Team. TSRPLOT.EXE and this document are both Copyright (c) 1992 by J. Edward Ayliffe with the exception of the TesSeRact Library of Ram Resident Routines which are Copyright TesSeRact Development Team. I hold TesSeRact License #1091. YOU DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO DISTRIBUTE THE FILE TSRPLOT.EXE OR TSRPLOT.DOC CONTAINED IN THE SELF EXTRACTING FILE TSRPLT.EXE. To do so is a violation of Copyright. You may distribute the self extracting file TSRPLT.EXE in any way you see fit provided it is not altered in any way. TSRPLOT.EXE is and will remain, the property of J. Edward Ayliffe at all times. I WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY LOSS OF INCOME OR LIVELIHOOD, DAMAGE TO PROPERTY OR ELECTRONIC DATA, HOWEVER CAUSED, AS THE RESULT OF USING TSRPLOT.EXE. TSRPLOT IS SUPPLIED AS IS. THE AUTHOR DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND OF FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. THE AUTHOR ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES, DIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL, WHICH MAY RESULT FROM THE USE OF TSRPLOT. YOU LOAD TSRPLOT.EXE INTO YOUR COMPUTER MEMORY AND PRESS THE HOT KEY ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK. TSRPLOT.EXE IS NOT GUARANTEED TO BE BUG-FREE, OR IN FACT, TO DO ANYTHING. IT MAY WORK, OR IT MAY NOT. What is ShareWare? - 1 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software before buying it. If you try a Shareware program and continue using it, you are expected to register it. It is as simple as that. Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial software, and the copyright holder retains all rights, with a few specific exceptions as stated below. Shareware authors are accomplished programmers, just like commercial authors, and the programs are of comparable quality. (In both cases, there are good programs and bad ones!) The main difference is in the method of distribution. The author specifically grants the right to copy and distribute the software, either to all and sundry or to a specific group. Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software. You should find software that suits your needs and pocketbook, whether it's commercial or Shareware. The Shareware system makes fitting your needs easier, because you can try before you buy. And because the overhead is low, prices are low also. Shareware has the ultimate money-back guarantee -- if you don't use the product, you don't pay for it. ┌─────────┐ ┌─────┴───┐ │ (tm) ──│ │o │────────────────── │ ┌─────┴╨──┐ │ Association of │ │ │─┘ Shareware └───│ o │ Professionals ──────│ ║ │──────────────────── └────╨────┘ MEMBER J. Edward Ayliffe is a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road Muskegon MI 49442-9427 or send a Compuserve message via easyplex to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536. TSRPLOT is a "shareware program" and is provided at no charge to the user for evaluation purposes only. Feel free to share the self extracting file TSRPLT.EXE with your friends and colleagues, but please do not give it away altered or as part of another system. The essence of "user-supported" software is to provide personal computer users with quality software without high prices, and yet to provide incentive for programmers to continue to develop new products. If you find this program useful and - 2 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. find that you are using TSRPLOT and continue to use TSRPLOT after the 30 day trial period, you must make a registration payment of $25 by certified cheque or money order to: J. Edward Ayliffe. RR#4 Shelburne Ontario Canada L0N 1S8 The $25 registration fee will license one copy for use on any one computer at any one time. You must treat this software just like a book. An example is that this software may be used by any number of people and may be freely moved from one computer location to another, so long as there is no possibility of it being used at one location while it's being used at another, just as a book cannot be read by two different persons at the same time. Commercial users of TSRPLOT must register and pay for their copies of TSRPLOT within 30 days of first use or their license is withdrawn. Site-License arrangements may be made by contacting J. Edward Ayliffe at the above address. Anyone distributing TSRPLOT for any kind of remuneration must first contact J. Edward Ayliffe at the above address for authorization. This authorization will be automatically granted to distributors recognized by the ASP as adhering to its guidelines for shareware distributors, and such distributors may begin offering TSRPLOT immediately (However J. Edward Ayliffe must still be advised so that the distributor can be kept up-to-date with the latest version of TSRPLOT). - 3 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. This self extracting LHA file contains the following files TSRPLOT.EXE -- complete TSR executable TSRPLOT.DOC -- This file REGISTER.FRM -- Blank registration form You are encouraged to pass a copy of the self extracting LHA file TSRPLT.EXE along to your friends or colleagues for evaluation. Please encourage them to register their copy if they find that they can use it. All registered users will receive a copy of the latest version of TSRPLOT as described below. Upon receipt of the completed registration form (contained in the file REGISTER.FRM) and the registration fee, J. Edward Ayliffe will supply to the sender, by first class mail, a disk with the latest revision to TSRPLOT.EXE as well as a laser printed copy of this documentation file. - 4 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. 3 Support In addition, you can call me if you have problems, by telephone, CIS CMail or surface mail, and you will be notified of revisions and improvements. Site licenses are available upon request for corporate, government or commercial users. Development of TSRPLOT involved many man months of work. Your support is required to make the Shareware concept work. Only through user support can I afford to maintain and improve this software. In the interest of helping you evaluate TSRPLOT, unregistered users will be entitled to limited support during the 30 day trial period as deemed appropriate by J. Edward Ayliffe. Registered users are entitled to unlimited telephone, CIS Electronic Mail or surface paper mail support. I can be reached in a number of ways as shown below Compuserve Information Service preferred ----> ID number 70007,3536 by EPlex mail by phone: (residence) 519-925-5468 (cellular) 519-942-5355 (cellular) 519-942-5354 or by paper mail J. Edward Ayliffe RR#4 Shelburne Ontario Canada L0N 1S8 Registrations should be sent by certified cheque or money order to the above paper mail address. You will get the fastest support response if you contact me by electronic mail on Compuserve. I check my EMail several times every day and will respond, usually within hours of your message. - 5 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. 4 Introduction TSRPLOT is a TesSeRact(TM) TSR (Terminate and Stay Resident) utility for sending HP-GL (Hewlett Packard Graphics Language) text files through a serial port to an RS-232 Hewlett Packard plotter. Being a TSR, TSRPLOT can send HP-GL files to your plotter in the background (much like the DOS program PRINT.COM can send files to your printer in the background) while you perform other tasks in the foreground. TSRPLOT has been tested with the HP7475A, HP7550, HP7575, HP7580 and HP7596 series of plotters. It may or may not work with HP compatible plotters or other HP series plotters. For non-HP plotters to work with the plotter control structures in TSRPLOT they have to respond, at a minimum, in an HP compatible way to the following RS-232 Device Control Instructions and HP-GL commands as documented in the "HP-GL/2 Reference Guide - A Handbook for Program Developers" distributed by Hewlett Packard through Addison-Wesley. Version 1.8 of TSRPLOT is now HP-GL/2 "aware" and supports all HP-GL/2 instructions including poly-encoded commands. Throughout the rest of this document, HP-GL also refers to HP-GL/2 unless noted otherwise. RS-232 Device Control Instructions: ESC.A -- Output Identification String ESC.B -- Output Buffer Space Instruction ESC.E -- Output Extended Error Instruction ESC.J -- Abort Device Control Instruction ESC.K -- Abort Graphic Instruction ESC.L -- Output Buffer Size Instruction ESC.O -- Output Extended Status Instruction ESC.S -- Output Allocated Memory HP-GL Commands: OO -- Output Options Instruction OI -- Output Identification Instruction PD -- Pen Down Instruction PU -- Pen Up Instruction SP -- Select Pen Instruction PG -- Advance one full page Device Control Instructions are specific RS-232 instructions the plotter will respond to immediately, as opposed to HP-GL instructions which are queued in the buffer. For successful graphics plotting the plotter used would, off course, have to be HP-GL compatible with the instructions contained in your HP-GL files. TSRPLOT has been tested with HP-GL files as generated by the following programs: AUTOCAD - 6 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. VERSACAD QUATTRO PRO LOTUS 123 SUPERCALC VERSION 5 IBMCAD PRIMAVISION COMPUTERVISION ROCKWARE GEM MAPMASTER ACADEMY PSPICE HSPICE GENERIC CADD AUTOSKETCH VERSION 3 PC-DRAFT-CADD When I say tested, I mean that it can successfully plot a least one example of an HP-GL file from each of those software packages. In a few cases, it is only one. It may or may not work with other HP-GL files depending on how much liberty the program generating the HP-GL file takes with the HP-GL syntax. Plotting in the background and maintaining tight control of the plotter, given the diversity of HP-GL file formats (or more accurately, the lack of formats) is not a trivial undertaking. I would appreciate feedback from anyone using TSRPLOT on other HP or non-HP plotters. - 7 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. 5 Program Description As a TSR, you load TSRPLOT from the DOS prompt, after which it resides in memory and watches for it's hot-key. Upon receipt of the <ALT-P> hotkey sequence TSRPLOT will "pop-up" and you're ready to begin. To load TSRPLOT, log on to the drive\directory containing the file TSRPLOT.EXE and enter that name. If TSRPLOT successfully installs itself you will see the following message: TsrPlot V1.8 -- installed...<ALT-P> to activate. Copyright (c) 1992 by Edward Ayliffe All Rights Reserved RS-232 time-out set to 10 seconds. and the DOS prompt will return normally. If you hear a distinctive "warble" when the message is displayed, TSRPLOT is already loaded and the request to reload is ignored. If you have a 386 computer running under Quarterdeck's Expanded Memory Manager ( QEMM ) you can use their LOADHI utility to place TSRPLOT above the 640k memory boundary (assuming a contiguous 69k slot of RAM is free). A Couple of Don'ts Don't load TSRPLOT into memory from a DOS shell. A DOS shell is accessed from many applications with a "DOS" or perhaps a " SYSTEM " or " SHELL " command. This will likely fragment DOSs memory allocation and set you up for the BIG crash. Load TSRPLOT before your main, non-TSR application. The TesSeRact Library is very well behaved as TSRs go and the loading order with respect to TSRPLOT of other TSRs shouldn't be a problem. Don't attempt to release TSRPLOT with the <F10> key while in a DOS shell. It won't work. Exit your main non-TSR application and then use <F10> to release TSRPLOT. However, after you have loaded TSRPLOT correctly, it is quite acceptable to ACCESS it from a DOS shell with the <ALT-P> hot key, particularly if your main application is a graphics mode CAD program. In fact, if you're running any graphics program this is the best way to access TSRPLOT quickly to start a new plot, after which you can return to the graphics program with the EXIT command. Text mode programs you can "pop-up" directly over. The Menu The main menu greats you when you first pop into TSRPLOT or any time you pop in and TSRPLOT is unoccupied. In the Shareware version, for the first 5 seconds or until you press a key you will see the registration reminder. Registered versions do not have this "feature". The menu looks like this: - 8 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. ┌──── TsrPlot V1.8 ── HP-GL/2 File Plot Utility ───╖ │ :_Auto Feed - OFF uffer chk:_ON ║ │ <A>:_Auto Plot - OFF <ALT-C>:_Color ║ │ <C>:_set COM port 1 or 2 <F10>:_Release ║ │ Port:_COM2 @ 9600,8,n,1 Slice:_2 <0-9> ║ │ ║ ╞═══════════════════ unoccupied ═══════════════════╣ │ ║ │ File Plotter Foreground Background Exit ║ │ ║ ╘═══ Copyright E. Ayliffe - All rights reserved ═══╝ You can use the <SpaceBar> the <Tab> key, or the arrow keys to move the highlight to the selection you wish. Then press <Enter> to execute that selection. The following keystrokes will perform additional functions: : toggles the Auto Page Feed plotter. This is for use on plotters which support roll or sheet feed paper. It is used mainly in conjunction with the Auto Plot feature explained below. If your plotter supports roll or sheet feed paper and you wish to use that function, press . If Auto Feed is OFF it is turned ON. If ON, it is turned OFF. <A> : toggles the Auto Plot function. Auto Plot will permit you to assign a directory for TSRPLOT to watch for new plot files. It can be on any valid DOS drive\directory including a network drive. With Auto Plot engaged, when TSRPLOT sees a file matching the file specification you entered at the - File - menu selection, it will plot the file automatically in the background. Press <A> to toggle the Auto Plot feature ON or OFF. For more information on the Auto Plot function, it is essential that you read the section "Tips on using Auto Plot" and "Command Line Parameters" : toggles the buffer checking logic in the plotting routines. When uffer chk:_ON is indicated, TSRPLOT will ask the plotter how much buffer space is available in the plotter before sending another "shot" of data from the HP-GL file. If there is less than 255 bytes free in the plotter, TSRPLOT returns control to the foreground task and will idle until that minimum space is available. This is the default condition. See "Command Line Parameters" for more information. If uffer chk:_OFF is indicated, TSRPLOT does no buffer checking of the plotter. It always assumes that sufficient space is available. The benefit achieved is greater throughput of HP-GL data to the plotter because of the reduced communication requirements between TSRPLOT and the plotter. However, this is a double-edged sword as it were. If your plotter has only the minimum 1024 byte (1kb) buffer, turning Buffer checking OFF is generally not recommended as you greatly increase the chance that - 9 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. TSRPLOT will overflow the plotter buffer with data and thereby lose instructions and ruin the plot. There are exceptions however. If your computer is on the slow side (ie not a 386 or 486 ) and your plotter is very fast and the HP-GL instructions in your files execute on the plotter very quickly, you just might get away with it. But the real intent of disabling the buffer checking is for use on plotters with substantially more that the standard 1kb buffer. The 7575A I now use for development has an optional 1mb (megabyte) buffer. It is highly unlikely that TSRPLOT can output data quickly enough to overflow that buffer. It hasn't happened yet despite some sincere attempts to make it happen. In a situation where you know your HP-GL file is smaller than the buffer in your plotter, this is by all means the way to go. This function can be toggled ON and OFF by pressing at the menu. Initially, the default is ON but you can override that by starting TSRPLOT with the command line switch /B. If you supply the /B switch TSRPLOT will come up with buffer checking OFF. Pressing at the menu will still toggle the function. <C> : will toggle the COM port to be used for sending data to the plotter from 1 to 2 or 2 to 1. All other COM port parameters can be set by using the appropriate command line switch for changing them. The defaults are 9600 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit and No parity. Regardless of how you set the COM port parameters in TSRPLOT, your plotter has to be set the same. See "Command Line Parameters" for more information. <ALT-C> : will toggle the display to black and white and back to color. It will not work on monochrome displays. Monochrome displays should automatically display black and white. However, if you have trouble reading the menu, try it to see if it helps. You can use the command line parameter /L to control the initial color displayed. See "Command Line Parameters" for more information. <F10> : will unload TSRPLOT and recover the memory it is using. Note however, that the TesSeRact routines will not de-allocate the memory used by TSRPLOT unless: 1) TSRPLOT is the last program in the interrupt chain for all the interrupts the TesSeRact routines re-direct, or in other words, no other TSRs have been loaded after TSRPLOT and 2) you were sitting at the DOS prompt when you popped into TSRPLOT. If you press <F10> and both of the above conditions HAVE NOT been met, you will render TSRPLOT dormant. It will no longer respond to the <ALT-P> hot key. The memory it occupies WILL NOT be freed, - 10 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. however, until those conditions are met, at which time de-allocation will take place. To obtain more information on TesSeRact see section 2 - Legal Stuff. - 11 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. 6 File This selection works in one of two ways depending on whether or not you have selected the Auto Plot function. When you press <Enter> with Auto Plot ON you will see an entry cell requesting a path (as opposed to a file). You can enter any valid DOS path on any drive. When you press <Enter> to accept your path you will see all the directories on the drive you specified as well as any file names that match the path. Cursor to the directory you wish TSRPLOT to monitor and press <Enter> to select that directory. If for example, you specified *.PLT as your path, TSRPLOT will show you all the directories off of the current directory as well as the <.> and <..> entries. The <.> will select the root directory for that drive and the <..> will take you back one directory to the parent of the current directory. When you press <Enter> on any directory except <..>, that directory is selected for monitoring. If you wish to select the root directory, you will first have to select a directory off of the root and then select the <.> entry in the current directory to take you back to the root. After having selected a directory, any files matching the mask you supplied will be plotted. If your mask was *.PLT and the directory was C:\PLOTS then TSRPLOT will watch for any files matching the mask C:\PLOTS\*.PLT. With Auto Plot OFF, you again specify a mask or filename and then select the entry that you wish to plot. If you change the default drive/directory when selecting a file or path, when you pop out, TSRPLOT will change it back to that which existed when you popped in so that the underlying application is not effected. TSRPLOT allocates only 1k of memory for filenames in the interest of reducing RAM requirements as much as possible, which should be enough for about 75 filenames. If more than 75 filenames are available matching your mask, you will get an error window telling you that all files may not have been read. Press <Esc> to clear the error message (or just wait for 2 seconds and it will go away by itself) and view the files that have been read. TSRPLOT does not load the file at this point but only records the path\filename. Therefore, if the file you are plotting is on a floppy disk, do not remove the floppy until TSRPLOT is finished plotting. You can press <Esc> at the file window to leave without selecting a file. If a DOS error occurs it will be displayed in the window. Press <Esc> to return to the menu after an error display. - 12 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. 7 Plotter This can be used to ensure the plotter is out there and ready to go. It presents the decoded status byte returned from the plotter after the HP-GL command OS (Output Status), the plotter identification string returned from the OI (Output Identification) command (or ESC.A if OI fails), the options installed as returned from the OO (Output Options) command, the Extended Status returned by ESC.O and the configurable memory allocation as returned by ESC.S. Press <Enter> to see a status window on the plotter. If you get an RS-232 error window then the switches are not set correctly on the plotter, it is not on, it is connected to the wrong COM port or the cable is wrong. I only use a genuine HP cable, HP part number 17255D. The vast majority of RS-232 problems stem from cable screw-ups. If you are having problems that defy explanation, you may have a bum cable. However, don't overlook the fact that you may be connected to the wrong port or the plotter is not turned ON! It's real easy to do. ╒═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ CAUTION!! When you select - Plotter - TsrPlot immediately executes two Device Control Instructions. These will abort any plotting that is in progress and clear all the plotter buffers. This is necessary to put the plotter into a known state. So, if your plotter is still finishing up the last plot DON'T select - Plotter - or you will stop the plotter dead in its tracks and the data in the buffers (your plot) will be lost. ╘═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛ One user has reported intermittent problems when using one of those hardware copy protection locks commonly referred to as "dongles" on the serial port I would recommend you use another serial port or remove the dongle if you have problems with TSRPLOT and you are using one of those devices. If you get a Plotter Information display window (as opposed to an error window) then the plotter, cable and COM port are set-up are OK and talking correctly with TSRPLOT. Accurate information on this display is dependent on the plotter responding in an HP compatible way to a variety of HP-GL and Device Control Instructions as shown previously. If you are using a non-HP plotter, TSRPLOT may work erratically or not at all. On plotters with a model number lower than 7500, some of the information displayed may be erroneous. You are advised to select - Plotter - before you attempt any plotting for a couple of reason. TSRPLOT "wakes-up" assuming the plotter has a buffer of at least 1024 bytes. Until you select - Plotter - however, TSRPLOT has no way of knowing if this is true or not for your particular plotter model. A couple of HP plotters - 13 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. only have a buffer of 255 bytes (the 7470A is one example). If you do not give TSRPLOT the opportunity to ask the plotter the buffer size by selecting - Plotter - before you begin plotting you may compromise the programs performance because of invalid buffer size information. Many of the large HP plotters have buffers well in excess of 1024 bytes. If TSRPLOT knows about the large buffer size, it will attempt to make optimum use of it. In most cases, you need only select - Plotter - once each time TSRPLOT is initially loaded into memory for TSRPLOT to obtain the buffer size. However, some of the more sophisticated plotters have configurable buffers. If the application that created your HP-GL files exploits this feature of the plotter, you are best to select - Plotter - at the beginning of each session to ensure accurate "up to date" buffer size information. The display screen is divided into four sections. Each is described briefly below. To Left Corner: Contains the model number of the plotter, the Firmware Revision level of the software in the ROM chips in the plotter and whether of not the plotter is currently on line. On-line status is determined by the plotter responding to HP-GL commands (as opposed to Device Control Instructions). The large format plotters go off-line when the paper lever is up. Bottom Left Corner: Displays the decoded status byte as returned by the HP-GL command OS (Output Status) and the data returned by the Device Control Instruction ESC.O (Output Extended Status). This section of the display is active and real time. As you change conditions on the plotter these indications will change accordingly. The Last Error Read will display either None or an error number. The error numbers are those returned from the plotter in response to the HP-GL command OE (Output HP-GL Error) and/or the Device Control Instruction ESC.E. Error numbers 0-9 are for HP-GL errors and all others are for Device errors. A brief description of the errors follows. For more detailed information consult your plotter manual. ╒═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╕ Error Number Description 0 No errors (will show as None). 1 Instruction not recognized. 2 Wrong number of parameters. 3 Out-of-range parameters. 4 Not used. 5 Unknown character set. 6 Position overflow. 7 Buffer overflow for polygons. - 14 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. 8 on small format plotters this indicates a Vector was received while pinch wheels were raised. On large format plotters this is not used. 10 output instruction received while another output instruction is executing. 11 Invalid byte received after the ESC sequence in a Device Control Instruction. 12 Invalid byte received while parsing a Device Control Instruction. 13 Parameter out of range. 14 Too many parameters received. 15 Framing, Parity or Overrun error. 16 Input Buffer overflow. 17 Baud Rate mismatch or possible cable error 18 I/O error of indeterminate cause ╘═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛ - 15 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. Top Right Corner: Displays the results of the HP-GL command OO (Output Options). The Clean Paper entry may be incorrect for some plotters models lower then 7500 as they do not all support that feature (the 7475A springs to mind). Bottom Right Corner: Displays the information returned from the Device Control Instruction ESC.S (Output Configurable Memory Allocation). This is for use only on those plotters that have configurable buffers. Many do not in which case the indications will all be NA (except Logical I/O Buffer and Total Memory). - 16 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. 8 Foreground This selection is the fastest way to plot your file, but you won't be able to do anything else with the computer while the file is being plotted. Press <Enter> here to send your file to the plotter. If you have not selected a file, you will be given the opportunity to do so first. If you get an RS-232 error, you have a port, cable or plotter incompatibility of some sort. I would recommend that you not try to plot the file without first having selected - Plotter - , but that's up to you. If all is going well, the plotter will pick up a pen and start plotting (7475As will shake the pen carousel to ensure the pens aren't sticking to the carousel, at least that's why I think it rattles like that). A status display shows you how much buffer space is left in the plotter and the plot progress. The buffer space should never drop below aprox 0.200 k (200 bytes), although this can vary a little depending on the size of the last HP-GL command sent to the plotter. TSRPLOT will idle until at least this minimum requirement is met. There is a chance that an HP-GL command could be larger than 200 bytes but that is unlikely. If so, you will see the buffer space drop to 0 momentarily and the plotter error light may come on. If that happens to you, I would like to see the plot file that does that. If you have disabled buffer checking, the buffer space will show as N.A. If for any reason you wish to stop the plot, the easiest way is to lift the paper lever on the plotter. You can also do it from the program by pressing <Esc>. It may take a second or two for the <Esc> to be recognized. When it is a verify window will open asking you to confirm you wish to abort the plot. Respond <Y>es/<N>o as required. If you respond <N>o plotting will resume were it left off. If you respond <Y> a second prompt will ask you if you wish to dump the plotter buffer. If you respond <Y>es to this prompt TSRPLOT will command the plotter to dump all data in the buffer and put the pen away. If you respond <N>o TSRPLOT will leave the plotter alone and allow it to complete plotting any data in the buffer. If, after starting a foreground plot you wish to transfer the plotting to the background, press <Enter>. When the plotter buffer empties to the 250 byte level, TSRPLOT will pop-out to the foreground task. If buffer checking is disabled, TSRPLOT will pop-out immediately. During plotting, the plotter error light should not come on unless an illegal HP-GL command is sent or you have found a file TSRPLOT cannot properly parse. TSRPLOT is very careful not to overflow the plotter buffer, and thereby lose instructions. However, TSRPLOT performs only rudimentary checking of the file for HP-GL correctness. More extensive checking would be very code intensive and complex. It merely applies its knowledge of the - 17 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. HP-GL language and syntax in parsing whatever text file you select. TSRPLOT will let you send ANY text file to the plotter if you insist on doing so, likely with bizarre results if it is not HP-GL syntactically correct. At the very least you will waste time, pens and paper. At worst, you might hang the system. - 18 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. 9 Background This selection will allow to carry on with other tasks while your file is sent to the plotter. However it may take longer than foreground plotting. If you have not selected a file to plot you will be given the opportunity to do so first. When you make this selection, once TSRPLOT is satisfied that the plotter is out there and working and the file you selected is legitimate, it will automatically "pop-out" back to whatever you were doing before you originally popped-in with the hot key sequence. - 19 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. 10 Exit Press <Enter> here or just press <Esc> anywhere at the menu to pop out of TSRPLOT and back to the foreground task you interrupted when you popped into TSRPLOT. When you pop out this way, TSRPLOT remains in memory. To unload TSRPLOT and recover the memory it is using, press <F10> at the menu. Note however, that the TesSeRact routines will not de-allocate the memory used by TSRPLOT unless: 1) TSRPLOT is the last program in the interrupt chain for all the interrupts the TesSeRact routines re-direct, or in other words, no other TSRs have been loaded after TSRPLOT and 2) you were sitting at the DOS prompt when you popped into TSRPLOT. If you press <F10> and both of the above conditions HAVE NOT been met, you will render TSRPLOT dormant. It will no longer respond to the hot key. The memory it occupies WILL NOT be freed, however, until those conditions are met, at which time de-allocation will take place. - 20 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. 11 Tips on using AutoPlot The Auto Plot feature can be very handy but there are a few things you should know about it before trying to use it. When you select Auto Plot with the <A> keystroke from the menu or by using the /a command line parameter, once you pop-out, TSRPLOT will CONSTANTLY monitor the directory you have selected for files matching the mask specified. How often TSRPLOT examines the directory is dependent on the time slice setting. The lower the time slice number the more often TSRPLOT will check the directory over any given period of time. If you have specified your mask as *.*, you MUST be certain that any files that are in, or appear in, the designated directory are legitimate HP-GL files. Files to be plotted can be either copied into the directory for plotting, or they can be created there by having your application program plot to disk with an appropriate path\filename. TSRPLOT won't check the contents of the files, but will attempt to plot any and all files that appear in the directory matching your mask. If the file is not an HP-GL file, all sorts of weird and wonderful things can happen, none of them very good. TSRPLOT will NOT begin plotting the files in the designated directory until you pop-out by pressing <Esc> at the menu screen or by selecting - Exit - on the menu and pressing <Enter>. Once you pop-out, TSRPLOT will begin checking the directory you specified. When/if it finds a file matching your mask, it will check to be sure the file size is something other than 0 bytes. This is to ensure that the process that is generating the file has completed doing so. DOS does not update the file size in the disk directory until the file is closed, regardless of whether the file is being copied into the directory or being created there by an application program. TSRPLOT will therefore wait until the file shows a size other than 0 before attempting to open it and plot the contents. Following is a step by step guide to follow when using Auto Plot 1: When you first pop-in, press <A> to engage the Auto Plot function. The Auto Plot monitor will switch to ON. 2: Select - File - from the menu and press <Enter>. An entry cell will open with the label Path:>. I would recommend that you merely type the drive letter followed by a colon and the file mask ie -> C:*.plt. This is the easiest way to select your directory. When the directory window opens, cursor to the directory name you want and press <Enter>. Filenames will be listed as well as directory names, however you will NOT be able to select an individual file, only directories. The filenames are listed only to give you a listing of the files currently in the directory. If you wish to plot a single file, turn Auto Plot OFF. In the above example, if the directory you selected was C:\PLOTS - 21 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. then TSRPLOT would plot any file ending in the extension .PLT that appears in the directory C:\PLOTS as indicated by the mask it displays -> C:\PLOTS\*.PLT. 4: Once you have selected a valid directory, the Path:> monitor will display your selection. Ensure the Path:> monitor is displaying the directory\mask combination you wish to use before you pop-out. 5: You are now ready to pop-out and begin Auto Plotting. Before doing so, however, ensure that your plotter is ON and has paper loaded. I would recommend you select - Plotter - from the menu to ensure the plotter is ready to go BEFORE popping out. 6: Pop-out of TSRPLOT and get ready for the fun to begin. If/when TSRPLOT finds a file in the directory you specified and if Auto Feed is OFF, TSRPLOT will begin beeping at you. It is waiting for you to press one of two keystrokes. These two keystrokes are <CTRL-F10> or <CTRL-END>. Press <CTRL-F10> to allow TSRPLOT to begin plotting. Press <CTRL-END> to abort Auto Plotting if you have changed your mind. This is your last reminder to ensure the plotter is ready to go. If Auto Feed is ON, TSRPLOT will begin plotting automatically without beeping. 7: Once the plotter begins plotting, you can pop back into TSRPLOT to monitor the plot progress or change the time slice if you want to. You are now for all intents and purposes in Background plot mode and all keystrokes and conditions described under Popping Back into TSRPLOT are applicable. You can abort the plot by lifting the paper lever on the plotter (not the best way, but it will work) or by pressing <Esc>. Once the plot is complete, TSRPLOT will delete the file it just plotted. If you are popped-up when the file completes plotting, TSRPLOT will NOT start the next file until you pop-out again. 8: When a file completes plotting in the background, once the plotter buffer is empty and the plotter is ready for the next file, if Auto Feed is OFF, TSRPLOT will once again beep at you while it waits for either <CTRL-F10> or <CTRL-END>. If Auto-Feed is ON, TSRPLOT will send a PG; command (advance one full page) to the plotter and begin the next file without any user intervention required. 9: You can use Auto Plot with ANY valid DOS drive, including a Network drive, but some types of drives perform better than others. Floppy disk are very slow and plotting from a floppy is possible, but a little cumbersome. I would recommend using a hard drive or better yet, a RAM drive. If you must use a floppy drive, using a disk caching program will help immensely. When using a floppy drive, it is normal for the drive light to remain on constantly, or nearly constantly, as a result of TSRPLOT's constant checking for new plot files. It is also safe to remove the floppy and insert another, provided TSRPLOT is not actually - 22 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. plotting a file. However, the new floppy will have to have an identical directory for TSRPLOT to find any new files on it if you are using a directory other than the root. 10: On the topic of networks I have a few comments. The plotter you are plotting to MUST be connected to the computer that is running TSRPLOT. You cannot plot from a computer running TSRPLOT over the network to the plotter, or to another computer supporting the plotter. TSRPLOT regularly interrogates the plotter during all plotting and this 2-way communication will not work over a network. You can however, have TSRPLOT monitor a drive\directory on the file server while it is running on a separate plot server...to which the plotter is attached through one of the plot server's RS-232 COM ports. In this fashion, anyone on the network can send their plot files to a directory on the file server, where TSRPLOT will pick them up and plot them on the plot server. You would however, have to be sure that the plotter is ready to plot at all times, or at least before you send your file to the file server. In addition, in order for TSRPLOT to find your directories correctly on a network drive, you must include the line SHOW DOTS=ON in your SHELL.CFG file or in the NET.CFG, (assuming Novell 2.15 or 386). Otherwise, Netware will not display the . and .. directory entries which will make it difficult to select directories in Auto Plot mode. 11: If TSRPLOT encounters any problem at all with the plotter, the Auto Plot function is terminated and all plotting is stopped. For example, if you attempt to begin Auto Plotting and there is no paper loaded into the plotter or the plotter goes off line for any other reason, all plotting is stopped and the Auto Plot function is turned OFF. The current file, or any other files in the selected directory, are NOT deleted. 12: When a plot is completed normally, that HP-GL file will be deleted from the disk before TSRPLOT moves on to the next file (if any). If you abort the plot from the keyboard by popping into TSRPLOT while it is plotting and pressing <Esc> to stop the plot, the file being plotted WILL NOT be deleted. 13: Finally, remember that if TSRPLOT is beeping at you and you're not sure why, pressing <CTRL-END> will shut it up and abort any plotting attempts. This can happen if you inadvertently pop-out with Auto Plot ON when you didn't really want it on. It happens to me on occasion. In addition, while TSRPLOT is beeping at you, ALL processes, foreground and background, are suspended. - 23 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. 12 Popping back into TSRPLOT While a background plot is underway, you can pop back into TSRPLOT at anytime (except over a graphics screen) with the hot key you selected to change the Time Slice, or stop the plot if you need to. When you come back in and a background plot is underway, TSRPLOT will immediately switch plotting to the foreground routines. A status screen will be displayed with the plot status, and the status line at the bottom of the screen outlines several keystroke options you have. These keystrokes are described below. <Esc> : is used to abort the plot. A window will open asking to verify that you really wish to stop plotting. Respond <Y>es to abort, <N>o to continue plotting. <Enter> : will pop you back out to the foreground task, at which time plotting will again be transferred to the background routines. <0>-<9> : means the numbers 0 up to 9. These will change the background Time Slicing factor once you pop back out to the foreground task. Nothing will happen (other than updating the Time Slice= information on the status line) until you pop out with <Enter>. The time slice setting gives you some control over how often TSRPLOT is granted control during background plotting. The default is 2. The minimum is 9, which will perceptibly slow background plotting to the benefit of the foreground task. With a setting of 1, TSRPLOT will be given the opportunity to process HP-GL commands approximately 2 or 3 times per second. A setting of 9 will reduce that to once every 2 or 3 seconds. These timings are accurate only if the foreground is sitting at the DOS prompt. Various foreground processes such as, but not limited to, intensive disk activity or computations, will effectively stop background plotting, regardless of the time slice setting, until these foreground processes are complete. Setting this value correctly is crucial to successful background plotting. Finding the best value will require some trial and error on the users part. The "best" value for you is dependent on the type of files you have, the speed of your computer and the speed of your plotter. If you find that the plotter "stalls" frequently (pen stops in the middle of a plot for a moment or two) then reduce this value, thereby giving TSRPLOT more opportunity to keep the plotter buffer full. If you find the plotter is whizzing along just fine but the foreground task is sluggish, then try increasing this value. This will reduce TSRPLOTs access to the computer and will help improve foreground response. Just remember, decreasing the Time Slice setting gives more time to TSRPLOT at the expense of the foreground. Increasing it reduces the time given to TSRPLOT to the benefit of the foreground. - 24 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. A special condition exists for a Time Slice setting of 0. When you select 0, TSRPLOT will do its best to take over the computer. Many foreground tasks will literally grind to a halt. This setting is useful for obtaining absolutely maximum background plotting speed and little else. If you use TSRPLOT on a dedicated plot server, you will likely find this setting useful. However, attempting to perform any foreground task with a Time Slice setting of 0 will be very difficult or virtually impossible. You've been warned! - 25 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. 13 Error Handling During Background Plotting Two types of errors can occur during a background plot, RS-232 errors or disk file errors. Fortunately, neither is at all likely given the reliability of to-days hardware. In both case, you will hear a descending warble-like musical note. This is called a Tess Beep. If an RS-232 error occurs, the machine may seem to lock-up. It likely has not. TSRPLOT will wait 10 seconds for the proper plotter response to the last HP-GL command whether you are plotting in the background or the foreground. If the plotter has gone off line or otherwise has encountered some sort of a problem, unfortunately, this 10 second wait will suspend all foreground processes. It will effectively lock the machine. I experimented with a variety of ways to handle this (unlikely) situation. This only would happen if the plotter were turned off during a plot, or the RS-232 cable were disconnected during plot. But this is the lesser of all the evils. So keep this in mind if the plotter suddenly stops, is blinking it's error light and the computer seems locked up. When the time-out wait is complete, you will hear the Tess beep and the computer will again respond normally. If you have filled the keyboard buffer by thumping on it during the timeout wait, all those keystrokes will now be executed very quickly. If you hear a Tess Beep signifying a background error, the next time you pop into TSRPLOT with the hot key, you will be presented with the appropriate error message window. Press <Esc> to clear the error window. When TSRPLOT detects either of these errors during background plotting, the plotting is stopped, and the disk file and the serial port are closed. There are NO re-tries due to the complication involved in attempting to re-try when the plotter goes down. You may well ask the question, why would you set the time-out to 10 seconds? Well, some HP-GL commands can take a very long time to execute, particularly large circles commands, area fills, area cross-hatches and particularly labelling that use the HP-GL command LB. This is especially true on the smaller plotters (7470 and 7475). After every HP-GL command the plotter signifies successful completion. The 10 second is to prevent long HP-GL commands from causing a time-out while the computer waits for the response to the last HP-GL command. It also reflects my inherent conservatism in the interest of covering all the bases. You may in fact find that 10 seconds isn't long enough. If you hear a Tess Beep during Background plotting, the plotter stops, and when you pop back into TSRPLOT you are presented with an error window indicating an RS-232 timeout, the last HP-GL instruction took the plotter more than 10 seconds to execute. You can increase (or decrease) the timeout interval using a command line parameter. For example, to set the timeout to 2 minutes, start TSRPLOT with the following command: TSRPLOT 120 - 26 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. Please note that the time interval must be in SECONDS, not minutes, ie 2X60=120 seconds and it must be separated from the program name by a space or a tab for it to be recognized. I would not advise going to an interval of less than 5 seconds as that will greatly increase the likelihood of time outs. You can go as big as you want (to a maximum of 32768, or over 9 HOURS!) but I don't see the point myself, to anything greater than what you need. I would suggest you just use the default of 10 seconds (no command line parameter) to begin with. If you have timeout problems, increase by 5 seconds or so and try again until you find a value that works for your applications. CAD programs generally don't use much more than the basic commands in their HP-GL files for flexibility and should work fine at 10 seconds, or maybe even a little less. Other programs may use the more complex (and time consuming) HP-GL commands (area fills, circles etc). The only other error window you may see will state: "I/O error, no selected file or corrupt HP-GL file" This one error window covers a multiple of sins. You will get this display for any of the reasons below. 1) A disk error (read, write, whatever) of any kind during a plot. 2) you have just toggled from Auto Plot ON to Auto Plot OFF and you attempted to plot before having selected a file as opposed to a directory/mask left over from Auto Plotting. 3) if TSRPLOT has encountered a truly nasty HP-GL file which it is having difficulty parsing. Don't overlook the possibility of the file being trashed. It's happened to me a couple of times. If the latter is the case, your plot files may not be compatible with TSRPLOT. The program cannot likely handle ALL HP-GL files, but I am confident that it will handle most. HP has left the syntax of HP-GL VERY loose. This makes it difficult to be certain of TSRPLOT's ability to plot ANY HP-GL file. If you have a plot file, that is to say, a legitimate HP-GL file as created by a Commercial or ShareWare program for any HP plotter, that chokes TSRPLOT, I'd like to see it, or, if it's proprietary, an example that will. TSRPLOT will strip all but a couple of Device Control Instructions from the HP-GL text file you are plotting. This is done to prevent DCIs in the HP-GL text file from altering the plotter mode and the communications parameters such as inter-character delay, terminating character, handshake mode etc which are all controlled by TSRPLOT. It should not affect the plot itself. However, you must ensure that the Y/D switch on the rear of your plotter is set to the D position. - 27 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1991 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. 14 Command Line Parameters A number of different command line parameters have been added beginning with version 1.8 to allow more automatic control of TSRPLOT during initial loading. Omission of any parameter or supplying a parameter that is out of range, causes the parameter to be ignored and the default value(s) shown, to be implemented. Parameters can be upper or lower case and MUST be preceded by ONE of the following characters to be recognized: ! @ $ # % ^ & * | ? / \ ~ The backslash ( / ) is used for all examples. Parameters can be combined together in any order, but MUST be separated by a space or tab to be recognized. If NO command line parameters are used TSRPLOT loads and sets up as follows: AutoPlot - OFF. COM Port - COM2 9600,8,n,1. Time Slice - 2. File Path - C:\*.PLT. Color - Depends on monitor detected. ON for CGA/EGA/VGA. OFF for monochrome VGA or MDA/Hercules. Page Feed - OFF. Hot Key - [Alt+P]. Time-Out - 10 seconds. As an example, the proper command line to set the default conditions shown above would be: TSRPLOT /c2 /d9600 /s8 /yn /i1 /k0 /t2 /hC:\*.plt /l1 10 | | | | | | | | | | Set COM2 | | | | | | | | | Set 9600 baud | | | | | | | | Set wordsize to 8 bits | | | | | | | Set parity to none | | | | | | Set stop bits to 1 | | | | | Set hot key to [Alt+P] | | | | Set Time Slice to 2 | | | Set file path to C:\*.PLT | | Set Color ON | Set RS-232 Time-Out to 10 seconds or just - 28 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1991 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. TSRPLOT Command Line Syntax The syntax for loading TSRPLOT into memory is as follows: [drive:DOSpath\] TSRPLOT [/a] [/b] [/cx] [/dx] [/p] [/hx] [/ix] [/kx] [/lx] [/sx] [/tx] [/yx] [?] Parameter Description /A - sets AutoPlot to ON during initial load automatically. The default mode is AutoPlot OFF (no /A command line parameter) An example: TSRPLOT /A would cause TSRPLOT to load and automatically enable AutoPlot mode. This has several ramifications you should be aware. i) on an IBM-XT I use for compatibility testing, if files exist matching the new mask and TSRPLOT is loaded from AUTOEXEC.BAT, TSRPLOT will begin beeping even before AUTOEXEC has completed executing. This will halt execution of the batch file until you press either of the two hot-keys [Ctrl-F10] or [Ctrl-End]. Otherwise no ill effects appear and all program pointers are valid. On the 386-33 I use for development this does not occur. AUTOEXEC completes execution before TSRPLOT begins beeping. At the moment I'm not sure exactly why this difference exists unless it is strictly due to the vast timing difference between the two machines or perhaps due to a difference in the way various DOS versions handle batch file execution (2.1 vs 5.0). In addition, if the plotter is not on and ready to accept data and files exist matching the mask you specified, TSRPLOT will abort any attempt to plot and turn AutoPlot OFF. ii) When the /A parameter is used, upon initial load from AUTOEXEC.BAT or from the DOS command line, TSRPLOT 1.8 will pop itself up once and then pop itself out automatically. Again, on the IBM-XT this is very noticeable. You will see the opening screen for a moment and then it disappears. On my 386 it happens so fast you may miss it if you aren't watching. On a 486 I would be surprised if you see it at all. - 29 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1991 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. This initial pop up is crucial in order to ensure certain memory pointers are properly initialized. It will not cause any problems that I am aware of. At present there is no other way to initialize these pointers because their values are dependent on where TSRPLOT physically loads into memory and I have no way of knowing where that will be on any given computer. All this is necessary in the event you pop into TSRPLOT after it has started AutoPlotting in the background without ever having actually been popped up at the main menu at least once. This is quite possible, if not likely, given the new configuration. That initial pop-up at the main menu is when the pointers are initialized and validated. /B - turns OFF buffer checking. The default is buffer checking ON. /Cx - sets the COM port to be used, where x is either 1 or 2 corresponding to COM1 or COM2. The default is COM2. /Dx - sets the COM port baud rate, where x is one of the following: 300 1200 2400 4800 9600 The default is 9600. /P - sets the Automatic Page Feed function ON at initial load. /Hx - sets the DOS path and file mask to your plot files, where x is any valid DOS path/mask combination. An example: TSRPLOT /HC:\SPFILES\*.AC$ would set your DOS path and file mask to C:\SPFILES\*.AC$. x cannot be more than 255 characters in length. The default is C:\*.PLT. /Ix - sets the COM port stop bit value, where x is either 1 or 2. The default is 2. /Kx - sets the pop-up hot key used to activate TSRPLOT in the event that the default of [Alt+P] conflicts with another TSR you are using or conflicts with a keystroke command in your main application. If none of these four alternatives is useful, upon registration of the - 30 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1991 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. program I will configure TSRPLOT for virtually any hot key you wish, as the default. The four different hot keys that can be set based on the value supplied by x are as follows: x=0 hot key is set to [Alt+P] (the default), x=1 hot key is set to [Alt+RightShift+P], x=2 hot key is set to [Ctrl+Alt+P], x=3 hot key is set to [Ctrl+LeftShift+P]. /Lx - sets the screen mode color where x = 1 for color or x = 0 for black and white. /Sx - sets the COM port word size, where x is one of the following: 5,6,7 or 8. The default is 8 bits. /Tx - set the initial background time slice, where x is a number from 0-9. An example: TSRPLOT /T5 would set the background time slice to 5 initially. The default value for x is 2. /Yx - set the COM port parity value, where x is one of the following: N - No parity E - Even parity O - Odd parity The default is [N]o parity. /? or ? - Entering TSRPLOT ? or TSRPLOT /? will display a short help screen outlining all the command line parameters and their syntax, however, if the /? or ? command line parameter is included by itself or with other parameters, TSRPLOT will NOT load into memory. It will only display the help screen. - 31 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. 15 Trouble Shooting Guide This is a trouble shooting guide for the Shareware plotting utilities TSRPLOT and Plot-Line. Both programs use very similar control structures for communicating with plotters so these tips should apply to both programs except where noted. 1) Cable should be of the following pin-out. 25 pin RS-232C cable for IBM PC and compatibles Computer (female) Plotter (male) 1 ═══════════════════════════ 1 GND 2 ═══════════════════════════ 3 SEND 3 ═══════════════════════════ 2 RCVE 5 ═══════════════════════════ 20 6 ═══════════════════════════ 20 7 ═══════════════════════════ 7 20 ═══════════════════════════ 6 20 ═══════════════════════════ 5 I cannot guarantee any other cable configuration will work. This, by the way, is the exact same as the HP cable part number 17255D. The majority of problems to date stem from cable incompatibilities. 2) you cannot use either program in an "eavesdropping" environment. An " eavesdropping " environment is one where other devices are connected to the same RS-232 cable or COM port as the plotter. The plotter must be attached directly to your COM port using the cable pin out shown with no other devices connected between the plotter and the computer or after the plotter. 3) the " hardwire handshake " switch on the back of the plotter (if your plotter has one, not all of them do) must be turned OFF. The DIP switch labelled "Y" and "D" must be set to the "D" position. In addition, if you change the DIP switch settings on the plotter you must turn the plotter OFF and then back ON for those changes to take effect. HP plotters only read the DIP switches on power up. Any changes made while the plotter is on are not recognized. For the hp7575A plotter these DIP switch settings will work with either program. - 32 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. (7) pen sort ═╕ (6) eavesdrop ═╕ │ ╒═ (8) Expand (4) parity (5) odd ═══╤══╕ │ │ │ ╒══Baud════╕ │ │ │ │ │ ╒══╤═══╤══(9-11) │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ always 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 ╒═════════════════════════════════════╕ │ │ 1 │ ▓▓ ▓▓ │ 1 │ ▓▓ ▓▓ │ │ ▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓ │ 0 │ ▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓ ▓▓ │ 0 │ │ ╘═════════════════════════════════════╛ 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 I have labelled the switches to assist you in adapting their settings to other plotter families if you are not using a 7575A. i) switches 9, 10 and 11 are for service only and should always be OFF (zero). ii) switch 7 in the ON (1) position will enable the pen sort buffer in the plotter. I have shown it OFF (0) here. Once proper operation is established you can likely turn it on without ill effects. However, be advised that in the ON (1) position, there could be a delay in the start of plotting on large drawings as the plotter waits for possible pen change commands. The plotter will wait until the buffer is full or until a pen change command is received. This can cause a conflict with either program because the software will not permit the buffer to fill to less than 255 bytes remaining. However, the plotter may not start plotting until the buffer is filled to a higher level than that if the pen sort switch is ON (1). The result can be a hung system. I am working on a solution to the problem. For the moment, it is recommended that the pen sort switch remain OFF (0) if the plotter seems reluctant to plot until proper function is achieved. iii) switch 8 is for Expand mode. Set it to OFF (zero) initially until proper function is obtained. iv) the Baud rate shown is for 9600. ╒═ Please Note ═══════════════════════════════════════════╕ │ │ │ Remember, if you change the switches you must │ │ cycle the plotter OFF and then ON for the new │ - 33 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. │ settings to take effect. │ │ │ ╘═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛ 4) the large format plotters (model 7575 and up), go off-line when the paper lever is raised. This may cause a problem for Plot-Line (P-LINE.EXE).TSRPLOT should handle that situation, but the Plotter Information display will show only the plotter type and no other data. To avoid problems, turn on the plotter and load your media before attempting to plot with either program. 5) if you are using one of the 7595/7596 series plotters and are having problems getting the programs to run I suggest having the plotter emulate the 7586 series. This can be done from the front panel on the 7595 series plotters. Check your manual for the proper procedure for implementing 7586 emulation on the 7595 series. 6) excessively long RS-232 cables (ie greater than 20 feet) can cause some sporadic problems although this is very rare. If possible use a shorter cable. 7) two users have reported problems when using WYSE 386 computers. I am attempting to solve those, but at the moment operation with WYSE 386 computers is problematical. I am not aware of any other hardware compatibility problems. 8) ensure no other TSRs are loaded that are trying to grab the same COM port. SideKick v1.5b and perhaps other versions, have a nasty habit of resetting the COM ports every time they pop up. This may wipe out either program if they are performing I/O to the plotter when SideKick receives it's hot key. SideKick is a particularly ill behaved TSR as TSRs go. ╒═════ Don't boot from strange floppies ═════╕ │ │ │ J. Edward Ayliffe │ │ │ │ Association of Shareware Professionals │ │ Author Member │ │ ASP Ombudsman │ │ │ │ CompuServe PPN │ │ 70007,3536 (ASP Ombudsman) │ │ │ ╘═════════ Practice Safe Computing ══════════╛ - 34 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. 16 Misc If you press View on the plotter during a plot, either background of foreground, TSRPLOT will politely bleep at you twice per second until you release it by pressing the View button again, or 45 seconds have elapsed. For the last 5 seconds it will bleep 8 times per second. If you time out on the 45 second loop, the plot is ended, any data in the plotter buffer is dumped and the pen is put away. Additionally, if you are background plotting when you press View, all processes are stopped, foreground and background, until View is released or the time out occurs. If you lift the paper lever during a plot, either background or foreground, the plot is immediately ended, any data in the plotter buffer is dumped and the pen is put away. You can use this as a very convenient way to quickly stop the plot. These may sound a little brutal, but it is necessary in order to maintain control of the plotter. If you start mucking about with the plotter during a plot, especially a background plot, TSRPLOT doesn't really like it much. TSRPLOT is a character mode program. It WILL NOT pop-up on top of a graphics mode screen. If you press the hot key when the screen is in any graphics video mode, all you will get is a Tess Beep. You can however, begin a background plot and then start an application that switches to a graphics mode. TSRPLOT will continue plotting in the background despite the foreground application running in a graphics mode. You just can't pop up until the video mode is switched back to a character mode. If you don't like my color selection, press <ALT-C> at the menu to toggle to black and white. <ALT-C> again will switch back to color. This only works on CGA/EGA/VGA display cards and only while sitting at the menu. MDA/Hercules cards and VGA monochrome displays will not respond to <ALT-C>. Some CAD programs play with the VGA palette which can result in some truly hideous text mode color when they are finished. I developed TSRPLOT almost exclusively using an HP 7475A plotter and HP7575A. I know it works just splendidly on those plotter. For results on other plotter models I have had to rely on beta testers. If you have problems with TSRPLOT when using other HP plotters, I would very much like to know about it. If you are interested in beta testing future versions of TSRPLOT and you have a plotter other than a 7475A or 7575A, please contact me. All beta tester receive free registered copies of TSRPLOT in return for their beta test reports. I would be interested in feedback, bug reports, condemnations etc about TSRPLOT. I welcome suggestion for improvements. If you find that TSRPLOT won't properly plot your files please contact me as shown below. If you can supply a copy of the plot file I may be able to modify the program to handle it's unusual requirements. No guarantees, but I will try. - 35 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. If you are a registered user and you encounter a file TSRPLOT will not correctly plot, I will revise the program to suit your requirements or refund your registration fee...your choice, on the condition, however, that you are willing to supply me with a copy of the HP-GL text file in question by electronic mail or on disk. - 36 - TSRPLOT v1.8 Copyright (c) 1992 E. Ayliffe. All Rights Reserved. 17 System Requirements TSRPLOT has been tested on a genuine IBM-XT under PC-DOS 3.1, a Compaq DeskPro 286-8 under Compaq DOS 3.1, as well as a Dell System 310 under Dell DOS 3.3 and a number of no-name 386 clones running up to 33 mHz under MS-DOS 3.x, 4.x and 5.x. With the exception of Compaq DOS 3.1, it runs fine on all of them. Compaq DOS 3.1, particularly REV A, has a reputation for being a little "flaky" about TSRs in general and TesSeRact is no exception. TSRPLOT requires 256k RAM and DOS 3.0 or higher and at least 1 floppy disk drive. I can be reached in a number of ways as shown below Compuserve Information Service preferred ----> ID number 70007,3536 by EPlex mail by phone: (residence) 519-925-5468 (cellular) 519-942-5355 (cellular) 519-942-5354 or by paper mail J. Edward Ayliffe RR#4 Shelburne Ontario Canada L0N 1S8 Registrations should be sent by certified cheque or money order to the above paper mail address. You will get the fastest support response if you contact me by electronic mail on Compuserve. I check my EMail several times every day and will respond, usually within hours of your message. I hope you find TSRPLOT useful. - 37 -