Library and examples to interface a HPGL plotter such as HP7550a to processing.
To use just download the whole repository and put it in your Processing folder. There is a couple of exampels that shows the capabilities of the library in the examples folder. Hopefully they should be self explanatory.
##Hardware
You need a USB to DB25 converter to interface to a HP7550a. Im using this this bought at Amazon. It has the ch340 chipset inside that needs this drivers:
Chinese manufacturer: http://www.wch.cn/downloads.php?name=pro&proid=5
and then on OSX you need to do:
- Install the CH340 driver
- Run this command in Terminal: sudo nvram boot-args="kext-dev-mode=1"
- Reboot
this sequence is originaly created by Alexandre de Pellegrin
On the Plotter you need to setup this configuration:
- Baudrate 9600
- Handshake: Xon/Xoff Direct
- Data flow: Local Standalone (this seems to reset after power down of plotter on my machine)
- Bypass: OFF
- Duplex: Full
- Parity: 8-bits OFF
To access the submenu for this settings on the HP7550a press:
- "Next Display"
- "Enter"
- "Next Display"
- "Serial"
Feel free to fork, reuse and redistrube as you wish.
Happy plotting