Hi,
> Date: Sun, 20 May 2001 22:40:50 +0100 (BST)
> From: ard_at_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_at_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_at_bigfoot.com
Received on Mon May 21 2001 - 17:16:25 BST