Homebrew PCBs

Hi, I just discovered this group.  I am interested in using a plotter 
to directly lay down resist for pcb boards.  I picked up an HP 7475A 
plotter a few years ago and modified it to accept a pin according to 
plans I got from someone in Australia, I think.  The plotter appears 
to work OK. I say this based on the self test.  Also I hooked it up 
to my old PC and it printed at least one sheet OK.  But now I have a 
newer PC that runs XP.  It does have one serial port but I have not 
been able to get it to respond.  I have the owner's manuals for the 
plotter.  I also use a cheap windows-based CAD program called Key 
Cad.  I have been able to draw pcb layouts manually but would like to 
output to the plotter.

Any suggestions.

Thanks,

Jim, W7PUP

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "w7pup" <woods@g...> wrote:
> 
> 
> Hi, I just discovered this group.  I am interested in using a plotter 
> to directly lay down resist for pcb boards.  I picked up an HP 7475A 
> plotter a few years ago and modified it to accept a pin according to 
> plans I got from someone in Australia, I think.  The plotter appears 
> to work OK. I say this based on the self test.  Also I hooked it up 
> to my old PC and it printed at least one sheet OK.  But now I have a 
> newer PC that runs XP.  It does have one serial port but I have not 
> been able to get it to respond.  I have the owner's manuals for the 
> plotter.  I also use a cheap windows-based CAD program called Key 
> Cad.  I have been able to draw pcb layouts manually but would like to 
> output to the plotter.
> 
> Any suggestions.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Jim, W7PUP

Isn't that a plotter that slides the paper past a one-axis pen?
If so, you're gonna have a terrible time keeping registration.
I use a flatbed with stationary media and it works fine.
Only problem is finding a pen fine enough to do tracks on
20 mil centers.

As for your serial ports, some older programs bit banged the port
directly.  XP won't let you do that.  First thing I'd try is to
plot to a file, copy the file to a bootable win98 floppy and try
to copy the file to the plotter with DOS.  If that works, you'll know
what the problem is.

mike

>
>Isn't that a plotter that slides the paper past a one-axis pen?
>If so, you're gonna have a terrible time keeping registration.
>I use a flatbed with stationary media and it works fine.
>Only problem is finding a pen fine enough to do tracks on
>20 mil centers.

I'm getting set up similarly, with an A size flatbed plotter, and a laser 
printer for toner-transfer.

You can use XP if you open a dos box (start, run, "cmd") and then "copy  
yourfile.plt com1".
You also neet to set the port with the right parameters (bits, speed..),  
see the HP page for what
your printer needs. There is no free software solution to print directly  
out of xp as far as i know
but the copying works ok. I have the very same plotter.

By the way a personal opinion: plotting really sucks, don't waste too much  
time with it, toner
transfer is much better.

good luck

ST

On Sat, 11 Dec 2004 19:00:30 -0000, w7pup <woods@...> wrote:

> Hi, I just discovered this group.  I am interested in using a plotter
> to directly lay down resist for pcb boards.  I picked up an HP 7475A
> plotter a few years ago and modified it to accept a pin according to
> plans I got from someone in Australia, I think.  The plotter appears
> to work OK. I say this based on the self test.  Also I hooked it up
> to my old PC and it printed at least one sheet OK.  But now I have a
> newer PC that runs XP.  It does have one serial port but I have not
> been able to get it to respond.  I have the owner's manuals for the
> plotter.  I also use a cheap windows-based CAD program called Key
> Cad.  I have been able to draw pcb layouts manually but would like to
> output to the plotter.
> Any suggestions.
> Thanks,
> Jim, W7PUP

Software that plots from windows is www.winline.com

About $200 or $150 depending on specials.

Mike


--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Stefan Trethan" 
<stefan_trethan@g...> wrote:
> 
> You can use XP if you open a dos box (start, run, "cmd") and 
then "copy  
> yourfile.plt com1".
> You also neet to set the port with the right parameters (bits, 
speed..),  
> see the HP page for what
> your printer needs. There is no free software solution to print 
directly  
> out of xp as far as i know
> but the copying works ok. I have the very same plotter.
> 
> By the way a personal opinion: plotting really sucks, don't waste 
too much  
> time with it, toner
> transfer is much better.
> 
> good luck
> 
> ST
> 
> 
> On Sat, 11 Dec 2004 19:00:30 -0000, w7pup <woods@g...> wrote:
> 
> > Hi, I just discovered this group.  I am interested in using a 
plotter
> > to directly lay down resist for pcb boards.  I picked up an HP 
7475A
> > plotter a few years ago and modified it to accept a pin according 
to
> > plans I got from someone in Australia, I think.  The plotter 
appears
> > to work OK. I say this based on the self test.  Also I hooked it 
up
> > to my old PC and it printed at least one sheet OK.  But now I 
have a
> > newer PC that runs XP.  It does have one serial port but I have 
not
> > been able to get it to respond.  I have the owner's manuals for 
the
> > plotter.  I also use a cheap windows-based CAD program called Key
> > Cad.  I have been able to draw pcb layouts manually but would 
like to

> > output to the plotter.
> > Any suggestions.
> > Thanks,
> > Jim, W7PUP