MICROPRINT 45CI

This product and related documentation must be reviewed for familiarization with safety markings and instructions before operation.

Verify that the product matches the available line voltage. Refer to the INSTALLATION PROCEDURE and SPECIFICATIONS sections of the MicroPrint 45CH manual.

POWER MODULE - The power module cannot be repaired; if it is defective it should be discarded or returned to the supplier.

The MicroPrint 45CH interface converter allows printers with parallel interfaces to be used with the IEEE-488 (HP-IB/GPIB) bus. It is equipped with Variable Resolution, HP-GL, Color , and Speed modes. These OPERATING MODES, along with the type of devices they support are discussed in detail in the following sections.

The MicroPrint 45CH is an interface converter, not a printer emulator. Your software must send the correct data format to the MicroPrint and printer. HP/AGILENT computers and test instruments send text and raster graphics data to printers in PCL (Printer Command Language) format, and vector graphics data in HP-GL(HP Graphics Language) format. All HP printers listed as “DOS-compatible” accept PCL data and all HP plotters accept HP-GL data. Unless you are printing text only, you must use an PCL-compatible printer with the above HP/AGILENT (or comparable) equipment. Consult your computer or software manual to ensure the printer you wish to use is supported before connecting the MicroPrint.

The MicroPrint 45CH is a one-way converter: from HP-IB to Parallel. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE IT IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION (i.e., with the MicroPrint 45CH parallel output connected to a computer parallel output port).

1) Set the MicroPrint 45CH to the correct HP-IB address, mode, and resolution using the twelve-position switch on the side of the MicroPrint. The MicroPrint is set at the factory to the Listen Always HP-IB address(Positions 1-5 ON); all other switch positions are OFF(default). Refer to the Setting the MicroPrint Switch section of this manual.)

2) Attach the HP-IB cable from the computer/controller connected to a grounded power outlet to the "HP-IB" connector on the MicroPrint. CAUTION: This step or step 3) below must be performed before the printer cable is connected to the MicroPrint. Printers with ungrounded power cords (2-prong plugs) can have up to -35Vdc on the printer shield (even when then printer is turned off) prior to grounding through the HP-IB cable or grounded power adapter. Connecting the printer cable before grounding the converter can cause the converter to prematurely fail.

3) Plug the grounded wall mount power supply connector into the female connector located on the side of the MicroPrint. Plug the grounded wall mount power supply into a grounded AC outlet, which will activate the LED indicator next to the Centronics connector. CAUTION: This step or step 2) above must be performed before the printer cable is connected to the MicroPrint. Printers with ungrounded power cords (2-prong plugs) can have up to -35Vdc on the printer shield (even when the printer power is turned off) prior to grounding through the HP-IB cable or grounded power adapter. Connecting the printer cable before grounding the converter can cause the converter to prematurely fail.

4) Connect the printer cable to the MicroPrint. The MicroPrint is now ready for use.

5) To use a power strip for portable applications, Do Not connect the strip to a grounded power outlet until the MicroPrint AC adapter and printer power cord have been plugged into the strip, the DC plug of the MicroPrint adapter has been connected, and the printer cable attached to the MicroPrint. This ensures that the portable printing setup is simultaneously grounded when the strip is plugged into the power outlet.

NOTE: If the power indicator LED on the MicroPrint blinks continuously after the unit has been connected to the printer and is powered on, there is a problem with the cabling between the printer and MicroPrint, or the printer is off-line.

The Variable Resolution mode allows owners of HP DeskJet and LaserJet printers (or compatibles) to select the raster graphics resolution, and hence the size of the graphics output, of their printer by setting switches on the MicroPrint before powering on or after RESETting the unit. To increase the graphics size, lower the resolution; to decrease the graphics size, raise the resolution. Once the resolution has been set, it remains in effect until the switch settings are changed and power re-applied or the RESET switch on the side of the MicroPrint is pushed and released. Note that the VR option sends the resolution commands to the printer only when the MicroPrint is first turned on or RESET. Any subsequent graphics resolution control characters sent to the printer by the computer or test equipment will override the commands sent by the MicroPrint. Also, turning the printer off and then on without resetting the MicroPrint, will result in the printer being reset to its default condition. If you wish to change the printer resolution, always power on or reset the MicroPrint after the printer has been turned on and is in the ready state. To reset the unit, push the momentary-contact RESET switch, wait a few seconds, and release. The power indicator will go out while the switch is pressed.

Portrait mode is available for all PCL printers; landscape mode is available only for PCL5/6 printers. To date, PCL5/6 is available only on the LJIII, IV, V, and VI Series Printers and DeskJet 1200/1600/2250/2500C+ printers.

Most individual printers do not implement all of the resolutions provided by the MicroPrint. Consult your printer manual to determine which resolutions are applicable.

The MicroPrint allows HP PCL5/6 printers to be used as plotters by sending commands to the printer that enable the HP-GL subset of the PCL5/6 command set. Only landscape orientation is available. This mode is particularly useful when connecting a LaserJet to a test instrument(with TALK ONLY capability) that supports only plotters or when the extra speed of HP-GL (vector graphics) is desired in lieu of the relatively slow PCL raster (bit-mapped) graphics.

Note that some instruments without a "Talk Only" mode requires a response to be returned by the plotter when sending HP-GL data. The MicroPrint will not work in this case since it is a one-way converter - HPIB ->Parallel. For this application, contact Intelligent Interfaces about the MicroPrint 50A series converters.

In this mode, the MicroPrint reverses printer color palette commands changing black to white, etc., or changes a plotter yellow HP-GL pen command to a brown pen command. Use this mode if you obtain color PCL graphics on a black background or obtain a yellow HP-GL trace that is difficult to photocopy..

In this mode, the MicroPrint response is slowed by a factor of approximately 7 to more closely match the response of an HP PaintJet printer. Use this mode if you obtain a partial printout and then the controller quits sending data.

The MicroPrint HP-IB port connects to the controller with an HP-IB(IEEE-488) cable: HP/Agilent model 10833A, Intelligent Interfaces model 52-2201, or equivalent. The Parallel port connects to the printer with a PC printer cable; HP/Agilent model C2951A, Intelligent Interfaces model 52-2208 (included), or equivalent.

The configuration(ADDR/MODE) switch on the side of the MicroPrint, next to the power connector, has 12 positions. Positions 1 through 5 are used to set the 31 possible HP-IB addresses plus "Listen Always(or Listen Only)." Positions 6 through 12 set the graphics resolution of the printer, disable the Variable Resolution feature, or select HP-GL, Color, and Speed modes on the MicroPrint.

In the table on the following page, a "0(zero)" indicates the switch is turned OFF; a "1" indicates the switch is turned ON("ON" direction is shown on the switch). The unit is preset to Listen Always, positions 1-5 ON, and default, positions 6 through 12 OFF.

ADDR	1	2	3	4	5	ADDR	1	2	3	4	5
0	0	0	0	0	0	16	0	0	0	0	1
1	1	0	0	0	0	17	1	0	0	0	1
2	0	1	0	0	0	18	0	1	0	0	1
3	1	1	0	0	0	19	1	1	0	0	1
4	0	0	1	0	0	20	0	0	1	0	1
5	1	0	1	0	0	21	1	0	1	0	1
6	0	1	1	0	0	22	0	1	1	0	1
7	1	1	1	0	0	23	1	1	1	0	1
8	0	0	0	1	0	24	0	0	0	1	1
9	1	0	0	1	0	25	1	0	0	1	1
10	0	1	0	1	0	26	0	1	0	1	1
11	1	1	0	1	0	27	1	1	0	1	1
12	0	0	1	1	0	28	0	0	1	1	1
13	1	0	1	1	0	29	1	0	1	1	1
14	0	1	1	1	0	30	0	1	1	1	1
15	1	1	1	1	0	LA	1	1	1	1	1

LA(Listen Always) - Unit responds to all data sent over the buss regardless of address. Use this setting only when the controller and MicroPrint are the only devices on the buss.

VARIABLE RESOLUTION/HPGL MODE SWITCH SETTINGS

Resol./Mode	6	7	8	9	Resol./Mode	6	7	8	9
Default	0	0	0	0	Undefined	0	0	0	1
75P	1	0	0	0	75LS	1	0	0	1
100P	0	1	0	0	100LS	0	1	0	1
150P	1	1	0	0	150LS	1	1	0	1
200P	0	0	1	0	200LS	0	0	1	1
300P	1	0	1	0	300LS	1	0	1	1
600P	0	1	1	0	600LS	0	1	1	1
Undefined	1	1	1	0	HPGL LS	1	1	1	1

Color Mode(Pos.10) - Set this switch ON to reverse the color palette when you obtain graphs with black backgrounds

Speed Mode(Pos. 11) - Set this switch ON to slow down the MicroPrint when you obtain only a partial printout of a plot

If your controller does not issue a Form Feed character(most do not) at the end of a plot, pressing the RESET switch when in the Variable Resolution or HP-GL modes will reset the printer and cause the page to be ejected. Also, sending successive plots to the printer (without pressing RESET between plots) will cause the printer to eject the previous plot if its page buffer cannot hold another full drawing. In this case, press RESET to eject the last plot in the queue.

To place multiple plots on a sheet of paper, first set the unit to your Variable Resolution choice and then send successive plots to the printer. After the last plot is sent, push the RESET switch to eject the paper from the printer. This procedure will not work in the "default" mode(Positions 6-12 OFF), or if an Interface Clear(IFC) or form feed command is sent by the controller at the end of each plot. Since most HP-GL plots fill virtually all of a page, this procedure is not applicable in HP-GL mode.

If you obtain a black background plot, set the Color Mode(Position 10) switch to ON and RESET the unit; this changes black to white, etc.

If the printer plots part of a graph and stops, set the Speed Mode(Position 11) switch to ON, RESET the unit, and re-send the plot.

No, the HP3000 communicates with HP-IB printers using CIPER protocol; the MicroPrint is not compatible with this protocol.

2) My test equipment supports only plotting (i.e., there is no print function). What kind of printer should I use?

For color plotting, use a DeskJet model 1200,1600, 2250, or 2500C+. These, to date, are the only HP color DeskJets that support HP-GL. For B&W or color plotting, LaserJets that implement PCL5/6 will work. PCL5/6 LaserJets include LaserJet series III and above. If the test equipment expects a response from the plotter(i.e., does not have a Talk Only mode), the MicroPrint will not work since it is a one-way converter: HP-IB->parallel. Contact Intelligent Interfaces about the MicroPlot 50A bi-directional converter.

3) Nothing is printed when I connect the MicroPrint between my controller and HP printer.

Check that your MicroPrint address switch settings match the address that the test instrument or computer expects. If the MicroPrint is the only HP-IB device connected to the bus, use the "Listen Always" address switch setting.

Ensure that the HP-IB and parallel cables are firmly attached to the controller and printer connectors, and the MicroPrint power indicator is on. It is recommended that you connect and disconnect the HP-IB cable connections at both ends 2 or 3 times to "wipe" the contacts before tightening the jack screws.

If the printer "Ready" light blinks after you send data to the printer, but nothing is printed, press the RESET switch on the MicroPrint to eject the page if you are in the Variable Resolution or HP-GL modes.

4) Strange characters are printed when I send graphics data to the MicroPrint from my HP/AGILENT controller.

HP/AGILENT test equipment and computers send data to printers in PCL format. Non-HP printers such as Epson, Okidata, etc. do not understand this format in graphics mode (text-only data should work OK). Unless your controller has a menu listing non-HP printer drivers, you must use an HP-compatible printer.

If the printed characters include characters such as PA, SPO, or other similar strings with numeric data, you may be trying to send an HP-GL plot to a printer that does not implement PCL5/6. If the controller has both "Print" and "Plot" capabilities, select "Print," set the MicroPrint switches to any print mode (Variable Resolution or default), and try again. If you are trying to use a PCL5/6 printer such as the DeskJet 1200/1600/2250/2500C+ or LaserJet III or above(IV, V, etc.) as a plotter, the switches on the MicroPrint have not been set to program the printer to accept HP-GL data. Select HP-GL landscape mode on the MicroPrint, RESET it, and try again.

Note that some network printers reset to their factory defaults after a set period of inactivity. If you are intermittently obtaining characters as described above, RESET the converter immediately before sending plot data to the converter. This will reprogram the printer for plotting.

5) I am able to print graphics data, but the graph over-runs the edge of the paper or the plot is extremely small.

Use the MicroPrint Variable Resolution switches to adjust the size of the graph. Raising the resolution shrinks the graph; lowering the resolution expands the graph. Don't forget to RESET the MicroPrint after the switches are set; the MicroPrint reads the switch settings only after a RESET or when power is applied to the unit.

6) I set the Variable Resolution switches to two different resolutions but I still get the same size graph.

Most LaserJets and DeskJets do not implement all of the resolutions available in the MicroPrint. For example, some DeskJets only implement 75, 150, 300, and 600 dpi(dots/inch). If you set the Variable Resolution of the MicroPrint to 100 dpi, the printer will default to the next highest valid setting; in this case 150 dpi. Therefore the 100 and 150 dpi graphs will be the same size.

This also occurs when the controller sends a resolution command to the printer each time it sends data. Since the MicroPrint sends a Variable Resolution command only after the unit has been powered on or RESET, the command from the controller over-rides the MicroPrint command.

Select the MicroPrint Variable Resolution to the size graph desired. Send the first graph to the printer, but do not press the RESET switch or printer page eject button. Send the second, third, etc. graphs in the same manner. When all desired graphs have been sent, press the RESET switch or printer page eject button.

The above method will work only if the controller does not send an Interface Clear (IFC) or Form Feed command to the printer. If it does send one of these commands while the MicroPrint is in the Variable Resolution mode, then the page will be ejected each time a graph is sent. In this case, set the MicroPrint to default (Variable Resolution OFF) and send the first graph again. If the page is not ejected, send the second graph etc. Note that you will not be able to adjust the size of the graph in this case.

8) When I send a PCL graph to the printer, about half of the graph is printed and then the printer stops.

This usually occurs when the instrument's printer driver was written for a ThinkJet or PaintJet printer and you are using a DeskJet 600 series printer. Since the ThinkJet and PaintJet printers process data very slowly, the instrument's printer driver sends a small block of data to the printer and waits for the printer to request more data a short time later. Since the DeskJet can accept more data at a faster rate, the instrument sends a lot of data in short bursts, the DeskJet stores this data in its buffer until it has accumulated enough to begin printing, stops accepting data, and begins formatting the stored data for printing. The latter operation in DeskJet 600 printers takes more time than the instrument has been programmed to expect, so it "times out" and aborts printing. To correct this problem, set the Speed Mode, switch position number 11, ON.

With the exception of DeskJet models 1200,1600, 2250, & 2500C+, DeskJets are line printers, not page printers. In the latter, the whole image is accepted and stored before printing begins, whereas the DeskJet only stores a partial image before beginning to print. Since the MicroPrint relies on the ability to rotate the whole graph in the printer memory to implement landscape printing, this mode is valid only for PCL5/6 printers; i.e., LaserJets and the DeskJet 1200/1600/2250/2500C+.

10) Can I hook multiple controllers to the MicroPrint input to share a printer among the controllers?

Only one controller at a time can be connected to the bus. To share the MicroPrint, install an HP-IB switch, III 52-2221 or equivalent, between the controllers and MicroPrint; or, alternately, you can connect a MicroPrint to each controller and run the MicroPrint outputs into a manual or automatic Centronics parallel switch.

12) When I send PCL graphics data to my color DeskJet printer I get a black-background plot.

This happens when the controller driver was written for the PaintJet printer, which uses a different color palette than the DeskJet. On the MicroPrint, select the "reverse"( Position 10 ON) function on the color mode switch. This reverses the printer color palette, changing black to white, etc.

For application support, contact Intelligent Interfaces Inc. by mail, phone, FAX, or E-mail at::

During the one(1) year Warranty period, defective units will be replaced or repaired at no cost. After the one(1) year Warranty period, Intelligent Interfaces will repair or replace the defective unit, at Intelligent Interfaces' option, at the customer's expense. Contact Intelligent Interfaces at the number above to obtain a return authorization number before returning the unit for repair.

Input: 100-240Vac, 50/60Hz; Output: 9Vdc, 1.67A Regulated, Grounded (Outer conductor of DC connector at earth ground), Converter internally fused on EXW models

*Maximum data rate possible. Actual data throughput will vary depending on computer/controller hardware, software, and peripheral used.

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