Plotting to a Calcomp Plotter

Plotting to Calcomp devices involves a more intimate interface between plotter and computer than on other plotters such as HP. After you establish the correct settings for your plotter as described in the Plotting documentation and you have produced a LF (Local File) through the plot driver function you are ready to plot.

Copying a plot to a Calcomp plotter requires a two way line of communication so the computer and Calcomp device can, in effect, talk to each other. The computer must send a plot record one at a time, prompt the plotter to send a device status after each record, and wait for the plotter to return its status.

SSIPLOT in a command window

The syntax and example invocations for ssiplot running in a command window of the operating system is given below. Values enclosed in square brackets are the defaults and don't need to be specified.

Syntax

ssiplot [switches] plotfile [switches]

Where:

plotfile is the name of the file to plot.

Standard switches:

-Ccom_port[COM1],COM2

-Bbaud110, 300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, [9600],
19200, 38400, 57600, 115200

-Pparity[NONE],ODD,EVEN

-Sstop_bits[1],2

-Ddata_bits7,[8]

-Fflow_controlNONE,[XON]

Information switches

-Vecho plotter responses

-Gdisplay plot progress messages

-Hdisplay this help summary

Special switches

-Aport_addressHEX address of non standard serial port

-Iport_interruptinterrupt number of non standard serial
port

-TtimeoutNo of seconds to wait for
communications (default is 60 seconds

-Eignore errors reported by the plotter

-NDo not prompt the plotter for status

Examples

ssiplot godpit.lf

Send the calcomp plot file goldpit.lf through COM1 at 9600bps using no parity, 8 data bits and Xon/Xoff flow control.

ssiplot goldpit.lf -C com2 -B2400 -Peven -D7

Send the calcomp plot file goldpit.lf through COM2 using a baud rate of 2400bps, even parity, 7 data bits, and Xon/Xoff flow control

ssiplot -A4f8h -I9 goldpit.lf 

Send the calcomp plot file goldpit.lf through the serial port addressed at 4f8 using interrupt 9. The communications paraters are 9600bps, no parity, 8 data bits, and Xon/Xoff flow control.