Date   : Wed, 25 May 2005 10:39:50 +0000
From   : Jules Richardson <julesrichardsonuk@...>
Subject: Re: Penman Plotters

On Wed, 2005-05-25 at 10:27 +0100, Matt Callow wrote:
> --- ben@... wrote:
> > Does anyone on the list know anything about Penman plotters? I
> > have one, but cannot get it working. It powers up, but fails
> > to perform its little self-test routine. When power is applied
> > and it isn't connected to the serial port, it is supposed to
> > run forward to detect the edge of the paper, and then back
> > again, wherupon it draws three circles and announces its
> > firmware version number. It is only running forward and back
> > again, so I suspect some failure in the IR detectors. Ho hum.
> > It's a pity, because Penman plotters were cute little beasts
> > despite being far from accurate enough to use seriously.
> > 
> > I know that a Penman isn't exactly a BBC Micro, but they come
> > from the same era, and were deliberately designed with the
> > same case colour so as to be "compatible" (!)
> > 
> > 
> I have one, which worked last time I tried it. I think I also
> have the original instructions if they are of any help. Don't
> know anything about fixing it though.

Ditto. We've got one at the museum which may have instructions. I'll be
there at the weekend so give me a prod on Friday if you want me to go
looking for it (I have no idea where we put it :)

Do these things take various widths of paper? If so, make sure you're
not using a sheet that's too wide for it to cope with (we've got a huge
HP plotter like that; it gets upset at paper over a certain size even
though it fits comfortably physically)

Give it a good clean too; make sure there isn't dust / dirt clogging up
the IR detectors...

cheers

Jules