Hi,
I have this plotter, a Mural 8000 flatbed from the eighties, brought 2nd hand froma thrift store (no manuals, cables, etc.) that has both a D25 (female) and a DB9 (male) port.
After some experimenting I found the correct cable pinouts and currently I have it connected to my Linux box on its (the plotter's) DB25 (and my PC's 2nd serial port). After some more experimentation with a total of 14 dipswitches I got it working, plotting HP/GL files.
It's been said this plotter came with some sort of joystick or a puck mouse with which it could be controlled. Don't know what to make of that really -- 'freehand plotting'??
Anyway, the thing is, I really don't know if this was just a myth or fact. My question is, how can I tell if the DB9 is basically a DB9 alternative to the DB25 (i.e. for input from the PC's serial port) or a connector for a joystick/mouse?
I can of course make a DB9 version of the PC-Plotter DB25 cable I have now, and see if that works to get input from the PC to the plotter. If so, that would prob. rule out an input port for a joystick/mouse (I'm guessing). But I'm kinda apprehensive, cause I don't want to run the risk of destroying my PC's serial port if the DB9 on the plotter is not intended for this. Clearly I'm totally unexperienced in all this.
I've tried to trace the pins on the DB9 on the plotter to various components. As far as I can tell, the 'first' components that the various pins trace to are these:
Plotter DB9 port (male):
1 to pin #3 of an 8-pin resistor network a472ga 2 to pin #2 of an 8-pin resistor network a472ga 3 to pin #5 of an 8-pin resistor network a472ga 4 to pin #4 of an 8-pin resistor network a472ga 5 to 1st switch of dipswitch block no.1 (which has 4 dsw) 6 to pin #6 of an 8-pin resistor network a472ga 7 - 8 to base of transistor MPS6530 9 -I am not 100% sure if pins 7 and 9 are really unconnected, the connector's housing is in the way, and using a multimeter and shining a lamp from underneath and above the pcb weren't conclusive. All instances of the resistor network mentioned above is one and the same component.
I might add that I did in the meantime muster the audacity to hook up an old serial mouse (Genius Netmouse) and some non- descript DB9 joystick (a Tecnoplus [sic] TP135), and fiddled with some dipswitches (blindly, for I have no docs) but the plotter just sat there.
Any hints, tips and what have from you much appreciated! I'm ready to experiment, and like I said, have multimeter (will travel I almost added).
Thanks!
bj