How can I use the serial port on my old Tek 2211 scope to grab data? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 21, 2016, 06:48:54 pm
content: Hi,I have a Tektronix 2211 scope that supports the sending of screen captures to a plotter (I understand it supports HP plotters as well as "epson printers" likely from the 1980s.I orignally titled this post as asking how to do this on Linux, but come to think of it, I have an older, small machine that - has windows - that I had forgotten about.I just realized that my fretting about being able to do it on Linux was unnecessary, as the machine I should use it with, an old HP thin client, has a licensed copy of Windows XP (or perhaps 2000 - but I think it has XP embedded professional or something like that), that came with it, on a very small flash card (finding it may be a challenge, though)So, of course, I could then use that with Windows software from that era (2005 or 2006 approximately), solving a lot of problems right there. Like the scope, the thin client has a real presumably 12 volt serial port as well as a parallel port. Its a solid little machine that is completely silent. It has passive cooling.Are there any Tek gurus out there who know how to do this? Having the ability to get a nice capture of the scope data would be really great.

author: Lukas
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 21, 2016, 07:17:19 pm
content: Inkscape can open HPGL files, did you try that already?

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 21, 2016, 07:37:33 pm
content: I think the process would be a bit like catching a ball.. When the button to print the screen is pressed then it spits out the data as if it was controlling a plotter.. sending it out the serial port.. So then I need to be waiting for it kind of like a catcher and a ball, and save it without any extra stuff to a file..Sound about right?No, I didnt even know that Inkscape opened HPGL at all, thats really great. So maybe I will try to see if a modem program like Minicom will let me do that..There is also a HP terminal emulation program that in theory I should be able to run under Wine to use to display them.. But it likely is overkill, because the scope's communications options are pretty basic, i dont think it communicates both ways, I am pretty sure I cannot speak to the scope to request data, (bigger more expensive scopes I think did let you do that)It would be great to get this working, if it saves files Inkscape can open, that really would be far preferable to anything else.Inkscape would be ideal.This is the scope I have Its from the early 90s.

author: Lukas
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 21, 2016, 08:08:52 pm
content: Since HPGL seems to be unidirectional, have you tried just using cat like this to get the HPGL data into acat /dev/ttyS0 > plot.hpglPress print on scopeHit Ctrl-CYou should now have a HPGL file. Make sure to set up baud rate and flow control beforehand.

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 22, 2016, 07:14:09 am
content: It works, finally..Lots of learning to do how to make it pretty, though.. and even at 9600 baud, its slooooow...