Instructions:

Plotter Driver for HP/GL plotters

Florian Sachse, October 1986

This plotter driver makes it possible to create precise layouts in different
scales using an HP/GL plotter.  For best results, use quality pens 
and paper, and be sure that your plotting speed is adjustable.


1.  Output functions

The plotter driver has the following functions available from the Output menu:

*   Quickplot
    The component and layout layers, component expressions and descriptions
    can be output one after the other.

*   Bottom layout
    The bottom will be plotted.

*   Upper layout
    The top component layer will be plotted.

*   Component plan
    The component plan will be plotted.

2.  Introduction

The plotter is a complicated program, due to the wide range of options and
possibilities. These options are called from the Options menu.

*   PLOTTER
Here you can select which paper format the plotter uses.  Furthermore,
you can determine whether 90-degree traces are plotted or suppressed.

In addition, you can set up the scaling factor by which the layout should be
printed. You use the arrows to set the factor between 0.5 and 4 in 
increments of 0.1.

*   LAYOUT
The driver supports pens with different line widths. You can give line
densities for up to three pens. For different outputs such as pinholes, 
thin or thick lines will automatically be drawn by the pens with the 
help of the different line types.

It's obvious that a driver with only one pen will turn out a serviceable 
board layout; it just takes somewhat longer.

When the layout is being plotted, the driver will begin with the thinnest
pens, and work up to the thickest pens, which means only three pen
changes total.

Also adjustable is the plotter speed, and the inner diameters of the
pinholes (between 0.4 and 1.0 mm). 

The Fresnel-rings and the border markers, the chip pinholes and lines are
plotted from user-defined pinholes. You can decide how each should be 
plotted. 

There are a number of other options for setting up pinholes. You can choose
the actual shape of these holes, from

*    square
*    octagonal
*    round

You can select whether the insides of the holes should be filled 
or not.

Furthermore, you can choose whether or not extended pinholes should be
output in proper diameter. Extended pinholes have a diameter of around 2mm. 
They can be made smaller if a line is coming into conflict with the hole. 
Non-extended pinholes have a diameter of about 1.27mm. These options can be 
set manually, or put into chip pinholes.

*    QUICK/Components
The quickplot and component plan plotting speed can be set independent of
the layout. If you need an absolutely accurate result in the shortest amount
of plotting time, you can do so in this option.

At the left side of the mask, you can determine which pen should be used for
which output.

The right side allows you to choose color for any pen. These options will be
executed later when the plotting takes place, first using light, then dark, 
pens. Avoid unnecessary pen switching.

*    SAVE
This option allows you to save your plotting paramters you set in this menu.
These parameters will be available when the driver is started. 

 