User`s guide

SOFTCOPY
Transfers data from the HP-IB (IEEE-488 bus) to a file. Allows your PC to emulate a hardcopy device
such as a plotter or printer, so screen dumps from various instruments can be captured. Hardcopy from
HP-IB Instrument can be routed to an RS-232 printer or plotter by specifying PRN for the output file.
Requires an HP 82335A interface card, or National Instrument GPIB-PC interface card.
Syntax SOFTCOPY [dfile] [/U] [/O] [/L] [/A:<addr>]
Options
[dfile] Output file.
/U Show this usage
/O Overwrite [dfile] if it exists
/L Longer end-of-data timeout (30 sec). Default is 3 sec.
/A:<addr> Set primary IEEE 488 bus address. Default is 5, use 31 to emulate a listen-only
plotter or printer.
Example 1
To capture a plot from a HP 3562A Dynamic Signal Analyzer in a file, connect the analyzer to the PC’s
HP-IB card. Then setup the analyzer “HP-IB fctn” as “system controller”, and set “plot address” to 5.
Start softcopy with the following command
SOFTCOPY APLOT.PLT /A:5
Then press “start plot” on the analyzer. When the plot is done, the file can be inserted into a Microsoft
Word for Windows document.
Example 2
To send a screen dump from an HP 54502A Oscilloscope to a DeskJet printer, connect the Oscilloscope
to the PC’s HP-IB card. Connect the printer to the PC’s parallel interface. Setup the Oscilloscope’s
“Utility / HP-IB” as “talk only”. Start softcopy with the following command:
SOFTCOPY PRN /O /A:31
Then press the “hardcopy” button on the Oscilloscope.
Sharing Data Between Analyzers
SOFTCOPY
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