Audio Precision ATS-1DD Printer Port Capture

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EnvisionAudio

EnvisionAudio

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Joined 2002
#1
I am purchasing an Audio Precision ATS-1 which has a parallel interface for printing only, but no direct connection to a PC. Only GPIB control...

Does anyone know of a solution that will emulate a connected printer and capture the data as a printed page that can be imported into a PC? I found one at $500 (link below), but was hoping for a less expensive or DIY solution.

JADTech Corporation- Silent Hawk I
 
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#3
Don't mean to muddy the waters on your superb answer, but as an FYI for anybody concerned the plotter output GPIB ports on most test equipment are configured to speak HPGL or Hewlett Packard Graphics Language. The port itself is not complicated, but is an 8 bit GPIO with three wire handshake. Using a little common sense it is easy to wire up an adapter to port a GPIB to any GPIO (Printer port). All that is then required to capture the data output is some GPIO software. Translation of the HPGL is eaily handled by plug ins for either MS Word or Word Perfect.

I Have done this in the other direction (Using a GPIO port to drive an HP GPIB printer / Plotter.) So I know it is doable.
Hope this helps somebody.
Doc

Here's a link to some printer port monitor software....
The LPTCAP parallel print capture system  release 1
 
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#4
I can hardly believe that you could afford a ATS-1 but not a GPIB interface for your PC. There are a few small companies making GPIB-USB converters for as low as $100, maybe less. GPIB PCI cards are expensive, as are name-brand GPIB-USB solutions. Personally, I got my hands on an inexpensive GPIB ISA card (yes ISA) then bought a used industrial strength Pentium 4 motherboard that had a ISA slot on it, and built a lab PC around that.
 
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