This working ER20 PenWriter is the Marktplaats find of the year! #PlotterArt
Even my #retrocomputing collection doesn't include Centronics cables anymore. Any recommendations for parallel port adapters?
@th Nice! This is a new one for me looks like the Silver Reed EB-50 in case design.
I use a Sabrent USB to parallel adapter with mine.
ICYMI, so many companies got into the typewriter plotter game.
@paulrickards it does look very similar mechanically to the EB-50 penwriter, although the Gracia ER-20 doesn't have the mode switch to make the computer and typewriter be friends. The seller didn't have the gebruiksaanwijzing for it, so I'm trying all the key-combos to see if it is maybe a soft function.
Thanks to a nearby nerd friend's collection of retrocomputing adapters, I've been able to send line drawing commands over the Centronics parallel port to the Gracia ER-20 PenWriter.
The Gracia implements the same command set as the Silver Read EB-50, although the ER-20 doesn't have a physical function switch. Instead hold CODE and press the MODE button to enable the parallel port and then send DC2 (b'\x12\r\n') to enter graphics mode. Flow control is still an issue. https://archive.org/details/silver-reed-colour-pengraph-eb-50-operating-manual/page/46/mode/2up
@paulrickards I've found the magic key combo and the ER-20 does use the same command set as the EB-50: https://social.v.st/@th/116274005964890728
RT: https://social.v.st/users/th/statuses/116274005964890728
@th Excellent! That's great that it shares the same commands as the EB-50.
I remember when in AppleSoft you have to insert a
REM CTRL-I
(and of course CTRL-I was invisible!)
to enable the Centronics printer.
Old good times…