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GRAPHTEC MP303-04 User Manual

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303-04
USER'S MANUAL
MANUAL NO. MP303-UM-151

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Summary of Contents for GRAPHTEC MP303-04

  • Page 1 303-04 USER’S MANUAL MANUAL NO. MP303-UM-151...
  • Page 2 TO ENSURE SAFE AND CORRECT USE • To ensure safe and correct use of your plotter, read this Manual thoroughly before use. • After having read this Manual, keep it in a handy location for quick reference as needed. • Do not permit small children to touch the plotter. •...

  • Page 3: Safety Precautions

    Safety Precautions WARNING During a plotting operation, do not touch the Y bar, Do not disassemble or remodel the plotter. carriage, and other moving parts. • Such action may cause electrical shock or a fire haz- • Such action may cause human injury. ard due to current leakage.
  • Page 4 Safety Precautions (Continued) CAUTION Do not use or store the plotter in a location ex- Do not use or store the plotter in an excessively posed to direct sunlight or the direct draft of an air dusty or humid location. conditioner or heater.
  • Page 5 Safety Precautions (Continued) CAUTION Be sure to use Graphtec ink pen tips only. Do not put magnetic cards, magnetic tapes and • Using non-Graphtec pen tips may lower the perfor- floppy disks etc. close to the pen carriage and pen mance or cause a malfunction or a failure.
  • Page 6 To comply with FCC Class A requirements, all external data interface cables and connectors must be properly shielded and grounded. Proper cables and connectors are available from GRAPHTEC’s authorized dealers or manufacturers of computers or peripherals. GRAPHTEC is not responsible for any interference caused by using cables and connectors other than those recommended or by unauthorized changes or modifications to this equipment.
  • Page 7 Selecting a Power Cable Be sure to refer to the following tables if you wish to use a cable other than the one supplied as an accessory. Table 1 100 V to 120 V Power Supply Voltage Range Supply Plug Voltage Reference Plug Configuration...
  • Page 8 PREFACE Thank you for purchasing the MP303-04 plotter. This pen plotter incorporates a digital servo drive to perform plotting operations at high speed and high precision. To ensure optimum use of its various functions, be sure to read this manual thoroughly before use.

  • Page 9: Unpacking Your Plotter

    (2 of black, 1 each of red, blue, green) Plotting paper Coated paper (PL501) 5 sheets Soft plastic cover For MP303-04 plotters Paper alignment To mark positions on the writing 1 sheet stickers panel for paper alignment (8 stickers)
  • Page 10 Exterior View Part Name Description Qty. Rubber insert To stand an MP303-04 plotter Tilt stand at a 60° angle QuickStart Manual 1 each Usage Precautions User guide CD-ROM...

  • Page 11: Special Features

    RS-232C interface conditions setting, most major CAD software can be used by just selecting one of these modes. When the MP303-04 is set to Auto RS-232C mode, you just need to send plot data from the computer; the RS- 232C settings are automatically selected so no bothersome settings are required.

  • Page 12: Table Of Contents

    CONTENTS PREFACE ........................h-1 Unpacking Your Plotter ........................... h-2 I Visual inspection ..........................h-2 I Checking the standard accessories ....................h-2 Special Features ............................ h-4 High-speed, high-quality plotting ....................h-4 Various functions ensure clearly-defined plots ................h-4 Interface conditions are easily set ....................h-4 Upright installation possible ......................
  • Page 13 5. MAINTENANCE AND TROUBLESHOOTING ............5-1 5.1 Daily Maintenance ......................... 5-1 5.2 Storing Your Plotter ........................5-1 5.3 The Power is Turned On But the Plotter Doesn't Operate .............. 5-2 5.4 After Connection to the Computer, the Plotter Operates Abnormally ..........5-3 5.5 Pen Replacement is Abnormal ......................

  • Page 14: Setting Up Your Plotter

    (4) Y bar ......This sliding bar travels left and right to move the pen carriage and enable plotting. (5) Writing panel ....Holds the plotting paper using an electrostatic adhesion panel. (6) Display ......The MP303-04's liquid-crystal display allows functions to be set interactively.
  • Page 15 Side view of plotter Rear view of plotter (7) AC inlet ....... Plug the AC adapter into this AC line inlet. (8) Power switch ....This switch controls the ON/OFF status of the plotter's power supply. (9) RS-232C connector ..To use the RS-232C serial interface, connect your computer to the plotter via this connector.

  • Page 16: The Control Panel

    I The Control Panel The features of the MP303-04's control panel and LED lamps are briefly described in the following. MP303-04 keys (1) POSITION keys ....Move the pen carriage in the direction indicated by each key. These keys are also used to set functions at the display.

  • Page 17: Installation (Using The Tilt Stands)

    1.2 Installation (Using the Tilt Stands) This plotter can be used in either a horizontal position or an upright position at a 60° tilt. I For Horizontal Use Be sure to install the plotter on a stable, flat surface for use. Installation space: 67 mm x 45 mm I Using the Tilt Stands Mount the plotter on the tilt stands provided with this plotter by following the steps below.

  • Page 18: Mounting The Pens

    1.3 Mounting the Pens I Mounting a Pen in the Pen Station Fit the pen's lower groove into the notched section of the pen station. Be sure to mount the pen so that its pen cap is pressed down and its pen tip is completely inside the pen cap. The figures below show examples of a correctly mounted pen.
  • Page 19 I Removing a Pen Facing the plotter so that the pen station is on your left, remove the pen by gently pulling it out to the right and toward you along the notched section of the pen station. I Using the rubber inserts for the pen caps Your plotter is provided with eight rubber inserts for the pen caps.

  • Page 20: Turning The Power On

    1.4 Turning the Power On (1) Check that the power switch is off (the “O” side should be down). If a pen is attached to the pen carriage, remove the pen and return it to its position at the pen station. (2) Plug the AC adapter into the plotter's AC inlet, then plug the other end of the cord into an electrical outlet of the rated supply voltage.
  • Page 21 (4) The plotter is initialized and the pen carriage stops at the upper right corner of the writing panel. You are now ready to load the plotting medium. I Initialization During initialization, the pen carriage moves in the sequence of the arrows shown in the figure below and the origin for plotting is automatically set.

  • Page 22: Loading The Paper

    1.5 Loading the Paper The MP303-04 holds paper using electrostatic adhesion. (1) Turn on the plotter. (2) After the plotter is initialized, the pen carriage stops at the upper right corner of the writing panel and the prompt below is displayed.

  • Page 23: Testing The Plotter

    1.6 Testing the Plotter Your plotter comes with a self-test mode, which enables the plotter to check its own functions, without necessar- ily being connected to the computer. A correctly drawn test pattern signifies that all of the functions of the plotter (excluding the interface functions) have been tested and found normal.

  • Page 24: Connecting To Your Computer

    Use a Centronics-compatible parallel cable, serial cable, or USB cable in accordance with the connection method chosen. Obtain a Graphtec-approved interface cable that is compatible with the interface ports (Centronics-compatible parallel and serial cables are available separately).

  • Page 25: Setting The Basic Functions

    (4) Pen/Vector sorting (5) Pen speed mode (6) Interface conditions I Setting The basic functions are set using the panel keys while observing the display. The MP303-04 comes with its basic functions set as follows. Baud rate : 9600 bps...

  • Page 26: Selecting The Command Mode

    This plotter has three resident command sets: two sets of Graphtec commands (MP-GL and FP-GL) plus HP- GL™ emulation commands that enable your plotter to emulate a Hewlett-Packard 7475A plotter. Set the com- mand mode to match the commands used in your application program.

  • Page 27: Setting The Paper Size

    2.2 Setting the Paper Size Set the paper size to match the plotting medium to be used. (1) Press the M O D E key and then press the key to display the message below. Setup DipSW. (2) Press the ENTER key to display the command selection menu (the currently selected command mode appears).

  • Page 28: Setting The Programmable Resolution

    2.3 Setting the Programmable Resolution When the command mode is set to Graphtec's GP-GL commands (MP-GL or FP-GL), the programmable reso- lution of the plotter, which determines the minimum distance the pen moves when the numeric value 1 is sent from the computer, can be set to either 0.1 mm or 0.025 mm (100 or 25 µm).

  • Page 29: Selecting The Sorting Mode

    2.4 Selecting the Sorting Mode The MP303-04 comes equipped with a sorting function that controls the on/off status of both pen sorting and vector sorting. I Pen sorting To speed up plotting by reducing the number of pen exchanges required, this function reorganizes the se- quence in which plotting is performed so that each color is completely plotted before selecting the next pen.
  • Page 30 (6) If the setting is correct, press the key. Pressing the key resets the plotter to allow your new setting E N T E R to take effect. To cancel the setting and return to Step (1), press the key. C A N C EL Ready Ready...

  • Page 31: Setting The Pen Speed Mode

    2.5 Setting the Pen Speed Mode The pen speed mode can be set to Manual or Program mode. Program mode: Command input specifying the pen speed will override the pen speed setting that was manually selected at the plotter's control panel. Manual mode : The pen speed setting that was manually selected at the control panel remains effective and command input specifying the pen speed will be ignored.

  • Page 32: Setting The Pen-Up Speed Mode

    2.6 Setting the Pen-Up Speed Mode The pen in the raised status can be moved at the maximum speed of both the X and Y axes. Thus, plotting that includes a lot of diagonal movement takes less time. NOTE This function is less effective for plotting that does not include much pen-raised movement. I Procedure (1) Press the key and then press the...

  • Page 33: Setting The Interface

    2.7 Setting the Interface This plotter is provided with three types of interfaces for connection to a computer: a USB interface, a Centronics- compatible parallel interface and an RS-232C serial interface. I Setting the USB Interface When using the USB interface to transfer data, you must have the driver that supports the USB port installed on the computer (a USB cable is supplied with the plotter).
  • Page 34 I Setting the RS-232C Interface Conditions This plotter can retain six different combinations of RS-232C interface conditions in its internal memory, three of which can be revised to best suit your application. Your plotter comes with the conditions of each RS-232C interface mode set to the following settings. RS mode Interface conditions RS-1...
  • Page 35 Manually Selecting or Changing the Interface Conditions (5) Pressing the key displays the currently selected interface conditions as shown below. User-1 96-E8-H (6) Press the ) key to consecutively cycle the display forward (or backward) through the currently selected interface conditions in the six RS modes. You can change the settings of USER-1, USER-2, or AUTO while the current settings of the respective mode are being displayed.
  • Page 36 When AUTO Mode is Selected Setting? Man Auto (5) Pressing the key displays the prompt below Send plot data to the plotter from the computer while this prompt is displayed. (If the key is pressed (in local mode), it is automatically reset.) PAUSE Send Data !
  • Page 37 (11) When the plotter recognizes the new settings, the message below appears briefly. The plotter then enters Online mode and can begin receiving and plotting data. OK ! < 96-E8> (12) If the prompt below appears, stop sending data to the plotter from the computer and then press the key.

  • Page 38: Plotting Operations

    3. PLOTTING OPERATIONS This chapter describes how to perform the plotting operations that can be selected at the plotter's control panel. I Functions (1) Moving the pen carriage Press the POSITION key corresponding to the direction in you wish to move the pen carriage. (2) Raising/lowering the pen The pen can be raised or lowered using a displayed menu.

  • Page 39: Operating Modes

    3.1 Operating Modes The plotter has five operating modes. Ready In Ready mode, the plotter is simply waiting for plot data from the computer. It is loaded with paper and is ready to receive data from the computer. Online While the plotter is online, it is receiving and plotting data sent from the computer. Pause If the PAUSE key is pressed during a plotting operation, the plotter temporarily sus- pends plotting and enters Pause mode.
  • Page 40 MP303-04 Menu Tree Ready MODE Pen Type Pen Type Pen Type Pen Type Pen Type W.Fiber Ceramic D.Ink R.Ink Manual ENTER ENTER ENTER ENTER ENTER No.=ALL Sp70,FoH ENTER SetPoint SetPoint SetPoint Offset ENTER ENTER ENTER ENTER Raise the pen. Lower the pen.

  • Page 41: Setting The Pen Speed And Pen Force

    3.2 Setting the Pen Speed and Pen Force The actual pen speed and pen force vary with the combination of pen and paper types being used and with the complexity of the plot being produced. To obtain the best plot quality, set the pen speed and pen force to suit the pen type being used.
  • Page 42 (3) When the desired pen type is displayed, press the key. The message below appears briefly. E N T E R Speed (4) Finally, the currently selected pen type is displayed (in this case, water-based fiber-tip pens). P e n T y p e W .
  • Page 43 (5) To select the pen force, press the key to switch between (HIGH) and (LOW). M O D E No.=ALL Sp70,FoH (6) When all of the displayed settings are correct, press the key. The message below appears briefly. E N T E R Speed (7) To return to Ready mode, press the key.

  • Page 44: Scaling And Mirror-Image Plots (P1 And P2)

    3.3 Scaling and Mirror-Image Plots (P1 and P2) When your plotter is turned on, the P1 and P2 points are respectively set to the lower left and upper right left corners of the effective plot area of the selected paper size. This function lets you change the coordinate positions of P1 and P2 so that the plotted image is scaled (en- larged or condensed) to fit within the quadrilateral defined by P1 and P2.
  • Page 45 I Direct numeric input (4) Press the key to permit the P1 position to be selected by numeric input of the coordinates. M O D E Use the key to move to the column you wish to change (the selected column blinks). To switch between + and –, press the key.

  • Page 46: Moving The Origin (Offset)

    3.4 Moving the Origin (OFFSET) Set the Offset when you wish to move the programmed origin of plotting. Plotter's writing panel Effective plot area New origin Original origin In a GP-GL mode, moving the programmed origin does not change the effective plot area because the LL (Lower Left) point remains in its original position as shown in the example above.
  • Page 47 I Using the POSITION Keys (5) Move the pen carriage to the desired position by pressing the keys. The coordinates of the pen carriage's position are displayed while “X=” and “Y=” continue to blink. Skip to Step (6). X=+01000 Y=+01000 I Direct numeric input (5) Press the key to permit the new origin position to be selected by numeric input of the coordinates.

  • Page 48: Raising And Lowering The Pen

    3.5 Raising and Lowering the Pen Depending on the current status of the pen being held at the pen carriage, this function either lowers the pen if it is raised or raises it if it is lowered. I Procedure (1) With the plotter in Ready mode, press the key.

  • Page 49: Pen Selection From The Control Panel

    3.6 Pen Selection from the Control Panel I Procedure (1) With the plotter in Ready mode, press the key. MOD E Press the key until the menu below appears. Pen No. 12345678 The currently selected Pen No. blinks, so press the key to consecutively cycle through the Pen Nos.

  • Page 50: Pens And Paper

    4. PENS AND PAPER This chapter describes the types and features of the pens and paper that can be used with the plotter as well as how each type should be used. The type of pen and paper you will use should be selected on the basis of your application and the compatibility between pen and paper types.
  • Page 51 I Maximum plotting life and maximum pen speed Pen type Line width (mm) Maximum plotting life Maximum pen speed High-speed ceramic pens approx. 1200 m 20 cm/s approx. 850 m 20 cm/s approx. 500 m 20 cm/s approx. 350 m 20 cm/s Refillable ink pen 0.2, 0.3, 0.5...

  • Page 52: Construction And Use Of Each Pen Type

    4.2 Construction and Use of Each Pen Type I Water-based fiber-tip pens The figure above shows the construction of a fiber-tip pen. When it is not in use, its pen tip must be capped. NOTE The fiber-tip pens are disposable pens, so do not attempt to refill their ink supply. I High-speed ceramic pens High-speed ceramic pens •...
  • Page 53 I Ink pen plunger (PHP32-INK) PHP32-INK ink pen plunger The ink pen plunger shown above is required to assemble refillable ink pens and disposable ink pens as indicated below. Pen type Required parts of PHP32-INK Refillable ink pen Plunger B, Plunger A, Ink reservoir D, and Cap E. SD disposable ink pen Plunger A and Plunger C.
  • Page 54 I SD500 series disposable ink pens NOTE The SD500 series disposable ink pens cannot be used on polyester film. SD series disposable ink pen How to use the SD500 series disposable ink pen (1) Insert the SD ink pen tip into the tip of the SD ink reservoir. Next, use the SD cap to screw on the SD ink pen tip as shown in the figure.

  • Page 55: Paper Features

    Plotting paper Whenever possible, use the recommended paper. When using plotting paper other than the recommended ones, check with your nearest Graphtec vendor. 2. Pens Note that ink smears if water-based fiber-tip pens, refillable ink pens, disposable ink pens or high-speed...

  • Page 56: Compatibility Between Pens And Paper

    (temperature and humidity) and the selected plotting speed. The table below indicates the compatibility be- tween pen types and paper types when authorized Graphtec products are used. Please refer to this table as a guideline when choosing the type of pen and paper to use.

  • Page 57: Maintenance And Troubleshooting

    5. MAINTENANCE AND TROUBLESHOOTING This chapter provides guidelines on taking care of your plotter and on dealing with any problems you may have with the plotter. A description of the error messages that may appear on the display is also provided. By using the test modes provided with this plotter, you can observe the lamps (and the display) on the control panel to check the status of the plotter itself or of communications between the plotter and computer.

  • Page 58: The Power Is Turned On But The Plotter Doesn't Operate

    5.3 The Power is Turned On But the Plotter Doesn't Operate Possible cause Solution Is the AC adapter disconnected? Securely insert the AC adapter into the plotter's AC inlet. Does the supply voltage conform to supply the Be sure to use only the specified voltage. specified value? Is the electrical outlet being supplied with power? Check the power supply.

  • Page 59: After Connection To The Computer, The Plotter Operates Abnormally

    5.4 After Connection to the Computer, the Plotter Operates Abnormally Possible cause Solution Is the connecting cable between the computer and Different cable connectors may be shaped identically plotter defective? but be wired differently according to the computer model. Cables for connecting various computer mod- els are separately available so check with your ven- dor before connecting your plotter.
  • Page 60 I Using the Character Dump Mode This mode allows experienced users to detect the cause of communication problems between the plotter and the computer. In Character Dump mode, the plotter produces an exact printout of the codes it receives, printing character data as ASCII codes and the non-character (control) data as two-digit hexadecimal values (e.g., 0A: Line Feed, 0D: Carriage Return).
  • Page 61 I Debug Mode This mode is used to locate programming errors in your application program. When the plotter is in Debug Mode, its buffer size is reduced to permit easier detection of the section of the program that is causing the plotting error. I Procedure (1) Mount a pen in the pen station's Pen 1 position.

  • Page 62: Plotted Results Are Of Poor Quality

    5.5 Pen Exchange is Abnormal Possible cause Solution Are the pens correctly mounted in the pen station? Check the procedure in section 1.3, “Mounting the Pens”. Is an object in the vicinity of the plotter obstructing Remove any obstacles. the movement of the Y bar? •...

  • Page 63: Problems Related To Pens And Paper

    5.7 Problems Related to Pens and Paper If any problem related to the pens or paper should occur, check the tables in this section. I The pen draws scratchy lines or won't write Possible cause Solution Are the pen types and paper compatible? Replace the pen, ink, or paper with a compatible type.
  • Page 64 I How to restore a dry pen Water-based fiber-tip pens: Remove the pen and try writing with it on a piece of paper. If the ink flow is not restored, moisten the pen's tip with water and shake the pen up and down, etc. Disposable, refillable ink pens and high-speed ceramic pens NOTE Do not attempt to disassemble the tip of refillable ink pens.
  • Page 65 I The plotted line is a mixed color Possible cause Solution Does your program data cause the plotted lines to Rewrite your program to provide more time before be intersected by other lines before they are new lines intersect previously plotted lines. completely dry? Is there residual ink on the pen cap at the pen Use a cotton swab moistened with ethyl alcohol to...

  • Page 66: The Error Messages

    I The ink leaks from refillable or disposable ink pens Possible cause Solution Has the pen's tip come loose from the plunger? Securely mount the tip to the plunger using the method described in section 4.1, “Types and Features of Pens.” Is the plotter installed in a stable environment? When the temperature and humidity rise, the air in- side the ink reservoir may expand and cause the ink...

  • Page 67: Gp-Gl Command Errors

    5.9 GP-GL Command Errors In GP-GL command mode, the plotter only displays the error messages below if an error occurs for which masking of the corresponding Error bit in the STATUS byte has been disabled using the “ command. Displayed message Cause A command error occurs if a hexadecimal code from 60H to 7EH is processed as a command character.

  • Page 68: Hp-Gl™ Command Errors

    5.10 HP-GL™ Command Errors The plotter only displays the messages below when an error occurs for which masking of the corresponding Error bit in the STATUS byte has been disabled using the IM command. Displayed message Cause A command that cannot be recognized was executed. E 1 .

  • Page 69: Pens

    APPENDIX A. SUPPLIES For prices and other information about supplies, please contact your Graphtec vendor. A.1 Pens Pen type/Part no. Description Water-based fiber-tip pens KF550-S1 2 black, 1 red, 1 blue, 1 green KF550-F6 1 each of black, red, blue, green, violet, brown...

  • Page 70: Plotting Media

    A.2 Plotting Media Item Part no. Description Measurement paper SP325 300 x 420 mm, 50 sheets/pack Coated paper PL501 300 x 420 mm, 50 sheets/pack Tracing paper PL507 300 x 420 mm, 50 sheets/pack Polyester film PL524 300 x 420 mm, 50 sheets/pack...

  • Page 71: Appendix B. Specifications

    APPENDIX B. SPECIFICATIONS Model no. MP303-04 32-bit CPU Configuration Flatbed type Drive system Digital servo Effective plotting area EXPAND mode : 432 x 297 mm (17.0 x 11.7 in) ANSI B size : 416 x 268 mm (16.3 x 10.5 in) A3 size : 404 x 285 mm (15.9 x 11.2 in)

  • Page 72: Appendix C. External Dimensions

    APPENDIX C. EXTERNAL DIMENSIONS...
  • Page 73 The specifications, etc., in this manual are subject to change without notice. MP303-04-UM-151 March 31, 2004 1st edition-00 GRAPHTEC CORPORATION...

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