HP 5890 printing graphs

[Logical]

We have a HP 5890 Series II which was working properly with a Canon color printer. We changed to a Brother laser printer and loaded its driver. The printer prints all the output text but not the graph. Is there any way to get the graph to print?

[Scott-M]

Hi,

Sounds like a printer settings issue, LV shouldn't care what printer you're using. What VIs are you using to print your data? If you save your data to a file first can you print the file?

Thanks

Scott M.

[Logical]

Thanks Scott. All I did was load the printer driver for the Brother, select it as default printer, and continue as usual. There was no change in the connection as both printers were on LPT1. Yes, the output is normally shown on screen as a file in a window partly obscuring the graph. This file does not include the graph. The file prints automatically at the end of a run. Using the Canon printer the graph is added during printing between the header and the data table, but using the Brother it is not. I am not aware that the graph is stored anywhere for later printing.

Message Edited by Logical on 07-27-2009 11:00 PM

[Scott-M]

Is it still leaving a space for the graph?

What VIs are you using to print this report, do you have screen shot available?

[Logical]

No, there is no space for the graph. I tried to attach a pdf of a scanned report but I cannot see any indication that it is there. The report now looks identical in every way to the previous except the graph is not shown. There is just a header with information about the run followed by an area percentage report.

There is however a difference in the way it behaves. Previously, at the end of a run, the report was shown on the screen without the graph and at the same time the printer started automatically and included the graph. Now the report appears on the screen and the printer does nothing. I print the report with Alt F/P/P. There is then a delay, with a message to say there is a problem and the printer will retry in 5 seconds, which it does, and then it works. The delay can be shortened by pressing Enter. I then clear the screen with Alt F/X.

What is a VI? 

[Aaron_W.]

Logical,

When Scott referenced a VI above, the better question would have been to ask you if you are using LabVIEW or other NI Software to print the graph on that computer. I am not familiar with the HP 5890, but from what program are you having the device print out to the printer, where are you getting this data? Thanks!

[Logical]

Hi Aaron,

We bought this GC machine complete with an ancient computer running equally ancient HP software. Our needs are very simple - just a peak area report and a graph printout. Without the graph printout it is not easy to work out how the software has handled the peaks, drawing baseline between near peaks for instance. It would be good to get the printer printing graphs again. 

[Dennis_Knutson]

Then the next question that begs asking is how did you even end up on this board? In case you have not noticed, this is for NI software and hardware and you are using neither.

What does HP/Agilent and Brother have to say? It's a problem with one or the other.

[Aaron_W.]

Logic,

I would suggest that your best option is to contact HP or Brother to see if they can help you with the proper installation of this printer. We don't have any experience with this device or these printers and getting them to work together. Sorry

[Logical]

As you probably know Agilent has taken over the gas chromatography section of HP but does not seem to have aquired their knowledge. This means they cannot help, or do not wish to help, and declare our HP machine obsolete. So one day something serious may go wrong and we will need to upgrade. It occurs to me that one option may be to use your software to manage the machine. Would this be possible?