Sorry about the rant but getting the 1 and 0 out of the computer brings back bad memories.
I had an office/ plant computer on my office. I used to print out documents and to print out data from a PLC, a PLC programmer, and local displays in the plant. It was OK and I was happy with it. They then installed a LAN and a LAN printer in the office. I said, "I need that printer to print out ladder logic and plant display listings" These displays replaced the local annunciation panels. Then one day I went in my office and the printer was gone. I was livid. I tried to buy a new one on a local purchase requisition but information services blocked the purchase. I had to go through them and we no longer supported office printers. We had a small contractor Willtronics. He built me an interface cable so that I could print to a file on my lab top. I used Basic and the input A in the lap top. It worked but over ran the buffer at times. Basic had no control over the CTS pin. I then had Wiltrinics build a cable with a resistor, capacitor, and a diode. I could send back mostly 0's and mostly 1's from the lap top with the basic program. These produced a one and a zero that stopped the transmitting device. Then LAN printer printed on the cracks in the paper. I had the Basic program change new page command command to a 1H1. This took more hours than I had. I stayed over nights (unpaid) to get it done. I closed the door and maintenance would find out I was there and still knock on it with something or another. The plant was sold upon utility deregulation. I was let go and given a package. If there is any conciliation the information services people we also expunged. I explained all of this to the remaining engineer. His eye rolled. When the new owner came in he just bought a new local printer. Daah! If there is any conciliation it happened just now. The fixed retirement was canceled when the plant was sold. It was all in the 401K. I got four more years of service in my package. The extra years came in nice now. Bob Vargo quote, "No society has ever survived after it had lost its industrial base." No more rant. Can I do this with a USB? I know nothing about USB drivers. Frank Z
