Something I have really missed, not being able to do with my TS2068 is using it with a plotter. This was most unfortunate as I had used one on an earlier system I owned…a VIC20 (by Commodore). I had used a 1520 Color Plotter Printer. I was at the point of working out the problem of interfacing the rather unusual serial port on the Commodore 1520, when I picked up a magazine and found an ad for an interface and software to run the plotter on the Timex Sinclair TS2068. I sent for some information and very shortly had the kit in my hands to begin the task. NOTE: Get the kit if you know what you are doing and are not rusty at the soldering iron…otherwise order the completed interface.
The Commodore 1520 uses paper slightly wider than that used by the TS2040 printer, but not the standard 8″ (it is under 5″). However, it is regular paper and is available from Commodore, Radio Shack and many Atari dealers. They also carry the four colored pens used in the plotter. All of these brands made a similar plotter, and each set up to interface with their particular computer. The colors are black, blue, red and green. In all the years I have had this plotter, I have had but one problem with it…a small plastic gear coming loose and not being able to turn the other gears to move the paper back and forth. A small amount of super glue gel seems to have cured this. If you ever have to do this be careful not to get any in the grooves of the gear itself.
The graphics you can do with this interface and the available software for it is by no means limited. John McMichael, the designer of the interface and the programmer does not skimp on features. The Driver program that comes with the interface contains a very extensive demo of just what can be expected of this combo. You can also examine the demo program, but not copy it to the 2040 printer or LLIST it. You can also clear out the BASIC (except Line 10 which you will need to load the machine code) and use this driver for your own programs. This is a better deal than I got from Commodore when I purchased the plotter originally, it had no ready to run program with it, no driver…only a manual with a few short sample programs of which all but two of them contained errors in the programs.
Other software available for this interface include the Following: A) SCREEN-TO-PLOTTER, which allows you to use the plotter like a connect the dots, by use of the cursor or a joystick, use text, save screeens or load in previously saved screens and edit them, all in four colors. When using text you have many choices, such as solid lines or dashed lines, size of print, character rotation, centering. To change colors in pictures or text is as simple as hitting the letter “c” or changing pages by use of the letter “P”. This is a user friendly program.
B. CMS 1520, is a program which allows you to combine Customized MSCRIPT V5 or V5.2 and the 1520. This allows the use of the 1520 as an 80 column printer in color and the use of all of the 1520 functions in a text file.
C. PIC-PLOT which allows you to do a dump of a screen to the 1520 in two sizes. You can select one color for the small plot and two colors for the larger plot. It also allows you to put colored captions or sub-titles below the pictures.
D. BANNERIFIC, a program that allows you to use the 1520 to make colored banners. You may plot up to two hundred characters using the special UDGs that come with the program, or use those of the ROM set. It has 58 selectable character sizes and each character can be whatever color you assign it. The banner may have the characters designed either as vertical or horizontal, and the characters may be inversed or done as an over character. You can select proportional spacing or not. The only thing missing here was the option to fill in the character or not to fill. It should be easy to use your own UDG’s with this program.
The 1520 is an ORPHAN in its own right. It is no longer available from Commodore in the U.S. I have seen some ads for it in some British Mags…along with the VIC20, still being offered for sale. This means that you first need to get one before you invest in this nifty interface and software. They are available at many TOY-R-US stores across the nation for $30 to $40 (not bad whin I think of the $199 many people paid). You might just check a local Commodore Users group to see if someone wants to let go of one. Also check your local Commodore Dealer to see if he still can get you one. I saw used ones for sale at each of the computer and ham shows I went to this last year. They were also being offered for $49.95 + $3 S&H by ALL ELECTRONICS CORP., PO Box 20406, Los Angeles, CA 90006, 1-800-826-5432.
To get more information about this interface and the software, write to: John McMichael, 1710 Palmer Drive, Laramie, WY 82070.
