Hii,

I developed a plotter. I can use this plotter using my software.

Now i want to write plotter driver for windows.
All windows programs easly must use my plotter.

But i dont know anythings for printer/plotter drivers.

Where can I begin.

Can you give me web address for leaning details?

Device drivers are very difficult to produce and the software to help like windriver is expensive. What software are you using to run it now? What windows programs do you want to be able to use it? Inside of corel draw or something? Is the file you want to print a standard file format like HPGL?

What are you using to move the curser? Stepper motors? If so, try to download driver for old style HP pen plotters. I have one and I think somewhere I might have the pinout for the serial plug.

Personally I would try to make the plotter emulate an HP plotter (or something equally well known), as I think that would be a lot easier (and cheaper) than trying to write your own, especially as you don't have the experience. Writing drivers for windows is a demanding and difficult process. Also you would have to revise it for each subsequent new windows release. Why not let HP do all that work?
Kerin

look at book by Bergsman, "controlling the world with your PC"
Covers writting code for and to printer ports, even includes code prewritten.
Do Google search or have your library order it for you.

http://www.LLH-Publishing.com
-Mark

All the documentation is available online on msdn.

Start here

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/Print_d/hh/Print_d/prnSpool_65349c7f-8e59-4d93-b5ff-0b346049b7f2.xml.asp?frame=true

(If that doesn't work, go to http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/ then in the tree view, "win32 and com development", "Windows driver kit", "Device and driver technologies", "print".)


I am toying with building a photoplotter so a proof of concept was required to ensure I could get printouts from applications. I ended up building a driver that was configuration only, no code required. This dumped my specific data to a file, then I can send the file to my device. This is a raster device though. I haven't looked into plotter devices.

I would like to start from the latest post.
But in a way is not that complicate. You can use generic UNIDRV printer driver.
Because you're writing an Windows driver you must start from MSDN.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/Print_d/hh/Print_d/prnSpool_65349c7f-8e59-4d93-b5ff-0b346049b7f2.xml.asp

At this location you have an link to Microsoft Plotter Driver.

The last time I looked you could download the Driver Development Kit (DDK) from microsoft for free. You can also check out codeproject that has tuturials on developing drivers. They just posted Part 6. Check out the link to part 1: http://www.codeproject.com/system/driverdev.asp. As the others have stated writing a driver is not a simple task. I know this from experience having developed kernel and printer (GDI) drivers. You may want to consider purchasing a pre-written driver that allows you to access the printer port and have your application use that driver. That way you don't have to get involved in writing a driver. You don't need a driver to access the printer port but what the driver does it guarantees access.

What software are you using to run it now?

I am using my programs. This program read plt files and converts to my plotter codes and after sends to my plotter via serial port.

This is very long way.

What windows programs do you want to be able to use it?

ACAD, Corel, PCB programs and all other vectorel programs.

What are you using to move the curser? Stepper motors? If so, try to download driver for old style HP pen plotters. I have one and I think somewhere I might have the pinout for the serial plug.

Yes i use stepper.

@Kerino and groover666

This is good idea, I can rewrite the firmware of my plotter for doing the compability by HP plotter.

@ftkalcevic, dandumit

Thanks, I visit MSDN pages. I think i will find answers for my all questions.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/Print_d/hh/Print_d/plotter_c91a6304-4803-40d5-b29f-88b8930c19e7.xml.asp