Virtual serial Printer?

I posted yesterday with some problems with slc 150 plc http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?t=46293

I pretty much got things solved and running thanks to the help of members here and now I want to begin the process of changing this to some other more up to date controller hopefully compactlogix.

I currently have my pcis software running on an old win 98 laptop with real serial port.

What I need to do is print out this program and what I am looking for is some kind of maybe virtual serial printer that will create a pdf of bitmap file when I choose print in pcis.

Of course a free solution would be nice in this economy but I will get what ever it takes and I looked on the internet and found a few things that may do this but I wanted to be sure before I bought something that would not work.

I have had no luck finding a serial printer that would work and honestly this is the only thing I would ever need it for everything else we have is up to date.

I want to eliminate this last headache and suggestions would be appreciated

Thanks

http://www.cutepdf.com/
I don't know if it will rum on 98 but it is free and creates PDF.
There are many others.

HTH

BobO

I do use cute pdf great program but pcis is a Dos application so it won't work for this problem.

The laptop has to somehow think it is connected to a serial printer to print from Dos.

I have never tried this with a pdf printer, but can't you share and map it?

This is what I use for some old DOS app:

net use lpt1: /delete
net use lpt1: \\srvmill2\hp4000tn /persistent:yes

For this to work the printer needs to be shared from any host, in this case it is shared from print server "srvmill2" as "hp4000tn". Then you execute the net use commands on the DOS machine.

Here is a short crude solution.
Open PCIS, read the program from disk using F1 a couple of times, then hit enter if needed. Next, Select F3 Print, then hit enter while in the printing setup until the cursor gets to the bottom line that says "Name of list device/file: LPT1" (without the quotes).
Next, hit the BackSpace key to erase the letters "LPT1", type a filename 8 letters or less, no extension, Hit enter. Find your saved file, open in Notepad. Once you are in NotePad use the Print selection to Print either to your printer or if you need it converted to PDF, use PDF995 software to install and print to a PDF file.

This is for a local printer setup, not a network printer.

just thinking... there must be simpler way (port forwarding etc.) but also:
dos programs run under win9x.
cute pdf is free and will run under win98 and higher.

(for testing software I have created virtual machines for several OS's including Win98).

Well here is my thought. The laptop that pcis resides on has several different things I need to save and I use VMware workstation on my office pc .I was considering using vm ware converter on the 98 laptop if it will run and then run that image in vm ware player which I have on our main laptops and maybe then print to pdf.

I can also run the vm on my office pc and print to pdf if the vm ware player will not do that. I am really not sure.

I really need to be able to run pcis off our new laptops as this 98 machine is about to die the hard drive sounds like it is about to come apart so I have to act fast.

Anyone used vm ware in this way?

I am going to try some of the other options this afternoon after image the laptop.

You mention that you need a SERIAL printer. If the data being sent to the printer is simply ASCII character data then it is quite possible to use another computer as the "printer".

Make a serial cross over cable or use a null modem adapter and connect the serial port on the old computer with the port on the other computer.

Fire up your favorite terminal program or HyperTerminal on the 2nd computer. Set up the serial port as required.

Run whatever command sends stuff out the serial port on the first computer and log the screen contents on the 2nd computer to a file. Open in Notepad, or Word or UltraEdit and send to a windows printer.

i think norm is the best one.
any pc in my place can have serial signal.
and if the printer is parallel assign will work

I also noticed that the PCIS has the option to print to a file. If this is like APS software (which came after it) then this file is simply a text file.

So, that looks like another option at least for the PLC code.