Anyone using a parallel adapter with Flexisign? My laptop doesnt have Parallel port..

[oops129]

so long story short i bought a graphtec 3100-100. its an older plotter that is in perfect condition. I installed my flexisign software on my laptop and bought a PCMCIA to PARALLEL adapter to allow the computer to communicate with the plotter. i realized that flexi has its own built in drivers and do not require a windows driver for the plotter. but every time i try to run a test cut to the plotter after hooking up all the cables it pops up with an error that says "cannot open port". im thinking its becuase the computer has no permanent parallel port (jus the adapter). I attached a screen shot of the error i see every time. Any ideas? i would really like to be able to run the plotter off my laptop but just dont have a clue on how to get the two devices to talk to eachother...

 

[oops129]

The attachment was added as a thumbnail so make sure you click on it to see the full screen view. Thanks guys and gals.

 

[signwizz]

i had the same problem a while back you can buy an adapter that converts a paralell port to usb that message means you picked the wrong port com 1 com 2 com 3 or usb if you use a adapter then select usb if not select com1 usually works
hope this helps
shane

 

[oops129]

remember my plottter does not have usb so i also purchased a usb to parallel adapter before i purchased the PCMCIA adapter. tried that as well and when i plugged in the usb adapter windows again recognized the device and installed a generic driver. i again ran flexisign software and selected port: "graphtec usb". same error... then selected com 1, com 2, and so on and got the same error every time... Im just thinking flexi sign is just not talking to the correct port and im wondering if i need a windows driver... well then i started looking for a windows driver and there is not one that exists for windows xp for my graphtec 3100-100... (insert sad face here)

 

[907customs]

I have used a USB to parallel, which required it's own driver, but not sure about your adapter. In production manager, right click on the cutter, and click "change port". Go through the list, one at a time and do a test cut with each, when you find it, it will cut. If none work, then you will need to find a driver for your adapter.

 

[jiarby]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815158005
This is what you want....

 

[oops129]

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[omgsideburns]

I know I used a keyspan adaptor (see: KEYSPAN) successfully to run a plotter using a serial cable.. don't know about a parallel cable.

I installed the drivers for the adaptor, set up a port, and used built in drivers in Flexi.. worked just fine and Flexi saw it as a serial port.

 

[oops129]

I went down that entire list... none of those ports worked... And as for the suggestion from jiarby, that wont work on my laptop. would def be good if i decide to buy a desktop to use as my main machine. Which i might have to end up doing. i just really want to use my laptop as my main computer ya kno?

 

[oops129]

omgsideburns, you said: "set up a port"? how to you do that? what exactly are you doing? see windows did install that generic driver but im wondern if its jus setup as some weird port. not the correct one meaning where the parallel port would normally be located... if that makes sense

 

[jiarby]

ya got a pcmcia slot??

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16839158022

 

[signage]

Go into device manager and see what the port was assigned when your adapter was installed!

 

[omgsideburns]

what brand adaptor are you using? the keyspans come with software with the driver and it lets you customize set up what port#, baud rates, etc.. which is nice because sometimes USB devices on windows get goofy when you unplug them and plug them in a different slot.

you need to go into the settings for your adaptor and see what LPT (if it's a parallel like you said) that it's configured to (either in windows or a program that came with the card???) then in FLEXI select that as the PORT and CUTTER DRIVER..

 

[oops129]

how do you see what port was assigned to it?

 

[signage]

Did you check device manager?