Graphtec FC3100-60 error 1- instruction not recognized flag

[Michael Dziak]

Due to economics, I have brought my Graphtec FC3100-60 plotter out of retirement. It has been 5 years since I last used this faithfull old cutter with Sign Lab 5.0 (Windows 98 computer used before).
After downloading and reinstalling the drivers, I plotted a simple 1" square to test the connection. I keep getting a "error 1 - instruction not recognized" message on the plotter window. I did also get a "2 parameter numbers wrong" flag when using a different port (com2).
Is this a setting issue in the plotter or software? I also tried cutting to this plotter from my Windows 2000 computer with Flexi-Pro 7 v2 (downloaded drivers) and got the same error message. I switched out the printer cable to a new one to be sure it was not a cable issue.
Any help would be appreciated since I no longer have the manual for this plotter and could not find one to download.
Thanks
Michael "Diz" Dziak

 

[P Wagner]

I would surmise that the problem is one of two things:

1. Assuming that you are using a serial / com port, the Graphtec will require a specific cable, which has pins 2 and 3 crossed. If you are using a standard cable (straight through), you will get this error. As you are unlikely to have multiple custom cables, this is what I would guess.

2. The other possibility is that the plotter'a internal settings are expecting one data language (GPGL for example), and the computer is sending another (HPGL). In this case, the solution is to make sure that the language setting in the plotter matches up with the data set that the software is sending.

Bob

 

[Michael Dziak]

Bob, thanks for your quick reply. It is quite likely that the original cable was misplaced /lost over the years of storage and I grabbed a conventional printer cable.
As for the lanquage settings, how do I change them to match in the plotter? or computer? The Sign Lab plot screen does not show the true sheet measurement shown on the Graphtec plotter screen after initialization which leads me to conclude the correct data is not being sent back to software.

Please accept my appreciation for your patience with this problem due to my lack of understanding (clearly) the steps neccessary to correct the settings. Any suggestions (simplified) would be greatly appeciated.
Sincerely,
Michael

 

[Michael Dziak]

Anyone have a serial or printer cable to sell with pins 2 and 3 crossed for the FC3100-60?
Every cable I have doesn't transmit the software data or gets an IO error 15 message.
I did get the plotter reset to HPGL language.
I did dig up a manual for this plotter, so if anyone needs pages from it scanned and emailed, let me know. Until funds improve, this old work horse is all I have, so I REALLY need to work out the bugs. Thanks!

 

[Charles Bates]

I have a FC3100-60 with no manual. I would pay for a copy. batestheroofer@hotmail.co.uk