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New to signmaking, cant get hardware to work, please help

N

NCR Grafitti

New Member
Im going to outline what I have and what I've tried, hoping someone can catch something I have missed. Oh and BTW - my husband and I are new to the biz...well if we could get it work!

Hardware - Vinyl Master Plotter XY380
Software - FlexiSign Pro v7, Production Manager for the plotter
Computer - HP Desktop 8400f (vista) with newly added serial port

We purchased the sign hardware used but everything appears to be functioning correctly, as much as I can tell. My problem is that I cannot get my computer to communicate to my plotter using Production Manager. I attempt to do a test cut just through PM and the job does spool but never gets past 0% cutting and the plotter never does anything either. The job will then time out due to no response.

In the beginning I was using a USB to serial cable but I installed a serial card into my desktop last night so I could use just straight serial. I really thougth that would work. I got the same results as before.

It does appear as though Flexi is talking to PM and I do have my plotter and PM set to the same COM ports.

I know this is somewhat choppy information, but if anyone can give me any other direction or things I can try, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much! Jodi
 
JR's

JR's

New Member
Hi Jodi,
where did you buy your plotter from and your software? That would be a good place to start.
Was it working before you bought it?
Getting old plotters to work with new computers is tricky.

Good luck
JR
 
N

NCR Grafitti

New Member
JR - we purchased it used from a person that was using it before, they just upgraded. We've approached him for help, but he's 2 hours north of us and to him "it worked" and he says its our computer.
I trust that it did work before we purchased it as this gentleman is a big vinyl cutter up north and does a lot of business.

We did try this same set up on a laptop that was running XP but again we were attempting to use the USB to Serial cable because that laptop didnt have a serial port on it.

Stupid question, do you think this would work better on an older computer that came with a serial port and runs something such as XP or 95? I know sometimes the easier things are, the better they work.
 
Pat Whatley

Pat Whatley

New Member
Have you installed the plotter software and loaded it into Production Manager?
 

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N

NCR Grafitti

New Member
yes, we just installed a new serial port into my PC last night and they are both set to COM1, both the serial port and the plotter. The device manager shows the port is working correctly as well.

It appears as though Flexi will talk to PM ok, but PM will not send the job to the plotter. Im using a brand new serial cable as well.
 
C

cfbeagle

New Member
Welcome from the Deeeeeeeeeeeeep South.

I would find a computer that either had a serial port or buy a PCI serial port and install in your computer. Those USB to Serial adapter cables can be real flaky.
 
JR's

JR's

New Member
Very good Pat.
I didn't even think to ask if the drivers was loaded.

My plotter is working fine using serial to USB cable.

JR
 
N

NCR Grafitti

New Member
ok, so what do you mean, correct serial cable? Do i need one specifically for this hardware? I thougth serial was serial but evidently not, huh?
 
P Wagner

P Wagner

--
Not familiar with the Vinyl Master cutter that you have, but many other plotters required a Null Modem Serial Cable, that have pins 2 and 3 crossed. This is true with Graphtec and Roland vinyl cutters that use(d) RS-232 serial ports for connectivity. I would guess that your plotter may require the same type of cable.
 
N

NCR Grafitti

New Member
Ok, that makes sense actually. I will order the cable from the manuf. of the plotter. Fingers crossed! Thank you SO much for your help. I really want this to be a successfuly biz for us, but I have to be able to get it to work first!

Appreciate all the help so far.
 
N

NCR Grafitti

New Member
Which one do I need?

Null Modem
2135/B Null Mdm DB9 F/F 10ft $8.00
2134/B Null Mdm DB9 M/F 10ft $8.00
2136/B NllMdm DB9F/DB25M 10 $8.00
2084/B Null Mdm Adpt DB9 F/F $5.50
6599/B Null Mdm Adpt DB9 M/F $5.50
6600/B Null Mdm Adpt DB9 M/M $5.50
2085/B Null Mdm Adp DB25 M/F $5.50
 
ChristianSlager

ChristianSlager

New Member
It's also possible that the plotter is set for the wrong programming language. I tried finding an online manual for that plotter but was unable...
 
S

signguy 55

New Member
Before you go nuts trying to buy a cable, try this. In Flexi you have a button under "Edit" marked "Preferences". Click on that and that brings up several options on how Flexi can be tailored. Under Tools go to Plot and make sure the connect Prod. Manager box is checked on TCP/IP option. You may want to go to your program options and click on "Clear Preferences, this gets Flexi back to the way you first installed it, and many times clears up any quirks in the software.

Also in Prod. Manager make sure "Send Now" option shows up and not the save file option. Hope this helps, let me know.
 
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