Omega 2.5 to Graphtec FC7000-100

[Kell]

Hi guys, my company just purchased a new Graphtec and when I try to export an Omega file to it I get a:

"Communication error on:
Cannot open USB for spooling (insert name of file here)

When the plotter was initially installed and loaded USB was chosen and the Vendor ID and Product ID codes were loaded as well so I can't quite figure out why it won't cut from the Quickplot site.

Oddly when the file is sent through the printer tab and uses the "Graphtec Cutting Plotter Controller" program it seems to work but I can't resize the file the way I would like. So it seems that the problem isn't in the USB cable but possibly in the Omega program.

Any ideas??

 

[Bob Gilliland]

Kell,

Hope Tony T can jump in here and give “specific” information, but I have been told and experienced it myself; driving the FC series out of Gerber software via USB will not work. You can confirm that yourself by using the serial communications port instead. GSPPlot/GQManager will format, pack, and send the data properly via serial communication. As you mentioned, USB works fine within Graphtec’s own driver and even Adobe, etc. It does appear to be a Gerber specific issue.

Again, maybe Tony T can give the details from a programming perspective (if he knows/can comment).

 

[GARY CULY]

might post on 4edgetalk.com.....lotta gerberheads and tech over there

 

[Kell]

Thanks Bob and Gary...I've got a call in to Omega Tech Support so we'll see what they say. I'll also drop a line to 4edgetalk and see if someone there might be familar with it.

When Graphtec sent the plotter they didn't include a serial cable so I guess I'll have to pick one up. Would you happen to know if it has to be from Graphtec or could I pick one up at the local Future Shop as long as the pins were correct?

Thanks again guys!

 

[Bob Gilliland]

Kell,

Any feedback to share yet? Wondering how you made out with you call to GSP tech; do they acknowledge it as an issue and is there a course for action planned/mapped?

No special cable required; just about any off the shelf cable should do the trick.

 

[Kell]

Hi Bob, I've done a couple of searces on the net for similar problems and found one on the Letterhead Bullboard. Same problem as me right up to the USB communication error prompt. Turns out for her it was the Omega that wouldn't communicate with the USB just like you had mentioned in your original post.

SOooo, I contacted ND Graphics who supplied the Omega and explained the situation to them and that I'd read that other Omega users have had similar problems with the FC 7000. They told me to run through the same USB installation methods and checks which I explained to him had already been completed at which point he said that it must be a Graphtec problem. I explained to him that software supplied by Graphtec worked with the USB connection....so not too much help at that point.

In the meantime one of the other fellows here was on the line to Graphtec support to get the plotter working via serial connection and he was advised that just any cable wouldn't work as it's a "proprietary" cable connection.

In any event the cable has to be purchased from Graphtec and we're patiently awaiting it's arrival.

I'll let fill you in on our adventures once it arrives!

Have a good one!

 

[ScottyDoo]

We currently run our FC7000-160 through Gerber just fine. I'll post the specifics on the settings tomorrow when I get in to the shop. It's really simple.

 

[Kell]

Thanks Scotty, that would be great.

"It's really simple"

Good, so am I!

 

[Kell]

Well we received our serial cable from Graphtec and all is well...I think I'll have to drop a line to Gerber to see if they be able to address this issue.

Also one to Graphtec letting them know that they should make potential buyers of their producs aware of the inability to work with Omega USB and maybe include the serial cable in the initial purchase of the product. When you spend a few thousand on a plotter it probably wouldn't break the bank to throw in the serial cable.

Thanks to all who replied!

 

[ScottyDoo]

My apologies for not getting back on this issue...

We just have it hooked up to one of our stations using a standard USB 2.0 cable we purchased ourselves as we needed more length. We didn't have any hoops that we had to jump through that I remember. You need to install the Graphtec drivers if you plan to cut directly from Illustrator, etc, but with Gerber we just went to install and under the local tab selected "FC7000-160" from the list and chose USB, and that was it.