Roland PNC-5000 Connectivity and Flashing Lights

[Moeed Farook]

I've recently bought a Roland PNC-5000 used from eBay. It had one pinch roller assembly missing so I replaced this.
When I start the machine it powers up and when I load it with vinyl and press 'setup' the head moves then he Power and the Setup start to blink simultaneously. None of the other buttons work. Should I be able to use the arrows and remaining buttons as a standalone (without having to connect it to a pc)?

Also I have searched the internet long and hard in order to resolve a connectivity issue. I am using a USB to Parallel adapter cable on windows 10 which is detected as an IEEE-1284 is Printers and Devices but nothing detected on the printer end. I have used SignLab 9.1 for the drivers but still no communication.

I really to get the unit moving as I know its capabilities and potential as a printer and cutter. Is there anyone here who can help me out with these questions please? Racking my brains and considering gutting it and replacing electronics with an Arduino CNC one.... Thanks

 

[netsol]

http://www.manualsdir.com/manuals/198650/roland-color-camm-pnc-5000.html?page=18

 

[netsol]

you won't see the roland online until the flashing stops
jusy like a regular printer it is offline

 

[netsol]

can't really help much, i have never seen a pnc-5000
is material inder both pinch rollers?
covering material sensor in the front?

 

[Moeed Farook]

Hi. the material is pinched down. On both ends. However the tiny magnet is missing on one of roller pinch assemblies. Maybe that's why.

Roland got back to me today saying that due to its age they no longer have any drivers available for it.
It's a solid unit and deserves bringing back into action.

Thank you for your advice. Much appreciated. If anything else comes into mind please feel free to share many thanks.

 

[Bert Wondervan]

I've recently bought a Roland PNC-5000 used from eBay. It had one pinch roller assembly missing so I replaced this.
When I start the machine it powers up and when I load it with vinyl and press 'setup' the head moves then he Power and the Setup start to blink simultaneously. None of the other buttons work. Should I be able to use the arrows and remaining buttons as a standalone (without having to connect it to a pc)?

Also I have searched the internet long and hard in order to resolve a connectivity issue. I am using a USB to Parallel adapter cable on windows 10 which is detected as an IEEE-1284 is Printers and Devices but nothing detected on the printer end. I have used SignLab 9.1 for the drivers but still no communication.

I really to get the unit moving as I know its capabilities and potential as a printer and cutter. Is there anyone here who can help me out with these questions please? Racking my brains and considering gutting it and replacing electronics with an Arduino CNC one.... Thanks

SignLab 9.1 supports the driver of your machine. You do not need another driver.
Have you changed the settings below in SignLab 9.1? Otherwise you will not have a connection with your printer.
Run SignLab 9.1 and go to: Cut | Plotting Defaults | Selected Drivers | Setup | Port | Port location and select the correct port (normally a USB port).

 

[Moeed Farook]

SignLab 9.1 supports the driver of your machine. You do not need another driver.
Have you changed the settings below in SignLab 9.1? Otherwise you will not have a connection with your printer.
Run SignLab 9.1 and go to: Cut | Plotting Defaults | Selected Drivers | Setup | Port | Port location and select the correct port (normally a USB port).

Tried that then thought it was sending the cutting file to the cutter but then comes up with an error message saying 'is the plotter online?'.

If I press the setup button once then it comes to the middle and both Lights blink. If I press it again then only the power one stays on and the other buttons on the front panel never work in both cases.
I feel close to figuring it out but maybe I'm missing something really vital....

 

[Jay Grooms]

Hi. the material is pinched down. On both ends. However the tiny magnet is missing on one of roller pinch assemblies. Maybe that's why.

While I'm not familiar with that machine, I think you may have answered your own question. If there should be a magnet, and it's missing the machine may automatically go offline.

 

[Moeed Farook]

While I'm not familiar with that machine, I think you may have answered your own question. If there should be a magnet, and it's missing the machine may automatically go offline.

I best get that magnet then. It is the only stone left to be turned. That's quite sophisticated for a machine from 1996.

 

[woolly]

i had one when they first came out was not a capable machine at all the pc 60 that followed it was excellent to a point compared.
drivers here http://download.rolanddg.jp/en/color.html#pnc5000 but as you say you are on W10 probably forget it unless you can use xp mode.
can't remember the light sequence but sounds like pinch roller position or detection.
as a cutter slow but accurate on the roland driver if i remember a 1600mm distance limit fun or not i would not spent to much time getting it to print.

enjoy

 

[Moeed Farook]

I best get that magnet then. It is the only stone left to be turned. That's quite sophisticated for a machine from 1996.

Thanks a million for that link, even Roland had given up. I've manged to get it to communicate via the USB to Parallel cable. I setup a virtual machine with XP on it I managed to fluke it being online by playing around with the material positioning. i kept pressing setup while adjusting the material. There's 2 sensors which need to be covered i believe but I don't know how i fluked it to be online that 1 time.
The right side pinch roller is on the grip and the left is dependent on the width of the material. you're right it is material or pinch roller positioning which is preventing me from making it online.
Thanks for that recollection and especially for the driver link. Much appreciated.

 

[woolly]

both rollers have to be on grit parts and should be marked by lines on the cross rail cover so you can see where when material is loaded. if i remember there are material eyes front and rear to detect no material a 3mm ish oval hole in the front and rear lower cover towards the right hand side of the bed these must be covered by the material. so with those rules taken in to account move the material about for best fit.
one of the dip switches has to be set so it will detect the front edge of the material else it will print where it sits
from corel think the page has to be set portrait and graphic in bottom right hand corner. but memory may have faded.the vector needs a black hairline to cut. practice cutting in the right place before trying to print as orientation and position is critical. else it just sits there and laughs at you.
the corel page and the driver page have to match else it laughs at you again.

enjoy

 

[Moeed Farook]

Thanks for that. I've met those rules it seems to be inconsistent. I've ensured the relevant dip switch is on for the front paper edge sensor. The missing magnet may be the missing piece in the puzzle. Really appreciate your help. I'll see how I go with replacing this magnet then might just upgrade to another machine altogether. Just it's a really good quality built machine less computerized so every reason to bring it back up to speed. Thanks again.

 

[Moeed Farook]

May have found the culprit for it not working and picking up the magnets on the pinch rollers. The reed switch sensor which runs along side the printing/cutting head looks broken. hopefully replace that and try again:

 

[woolly]

May have found the culprit for it not working and picking up the magnets on the pinch rollers. The reed switch sensor which runs along side the printing/cutting head looks broken. hopefully replace that and try again:

just looked at my pc60 and it has similar ( learn something every day) took a while but could then see the corner damaged in your pic, doubt if roland will have a part, could the switch part be a standard rs bit.... just looked a few to choose from

best of luck

 

[Jay Grooms]

This looks like it'll do the trick. You any good at soldering?

https://www.amazon.com/Cylewet-Norm...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

 

[Moeed Farook]

Hi All. I've temporarily soldered on a couple of wires to simulate the reed switch. Bit tricky trying to tap them together twice as it travelled when setup was pressed. But it is indeed the faulty reed switch. So thanks for the link I have 10 attempts to get it right.
The location of the switch was a ballache to get to so I widened a nearby hole to allow a screw driver to poke through to undo the screw so that I can work on. I removed the burrs with a bigger drill bit so that the passing head is not hindered for future use.
So finally from the brink of giving up thanks to you guys and your help we've managed to save this classic machine.

Many Thanks for all your help. I'll be 3d printing new pinch rollers with an integrated magnet so if anyone is interested in seeing that let me know.

Thanks again.

 

[Moeed Farook]