frizzy_motorsports

multiple cut jobs - have to restart my computer?

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I'm cutting just fine with my 871, but my issue is figuring out what I'm doing that's causing subsequent cut jobs to not go to the cutter, and ending up having to restart my laptop?

I'm running the USB cord, which I know has given some people issues.

I'll go into SignBlazer Elements, send a job to print, then hit reset on the cutter, take it offline, move the cutting tip to a new position to start the next job, set new origin, then when I send the new job, it does nothing, Signblazer stops responding, and I can't even shut the program down.  I have to shut the laptop off to get to cutting again.

Is the reset on the cutter causing the issue?  I guess when I've had successful jobs cut back to back I haven't used the reset button.  Does that cause the USB to lose communication and not re-initialize?

Anyone have similar experience?

Thanks,

Jeremy

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I run the Wookie (copam 2500) off of a usb port on my laptop. I have two usb ports with four port hubs on each one. If I unplug the cutter and change the usb port, it put the cutter on a different com port. and if the weight of the attached cables on the hubs disconnects the port I have to restart flexi's production manager. But if you set your cutter options to return to origin, then you have no need to reset the cutter. When you reset the cutter, the software has already initialized for the settings before the reset and that's why it locks up on you. It's trying to read a communication that is no longer there. Hope that helps!

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I am having the same issue on my laptop and desktop.

Laptop is Win 7 64 Bit

Desktop is XP Pro

Both using sign blazer. laptop is the unlocked verison. Desktop still has the trial

There seems to be something odd but both do the exact same thing. after cutting the first job I have had to close SBE and start it up again.

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Not sure how the ports on your laptop is laid out, but you may want to try ports on the other side of the laptop, or not run any other devices off the other USB ports, and make sure your laptop is plugged in. Sometimes, some of the USB ports on the laptop are extended hubs, which do not contain enough power requirement to run the plotter. You may try disconnecting and reconnecting the cable in between jobs and see if the problem goes away... if that's the case, you're probably not getting enough power out of the port.

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I run the Wookie (copam 2500) off of a usb port on my laptop. I have two usb ports with four port hubs on each one. If I unplug the cutter and change the usb port, it put the cutter on a different com port. and if the weight of the attached cables on the hubs disconnects the port I have to restart flexi's production manager. But if you set your cutter options to return to origin, then you have no need to reset the cutter. When you reset the cutter, the software has already initialized for the settings before the reset and that's why it locks up on you. It's trying to read a communication that is no longer there. Hope that helps!

This makes a lot of sense, and is kinda what I was thinking.  I was trying tof figure out what in my process was causing the lockup, and I think it was the reset button pressing on the cutter like you said.  That signblazer software is quirky though, works well when it works.  Strange to me that I can't shut the program down when it stops responding without cold rebooting my laptop. 

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The laptop is always plugged in. That thing sucks battery if not. lol. This just developed in the last week. I've been cutting fine for 3 months with the laptop. For the desktop its plugged into the back directly to the motherboard.

I switched to the desktop since the laptop was having that issue and after cutting one thing and going to cut another the desktop did the exact same thing.

Im going to try reinstalling SBE this weekend.

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Guest

When your software does freeze up like that you do not need to restart your computer, just disconnect the usb and cancel the job in SBE. The freezing could be caused by a lot of different things, but I would recommend switching off of the usb connection to the serial. I have the best results with this change.

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When your software does freeze up like that you do not need to restart your computer, just disconnect the usb and cancel the job in SBE. The freezing could be caused by a lot of different things, but I would recommend switching off of the usb connection to the serial. I have the best results with this change.

I did this, bought one on amazon for just over 30 shipped, and it has made a world of difference.  I have not had to disconnect the usb cord OR restart my machine since installing the usb to serial converter.  Best 30 bucks I ever spent.

Thanks for the tips

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maybe you could post the link, to help other people find a good product that works..  So they are not pulling their hair out :)

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Mine does it too.

When SBE goes into a "not responding" mode, I simply remove my usb cord and it snaps back.

then I plug my usb back in and all's well.

Just one of those little stupid things that you have to endure, I guess.

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