Any ideas? MH Mk2

[aczeller 1]

I am trying to cut a simple graphic, 3"x3.5", in a 5x5 pattern (cutting 25 at a time). I have cut well over 150 of these things in the past in the same fashion with zero problems.

 

This weekend, I decided to rearrange my office to give myself some more room and install some more lights and a glass table. After moving everything around, I then hooked everything back up on the computer, ran some sample pieces with the cutter to get out to clients, and everything was working great. I had one small hiccup that, at the time, I thought was because maybe I didnt have enough slack on the vinyl and it may have thrown off the tracking a little bit. Nothing major, but enough that I had to recut that particular piece. I recut it with no problems. Looking back on it, I think that hiccup may have been an early indicator of problems to come.

 

After the samples were cut, I decided to get back into some production pieces and loaded the saved project from Sign Cut Pro 3. this was the same project that I had cut all the other pieces with  (the 5x5 pattern, 3"x3.5" piece). As soon as it started, everything seemed fine and dandy, so I left the room for a minute and came back to a 3' piece of vinyl that was completely useless to me as not a single piece was cut correctly. I restarted everything (software, computer, cutter), reloaded the project and started to cut again. the first one made it about 90-95% of the way through with no major issues (it was still screwed up beyond repair), but I let it go to the second one to track any progress. As soon as the second one started, I knew something was seriously wrong. It appears like the software/firmware took the initial design and severely pixelated about 90% of the design. Even the areas that are not pixelated are extremely sloppy and look like a 2 year old tried to color with a crayon where my cuts are on the vinyl.

 

After everything happened, I started looking into drivers and software... My computer (windows tells me that it cannot install the drivers, but wont tell me why (it simply tells me that the driver install failed). I have tried installing it, repairing it, and uninstalling it, all to no avail. Sure Cuts A Lot 3 Pro seems to be functioning fine (baud rates match the cutter, it can obviously communicate with the cutter, it's just as fast as normal with no issues that I can see, but I'm at a loss here as far as where to turn next. The most frustrating thing is that it was all working just fine earlier in the day, then it turns around and pretty much puts me dead in the water with no warning or reasoning.

 

I'm hoping someone out there had some ideas that I can try?

 

thanks!

Andy

[Wildgoose 4,200]

Maybe static? Cold be a corrupted file (rare).  Did a static charge fry something in the cutter? You say you moved everything around, did you switch power sources for the cutter? 

[slice&dice 2,450]

Andy,my man, try downloading &installing SignBlazer, with the Redsail machine or COPAM CP2500 drivers, and run it with this graphic, see what happens.

http://support.uscutter.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/GetAttachment/190/24198

[aczeller 1]

Maybe static? Cold be a corrupted file (rare).  Did a static charge fry something in the cutter? You say you moved everything around, did you switch power sources for the cutter? 

 

I thought it may have been static after reading some other posts, but the symptoms didnt seem to line up with what others were saying had happened with their machines (rebooting and all that). I think that the more I look into my situation, it's a software/firmware issue. I'm trying to narrow down the possibilities before I drop the cash on a new machine or a replacement motherboard.

 

 

Andy,my man, try downloading &installing SignBlazer, with the Redsail machine or COPAM CP2500 drivers, and run it with this graphic, see what happens.

http://support.uscutter.com/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Article/GetAttachment/190/24198

 

Thanks Slice. I will do that and try it out. since posting, I restarted everything in a last ditch effort to get this thing up and running (I have enough orders right now, paid for and awaiting delivery, to pay for this thing 2-3x over, so time is of the essence)... magically, by the grace of someone more powerful then me, the system started working again. I am going to start stashing some cash away for a new Roland I think, but if I can at least get this one to last me a few months, I would be happy.

 

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I will try them out and see if it can make the system more stable.

 

Later,

Andy

[Jburns 239]

The roland will be a dream compared to that cutter. Heck a used roland or graphtec will be 10x better for the memory alone.

You are really pushing the memory and physical limits with that cutter with the jobs above.

[aczeller 1]

The roland will be a dream compared to that cutter. Heck a used roland or graphtec will be 10x better for the memory alone. You are really pushing the memory and physical limits with that cutter with the jobs above.

 

yeah, I hear ya. my only real argument against that is that I have done it before. I am far from an "advanced user" by any means, but i just dont understand why it was working fine earlier last week, and now it's completely jacked up. Just after I typed that it was "fixed" above, it decided to go right back to ruining more material for me... I am going to try to limp my way through these jobs and get the cash saved up to get the Roland ASAP I think...

[Jburns 239]

I understand- cut the size of your jobs in half and see if it will finish it.

The ease of weeding and accuracy will blow you away on a servo machine.

[Cal 393]

It *almost* looks like a stray point got into your pattern.  Would be easy to do (for me) to have tapped a key while moving stuff around.

Can you cut these designs one at a time, rather than the 25?  I do not know how your pattern is set up on the cutting mat for 25, I  know how I would do it.

Cal

[aczeller 1]

my process for this pattern (and most of my others also) is to do the following:

 

1.) generate the pattern in AI. generate linework from all the text, simplify the paths, etc. in order to make it a nice, clean design and simplify weeding issues.

2.) Import the .AI file into Sure Cuts A Lot 3 Pro, verifying that all the details from the file are correctly imported into the project. If something isn't right, I go back to illustrator to correct the image. If it's all good, proceed to 3.

3.) select the object/file and verify that everything is grouped.

4.) Select the grouped item(s), go to Object>Duplicate, create the "grid pattern" that I talked about before (5 columns wide, 5 rows high, 1.00" between each piece).

5.) verify the origin is set correctly on the cutter itself, then cut the project.

 

I can typically cut one design at a time (takes about 15 seconds each, give or take), up to 4 at a time. I have not tried 5 yet, but will be working with it tonight once I get home. I did try a 5-wide x 2-tall pattern last night and it screwed up as soon as I pressed "cut", so I called it a night and went to bed before I chucked it out the window. technically, yes, I can cut one at a time, but it's not an efficient use of my time. I would really prefer to be able to just cut 20+ at a time, let the machine run, and in the mean time I can be weeding the previous sheet.

 

my business partner and I have decided to bust our butts to build up the funding to get the Roland as our next major purchase, and keep this machine as a backup. At this point, I simply dont trust it. I have a few other things I want to try this evening as well (changing the power outlet [the original outlet that I used last week is on the same circuit as the outlet I am using now], uncoil the USB cable , try a different USB port [current port runs the cable over all the main power cords for my system and back through all the other cables on the back of the computer. I plan to try the front port], etc.)... hopefully something helps. if I can at least limp my way though the next few projects until we can get the Roland, I'll be happy. I dont want to just drop another $300-400 on a machine like what we have now, knowing we are going to upgrade ASAP anyway. I submitted a ticket to USCutter last night, so hopefully I hear back from them today with some more ideas.

 

thanks again for the help guys!

 

Andy

[slice&dice 2,450]

Andy, what happens when you run the cutter using SignBlazer?

[aczeller 1]

Andy, what happens when you run the cutter using SignBlazer?

 

Sorry Slice. I got pissed off enough last night that I didnt follow up with you. I installed SignBlazer and tried to run it, but it kept crashing on me when I was importing the artwork. I tried a few different file formats, thinking it was a file extension issue (I tried .ai, .jpeg, .png, and even just a .bmp thinking that a very simple file would import), but every time I tried to either navigate to the file or when I actually pressed "okay" or "import", it would send up an error code and asked me if I wanted to save my progress. since nothing ever imported, I never saved it. I tried about half a dozen times or so, but it never seemed to work with my system.

[Cal 393]

Andy, that is how I would set up to cut multiple copies also.

I was not suggesting that you try to do your whole order one at a time, rather, put one back into AI and see if there is a stray point.  If you can get it to print or cut one good version then rebuild your grid.

Cal

[aczeller 1]

Andy, that is how I would set up to cut multiple copies also.

I was not suggesting that you try to do your whole order one at a time, rather, put one back into AI and see if there is a stray point.  If you can get it to print or cut one good version then rebuild your grid.

Cal

 

nooo. I understood what you were saying. when I had the initial problem, i just loaded the previous project that had the grid pre-saved (this is an order of 200 pieces. I saved the grid since I had to wait for different material to come in). once that started acting up, I took the same AI file, tried to repopulate the grid and got the same results. After that, I went into AI, like you had suggested, and double checked the design, but didn't find anything out of the ordinary.

 

The more i think about it, the more I am starting to have a hunch that it has to do with the way my cables are all routed. Although everything is shielded, maybe the signals could still get interference? I've got coiled power cords and coiled USB cords all in the same area... rookie mistake I know, but since it's all shielded, i figured it was safe. I'll try to clean it all up tonight and try again.

[Wildgoose 4,200]

How long is your USB cord? I know if you go too long they become problematic. 

[MZ SKEETER 4,709]

And this is a great device that has saved a lot of people from pulling their hair out...A Tripp-lite Keyspan Adapter..that is the brand name...The USB on the MH cutters are not true USB.. they are a cheap Chinese chip...  Only Tripplite and Belkin will work with a vinyl cutter.

 

Example only,  prices vary.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Keyspan-High-Speed-USB-Serial-Adapter-Type-A-Male-DB-9-Male-USA19HS-Tripplite-/111647589631?hash=item19feb704ff:g:tQwAAOSwDuJWzJ9v

[aczeller 1]

How long is your USB cord? I know if you go too long they become problematic. 

 

it was the standard 5' cable with a 15' extension on it that I ran for the past year with no problems. I had it coiled up once I moved my office around, whereas it was just straight before. after I got home tonight, I took the extension completely off and ran the stock 5' cable to a new USB port. Windows automatically installed the driver to the new port. I then restarted the entire system (cutter and computer) to no avail. It still will only cut 5 of those decals at a time. I was able to cut out the rest of that specific order, then tried running a new design. the new design is acting up in a similar way as before. I was able to cut one large one, but that's it so far. I tried a 2x3 grid of smaller ones and a 1x4 pattern as well, both wont even make it through 50% of the design before becoming defiant and testing my patience. thankfully these orders are smaller and I can work my way through them faster, but it's not helping my morale by any means. lol.

 

I am going to order the adapter this evening and hopefully will have it on Wednesday. If that doesnt help, I'm not sure where to turn after that. Due to the fact that it seems like smaller quantities at a time are behaving better, I am thinking it has to do with a memory issue, but what throws me for a loop is the fact that I have run patterns much larger than these in the past with zero issues with memory.

 

thanks again for the help guys. I appreciate your patience, because God knows i'm running out of it fast. lol

 

Later,

Andy

[signyouup 178]

Is it plugged into a different wall outlet? Maybe it's on a different breaker and the voltage is fluctuating. Easy test, plug it back in where it was and see if that changes anything.

[aczeller 1]

Is it plugged into a different wall outlet? Maybe it's on a different breaker and the voltage is fluctuating. Easy test, plug it back in where it was and see if that changes anything.

 

I will try that tonight. It's a different outlet, but I'm about 95% sure it's on the same circuit.

 

I ordered the Tripplite this afternoon and should have it tomorrow to test out that theory also.

 

thanks again everyone!

[slice&dice 2,450]

Another Tripplite to the rescue !!

 

 

Yes, that SignBlazer can be wonky with importing files. It chokes on anything past AI-8.

Ahhhhhh, to have an updated SignBlazer, in a perfect world.

[aczeller 1]

Tripplite just shipped according to Amazon. knock on wood, I have yet to run into any issues tonight with it, but I think it's just a matter of time at this point. lol

[aczeller 1]

well, that didn't help at all. It actually slowed everything down and didn't help the problem. here's what I have done thus far:

 

- Ordered and tried a Tripplite, resulting in slower cutting and not fixing the "pixelation" problem that I started with.

- Switched the power outlet back to the original (no change)

- Tried all USB ports on my computer, seeing if I can find the "original" one that the cutter was hooked to before I moved it.

- tried to reinstall drivers, but windows 8 told me that there was an error and didn't say exactly what that issue is.

- Tried SignBlazer, but couldn't import any images to see if it would help.

 

Other than the above attempts to resolve the issues, I have also tried SCALP-4, It seems like it is working just fine, other than the horizontal lines that run through it since it is in demo mode. I don't know if it is really fixing the issue or not since it has those lines in there and don't really want to spend the $50 to upgrade from 3 to 4 if it's not going to truly fix the issues. Other than the extra lines though, it seems to be working just fine. with this being the case, I am going to try unistalling and reinstalling 3 I think, and see where that gets me.

 

- Andy

[MZ SKEETER 4,709]

Do you have the baud rate at 4800? as it should be.   

[aczeller 1]

Do you have the baud rate at 4800? as it should be.   

 

Yep. Baud is set at 4800.

 

I dont know what could have happened or how it would have happened, but I think the SCALP3 installation went corrupt for some reason. the problems started between projects (I did not close SCALP3 between projects), so I thought it was a bigger problem. However, I uninstalled and reinstalled SCALP3, and now everything is working perfectly. it will take me a while to build my trust back into the machine, but I was able to cut 30 pieces at once tonight with zero issues.

 

thanks for the input guys. I really appreciate the help by narrowing down the possible culprits.

 

thanks again!

Andy

[MZ SKEETER 4,709]

With the MH you also want to dump the data between orders....Turn the cutter off. and back on  or I guess it has a reset button that may work..