Radecal

Cuts 90% of artwork then cuts 2 random lines and stops

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Hi Guys

I am all of a sudden having this issue with my MH-721 and SIgncut PRO 2, connected via serial cable into a Digitus Serial to USB converter on My iMac running Mac OSX 10.13.6

Issue: Cuts 90% of artwork and then cuts 2 random straight lines and stops.

This issue happens with any artwork file. Happens regardless of weeding border or sorting by length or width and cut inner objects first selected. If I select to cut multiples it will cut the first and respective others as configured up until 90% of the final copy and then cut out random lines and freeze.

I have grounded the cutter.

The only things that have changed since I last cut successfully...

1. Moved office, cutter now on carpet / hence the grounding

2. Upgraded Mac OS X using software update 10.13.6

Any assistance or feedback from someone who had this issue and resolved would be great.

Thanks in advance.  

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Because the problem is so predictable I do not believe static is the issue. And since the only thing that has really changed is the computer upgrade I'd focus there. Do you have another computer you could try, or one you could borrow to try? Have you tried different software? Does it do it even on a really simple design like a square?

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I'd be willing to bet the upgrade caused an issue. Contact SignCut tech support on their website and they can possibly help you out. They have free live tech help and are actually amazing people.

 You realize that the MH is one of the cutters that is sold as being incompatible with mac right? It's actually helpful to people to know that it possibly CAN run on the macs with the right software options so please update this post as you make progress. Many of us mac users are not convinced that the cutters are not able to run but most new users don't want to take a chance on it. Good luck!

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Just ran a few test cuts using the pen to illustrate my issue and took and picture...

In the picture you can see the powerful graphic cut up until the final W then the 2 random lines are drawn. The second graphic testing, I set this to cut 3 copies, of which 2 are cut without issue and the third and final 2 seemingly random but actually identical to the first error lines are drawn on the final part of the third copy of the testing graphic.

Before testing using the pen I re-installed sign cut pro 2 from a fresh download. Added an earth wire between the rollers, stand an cutter.

Baud rate on this is 9600... I have tried 4800 and 12900...

 

IMG_2932.JPG

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8 hours ago, Wildgoose said:

ou realize that the MH is one of the cutters that is sold as being incompatible with mac right?

I purchased the MH-721 from Amazon over a year ago and this is the first issue I have had, once I purchase the USB to Serial converter. 

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9 hours ago, darcshadow said:

Do you have another computer you could try, or one you could borrow to try?

I will run a test with an old PowerBook that will be on an older OSX version and feedback accordingly.

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Good luck. Glad to hear that you can get away running on a mac. That has always been my suspicion but never had the opportunity to really find out. I have been a fan of SignCut Pro. I have a Pro 1 lifetime dongle and use it on my Summa. When I bought my original cutter, a Creation P-Cut, no longer offered in the states they sold them with a years subscription. As long as you can design elsewhere it's a fantastic cutting utility. I especially like the ability to move from one platform to another. I actually cut most of the time from a widows 7 laptop but having the dongle I have it loaded on both my iMacs as well in case of emergency. 

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I seem to have restored my cutter to working correctly... In the past I had an issue with the retaining nut bolts on the cutter COM port coming loose and eventually resulting in the COM port dropping back into the cutter when I unplugged the serial cable... So i had a hunch that I should check this again. I simply disconnected the serial cable, took the end off the cutter, tightened the  one remaining (lost the other) nut bolt securing the COM port  more firmly and then connected the serial cable and then put the cutter end back on. Following this normal working order has returned :-/ I am not complaining but I remain a little suspicious, my only guess is the serial cable was not correctly seated resulting in a miscommunication...

To pick up on the fact that I am driving a MH721 with a Mac...

I generally drive this cutter from an iMac 27inch Late 2012, 3.4 GHz Intel Core i7... I have also successfully  driven this from a MacBook Pro 15inch Late 2013 2.3 GHz Intel Core i7. Both of these are currently running macOS High Sierra 10.13.6

In debugging the main issue I pulled out my old MacBook Pro 13inch Mid 2010 2.4 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo running macOS High Sierra 10.13.3 with a view to driving the cutter from a macOS minor version that I knew to be working - prior to the software upgrade that seemed to be the cause of the original failure. I have not driven the cutter from this MacBook and it completely fails to drive the cutter, making larger random lines and attempting to push the the pen beyond the width of the bed.

My only guess is that generation of Mac's using the Intel Core i7 can drive the MH721... but this is a big assumption based on small test group (3 computers)

I cut with SignCutPro 2 0.1.474

I use the serial COM port on the cutter

I use a USB to Serial FTDi Adaptor Converter FT32RL Digitus DA-70156 to connect the serial to the USB on the Mac

I will sometimes have to restart the Mac to have the cutter connection recognised by SignCut in the cutter window

I always turn the cutter off and on between cuts otherwise it will get confused about which direction to feed etc

I always build my graphics in Adobe Illustrator and save using the "export to SignCut" plugin making sure that everything is vector (converting type) and any guides are removed.

Generally I have had niggles and pushing the cutter to cut large complicated jobs I have had problems. But for the price and how often I use it, it's a great tool... If I used it more often than I would need to upgrade.

Hope this helps someone and my issue doesn't come back :-)

 

IMG_9271.JPG

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Thanks for the write-up. Very helpful info for those considering some of the lower end machines that own macs. All future searches take note of the serial adapter. Some of the new low end machines don't have a serial port so there could still be some issues but hopefully this info helps some folks out. 

Your "niggles" are nothing to do with the mac and everything to do with the MH. That's just the way the low end machines run. 

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