RoyBoom

Laserpoint not cutting

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I've got a Laserpoint 24, probably about 10 years old.  I'm running SignBlazer software.  The cutter has been working fine for me, but today it isn't wanting to cut.  I send the job and I can see it start as the little blue line runs around my design, but the cutter never starts to make the cut.  I'm set on USB003 where I always work from, and I've tried moving it to other settings.  When I push the test button on the cutter panel it does a little cut.  I tried pulling up one of my old designs thinking maybe I had something goofy in the new design, but the old one does the same thing.  Any ideas what might make it start cutting again?

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when you send a cut file, does the LCD screen change, or does it still say online?

try changing the USB cable.

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This appears to be a Windows problem.

Go into Device Manager and manually define the Port.

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I tried changing to a different USB cord and that didn't make a difference.  I looked for a serial cord but all I have is a 25/25, and I'd need a 25/9.  When I pushed the test button it cut out a big pattern of squares and arcs, so I know that the cutter is working.  Reading my instruction sheet it says to push the reset button, but I don't see one of those, my panel looks simpler than the one in the instructions.  I'll try going into the Device Manager and define the Port, but I really don't understand that at all, but I'll try looking at it, I think I'm on Windows 8.   Although I bought this thing new 10 years ago I really haven't used it much at all and I'm just now trying to really start doing it.  Just don't understand how it was going then decides not to.

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When I plug my Epson printer into the same USB plug it prints fine for me.  The panel on the cutter just says ON LNE, doesn't change when I hit the cut button.

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Setting up a printer is nothing like a vinyl cutter. Printers are pretty much plug and play.   For your vinyl cutter, you must download the driver, extract it and install it. Then find the com port number in your computer device manager for the driver. Go into Signblazer cutter setup and match the same com port number. Those numbers must match.   It is a Com port number. It needs to be 4 or less.   Here are the instructions.   Your cutter is a Creation Pcut with a laser.  But also called UScutter Laserpoint. 

https://www.uscuttersupport.com/downloads/Support_PDF/SoftwareSetup/LP/LP_SignBlazer_XP.pdf

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Device Manager: PORTS -- Com1 -- Right Click, Properties -- Port Settings tab -- Advanced button --  ComPort dropdown list -- pick Com2.

 

Then go into SBE and check to see you have that ComPort selected in Cutter Setup.

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It looks like I've got the Signblazer software installer here on my computer.  Do I need to uninstall the old one or will doing a reinstall replace it?  I just can't understand how it can be working and then a couple days later nothing happens.  I tend to be more mechanical minded that computer, but I'll give this a try.  Thanks.

 

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You can use the same Signblazer that you have installed.   If you were plugging your vinyl cutter into your computer while it was turned on, you can cause the com port number to change in your computer device manager.  Then they won't match. So it won't cut. Com port numbers must match in device manager and Signblazer. 

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40 minutes ago, RoyBoom said:

It looks like I've got the Signblazer software installer here on my computer.  Do I need to uninstall the old one or will doing a reinstall replace it?  I just can't understand how it can be working and then a couple days later nothing happens.  I tend to be more mechanical minded that computer, but I'll give this a try.  Thanks.

 

Go to the HELP /"About" menu and see what version of SBE it's showing.  Does it say 'Release 7.0.0' from Sept 2012 ?

Anyway, let us know what you discover with the ComPort adjustment.

 

 

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7 hours ago, RoyBoom said:

When I plug my Epson printer into the same USB plug it prints fine for me.  The panel on the cutter just says ON LNE, doesn't change when I hit the cut button.

If it's still saying online when you hit the cut button, then it's a total communication issue. Make sure that the comport in SBE is the same as the one that Windows has assigned. The comport should be any number higher than 4. If it is, then change it. If SBE is set to automatic, then manually change it to the matching comport that is listed in your windows device manager.

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The comport should be NOT BE any number higher than 4. If it is, then change it.

Fixed that for you. Y-W.

Now I am curious if our advice was a solution!

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20 hours ago, slice&dice said:

Device Manager: PORTS -- Com1 -- Right Click, Properties -- Port Settings tab -- Advanced button --  ComPort dropdown list -- pick Com2.

 

Then go into SBE and check to see you have that ComPort selected in Cutter Setup.

I did a restart on the computer thinking that might help, but it didn't.  Then I followed the Device Manager steps you suggested and that doesn't seem to make a difference either.  I was about to try a reinstall, but when I checked my version of SBE it says Release 6.0.21, Dec. 2007.  So there is a newer version that I should install rather than doing a reinstall with what I have?  Also, when I want to cut a job generally I get it all set up on SBE, then I plug in the USB on the cutter and then turn the cutter on.  Should I be it in a different order than that?  We'll get this thing going eventually.  I've been wanting to get a different cutting program, I've never liked SBE, just can't seem to get the hang of it.  I set things up usually in Illustrator or Inkscape then import them.

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hmmmmm, this sure doesn't seem to be a SignBlazer problem, but rather, a Windows com issue.

First of all, 6.0 was the last one before the developer passed away and it became abandonware.  (7.0.0. is actually 6 with a Crack to eliminate the start-up 'nag' reminder screens). There is nothing wrong with using the version you have, especially since it was working OK.

Try this ----  Do not have SBE open. Now, plug in the USB to your running computer while the cutter is on (USB is hot-swappable). It makes a ping sound, and in your Windows device manager the new connection will appear. Do you see that happening?

Along with that, let's review your Cutter Setup --- As you plug and unplug that USB, the active Com should appear and disappear from the Output Device list.

 

 

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I shut down SBE and turned on the cutter.  As I plug in and out on the Device Manager the Ports comes and goes as I put the plug in and out, and it dings.  Iit comes up as USB Serial Port (COM2).  When I hit the properties for it, under events it says:

9/6/20 20 Driver service added (FTSER2K)

                    Driver service added (Serenum)

                   Device installed (ftdiport.inf)

 

This is exactly the same thing it said on 7/26/2019.

When I go to the cutter setup screen, then I do the drop down on the output device list, and as I unplug and plug in the USB I don't see any changes on the list, all of them stay there plugged or unplugged.

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I got it going.  Called in to USCutter and he did a remote on my computer.  I had it set for USB002 instead of BlazerCom2.  I knew it had to be something simple, but I really missed it.  Oh well, I learned some stuff in the process anyway.  Thanks for the help.

 

 

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Well, I was on the right track.

Always great to see a reply like yours, which showed USCutter support providing a hands-on solution AT NO CHARGE despite the machine being a decade old! Nice.

 

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Yah, that's pretty much what Skeeter and I instructed to do.

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We just danced around the true solution -- we certainly came pretty close. Probably should have asked for a screenshot of the SBE Cutter Setup screen (and showing the list of comPorts).  Which is ultimately what the remote session with USCutter discovered.

All's well that ends well.

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Getting through to customer service is easy, getting them on line is the trick.  They do have an auto system that if you want takes your number and they call you back, which is what I did.  The guy was friendly and it only took a minute to have it going once the remote stuff got set up.  And my cutter is 10 years old, maybe 11.  Is there a different cutting software you might recommend?  I've never liked the SBE, and I've thougt about the VinylMaster, but I'm so cheap I keep putting it off.

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There is a VinylMaster trial. (the CUT version is now on sale for $43.19, well worth it) ---  just make sure it has a driver (reach out again to USCutter and ask if it will run your older machine)  VM includes LPII and LP3, but not sure if it will handle an original LP.

 

 

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Only other free option I've come across is Inkscape. It has the ability to cut but is not a cutting software. It doesn't have any of the features like auto-weed, tiling, etc. But it does work and I used it for several years as a hobbyist. The big selling point of it vs SB was that Inkscape gave me the ability to add overcut, which for the MH cutter is pretty much a necessity.

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