SC plotter 'waiting to send' message while sending to cutter. Large files won't cut suddenly

[jh17 0]

 

I need HELP!!!

Last week my computer crashed. It was older and it was bound to happen. My hard drive was corrupt but the computer tech man was able to save most files including my VM cut files that I made using VM. It crashed while my USCutter SC plotter was cutting a project which caused the cutting to then stop. Long story short I now have a brand new computer. After getting the new computer and the software installed I can't cut my larger files anymore. Anything over 100kb will not completely finish the cut and/or it will mis-cut (miss some words/letters and cut random diagonal lines through the project.) After I send to cutter the green progress bar will pause about midway after about 127 kb have sent and then I will get the 'waiting to send' message in red and then the 'not responding' message will show on the vinyl spooler at about 3/4 the way sent.

After speaking with tech support 4 different times I now have ordered and installed a brand new motherboard. Tried several different USB cables. Tried using just the serial port AND the USB at the same time. Still having the same issue. I can cut any file under 100kb in size with no issues. But 95% of my deigns are larger than 100kb so this is extremely frustrating. Tech support is now suggesting I buy a new IO Board. But does anyone think it could be the IO board since smaller projects cut just fine? Everything was fine before my last computer crashed so I assumed it was a computer issue. Does anyone think that because my computer crashed during a cut project that it did internal permanent damage to the cutter itself? Or is it a VM software issue? I've also tried uninstalling and installing the software again. Removed drivers and reinstalled again. I am simply at a complete loss. And now after buying a new motherboard, a new IO board I will be into parts $200 plus my new computer that was $700 so I really can't spend much more time or money figuring this issue out. 

 

Any ideas or advice would by much appreciated. 

 

 

 

 

[MZ SKEETER 4,708]

Your question was answered on your first post.  Try a Tripp-lite Keyspan Adapter.

 

Edited December 23, 2020 by MZ SKEETER

[jh17 0]

Thank you MZ skeeter. I thought my post didn't submit as I wasn't signed in went I sent it. Thank you for replying. So I should only use the serial cable with the adapter? Even though I have already tried using just the serial through a serial extension? Will this specific adapter make that difference? Will the USB also be in use or just the serial? Thanks in advance 

[MZ SKEETER 4,708]

You do not use the USB and serial cable at the same time. I have no idea what you are referring to a serial extension. You connect the Tripp-lite Keyspan to your computer, by the USB end, then your serial cable is between the Tripp-lite Keyspan and your vinyl cutter. 

[jh17 0]

MZ Skeeter this is the serial extension to USB I'm referring too that I already have. I don't have a serial port in the back of my computer so I have to use an extension that is usb on one end and serial on the other. I don't know the brand it was given to me by the company that fixed my hard drive 

[MZ SKEETER 4,708]

what a mess!!   You cannot just use any ol' Usb to serial cable with a vinyl cutter.  Most will not work. Cheap USB to serial  will have a same cheap chipset as the vinyl cutter. 

[jh17 0]

Yes. it looks messy but I assure you I am well organized and keep my cords where I need. Okay well I just used it because I was desperate to find a fix at the time and needed to figure out a solution to what was causing the issue. I did not realize I had to use a specific brand of cable. I have been trying to fix this problem for over a week now and it has put me very behind on my work and cutting. I will buy the cable you recommend and try it. I will respond back and let you know if it works. 

 

Just to clarify. I am only to use the serial cable to the adapter and NOT the USB as well, correct?

[MZ SKEETER 4,708]

You do not use both USB AND Serial connections on the vinyl cutter at the same time.  You ONLY connect 1.   

[MZ SKEETER 4,708]

Also does that say sending to com 7?   You have to use com port # 4 or below.   Try com port #2  and make sure to use the same #2  in your computer device manager and your cutting software set up. 

[jh17 0]

Currently com 7 is the only option in the connection selection. Should I move it to a different USB port on the tower?

[MZ SKEETER 4,708]

Change it.  You can only use 1-2-3-4.  Go into Your device manager and find out what it is. Change it to #2.   It's not even set up to communicate correctly. 

[jh17 0]

Is this what you mean by device manager? How do I change it?

[jh17 0]

I removed the cutter under the current vinyl cutter at the top and now it will show com3 but wont connect. Shows 'not connected' auto detect won't detect it

[MZ SKEETER 4,708]

The com port numbers have to match in device manager and your cutting software. You have to change the com port 7 to 3. Right click com 7, go down to properties and change it to com 3.    Page 12   set up your cutter to computer.  https://www.uscutter.com/static/PDFs/SC2_Manual_FINAL_10_10_2017.pdf

 

[jh17 0]

MZ SKEETER I just wanted to update you on where I am at. I received the Keyspan TRIPP-LITE adapter and have changed it to COM 3 within device manager and it still not sending my large files. I have also ran a test without the blade or any material in and it still stops after 125kb have sent with the waiting to send message. Any ideas why it could still be doing this after all of this?

[jh17 0]

[MZ SKEETER 4,708]

You are not showing anything of any importance, Hopefully you downloaded and installed the driver for the Tripp-lite Keyspan adapter. Your not showing your settings in device manager and your cutting software.   Also that design could be too large for the memory of the vinyl cutter.  Set the cutter up to do some small text, straight from the Text of your cutting software.  so that you know it is connected and working. You can even do that with the pen tool on paper. 

[jh17 0]

@MZ SKEETER I have cut this design 100's of times at many different sizes ranging from 50kb up to 200kb in file size. The design in question- should not be an issue at all. I have a brand new mother board just installed last week, so how can it lack in memory? Not sure what you mean by set the cutter up to do small text. I stated in my first post that It cuts my small files just fine, it's anything over 100KB in file size that it won't cut. What do you mean by straight from the text of my cutting software? Isn't that what I am already doing?

[MZ SKEETER 4,708]

My question is , does the cutter communicate with the cutting software now, that you have connected the Tripp-lite Keyspan adapter to your cutter?  Just type some text out on your layout screen and cut it.  Does it work?  

[jh17 0]

@MZ SKEETER yes it cuts whatever I type fine and communicates fine now with the cutter as long as my design is no larger than 125kb in size while sending to cutter. could it possible be a software issue at this point? Something with the vinyl spooler possible since thats when I receive the 'not responding' message. Should I try a different cutting software?

[MZ SKEETER 4,708]

That is your choice.  You could try Signblazer. You could also try another large file.  You should reset your cutter after every cut so the data is dumped from the last cut.  Is your cutter grounded to the stand?  It should be. Just because you have used the same design before, doesn't mean that it can't be corrupt now.   

[jh17 0]

@MZ SKEETER Yes- I have it grounded to stand plus I have the static kit on the back of the cutter from USCutter.com. I'm thinking at this point I'm either going to have to order the new IO board or buy a new cutter all together. I just don't understand how getting a new computer could cause all these issues 

[MZ SKEETER 4,708]

If it is Windows 10, then yes, it could be that.  I am still back on Windows XP, because they don't have problems like Windows 10.  Many people on here still use Windows XP.  Can be picked up less than $100. You don't need a new computer to run a vinyl cutter.  I have it connected to my Graphtec.  Have you tried to run in lower Windows like Windows 7 on the computer?  Also as I stated about memory, The SC units are limited on memory. The SC2 has more memory than the SC.   Have you tried a friends computer?  Rule it out.    Sure Cuts a lot has a trial.  Signcut has a trial. 

[haumana 1,220]

Windows 10 isn't the greatest OS to run a cutter. It's always an 'iffy' thing when it comes to some peripherals anytime Microsoft forces and automatic OS update. For that reason alone, I will probably never have a Win10 or newer machine for my cutters. Cutters are fairly simple machines and run on old technology, because why break what already works.

Now that you have a successful connection, but are still running into issues, it couldn't hurt to do trial versions of other software that are out there. A starting place is Sign Blazer Elements (SBE). It's an older program that will never be updated due to the programmer passing away a few years back, but it's a solid program. There are often times when people run into issues, we will recommend downloading it and trying it with SBE. A great thing about it is that it's free.

The text that you're trying to cut doesn't look like it should be choking your cutter. Is your text, just straight text that was typed into VM, or was it converted to be vector lines & curves? Because there are a lot of people who, for one reason or another, will convert their text to vector lines & curves.

One thing that you can try, is to shrink down the text to be a smaller on screen, and save/export it as an .eps or .svg in the smaller size. Open a new design project and import the file, then resize it to what you need. I recall needing to do that on a job that I had - even though it too was just simple text that stayed in text format. I don't know why, but when I did that, it finally cut properly.

[jh17 0]

@haumana thank you for your response. The thing that is most incredibly frustrating is that USCutter support has been telling me for years that my previous computer was too old to run the VM software effectively. I've had several issues with my cutter in the past but it has never been this particular issue. My previous computer had Windows 10 OS system on it. So now that I have a brand new computer that I'm into $700+ it seems very odd that it isn't able to communicate with my SC Plotter cutter. Unless something happened to my cutter when my old computer crashed while it was cutting (explained in my first forum post.)

This doesn't seem to be a communication issue since it's still doing the same thing it was doing prior to getting the Keyspan Tripp-lite adapter. The only thing that has changed is the COM port from 7 to 3. To answer your question all of my designs are made using VM. They are not imported or .svg files. I made all of them using VM with fonts available within the software. The fact that it only miss cuts, doesn't complete the cut and has sending to cutter issues with files over 100kb tells me it must be the cutter itself- but I honestly don't know at this point. I am at a complete loss.

My worry is, if I buy a new cutter (SC2 or something else,) am I going to have the same issue since it will all be the same files and VM software, Windows 10 etc..? Thoughts?