Help installing new cutter on Flexi 8.1

[prettybird 0]

Hello, I have Flexi Sign Pro 8.1 and I have a Roland cutter/printer and a Seiki SK870T cutter.  In the production managager I am trying to add these cutters and I found my Roland on the list but the Seiki model I have is not on the list.  Should I choose a different model and will it still work fine?  Or what should I do to add my Seiki?  Thanks!

[BannerJohn 1,324]

Try the sk850H. Let  me know if it works. It should be there.

[prettybird 0]

I do see that one on the list so I selected it but nothing happened.  But then I noticed something strange happened.  Something seems to have switched the ports around that I selected for both my cutters.  I had the Roland set to com1 and the Seiki to LPT1 because it's connected through a usb and that's what my computer showed in device manager.  But now in the production manager it shows the Roland on LPT1 and the Seiki on COM1.  I tried to redo the Roland to COM1 but it's not bringing com1 up on the list anymore.  So I went back into device manager and it now shows the Seiki on COM 3 and the Roland on LPT1.  So I don't get what's going on.  Are the LPT ports for the usb plugs and the Com ports for the serial cable?  I tried setting the Seiki to com3 on the production manager because that's what the computer shows but still nothing happens.  Any ideas on what I should do?  Thanks so much!

[prettybird 0]

Hi, please disregard the previous email.  I guess the Seiki should be on a com port.  Anyway the computer shows it on com3 so I set the production manager to com3 and tried sending something and it says it cannot open port and nothing is sent.  Any ideas on what to do?  Thanks!

[DirtyD0g 0]

This sieki crap is proprietory. It only works with their software and their software only works with their equipment. I bought a better cutter and tried to use it on their software after several motherboard failures on the SK870T. I called them about it and they say it won't work either. All I have learned about Seiki is BUY SOMETHING ELSE. Sorry to be so blunt but my seiki purchase was a waste of money.

Alan

[BannerJohn 1,324]

I use Flexi on a Seiki every single day. Flexi PRO....not the Flexi that came with it. Oh.as for being crap...I'm using my Seiki now 4 years with NO problems.Ever. It is rock solid and workhorse. I would love to have another one just like it.

The only thing proprietary is teh software that came with it. Any software that has teh Seiki listed in the drivers will work /

[DirtyD0g 0]

I guess you are the lucky ohne or it has somethign to do with your model. On a google search I learned I was far from the only one having the motherboard failure problem. Mine is a SK870T

I did get a replacement part for it after 2 weeks of arguing warranty and then ending up paying for it. I got most of the money back from them,but now am afraid to count on this machine.

Alan

[BannerJohn 1,324]

From what I have seen they changed models shortly after I bought mine. The new ones look cheaper, probably made cheaper too.

[DirtyD0g 0]

I ripped the driver out of my seiki flexi and installed it into a better version. If anyone needs the driver give me somewhere to send it and I will gladly send it.

Alan

[MZ SKEETER 4,709]

This sieki crap is proprietory. It only works with their software and their software only works with their equipment. I bought a better cutter and tried to use it on their software after several motherboard failures on the SK870T. I called them about it and they say it won't work either. All I have learned about Seiki is BUY SOMETHING ELSE. Sorry to be so blunt but my seiki purchase was a waste of money.

Alan

It does not ONLY work with their software,  The Flexi version that they send with the cutter ONLY works with Seiki, and you will only find Seiki listed as the cutter brand in it.  I have  Flexi 7.6 version, and full driver/cutter Flexi 8.5 version and they both work with my Seiki 850H .  I have had my Seiki for over 3 years and never a problem.. I run it on a Toshiba laptop XP  RS232 serial to USB

[DirtyD0g 0]

You are correct, there software only works with their cutter. I did manage to rip the output drivers out of the seiki version for use in a better version. I ran my seiki last night on different flexi to test it.

Alan

[prettybird 0]

I have a Seiki SK870T that we bought off of ebay a few months ago.  When it works, it works good.  But a lot of times it has a write port error and then when that happens, I have to shut everything off, including the computer and restart and then it works again.  It was having one every single time I first turned it on.  I contacted the place who we got it from and they said this is caused by either the usb cable, the usb port on the computer or the usb plug in on the cutter.  So they sent me a new usb for the cutter that I had to install and it still didn't work, so they sent me another one, and then it worked better but still gets the error sometimes so now they sent me something else that I am supposed to use to convert the usb to a serial port but I haven't had time to do that yet.  Anyone ever have this issue with their Seiki, and if so, how did you fix it? 

Thanks

[BannerJohn 1,324]

my Seiki doesn't even have a USB port,for which I am very grateful. Serial has worked flawlessly for over 3 years. NEVER a write port error, never a problem. These cheaper Chinese cutters, USB is an add-on,an afterthought. They were designed for serial.And that is my recommendation. If you have the means, connect with a serial cable.

If it works sometimes,and sometimes not, the USB drivers are installed. It's not a matter of anything you did or didn't do. I have many.many times, seen a USB connection drop for no reason at all. Or something as trivial as the cutter vibration. Some will tell you that Serial problems are hard to troubleshoot. The reason is,it happens so seldom, we don't get any practice. The proof is in the pudding.Read teh forums and see the long list of people who solved the USB problem by switching to serial. See how many you can find that say Serial wouldn't work and USB does.

[prettybird 0]

OK thanks, guess we will try switching it to serial then and see how that goes. 

[DirtyD0g 0]

I ran my seiki on serial with better results than usb. The problem is most good motherboards(pc) don't have serial ports anymore you have to add them in.

The cheaper motherboards seem to have it still.

Alan

[prettybird 0]

The place we got our cutter from sent us a usb to serial adapter, but my computer has a serial port on the back still.  I have to use my older XP computer to run things because I have Flexisign pro 8.1 and it won't work on my new Vista computer I guess.  Some day I will hopefully upgrade to the newest version of Flexi so I can use my new computer, but not right now.

Anyway, do I still look under the ports tab in device manager to find out what port it is?  Will it be called a com port or something else?  Thanks!

[prettybird 0]

I found it on the Com1 port.  So now it's working.  Hopefully no more write port errors now!!

[BannerJohn 1,324]

so it's working on serial? GReat! Keep us posted.

[prettybird 0]

So far, so good!!