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Hi 

 

I am a newby with a MH721 cutter.

I have read a lot on the internet in topics before I made this topic because I can not get the plotter working :(

 

I bought a second hand MH721, think a MK1 but he has a USB and Serial and a Parralel port.

Tried all the ports with different cables, all kind of OS: W8, W7 and W XP but can not get any communications between plotter and Computer.

Maybe the plotter is broken ( he cuts the test symbol correct ) I really do not know

 

 

My question is what is the best way to setup ( and test ) a connection, OS, Cable and cutting software.

 

Please help because I am getting a little frustrating after two weeks struggling

 

Fred

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Good morning, Freddie.

 

Did you ever see the machine working before you bought it?

It is NOT a good idea to buy a unit from a private seller who cannot show it in action before you transfer the cash (these things often develop a motherboard problem, due to static build-up that is a known issue).

 

Anyway, download and install SignBlazer Elements --

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

 

Install the USB (FTDI) driver HERE --- http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/CDM/CDM20828_Setup.exe

 

Open SBE and try cutting a simple text example (choose the RedSail driver in Cutter SetUp)

 

What happens? Do you get a communication error?

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Hi Thanks from The Netherlands  for your quick respons  :rolleyes:

 

I know it is a little stupid to buy without seeing the machine works. The seller showed me the test cut from the machine himself so I thought GREAT! It works

 

Now the machine did not work I did a lot of reading on the forum and noticed a lot of problems.

Is replacing the motherboard expensive. It has to beshipped to Halland  :-\

 

I will try these steps tonight and inform you.

 

Thanks

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Hi Slice & Dice

 

I have connected the MH721 to a clean XP machine, because on the other one I already installed a lot of drivers programms to get the cutter working

Installes the mentioned drivers and software.

After connecting the USB cable the message of new hardware appears: USB 2.0-Serial and that he could not install

 

Try to cut with Signblazer the message : Can not open output device, Error initializing cutter

I selected the Redsail RS720C on Blazer.COM1 and also tried the Summa USB but same problem

 

I hope someone can give me a solution with this information.

 

Regards

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Hi Slice & Dice

 

I have connected the MH721 to a clean XP machine, because on the other one I already installed a lot of drivers programms to get the cutter working

Installes the mentioned drivers and software.

After connecting the USB cable the message of new hardware appears: USB 2.0-Serial and that he could not install

 

Try to cut with Signblazer the message : Can not open output device, Error initializing cutter

I selected the Redsail RS720C on Blazer.COM1 and also tried the Summa USB but same problem

 

I hope someone can give me a solution with this information.

 

Regards

did you download and install the usb chipset drivers from the support area - windows and signblazer won't install those for you - 

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yup - my bad for not reading well enough - very well could be a bad board - the port not working  - if it has serial try that, unfortunately unless you can find a mb over there is is probably cheaper to find another working plotter,  even if the usb/serial part of the board is damaged it will still do a test cut from the keypad

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It could very well be a COM port issue ---

 

Are you familiar with the process for changing/assigning the COM ports?

(Device Manager)

 

Control Panel___ System___ Hardware tab___Device Manager___Ports ____ Communications Port (COM1) ___ (right click==Properties) __ Port Settings ___ Advanced (button) ___  COM PORT #

 

Whew.

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Hi Slice & Xice. I still bope it is a port problem.

Not really familiar with the com settings

Looked at:

Control Panel___ System___ Hardware tab___Device Manager___Ports ____ Communications Port (COM1) ___ (right click==Properties) __ Port Settings ___ Advanced (button) ___  COM PORT #

And found that this setting is set on COM 1.

But are these settings for the serial cable or the Usb cable

with the USB cable I see in the hardware list: Unknown Device

Sorry for all the stupid questions :-(

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Good day to you, Fred.

 

First of all, I will admit that dealing with COM port settings and resolving Unknown Devices in the Hardware Manager is not something I'm an expert at.

 

The COM 1 would be for Serial port, yes.

And you must have a Serial null modem cable, not a regular serial cable.

 

As for the USB giving you the yellow triangle warning, just remember that the cutter is not going to install like a printer.

Try to right-click on that item, select Properties, and use the TROUBLESHOOT button.

 

Wish I could be of more help.

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Hi Slice and Dice

 

Good day for you to

 

After posting this morning I have contact with the plotter , Happy about that.

 

Tried another computer and saw in the hardware list a USB 2.0 Serial and installed USB Serial CH340 and setup signblazer to Blazer COM4: - USB-SERIAL CH340 and I can CUT

 

Now a new problem: he does not cut the shapes which are on the screen maybe some other settings are not correct

 

Now I know I have connection with the plotter I try several programms and settings

 

Thanks Mate for the help 

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Congratulations, Fred !!!

 

Obtaining the communication is a huge step, and that's great news.

 

OK, now we're getting somewhere.

When you say that it doesn't "cut the shapes" in the SignBlazer workspace, what exactly happens?

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Yes Slice and Dice

 

I am glad that I do not have to buy new hardware.

When I try to cut a symbol in Signblazer ( for example a circle) it looks good on the screen but on the fynil it is very different

 

You can see some parts of the circle and a lot of line next to it and through it.

 

In the test cut from the MH271 himself it looks good

 

I think it must be a setting or something like that.

 

I have tried with redsail cutter in the settings because refine cutters does not show up

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Hmmmmmmm, strange.

 

Let's go back a step, to the installation of SignBlazer.

When you installed the program, there should have been a "USCutter Drivers" shortcut placed onto the computer's desktop.

If you click on that, select the choice of MH and it will add it to your SBE cutter setup menu.

 

Otherwise, if this still doesn't solve the problem, try using the "Generic HPGL" driver or perhaps the Roland driver.

You still might have a hardware problem (with the motherboard circuits being messed-up and not handling the data properly) but let's at least try to figure out if another driver will work to sort this out.

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Hi S&D

 

I will try later today. I can remember I did install the files from the USCutter Driver folder but after that I could not choose the refine cuttet in the cutter setup menu.

 

I inform you later

 

Thanks for your assist in this.

Otherwise it would be very different for a newbie like me. :rolleyes:

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Hi S&D

 

I did not have time to try till now.

 

I did install the UScutter driver from the shortcut on my desktop but they do not appear in the dropdown list in SBE Cutter setup

I tried several other drivers, also the Generic HPGL driver as you mentioned. With every driver I get differnet results. One better than the other but still no good one.

You mentioned the roland driver but which one should be the best?

 

Also grounded the machine to the frame, I saw a lot of topics about that but that did not fix the problem.

 

I think the correct driver in SBE is the solution ( I hope ) but cannot select the MH cutter :-\

 

Fred

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You can install the version of SBE v6. available from this website --  (don't do the Update or patch)

You will obtain the Refine MH721 driver.

http://www.mystat.com/Signblazer.zip

 

(fill out any random gibberish in the "registration" info screen, and click OK, it will eliminate that start-up screen, but you'll still have to put up with the Trial start-up nag screen)

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I installed the software ad can select the MH721 but with negative results.

Verry different lines on the vinyl. I lost much vinyl in total with all the tests.

Maybe it is the hardware

 

I think about giving up and throw the machine to the garbage and buy a Silhoette cutter

 

I have seen that machine by a friend and that machine cuts great

 

Thanks a lott for your help and patiente :rolleyes:

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You're welcome.

 

Sorry it's not functioning.

Hopefully you did not pay too much for this broken unit?

 

Good luck in whatever you decide.

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