Does Flexi have a limited amount of cut shapes it can send out at one time?

[gabagoo]

I ask this as I am running a rather large print cut job. The decals are very small circles and each batch is 5208 cuts. The cutter stops with some sort of port error at about the 90% completion rate...and stops cutting at the exact same place in all 4 runs. Not a big issue as them being so small we just reprint and then cut smaller batches.

Just curious if there is a way to extend the size of a cut file? or is there a defined limitation.

 

[Solventinkjet]

There should be no limit. The computer sends the data over and the plotter fills it's memory up. When there is not enough memory left the plotter tells the computer to pause while it cuts and frees up more space and then continues until the job is done. You should be able to virtually cut an infinite amount of data as long as the connection between the computer and plotter is good. The first thing I would check is that your computer doesn't fall asleep during cutting. If it does it can stop the data flow to the plotter. This being a larger job, I would assume it's not something you run into until the job takes long enough for the computer to go into sleep mode which is why the issue is happening out of the blue. Also check to make sure you USB cable is not bad and try a different USB port as well to rule out any hardware issues.

 

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

There should be no limit. The computer sends the data over and the plotter fills it's memory up. When there is not enough memory left the plotter tells the computer to pause while it cuts and frees up more space and then continues until the job is done. You should be able to virtually cut an infinite amount of data as long as the connection between the computer and plotter is good. The first thing I would check is that your computer doesn't fall asleep during cutting. If it does it can stop the data flow to the plotter. This being a larger job, I would assume it's not something you run into until the job takes long enough for the computer to go into sleep mode which is why the issue is happening out of the blue. Also check to make sure you USB cable is not bad and try a different USB port as well to rule out any hardware issues.

+1+1+1 This would be my opinion also. Unless something is wrong with the plotter not communicating back to the printer. Maybe the computer is controlling but not receiving. Can you poll size?

 

[Techman]

what is the cutter?
Some have two way handshaking and will keep asking for more data as the cache is emptied.
Some cheaper cutters have one way chat and will fill the cache and then not send a signal asking for more data.

Some have a good spooler that send good data indefinitely.

 

[gabagoo]

what is the cutter?
Some have two way handshaking and will keep asking for more data as the cache is emptied.
Some cheaper cutters have one way chat and will fill the cache and then not send a signal asking for more data.

Some have a good spooler that send good data indefinitely.

summa d-140

 

[player]

If you get a USB hub it will become the priority USB port on your computer. My CNC controller has to have a hub to make it the USB device.

 

[gabagoo]

I run the Summa via serial port..... Computer does not go into sleep mode either. I just think based on the fact that it stopped all 4 times at the exact same place that there must be some limitation on the file sent.

 

[AF]

Is it stopping as though it thinks it finished, or does it look like a data error occured? Since the cut file is basically a text file, there could be some size limit that you have exceeded. I would break the job up into a smaller batches as you have done.

 

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

I run the Summa via serial port..... Computer does not go into sleep mode either. I just think based on the fact that it stopped all 4 times at the exact same place that there must be some limitation on the file sent.

Is it possible it thinks the length of your page is too short? I know with my Graphtec. I have to change the roll length so that it will cut past a certain length. If you don't it will just stop once it reaches that magic number.

 

[gabagoo]

Is it stopping as though it thinks it finished, or does it look like a data error occured? Since the cut file is basically a text file, there could be some size limit that you have exceeded. I would break the job up into a smaller batches as you have done.

It stops dead right where the last cut is, and yes there is an error port something message in prod manager.

Very rare that I would run such a large cut job, but because the decals were so small, each run was less than 50" x 54".

 

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

l
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[BIG EASY DOES IT]

If its a "write port error" this might help for next time. It seems like flexi and the OS device manager need to have the same Bits per second setting and the same flow control settings. This gives you a run down of how to change. Seems like it might be the cutter saying hold on I need a second but flexi isn't set for it so It keeps sending and then your plotter gets backed up. Seems complicated when you could just run smaller jobs.

http://www.cutterpros.com/downloads/WritePortError.pdf

 

[James Burke]

Just curious...

Can't you reduce the number of items to be print/cut and then tell it to do a certain number of repeats?

In my thinking, this would reduce the amount data needed to run the job.

In CNC language, this is called a macro. I have to believe something like this exists for a printer/cutter.


JB

 

[BIG EASY DOES IT]

Yes you can. It's the same as setting up a smaller job and running it multiple times.