Gerber 4B

[txmike]

There is a break in my system somewhere. When I click plot I get: COM Port Error Break Detected - Check connection and power Re-try (sometimes re-try works)
I have traded out pcs with same problem
" " " " cables " "
" " " " plugs " "
" " " " rooms " "
Everything seem to point back to plotter. Any ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Mike

 

[Fred Weiss]

I would start by removing the cover on the IV-B console and

• Blow out all accumulated dust
• Remake all connections from the incoming cable to the interface card to the plotter connections
• Clean the gold connection area on the interface card with a soft eraser
• Gently press down on all chips on the motherboard to insure each chip is fully seated

 

[txmike]

I blew out all the dust, re-made all connections, put new cable on, cleaned interface card, and still lost. Same COM Port Error
Break detected - check connection and power. Any other suggestions or ideas is greatly appreciated. I only have a little more hair to pull out. Thanks so much for your time!! Mike

 

[Fred Weiss]

Whose interface card are you using? If Gerber's LMK card, they use a different pin out on the comm cable so replacing it with an off the shelf cable would not be correct. Other than that, I am not familiar with SignLab's setup so I have no other suggestions to make.

 

[txmike]

Graphix Program Module was what I thought you meant by interface card which is the first card plugged in, in front of font cards. If that is not it, where would my interface card be located? I have signlab on 2 different pcs with two different 9 pin cables. One of which came with plotter. Both pcs with signlab and cables have always worked. It is amazing to me also, that I have a cannon printer that quit working around the same time as plotter stopped working. Still Lost! Thanks! Mike

 

[Fred Weiss]

It's been a few years so I'm going from memory. We used the Gerber LMK card (Lettering Machine Kit). It plugged into the motherboard behind the area where font cards and modules plug in. It was necessary to remove the cover from the console to see it. There was then a serial cable from the PC that connected to the card for data from the PC. That data was then passed onto the plotter connections at the rear of the motherboard. We selected, as I recall, a mode on the IV-B called GDS which then allowed the pass through of data an immobilized any input from the keyboard of the IV-B.

However your card works and where it should plug in I cannot answer. But it should have a connector on it for the input from the PC and then there will be some procedure or mode selection on the IV-B to let the IV-B know that this is the data you want to drive the plotter. I seem to recall though that modules were plugged into slot 8 on the IV-B ... not into slot 1.

 

[beckys]

Yup, just checked my 4b-its the last slot towards the back.
Then then you have to select it in a lists of plotters
I kept getting mixed up , so I actually wrote on 4b -its says
SMIV-15GS-1 Com 4