new setup ?s for changing flexi/mimaki CPU

[iSign]

right now, my main question is this:

in the set-up menu, in Flexi's production manager, after I have selected my printer (Mimaki JV3-160SP) I need to specify the communications port.

I am using a firewire port.
The choices are USB001, COM1 (2 and 3) LTP! (2 and 3) and LPR, FTP, TCP/IP, and FILE.

would one of those be the right choice for firewire?
I don't like to just guess... but after some research I saw reference to firewire being a form of seriel bus... so I decided to try USB001...

...but I couldn't poll the printer for a size reading, so I didn't even bother trying to send a print yet.

For a little more background, if anyone's interested...
and because I don't doubt there will be more questions:

I'm in the middle of a chkdsk scan in recovery mode after booting my usual rip station off the XP disc...

...hopefully I will resolve whatever has suddenly made it hang up instead of being able to launch windows on 6 attempts this morning.

In the mean time, I had intended to upgrade my rip station & had a far superior CPU sitting next to it with Flexi installed and ready, and new seriel port installed and ready... everything "ready" except my own backassward priorities that didn't bother to get it setup properly while I had a working setup to reference.

Hopefully I didn't lose the drive, but since data is stored on the server... I shouldn't be in too bad a place if I did. One thing I may encounter though

 

[iSign]

My computer guy told me "Firewire" is what should be showing up, & asked if my device had a disc... sure enough, I had a Mimaki 1394 device driver disc... but after installing it, "firewire" still doesn't show up in Flexi setup's port choices?

I've restarted several times too

 

[signguy95]

I just hooked my printer up and when it said "new hardware found" I just went through the steps of installing my printer.

Check your systems hardware for the firewire. Mine says "Mimaki Printer" for the firewire port.

If you haven't figured it out by tomorrow, I'll check my setting and such when I get to work!


Jay

 

[signage]

Isign you may want to look in device manager and see if you see it there!

 

[dclet]

you must set the port up first - xp - add printer....no you won't get a printer icon, xp will just know that there could be a printer hooked up to that port, it should then show up in the list lpt, usb, tcp/ip

 

[dclet]

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/...l/proddocs/en-us/print_add_port.mspx?mfr=true

hope it helps..

 

[eforer]

go to the mimaki usa site, go to the support section and then the downloads section. Download the newest mimaki 1394 driver. Make sure your computer is off and the printer is too. Plug the printer into the computer and turn on the printer. Wait till its all done starting up. Fire up your pc. It should do the whole add new hardware deal, use the mimaki 1394 drivers. If you continue to have problems, I've heard that Mimaki's can be picky about fire wire cards. In my experience, my JV3 hates my on MOBO firewire port. I use the adaptec firewire card and it works well.

Hope this helps.

 

[iSign]

Thanks everyone.
I should have reported back, but eforer has the sequence exactly like what the technician at Advantage Sign Supply had me do, except that I used my Mimaki Driver disc. I Installed that driver earlier, but I wasn't going to hook up the printer until I had everything squared away. The device manager saw the Firewire port back then, but the printer setup in Flexi didn't see it untill I booted up the PC with the Mimaki plugged in already. All is good once again.

 

[eforer]

Glad to hear it, once its installed, you should be able to turn it on and off while the computer is on without a problem. Its just an issue for the initial detection.

 

[iSign]

aaarrrrgggghhhhh!!!!!!

THIS &%$#@! COMPUTER SOFTWARE CRAP IS KILLIN' ME!!!!

OK, now I feel ever so slightly better... but still pretty tweaked out....

I've had more terchnical difficulties in the last week, then in the previous 5 years. Anyway, I've added my latest troubles to this thread, because they are related.

Last week I got the Mimaki running off the newly installed Flexi 7 on a newer computer (running XP Pro)

I only used this new configuration to print a few jobs last week, & then today I had some color concerns that I began trouble shooting in the files.. but I got this hunch to try printing them from the old computer. I left both CPU's side by side with the intent that the old setup could be easily switched to if I encountered any troubles getting the new setup dialed in.

Well, I mover the firewire, the seriel cable, & the dongle, then tried to launch the program. Couldn't find the dongle. I tried moving it to various USB ports to see if it liked one better then the other, but no luck anywhere. I even tried allowing the "found new hardware wizard" to "search for drivers" just because that process popped up begging to be recognized, so I thought to let the damn wizard have it's way. No luck, so I gave up, figuring it was a stupid troubleshooting idea anyway & I'd just run a previous job to see if my color compared printing from the new computer...

well then I couldn't get the new setup to work at first, because it kept popping up 2 or 3 confusing messages almost simultaneously. One was "production manager has disconnected" ...then under that was one saying "production manager is located... local computer?, remote computer? or some other choice?"
... then, if I chose one... it would pop up with "you cannot launch 2 copies of production manager"... but if I canceled, it would start all over with "production manager has disconnected"

I know this was just a test from some evil god wanting to see if I would break things... I almost failed, but I survived to be dumbfounded again.

I returned to this thread to re-read eforers post & although I kept turning off the printer before switching computers... once I reread to power up the printer before the computer (on a new setup) ...I decided to try it here.
I don't know if passing the evil gods test helped... or it was just the power up sequence... but now I'm printing again!

...but my color still sucks on this one... some odd half light pastel pink with shades of salmon for the background... and I'm ending up with creamy coffee terracotta, too dark, & too brown. Then the brown text looks navy blue

...but I did print an old job & it came out fine, so my profile is working right... I just got a wierd file today & ended up destroying my afternoon worrying about it instead of just sayin' phuqutte... print whatever they give me, & go home on time :Oops:

oh yeah, one more thing, what's up with that "can't find the dongle" crap?? I may be needing that machine for printing again sometime, so does anyone know what could have made that problem surface now, just from unplugging my wires to print off a different machine for a day? Nothing at all else has changed.

ok, 10pm... I'm outta here

 

[eforer]

ISign, I'm going to PM you my number. I don't think that there are that many people doing Mimaki/Flexi as compared with other RIPs, at least on this board. I think I can help you with some of this stuff, as I've been through most of it already. Also, if your using JVS (triangle) inks, I can help you out with profiles.

Actually, anyone using Mimaki w/ Triangle 6color on flexi, if you need profiles, PM me. I have a fair amount of stuff profiled.

 

[signguy95]

Where did you purchase your Triangle setup?

I just got my machine about 3 wks ago, but as soon as I get comfortable with it I may go bulk.

Also, any issues with warranties? I'm also running mimaki/flexi 6 color, but as stated only for 3 weeks!!!!! LOL


Jay

 

[eforer]

Welcome to the Mimaki/Flexi club. Also known as the shoulda bought Wasatch club lol. Actually I've come to like Flexi well enough, but for awhile, and after demoing Wasatch I was pretty steamed with my decision.

My warranty is long gone. If you buy your next machine from some dealers they will bundle the triangle system with the printer and match the manufacturers warranty that has been voided by the bulk system.

I don't use the triangle system, just the JVS inks with WG magenta and light magenta. IMO these are the best solvent inks out there that are suitable for use with the JV3. I played with their complete system a little on a friends machine and after listening to his complaints with it opted for my own solution.

Honestly, high quality refillable carts work great standalone, the ones from US Sublimation are the best IMO. I have adapted them to feed right from the bottles through a 5 micron filter, some tubing and a ball valve so I can just top them off by opening the valve. Its all parts you can get off McMaster.

Basically if you only fill them to the upper gusset, and keep the ink level higher than .5" you'll always have a healthy range of head pressure. I'm still sorting the whole thing a little, but before I even started playing with that I just used funnels. I bought 100 of them, and throw them out after 1 use to avoid contamination. I just wipe them with acetone first than fill the carts with them. Honestly it works fine, but I just wanted to tinker and make something better.

I have been super happy with the JVS and US Sublimation cart combo though and it costs about $1000.00 turnkey for 6 carts and 6 liters ink. You need to be on firmware 3.10 though. If your not, solventcartridges.com has some neat stuff for machines requiring chips.

I buy the ink itself from ITNH in New Hampshire. They are my region's authorized triangle dealer. Call Ernie Fonseca at BullDog products to get set up with your regional dealer. He's a great guy and can help answer your questions. I hope you have a spectrophotometer as the profiles you have for SS2 are completely worthless with JVS. Honestly, I can't say enough good things about this ink.