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PNC1000 diagnostic test

Ian Stewart-Koster

Ian Stewart-Koster

Older Greyer Brushie
I'll reply to the earlier question...(and please turn off the caps lock- I don't appreciate the constant capital letters)

You say your size choices are expand X, free Y and two ISO options.

Well, expand X and free Y are the two rotation choices. Whatever setting it is currently, change it to the other one. i.e. if it says expand X is currently set, change it to free Y. If free Y is the current setting, cycle through till you reach expand X & enter that.

Return the null modem cable and stick with the standard parallel printer cable.

I didn't read the rest of what you wrote, as the answer is abpve, andf I have to go back to work in a hurry.
Regards, Ian
 
A

Are We Not Men?

New Member
I was using all caps instead of quotes because a lot of forums have problems with quotation marks. I didn't know caps was a problem. Sorry.

I tried switching ExpandX to the FreeY option in the Command/Size menu and it did rotate my test page like you said. It looks like I may be back in business - won't know for sure till I do something more complicated, but for now, thank you very much for your help.
 
F

fede_fly

New Member
Hi everybody!
I'm new around here.
I'm having problems with my pnc1000 too.
A month ago I cut some vinyl on my pc using an old roland pnc 1000 drivers, but I reinstalled my OS, and now I'm installing the plotter and I don't have a clue why is not working the plotter with those drivers.
I can't find old versions of the drivers. Someone told me 27029 DJ driver is good, but I can't find it.
Could someone send me this driver by email?
The problem is with corel 11, the error is "unable to access printer driver" it says uninstall and reinstall, but it doesn't work.

Need to work this weekend with the plotter.
NEED HELP!!!
Thanks guys.
 
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fede_fly

New Member
Hi OldPaint,
I'm in Spain
I have tried this driver, and it doesn't work.
I will try to make a clean installation of the OS and Corel and the drivers to see if something in my OS changed and makes the drivers fail.
Do you have older versions of the drivers?
Thanks and kind regards
I have tried Signcut and it cuts, so maybe the problem is with my corel version. I have reinstall it but I get thesame error.
"Unable to access printer drivers, remove printer and reinstall it."
 
F

fede_fly

New Member
Hi guys,
After reinstalling the OS, and only installed corel 11 and the drivers of the pnc 1000, the plotter worked fine. But after windows update, the corel 11 showed thesame error.
I restore the system and it worked again.
So, I installed a new OS in other hd for daily use. I installed all my software, all the windows update and after all, installed the corel 11 and the drivers, it doesn't work. So I get the Corel X4 and I realize that the problem was something with the corel 11 and the driver after some windows update package.
Well, now I'm cutting ok, but I doing this work and when it cuts a curve or a diagonal it maks like jumps instead of cuting straight. Also, between some letters it doesn't lift the cutter and cut from the letter A (end possition) to the letter B (starrt possition)
Help?
Thanks and kind regards
 
OldPaint

OldPaint

New Member
seems to me your having a WINDOWS PROBLEM.
1. are you running XP?
2. if so its it the SP3 update version?
3. with XP & and old legacy type ROLAND, its internal cards and imprinted cmos CANT DEAL WITH SP2 or SP3!!!
i run XP, but NEVER INSTALLED SP2 or SP3. and i was cuttin to a pnc-1100.
 
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fede_fly

New Member
I'm runing XP SP2(updated) I realize the problem maybe is with corel and some update, because de signgo cuts perfectly without problems.
I will try to uninstall SP's and/or restore the system before SP's.
I will keep you informed.

Thanks and kind regards
 
S

sixtsix

New Member
PNC-1000a

Thanks for all the help IAN. Even though you posted excellent instructions it was nice to finally read the manual.
I'm now using a parallel to usb cable with the cutter set to mode 2 and parallel. Coreldraw X3 is set with no fill and a black hairline. Using these settings Corel gives the message, this doc sent to printer, and I don't get any errors. Unfortunately, the cutter still doesn't budge.
At this point I'm going to try another cable to see if I have a bad one.

Thanks for all the help.
 
S

sixtsix

New Member
Unfortunately, my laptop only came with 4 USB's, s- video and monitor out. Roland seems to suggest a Belkin parallel to usb but they're usually talking about XP not Vista.

Silly question, could this problem be caused by having the wrong paper size entered in Coreldraw X3.

Thanks
 
Ian Stewart-Koster

Ian Stewart-Koster

Older Greyer Brushie
Wrong paper size...? I don't think so.

I usually setup the page size in corel to equal the sign panel size (eg 24 x 36 inch, say) and then lay out the sign in corel. I'll then make a box the size of the default max pagesize for the PNC1000 (which is about 18" x 5 ft) and position the text inside that & then add a hair outline to the stuff I want to plot immediately & go there via print setup (the plotter is the defalt there anyway) & print preview & from there, manually shift the stuff to be plotted to the left size & go>print this sheet now.

Maybe if you went to print preview, you might find your stuff is off the plotter's bed?

I can't think of too many other reasons, sorry.
 
S

sixtsix

New Member
Sorry, I meant page not paper.

That's exactly what I've been doing, It's just not getting to the cutter.

Thanks for the help. I'll post when I figure out the last bit.
 
Q

questor

New Member
Nitronorth said:
I have a PNC1000 with both serial and parrallel ports. ... Although it is listed as the driver for the PNC1000. I set it up for LPT1. When I say print it shows up in the print que as printing then a short while later it says it failed. Is there any settings that would make the unit totally unresponsive or would setting errors in the software still cause it to do something even if it is not correct?

Is there a diagnostic for testing the ports as that seems to be the only thing left that could have failed on this unit. Thanks.
Click to expand...

There are 2 possible hardware computer cable causes why your PNC1000 is having problems communicating with the computer...

1.) One problem is caused by Roland not updating their older PNC printers/cutters software drivers to use newer USB to Centronics parallel cables. When starting a print/cut job, the computer sends a data stream through the USB Parallel cable to the PNC-1000 series Cutter and fills the Cutter's memory data buffer. At first, the Cutter seems to work OK cutting the print job and then abruptly stops and seems to freeze..

The Roland printer driver software for older PNC printers/cutters is not tested nor written to work with USB Cables that transfer some but not all data signals between computer equipment, which is why the print job abruptly stops. In other words, the older parallel cables can both send and receive data signals to/from the computer and Printer/.Cutter. However, the USB to Parallel Cable can only send data from the computer to the printer/cutter and cannot receive data requests from the printer/cutter.

Please excuse my detailed explanation... This problem is caused because the older PNC-1000 series print driver thinks it is sending a return ACK signal requesting more data to be refill the memory buffer through an older fully wired parallel cable to computer. However, the printer driver does not realize it is using a newer USB Parallel cable that is not programmed to format nor send a return ACK signal back to the computer. The PNC printer driver then waits for a return signal it never receives and seems to freeze waiting for a response.

2.) The second problem is some of the cheaper parallel or serial cables used to connect the computer to the PNC1000 printer/Cutter may not have all of their adapter connector pins soldered . The computer cable manufacturing companies tried to cut production and materials costs by reducing the number cables and/or connectors with a computer data cable. These computer cables with fewer pins and connectors often do not work with older printer drivers that are lookin for more pin connections. Many times, these cable manufacturing companies will only guarantee the cables use with basic Windows print drivers included with the Windows OS and NOT GUARANTEE that computer cable's use with OEM printer/cutter custom drivers that require full cable connections.
 
Ian Stewart-Koster

Ian Stewart-Koster

Older Greyer Brushie
If cutting from Corel Draw directly, the stuff to cut must be in the bed area.
And must be outlined with a hairline. Any thickness and it fails. Hairline alone.
Mode =2.
Centronics Lpt lead, not parallel/serial.

There is a default test sequence- I've forgotten it, but you may access it by pressing a Func button when turning it on and pinch rollers are up, or something like that.

You could make your own null modem with crossed wires to test signals at each port- I do it to diagnose issues with our cnc router every 4 or 5 years, but you'd need to ask Mr Google the steps, not me!

Bear in mind it's a machine built to last, circa 1991, in the Windows 3.0 days... and they do last!
BUT
BUT
BUT it WILL NOT work on a PC that runs a 64 bit operating system.
Not at all.
Not even with a virtual setup.Not. Not!

The best or newest O/S you'll get to make it work is Win xp 32 bit.

I'm not sure about a 32 bit version of Win 7- never tried it. I use XP still for that plotter and the other Camm1- works fine.
 
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