Roland Camm 1 PNC 1000 - Setting up on Windows XP.

[Tibones]

Hello,

I recently purchased my first vinyl cutter - a Roland Camm 1 PNC 1000
I installed XP on a computer. I purchased a parallel port card and installed the driver.
I installed the driver for the Camm 1 from Roland's website.
I also installed a copy of Corel draw 8. Did a test type and set the outline to hairline and did covert to curves.
When I hit print and select the cutter. I get the following messages.
Please see attached image.
I ended up purchasing another parallel port cable just to make sure it was not the cable not allowing communication.
Help needed.

Thanks,

 

[Ragnabrok]

fairly certain you cant cut directly from corel, but rather it exports to cut studio/cut choice.

Dr stika is free from roland's website somewhere, it should be able to at least fling something to the cutter.

 

[Tibones]

Ok thanks, I downloaded Dr Stika. Just to make sure is the cutter supposed to be on LPT 1 port?

 

[Customprinted]

There should be a plugin for illustrator on rolands website, I cut from flexi but I have used cut studio and cut/paste directly from corel, I did notice that corel 8 does degrade your cut/paste vector so better export in eps format, I have a pnc 1210 and I use the usb to centronics (parallel) cable, it costs like 15 dls at a computer store, I found it better since most newer pc's dont have paralel ports.


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[Customprinted]

Forgot to mention there is also a plugin for corel but wont be for version 8, versions supported is from x3-x6


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[Tibones]

I wish I knew I could run the cutter off Windows 7 by using a parallel to usb converter.
I ended up installing XP and a parallel card and driver. Do you recommend using a parallel to USB in windows XP instead of the card I installed?

 

[Tibones]

I read that I can only run the cutter through XP on a parallel card. So it should work off a parallel to usb ?

 

[desabug]

I read that I can only run the cutter through XP on a parallel card. So it should work off a parallel to usb ?

I'm able to print from my laptop running win7. My cutter is connected to the parallel port on the laptops docking station. When plugging the parallel cord into the docking station, windows detected the cutter as a new usb device. Windows was unable to locate a driver for the device, so I pointed to folder containing my driver and after the install was completed, I could print. The kind of odd thing is that now that my pnc960 is detected as a usb device, I can print with the GX-24 driver as well as the pnc1000 driver. I guess the Roland cutter drivers are pretty much all the same once you get past the connection point.

 

[Tizz]

I think you may have to set your baud rate settings so your pc and cutter can communicate with each other. But I think you're half way there.
Check your preference settings in the printer driver, under printers. There should be some settings with x on x off, baud rate etc... These should match the settings on your cutter to enable the two to communicate.
I've never had any experience with your cutter but currently use to this date an old Roland CX 60. I played around with these settings to make it work using a serial cable.
I print directly from Adobe Illustrator 5.5 to the cutter on a 32bit windows pc. Have used xp and win 7 op system as long as it's 32 bit. Your set up should be no different but not sure about coreldraw.

 

[Tibones]

Thanks for the suggestions.

It seems I got the computer to communicate with the cutter by setting the input on the cutter to Parallel. It does not work under Serial port, checked the baud rate and it matches up at. STP:1 DAT:8 BAUD:9600. but I get an error message from windows.

I tried doing a test cut through Dr Stika and Illustrator CS3. The tool carriage moved, made a line and stopped. The screen on the cutter reads: Coordinate display X-467 Y-14040
Does not do anything else..

Is this a port issue still or software?

 

[Tibones]

I got the cutter to communicate with the computer.
started cutting out of illustrator and Dr Stika. Thanks!
Now if I can get the horizontal and vertical page correct.
It cuts sideways on the sheet instead of the length.

 

[Tibones]

Installed the GX24 driver and cut studio illustrator plugin and bang! Prints excellent. Setup the sheet size for output.
Very happy with the quality. Going to modify my cut path a little so that the edges for weeding is smooth.

Thanks all for the help and feedback!

 

[netsol]

set port to ecp

i thought i previously posted to set the port to epp. i was mistaken. it should be ecp for a roland device

Installed the GX24 driver and cut studio illustrator plugin and bang! Prints excellent. Setup the sheet size for output.
Very happy with the quality. Going to modify my cut path a little so that the edges for weeding is smooth.

Thanks all for the help and feedback!

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Installed the GX24 driver and cut studio illustrator plugin and bang!

If you have the drivers installed, you shouldn't have to actually use the plugin, but "print" directly from Ai, (or Draw, or even Inkscape).

Now there is some automation with the plugin that makes things easier then just "printing" directly from the graphics program, but given that the CutStudio program is rather limited in of itself, what automation that it does give can easily be done manually within the graphics program as well. Mainly I'm thinking of the "crop marks", but those can be down in the graphics program itself.

 

[Tibones]

You did mention that. When I downloaded the driver I selected the PNC 1000 model in the drop down thinking that would be specific, I was afraid the GX might not work being for a newer model Roland, but I guess it is updated and runs older cutters as well.
Thank You!

 

[Tibones]

I am still not done... The machine makes line cuts and strange gashes diagonally and through the art.
It is not off the same anchor point either. What is happening here??
I attached a preview of my path and anchors. Something I am doing wrong?

 

[Tibones]

Also gives a Error 2 Wrong number of parameters message.

 

[Ian Stewart-Koster]

Tibones,
if you search here, I've typed dozens of pages of answers over the past 10 years, for people stuck like you.
You don't need any bridging program. I can cut/plot from Corel, version 7.6 and higher- using X3 now, directly to all Roland plotters- our old PNC1000, then 1000A, now pnc1410.

YOU MUST HAVE MODE=2 SET IN THE PLOTTER CONSOLE.
Also try Rotate=X or else Y, if it's plotting sideways
I can't remember where you do that but I think you hold down a button as you turn the plotter on.
It's in one of my past posts here. Just search and read them all.
ASlso, a serial lead will ON:LY work if you have a crossover cable. A standard serial lead will NOT work.
The old printer LPT/Centronics leads are fine and good.
I have a 6 metre long one, and in spite of everyone saying that's too long, it works fine.

Hairline outline what you want - no need to convery to curves.
File>Print Preview> align with an edge, and press 'print'

 

[Ian Stewart-Koster]

P.S. I also have the sercvice manual and user manual, free, as a download, just email me.
Roland does not support it and does not have them.
However, you most likely will NOT find them useful, as the modern printer drivers render most stuff in the book obsolete now.|
That machine would be nearly 30 years old- 27 at least!