Roland GX-24 | USB help?

[vick]

Hey all, appreciate any help I can get.

I just bought a used Roland GX-24. It makes test cuts no problem.

I went to install it on my laptop, and I think I followed the instructions properly, but I cannot get it to recognize through the USB (running windows XP btw).

I tried to install on another xp machine, and it would not recognize. I wiggled the USB cable at side of the plotter, and got some type of "USB power surge" warning on the computer.

Any thoughts? Anyone have experience using a USB-serial cable with one of these things?

If the answer is "you might have bought a busted unit, you need a repair guy", does anyone know of a Roland repair guy on LI? I know the main sign supply store around here sells roland plotters...

Thanks in advance.

 

[round man]

are you trying to hook the plotter up via a usb cable and or a usb to serial or usb to parrallel adapter?

 

[WildWestDesigns]

are you trying to hook the plotter up via a usb cable and or a usb to serial or usb to parrallel adapter?

I'm thinking it's that one, but I'm not to sure. I have a GX-24 and I did just the straight USB connection without any problem, but my system doesn't run XP, so there might be something else in there for that OS.

 

[round man]

go to this site and download the users manual,..http://support.rolanddga.com/_layouts/rolandreports/_productsupportsearch.aspx?pf=Cutters&pm=GX-24

Read it. there is a part about how to connect using a usb cable and instructions on what to do if the usb installation fails to recognize the cutter. there are also several downloads for drivers and cut plugins for corel and other vector programs along with standard windows drivers for that model.If you suspect there is a problem with the usb plug I would try using the serial port connection that comes on that device as an option before I sent it out to be fixed,as it might just be a broken usb port.

Edited to add,..if you use a serial cable or usb to serial adapter make sure that the serial cable and or adapter is a null modem and or rs-232 compliant cable. I have to use a null modem cable hooked up to my usb adapter in order for my roland to function,..the usb to serial adapter in itself is not a null modem adapter nor is it rs-232 compliant but my cable is thus they work together,..do not try to hook two null modem cables together as they will cancel each other out and will not function as a null modem. the pins on two wires on a null modem and or rs-232 cable are cross wired so the pc can handshake with the plotter so if you hook two cables that both have two wires crossed they will cancel each other out.

 

[vick]

Thanks for the help guys.

I was trying it with a straight USB connection. I tried the fix from the users manual, but when I went into my device manager no printers were listed, so I couldn't get rid of anything.

I will try your idea of finding another driver, and really appreciate your advice on what type of USB to serial cable to purchase. I'm hoping it's just the USB port on the machine and I can get it to work using the other cable.

Ahh, the joys of buying used equipment.

If anyone knows a good hardware guy on Long Island I'd still be interested.

-Vick

 

[round man]

most any good tech can put a generic usb port in for ya,..the wiring is the same as if it were on a pc or any other printer. any pc tech that can repair a printer should be able to solder on a new usb port. I'm sure there's several who do it out on the island,...look for printer repair,... they fix usb port on printers all the time as I know folks will trip over their cords and break them all the time.

edited to add on a windows system you need to install the driver for the machine before you plug it in for the system to recognize it,..if it doesn't show then and windows doesn't try to load a new device driver then more than likely there is a problem with the usb port on the machine as from your description you can "wiggle" it.The port should not be loose enough to allow you to wiggle it very much.

 

[Air Art Girl]

I have a GX-24 for garment vinyl cutting. Straight USB connection, no problems. Running XP

 

[vick]

Can anyone recommend a good USB to parallel cable? If I'm going to do this experiment I'd like to eliminate any variables in the cable used.

Thanks in advance for all the help so far.

 

[round man]

Vick ,...one more time,..according to the manual that plotter doesn't have a parallel port only a serial port and a usb port, . You'll need a usb to serial adapter only if you don't have a serial port on the pc you intend to run it from,....then you'll need to hook the adapter to a null modem cable and or you'll need a null modem and or rs-232 compliant adapter. It will probably be easier to find a null modem cable and then if you need the adapter you can use the two hooked together. If you find a usb adapter that is a null modem adapter then you don't need a null modem cable,just a serial extension straight thru cable.I bought my adapter at bestbuy here and use it hooked up to a standard null modem plotter cable from my laptop.

The usb port on those machines were added to replace the parallel ports.

 

[S'N'S]

I have a GX-24 for garment vinyl cutting. Straight USB connection, no problems. Running XP

Ditto...hooked up as a printer via USB.
Did you get the CutStudio driver disc with the cutter?

 

[vick]

I did get the cut studio driver disc. If I went to manually install the driver though it did not allow for a connection through USB.

I'm going to follow round man's patient advice and pick up the proper USB-serial cable. (I didn't know a 25 pin plug could be called a serial cable too). After that we'll know I guess.

added after ordering cables

Just ordered the following cable and null modem adapter:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812196147&Tpk=N82E16812196147
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812106430&Tpk=N82E16812106430

Like I said, the printer turns on no problem, the menus all work, and it makes test cuts. I need to get that usb to serial cable to make my next move.

 

[round man]

Vick if there isn't a problem with the serial port you should be just fine. read the manual and be sure your port settings in windows are correct. when you start the computer you might have to go to windows control panel/ then device manager and see which port windows assigns the adapter. if it is some funky number your software can't use like com 5 or 6 then yo will have to go to the advanced properties for that port and manually assign a lower number for your software. be forewarned windows has a nasty habit of assigning these usb adapters random numbers on boot so the next time you turn your machine on it may have changed the port number for the adapter,..it took me several tries but I finally got windows to stick to a com port 2 here but every blue moon or so windows decides to change that.

 

[vick]

Roundman, thanks for all your help. With the serial adapter cable and null modem it worked like a champ. Now to start playing with it and learning how to do what I want to do!

I guess next step is figure out how much I can do with the Roland Cut studio, and maybe consider additional software.

-Vick

 

[leo ec984]

no funcionan los puertos de comunicacion usb y serial

El plotter trabajaba bien pero el dia de ayer dejo de imprimir, luego de realizar varias pruebas tratando de instalar en otro pc no sale el mensaje de plug and play y no reconoce el plotter por ningun puerto. sera q se desconfiguraron?

[QUOTE = el hombre todo el año; 821898] Vick, ... una vez más, .. de acuerdo con el manual que plotter no tiene un puerto paralelo sólo un puerto serial y un puerto usb,. Usted necesitará un adaptador de USB a serie sólo si usted no tiene un puerto serie en el PC tiene la intención de ejecutar desde ,.... entonces usted tendrá que conectar el adaptador a un cable de módem nulo y o necesitará un módem nulo y ni adaptador RS-232 compatible. Probablemente será más fácil encontrar un cable de módem nulo y luego si es necesario el adaptador se puede utilizar el gancho dos juntos. Si usted encuentra un adaptador USB que es un adaptador de módem nulo, entonces no es necesario un cable de módem nulo, sólo una extensión de serie directamente a través de cable.I compré mi adaptador en BestBuy aquí y usarlo conectado a un cable de módem nulo plotter desde mi ordenador portátil.

El puerto USB de las máquinas se han añadido para sustituir a los puertos paralelos. [/ QUOTE]