Question Summa D750 set up (WinPlot&Corel)

[GTArt]

Hi all,
Tried for a while to set up my Summa D750 with WinPlot and CorelDraw X6.
Everithing went fine until I tried to export the vector from Corel into WinPlot for cutting.
I use a serial cable with a USB adapter for my laptop which has no serial port.
When trying to send to cut I get the "Failed to oped device COM1" error.

Tried multiple times and still won't work,
has anyone any ideas of how to make it work
or should I buy a desktop with a serial port and lose the USB adapter?

I'm stuck with no machine and clients waiting.
Any help or advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks a lot.

 

[Tizz]

Hi all,
Tried for a while to set up my Summa D750 with WinPlot and CorelDraw X6.
Everithing went fine until I tried to export the vector from Corel into WinPlot for cutting.
I use a serial cable with a USB adapter for my laptop which has no serial port.
When trying to send to cut I get the "Failed to oped device COM1" error.

Tried multiple times and still won't work,
has anyone any ideas of how to make it work
or should I buy a desktop with a serial port and lose the USB adapter?

I'm stuck with no machine and clients waiting.
Any help or advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks a lot.

Based on the info you provided, it looks like the laptop connection and your cutter isn't communicating.
If all of the drivers have been installed, cutter driver and the serial cable with usb adapter then I believe its just the ports that you may need to configure.
Check the Device Manager (laptop) and find what ports are connected (Com & LPT) if the Communications Port (COM1) is in use, check its properties, port settings. The Baud rate, data bits parity should match the same settings of your cutter.

 

[Warmoth]

Like Tizz said, it could be a configuration issue. Was it working, and then just stopped? Or has it never worked for you?


I've got the same setup actually. Summa D-750 Pro, but using it with Corel X8, sending to WinPlot. I'm running it with a Serial to USB adaptor as well. I don't know what type you have, but I think the problem is universal.
There was some update years ago that broke the driver. I had to manually load an OLD driver and tell it to never update.to get it functional.

Every time there was a Windows update it broke it, until I told it to never update.
I've run this setup on Windows 7, 8, and now 10 and it's the same deal on all of them. The solution still works for me.


For my adapter I'm using a "Prolific 3.3.2.102 driver" Dated (9/24/2008) Anything newer will NOT WORK for me.


Maybe this is the problem preventing your port communication?

 

[Johnny Best]

I use a Keyspan adapter from serial to usb and I had to download the drivers for that model adapter. In my cutting software I have to pick what port is being used before cutting with SignCut on the D750.
I am a MacBookPro user so cannot help on the PC info you need.

 

[GTArt]

Like Tizz said, it could be a configuration issue. Was it working, and then just stopped? Or has it never worked for you?


I've got the same setup actually. Summa D-750 Pro, but using it with Corel X8, sending to WinPlot. I'm running it with a Serial to USB adaptor as well. I don't know what type you have, but I think the problem is universal.
There was some update years ago that broke the driver. I had to manually load an OLD driver and tell it to never update.to get it functional.

Every time there was a Windows update it broke it, until I told it to never update.
I've run this setup on Windows 7, 8, and now 10 and it's the same deal on all of them. The solution still works for me.


For my adapter I'm using a "Prolific 3.3.2.102 driver" Dated (9/24/2008) Anything newer will NOT WORK for me.


Maybe this is the problem preventing your port communication?

 

[GTArt]

Hi,
and thanks for your answer.
I have made a small progress in the sense that I have managed to send from Summa Cutter Control an OPOS test to the cutter which actually worked.
So far so good I now need to know what format do my files need to be to be able to be recognised by the cutter.

I will actually be more than grateful if someone took the time to explain to me step by step the process of making a design in Corel, sending to WinPlot (I got the WinPLot plugin installed and popping up everytime I open a Corel page).
Do all the graphics need to be outlined prior to sending to WinPlot and then to the cutter?
What format does the file need to be to be recognised by WinPlot, cutter etc?

I am blind like a bat and don't know what to do.

Please help..

 

[GTArt]

Like Tizz said, it could be a configuration issue. Was it working, and then just stopped? Or has it never worked for you?


I've got the same setup actually. Summa D-750 Pro, but using it with Corel X8, sending to WinPlot. I'm running it with a Serial to USB adaptor as well. I don't know what type you have, but I think the problem is universal.
There was some update years ago that broke the driver. I had to manually load an OLD driver and tell it to never update.to get it functional.

Every time there was a Windows update it broke it, until I told it to never update.
I've run this setup on Windows 7, 8, and now 10 and it's the same deal on all of them. The solution still works for me.


For my adapter I'm using a "Prolific 3.3.2.102 driver" Dated (9/24/2008) Anything newer will NOT WORK for me.


Maybe this is the problem preventing your port communication?

I bought the adapter off Ebay and it was a really tricky one to install I had to message the seller for further instructions as didn't know what to install
off the mini CD that came with it... :~

I even did a Confidence Test which cuts a Summa template which worked beautifully, I'm really impressed, but I am still stuck with not being able to send a graphic from my laptop to the cutter.

This is how I do it (correct me if I'm wrong):
I create a design in Corel (simple letters converted to curves) then I click send to WinPlot (from Corel plugin) and the design opens in WinPlot.
In WinPlot I click "Send to cutter" but a small window pops up saying:

Cutting in progress
Cutter: Summa Cut
Port: COM1 @ 9600 baud
Status: cutting

I get a very short "moving" sound coming from cutter but cutting never starts and the pop up windows closes. If I try to do it again I get:

"Failed to get the media size from the cutter"
"Failed due to timeout"
"Check if the cutter is online and cable is connected"

I'm puzzled....

 

[hcardwell93]

Do you have the Summa serial cable, or just a generic serial cable?

The USB to Serial adapter is important too. I had to get a Keyspan adapter.

 

[GTArt]

Do you have the Summa serial cable, or just a generic serial cable?

The USB to Serial adapter is important too. I had to get a Keyspan adapter.

It's a grey generic cable I think I don't know how Summa cable should look like but I know it worked as seller did a test but I lost his number unfortunately

 

[hcardwell93]

It's a grey generic cable I think I don't know how Summa cable should look like but I know it worked as seller did a test but I lost his number unfortunately

The Summa cable is wired differently than the generic cables, but that doesn't mean yours wasn't wired to Summa specs.

If the cable is known to be good then I would think the adapter isnt working properly. I would recommend buying the Keyspan adapter (USA-19H), be sure to install the driver for it and try again.

 

[GTArt]

The Summa cable is wired differently than the generic cables, but that doesn't mean yours wasn't wired to Summa specs.

If the cable is known to be good then I would think the adapter isnt working properly. I would recommend buying the Keyspan adapter (USA-19H), be sure to install the driver for it and try again.

 

[GTArt]

This is my cable (attached), as I said it's an ordinary grey serial cable but I'm starting to think the adapter is the problem.

The guys from Summa Support responded today as well, did all that, no joy.

"Hi,
In case the computer does not have a serial port you can try with a serial/USB adaptor. However, Some adaptors don't work because their signal level is too low and not compatible with an older machine as a D750. Do not forget to install the driver of the adaptor and keep in mind the cutter is still connected serial
(software settings).
Make sure you are using the correct (original) serial cable. Below you find a draw how the wires should be connected in the cable.

The strange thing is the cutter cut the small OPOS test with Summa cutter control.
I recommend you to compare the RS232 serial settings of Summa cutter control with the values of Winplot. Use in Winplot the same parameters.
If this does not solve the problem change the baudrate to the lowest value (in Winplot, Summa cutter control and the cutter menu)
Do not use Summa cutter control and Winplot at the same time.
Close Summa cutter control when you use Winplot)
As cutter model, you can select“ Summa Legacy”

 

[Simon Crookes]

This is my cable (attached), as I said it's an ordinary grey serial cable but I'm starting to think the adapter is the problem.

The guys from Summa Support responded today as well, did all that, no joy.

"Hi,
In case the computer does not have a serial port you can try with a serial/USB adaptor. However, Some adaptors don't work because their signal level is too low and not compatible with an older machine as a D750. Do not forget to install the driver of the adaptor and keep in mind the cutter is still connected serial
(software settings).
Make sure you are using the correct (original) serial cable. Below you find a draw how the wires should be connected in the cable.

The strange thing is the cutter cut the small OPOS test with Summa cutter control.
I recommend you to compare the RS232 serial settings of Summa cutter control with the values of Winplot. Use in Winplot the same parameters.
If this does not solve the problem change the baudrate to the lowest value (in Winplot, Summa cutter control and the cutter menu)
Do not use Summa cutter control and Winplot at the same time.
Close Summa cutter control when you use Winplot)
As cutter model, you can select“ Summa Legacy”

Do you possibly still have the drawing of "how the wires should be connected in the cable" that you could provide me with. If so I would be eternally grateful... at the least...

Thank you!

 

[PHILJOHNSON]

Hi Simon,

All you should need is a serial to USB adapter. Here is an option that should work well - https://www.tripplite.com/keyspan-high-speed-usb-to-serial-adapter~USA19HS. Just make sure that you purchase the adapter that includes the necessary USB driver for the adapter. Once you have all that installed change your port in Winplot for the cutter from COM1 to USB 1 and everything should communicate properly. You can test the communication using Summa Cutter Control and that is included with the Summa Cutter Tools which you can download here - https://www.airmark.com/pages/summasign-pro-vinyl-cutter-downloads.

Feel free to email me at philj@airmark.com if you have any questions.

Best regards,

Phil Johnson
Airmark Corporation
(800)527-7778, ext 112
philj@airmark.com

 

[jerry369]

Do you possibly still have the drawing of "how the wires should be connected in the cable"