Printer problems with mastercam

[prosoft]

One of our clients is having the following issue:

 

He is trying to print a graphic file in Mastercam and for some reason its taking a long time to process the job.

 

Is there something wrong with the printer settings or the baud rate?

 

He has tried setting the baud rate to high kbps but this hasnt solved the problem.

 

Any insights?

[cadcam]

Are they trying to print a large shaded model.

and what are they trying to print it to a local printer a network printer.

 

there can be all typs of resions.

I know when I try and print a high resaloution pictuter to my wireless printer it can take time.

[prosoft]

they are just printing simple straight out A1 with borders arounds it........

 

they are printing it to a local printer

 

it was working fine before.....they recently changed the drive belt on the printer and upgraded their system to windows xp.....

 

 

they have also tried to increase the baud rate but that hasnt worked......

[Rick Damiani]

That they are futzing with baud rate tells me that it is a serial plotter they are trying to use. Is that correct? If so, the recent upgrade to XP is likely the culprit. Check the serial port settings in the Windows control panel and make sure they match what the plotter expects.

 

If it *ain't* a serial plotter you are using, baud rates won't have any effect. Let us know what you are trying to use, and how you are trying to use it (i.e. Windows driver or MasterCAM internal).

[prosoft]

Rick.....thanks for your input

 

if windows xp is the culprit wot measures you can take to avoid the slow processing of Cad data.........so that you can print faster through mastercam plot function

[Bullines]

Try decreasing the FIFO buffer sizes on the serial port being used.

[Nominal]

dumb questions but...

 

Was there an ME driver for that printer?

[the1yyz]

It will be a wise idea to check for a windows XP compatible driver for this printer/plotter.

 

 

Also if windows XP loaded some kind on default driver for this printer it is likely that the serial port was reset to 9600 baud.

 

You will need to set the proper baud rate, Stop bits, and parity for the printer type.

 

The newer dirver may take care of this for you.

 

Driverguide.com has tons of driver for just about everything.

[KCollins]

Type type of driver may have a lot to due with it also. Post script drivers take far longer to print to than other types (such as a PCL....my printers is an HP)...however I find them much less error prone....

[Rick Damiani]

quote:

---

if windows xp is the culprit wot measures you can take to avoid the slow processing of Cad data.........so that you can print faster through mastercam plot function

---

Assuming that:

 

- This is a serial plotter

- Win Drv is set to 'N'

- MasterCAM's port/driver settings are correct

- The serial cable is properly wired (i.e. if you are using CTS/RTS you'll need more pins connected correctly than if you are using XON/XOFF)

- You are really, really sure the cable is correct.

- Becasue you tested it with a breakout box/multi meter.

- And you are certan that the breakput box/multi meter was being used correctly.

- On the right pins and everything.

- Really and truely.

- After reading the directions and everything.

- And you took all the rotary switch boxes out to the press and made tinfoil out of them, 'casue they ain't even worth using as door stops.

 

Then I'd check to make sure that the baud rates, parity bits, and flow control settings in WinXP are the same as MasterCAM and are what the printer expects. Then I'd check the dip switches on the plotter or the plotter's control panel to make sure that the settings I think are correct really are correct. Then I'd check the cable again. With a breakout box. After smashing any rotary switche boxes I missed the first time.

 

A bad/incorrectly wired cable (or a rotary switch box) will cause the plotter and the computer to spend lots and lots of time saying the digital equvilant of Huh? and What? and very little time actually sending useful information. That will look like slow processing of data, when it's actually slow transmission of data and rapid-fire 'huhuhuhuhuhuhuh' with the ocassional 'what'.

 

That the cable worked with Win 9x/Win3.1/DOS means little about it's fittness with XP, becasue XP REALLY MEANS IT when it sets up the serial port. Win 9x/Win3.1/DOS don't. Doing AutoCAD support for a long time, I know of many sites that had serial cables that worked 'just fine' until they changed the OS/upgraded AutoCAD/Upgraded the OS/switched to Solaris/switched back to SunOS/plugged it into their Irix box or whathaveyou. Breakout boxes and/or properly applied multimeters are your best buddy at times like that.

 

Note: If it *ain't* a serial device, ignore all the above. What make/model printer did you say this was again? It's important.

 

[ 11-05-2003, 03:33 AM: Message edited by: Rick Damiani ]

[prosoft]

thanks guys the problem is solved it was the driver