2 Power Jet Plotting Program

Transcription

1 2 Power Jet Plotting Program 2.1 POWER JET PLOTTER ENVIRONMENT SETTINGS CONFIGURATION A) The Queue File window should NEVER be changed (C:\Power\coda.cod). B) The Manual Management box: - If the plotter is part of a network this box should NOT be CHECKED. C) - SORT - Refer to section for print queue Sorting Methods. - If the plotter is NOT part of a network Manual management should be CHECKED ( ). D) The Log File window should NEVER be changed (C:\Power\log.log). E) To utilize the Log File, check ( ) the Enable box. Refer to the Power Jet Plotter Users manual for instructions on using the Log File function. F) The Plotter Configuration File field is enabled (refer to section ). G)The Raster Files Folder window should NEVER be changed (C:\Power\Raster). H) The Vector Files Folder window must indicate the drive AND THE SUB- DIRECTORY where the HPGL marker files are stored. I) Use the Browse button to scroll to the HPGL sub-directory. J) The Vector Format window indicates the graphics language HPGL (Hewlett Packard Graphics Language) that may be interpreted by the Power Jet plotting program. K) The Vector Step value refers to the conversion factor used in the Power Jet plotter rasterizing program to calculate HPGL plot coordinates which may be based either in inches or in millimeters. HPGL files that are based on the metric system have a 1 to 1 conversion factor to the Power Jet rasterizing program (Vector Step 0.01). Most programs that create HPGL files based on the English numeric system have a conversion factor of 2.5 to 1 (Vector Step 0.025) Vector Files Folder setting and file transfer procedures for NON-network plotters If the plotter is NOT part of a network, use the default setting (C:\Power\hpgl). Copy HPGL format marker files from a floppy disk to the HPGL sub-directory on the C drive of the Plotter s onboard PC. Refer to instructions in the Power Jet Plotter Users Manual.

2 2.1.2 Vector Files Folder configuration procedures for plotters within networks If the plotter is part of a network, indicate the exact path of the sub-directory where HPGL marker files are stored at the remote workstation. Two methods to indicate the HPGL sub-directory path follow. 1) On the plotter s PC open the Environment Settings window. - Click the browse button (I) at the right of the Vector Files Folder field. - Click the Up One Level icon until you can identify the drive or the network address where the HPGL marker files are stored. - Proceed to scroll through directories until the sub-directory at the remote workstation where the HPGL marker files are stored is highlighted. Then click the Open button. - Verify that the path indicated in the Data Directory field does not contain any double back-slashes (\\). If so, delete the back-slashes. - Clear (leave unchecked) the Manual Management box (B) in the Environment Settings menu. - Click the OK button at the bottom of the Environment Settings window to save the Vector Files Format path change. If the E S window does not close after clicking the OK button, the path that has been designated is not correct.

3 2) Another method to specify the HPGL sub-directory and path at the remote workstation follows. - On the plotter s PC, use the Map Network Driver function (located in Windows Explorer under the Tools heading) to identify the HPGL directory and path. - In the Drive field, scroll to the name of the drive located at the remote workstation where the HPGL marker files are stored. - In the Path field enter the complete path for the sub-directory at the remote workstation where the HPGL marker files are stored. - Activate the Reconnect at Logon box by entering a check ( ). - Click the OK button. ] - Open the Environment Settings window. - In the Vector Files Format field (H) delete the default path. Then manually type in the path and name of the sub-directory where HPGL files are stored at the remote workstation. - Clear the Manual Management box (I). - Click the OK button at the bottom of the Environment Settings window to save the Vector Files Format path change. If the E S window does not close after clicking the OK button, the path that has been designated is not correct.

4 2.2 CHANGING the MEASUREMENT SYSTEM (effective October 2000) The Power Jet plotting program provides the option of displaying measurements in the Metric system, or in the US - English system (yards / inches). To change the measurement system follow instructions below. 1) Close the Power Jet plotting program. 2) Click Start on the Windows status bar. 3) Click Settings, and then choose Control Panel. 4) Click the Regional Settings icon to open the Regional Settings Properties menu. 5) Click the Number tab, and then click the arrow to the right of the Measurement System field. Highlight either Metric or U.S., and click Apply and OK. 6) NOTE: when working with Metric measurement, it is possible to display totals either in meters / centimeters (5m10.0cm), or in millimeters (5100mm). - to display values in millimeters, click the arrow to the right of the List Separator field and substitute the comma (,) symbol with the semicolon (;) symbol. Click Apply and OK ; - to display values in meters/centimeters, click the arrow to the right of the List Separator field. Substitute the semicolon (;) symbol with the comma (,) symbol. Then click Apply and OK. 2.3 TESTS and ADVANCED SETTINGS Instructions to open the Power Jet plotter Tests and Advanced Settings menu follow. 1) Switch the plotter ON. Double click the Desktop icon Shortcut to AlgoPlotter. 2) On the Algotex Plotter Driver menu move the cursor above Plotter Settings button. 3) Use the following keyboard/mouse sequence simultaneously: [Shift]+[Ctrl]+[click left mouse button]+[click right mouse button] - then release ALL. 4) The menues on the following pages become available by clicking the tab headings.

5 2.3.1 Command Settings Main Motor Time-out: This value represents the time allowed for the printhead carriage to make a round trip from the home position to the left side of the plotter and then back to the home position. If the carriage does not return to the home position within the time alotted, the carriage motor will be disactivated and the following error message will be displayed. Refer to section for instructions on regulating the Offset Trimmer on the carriage motor power amplifier to insure that the printheads carriage does not move or slip either towards the right or towards the left side of the plotter. Click the Home button to check the initiallizing movement of the printhead carriage Printhead Settings Refer to the Power Jet Users Manual for descriptions of the following tests/settings: Vertical Lines Test, Shift, Jets Efficiency Test, Paper, Print, Measure. Print Enable: If during operations one or more of the four Power Jet plotter printheads do not print properly, it is possible to temporarily disactivate them so as to eliminate gaps in the plotted markers. Therefore, the Power Jet plotter normally operates with four printheads, but can also operate with a single printhead, with a pair of printheads, or with three printheads. NOTE: active printheads must be contiguous (next to each other). Example: it is not possible to disactivate only printhead #2, because printhead #1 and printhead #3 are not contiguous. NOTE: this function is not operative in tests mode.

6 2.3.3 Paper Feed Settings The following settings should NEVER be changed: Toprate Slewrate Rampsteps Start LF Number Half Steps The default Half-Steps setting for the Power Jet plotter varies between 400 and 450. The Half-Steps value determines how much paper is pulled to the front of the plotter by the advance motors during each line feed. The setting is correct when there are no gaps or over-lapping evident in printed lines after two successive line feeds. The swath (height of the printed band) is mm, which should correspond to the amount of paper that is advanced at each line feed. Rules: Eliminate over-lapping in printing by increasing the Half-Step value. Eliminate gaps in printing by decreasing the Half- Step value. NB. After changing the Half-Steps value be sure to run the Measure Adjust function, located in the Measure settings menu, to ensure precise plotting dimensions. Wait at LF This option should be checked ( ).The printheads carriage motor will not be activated until the paper advance motors have completed the current line feed Print Carriage Motor Settings The following settings should NEVER be changed: Encoder Pulses Encoder Divisor Encoder Resolution Horizontal Resolution Plot Speed This value represents the maximum speed that the printhead carriage motor may reach both on the right-to-left direction and on the left-to-right direction. Return Speed This value represents the maximum speed that the carriage motor may reach on the left-to-right direction when the print mode is set at mono-direction. Home Speed This value represents the maximum speed that the carriage motor may reach when the carriage returns to the home position, before initiating printing. Motor Ramp This value represents the acceleration rate of the carriage motor.

7 2.3.5 Miscellaneous Settings Bytes Settings NEVER change the following settings: Heads, Channels, Vertical Res, Jets distance Heads Offset in 1/10mm After printhead substitution alignment of the printheads relative to each other will require regulation. Sequence for this software regulation of the printheads positions follows below: - Open the Head settings menu and run the Jets Efficiency test. - Exit the Head settings menu and open the Misc. settings menu. According to the match-ups of the printed vertical lines on the right side for each printhead in the Jets Efficiency test, change the values of the Heads Offset settings for the 3 heads positioned below the highest printhead. If one or more of the printheads are not vertically aligned with the 4 th printhead (the head at the top) change the Heads Offset values. Refer to the Heads Offset section in the Inkjet Printheads chapter for an illustrated explanation. Plotter Width: Plotter Width is the physical width of the plotter in millimeters and represents the maximum limit for the general setting Paper Width. The user may not plot designs wider than this established setting. NB. If this setting is greater than the physical width of the plotter, the printhead carriage can crash into the left side of the plotter. NONE of the settings in this menu should EVER be changed. Jet Test: Click the Jet Test button to view the follow menu. Print a single 40 cm horizontal line by indicating the printhead and an individual jet nozzle.

8 2.4 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PLOTTING PROGRAM UPGRADE - (01/06/2000) The attached 3 zip files include: -AlgotexPlotter.zip, Driver.zip, and InstMsi.zip Removal of current plotting program: 1) Close all open programs. Click Start, choose Settings, choose Control Panel. 2) Click the System icon to open the System Properties menu. 3) Click the Device Manager tab. 4) Click the + sign at left of? Other Devices, then click? Algotex Power Plotter 5) Choose Remove All, and then OK/Yes. 6) Close System Properties. 7) Click the Add/Remove Programs icon to open A/R Programs Properties. 8) Highlight Algotex Plotter Driver and click Add/Remove. Then click the Remove All button, then click Next, Finish, OK. 9) Highlight Algotex Plotter Driver Setup, click Remove, then Uninstall, and then Finish. Close the Control Panel. Re-installation: 1) Create a temporary destination directory on the C drive of the plotter s PC. Extract the 3 zip files to this destination directory. When extraction is complete the temporary destination directory should include the following four files: instmsi.exe, AlgotexPlotter.msi, AlgoPower.inf and ALGOPOW.sys 2) Re-open the Control Panel, choose Add New Hardware, and click Next - Next. 3) At the question: Is the device that you want to install listed below?, choose; No, the device isn t in the list., then click Next. 4) At the question: Do you want Windows to search for your new hardware?, choose; No, I want to select the hardware from a list., then click Next. 5) Choose Other Devices, click Next, then Have disk, and browse to the temporary directory that you created as destination for the extracted files. 6) Highlight the AlgoPower.inf file and click OK - OK - Next - Next - Finish. 7 ) Choose Yes to Restart the PC. 8 ) Open the temporary destination directory for the extracted files, and double click the instmsi.exe file. 9) At termination of the installation, restart the PC. 10) Open the temporary destination directory and double click the AlgotexPlotter.msi file. 11) In the Algotex Plotter Driver Setup window, click Next and then either choose the default directory as the permanent destination for the Algotex Plotter Driver, or browse to create/choose a different permanent destination directory for the driver. Then click Next. 12) Select either the Power or Classic model. Click Next, then click Finish. 13) Verify that the Algotex Plotter shortcut icon is present on the desktop. 14) When the procedure is complete, delete the temporary destination directory together with the extracted files from the plotter s C drive.

9 The new version of the program will now operate while maintaining the plotter s original configuration values. In the future it will be simpler to maintain and upgrade the software. A brief description of the differences between the new and the previous plotting program versions follows Environment settings window There are two new features in this dialog box Plotter Configuration File This field is enabled to permit changing between: - high speed plotting /(low print resolution): configuration power-v700.cfg and - low speed plotting /(high print resolution): configuration power-l700.cfg without quitting the program. Change the plotting speed by clicking on the Browse button to the right of the Configuration File field. The following window will appear. Choose between: - power-v700.cfg (V = high speed printing) or - power-l700.cfg (L = low speed printing)

10 Sorting Method In the Queue File management field when the Manual management box is left unchecked (only for plotters in networks), the Sort... button is enabled. Click this button to view the following menu: Select By Modification Time : Select By Name : the oldest files will automatically be positioned at the top of the print queue and will be plotted first. The most recent files will be plotted last. print queue files will be positioned in the queue list according to their alphabetical order Tray icon The new program version shows a tray icon on the right side of the system status bar. The icon has two states as seen below: - The left icon indicates normal operating status. - The right icon (with red light) indicates errors in plotting operations. In the event of an error, position the mouse cursor above the tray icon to view pop-up descriptions of the cause of the error in plotting operations. Click the icon to view the plotter status window (seen below), which permits determining the cause of errors in plotting operations. GREEN print status indicates normal operations. RED on black status indicates an error in plotting operations.

11 2.4.3 Selectable Pen Width The pen width selection is now enabled. Open the Print(head) settings menu. Select Normal for standard line width. Select Bold for bold (darker) print mode. NB. Use the Bold setting only when plotting at low speed (power-l700.cfg) Program versions Click the icon at the top left corner of the main window, and then choose "About..." to view the following window that lists the versions of various software componants.

12 2.5 SOFTWARE CONFLICTS: INSTALLATION OF NETWORK AND MODEM CARDS After installing communication cards in the Power Jet plotter s onboard electronics, use the following procedure to verify the absence of conflicts with the plotting program resources. 1) Close all open programs. Click Start, choose Settings, then Control Panel. 2) Click the System icon to open the System Properties menu. 3) Click the Device Manager tab. 4) Click the + sign next to Network Adapters. Then highlight the card you have installed and click the Properties button. 5) In the Properties window click the Resources tab to view Interrupt Request and Input/Output settings. 6) Repeat steps 1-4. Click the + sign next to Other Devices. Highlight Algotex Power Plotter and click the Properties button. 7) In the Properties window click the Resources tab to view the plotter program resource settings. Verify that there are no conflicts.