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Table of Contents
Troubleshooting
Related Manuals for Ioline SmarTrac I/S Series
Summary of Contents for Ioline SmarTrac I/S Series
- Page 1 Us er G u i de I/S & 100 Series SC Series Ioline SmarTrac™...
- Page 2 Service and Support If you require assistance with an Ioline product, your local Ioline dealer or authorized service center is ready to help. Support information is also available 24/7 on the Ioline Web site—or you may contact Ioline directly: Ioline Corporation 14140 NE 200th Street Woodinville, Washington 98072 U.S.A.
- Page 3 Ioline SmarTrac™ U se r G ui d e I/S & 100 Series SC Series...
- Page 4 Images & Illustrations Figure 1 The Ioline SmarTrac I/S cutter front view ............. x Figure 2 The Ioline SmarTrac Contour (SC) cutter front view ........xi Figure 3 The Ioline SmarTrac SC-72 cutter front view ............ xii Figure 5 Power and communications ports ................xiv Figure 6 USB Connection ......................
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Page 5: Table Of Contents
Unpack the Cutter ....................... 16 Assembly ..........................16 Prepare the Area ........................16 Connect the Cutter to the Computer ................16 Install Ioline Software, Drivers and Manuals ..............17 Power On ..........................17 Install Drivers ........................17 Special COM port Settings ................18 Automatically Find the COM Port ................... - Page 6 The Ioline Control Center ................23 Changing System Settings ....................24 Menu Bar Features ................... 25 File ....................... 25 Setup ......................25 Display ......................25 Options ....................... 25 Calibrate ..................... 25 Test ......................25 Help ......................25 Screen Menu Options ..................26 Measurement Units ......................
- Page 7 Chapter 3 Communication Testing Testing the Cutter Serial Port ................... 44 Testing the Computer Serial Port ..................44 Troubleshooting Chart ......................45 Chapter 4 Troubleshooting LED Codes ..........................47 Troubleshooting the Parallel Port (for older machines) ..........47 Replacing the Blade ..................49 Chapter 5 Routine Maintenance Cleaning the Drive Shaft .................
- Page 8 viii Notes...
- Page 9 Using the Autoloop function (enabled in the Control Center) will create the required service loop by gently pulling a set amount of material from the roll before cutting. Ioline recommends using the Autoloop function when plotting on a roll of material.
- Page 10 A. Dust Cover Drive Shaft B. Drive Shaft Marker (beneath material) C. Carriage G. Pinchwheel D. Blade Holder H. Pinchwheel Lever E. Idler Wheel Figure 1. The Ioline SmarTrac I/S cutter front view.
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Page 11: Visual Reference Guide
Visual Reference Guide Keypad M. Media Roller N. Platen Stand Leg K. Stand Leveling Foot O. Traverse L. Cross-member LED Sensor Figure 2. The Ioline SmarTrac Contour (SC) cutter front view. - Page 12 A. Dust Cover E. Blade Holder B. Drive Shaft Marker LED Sensor C. Idler Wheel G. Pinchwheel D. Carriage H. Drive Shaft See Detail 1 See Detail 2 See Detail 3 Figure 3. The Ioline SmarTrac SC-72 cutter front view.
- Page 13 K. Stand Leg O. Platen L. Platen Leveling Foot Traverse M. Stand Leveling Foot N. Cross-member Detail 1 Detail 2 Detail 3 xiii...
- Page 14 R. Power Switch T. USB Port S. Serial (COM) Port U. Power Cord Figure 5. Power and communications ports are located on the back of the right cover.
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Page 15: Getting Started
Most design software does not have a USB port. provides drivers for Ioline cutters. If you need assistance with drivers, contact Ioline customer service. There is a specialized software program that comes with the cutter called the Ioline Control Center. -
Page 16: Installation
This will protect the equip- ment and reset the cutter. Note Ioline recommends using a surge protector power strip for both the PC and the machine. Figure 6. USB Connection. (Unused serial port... -
Page 17: Install Ioline Software, Drivers And Manuals
XP, Vista ® Windows operating systems ver- and Win 7 version of the Ioline Control Center, the 101 software sions XP, Vista, and Win 7. (100 System only), USB drivers, Adobe Acrobat, and electronic User Guides (Acrobat required to view). -
Page 18: Special Com Port Settings
Open the Ioline Control Center Go to Step 3 to find a serial con- nection COM port or Step 5 for USB connection COM port . IF USING A SERIAL CABLE: determine the COM port by click- ing on the Setup menu then choose Port Setup. -
Page 19: Manually Find The Com Port
Chapter 1: Overview Manually Find the COM Port Open the Windows Control Panel. Double click on the System icon then the Hardware tab then Device Manager button. Double click on the Ports (COM and LPT) item to expand the list. Find the USB Serial Port (COMx) item in the list. -
Page 20: Manually Configure The Usb Settings (Optional)
Ioline SmarTrac User Guide Figure 11. Setup the software for USB. Note Manually configure the USB settings (optional) Manually changing the Windows ® COM port settings is required Open the Windows Control Panel. for some programs. Use the Windows Device Manager to ®... -
Page 21: Figure 14 The Smartrac Keypad
Chapter 2 Operation Keypad Controls Note Unless otherwise stated, the The keypad allows access to the main cutter functions. following information applies to both the I/S and SC SmarTrac lines. Figure 14. The SmarTrac keypad. START / STOP The START / STOP key connects or disconnects communication between the computer and the cutter. -
Page 22: Figure 15 Origin Point
Ioline SmarTrac User Guide Arrow Keys Pressing the Arrow keys moves the material back and forth or the carriage from side to side. The Arrow keys will not work unless the cutter is in STOP mode (see START / STOP above). -
Page 23: Repeat
Update Display function. (Update Display is described later in this chapter.) The Ioline Control Center The Ioline Control Center is a utility program that does three things: Note Allows adjustment of settings to tailor output from the computer. -
Page 24: Figure 17 The Control Center Main Menu
Ioline SmarTrac User Guide Figure 17. The Control Center Main Menu. Changing System Settings You can adjust many settings with the Control Center to fit your needs: Put the cutter in START mode (Green light mode) before changing system settings. To do so, press the START / STOP key and make sure the Green light is on before changing any settings. -
Page 25: Menu Bar Features
Chapter 2: Operation Menu Bar Features The Ioline Control Center provides comprehensive help files to ex- plain the functions of the software options. Below is a brief summary Menu Bar items. File Send Cut/Plot File Sends a cut (.PLT) file to the cutter. -
Page 26: Screen Menu Options
Ioline SmarTrac User Guide Screen Menu Options Measurement Units English or Metric units are available when adjusting settings. Panel Size The Panel Size is the maximum area the cutter can use for cutting. The factory-set (and maximum) X-axis panel length is 838-in long (2129-cm). -
Page 27: Update Display
Chapter 2: Operation Tag Board Tag Board Cutout is for cutting stencil material (tag board). Cutout A standard blade holder and blade is required. An in- termittent cut is created so that the stencil stays in place during cutting. See Cut and Blank below for more details. The Cut value is the length, in thousands of an inch (mils.), that the blade will cut when plotting the segment- ed line for pouncing or tag board cutout. -
Page 28: Acceleration
Ioline SmarTrac User Guide Acceleration The factory-set Acceleration is 1.0 g. The Acceleration setting deter- mines how quickly the pen or blade will reach full speed when start- ing or ending a cut line. Use the Control Center to change the setting within a range of 0.1 to 1.0 g. -
Page 29: Cutting A Design
Use the Paneling feature in the design software for long designs. Paneling will restrict the length of any X-axis move. Ioline suggests an X panel size of 10 to 20 inches with no panels greater than 40 inches. Force. Incorrect force can cause misalignment problems over the range of a long cut. -
Page 30: Aligning The Material And Pinchwheels
Ioline SmarTrac User Guide Aligning the Material and Pinchwheels Ioline recommends using the “Typewriter Method” to align the mate- rial to the platen. The drive shaft is optimized for most common mate- rial widths as well as scraps. When loading material, use the drive shaft markers on the traverse to find the drive shaft segments. -
Page 31: Figure 18 Adjusting Pinchwheel Pressure
Chapter 2: Operation cates 8-lbs of force. On units equipped with inner pinchwheels, force can be set to 12 lbs. (vertical setting) or 4-lbs. (horizon- tal setting). The 12-lb. inner pinchwheel setting is useful for heavier materials such as heavy sandblast or reflective sheeting. High Force Position Low Force Position Cam Slot Vertical... -
Page 32: Installing A Blade And The Blade Foot
Ioline SmarTrac User Guide Installing a Blade and the Blade Foot Note A blade and a blade holder are included in the Accessory Kit. To Be very careful when handling install the blade and blade foot in to the blade holder:... -
Page 33: Adjusting Exposure And Force
Chapter 2: Operation Adjusting Exposure and Force Note Successive test cuts will automati- Properly adjust blade exposure and force to achieve good cutting cally be positioned to the left of results. Getting this right can make or break a design. the previous test cut. -
Page 34: Force Adjustment
Send the file directly from the design software following the direc- tions in the documentation or— From the Ioline Control Center: From the menu bar select File, Send Cut/Plot File. Either enter the path and file name of the cut or select the cor- rect location from the directory\file lists in the dialog box. -
Page 35: Figure 23 Suggested Settings For Different Materials
Suggested Settings There are many variables that determine cutter output quality. Ioline recommends using low force and speed settings when making the initial test cuts. Gradually increase these settings until the best values for the material are found. -
Page 36: Figure 24 Plotting Pen Guidelines
Before cutting, verify that the SmarTrac is properly calibrated and that the pinchwheels are correctly spaced. For best re- sults, certain system settings should also be adjusted. Use the Ioline Control Center to make these changes. The following suggestions will help you produce fine quality long designs. -
Page 37: Cutting Small Characters
Also, some of the system set- tings should be adjusted to achieve more accurate detailed cutting. This is done by making changes in the Ioline Control Center and by adjusting the dial controls on the front panel. The following is a list of adjustments that should be made: Lower Force. -
Page 38: How To Pounce
20 lb. paper that lies flat. A pounce tool and a pounce blade (avail- able from Ioline) are also required. Select Pounce in the Ioline Control Center. Make sure that Tag Board Cutout is turned OFF. Put the cutter in START mode (green LED on). -
Page 39: Stencil Cutting
Center. Perform test cuts to determine the proper settings for these parameters. (E.g., try wider blank spacing for larger im- ages.) See the section describing the Ioline Control Center for more details on adjusting the cut and blank settings. Stencil Cutting Stencil material (Tag Board) is handled much the same as thinner material with the important exception of using much higher force. -
Page 40: Tangential Cutting
This process is useful for especially challenging materials like reflec- tive vinyl. Using tangential cutting will reduce throughput because of the extra alignment steps. Use the Ioline Control Center software to enable and adjust tangential cutting. Follow these steps to enable tangential cutting: Power on the Ioline cutter. -
Page 41: Figure 26 Rectangular Registration Marks
The registration marks are solid rectangular black squares with a minimum size of 0.275-in. (7-mm) and a maximum size of .59 in. (15 mm). Ioline recommends a 0.394-in. (1-cm) square. See Figure 27. Make sure there is a minimum margin of 3-in. between the registration marks and the edge of the vinyl on both sides and the top and bottom. -
Page 42: Figure 29 Registration Mark Locations On Plot
Contact the manufacturer of the design software to determine if Ioline contour drivers are available. An origin point should be set on the cutter so that the sensor light is positioned within the center of the first registration mark. -
Page 43: Communication Test
Cutter to the Computer in the Installation chapter for more details. Start the Ioline Control Center. Select Test, Communication Test from the menu bar at the top of the window. Turn on the cutter while holding down the Test Cut key on the keypad. -
Page 44: Testing The Cutter Serial Port
Ioline SmarTrac User Guide Testing the Cutter Serial Port The diagnostic module is required for this test. Connect the diagnostic module directly to the cutter COM port. From the Control Center main menu, select Test, Plotter Port Test. Turn on the cutter while holding down the Test Cut key on the keypad. -
Page 45: Troubleshooting Chart
Chapter 4 Troubleshooting If the system is not working correctly the problem could be with the computer, the cable, the design software, or with the cutter. Changes to the computer operating system or the installation of new periph- erals or software might cause conflicts. If the computer or the design software cause a problem, consult the computer or software manuals or call the manufacturer or dealer. - Page 46 Ioline SmarTrac User Guide Printing or cutting is erratic. Cause: Solution: The wrong plotter language is Make sure the correct driver set- assigned to the plot file. ting is selected (HPGL or DM/PL). The blade skips or tears the material.
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Page 47: Led Codes
The Green light on the front panel blinks once: keypad, make note of the number of times the light blinks and Cause: Solution: contact Ioline Customer Service The carriage is jammed Turn the SmarTrac off and clear immediately. Contact informa- away any debris or jammed tion is located in the End Notes material. - Page 48 Ioline SmarTrac User Guide BIOS settings can also have an effect on parallel port performance. The SmarTrac supports only SPP parallel port communication. ECP and EPP modes are not supported. These instructions include edit- ing the PC BIOS to ensure that the port is in the proper mode prior to staring Windows.
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Page 49: Replacing The Blade
Chapter 5 Routine Maintenance Replacing the Blade Caution The blade tip is sharp and If plot quality suddenly degrades the blade might be dull or broken. fragile. Be careful when The tip of the blade is very fragile and can chip or break if dropped. handling it. -
Page 50: Cleaning The Drive Shaft
Typically, the accuracy of a cut is within 0.2% overall. By using the calibration feature, the variance can be adjusted to within 0.05%. Prepare the cutter: Open the Ioline Control Center program. Put the cutter in START mode (green LED). Load the cutter with material that is greater than 22-in wide (60-cm model) or greater than 30-in wide (80-cm or larger mod- els) and a minimum of 48-in long. -
Page 51: Figure 32 The Calibration Box And Measurements
Chapter 5: Routine Maintenance Precisely measure both X-axis and Y-axis lines. Better accuracy in measurement equals better calibration. Measure both sides and the top and bottom of the box. ~40 in. Figure 32. The Calibration Box and measurements. Take the average of the horizontal (Y) values by adding them together and dividing by 2. -
Page 52: Calibrating The Sensor For Contour Cutting
Contour Cutting Sensor calibration is required if using any tool other than the The registration sen- Ioline blade holder (i.e. a ball sor is calibrated for point pen). Calibration is also the standard Ioline required to switch back to the... -
Page 53: Figure 36. The Control Center Calibration Window
Chapter 5: Routine Maintenance Insert the tool that is used during registration into the tool jaw on the carriage. If calibrating for the Ioline blade holder, insert the registration tool (Ioline PN 105745) included in the Accessory Kit. Move the carriage and material so that the tip of the tool is near the lower left corner of the black square. -
Page 54: Figure 37. The Small Sensor Calibration Window
Figure 37. The Small Sensor Calibration window. Perform test registration cuts to verify that alignment is correct. If it is not, check that the black box is exactly 1-cm then repeat the procedure again. Contact Ioline Customer Service if calibra- tion is unsuccessful. -
Page 55: Service & Support
Hint Ioline is committed to providing the highest quality service and sup- SmarTrac Service manuals, techni- port to its customers. If you need assistance with an Ioline SmarTrac, cal bulletins, software updates and a number of resources are available: other information are available First, refer to this SmarTrac User Guide for answers to your spe- www. -
Page 56: Customer Service
Ioline SmarTrac User Guide Customer Service Ioline Corporation is committed to providing quality service and support to our customers. If you need assistance with an Ioline prod- uct, contact your local dealer or Ioline authorized service center. You may also contact:... -
Page 57: The Fcc Wants You To Know
Chapter 6: End Notes The FCC Wants You to Know... This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used properly (in strict accordance with manufac- turer instructions), it may cause interference to radio and television reception. - Page 58 Ioline SmarTrac User Guide must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. If this equipment does cause inter- ference to radio or television reception - which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on - you are encouraged to try to correct the problem by one or more of the following measures: Use only shielded interface cables.
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Page 59: Glossary
Glossary Cast - Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheeting formed by spreading a molten vinyl mixture on a carrier sheet or web, and then baking at high temperatures to re- Acceleration - The rate that a cutter changes the move solvents and fuse the remaining material into velocity of the carriage or the material. - Page 60 60 60 Ioline SmarTrac User Guide Flange - The projecting rim around the edge that holds the pen or blade holder to the tool carriage. The cutter automatically recognizes when a pen or Mil - Thousandths of an inch or milliinches. For blade is installed and changes cutting parameters example;...
- Page 61 Glossary 61 61 is perforated into paper using the Pounce feature. The pattern is then held firmly against the substrate and perforations patted with powder, charcoal or Vector - In computerized design making, a line seg- colored chalk dust, leaving an outline of the design. ment between two coordinates, on which a pen or blade path can be created for cutting.
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Page 63: Index
Conflicts 23 Parallel 60 Autoloop ix, 26, 29, 36, 37, 38, 39, 50 Parallel port 47 Axis 59 Serial xiv Setup within the Ioline Control Center 25 USB xiv Setup 19 Communication Testing 43, 43–44 COM Port 18, 19, 44 Blade... - Page 64 Ioline SmarTrac Quick Start Guide Cutting 29–42 Aligning the material 30 Canceling a job 35 Contour graphics 41–42 Green light mode. See START mode General guidelines 29 Installing a blade 32 Loading material 29 Long signs 36–37 Pausing 34 Quality 23, 35, 36, 38, 49, 59 Replacing the blade 49 Help x, 22, 25, 36, 37, 38, 43, 55–57, 59, 60.
- Page 65 Index Pinchwheel x, xii, 30, 31, 35, 36, 37, 38, 46, 60 Adjustment 30–31 For pen plotting 30 Cam slot 31 Material 15 Locking 31 Alignment 30 Locking clip 31 Feed path ix Maximum force 30 Loading 29 Position 30 Reflectives 28, 30, 31, 40 Sandblast 28, 30, 31 Pinchwheel lever x, 30, 31...
- Page 66 Ioline SmarTrac Quick Start Guide Scraps 26, 30 Traverse xi, xiii Sensor xi, xii, 41, 42, 52, 53, 54 Troubleshooting 45–48 Communication Conflicts 23 Sensor Calibration button 53 Computer Port Test 25 Diagnostic tests 23 Serial communications 61 Plotter Port Test 25...