Gerber P2C 1600 Owner's Manual
Gerber P2C™ 1600
User's Manual
IMPORTANT
Before you begin...
Please complete the attached Warranty Registration Card and
return it to Gerber today, or go through the online registration at
http://www.gspinc/products/registration/index.html.
Failure to register may result in delayed responses to your warranty
and service inquiries.
FCC NOTICE
Warning: Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the
party responsible for compliance could void the user’s authority to operate the
equipment.
Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a
Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC rules. These limits are
designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when
the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment
generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed
and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a
residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in which case the user
will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.
RS-232 shielded cables must be used with this unit to ensure compliance with
the Class A FCC limits.
This Class A digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
Cet appareil numérique de la classe A est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du
Canada.
NOTICE
Gerber reserves the right to modify the information contained in this User
Manual at any time without prior notice. Unauthorized copying, modification,
distribution or display is prohibited. All rights reserved. All queries, comments or
suggestions concerning this and other Gerber manuals should be directed to:
Gerber Scientific Products
83 Gerber Road
South Windsor, CT 06074 USA
860-643-1515
Customer Service: 800-222-7446
Technical Support: 800-828-5406 / 860-644-6971
Fax 800-227-6228 / 860-871-3862
www.gspinc.com
Copyright 2005, Gerber Scientific International, Inc.
TRADEMARK ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
GERBER EDGE, EDGE and Gerber Scientific Products are registered trademarks
and Gerber P2C and FastFacts are trademarks of Gerber Scientific Products.
3M, Scotchcal, Scotchlite, Controltac, Comply and Panaflex are trademarks of
the 3M Corporation.
DM/PL and Houston Instrument are trademarks of Summagraphics Corporation.
HP-GL is a trademark of Hewlett-Packard Company.
IBM PC, IBM PC/XT, and IBM AT are trademarks of International Business
Machines Corp.
Macintosh, Macintosh Plus, Macintosh SE, and Macintosh II are trademarks of
Apple Computer.
Gerber P2C™ 1600 Cutters User’s Manual
TABLE OF CONTENTS...................................................................................Page
SECTION 1.......................................................................................................1-1
1 GENERAL INFORMATION .....................................................................1-1
1.1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................1-1
1.1.1 PRODUCT FEATURES .................................................................................. 1-2
1.1.2 GERBER P2C 1600 USER MANUAL ............................................................ 1-3
1.2 SPECIFICATIONS............................................................................................ 1-4
1.2.1 CUTTER ....................................................................................................... 1-4
1.2.2 MEDIA ........................................................................................................ 1-4
1.2.3 KNIFE, PEN AND POUNCING TOOL .......................................................... 1-6
1.2.4 INTERFACE ................................................................................................. 1-6
1.2.5 FIRMWARE ................................................................................................. 1-7
1.2.6 PERFORMANCE......................................................................................... 1-7
1.2.7 CERTIFICATIONS......................................................................................... 1-7
1.2.8 ENVIRONMENTAL ...................................................................................... 1-8
1.2.9 ELECTRICAL................................................................................................ 1-8
1.3 CUTTER ACCESSORIES AND CONSUMABLES................................................ 1-9
1.4 REAR PANEL COMPONENTS........................................................................ 1-10
1.5 FRONT PANEL CONTROLS ........................................................................... 1-12
1.6 POWERING UP THE CUTTER.......................................................................... 1-14
1.6.1 EARTHING ................................................................................................ 1-14
1.7 INSTALLATION OF A KNIFE, PEN OR POUNCING TOOL ............................. 1-16
1.7.1 KNIFE INSTALLATION ................................................................................ 1-16
1.7.2 PEN INSTALLATION................................................................................... 1-19
1.7.3 INSTALLATION OF THE POUNCING TOOL ............................................... 1-20
1.8 LOADING MEDIA........................................................................................ 1-21
1.8.1 POSITIONING THE PINCH ROLLERS ......................................................... 1-21
1.8.2 FEEDING AND POSITIONING MEDIA ...................................................... 1-22
1.9 MEDIA LOAD PROCEDURE .......................................................................... 1-26
Table of Contents TOC-i
Gerber P2C™ 1600 Cutters User’s Manual
SECTION 2.......................................................................................................1-1
2 OPERATION...........................................................................................2-1
2.1 THE CONTROL PANEL .................................................................................... 2-1
2.1.1 THE LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY ................................................................... 2-2
2.1.2 THE RESET/LOAD KEY................................................................................. 2-2
2.1.3 THE ONLINE KEY......................................................................................... 2-3
2.1.4 THE MENU KEY ........................................................................................... 2-3
2.1.5 THE ENTER KEY ........................................................................................... 2-5
2.1.6 THE 1 AND 2 KEYS 1 - 2.............................................................................. 2-5
2.1.7 THE JOGGING KEYS .................................................................................. 2-5
2.1.8 THE TOOL UP/DOWN KEY.......................................................................... 2-5
2.1.9 THE TOOL SELECT KEY................................................................................ 2-5
2.2 NORMAL OPERATION....................................................................................2-6
2.2.1 ONLINE AND OFFLINE ............................................................................... 2-6
2.2.2 LOCAL OPERATION................................................................................... 2-7
2.3 THE USER CONFIG MENU...............................................................................2-8
2.3.1 KNIFE PRESSURE ....................................................................................... 2-10
2.3.2 KNIFE OFFSET............................................................................................ 2-10
2.3.3 POUNCING PRESSURE............................................................................. 2-10
2.3.4 VELOCITY................................................................................................. 2-10
2.3.5 OVERCUT ................................................................................................. 2-11
2.3.6 POUNCING GAP ..................................................................................... 2-11
2.3.7 SYSTEM SETUP........................................................................................... 2-11
2.4 SYSTEM SET UP ............................................................................................. 2-12
2.4.1 CONCATENATION................................................................................... 2-12
2.4.2 SMOOTHING............................................................................................ 2-12
2.4.3 EMULATE .................................................................................................. 2-12
2.4.4 TOOL ........................................................................................................ 2-13
2.4.5 MENU UNITS ............................................................................................. 2-13
2.4.6 ADDRESSING ........................................................................................... 2-13
2.4.7 BAUD RATE............................................................................................... 2-13
2.4.8 PARITY ...................................................................................................... 2-14
2.4.9 RTS/DTR .................................................................................................... 2-14
2.4.10 DM/PL ERRORS........................................................................................ 2-15
2.4.11 HP-GL ERRORS......................................................................................... 2-15
2.4.12 HP-GL ORIGIN ......................................................................................... 2-15
2.4.13 MEDIA SENSOR........................................................................................ 2-16
2.4.14 AUTOLOAD .............................................................................................. 2-16
2.4.15 TOOL COMMAND................................................................................... 2-16
2.4.16 LOAD ON W CMD................................................................................... 2-16
2.4.17 FLEX-CUT .................................................................................................. 2-17
2.4.18 RECUT OFFSET.......................................................................................... 2-17
Table of Contents TOC-ii
Gerber P2C™ 1600 Cutters User’s Manual
2.5 INTERNAL TEST MENU................................................................................... 2-18
2.5.1 CUT BORDER............................................................................................ 2-19
2.5.2 MENU PLOT.............................................................................................. 2-19
2.5.3 CONFIDENCE CUT................................................................................... 2-19
2.5.4 DIN CUT.................................................................................................... 2-19
2.5.5 CAL. MEDIA............................................................................................. 2-20
2.5.6 CALIBRATION OPOS................................................................................ 2-20
2.5.7 OPOS SETTINGS........................................................................................ 2-20
2.5.8 SYSTEM TESTS............................................................................................ 2-20
2.6 SYSTEM TESTS ............................................................................................... 2-21
2.6.1 LANGUAGE.............................................................................................. 2-21
2.6.2 ROM REVISION ........................................................................................ 2-21
2.6.3 SERVICE PLOT.......................................................................................... 2-21
2.6.4 OPTICAL SENSOR..................................................................................... 2-22
2.6.5 SENSOR SETUP.......................................................................................... 2-22
2.6.6 CALIBRATION........................................................................................... 2-22
2.6.7 RS232 TEST................................................................................................ 2-22
2.6.8 RAM TEST.................................................................................................. 2-23
2.6.9 INSTALL MENU.......................................................................................... 2-23
2.6.10 COIL SETUP............................................................................................... 2-23
2.6.11 LCD CONTRAST ....................................................................................... 2-23
Table of Contents TOC-iii
Gerber P2C™ 1600 Cutters User’s Manual
3 GENERAL INFORMATION .....................................................................3-1
3.1 MAINTENANCE & CLEANING........................................................................3-1
3.1.1 CLEANING THE DRIVE SYSTEM.................................................................. 3-1
3.1.2 CLEANING THE SENSORS .......................................................................... 3-2
3.2 OPERATING VOLTAGE CONVERSION ..........................................................3-3
SECTION 4.......................................................................................................3-1
4 INTERFACE ............................................................................................4-1
4.1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................4-1
4.2 RS232 INTERFACE NOTES...............................................................................4-1
4.2.1 SYSTEM SETUP............................................................................................. 4-1
4.2.2 SERIAL INTERFACE CONNECTOR ON THE CUTTER.................................... 4-2
4.2.3 AVAILABLE SERIAL SIGNALS...................................................................... 4-2
4.3 USB INTERFACE NOTES .................................................................................. 4-3
4.3.1 USB SPECIFICATIONS ................................................................................. 4-3
4.3.2 INSTALLING THE USB SOFTWARE UNDER WINDOWS................................. 4-3
4.3.3 INSTALLING THE USB SOFTWARE FOR YOUR MACINTOSH ....................... 4-4
4.3.4 PARALLEL INTERFACE CONNECTOR ON CUTTER..................................... 4-5
5 MEDIA CERTIFICATION........................................................................ A-1
Table of Contents TOC-iv
Gerber P2C™ 1600 Cutters User’s Manual
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS............................................................................................Page
GERBER P2C 1600, REAR VIEW*............................................................................ 1-10
GERBER P2C 1600, FRONT VIEW ........................................................................... 1-12
EARTH CONNECTION............................................................................................. 1-15
BLADE INSERTION................................................................................................... 1-16
BLADE LENGTH ADJUSTMENT................................................................................. 1-17
SETTING KNIFE DEPTH ............................................................................................. 1-17
KNIFE DEPTH TEST PATTERN..................................................................................... 1-18
MEDIA POSITIONING ............................................................................................. 1-22
FEEDING ROLL MEDIA USING MEDIA FLANGES ................................................... 1-23
FEEDING ROLL MEDIA WITHOUT USING MEDIA FLANGES.................................... 1-24
PINCH ROLLER POSITIONING ................................................................................ 1-24
GERBER P2C 1600, CONTROL PANEL ..................................................................... 2-1
GERBER P2C 1600 CONFIGURATION SUBMENUS................................................... 2-4
FLOWCHART SHOWING FACTORY PRESET MENU SETTINGS................................... 2-9
INTERNAL TESTS SUBMENUS.................................................................................... 2-18
CLEANING OF THE DRIVE SLEEVES.......................................................................... 3-2
LOCATION OF THE SENSORS ................................................................................... 3-2
POWER ENTRY MODULE .......................................................................................... 3-3
LIST OF TABLES.........................................................................................................Page
GERBER P2C 1600 CUTTER SPECIFICATIONS........................................................... 1-4
GERBER P2C 1600 MEDIA SPECIFICATIONS ........................................................... 1-4
GERBER P2C 1600 KNIVES, PENS AND POUNCING TOOLS ................................... 1-6
GERBER P2C 1600 INTERFACE SPECIFICATIONS..................................................... 1-6
GERBER P2C 1600 FIRMWARE................................................................................ 1-7
GERBER P2C 1600 PERFORMANCES....................................................................... 1-7
GERBER P2C 1600 ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIFICATIONS ......................................... 1-8
GERBER P2C 1600 ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATIONS................................................... 1-8
GERBER P2C 1600 ACCESSORIES AND CONSUMABLES........................................ 1-9
Table of Contents TOC-v
Gerber P2C™ 1600 Cutters User’s Manual
SECTION 1
1 GENERAL INFORMATION
1.1 INTRODUCTION
The Gerber P2C™ Series family of cutters has been designed to produce
computer-generated graphic designs on cut sheet or roll vinyl media. By
replacing the knife with a fiber tip pen, these cutters can also be used to
produce inexpensive previews of new graphic designs on paper.
This manual is a reference guide for installing and operating the Gerber P2C
1600 cutter. This cutter model features a drag knife and can handle media
widths from 170 mm up to 1620 mm (4” to 63.8”).
General Information 1-1
Gerber P2C™ 1600 Cutters User’s Manual
1.1.1 PRODUCT FEATURES
The following are the main features of the Gerber P2C 1600 cutter.
• Variable media widths.
• User-selectable DM/PL
• Interchangeable pen for producing preview plots of sign designs on paper.
• Adjustable knife pressure and offset settings controlled by microprocessor.
• Communication with host computer via USB rev 1.1, standard serial RS-32-C,
or Centronics parallel interface.
• 12-key control panel.
• Metric or English units.
• User-addressable resolution: 0.1 mm, 0.025 mm, 0.001" or 0.005".
™
, HP-GL™ and HP-GL/2™ software languages.
• Menu mode for selecting the cutter's power-up operating configuration.
• Convenient 2-line, 16-character liquid crystal display (LCD).
• Extensive internal test routines.
• Wide variety of cutting speeds (in metric or English units).
• Up to four separate user configurations that are stored in non-volatile
memory.
• Media support system for automatic loading of media with optional
“shuffling” to guarantee tracking of longer signs.
• Automatic media pull from roll.
• Media sensing.
• Simple origin adjustment to any location.
• Concatenation and curve smoothing to obtain better cut quality.
• Multiple recut feature.
• Knife depth and offset tests.
• Overcut for easy weeding.
• OPOS 2.0 functionality.
General Information 1-2
Gerber P2C™ 1600 Cutters User’s Manual
1.1.2 GERBER P2C 1600 USER MANUAL
This user manual provides the following information:
• Full technical specifications for the Gerber P2C 1600 cutters and
compatible media.
• A complete description of the main components of the Gerber P2C 1600
cutters.
• Step-by-step instructions for knife and pen installation and media loading.
• Instructions for online and local mode (
• Instructions for USER CONFIGURATION and INTERNAL TESTS operations.
• Maintenance and cleaning instructions.
• Information about the USB, RS-232-C, and Centronics interface cables used
to connect the cutter to IBM, IBM-compatible, Apple and Applecompatible host computers.
) operations.
General Information 1-3
Gerber P2C™ 1600 Cutters User’s Manual
1.2 SPECIFICATIONS
1.2.1 CUTTER
with stand ard stand
mm inch
Height
Depth
Weight
without stand 255 10.04
with stand 1010 40
Width
without stand 2260 89
with stand 2260 89
without stand 550 21.65
with stand 740 29
without stand 45.4 kg 95.5 lbs
with stand 100 kg 220.5 lbs
1.2.2 MEDIA
Gerber P2C 1600
TABLE 1-1:
GERBER P2C 1600 CUTTER SPECIFICATIONS
D1600 SL
mm inch
Width
Maximum
cutting width
Min margin
left/right
Front margin
Rear margin
Sensor on
Sensor off
Performance
Thickness
(*)
for positioning of the pinch rollers (see section 1.8.)
(**)
Media lengths greater than 12 m (39 feet) can be handled, but compliance with
(*)
Tracking
Media
+/- 0.1mm up to 12 m (vinyl < 760mm)
+/- 0.004” up to 39 feet (vinyl < 30”)
0.05mm to 0.25mm
0.002” to 0.01”
170 to 1620 6.7 to 63.8
1575 62
25 1
25 1
42
30
(**)
(***)
Up to 0.8mm with optional sandblast knife
Up to 0.03” with optional sandblast knife
+/- 0.1mm up to 4 m (vinyl >760mm)
+/- 0.004” up to 13 feet (vinyl >30”)
1.7
1.2
(***)
(**)
specifications is not guaranteed (will be dependent on media type, media size and other
parameters).
(***)
Media lengths greater than 4 m (13 feet) can be handled, but compliance with
specifications is not guaranteed (will be dependent on media type, media size and other
parameters).
TABLE 1-2:
GERBER P2C 1600 MEDIA SPECIFICATIONS
General Information 1-4
Gerber P2C™ 1600 Cutters User’s Manual
Vinyl Types
A wide range of vinyl types has been evaluated and tested on the Gerber P2C
1600 cutters. When using duly certified media, operation in accordance with
the functional specifications of the model is warranted. Gerber should certify
other media before use to ensure performance in compliance with
specifications.
See Appendix A for a full list of all Gerber duly certified media suitable for
friction drive operation.
Plotting Paper
2
Bond paper (120 g/m
recommended)
General Information 1-5
Gerber P2C™ 1600 Cutters User’s Manual
1.2.3 KNIFE, PEN, AND POUNCING TOOL
The Gerber P2C cutters are supplied with two standard knife blades (for vinyl
media) and a black fibre tip pen.
Tool Medium Quantity
Standard knife
(requires a standard knife holder)
Sandblast knife Sandblast & thick
Pouncing tool Paper optional
Pen Color Quantity
Fibre tip pen Black 1 off
GERBER P2C 1600 KNIVES, PENS, AND POUNCING TOOLS
To order replacement knives, pens, and/or pouncing tools, contact your local
dealer, quoting the part numbers listed in table 1-9.
The Gerber P2C cutters will only perform according to specifications if a
genuine Gerber knife, pen or pouncing tool is installed. Do not replace the
standard knife, pen or pouncing tool with products from other manufacturers.
1.2.4 INTERFACE
Communication
USB : I/O Port connector
Mating connector
Serial : I/O Port connector
Mating connector
Byte format
Baud rate
Parallel: I/O Port connector
Mating connector
GERBER P2C 1600 INTERFACE SPECIFICATIONS
Standard, reflective
2 off
& fluorescent vinyl
optional
material
TABLE 1-3:
USB ver 1.1, standard asynchronous RS232-C and Centronics parallel interface
USB series “B” receptacle
USB series “B” plug
DB-9P
DB-9S
8 data bits, 2 stop bits, no parity
38400, 19200, 9600, 4800, 2400 bps
Centronics female
Centronics male
TABLE 1-4:
General Information 1-6
Gerber P2C™ 1600 Cutters User’s Manual
1.2.5 FIRMWARE
Languages
Supported character sets
Supported fonts
ROM-based plots
1.2.6 PERFORMANCE
Specifications for cutting on 0.05 mm (0.002") wax-backed vinyl having a total
media thickness not greater than 0.25 mm (0.010").
Axial speed
Default speed
Acceleration
Addressable resolution
Default resolution
Mechanical resolution
Accuracy
Knife pressure
Pen pressure
Pouncing pressure
*
Excludes differences due to media expansion, stretching, etc.
1.2.7 CERTIFICATIONS
CE Certificate
FCC Class A
Complies with UL 1950, CSA 950
DM/PL, HP-GL, and HP-GL/2
(with selectable origin HP7475 and HP
7580/7585)
Standard ASCII
Sans serif (single stroke & medium)
Confidence plot, DIN plot
TABLE 1-5:
GERBER P2C 1600 FIRMWARE
50 to 1000 mm/s 2 to 40 ips
800 mm/s 32 ips
3 G 3 G
0.025 mm, 0.1 mm 0.001", 0.005"
0.025 mm 0.001"
0.0127 mm 0.0005"
0.2% of move or 0.25 mm,
whichever is greater*
0.2% of move or 0.010",
whichever is greater*
0 to 400 gr. 0 to 400 gr.
0 to 400 gr. 0 to 400 gr.
0 to 400 gr. 0 to 400 gr.
TABLE 1-6:
GERBER P2C 1600 PERFORMANCE
General Information 1-7
Gerber P2C™ 1600 Cutters User’s Manual
1.2.8 ENVIRONMENTAL (CUTTER WITHOUT MEDIA)
Operating Temperature
Storage temperature
Relative humidity
GERBER P2C 1600 ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIFICATIONS
IMPORTANT HINT
The use of dimensionally stable media is an essential prerequisite to
obtaining high cut quality. Additionally, media expansion or
contraction may occur as a result of temperature variations.
To improve the dimensional stability of media, allow it to acclimate to
the current environmental conditions for at least 24 hours prior to use.
1.2.9 ELECTRICAL
Main Supply: 48-62 Hz, single phase.
Nominal line Min./Max. line Fuse
100 V AC 89 - 108 V AC 1.25 A, Slo-Blo
120 V AC 108 - 130 V AC 1.25 A, Slo-Blo
220 V AC 197 – 238 V AC 0.6 A, Slo-Blo
240 V AC 216 - 260 V AC 0.6 A, Slo-Blo
GERBER P2C 1600 ELECTRICAL SPECIFI CATIONS
15 to 35° C 59 to 95° F
-30 to 70° C -22 to 158° F
35 - 85%, non condensing
TABLE 1-7:
TABLE 1-8:
35 - 85%, non con-
densing
General Information 1-8
Gerber P2C™ 1600 Cutters User’s Manual
1.3 CUTTER ACCESSORIES AND CONSUMABLES
The following is an overview of the accessories and consumables available for
the various Gerber P2C 1600 models:
OPTIONS/ACCESSORIES/CONSUMABLES
Cutter Stand
User’s Manual
Power Supply Cables
Serial Interface Kit, consisting of:
- 9 pin to 9 pin cable
- 9 pin to 8 pin DIN Converter
USB Cable
Standard knife
Standard knife holder
Sandblast knife
Sandblast knife holder
Flanges for roll media
Manual cut-off razor
blades (set of 10)
Razor blade & holder
Pouncing tool
TABLE 1-9:
GERBER P2C 1600 ACCESSORIES AND CONSUMABLES
General Information 1-9
Gerber P2C™ 1600 Cutters User’s Manual
1.4 REAR PANEL COMPONENTS
In order to get acquainted with your Gerber P2C 1600 cutter, read the
following descriptions of the rear panel components. Figure 1-1 shows the
location of the main components.
6
3
1
4
FOR PRACTICAL REASONS, ILLUSTRATIONS RELATE TO A SMALLER CUTTER MODEL. THE P2C 1600
CUTTERS DIFFER ONLY IN WIDTH AND NUMBER OF PINCH ROLLERS.
2
5
4
FIGURE 1-1:
GERBER P2C 1600, REAR VIEW*
8
7
3
1
2
5
General Information 1-10
Gerber P2C™ 1600 Cutters User’s Manual
1. USB Port: - This interface is based on the standards specified in Universal
Serial Bus Specifications Revision 1.1. It provides high-speed serial bidirectional communication between the host computer and the cutter.
2. RS-232-C Port: - This DB-9P connector provides bidirectional
communication between the host computer and the cutter.
3. Parallel Port: - This 36-pin Centronics connector provides unidirectional
communication between the host computer and the cutter. The cutter
can receive but not transmit data via this port.
Note: Only one of the above three interfaces can be active at any one
time.
The first port that receives data will be the active interface until the cutter
is reset.
4. Power ON/OFF switch: - This rocker switch turns the cutter on and off. To
switch the power ON, press the “I” side of the rocker switch. To switch the
power OFF, press the “O” side of the rocker switch.
5. Power Entry Module: - The fuse box, the voltage select board, and the AC
power cord receptacle are located in the power entry module.
The power-up procedure is explained in detail in Section 1.6.
For information about the conversion of the cutter's operating voltage,
see Section 3.2.
6. Roll Media Guides: - The two guides keep the roll in place laterally as the
media is pulled free. The guides also keep the media flanges in place
laterally when the flanges are being used to hold the roll.
7. Media Flanges: - The media flanges ensure proper routing of the media
roll.
8. Media Support Rollers: - Rotating rollers that support the media roll.
General Information 1-11
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