A-75/100/130/150
user manual
MANUAL NO. FC5100-UM-154
Thank you for choosing an FC5100A Cutting Plotter.
The FC5100A is a high-performance grit-rolling cutting plotter that incorporates a 16-bit CPU and digital
servo drive system for highly precise cutting of color adhesive film at high speed.
For more information about Graphtec and Graphtec products, visit Graphtec’s corporate web sites at:
www.graphtecusa.com
www.graphteccorp.com (Other regions)
(USA, Canada, South America)
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Special Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Handling the Cutting Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Handling the Cutters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Attaching a Cutter Pen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
After Turning on the Plotter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Machine Caution Label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Notes on Working Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Notes on Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Daily Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Storing the Plotter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Chapter 2: Out of the Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Checking the Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Nomenclature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Installing the Accuload System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Connecting the Plotter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Connecting to the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Connecting to the Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Power to the Plotter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Chapter 3: Cutters and Holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Blade Application and Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Cutter Pen Nomenclature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
PHP32-CB09N Cutter Pen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
PHP32-CB15N Cutter Pen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
PHP31-CB15 Cutter Pen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
PHP32-CB09 Cutter Pen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
PHP32-CB15 Cutter Pen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Replacing the Cutter Blade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Cutter Offset Value Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Replacing Supersteel Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Replacing Ceramic & Sapphire Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Blade Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Adjusting the Blade Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Obtaining the Correct Blade Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Chapter 4: Preparing to Cut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Indicator Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Function Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Position Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Menu Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Selecting a Function Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Initial Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Setting the Multilanguage Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Turn on the Plotter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Loading Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Sheet Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Roll Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Select the Media Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
ROLL–1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
ROLL–2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
SHEET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
CONTINUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Initializing Routine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
ROLL-1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
ROLL-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
SHEET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
CONTINUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Setting Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Select the Tool from the Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
TANGENTIAL mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Cutter Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
To Change the Cutter Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
To Change the Cutter Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
To Change the Cutter Quality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
To Change the Cutter Offset. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Fine Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Running Cutting Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Test 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Test 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Cutting Pro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Plotter Pen Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Pen Reference Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
To Change the Pen Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
To Change the Pen Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
To Change the Pen Quality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Pounce Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
To Change the Pounce Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
To Change the Pounce Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
To Change the Pounce Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
To Change the Pounce Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Changing Feed Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Withdrawal of the Pen Carriage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Returning the Pen Carriage to Origin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Chapter 5: Advanced Functions and Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Control Panel Quick Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Menu Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
ORIGIN - Setting the Cutting Origin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Origin Point with ROTATE function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
COPY - Copying the Data in Plotter Buffer Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Copying Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
PEN UP/DOWN - Raising/Lowering the Pen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
BUFFER CLEAR - Clearing the Buffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
FEED - Advancing the Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
ORIGIN - Setting the Origin in HP-GL Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
AREA - Setting the Cutting Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
EXPAND - Expanding the Cut Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
PAGE LENGTH - Setting the Length of the Page with Roll Media . . . . 77
ROTATE - Rotating the Coordinate Axes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
MIRROR – Reversing the Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
SCALE - Enlarging and Reducing an Image Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
DATA SORTING - Sorting the Cut Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
AXIS ALIGNMENT - Axis Alignment Parameter Setting . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Selecting the Axis Alignment Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Two-Point Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Three-Point Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Four-Point Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Axis Alignment Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
AUTO REG. MARK - Auto Registration Mark Sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
AUTO REG. MARK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
The Registration Mark Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
The Registration Mark Location. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
The Registration Mark Reading Area. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
The Position of the Origin Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Media For Which Registration Marks Cannot Be Detected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
If Registration Mark Can Not Be Automatically Recognized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Specifying the Registration Mark Mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Axis alignment method. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
SCANNING METHODS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Selecting the Axis Alignment Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
TWO-POINTS METHOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
THREE-POINTS METHOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
FOUR-POINTS METHOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Setting the Registration Mark Reading Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Selecting the Registration MARK TYPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Specifying the Registration MARK SIZE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Setting the DISTANCE ADJUSTMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Setting of AXIS ORIGIN OFFSET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Setting of PAPER-WEIGHT Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Setting the SENSOR OFFSET ADJustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Selecting METHOD 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Selecting METHOD 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Using the AUTO REG. MARK Sensing Function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
AUTO PRE-FEED - Advancing the Media Automatically . . . . . . . . . . 119
TANGENTIAL EMULATION - Cutting Thick & Thin Material . . . . . 121
Selecting Tangential Emulation Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Enabling Tangential Emulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Setting Overcut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
SPEED - Setting the Pen-Up Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
OFFSET ANGLE - Adjusting the Blade Offset Angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
OFFSET FORCE - Setting the Offset Cut Pressure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
STEP PASS - Setting the Step Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
INITIAL DOWN FORCE- Adjusting the Initial Media Cut Force . . . . 128
DISTANCE ADJUST - Adjusting the Length of Line Segments . . . . . 129
Setting Distance Adjust Parameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
RS-232C Serial Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Pin Assignment of the Serial Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Cable Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Chapter 6: Background Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Background Settings for GP-GL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
LANGUAGE SELECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
“:” “;” Command Control (“:” “;” COMMAND) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Pen UP/DOWN for the “W” Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Condition Priority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Pen Select . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Initial Blade Control Position (INITIAL BLADE CONTROL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Length Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
UP Movement Control (PEN UP MOVE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Media Sensor Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Pinch Roller Sensor Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Background Settings for HP-GL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
LANGUAGE SELECTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Model No. Response (MODEL EMULATED) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Condition Priority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Initial Blade Control Position (INITIAL BLADE CONTROL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Length Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
UP Movement Control (PEN UP MOVE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Media Sensor Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Pinch Roller Sensor Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Circle Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Chapter 7: Test Modes and Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
CONDITION LIST - Listing the Cutting Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Sample printout of the CONDITION function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
DATA DUMP - Using the Character Dump Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
SELF TEST - Running the Self Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Error Messages in HP-GL Command Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Chapter 8: Setting the Interface Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Setting the Parallel Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Setting the USB Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Setting the Serial Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Factory Preset Interface Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
INTERFACE - Setting the Interface Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
How to access the INTERFACE menu before loading the media . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
How to access the INTERFACE menu after loading the media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
STEP SIZE - Setting the Programmable Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
RS-232C – Setting the Data Transmitting Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
COMMAND - Selecting the Command Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Centronics-Compatible Parallel Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Electrical Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Input/Output Circuitry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Input/Output Timing Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Pin Assignment of the Parallel Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
RS-232C Serial Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Pin Assignment of the Serial Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Cable Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Chapter 9: Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Main Specifications: FC5100A-75 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Main Specifications: FC5100A-100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Main Specifications: FC5100A-130 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Main Specifications: FC5100A-150 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
External Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
FC5100A-75 without Stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
FC5100A-100 without Stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
FC5100A-130 without Stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
FC5100A-150 without Stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
FC5100A-75 with Stand and Basket Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
FC5100A-100 with Standard Stand and Basket Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
FC5100A-130 with Standard Stand and Basket Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
FC5100A-150 with Standard Stand and Basket Option . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Chapter 10: Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
FC5100A Pounce Tool Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Inserting the Pounce Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Select Pounce Tool from the Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
Pounce Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
To Change the Pounce Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
To Change the Pounce Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
To Change the Pounce Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
To Change the Pounce Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
FC5100A Stand Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Stand Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Assembly Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
FC5100A Basket Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Basket Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Assembly Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
FC5100A Media Roll Holder Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Media Roll Holder Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Assembly Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
FC5100A Loupe (PHP-61) Loupe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Attaching the Loupe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Using the Loupe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Chapter 11: Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
12
Chapter 1: Special Precautions
This section covers special precautions you should take when operating or storing your plotter.
NOTE: Information to simplify or correctly complete a task.
CAUTION: Will cause damage to the unit.
WARNING: Will cause injury to the Operator!
Handling the Cutting Blades
WARNING: Sharp cutter blades are used with this plotter. Handle the cutter blades
and holders with care to prevent bodily injury.
• Cutter blades are very sharp. While
handling a cutter blade or cutter pen,
be careful to avoid cutting your fingers
or other parts of your body.
Sharp
• Promptly return used blades to the cutter case provided. When the case is
completely filled, discard the used
blades together with the case.
Handling the Cutters
• The tip consists of a sharp blade. Be sure not to extend it too far.
• Instructions on replacing the blade
or adjusting the blade length are
provided in Cutters and Holders.
Special Precautions: Handling the Cutting Blades
Sharp Blade
Attaching a Cutter Pen
WARNING: To avoid bodily injury, do not touch the pen tip after the plotter is turned
on.
Follow the procedure below to attach a cutter pen to the pen carriage.
1 Make sure that the pen holder
screw is loose.
13
2 While positioning the pen
holder upward, push the cutter
pen all the way into the holder
until its rim contacts the pen
stopper.
3 Once the pen has been prop-
erly mounted, tighten the
screw.
Flange
Pen Holder
Flange
Bracket to hold pen
Special Precautions: Attaching a Cutter Pen
14
CAUTION: The pen has two flanges
and must be fully seated
(the pen holder is engaged
on the second flange)
before tightening the
screw.
CAUTION: The cutter must be prop-
erly seated (the pen holder
is engaged on the flange)
before tightening the
screw.
Upper groove
Flange
Bracket to hold pen
Flange
Bracket to hold pen
Special Precautions: Attaching a Cutter Pen
After Turning on the Plotter
During the course of turning on the plotter, be sure to observe the following pre-
cautions:
• The pen carriage and loaded media may suddenly move during the cutting operation, immediately afterward and when setting the plotter’s functions.
• Keep hands, hair, clothing and other objects out of the vicinity of the pen carriage, grit rollers and loaded media.
• To prevent operator injury and poor cutting results, be careful not to allow hands,
hair, clothing or other foreign objects to become entangled with the pen carriage
or loaded media while the plotter is operating.
15
Special Precautions: After Turning on the Plotter
16
Machine Caution Label
The machine’s Caution Label is located on the top cover.
Special Precautions: Machine Caution Label
Notes on Working Environment
Be sure to observe the following regarding the working environment of your plot-
ter:
• Avoid use or storage of the plotter in locations
subject to direct sunlight or the direct draft
from air-conditioning.
• Avoid locations which are extremely dusty.
17
• Prior to cutting, ensure that no obstacles are
placed in the vicinity of the pen carriage or
loaded media.
CAUTION: Impeded movement of the pen carriage or loaded media may prevent accurate
cutting, or may trigger the position alarm to reset the system or system overload. An overloaded system triggers the product’s circuit protection. Should the
system overload, causing the power to shut down, turn off the power switch
and unplug the power cord. Wait 5 to 10 minutes then reconnect the power
cord and turn on the system. For more information, see Test Modes and Trou-
bleshooting.
To prevent malfunctions of the plotter’s sensors, position the plotter at
least one meter (3 feet) away from fluorescent lamps, electric lamps and
any other source of indoor illumination.
Special Precautions: Notes on Working Environment
18
Notes on Use
Be sure to observe the following on the use of your plotter:
CAUTION: Make sure your computer and power sources are adequately grounded (the
RS-232 interface cable should meet the CCITT V24, EIA RS-232 standards.
Graphtec’s RS-232 serial interface cable conforms to the EIA standard). Inadequate grounding may result in severe damage to your plotter or computer and
constitute misuse of the plotter.
• Never lubricate the plotter mechanisms, this
will result in plotter malfunction.
• To avoid scratching the cutting mat, ensure
that the cutter pen blade is not excessively
extended.
• Do not touch the moving parts of the plotter
while it is operating.
• When manually moving the pen carriage to
load the media, be sure to move the carriage
slowly.
CAUTION: Do not unplug or plug in the USB connector when the plotter is working or you
will lose data when the computer restores the USB directory.
Special Precautions: Notes on Use
Daily Maintenance
During the course of daily plotter operation, be sure to observe the following
precautions:
• Never lubricate the mechanisms of the plotter.
• Clean the plotter’s casing using a dry cloth that has been moistened in a neutral
detergent diluted with water. Never use thinner, benzene, alcohol, or similar
solvents to clean the casings; they will damage the casing’s finish.
• Clean the cutting mat using a dry cloth. In case of stubborn stains, use a cloth
that has been moistened in alcohol or in a neutral detergent diluted with water.
• Clean the plotter’s paper sensors using a cloth moistened in a neutral detergent
diluted with water. Never use thinner, benzene, alcohol, or similar solvents to
clean the sensors; cleaners such as these will damage the sensors.
Storing the Plotter
19
When your plotter is not in use, be sure to observe the following points:
• Remove the pen attached to the penholder
• Cover the plotter with a cloth to protect it from dust and dirt
• Do not store the plotter in direct sunlight or in high temperatures
Special Precautions: Daily Maintenance
20
Chapter 2: Out of the Box
This chapter describes plotter nomenclature and how to install your plotter.
Checking the Contents
After unpacking your plotter, check that all of the standard accessories shown
below are present. If any accessory is missing, contact your sales representative
or the nearest Graphtec dealer.
Accessories The Stand Kit is an option for the FC5100A-75 and is standard for the FC5100A-
100, FC5100A-130 and FC5100A-150 cutters.
Power cord. The configuration pictured
may differ from the actual cord supplied.
Cutter Pen Set. Cutter holder PHP32CB09N with two CB09UA cutter
blades.
RS-232 cable with adapter (US market only).
Black water-based fiber-tip pen
(KF552-BK-P).
Out of the Box: Checking the Contents
User’s manual
Accuload™ System components.
21
Nomenclature
1 AC Line Inlet: Inlet where the power cord is connected.
2 Control Panel: Used to access various plotter functions.
3 Cutting Channel: A channel running along the cutting mat area. Used to
reduce pouncing tool wear.
4 Cutting Mat: A black strip placed under the cutting area. Used to reduce cut-
ting blade wear.
5 Grit Rollers: Metallic rollers which have a file-like surface.
6 Media Set Lever: Used to raise or lower the push rollers during loading or
unloading media.
7 Accuload™: Used to carry rolled media and ensure its proper rotation.
8 Paper Sensors: The front sensor is used to sense the leading edge of the
media. The rear sensor is used to sense the trailing edge of the media.
9 Parallel Interface Connector: Used to connect the plotter to the computer
with a Centronics-compatible parallel interface cable.
10 Pen Carriage: Moves the pen across the media during cutting or plotting.
11 Pen Holder: Holds the pen onto the pen carriage.
12 Power Switch: Used to turn the plotter on and off.
13 Pinch Rollers: Black rubber rollers that push the media against the grit roll-
ers.
Out of the Box: Nomenclature
22
14 Roller Location Guide: Yellow markings on the rail and rear side of the top
cover that show the position of each grit roller. Use these guides as an aid in
locating the push rollers and in locating the media roll on the stock roller.
15 Serial Interface Connector: Used to connect the plotter to the computer with
a RS-232 serial interface cable.
16 Stock Rollers: Area of the media stocker where the media is mounted.
17 USB Connector: Used to connect the plotter to the computer with a USB inter-
face cable.
18 Stand: Used to make the plotter more portable and free-up counter space.
12
13
10
11
13
14
4
3
5
2
8
16
18
1
7
7
14
6
Out of the Box: Nomenclature
9
17
15
Installing the Accuload System
The Accuload™ system consists of two media brackets, two stock rollers and
one media alignment bar.
Installation procedure:
1 Place the right media bracket against the inside surface of the plotter’s side
box (right).
Front
23
M4 Screw
Media Bracket Right
2 Insert an M4 screw in the second hole from the front side of the plotter.
NOTE: Do not over tighten. The bracket should rotate easily.
NOTE: When attaching the bracket onto the cutter, use the foam shipping cover to pro-
tect the cutter.
CAUTION: Do not lay the cutter on its back side, this may damage the Media Set Lever.
3 Insert an M4 screw in the third hole from the front side of the plotter.
4 Secure the first screw.
5 Secure the second screw.
6 Repeat steps 1-5 with the left Media Bracket.
7 Place the media alignment bar in between the tabs of the media brackets that
protrude from the front side of the plotter.
Media Bracket Left
Out of the Box: Installing the Accuload System
24
8 Secure the media alignment bar to the tabs at both ends with M4 screws.
Rear
M4 Screw
Media Alignment Bar
Groove
M4 Screw
9 Install the stock rollers into the holes on the rear side of the media brackets.
Front
Stock Roller
NOTE: Be sure to tighten all the screws to ensure accurate media loading. The Accu-
load™ system may not function properly if even one of the screws is loose.
NOTE: Be sure to place the plotter on an acceptable work surface. Refer to dimen-
sions below:
FC5100A-75: 45 inches (114cm) wide by 19 inches (48cm) deep.
FC5100A-100: 57 inches (144cm) wide by 19 inches (48cm) deep.
FC5100A-130: 67 inches (170cm) wide by 19 inches (48cm) deep.
FC5100A-150: 73 inches (186cm) wide by 19 inches (48cm) deep.
Out of the Box: Installing the Accuload System
Connecting the Plotter
25
Connecting to the Computer
The FC5100A Plotter is equipped with an RS-232 Serial Interface Cable in the
accessory kit.
1 Connect the 25-pin connector to the
RS232-C connector on the plotter and
tighten the screws. If you are using a
Centronics-compatible parallel interface
cable, connect the 36-pin connector to
the Parallel connector on the plotter and
lock the levers.If you are using a USB
connentor, connect the connector to the
USB connector on the plotter.
2 Connect the 9-pin connector to the
RS-232C
connector on the computer COM port
and tighten the screws. If your computer
has a 25-pin connector port, use the 9pin to 25-pin adapter that is supplied in
the accessory kit.
Parallel
USB
Out of the Box: Connecting the Plotter
26
Connecting to the Power
Power to the Plotter
The FC5100A Plotter is equipped with a Power Cord in the accessory kit.
1 Connect the provided power cord to the AC inlet of the plotter.
2 Connect the other end of the power cord to an electrical socket of the rated supply voltage.
To turn on the plotter, perform the following steps:
1 Make sure that the plotter is turned off (the “O” side of the
POWER switch is depressed).
2 Connect the plotter to a computer and then configure your
software application to the desired interface conditions, (if the
RS-232-C serial interface is used), command mode and programmable resolution.
3 Connect one end of the provided power cord to the plotter’s AC line inlet then
connect the other end of the power cord to an electrical socket of the rated
supply voltage. The plotter’s power supply accepts multi-voltage (100VAC to
240VAC) without changing switches.
4 Turn on the computer.
5 Turn on the plotter by depressing the “l” side of the POWER
switch.
Out of the Box: Connecting the Plotter
27
Out of the Box: Connecting the Plotter
28
Chapter 3: Cutters and Holders
This chapter describes the different cutters and their uses.
Blade Application and Features
Blade part
no. and
type
CB09UA
(supersteel)
CB15U
(supersteel)
CB15UA
(supersteel)
CB15UB
(supersteel)
CB15U-K30
(supersteel)
Diameter
and blade
offset value
0.9 mm
0.45
1.5 mm
0.75
1.5 mm
0.75
1.5 mm
0.75
1.5 mm
0.75
Plunger part
no. Applications and features
PHP32-CB09N
or
PHP32-CB09
PHP32-CB15N
or
PHP32-CB15
PHP32-CB15N For cutting high intensity reflective media.
PHP32-CB15N For cutting small characters on mono-vinyl chloride
PHP32-CB15N
or
PHP32-CB15
Standard blade for cutting color adhesive media. Suitable
for cutting media up to 0.25 mm thick. Maximum cutting
distance of approximately 4000 m.
For cutting media which is too thick for the CB09UA
blade to handle. Suitable for cutting media from 0.25 mm
to 0.5 mm thick.
media. Suitable for cutting small size characters that are
less than 10mm.
For cutting sandblast rubber. The sharply angled point
provides a longer cutting edge. Suitable for cutting material from 0.05 mm to 1.5 mm thick.
CB15-10C
(ceramic)
CB15-05S
(sapphire)
Cutters and Holders: Blade Application and Features
1.5 mm
0.50
1.5 mm
0.25
PHP31-CB15 This is the hardest blade, but may chip or shatter if
dropped or subjected to impact. Suitable for cutting
material up to 0.05 mm thick.
PHP31-CB15 For cutting masking media. Suitable for cutting material
up to 0.05 mm thick.
Cutter Pen Nomenclature
)
WARNING: To avoid bodily injury, handle cutter blades with care.
29
PHP32-CB09N Cutter Pen
PHP32-CB15N Cutter Pen
PHP31-CB15 Cutter Pen
PHP32-CB09 Cutter Pen
(For cutter blades of 0.9 mm diameter)
Plunger
Cap
(For supersteel cutter blades of 1.5 mm diameter)
Plunger
Cap
(For ceramic and sapphire cutter blades of 1.5 mm diameter)
(For cutter blades of 0.9 mm diameter)
Spring Cutter Blade Plunger Blade length adjustment knob (blue)
Cutter Blade Plunger Blade length adjustment knob (red)
Plunger
cap
Protective Plunger Holder Cutter Holder Blade length
Cap A blade B adjustment
knob (red)
Plunger Spring Cutter Plunger Holder Blade length
Cap blade adjustment knob
(blue)
PHP32-CB15 Cut-
(For supersteel cutter blades of 1.5 mm diameter)
ter Pen
Plunger Cutter Plunger Holder Blade length
cap blade adjustment knob
(red)
Replacing the Cutter Blade
WARNING: Will cause injury to the operator.
Various types of plungers are available which correspond to the diameter and
type of blade used. Check the cutter blade you are going to use and its appropriate cutter offset value against the table below:
Cutters and Holders: Cutter Pen Nomenclature
30
Cutter Offset Value Settings
Cutter pen
PHP32-CB09N Blue CB09UA Supersteel 18 + 2
PHP32-CB15N Red CB15U
PHP31-CB15 Red CB15-10C
Replacing Supersteel Blades
Color
classification
For the PHP32CB09(N) & PHP32CB15(N):
1 Turn the plunger cap
counterclockwise.
2 Remove the plunger
cap.
3 Remove the blade
and spring from the
plunger cap.
Compatible
blade types
CB15U-K30
CB15UB
CB15-05S
Blade
Material
Supersteel
Supersteel
Supersteel
Ceramic
Sapphire
Cutter offset
values
2
28 +
2
28 +
5 + 5
18 +
2
9 + 2
4 Stand the cap
upright.
5 Insert the new blade
and spring into the
hole.
6 Reattach cap to the plunger.
CAUTION: The pen has two flanges
and must be fully seated
(the pen holder is engaged
on the second flange)
before tightening the screw.
Upper groove
Flange
Bracket to hold pen
Cutters and Holders: Replacing the Cutter Blade
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