1. Y-axis belt adjustment.
2. Plotter COM port test.
3. No communication with the computer.
4. MAC computer setup.
5. Registration shift.
6. Clearing the memory of the plotter.
7. Windows installation of the Control Center.
8. Poor cutting quality.

Y-axis belt adjustment.

1. Gently slide the tool carriage to the far right position of the traverse assembly, as far as it will go.
2. Using a fish scale, gently pull on the middle of the tool carriage belt. Exert 300 to 420 (10.5 to 14.8 ounces) to the belt. The belt should deflect about « half inch.
3. Adjust the belt tension screw, located on the inside left end plate of the plotter, until you achieve « inch belt deflection. To gain access to the belt tensioner, remove the left end cover. You will see the belt tensioner directly below the ribbon cartridge assembly.

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Plotter COM port test.

If you do not have the loop-back diagnostic module, complete the following steps:

1. Turn off the Studio 7.
2. Remove the serial cable from the back of the plotter.
3. Using paper clips or short lengths or wire, jumper pin 2 to 3 and pin 4 to 5. Make sure you get the wires in far enough to make a good connection. The pin holes are labeled on the com port. The right side row is 1 through 13, from bottom to top.
4. Turn on the Studio 7 while you hold down the TEST CUT KEY on the keypad. Continue holding down TEST CUT KEY until the Studio 7 beeps and the light flashes three times. This places the plotter in the diagnostic mode.
5. Press any arrow key on the plotter keypad to transmit and receive characters. Verify that the Studio 7 beeps and the light flashes each time an arrow key is pressed.
6. Turn off the Studio 7 after the test. This will take the plotter out of the diagnostic mode.
7. Remove the jumpers from the serial port.

If this test passes, then the serial port of the plotter is communicating properly.

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No communications with the computer.

If your Studio 7 can not establish communications with your computer, please follow these steps to help identify which of your system's components may be the source. The key to nailing down the problem is this process of elimination. Removal of each separate component from the list of key variables, gives you the clues necessary to determine the actual cause of the communication problem.

1. Make sure the serial cable is the correct one for the plotter. The plotter uses a straight through 25 to 25 pin serial cable.. Look to make sure is no damage.
2. Make sure the cable is connected properly to one of your computer's serial ports. The Studio 7 cannot work on a parallel port (printer port).
3. Make sure the Studio 7 is in READY mode with the green light on.
4. Make sure the correct communication protocol is being used by your computer. The mode command statement for a PC is MODE COM2:96,8,1,P
   If available, try another COM port. If unsuccessful obtaining access to a second COM port, try another computer.
5. Make sure the correct driver is selected in the plotter setup menu in your design software. You can also contact Ioline technical support for alternate driver choices if no Studio 7 driver is listed, or you can look into our Plotter Drivers section, located in our technical support web page.
6. If operating the Studio 7 Control Center in the Windows environment or using a Windows based application, try switching to DOS version 2.4 of the Studio 7 Control Center to send your file. If the machine works in DOS then you know the Studio 7, COM port, and cable are operational.
7. If using a Windows program application, try saving a file to disk and using the DOS COPY command to output the file to the plotter. For example at the DOS prompt:

• Type: COPY filename.plt com2
• Press: Enter

If the plotter does not start plotting it means one of the following conditions exist:

• Plotter is not connected to that port. Consult your computer manual.
• Plotter is not configured correctly. Consult your software manual.
• Plotter cable is bad. Try another straight through RS232 cable.
• The port you have the plotter connected to is bad. Try another port.
• The plotter's port is bad. Note: Refer to chapter 8 of the user's guide for serial test procedure.

8. If you have a bus mouse, check  that the IRQ setting is not three (3) or four (4), but set to five (5). The dip switches are usually right in the middle of the bus mouse interface card. If you look at the center of the mouse interface, you will see a set of pins labeled 2,3,4, and 5. In most cases when you purchase a bus mouse, the default IRQ setting is three, which is the SAME as COM2. If you have your plotter configured to COM2, you will have problems with the mouser and the plotter. We recommend that you always set the bus mouse with IRQ 5.
9. Many software manufacturers recommend the removal of a fax machine or modem card when using their products. Ioline suggest customer should contact the appropriate software company for advice about custom configuration.
   
   

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How to change plotter settings while being connected to a Macintosh computer.

For MAC computers, the following plot file can be used to change the settings for the Studio 7 24" cutter:

1. Open Text File
2. Type in the following:

!HTO1	(Enter Ioline syntax, HP-GL 7475 emulation)
PT3	(Page type, custom size)
LLO,0	(Lower left)*
UR800000,22900	(Upper right sets page size)*
SS100,100	(Scale)*
SR0	(Rotation, off)*
SD50,50	(Pen up/down delay)*
SA10,5	(Acceleration)*
KO15	(Knife offset)*
KV10	(Knife overcut)*
KA45	(Knife angle)
UD	(Update)
@;:	(Exit Ioline Syntax)

*Note that all zero values following the two-letter codes are zeros, not Ohs.

3. Save as: Studio7default.plt
4. Put your Studio 7 online.
5. Run your MAC sign-making software.
6. Open the plot file named Studio7default.plt and send it to the plotter.
7. To set up the page size for the Studio 7 "36 cutter, change the UR800000,22900 to UR 800000, 34960.

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Registration Shift (Media Skewing).

We have found that good tracking is as much a factor of technique as is one of hardware. Feeding material off the roll, using proper acceleration and speed, optimizing your plots, and implementing alignment guides will give you excellent tracking. If persistent tracking problems exist, please check the following:

1. Check the media; is one side heavier than the other? Variations in media quality will affect the performance of the machine. Buckling vinyl can also cause skewing. Make sure the vinyl is feeding smoothly.
2. Closely inspect the chartwheels, look for uneven wear or damage. Foreign material like paint, paper, and dirt, or flat spots from prolonged chartwheels exposure to clamp down positioning while the machine is idle, will contribute to media shift.
3. Check the four grit shaft set screws, 2 in the center, one on each side. Make sure they are tight. These screws may loosen during shipment or after excessive use.
4. Inspect the grit shaft. Look for any foreign material, damage, or unusual wear.
5. Check for square shaft side play. There should be none.
   
   

If any of the above tips do not help you to solve the problem, you can always contact an Authorized Service Center or Ioline Technical Support Services.

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How to clear the logic board memory.

1. Move the carriage to the left end plate.
2. Turn the plotter off.
3. Remove the row of screws across the front and the back of the plotter.
4. Lift plotter off bottom pan and lay it on its top on a flat surface.
5. On the main logic board, locate the three pin jumper labeled JP2 marked clr/run.
6. Jumper the left and middle post together.
7. Turn the machine on.
8. Watch the carriage move to the right. Turn the machine off when after the carriage has move all the way to the right end plate.
9. Remove the jumper from JP2.

The memory of the plotter is now reset to factory defaults.

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Windows Installation of the Control Center.

1. Load the Control Center disk into the floppy disk drive of you computer. If you do not have Control Center version 2.4, you can download it directly from our main Control Center page.
2. If you are running Windows 3.1, from the Program manager click on FILE.
3. Select RUN
4. Select Browse
5. Once you are in the BROWSE section, go to DRIVES. Click in the arrow and select A or B drive (where you loaded the control center disk).
6. While still in BROWSE,  go to WINDOWS, highlight it and click OK. Soon after, select WINSTALL.EXE, highlite it, and click OK. This last command will take you back to RUN.
7. In RUN select OK. Follow the instructions that appear on your screen. When the Windows installation is complete, you will see the Control Center Set up screen. Select the correct model size of your Studio 7 and the communication port that you will use to send plot files to the signcutter.
8. Select PLOTTER PRESENT.
9. Select OK. You are now in the Control Center screen.

For additional information, see chapter 6 of your User's guide THE STUDIO 7 CONTROL CENTER or you can contact Ioline Technical Support for further troubleshooting.

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Poor Cutting Quality.

The most common symptom with any cutting equipment is the report of poor cut quality. Broken or defective blades cause the highest number of technical assistance inquires to Ioline. The naked eye cannot detect the broken blade. The following helps illustrate the proper installation of a new knife blade. Also:

1. Before you begin any troubleshooting procedure, a quick inspection of the chart tape can give clues to the origin of the cut quality problem. If the chart tape has tracks in it or is shredded, the operator has a history or cutting too deep. Cutting too deep ALWAYS results in a broken blade. Replaced the blade and chart tape. We highly encourage testing the cut now to determine cut quality.
2. Wavy lines can be caused by a loose carriage or linear slide on the knife assembly. Try switching to the Banner Adapter (if available) to help isolate the problem.
3. Check the blade offsets in the Studio Control Center. Make sure the OFFSET matches the blade requirements. A 45 degree blade requires a .015 degree offset, a 60 degree blade needs a .047 degrees offset and so forth. Note: Remember blade specifications do not exactly reflect the blade. A blade offset may differ .002 from the stated offset on the box. User's must sometimes experiment to gain the best cut with a particular knife.
4. Weights are used to increase force on the knife assembly. Additional force can help you cut reflective or sandblast material. Vinyl does not need additional force. Additional weight cannot correct a bad cut caused by a broken blade.