Houston Instrument DMP-40V User manual

OMPAGV
OPERATION
MANUAL
SE
AE
HEHE
Ee
HE
HE
aE
AE
ae
HE
Be
Ee
aE
Ee
aE
ae
Se
a
se
Ee
HE
0188
MI9009

DISCLAIMER OF USE
Houston
Instrument
DMP-40V
Cutters
produce
high-quality
design
outlines
when
used
in
accordance
to
the
instruction
manual.
These
cutters
are not
intended
for
any other
use.
No
customer
serviceable
repairs
within
this
instrument.
All
repairs
are to be made by
qualified
factory-trained
technicians.
NOTICE
Houston Instrument reserves the right to change any in-
formation contained in this manual without notice.
Unauthorized copying, modification, distribution,or dis-
play is prohibited. All rights reserved. Please address
all questions, comments, or suggestions concerning this
and other Houston Instrument manuals to:
HOUSTON INSTRUMENT
ROCHESTERLAAN 6
8240 GISTEL
BELGIUM
TEL.: [phone]
TLX : (846)81399
FAX : [phone]

SECTION
Boo os ee ee es» we we we ww
oe
No
WONTAR WN
WWWW WWW NUNN
tet
Bote os os
t
ONKnOeWH
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DESCRIPTION
GENERAL INFORMATION AND OPERATION
Introduction
Specifications
Rear Panel Control Components
Front Panel Control Components
Powering Up the DMP-40V
Chart Loading
Installing Ball-point Pens and Knife Blades
Adjusting the Depth of the Knife Blade
Removing and Installing Nose Piece Assy
Computer Interface
Local Operation
OPERATOR MAINTENANCE
Miscellaneous Maintenance
Cleaning Friction Drive Wheels
Cleaning Nose Piece Assembly
DM/PL COMMAND SPECIFICATIONS
Introduction
DM/PL Command Descriptions (DMP-40 Series)
Special DMP-40V DM/PL Commands
Knife Rotation (N) Command
Knife Blade Threshold (B) Command
Knife Blade Home (K) Command
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
TITLE
Rear View of DMP-~40V
Front View of DMP-40V
Connecting Power to the DMP-40V
Loading Large Charts
Installing a Ball-point Pen
Installing a Knife Blade
Removing a Nose Piece Assy
Installing a Nose Piece Assy
Cleaning Friction Drive Wheels
LIST OF TABLES
TITLE
DMP-40V RS-232-C Connector Signals
PAGE
Nee pe eee ey dk ek AANA OP Pp bh WWAABODWADHWWW
NNN NN
PAGE
13

SECTION 1
GENERAL INFORMATION AND OPERATION
1.1 INTRODUCTION
The
Houston
Instrument
DMP-40V
cutter
provides
you
with
the
means
to
produce
computer-generated
graphic
images
on
sheet
vinyl
media.
The
DMP-40V
can
also
be
fitted
with
ball-point
pens
and
paper
media
to
enable
you
to
create
low-cost
previews
of
your
ideas
for
new
graphic
designs.
1.2 SPECIFICATIONS
PLOTTER CUTTER HARDWARE
DIMENSIONS
Overall
Height
200
mm
(7,8
inch)
Width
665
mm
(26
inch)
Depth
250
mm
(9,8
inch)
Net
Weight
6,6
kg
(14,5
pounds)
MEDIA
Types : paper : for use with pen
rubylith
vinyl film:
ex. 3M Scotchcal 3650
3M Scotchcal 3690
3M Scotchcal 100/CAD film
3M Controltac 180, 170, 155
Sizes : width min 400 mm (15,7 inch)
max 420 mm (16,5 inch)
tickness : 0,05 mm (0.002 inch ) to
0,10 mm (0.004 inch)
Hold down system : pinch roller
Maximum cutting size : 330 mm width
PEN
ball point

KNIFE
coated tungsten carbide
angle : 36° or 45 °
lifetime : min 5000 m cutting length
PERFORMANCE
SPEED
DMPL(V)
Command
programmable
V1:
0,7
inch/sec
v2:
1,5
inch/sec
V3:
2,0
inch/sec
ADDRESSABLE
RESOLUTION
selectable
:
0,1
mm
0,001 inch
0,005 inch
MECHANICAL RESOLUTION
0,06 mm (0,0025")
POWER REQUIREMENTS
14
Volt
AC
Transformer
unit
supplied
with
plotter
50-60
Hz
40 VA
Power mains : 220 V ~ 7%
MECHANICAL - ELECTRICAL DATA
DRIVER stepper motor
INTERFACE asynchronous serial RS232C
I/O PORT CONNECTOR standard male DB-25P
pin configuration : pin 2 transmit
pin 3 receive
pin 7 ground
axial
pin 4 + 20 handshake
MATING CONNECTOR
standard
female
DB-25S
(not
included
with
instrument)

BYTE FORMAT
8 bits, no parity, 2 stop bits
BAUD RATE
300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800 or 9600
(factory set for 9600 baud)
FIRMWARE
DM/PL (TM) compatible
Special commands to control the knife
- Knife rotation (N) command : Nnnn
- Knife Blade Threshold (B) command : Bnnn
- Knife Blade Home (K) command : K
ENVIRONMENTAL RANGE
0 - 35° C (32-95° F)
30 - 80% (non conden-
sing)
- Operating temperature
- Relative humidity

1.3 REAR PANEL CONTROL COMPONENTS
This section describes the functions of the DMP-40V rear panel
control components. The components are illustrated in Figure 1-1.
FIGURE 1-1. REAR VIEW OF DMP-40V
4 DATA PORT CONNECTOR: The DB-25P data port connector
allows the DMP-40V to be connected to and controlled by a host
computer. Interface instructions are explained in Section 1.8.
2 POWER SWITCH: This toggle switch sets the DMP-40V power to
on and off.
3 VOLTAGE INPUT JACK: This jack accepts the miniature plug
from the Transformer Unit (see Section 1.5).
1.4 FRONT PANEL CONTROL COMPONENTS
This section describes the functions of the DMP-40V front panel
control components. The components are illustrated in Figure 1-2.
FIGURE 1-2. FRONT VIEW OF DMP-40V
=6=

1
PINCH
ROLLER
LEVER
ARMS:
The
pinch
lever
arms
are
used
to
raise
and
lower
the
pinch
rollers
from
the
chart
drive
shaft
during
chart
loading.
A
pinch
roller/lever
arm
assembly
is
located
at
each
end
of
the
platen.
(Chart
loading
is
explained
in
Section
1.6.)
2
CHART
DRIVE
SHAFT:
This
shaft
drives
the
chart
in
the
x-axis
direction.
The
drive shaft
moves
the
chart
only
when
the
pinch
rollers
are
lowered
to
the shaft.
3
BLADE
ASSEMBLY
UNIT:
The
blade
assembly
unit
controls
the
movement
of
the
DMP-40V
knife
blade
or
ball-point
pen.
The
blade
assembly
is
secured
to
the
beam
and
moves
the
knife
or
pen
in
the
y-axis
direction.Section
1.7
explains
how
to
install
a
knife
blade
or
a pen
into
the blade
assembly
unit.
4
CONTROL
PANEL:
The
DMP-40V
Control
Panel
consists
of
12
membrane
switches
and
four
illuminating
(on/off)
indicators.
Only
the
LARGE,
LOCAL,
and
MANUAL
MOVEMENT
KEY
switches
should
be
used
if the
DMP-40V
is
operated
in
a closed
computer
configuration.
1.5 POWERING UP THE DMP-40V
WARNING
The
knife
blades
that
are
used
in
the
DMP-40V
blade
assembly
unit are razor
sharp
and
will
cause
personal
injury
if
they
are
handled
carelessly.
Use
extreme
care
when
you
are
operating
the
DMP-40V
and
when
you
are
installing,
removing,
or storing
the
knife
blades!
Plug
the
Transformer
Unit
ac
cable
into
any
ac
receptacle
that
has
a
verified
earth
ground
and
the
same
voltage
rating
specified
on
the
transformer.
Insert
the
miniature
plug,
which
is
on
the
end
of
the
Transformer
Unit
de
cable,
into
the
DMP-40V
rear
panel
voltage
input
jack
(see Figure
1-3).
Set the
DMP-40V
power
switch
to on.
oy
FIGURE 1-3. CONNECTING POWER TO THE DMP-40V
-J=

WARNING
The Transformer Unit that is supplied with the DMP-40V
must only be used with power mains that have the same
ratings.
1.6 CHART LOADING
The DMP-40V can be loaded with either paper or vinyl charts. If
chart paper is loaded and the knife blade is replaced with the
ball-point pen, the DMP-40V thus becomes a pen plotter which
enables you to produce low-cost paper previews of a graphic
design. The pen and the paper can then be replaced with the knife
blade and vinyl to produce the finished graphic design.
The LARGE Control Panel switch enables you to load charts 400 mm
(15.7 inch) wide and up to 2000 mm (80 inches) long without window
commands.
To load large charts, follow the procedure below.
1. Set the power switch to on, (The DMP-40V defaults to large
chart format at power up.)
2. Raise each pinch roller arm to disengage the rollers from
the chart drive shaft.
3. Insert the chart between the pinch rollers and the chart
drive shaft and position it as shown in Figure 1-4.
4. After the chart is positioned, lower the pinch rollers to the
surface of the chart by gently pushing down on the lever arms.
5. The large chart is now properly loaded.
Note : To guarantee good tracking and repeatability the media must
be supported in front and rear of the machine.
Align the chart with the
edge of the platen and
the white stripe
FIGURE 1-4. LOADING LARGE CHARTS
-8-

NOTE
If you use roll charts with the DMP-40V,do not allow the
cutter to feed the chart from the roll. The tension
caused from pulling the chart from its roll may inter-
fere with the DMP-40V tracking.
The LARGE switch is also used to manually reset the DMP-40v.
1.7 INSTALLING BALL-POINT PENS AND KNIFE BLADES
WARNING
The knife blades that are used in the DMP-40V blade
assembly unit are razor sharp and will cause personal
injury if they are handled carelessly. Use extreme
care when you are operating the DMP-40V and when you are
installing, removing, or storing the knife blades!
Note that the nose piece assembly at the bottom of the
blade assembly must be removed when using the ball-point
(see 1.7.2)
The procedure below explains how to install a ball-point pen in
the blade assembly unit.
nS Remove the depth adjustment knob from the blade assembly unit
by turning it counterclockwise (see Figure 1-5).
2. Place the ball-point pen into the hollow shaft of the blade
assembly unit as shown in Figure 1-5. Gently press down on the
ball-point pen until it seats against the bottom of the blade as-
sembly unit.
3. Attach the depth adjustment knob to the blade assembly unit.
Turn the knob clockwise until you can see the tip of the
ball-point pen emerge from the bottom of the blade assembly unit.
Depth Ad justaent
an Knob
Ball-point Pen
FIGURE 1-5. INSTALLING A BALL-POINT PEN
-9-

The procedure below explains how to install a knife blade in the
blade
assembly
unit.
Note
that
the
nose
piece
assembly
has
to be
installed before installing the knife blade (see 1.7.2).
Ais
Remove
the
depth
adjustment
knob
from
the
blade
assembly
unit
by
turning
it
counterclockwise
(see Figure
1-6).
2.
Place
the
knife
into
the
hollow
shaft
of
the
blade
assembly
unit
as
shown
in
Figure
1-6.
Align
the
key on the
shaft
of
the
knife
with
the
groove
on
the
blade
assembly
unit
and
then
gently
press
down
on
the
knife
until
it
seats
against
the
bottom
of
the
blade
assembly
unit.
3.
Attach
the
depth
adjustment
knob
to
the
blade
assembly
unit
by
turning
it
clockwise
until
it
is
finger-tight.
Do
not
operate
the
cutter
until
after
you
have
adjusted
the
knife
to
its
proper
cutting
depth
as
explained
in
Section
1.7.1.
Depth Adjustment
—_——" Knob
FIGURE 1-6. INSTALLING A KNIFE BLADE
-10-

1.7.1 Adjusting the Depth of the Knife Blade
After a knife blade has been installed, it must be adjusted to its
proper cutting depth. The following procedure explains how to
make this adjustment.
1. Install a sheet of vinyl into the DMP-40V as described in
Section 1.6.
2. After installing the knife blade into the blade assembly unit
as described in Section 1.7, slowly turn the depth adjustment knob
counterclockwise or clockwise until the tip of the knife is flush
with the bottom of the blade assembly unit. (The tip of the blade
should barely be visible from the bottom of the blade assembly
unit.)
Sia Initiate the Self-Test routine by pressing the LOCAL switch
on the Control Panel, and then pressing [a) and (2) simultan-
eously.
4. After the DMP-40V completes its Self-Test routine, remove
the vinyl sheet and check the quality of the cut of the Self-Test
design. To increase the depth of the cut, slightly turn the depth
adjustment knob clockwise. To decrease its depth, turn the
adjustment knob counterclockwise. (Each calibration increment on
the knob represents 0,01 mm (0.0004 inch.)
NOTE
The Self-Test plot can be temporarily halted by pressing
the LOCAL switch on the Control Panel.To resume the test
plot, press LOCAL again.
1.7.2. Removing and installing the nose piece assembly (with nose
piece tool).
NOTE
When using the ball-point pen, the nose piece assembly must
be removed. In all other cases the nose piece assembly must
be installed.
Removing :
1. Turn the power off.
2. Remove the knife blade assembly (when installed) as explained
in section 1.7.
3. Move the cutter head to the middle of the instrument.
4. Position the nose piece tool in line with the drive shaft.
Turn the adjustment knob so that it is in line with the nose piece
tool. Push gently against the nose piece tool until it clips out
of the blade assembly.
-11-

NOSE_ PIECE
ASSEMBLY NOSE PIECE TOOL
/
[oO] a PUSH TO REMOVE
DRIVE SHAFT
FIGURE
1-7.
REMOVING
THE
NOSE
PIECE
ASSEMBLY
Installing :
1. Turn the power off.
2.
Remove
the
ball
point
pen
(when
installed)
as
explained
in
section
1.7
3.
Move
the
cutter
head
to
the
middle
of
the
instrument
4.
Clip
the
nose
piece
assembly
in
the
nose
piece
tool
as
shown
in
figure
1-8.
5.
Position
the
nose
piece
tool
with
installed
assembly
in
line
with
the
drive
shaft
as
shown
in
figure
1-8.
6.
Turn
the
adjustment
knob
so
that
the
slot
of
the
nose
piece
holder
is
in
line
with
the
nose
piece
tool.
Now
push
gently
the
shaft
of
the
nose
piece
in
the
direction
of
the
head,
until
it
hits
the
stop.
7.
Make
sure
that
the
nose
piece
assembly
is
well
positioned
in
its
holder
(eventually
press
down
the
adjustment
knob)
NOSE _ PIECE
ASSEMBLY NOSE PIECE TOOL
<> —F
PT] ~——PusH TO INSTALL
FIGURE
1-8
:
INSTALLING
THE
NOSE
PIECE
ASSEMBLY
-12-

1.8 COMPUTER INTERFACE
The DMP-40V is equipped with a rear panel I/O data connector,
which allows all cutting activity to be controlled from your
computer. Follow the instructions below to connect the data cable
to the DMP-40V and the computer.
Te Turn the power off to both the DMP-40V and computer.
2a Refer to your computer owner's manual for possible warnings
or recommendations from its manufacturer concerning the connection
of external devices to their equipment.
ae Connect one end of the cable to the DMP-40V rear panel 1/0
connector and the other end to a communication port connector on
your computer.
4. Power up the DMP-40V and the computer.
The DMP-40V power up default communication set up is 9600 baud,
‘ seven data bits, two stop bits, no parity with bit number eight
set to zero. The DMP-40V connector pins and signal names are
provided in Table 1-1.
TABLE 1-1. DMP-40V RS-232-C CONNECTOR SIGNALS (DTE)
PIN NUMBER AND SIGNAL NAME SIGNAL DIRECTION
PIN 1 -- Chassis ground Common
PIN 2 -- Transmit data (TD) From DMP-40V
PIN 3 -- Receive data (RD) To DMP-40V
PIN 4 -- Request To Send (RTS)* From DMP-40V
PIN 7 -- Signal ground Common
PIN 20 -- Data Terminal Ready (DTR)* From DMP-40V
* PINS 4 and 20 are internally jumpered.
1.9 LOCAL OPERATION
The DMP-40V can be placed in local mode by pressing the LOCAL
switch on the Control Panel. (The LOCAL LED indicator illuminates
when the DMP-40V is in local mode.)
If the DMP-40V is placed in local mode, the blade assembly and
chart can be manually moved by using the + ; oo. y
and <= switches.
a
A DMP-40V Self-Test can also be initiated if the cutter is placed
in local mode. To initiate the Self-Test routine, press the }
and { switches simultaneously.
To return the DMP-40V to computer control,’ press the LOCAL switch
again. (The LOCAL LED indicator turns off when the cutter is
placed in remote mode.)
-13-

SECTION 2
OPERATOR MAINTENANCE
2.1 Miscellaneous Maintenance
The DMP-~40V has several sliding surfaces. These are made of smooth
metals and plastic so that they are essentially friction free and
require no lubricants. These will, however, collect dust and lint
which will adversely influence the performance of the DMP-40V.
Keep the cutter as clean as possible by using a dust cover. When
necessary, clean the unit with a soft cloth dampened with
isopropyl alcohol or mild detergent. (Do not use abrasives.)
To clean the unit, use a clean cloth dipped in a concentrated
solution of soap and water; squeeze out excess water and then
scrub the affected surface. Do not use any aerosol cleaners, such
as TV contact cleaner, household wall cleaners, or anything
containing a solvent; these may damage certain components.
2.1.1 Cleaning Friction Drive Wheels
The friction drive wheel area of the drum can become clogged with
accumulated residue from the media. This can cause slippage of the
cutting material between the drive drum and the pinch rollers,
resulting in inaccurate design cuts.
The following procedure explains how to clean the friction drive
wheels when necessary. Note that the special cleaning strips
(part number DMP40-303) are available from your Houston Instrument
product distributor.
1. Remove the cutting material from the unit.
2. Place the DMP-40V in local mode by pressing LOCAL.
3. Remove the protective liner from the cleaning strip.
4, Open the right pinch roller arm.
5. Place the cleaning strip between the pinch roller and _ the
drive drum, with the tacky side of the cleaning strip toward the
friction drive wheel as shown in Figure 1-7.
6. Using the 4 and + switches on the Control Panel, slew
the cleaning strip back forth several times until all residue is
removed from the friction drive wheel.
7. Open the right pinch roller arm and remove the cleaning strip.
8. Repeat steps four through seven for the left friction drive
wheel. :
-14-

9. Residue can be removed from the cleaning strip by washing it
in cold water. Thoroughly dry the cleaning strip and replace its
protective lining.
Cleaning
Strip
Pinch
Roller
FIGURE 2-1. CLEANING FRICTION DRIVE WHEELS
2.1.2 Cleaning the nose piece assembly
The nose piece assembly can become clogged with accumulated
residue from cutting materials. This can cause bad or insufficient
quality of your cutted sign or logo. The following procedure ex-
plains how to clean the nose piece assembly when necessary :
Cleaning :
1) Turn the power off.
2) Remove the knife blade assembly
3) Remove the nose piece assembly as described in 1.7.2
4) Clean the nose piece assembly with a brush so that all dirt
(glue, pieces of vinyl) are removed between the small rollers. (If
needed use a small pick)
-15-

SECTION 3
DM/PL COMMAND SPECIFICATIONS
3.1 INTRODUCTION
The DMP-40 series commands are listed in Section 3.2. These
commands should be used only as a quick reference. A full descrip-
tion of each command is provided in the DM/PL Command Language
Manual (MI-1044).
Section 3.3 lists and describes DM/PL commands that are special to
the DMP-40V. These commands control the action of the DMP-40V
knife assembly unit.
i es DM/PL COMMAND DESCRIPTIONS (DMP-40 SERIES)
The following list of DM/PL commands are supported by DMP-40
series plotters.
Plotter Select Commands:
Mode One Select
es
re
Mode Two Select
y:iIpe d, or ;:I(nn nn nn nn)pe d,
pe is your computer's prompt code and d is the delay time.
(nn nn nn nn) are optional prompt code specifiers.
Plotter Deselect
@
Plot Setup Commands:
Set Velocity
vn,
n selects the velocity:
1 selects 1 ips
2 selects 1,5 ips
3 selects 2,0 ips
16s

Set Window/Viewport Limits
W wxll,wyll,wxur,wyur,vpxll,vpyll,vpxur,vpyur,
wxll,wyll is the window x,y lower left coordinate.
wxur ,wyur is the window x,y upper right coordinate.
vpxll,vpyil is the viewport x,y lower left coordinate.
vpxur,vpyur is the viewport x,y upper right coordinate.
The window and viewport coordinates can be any number between
- 32,767 and + 32,767 except vpyur , which cannot exceed pen beam
axis. vpyur coordinate must be as follows:
If the resolution is 0.005 inch, vpyur max.=2600.
If the resolution is 0.001 inch, vpyur max.=13000.
If the resolution is 0.1 mm, vpyur max.=3300.
Small Chart
EH
Large Chart
EF
(Mode Two) Prompt Enable
EBnn,
nn is your two-digit hexadecimal prompt enable character.
End of Text
ETnn,
nn is your two-digit hexadecimal end of text character.
Addressing Commands:
Absolute Pen Positioning
A
Relative Pen Positioning
R
=. 7=

Coordinate Addressing
ECn,
specifies a different resolution setting:
selects 0.001 inch
selects 0.005 inch
selects 0.1 mm
suas
Home Position
H
Set Plot Origin
(e)
Pen Control Commands:
New Pen
Pn,
n select a pen number.
Pen Down
Pen Up
Line Type Commands:
Line Type
Ln,
n selects a line type.
Move Commands:
Vector Move
%rYr
x,
is
any
number
between
-
32,767
and
+
32,767.
yr,
is
any
number
between
-
32,767
and
+
32,767
-18-

Incremental Move
n
n is a incremental move code.
Text Commands:
Simple Text
Srhh text string_
r specifies rotation.
hh specifies height.
_ exits Simple Text mode.
Extended Text
S (Sn,Wn,I/NI,Gn,Xn,Yn,) (text string)_
(Sn,) specifies height/width,
(Wn,) specifies width only,
(I/NI) specifies italics or no italics,
(Gn,) specifies a character set,
(Xn,) specifies the x slope point,
(Yn,) specifies the y slope point,
. Specifies end of text mode
Curve Commands:
Circle Plot
CO Se¥ 58s
X,Y, specifies the center point of the circle. The values can
be any number between - 32,767 and + 32,767.
r,
specifies
the
radius.
The
value
can
be
any
number
between
~32767
and
32767.
Arc
Plot
CA x,y,d,
X,Y, specifies the center of the circle which contains the
arc.
The
values
can
be
any
number
between
-
32,767
and
+
32,767.
dad, specifies the size of the arc in degrees. This value
must be between -360 and +360 (+ causes counterclockwise movement and
- causes clockwise movement).
-19-