Ioline SmarTrac I/S Series User manual

User Guide
Ioline SmarTrac™
I/S & 100 Series SC Series

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words or phrases mentioned within this publication may be trademarks, service marks, or trade names of
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ally.
Ioline Disclaimer
IOLINE CORPORATION PROVIDES THIS MANUAL “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES
OR CONDITIONS OR MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO
EVENT SHALL IOLINE, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR AGENTS BE LIABLE FOR ANY
INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES
FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, LOSS OF BUSINESS, LOSS OF USE OR DATA, INTERRUPTION OF BUSINESS
AND THE LIKE), EVEN IF IOLINE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES
ARISING FROM ANY DEFECT OR ERROR IN THIS MANUAL OR PRODUCT.
Limit of Liability Statement
It is the responsibility of the operator of the cutter to monitor the performance of the cutter and maintain
it in proper working condition by following the instructions in this User Guide. It is the responsibility
of the operator of the cutter to follow all safety precautions and warnings that are described in this User
Guide. Ioline is not responsible for injuries that may occur as a result of unsafe operating procedures.
Ioline is not responsible for substandard operational performance as a result of failure to maintain the
cutter as described in this User Guide.
© 1997-2008 Ioline Corporation. All rights reserved. This manual may not be copied, photocopied, repro-
duced, translated, transmitted or converted to any electronic or machine-readable form in whole or in
part without prior written approval of Ioline Corporation.
Service and Support
If you require assistance with an Ioline product, your local Ioline dealer or authorized service center is
ready to help. Support information is also available 24/7 on the Ioline Web site—or you may contact Ioline
directly:
Ioline Corporation
14140 NE 200th Street
Woodinville,Washington 98072 U.S.A.
Ioline Customer Service Department
Monday through Friday
7:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. U.S. Pacic Time
Voice: 1.425.398.8282
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]
www.ioline.com
User Notice
Part Number 106844 Rev. 5

User Guide
Ioline SmarTrac™
I/S & 100 Series SC Series

Images & Illustrations
Figure 1 The Ioline SmarTrac I/S cutter front view ............................................................. x
Figure 2 The Ioline SmarTrac Contour (SC) cutter front view ....................................... xi
Figure 3 The Ioline SmarTrac SC-72 cutter front view .................................................... xii
Figure 5 Power and communications ports .............................................................................xiv
Figure 6 USB Connection ........................................................................................................ 17
Figure 7 Ignore the Windows®XP Warning ........................................................................ 17
Figure 8 Click Next when the New Hardware Wizard window appears .............. 17
Figure 10 Find the COM port number under the Device Manager window ............ 18
Figure 11 Setup the software for USB .................................................................................... 19
Figure 12 Enter the port settings under the Device Manager window ...................... 19
Figure 13 The Ioline Control Center Installation window. ........................................ 20
Figure 14 The SmarTrac keypad ............................................................................................... 21
Figure 15 Origin point ................................................................................................................ 22
Figure 16 The Control Center Setup Screen ............................................................... 23
Figure 17 The Control Center Main Menu .................................................................... 24
Figure 18 Adjusting pinchwheel pressure .............................................................................. 31
Figure 19 Locking the idler pinchwheels off the platen ...................................................... 31
Figure 20 Installing the blade and blade foot in the holder ............................................... 32
Figure 21 Installing the blade holder in the carriage jaw .................................................... 32
Figure 22 When properly exposed, the blade lightly scores the backing ....................... 33
Figure 23 Suggested settings for different materials ............................................................ 35
Figure 24 Plotting pen guidelines ............................................................................................. 36
Figure 25 The Tangential Panel ................................................................................................. 40
Figure 26 Rectangular registration marks .............................................................................. 41
Figure 27 Recommended registration mark dimensions .................................................... 41
Figure 28 Registration marks margin ...................................................................................... 42
Figure 29 Registration mark locations on plot ..................................................................... 42
Figure 30 Replacing the blade ................................................................................................... 49
Figure 31 Cleaning the drive shaft ........................................................................................... 50
Figure 32 The Calibration Box and measurements ......................................................... 51
Figure 33 Print and measure a 1-cm black square on a white background .................... 52
Figure 34 Registration tool in jaw ............................................................................................ 52
Figure 35 Align tool with the corner of the box ................................................................. 52
Figure 36. The Control Center Calibration window ..................................................... 53
Figure 37. The Small Sensor Calibration window .........................................................................54

Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Safety &Cautions
Visual Reference Guide
Getting Started ................................................................................................. 15
Compatible Materials .......................................................................................................... 15
Chapter 1
Installation
Installation ......................................................................................................... 16
Unpack the Cutter ............................................................................................................... 16
Assembly ................................................................................................................................ 16
Prepare the Area .................................................................................................................. 16
Connect the Cutter to the Computer ............................................................................ 16
Install Ioline Software, Drivers and Manuals ................................................................... 17
Power On ............................................................................................................................... 17
Install Drivers ........................................................................................................................ 17
Special COM port Settings .............................................................................. 18
Automatically Find the COM Port ................................................................................... 18
Manually Find the COM Port ............................................................................................ 19
Manually congure the USB settings (optional) ............................................................ 20
Keypad Controls ............................................................................................... 21
START / STOP ........................................................................................................................ 21
Chapter 2
Operation
Arrow Keys ............................................................................................................................ 22
Set Origin ............................................................................................................................... 22
Speed ....................................................................................................................................... 22
Force ....................................................................................................................................... 22
Test Cut .................................................................................................................................. 22
Repeat ..................................................................................................................................... 23

The Ioline Control Center ............................................................................... 23
Changing System Settings ................................................................................................... 24
Menu Bar Features ........................................................................................... 25
File ............................................................................................................... 25
Setup ........................................................................................................... 25
Display ......................................................................................................... 25
Options ....................................................................................................... 25
Calibrate ..................................................................................................... 25
Test .............................................................................................................. 25
Help ............................................................................................................. 25
Screen Menu Options ....................................................................................... 26
Measurement Units .............................................................................................................. 26
Panel Size ................................................................................................................................ 26
Scale ......................................................................................................................................... 26
Autoloop ................................................................................................................................ 26
Tangential Cutting ................................................................................................................ 26
Special Features .................................................................................................................... 26
Update Display ...................................................................................................................... 27
Send Settings to Cutter: Temporary ................................................................................ 27
Send Settings to Cutter: Permanent ................................................................................ 27
Acceleration .......................................................................................................................... 28
Up/Down Delays .................................................................................................................. 28
Force ....................................................................................................................................... 28
Force Values ........................................................................................................................... 28
Blade Overcut ....................................................................................................................... 28
Blade Steering Arc ................................................................................................................ 28
Cutting a Design ............................................................................................... 29
General Guidelines .............................................................................................................. 29
Power On ............................................................................................................................... 29
Loading the Material ............................................................................................................ 29
Aligning the Material and Pinchwheels ............................................................................ 30
Adjusting the Pinchwheel Pressure .................................................................................. 30
Locking the Pinchwheels Off of the Platen ..................................................................... 31
Installing a Blade and the Blade Foot ............................................................................... 32
Installing a Blade Holder or Pen ....................................................................................... 32
Adjusting Exposure and Force ........................................................................ 33
Adjusting Blade Exposure: .................................................................................................. 33
Force Adjustment: ................................................................................................................. 34
Verication: ............................................................................................................................ 34
Sending a Cut/Plot File to the Cutter .............................................................................. 34
Pausing Cutting ..................................................................................................................... 34
Canceling a Cut .................................................................................................................... 35
Suggested Settings ................................................................................................................ 35
Guidelines for Plotting Pens ............................................................................................... 36
Cutting Long Designs .......................................................................................................... 36
Cutting Small Characters (Under 1/4-in.) ........................................................................ 37
How to Pounce ..................................................................................................................... 38
Stencil Cutting ....................................................................................................................... 39
Tangential Cutting ................................................................................................................ 40
Communication Test ............................................................................................................ 43

vii
Chapter 3
Communication Testing
Testing the Cutter Serial Port ........................................................................................... 44
Testing the Computer Serial Port .................................................................................... 44
Troubleshooting Chart ........................................................................................................ 45
Chapter 4
Troubleshooting
LED Codes ............................................................................................................................. 47
Troubleshooting the Parallel Port (for older machines) .............................................. 47
Replacing the Blade .......................................................................................... 49
Chapter 5
Routine Maintenance
Cleaning the Drive Shaft ................................................................................. 50
Size Calibration ................................................................................................ 50
Prepare the cutter: ............................................................................................................... 50
Gather the Calibration Data: ............................................................................................. 50
Enter the Calibration Data: ................................................................................................ 51
Calibrating the Sensor for Contour Cutting ................................................. 52
Prepare to Calibrate the Sensor ....................................................................................... 52
Calibrate the Sensor ............................................................................................................ 53
Service & Support ............................................................................................ 55
Getting Help ..................................................................................................... 55
Chapter 6
End Notes
Customer Service ............................................................................................. 56
Your Comments Are Requested ..................................................................... 56
Before you contact Support… ........................................................................ 57
The FCC WantsYou to Know... ........................................................................ 58
Glossary
Index

viii
Notes

Please read these safety guidelines before beginning operation of
the cutter. The cutter uses a very sharp blade when cutting. The
parts can move quickly. Always observe the following safety pre-
cautions:
nDo not allow the material to become suddenly taut between
the plotter and a roll of material during plotting. A service
loop of unrolled material is required for problem free opera-
tion. Using the Autoloop function (enabled in the Control
Center) will create the required service loop by gently pulling
a set amount of material from the roll before cutting. Ioline
recommends using the Autoloop function when plotting on a
roll of material.
nDo not try to repair the machine without factory authorization.
Only qualied service personnel should attempt any disas-
sembly or access to internal components. If external mechanical
adjustments are necessary, turn off the cutter and disconnect it
from all power sources (both the computer and the wall outlet).
nBe careful with hair, jewelry, or loose clothing near the cutter.
They can become caught in the mechanical parts.
nNever move the carriage by hand. Use the Arrow keys and let
the machine do it.
nKeep hands away from the carriage when the cutter is in opera-
tion. The carriage will automatically move to its right end posi-
tion when the power is turned on.
nBe careful when lifting the cutter. Hold the bottom surfaces of
the cutter to lift or move it.
n Keep ngers away from the drive shaft when the cutter is in
operation.
nUse caution when changing a blade in the blade holder. See the
Routine Maintenance chapter of this User Guide for the recommend-
ed procedure.
nBe careful when handling the blades. They are sharp and could
cause an injury if mishandled. Although the blades are made
of an extremely hard material, they are brittle and can break if
dropped or mishandled.
Safety &
Cautions
ix

A. Dust Cover
B. Drive Shaft Marker
C. Carriage
D. Blade Holder
E. Idler Wheel
F. Drive Shaft
(beneath material)
G. Pinchwheel
H. Pinchwheel Lever
KEY
Figure 1. The Ioline SmarTrac I/S cutter front view.
x
GA B C H
J
E
I
L
M
N
O
FD
K
D
C

Visual Reference Guide
Figure 2. The Ioline SmarTrac Contour (SC) cutter front view.
I. Keypad
J. Stand Leg
K. Stand Leveling Foot
L. Cross-member
M. Media Roller
N. Platen
O. Traverse
P. LED Sensor
KEY
xi
A B E H
J
K
I
L
M
N
O
F G
DP
C
G
F

A. Dust Cover
B. Drive Shaft Marker
C. Idler Wheel
D. Carriage
E. Blade Holder
F. LED Sensor
G. Pinchwheel
H. Drive Shaft
KEY
Figure 3. The Ioline SmarTrac SC-72 cutter front view.
ABJ
C
K
O
P
I
N
M
See Detail 1 See Detail 2
See Detail 3
xii

xiii
K. Stand Leg
L. Platen Leveling Foot
M. Stand Leveling Foot
N. Cross-member
O. Platen
P. Traverse
KEY
L
Detail 3
G
H
Detail 2
EF
D
Detail 1

xiv
R. Power Switch
S. Serial (COM) Port
T. USB Port
U. Power Cord
KEY
Figure 5. Power and communications ports are located on the back of the right cover.
R
U
T
S

Installation
Chapter 1
Getting Started
Thank you for purchasing the Ioline SmarTrac cutter.
This manual contains instructions and guidelines for setting up, op-
erating and maintaining your cutter. The SmarTrac hooks up to your
system like a printer. Use design software to create your designs
and send les to the SmarTrac for cutting or plotting. The following
components are needed to cut designs:
nA Windows-compatible computer. The computer must be as-
sembled and installed correctly before you connect it by serial
or USB cable to the cutter.
nDesign software loaded into the computer according to the
manufacturer’s installation instructions. If you have any ques-
tions about the computer or the software, you will need to
contact the manufacturer or your dealer. Most design software
provides drivers for Ioline cutters. If you need assistance with
drivers, contact Ioline customer service.
nThere is a specialized software program that comes with the
cutter called the Ioline Control Center. This software utility
enables you to adjust cutter settings and perform system diag-
nostics.
nThe SmarTrac will cut the graphic exactly as you have designed
it on the loaded material. See table below for a list of compatible
materials.
SmarTrac I/S and
SmarTrac Contour (SC)
100 System
Vinyl
Sandblast
Rubylith
Flock
Stencil
3M® 9600 & thin reectives
Gorilla Grip®
Thermo-FILM®,Thermo-
FLOCK®, and Thermo-GRIP®
Holographics and
WindowTinting lm
CAD-CUT® or Backed Twill
All materials handled by
SmarTrac I/S
If you use Windows®XP or later,
you can connect the SmarTrac
to your computer via USB. Use a
serial connection for older oper-
ating systems or if your computer
does not have a USB port.
Hint
Compatible Materials

16 Ioline SmarTrac User Guide
Installation
Unpack the Cutter
This procedure requires two people. Carefully remove the cutter
from the box and place it on a at, stable surface. Check the Packing
List to ensure that all of the accessories are present. Save all packing
materials and the box.
Assembly
Refer to the SmarTrac Quick Start Guide for directions on assem-
bling the cutter.
If you purchased the SmarTrac with a stand or table-top cradle,
you’ll nd assembly directions and hardware in the Accessory Kit.
Assemble and attach the stand or cradle to the cutter before attempt-
ing to plot. Make sure the media rollers (media shaft on the SC-72)
are properly installed and that the cutter is facing the correct direc-
tion. Place a level on top of the cutter and adjust the stand leveling
feet as required to level the stand.
Prepare the Area
Prepare a large clean area to work. Make sure the oor or table top
is free of debris and clear of any obstacles. Pull the cutter away from
the wall so the material can move freely.
Connect the Cutter to the Computer
With power off on the machine and PC, connect the SmarTrac to the
computer with either a USB or serial cable. A USB cable is provided
in the Accessory Kit. Install the included power cord in the cutter
and plug it into a wall outlet.
Ioline recommends using a surge
protector power strip for both
the PC and the machine.
Note
i
Do not lift the cutter by
the plastic end covers, the
dust cover, or the carriage
rail. This may permanently damage
the machine. Use the bottom
surfaces of the cutter to lift or
move it.
Caution
Figure 6. USB Connection. (Unused serial port
also shown above.)
Always turn off the power to
both the computer and the
machine before connecting any
cables. This will protect the equip-
ment and reset the cutter.
Note
i
Figure 13. The Ioline Control Center Installation window.

17
Chapter 1: Overview
Install Ioline Software, Drivers and Manuals
The Control Center is a utility that enables you to adjust parameters
and optimize cutter performance. The SmarTrac and 100 System
come with a CD-ROM that includes a Microsoft Windows®XP, Vista
and Win 7 version of the Ioline Control Center, the 101 software
(100 System only), USB drivers, Adobe Acrobat, and electronic User
Guides (Acrobat required to view).
1. Turn on the power to the computer and start Windows®.
2. Insert the Ioline CD ROM into the CD ROM drive (usually D:)
3. Select the Start button.
4. Choose Run.
5. Type D:\SETUP (substitute the correct letter if the CD ROM
drive letter is not D:) and Click OK.
6. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
7. Consult the Operation chapter of this manual for details on us-
ing the Ioline Control Center software.
Ioline USB drivers are only com-
patible and tested with Microsoft
Windows operating systems ver-
sions XP, Vista, and Win 7.
Note
i
Ioline USB drivers create a special
COM port that allows computer
software with serial communi-
cation support to use the USB
connection.
Note
i
Power On
1. Turn on power to the Ioline equipment. The cutter power
switch is located next to the power cord behind the keypad.
2. The carriage will move toward the keypad side of the machine
when the power is turned on. Keep hands and loose clothing
away from all moving parts of the cutter.
3. The red LED on the front panel will light when the start-up
process is nished.
Install Drivers
1. After power on, USB driver installation should start automati-
cally.
2. A warning may appear about driver certication. Click “Ok”,
“Proceed Anyway,” or “Continue.”
Figure 7. Ignore the Windows®XP Warning.

18 Ioline SmarTrac User Guide
4. Click in the circle next to Search for a suitable driver for my
device then click Next.
5. Click on Browse then nd the USB_Drivers_G2 folder on the
Ioline Installation CDROM. Click on Open, then OK.
6. A note will appear that the Wizard completed installing driv-
ers. Click the Finish button.
7. Some versions of Windows may repeat this process a second
time for the USB to UART Controller. Click the Finish button.
Special COM port Settings
Depending on the design software and your requirements, you may
need to determine a COM port setting to congure printing direct
to Ioline equipment. Use the Control Center to Automatically Find the
COM Port or Windows Device Manager to Manually Find the COM
Port. Both methods are described below. This is NOT necessary for
the Ioline Control Center or the 101 Software.
Automatically Find the COM Port
1. Press the Start/Stop key on the cutter keypad until the light
turns green.
2. Open the Ioline Control Center Go to Step 3 to nd a serial con-
nection COM port or Step 5 for USB connection COM port .
3. IF USING A SERIAL CABLE: determine the COM port by click-
ing on the Setup menu then choose Port Setup.
4. The Control Center Setup window will appear. Record which
COM port is highlighted and/or has a check box lled in.
5. IF USING A USB CABLE: determine the COM port by clicking
on the Display menu then choose USB Info.
6. The USB Info window will appear. Record which COM port is
listed in the COM Port window.
Figure 8. Click Next when the New Hardware
Wizard window appears.
3. If the Add New Hardware Wizard window appears. Click on
Next. Note: Later versions of Windows like Vista and Win 7 do not
usually require these steps.
Serial communications and
sometimes USB use a COM port
designation. See the SmarTrac
Quick Start Guide for more
information. If connected to a se-
rial port, a COM port designation
(i.e. COM 1, COM 2, etc.) must
be selected. The choice of a port
for the cutter will depend on the
ports being used by other devices
on the computer. Consult with
the dealer if a port is not available.
Note
i

19
Chapter 1: Overview
Setup the Software to use USB
1. Install the application(s) that will send data to the machine.
This includes utilities that are included with the equipment.
2. When conguring the driver and communications for the ap-
plication, choose the COM port number determined above in
Find the COM Port.
3. If additional COM port settings are required, use the values
shown in the Figure 11.
Manually Find the COM Port
1. Open the Windows Control Panel.
2. Double click on the System icon then the Hardware tab then
Device Manager button.
3. Double click on the Ports (COM and LPT) item to expand the
list.
4. Find the USB Serial Port (COMx) item in the list. Write down
the COM port number shown in the label. Use this information
when conguring software that communicates with the equip-
ment (see below).
Figure 10. Find the COM port number under the
Device Manager window.

20 Ioline SmarTrac User Guide
Manually congure the USB settings (optional)
1. Open the Windows Control Panel.
2. Double click on the System icon.
3. In Windows®2000 and XP, open the System window, click on
the Hardware tab then the Device Manager button.
4. Double click on the Ports (COM and LPT) item to expand the
list.
5. Right click on the USB Serial Port (COMx) item in the list, then
choose Properties.
6. Click on the Port Settings tab and enter the values shown
above in Figure 11.
7. Click on OK when nished.
Manually changing the Windows®
COM port settings is required
for some programs. Use the
Windows®Device Manager to
change settings.
Note
i
Figure 12. Enter the port settings under the De-
vice Manager window.
Figure 11. Setup the software for USB.