#Dongle Problem
14 messages in this thread
Ok, I just got my long awaited for upgrade to 3ds r2 and I already hate the
dongle. First off I have only 2 25 pin ports, I am assuming the printer is
the parrallel one so I hooked up the dongle to it. First 3ds doesn't see
it and then the printer is also un-accessable. Then I read the doc a
little more and come to find out that I have to always leave my printer on
now so that I can use 3ds r2? That's ridiculous, I hardly ever use my
printer, why should I leave it on all the time and why isn't the dongle
working in the first place. Yes I made sure it was firmly connected.
Shawn
Have you contacted your dealer about this for help?
– G
Well I did contact my dealer, it seems that the lock works as long as the
printer isn't hooked up to it. I have an Epson LQ/570 and I am using a
high quality cable. Do you have any answers?
I've personally never seen a problem with a lock not working if something
was hooked up through it. Don't really know what to tell you except to do
some basic diagnostic things like: try another cable, and try anything
else you can change, such as booting with the printer on (or off), etc.
– G
I'm not sure of this but it seems that my dongle wants to see the printer
in the same status (off or on) as it was the last time I used 3DS. My
dongle goes to an A/B box and then to either my laser or dot matrix
printer.
I wonder if any problems might be resolved by using an A/B box even when
you have only one printer. Just use the "B" setting for 3DS.
I dunno.
Alec Jason
I'm using an A/B box and haven't had that problem. The only problem I had
is that the dongle screws are too long, so I can't screw it completely into
the socket. When I first tried it out, both the dongle and the printer plug
were not sufficiently plugged in and 3ds wouldn't start.
– Jack
Jack,
I believe this is some sort of impedance termination or loading
problem. I recall reading a caveat of this sort in the RenderStar manuals.
If you have a printer on the dongle port, it needs to be powered on before
you boot up. No printer, no problem. Dead printer at bootup may result in
dongle being not found, not certain I understand why though.
Bruce
Bruce,
Here is my understanding of why the printer has to be turned on for the
dongle to work correctly. Unless the dongle is battery powered, it requires
a small amount of voltage (amperage? wattage?) in order to operate. It must
draw this power from the parallel port of the computer. If a printer is
connected to the dongle and and is off, circuitry of the printer supplies
enough resistance to drop the voltage below the minimum level for the
dongle to operate. If the printer is on (or if no printer is connected),
there is no resistance. I believe this problem is inherent in all dongles
except for those that are battery powered. I use an A/B printer buffer
between the dongle and the printer which I keep on all the time, allowing
me to turn the printer off at any time.
I know next to nothing about electricity, but this is how our dongle
supplier explained it to me. Hope this helps.
Dennis Bragg
You don't need to leave your printer on to use 3ds with the hardware lock.
Where in the docs does it state that? My printer is dead-to-the-world right
now, its switch is off, there are no little lights flashing–but 3D Studio
is running fine.
– Jack
Watch out there people a good (ex)friend once blew my TIPS dongle, an
identical Sentinel Pro, by plugging it into the serial port !
The Dongle IS MARKED , computer ->, not very clearly but it is marked do
not ignore it.
– Grahame
It says on page 8 of the installation guide under 'Cautions' to not turn on
or off a peripheral device will the hardward lock is connected, it may
cause hardware lock failure. That is where I got the information from.
You're right about that. (Obviously, I had little to do with the I.G.
documentation.) However, the caution says not to turn your printer on or
off while using 3D Studio. Since you're probably unable to print hardcopy
from 3D Studio, this shouldn't be much of a hardship. It doesn't mean that
your printer has to be left on (or off) at all times while your computer is
running.
– Jack
Well I found that if I have everything connected and then turn the printer
on and then turn on the computer, the dongle works, haven't tested printing
yet (i just did it this second). Thanks for the info.