EDIT: I got it all figured out, read the posts below for details.

Instead of flooding the InkCut thread with my problem I am starting this new thread. The problem does not seem to be with InkCut but rather with how my cutter needs to be fed HPGL. I am one step further along, I can kind of get my UScutter LP 24" cutter to work in Linux.

I decided to double check that my cutter will in fact handle HPGL. The manufacturer's specs are available through the link below:

http://www.uscutter.com/USCutter-LaserP ... p_567.html

For "protocol" it lists "DM-PL HP/GL automatic identification." Wondering what DM-PL was, I searched Wikipedia and it seems to be part of my issue. I downloaded a sample DMPL file from the link below, specifically the "not filled" file:

http://www.winline.com/evalpen_dmpl.html

If I "$ cat DMPL-O.plt > /dev/ttyUSB0" my cutter does not cut. But after lots of trial-and-error I figured one way to get my cutter to cut:

1. Unplug then plug back in the USB cable
2. $ cat hpgl > /dev/ttyUSB0
3. $ cat DMPL-O.plt > /dev/ttyUSB0

Then the contents of my "hpgl" file will be cut. The DMPL-0.plt file does *not* get cut. The problem is that after its cuts it locks up with the LCD showing "Waiting." Trying to cat either the hpgl or DMPL-0.plt file does nothing, the cutter is still hung up. Pressing the limit kill switches on the cutter to reset or power cycling the cutter just results in the cutting going "On Line" but the text flickers. Cat'ing either the hpgl or DMPL-0.plt file does nothing. I have to uplug then plug back in the USB cable *and* power cycle or reset the cutter. Then I can repeat the 3 steps above and end up in the same place again.

I will continue researching, but if anyone has ideas or is familiar with DMPL please chime in.

Thanks,
-Farrell

I almost forgot, the contents of my "hpgl" file is simply the line below:

IN;PU0,0;PD2000,0;PD2000,2000;PD0,2000;PD0,0;PU;

Even more trial and error and it seems the only part I needed from the DMPL file was a colon! Cat'ing the following line to the cutter has exactly the same affect as doing the above.

IN;PU0,0;PD2000,0;PD2000,2000;PD0,2000;PD0,0;PU;:

Notice the colon at the end...

I figured it out... it works perfect now. I do not know why the colon at the end of the line made things almost work, but I got things to work perfectly without it. The last PU needs to be an absolute value like PU0,0. Also, the IN command does not seem to be needed, but it does not hurt either.

The following line cuts a square and does not hang up the plotter afterward:

PU0,0;PD2000,0;PD2000,2000;PD0,2000;PD0,0;PU0,0;

I guess I was wrong about DMPL, I just had my HPGL formatted wrong. I hope this thread helps others who want to cut in Linux and have not been able too.

-Farrell

Great, that was causing other cutters to hang in waiting mode. To fix with inkcut simply set the "Distance to feed after cut" to a negative number and it will return to the origin. (append the PU0,0; command)

Oh, by the way, DMPL went extinct. I don't know why USCutter still supports that command set on their newer cutters.

Probably because they supply old software.

The cutters support it because the people who manufacture the units (not uscutter) program them to.