USB Dongle Not working anymore

[technomupet67]

Hello all,

It looks like my USB dongle is not working anymore, I have been plugged in and out a few times, but to no success.The little light on the dongle blinks once, then I get an error message from windows saying that there is a usb device that did not work. (windows XP).
Obviously when I try to use the lasercut software I am now stuck and cannot cut anything.

Questions :
1- Anybody out there managed to break their dongle as well, what did you do then ? Can you buy a new one ?
2- Is there any other software capable of driving the HPC lasers ? I have several CNC type machines/3D printers but they all have open source software. It would be nice to be able to drive the laser with an open source type software.

I suppose I will have to get in touch with HPC to see if I can buy a new dongle/software package.

Any help or advice ?

Thanks
Oli

[technomupet67]

Hello,

I ordered a replacement dongle from HPC and got it the following day.
All is back in good working order.
Those things are expensive...I am now very careful in plugging it nicely etc....

Best
Oli

[PhillyDee]

Yeah, I destroyed one myself.

http://www.laserscript.co.uk/phpBB3/vie ... ngle#p2549

Though I fixed mine. You might be able to repair yours in a similar way!

[JohnStevenson]

Bit annoying having to have one in the first place.
I mean the machine is a dongle in a way, without a machine you cannot cut anything anyway.

I'd love to have a copy of Lasercut on my office machine so i could program the odd job at night then take the ESP file over to the workshop following day and cut it.

I am surprised that no one has found a way round this.

[MC Design]

Yea Im not a huge fan of the the dongle or the lack of open source.

Surely theres a way to clone a dongle?

[ncamacho2000]

Not sure if this helps but when i bought my lazer it was drilled into me not to loose or break the dongle as they cannot be cloned or copied (apparently people had tried). I seem to remember someone saying a replacement is a couple of hundred quid?

I agree it seems strange that it cant be replicated or done away with easier, ill be interested to know the price if you get a new one or an alternative means

Good Luck with it

Yours Nigel

[PhillyDee]

Yeah, the Newlydraw one is around £150 + vat IIRC ! I have tried to get them cloned, not currently possible.

There is one way around it, VNC. Set up a VNC server on the lasers machine, then open rerquired ports etc, and then you can VNC into it from a remote location.

[endcan]

Hi the dongles are £150 plus vat we have had our laser 4 years and not damaged one
Ask Chris at Hpc if he can help
How old is your machine ???
Thanks

[technomupet67]

Hi everybody,

Thanks for all the replies.
Yes, I ordered a replacement from HPC it was 150+VAT. It was all fixed within a couple of days.

I was moving the USB key from one machine to an other (PC) and it failed.
The light does not come on anymore and windows does not recognise the usb being plugged in.
I think it is completely fried. The new one worked first time etc...no issue.

Best to all
Oli

[PhillyDee]

It might be fixable, although it might be very similar to the fix I posted above. I could give it a go if you like!