Hello!

2 month ago i start working as a network administrator at a company that produce advertising products. Last week, the production section ask me to prepare a PC to work with a laser. So i did, following the specifications i received. It's a Core 2 Duo running a Windows XP Professional, and a CorelDRAW 11. As i understand, i have to install some drivers so that the PC send/receive data from the laser, and a plug-in for Corel to cut directly from Corel.
Now, my problem is that i have no clues about what to do next. The laser was buyed 2 years ago from china, the person who was there to buy it no longer works here, and nobody knows where is the software.

I tried to contact the producer of the laser. The only mail i get back said that they no longer produce the laser, but if i need spare parts, i have to send them pictures with the spare parts i need.

The producer of the laser is GUANGDALY (http://www.guangdaly.cn), the model is GDL-150A (i didn't find anything about it on Google). I found that TOPWISDOM is the producer of the CNC (http://www.topwisdom.com.cn), and it looks like this one: http://www.topwisdom.com.cn/Chinese/Bs_ProductShow.asp?ArticleID=176

I need some help, if anybody can tell me what to do... Where i can find some drivers, the plug-in for Corel, or what can i do to make the laser work? I don't mind using other software, as long as it get the job done.

Thank you

Hi cat_d,

Wow, what a mess that they have dropped into your lap.

Even if you happened to find the laser software disks, you will still need the USB "soft dog" hasp/key/dongle thing that plugs into the PC USB port and unlocks the software. If you don't have that, the software stays in demo mode.

And how about a PCI card for the computer? If this laser is 2 years old, I doubt if it has a USB interface, so the laser probably came with a PCI card for the PC. Do you have that?

Look on the motion control card that is installed inside the laser and see if there is a version number stamped on it. Take a picture of it and send that and the ver. number to your parts supplier. MAYBE you can get the correct software and hasp, but if this laser is 2 years old or more, you may have to buy a current motion card and purchase the newer, correct software and hasp key at the same time.

Good luck,
Skip

Thank you Skip,

At least there is a light at the end of the tunnel... I'll look for the "soft dog" and I'll look to the motion control card; at least i know now what questions to ask :)
I already send a mail to the producer, he ask for pictures; i send him, and now wait for a reply.

I attached a picture here too, if somebody recognize it, maybe can give me some details about it.

i managed to resolve some of the problems... the controller is gonna be repaired; the problem was that from the 4 buttons that move the laser on the axes, only one was working... the other 3 of them were dead. but actually, the problem was that the voltage that gives the command was way to high (arround 1,9V) and so the microcontroller was unable to execute any command. solution? just one diode that link to mass... and one additional switch that commute between the good button and the rest.

i found drivers for the CNC too. so my computer now can send / receive information with the laser.

i have one more thing to do: found some software that work.
So i ask your advice, where can i found some plug-ins that can work with Corel, or other graphical programs, or what kind of softwere should i use to make the laser actually cut? Any advice is very welcome.

thanks

p.s. to all the people who want to buy some chinese lasers: don't even think about support. there is no such word in chinese. i sent e-mails over e-mail to bouth the producer of the laser (guandgdaly), and after the first mail, i received NOTHING form them, and to the producer of the CNC (topwisdom), who don't even bother to send a reply.
so yeah, chinese laser are cheap. just think about why...

Are you writing them in Chinese? Many foreign manufacturers will hire an English-speaking person to write their manual and maybe their website, but most of the workers speak only their native language.
You can write the email, then paste the text into the window at http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_txt then select the to / from languages and presto! Copy the following text into the box, select "Chinese-simp" to "English" and try it. (re-translations are funny, but it's fairly close to where I started)

负责亲爱的人- 我买了你的一个美妙的产品，但是需要一个技术指南适当地使用它。 我怎么可以获得一？

Thanks Dorsal, i didn't think about sending a email in chinese.... oh well, i'll try it today. :)