Week 07a:
Raspberry Pi and the Vinyl Cutter

Raspberry Pi is a tiny computer to control the Roland vinyl cutter. This is a 13 EUR computer. It can run something off a USB (like a Roland vinyl cutter), it has a graphics card, and it’s tiny and cute!

It uses unusual browsers like "Ice Weasel" and "Epiphany."

The Raspberry Pi is not talking to the vinyl cutter, though. It's not registering its USB port. This page is a tutorial on how to address this.

Software

• Fab Modules
• CUPS
• Inkscape
• Illustrator
• Photoshop

Machines

• vinyl cutter
• Raspberry Pi

Use a Terminal command to look for the USB port.

ls dev/ttyU*

It's coming up with nothing.

We need to install a CUPS printing interface on Linux. We thought this Pi had already printed to a Roland vinyl cutter but it looks like not ...

Terminal commands to get CUPS.

sudo apt get install cups

Go to the website

http://localhost:631

~ this goes to the configuration page of CUPS.

Identifying to which USB-port a machine is connected

dmesg

tells you what the computer is finding, such as a hard disks, etc.

sudo dmesg -c

to clear these messages

then replug the cable in the troublesome USB port ...

dmesg

Now it will show you which machine you plugged in and which port it is connected to

In our case it is

/dev/usb/lp0

Go to the CUPS web interface and find the following:

• adding printers and classes
• add printer
• enter user and pswd

We are looking online for the default user and password for Raspberry Pi. Can’t find it.

sudo passwd root

allows you to reset the password. Then login with

root

username and the pswd you just set.

Look for the following buttons.

• Add printer. Roland GX-24, a local printer.
• next screen: Name must be “vinyl."
• next screen: Make = generic.
• next screen: generic text-only printer
• then "add printer"

Verify that under "printers" tab your printer appears.

Then, launch fab modules.

Setting up the vinyl cutter

Press “menu" two times to get to

un setup

The printer head goes to home, which is on the far right of the machine. The stock goes in, loaded from the back, on the left.

Move your piece of vinyl into place.

Select "piece" instead of "roll."

The machine measures the piece.

W:108mm

L: 264mm

This is sufficient for my file.

In the Terminal, use command

fab

This opens a gui interface that is similar to a browser-based version.

Look for buttons that allow you to do the following:

• input .svg or .png, output to .camm
• set material to vinyl
• make .path
• force = 110
• make .camm
• send it!

Use the down arrow button on the machine to bring the piece out and inspect the cutting.

Results!

a ludicrous array of versions in trying to solve it

on the right, trying to show some blade artifacts from internal cuts — hard to see … but be aware

the unexpectedly complicated thing can still be lovely