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Contents
How to use the BrotherLink 4 with the KH970
If you have a KH970 and a BrotherLink 4, use it as follows. This cable can be used for downloading from DesignaKnit into the Brother 970 but will not work for uploading.
- When downloading with the BrotherLink 4 to a KH970 machine you tell DesignaKnit that you are using a 965 machine (which is not true). Please read the information in the help section of DesignaKnit relating to the transfer of data with a BrotherLink 4 cable for 965/970 machines. Then connect up the ribbon cable to the PPD cartridge slot on the CB-1 as instructed in the help.
- Turn on the CB-1 and position the selector in the Main Menu onto Transfer Data but do not press the Enter key yet.
- On the computer, open DesignaKnit and select Transfer/Download.
- Choose the KH965 as your knitting machine and check in Setup that it has the correct com (serial) port configured, then click OK twice to open the "Assemble Batch of Patterns" dialogue box.
- Click the More button to add files that you wish to transfer into your knitting machine (again, read the help if you are unsure how to do this, just click the help button on the bottom of the dialogue box). You must have at least one file listed! When all the patterns required are listed click the OK button.
- A message will prompt you to turn on your knitting machine – turn off the CB-1 and turn it back on again.
- Watch the Download progress bar (this is transferring the files into the black box) and when it is finished the CB-1 will beep once and the computer will display a message telling you to select Load/Step, et cetera – ignore this message just leave it on the computer screen for the time being.
- On the CB-1 select Transfer Data from cartridge to knitting machine..
- A list of pattern numbers, from 901 up to however many you transferred into the black box, will be displayed in the CB-1 display. Choose the one you wish to transfer from the black box into the CB-1 and (still on the CB-1) press Enter.
- The CB-1 will display Load Execution and a new pattern number for the pattern you are transferring (make a note of it), choose OK and press enter.
- When the CB-1 beeps, the pattern has successfully transferred from the black box to the CB-1 and you can repeat from 8 above to transfer each pattern in turn from the black box into the CB-1.
- When all patterns have been transferred, return to your computer screen and click the OK button on the DK7 prompt. The CB-1 will beep again. Switch off the CB-1 and remove the ribbon cable before commencing knitting.
Troubleshooting Uploading and Downloading with Brother KH940, KH950i, KH965i, KH970
If none of the solutions on the Troubleshooting page solves your problem, try each of the points below until you find a solution to the problem:
 | Knitting Machine Connector |
Inspect the connector on the knitting machine. There is a group of 8 pins that the DesignaKnit cable plugs onto. See whether any pins are wobbly. It could be that the whole group of 8 pins is wobbly, or just one of them. Any wobbly pins should be re-soldered by a knitting machine engineer. (You might find that a knitting machine with wobbly pins could work with a PPD but not with DesignaKnit. This is because the PPD cable’s connector holds the pins differently and exerts sideways pressure on them and this can compensate for any bad electrical connection.)
| Corrupted Knitting Machine Memory |
If you are trying to download rather than upload, perform an 888 operation first to clear the memory of the knitting machine. When the Ready light is on, key 888 on the knitting machine. Wait for half a minute or so until you hear a beep. Turn the machine off, wait a few seconds, then turn it on again, wait a few seconds and turn it off. Try the download again. Whenever downloading gets stuck, it is best to clear the knitting machine memory, because the data which has arrived in the knitting machine memory will be incomplete and might confuse the knitting machine and prevent it from correctly accepting a further download.
Test Knitting Machine with PPD
If possible, test whether the knitting machine works by downloading from a PPD. If the PPD cannot download, there is probably something wrong with the knitting machine and you should consult an engineer.
| Special CableLinks |
If everything else fails, a Special cable might be necessary. These exist for the following cables:
Special cables amplify the signals coming from the knitting machine to the PC. They are required by perhaps 1% of computers. If none of the above points produce success, ask to try a Special cable. We don’t issue the Special cables as standard, because some computers will work with the normal cables and not with the Specials.
Troubleshooting Uploading and Downloading with Brother KH965 and KH270
If none of the solutions on the Troubleshooting page solves your problem, try each of the points below until you find a solution to the problem:
| Full Memory |
If uploading works, and when downloading the progress bar is completed, but the knitting machine beeps and displays an E on the console when LOAD, STEP, or EXEC is pressed, the knitting machine memory is probably full. Delete all or some patterns and try again. When DesignaKnit works out whether a pattern or batch of patterns will fit into the knitting machine memory, it assumes that the memory is otherwise empty.
| Corrupted Knitting Machine Memory |
If you are trying to download rather than upload, perform an 888 operation first to clear the memory of the knitting machine. When the Ready light is on, key 888 on the knitting machine. Wait for half a minute or so until you hear a beep. Turn the machine off, wait a few seconds, then turn it on again, wait a few seconds and turn it off. Try the download again. Whenever downloading gets stuck, it is best to clear the knitting machine memory, because the data which has arrived in the knitting machine memory will be incomplete and might confuse the knitting machine and prevent it from correctly accepting a further download.
| Test Knitting Machine with PPD |
If possible, test whether the knitting machine works by downloading from a PPD cartridge. If this does not work, there is probably something wrong with the knitting machine and you should consult an engineer.
Troubleshooting Uploading and Downloading with Brother PPD
If none of the solutions on the Troubleshooting page solves your problem, try each of the points below until you find a solution to the problem:
| PPD Connector |
Inspect the connector on the PPD. There is a group of 8 pins that the DesignaKnit cable plugs onto. See whether any pins are wobbly. It could be that the whole group of 8 pins is wobbly, or just one of them. Any wobbly pins should be re-soldered by a knitting machine engineer. (You might find that a knitting machine with wobbly pins could work with a knitting machine but not with DesignaKnit. This is because the PPD cable’s connector holds the pins differently and exerts sideways pressure on them and this can compensate for any bad electrical connection.)
| Corrupted PPD Memory |
Use the PPD with a television to make sure that when the PPD is powered on, the normal welcome screen is displayed. If downloading to a PPD gets stuck half way through, the PPD memory can become corrupted, and when it is later powered on, a message appears on the television explaining that the PPD memory is corrupted, with an instruction to press a certain button on the PPD to restore the memory. If the memory is corrupted, this process of restoration must be done before downloading from DesignaKnit will work.
| Test PPD with Knitting Machine |
If possible, test whether the PPD works by downloading to a knitting machine. If the PPD cannot download, there is probably something wrong with it and you should consult an engineer.
| Special CableLink |
If everything else fails, a Special BrotherLink 3 cable might be necessary. This cable amplifies the signals coming from the PPD to the PC. It is required by perhaps 1% of computers. If none of the above points produce success, ask to try a Special cable. We don’t issue the Special cable as standard, because some computers will work with the normal cables and not with the Special.
Troubleshooting Interactive knitting with BrotherLink 1
If none of the solutions on the Troubleshooting page solves your problem, try each of the points below until you find a solution to the problem:
|
Fast Serial Port |
In the Interactive Knitting Screen open the Options Menu and see whether the Fast Serial Port option is checked. If it is switched on, then try turning it off, and if it is switched off, then try turning it on. Clicking on the option changes the status from on to off and vice versa.
| Check Carriage Settings |
Make sure that the electronic row counter on the knitting machine increments when you move the carriage. If it does not increment, make sure that a pattern is selected, that the carriage is set to KC even if doing plain knitting, and that the carriage has cleared one of the turn points before doing the first pass.
| Knitting Machine Connector |
Inspect the connector on the knitting machine. There is a group of 8 pins that the DesignaKnit cable plugs onto. See whether any pins are wobbly. It could be that the whole group of 8 pins is wobbly, or just one of them. Any wobbly pins should be re-soldered by a knitting machine engineer. (You might find that a knitting machine with wobbly pins could work with a PPD but not with DesignaKnit. This is because the PPD cable’s connector holds the pins differently and exerts sideways pressure on them and this can compensate for any bad electrical connection.)
| Mispatterning |
If the pattern is not placed correctly on the needle bed, this could be because Download was selected instead of Integrated Download, or vice versa. Or because one of the special effect switches on the knitting machine console was set for double width, double height, pattern inversion, etc. All such switches should be off.
| Test Uploading/Downloading |
Try uploading or downloading. If these do not work, see the section entitled Uploading and Downloading with Brother KH940, KH950i, KH965i/Comp VCX, KH970
