FIBERWORKS 4.2 SILVER PLUS Manual.pdf · · 2016-12-26Validation of 4.2 Silver Plus For installation of the PCW4.2 Silver Plus program, see the main Silver Manual Validation dialog

How to Weave

on your

Computer Assisted Loom

For ARM, AVL,

Leclerc, Louet,

Macomber, Noble, Toika

FIBERWORKS 4.2 SILVER PLUS

© 2014, Fiberworks

Software License

© 2014 Fiberworks

Computer software is protected by copyright. Your purchase of the software grants you license to use thesoftware under the terms described below.

1) You have been assigned a registered user number with your purchase. This user number appears onthe printed invoice sent to you by Fiberworks, and on the program CD if the software was delivered on CD.Keep this number accessible: it may be required if you need technical help, for future upgrades or if youtransfer ownership.

2) Fiberworks is not liable for any damage in consequence of use of this software. Liability is limited torefund of the purchase price only in event of dissatisfaction with the performance of the software.

3) You may install the software on any and all computers that you own, and use the software for yourpersonal use only. Use of the software installed on computers that you own by another individual on anoccasional and non-lasting basis is also accepted under these terms.

4) Each copy of the software must be validated by entering a code obtainable from Fiberworks. Thesecodes are unique to each computer that the software is installed on.

5) Your valid registration gives you the right to purchase upgrades to the software at a price lower than forpurchase of a new copy. By upgrading, you relinquish rights to the previous version. If you upgrade to anew version, you may not sell or otherwise transfer license to use the software to another user withoutrelinquishing your own license and registered user number. "Transfer" of the software includes transfer ofa CD containing a current or superseded version of the software, transfer or sale of a computer with anactive copy of the current or superseded software on the hard disk, or any other means of electronicduplication of the software that makes it available to another user.

6) In the event that you intend to cease use of the software altogether, you may transfer your registration toanother user by sale or gift. Fiberworks should be notified of the transfer of registration so that the newuser can gain upgrade rights. The user relinquishing the registration then ceases to have further rights touse or upgrade the software.

7) In the event of abuse of these terms, Fiberworks reserves the right to revoke a registered user number.

8) Your continued use of the software implies your acceptance of these terms.

Please abide by the spirit of good craftsmanship and do not copy this program. We work very hard to giveyou the best software we can.

You may freely distribute any unvalidated copies of Fiberworks PCW that function only in Demo mode. Ifyou need brochures or advertising material for your friends or weaving students, we will be happy to sendthem to you.

Bob Keates and Ingrid Boesel Fiberworks PCW

PO Box 649, Ganges

Salt Spring Island, BC V8K 2W2

Canada

Email: [email protected]

Website:http://www.fiberworks-pcw.comManual creation date: 2010/03/15

Revised 2014/01/08

© 2014, Fiberworks

Table of Contents

24Diagnostics menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

23Solenoids power off, Release All . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

23Unweave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

22Reverse Direction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

21Pattern only, Autotabby, Tabby only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

19-20Set Beeps, Set Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

18Endless Loop, Autoreverse, Halt at End . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

18Sequence Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

17Cloth Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

16Troubleshooting Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

16Drivers for USB-Serial adapters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

16Reconnect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

15COM numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

15Loom and Ports Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

14Horizontal Scroll bar, Vertical Scroll bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

13View Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

13Insert Pick, Delete Pick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12Editing by Keyboard, Editing by Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12Navigating by Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11Navigating by Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11Edit Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10Saving the current weaving state . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

10File Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9Changing the Size of Weaving Window Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8Simulated weaving with No Loom selected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7Weaving Window Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6Designing to Weave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5Validating 4.2 Silver Plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


© 2014, Fiberworks

45Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

43Using Windows Device Manager to explore your Ports . . . . . . . . . . . . .

42Troubleshooting with Portchecker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

40Portchecker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

39Arm Patronic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

37Toika . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

36Macomber and Dobbytron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

35LeClerc Diana, Weavebird . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

31Louet Magic, Octado, Megado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

26AVL Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

25AVL CompuDobby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

25Looms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Table of Contents


© 2014, Fiberworks

Validation of 4.2 Silver Plus

For installation of the PCW4.2 Silver Plus program, see the main Silver Manual

Validation dialog for activating loom functions

This validation dialog may appearwhen you choose File>Weave ina copy of Fiberworks that waspreviously validated as Silverrather than Silver Plus. It mayalso appear in Silver Plus if youselect an AVL loom in LoomSetup, but your original validationdid not include AVL.

It allows you to upgrade yourcurrent Silver version to SilverPlus or Silver Plus with AVLwithout having to reinstall theprogram.

If you originallly installed andvalidated as Silver Plus or SilverPlus with AVL, you should notencounter this dialog.

Copy the program ID numbers from your own computer screen. The numbers in theillustration above are just an example. This is not your program ID!

Follow the instructions on the dialog and email the program ID to us at:

[email protected]

In addition to the program ID, please identify yourself with name, program purchaseregistration number or invoice number or date of purchase, and indicate if you arevalidating regular Silver Plus or Silver Plus with AVL.

We will send back the Validation code by email as soon as possible, often the same day.

Enter the validation code into the 4 white boxes, without leading zeros, and withoutleading or trailing spaces. You can navigate from box to box with the Tab key, or bymouse.

Use the activate button to complete the validation process. Until you validate you can’taccess the weaving features described in this manual

Validation for AVL includes all other looms.

If you have different looms connected to different computers, each computer generates aunique Program ID (even if they were all installed from the same CD) and each needs itsown validation code. There are no extra charges for a reasonable number of replacementcodes.


© 2014, Fiberworks 5

Designing to Weave

Before opening the weaving window, create a design or open an existing file in thenormal drawdown window. Shown below is a variation of maltese.dtx, one of the sampledesigns included with the 4.2 Silver Plus program.

The design may have a conventional tieup and treadling or it can be a liftplan as shown.

Number of shafts should not exceed the capacity of your loom.

To proceed to the Weave function go to File>Weave in the main menu.

If the Weave item on the File menu is grayed out, check that there is a weaving designopen in the drawdown window, with at least one pick. If it’s still grayed out, you mayneed to validate the program to activate the weave functions. If the entire program hasnot been validated, Save and Print items in the File menu will also be greyed out. Seeyour Fiberworks Silver manual for information on how to validate.

When you first enter the Weaving window, the title bar will say no loom selected. Whilethe program is in this state, you can simulate loom action by pressing the spacebar.One press is equivalent to opening the shed, and a second press is equivalent tothrowing the shuttle and closing the shed. The simulation will allow you to explore theweaving window functions before getting involved with the loom itself.


6© 2014, Fiberworks

Weaving Window Layout:

The weaving window showsyour design in three differentviews.

The upper left panel showsa color view of the cloth.The upper right panelshows a structure view ofthe same portion of yourdesign, which may be awarp drawdown or a weftdrawdown according to yourpreferences. In a warpdrawdown, warp over weft isrepresented by blacksquares.

The pick order is bottomup, which is inverted fromthe drawdown designwindow, but will show thecloth the way it shouldappear as you weave.

The lower edge of thesepanels shows one pickdetached. This representsthe pick you are about toweave. Everything abovethis line is a preview of what you are about to weave

The bottom part of the window is occupied by the lag chain. Each row represents onepick, and lists the shafts that will be lifted. Pick number is in the leftmost column, and therightmost column shows the color for that pick according to your weaving draft. Picknumber 1 is highlit in light blue. This indicates that it is the next pick to be woven.

The bottom right corner of the main Fiberworks window frame contains statusinformation. From left to right this is: magnification of the cloth views, the number ofpicks woven, the number of warp ends visible in the cloth views, and the weavingstatus, currently STARTUP.



Press the spacebar. In the No loom selected state, this simulates the action of the loom.The first press changes the weaving status from STARTUP to READY. Press spacebaragain; the second press changes the status to OPEN. On a real loom this means that theshed is open and you can throw the shuttle. Press a third time to close the shed; statusbecomes READY, the blue bar advances to pick 2,and the detached thread drops to the bottom of thecloth windows, indicating that it is now beaten in atthe fell. Press the spacebar several more times.

As simulated weaving progresses, the blue bar marking the current pick moves up. Bycurrent pick, we mean the pick about to be woven in the shed closed state (statusREADY) and the pick being lifted in the shed open state. When the blue bar reaches themiddle of the lag chain, the lag chain will start to scroll down so that the current pickremains centered.

The detached thread in the cloth panels also represents the current pick. When youclose the shed, this drops down and adds to the fell, and the next thread detaches fromthe preview to become the current pick From the fell downwards represents a history ofwhat has been woven already. Everything above the fell is a preview of what you areabout to weave. When the current pick reaches the middle of the cloth panels, the clothdrawdowns scroll downwards as well so that the current pick remains centered.



Changing the Size of the Weaving Window Panels

The relative size of thedifferent panels in theweaving window can beeasily changed by using themouse. Rest the mousecursor on the border. Thecursor will change into adouble headed arrow whenyou hit the exact boundary.

Drag the border in directionneeded to resize the panel.

In the example on the right,the weaver has chosen tosee more interlacementthan structure drawdown,and more cloth than lagchain. You can make eitherthe cloth color or structurepanels disappearaltogether. The lag chaincan be reduced to just thecurrent pick if you sochoose.

If you decrease the width of the entire weaving window, the numbers of the shafts in thebottom, lag frame become smaller and more crowded.

At extremely small frame sizes, the highest numbers can no longer be displayed. Thisvaries with resolution and font settings on the display controls for your monitor and videocard and the number of shafts on your weaving design. When weaving with 32 or 40shafts, you may have to use a maximized Fiberworks window and a maximized weavingwindow.

Liftplan and Lag Chain

The term Lag refers to the wooden or metal bars used to select shafts on a mechanicaldobby loom. Pegs screwed into the bars determine which shafts are lifted on each pick.The lag chain is series of lags linked together in sequence. In Fiberworks, the lag chainrepresents the sequence of picks which determine the weaving. There’s a subtledifference from the liftplan: the lag chain may take specific sections of the liftplan (p.20),may repeat (p.21) or may reverse the pick order of the liftplan (p.22); picks from theliftplan can alternate with tabby that is omitted from the original liftplan (p.21).



File Menu (weaving window)

Open keyboard: Ctrl + O toolbar

This opens dtx or wif files the weaving Window. A newweaving will start at pick 1. A design that was wovenand saved previously as a dtx file will resume at thelast woven pick if the design was saved on the previousexit.

Close

This closes the weaving window. If the design is alsoopen in a drawdown window, the drawdown window remains open, otherwise you may beprompted to save the file.

Save keyboard: Ctrl + S toolbarSave As

These save the currently active design. If you save as a dtx file, the last pick woven andcurrent weaving state will be included in the file, so that you can resume exactly whereyou left off when you reopen the file. Wif files do not include weaving information. UseSave As to change the filename or folder location when you save, so that you do notoverwrite the original. For a design originally opened as a wif file, you may wish to useSave As to save a dtx version of the file so that the current weaving state is recorded.

Note: The program assumes that if you open a shed, you also threw the shuttle, so thelast open shed counts as the last pick woven. If you open the shed, and quit withoutthrowing the shuttle, you will be one pick too far ahead when you resume. See Unweave(p.23) and Navigating in the lag chain (p.11-12) to see how to correct this situation.

Drawdown keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+D

This brings the drawdown window for your current design to the front and activates thatwindow. If the current design is not open in a drawdown window, a new window isopened. Use this menu item if you need to make major adjustments to the design.

See also: Sequence>Reset Chain, p.18.

Exit

This closes the whole Fiberworks program, including the weaving window, any otheropen drawdown windows and any sketchpad windows. For each unsaved design, aprompt will appear asking if you wish to save before the program finally closes down.Choose Close (see above) rather than Exit to leave the Weaving Window whileremaining in the Fiberworks program.



Edit menu (weaving window)

The Edit menu contains important items relating to editingand navigating the lag chain.

Undo keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Ztoolbar

This menu item reverses any editing function you may havecarried out. To correct a weaving action, see Unweave in theSequence menu, (p.23).

Edit Lag Chain keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+D toolbar inactive

active

This menu items puts directional arrow keys in Navigating mode when it is inactive.This is the normal safe setting that limits unintended modification of your design whileyou are weaving. There is no check mark next to the menu item and the toolbar buttonappears popped out. Click the button or select the menu item to permit active editing: acheck mark should appear next to the menu item and the toolbar button will appear to bepushed in.

Navigating by keyboard

The up arrow key advances the Preview portionof the lag chain. The downarrow key lets you moveback up.

PgUp and PgDn jump in stepsof 20 picks. The wovenportion won’t move - what’salready woven is woven andwon’t change just because you move to a new part of the lag chain. If the shed is stillclosed, the current pick is considered to be part of the preview. If shed is already open,the shaft selection can’t change and the current pick won’t move. For most looms, it’srecommended to navigate and make adjustments when shed is closed.

If you open and close a shed without throwing the shuttle, the pattern advances becausethe computer can’t tell that no weft was inserted. You can use the down arrow key toback up to the missed pick.

Left and right arrow keys shift the portion of the threading that is used to draw the clothpanels in the upper part of the weaving window. This does not affect the lag chain oranything that you weave, just what you see in the cloth panels. Home and end jump 20warp threads right or left respectively.

See also Sequence > Go to Lag, p.19.



Navigating by mouse

If you move the mouse cursor over thepreview section, either in the uppercloth panels (upper panels) or in the picknumber column of the lag chain, thepointer or pencil cursor changes into ahand. Click and drag: the hand points itsindex finger at the selected pick. Youcan drag this pick up or down to reposition the lag chain. The woven part of the clothand chain panels will not change: they represent a history of what is already woven. Inthe cloth preview, you can drag from side to side as well as up and down. This bringsdifferent parts of the threading into the preview.

If the shed is closed (status is READY), the current pick is still part of the preview.When shed is open, the current pick is now fixed in place. For most looms it’s goodpractice only to move the lag chain when shed is closed.

See also View > Vertical Scrollbar, p.15.

Editing by keyboard

Click the Edit Lag Chain toolbar button or selectthe menu item to make editing active.

Your design must be a liftplan, not a tieup andtreadling, for editing to work properly.

A blinking horizontal bar appears in one of the picksin the preview part of the lag chain; this indicatesthe active insertion point. The woven part of thelag chain is grayed out, indicating that it can’t beedited. The cursor arrow keys let you move theinsertion point within the editable area and to scrollto other parts of the lag chain.

Type + at the insertion point to make that shaft lift.

Type on a shaft number at the insertion point tostop that shaft from lifting.

Type any number. This is entered into the pick containing the insertion point. If a shaft isalready marked as lifted, typing that number erases it. If the shaft is not marked, typingthe number marks it to be lifted, so it toggles that shaft number on and off.

Editing by mouse

The mouse cursor takes the form of a pencil when it isin the preview area of the lag chain. Click on a dashsymbol to make the corresponding shaft lift. Doubleclick on a shaft number to stop it from lifting. You canalso click new colors into the weft color column.



The mouse cursor is a pointer in the area already woven, indicating that you can’t edit.The remaining two menu items require an insertion point, so they are inactive whenEdit Lag Chain is inactive. To get an insertion point in the intended pick:

Either select Edit Lag Chain, then when the insertion point appears, use the cursorarrow keys to move it to the right spot.

Or simply click the mouse pencil cursor on a shaft in the intended pick that’s alreadymarked as being lifted.

Remember you can only edit the preview region, not the woven part of the lag chain.

Insert Pick keyboard shortcut: Instoolbar:

This and the next item are only active in Edit Lag Chain mode. This menu item,keystroke or toolbar click inserts a blank pick at the insertion point. The blank pick canthen be edited as you please. Use this to add extra picks to your liftplan “on the fly” sothat you can add extra features in your weaving such as inlay or pickup.

Delete Pick keyboard shortcut: Deltoolbar:

This menu item, keystroke or toolbar click deletes the pick at the insertion point.

When you have finished editing, click Edit Lag Chain back to inactive again to protectyour liftplan from unintended modification and restore normal navigation.

View Menu (weaving window)

These menu items control various aspects of theappearance of the weaving window.

Zoom in shortcut: Alt +toolbar:

Zoom out shortcut: Alt -toolbar:

These items control the magnification of the color andstructure views of the cloth in the upper panels. They do notaffect the magnification of the lag chain. If you resize thewhole weaving window smaller, the shaft numbers squeezetogether and eventually switch to a smaller font size.

See p. 9 for how to change the amount of space given to lag chain and cloth views.

Flip Warp

This option lets you set left to right or right to left threading order for the cloth views.It’s up to you to ensure that the threading on the loom and the display match.



Change Face

Use this menu item to weave with the opposite face of thecloth upwards. When you select Change Face, shafts thatwere previously unlifted are now lifted and vice versa.

If your original design was unbalanced and was set to liftmore than half the shafts, you can use Change Face so thatyou lift fewer shafts while weaving. You can also useChange Face if one face of your cloth is susceptible todamage such abrasion of floats, and would be better protected the other way up.

Be careful about using change face if your design has asymmetric elements thatshould not be reversed. You can Flip Warp on the screen, but that won’t correct anythingif your loom is already threaded.

Back View

This menu item lets you inspect the back face of the cloth on the computer screenwithout changing the way you actually weave it. Strictly speaking, what you see is themirror image of the back of the cloth unless you also flip the warp.

Horizontal Scroll Bar, Vertical Scroll Bar

The horizontal scroll bar menu item lets you put a scroll bar across the bottom of theweaving window. This lets you scroll to different parts of the threading into view in thecloth display panels and does not affect the weaving sequence. The vertical scroll barmenu item puts a scroll bar on the right side of the weaving window. This lets you scrollquickly to different points in the liftplan, altering the preview portion of the cloth panelsand lag chain. Use this cautiously, since it changes the sequence of picks to be woven.

Toolbar

This menu item lets you hide or show (default) the toolbar.



Loom and Ports Menu

Use the Loom And Ports Menu to select the loom and the portused for the connection.

Loom 1 Setup, Loom 2 Setup

Selecting up your Loom

Use the menu items Loom 1 Setup and Loom 2 Setup to select and configure one ortwo looms connected to your computer. The looms supported are listed below:

COM numbers

Most looms communicate through a serial port, identified by a particular COM number. Inmost cases, this remains true even if a USB cable is used to connect to the loom, andtheconnection must include a USB-serial adapter at some point. If your cable has USB atthe computer end and a 9-pin connector at the loom end, you have an external serialadapter. If your cable has a USB connector that plugs into the dobby box, the adapter isbuilt-in to the dobby. All adapters need an additional driver installed so that Windowscan see the serial port. If Windows can’t see the port, neither can Fiberworks.

Once you have selected your loom, you will also need to set the Comnumber for the port. Fiberworks scans for available ports, and liststhem. If you know the Com number, select it from the list. See also pp.36-40, Portchecker.

True USB Interfaces

Some new dobbies may use a USB interface that dispenses with the need to select aCOM number. At time of writing, only Louet has a pure USB interface on dobby unitsdelivered in 2014 and onwards. The new Louet dobby will only list the single item USB inthe Port Type list. If you are using two different looms, one with the new USB and theother with the older USB-serial adapter, you will need to unplug the new USB while youare using an older USB-serial adapter in order to see its COM port.



The program only detects ports that are physically connected to the computer. Ifyou run Loom Setup and the loom is not plugged in to the computer, the port will not bedetected. However, you can plug in the loom and then click the Scan Ports button tofind the necessary port.

The Scan Ports button also lets you identify the correct COM number for a USB-serialadapter. Unplug the cable, click Scan Ports, and the corresponding COM number willdisappear. Plug the cable back in to the computer, click Scan Ports, and the matchingCOM number will reappear in the list.

Finally set the maximum number of shafts for the loom.

Some looms have optional settings:e.g For ARM

For more information, see sections for each of the looms later in this manual (pp. 25-40).

Program AVL Cartridge This loads the current design into the memory cartridge which is available as an optionfor the AVL Compu-Dobby I or Compu-Dobby II (more information on p.30).

ReconnectUse the Reconnect menu item to re-establish communications, if the connection wasbroken by accidentally unplugging a cable, or if you change between two different looms.

Troubleshooting Ports

This section assumes that you have

selected the right loom; the selected loom isidentified in the title bar of the weaving window.

identified and selected the right port; this is reportedat the left end of the status bar.

made sure that the dobby control box on the loom is switched on and the cable linkingit to the computer is connected. This may sound obvious, but sometimes the obviousis missed!

Start by trying the response test (Diagnosticsmenu). The message shown on the right indicatesa successful response test. The computer istalking to the loom and the loom is replying.

If the Response Test Fails

If no reply is received, the message below rightshows at the left end of the status bar. This couldmean that there’s no communication in eitherdirection, or that the computer is talking to theloom but no reply has been received.

Next try the solenoid test (p.24). If the solenoids respond as expected, the computer istalking to the loom OK, but not receiving a reply.



Some antivirus software intercepts data entering the computer via serial ports, anddoes not pass the data on quickly enough to allow you to weave. If you need virusprotection, McAfee, Trend Micro, and Avast are antivirus programs that don’t hinderloom communication, but consider uninstalling all antivirus programs if the loomcomputer is never connected to the internet.

Try disconnecting and reconnecting the serial cable. This has been known torejuvenate a weak connection.

If the solenoid test does not work, there is no communication in either direction.

Does the Com number you have selected belong to a modem, not a serial port? It’s possible that the socket on the computer that you plugged into is disabled.

See also the Portchecker, p.36-39.

Drivers for USB-Serial adaptersAll USB-serial adapters need driver software in order for Windows to recognize theirCOM port. The new Louet USB interface (2014 and later) does not create a COM portand does not need an additional driver or a COM number.Sources:Built in adapter on AVL Compu-Dobby IV and Little Weaver:http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm

Built in adapter on Louet and Leclerc Looms

http://www.silabs.com/products/mcu/pages/usbtouartbridgevcpdrivers.aspx

Driver for Keyspan/Tripplite USA19HS USB serial adapter:Http://www.tripplite.com/en/products/model.cfm?txtModelID=3914

Driver software for Prolific Technologies:

Http://www.prolific.com.tw/US/ShowProduct.aspx?p_id=225&pcid=41

Many store-brand USB-serial adapters are manufactured by Prolific Technologies.

Cloth Menu (weaving window)

These menu items let you select the display modes forthe two cloth panels at the top of the weaving window.The modes are similar to those in the Drawdownwindow.

Interlacement is the most generally useful for weaving.Although some of the other modes show particularstyles of weaving more accurately, they can beconfusing when you want to see how each thread isplaced.



Sequence Menu

This menu controls how you progress through the lag chainand other factors affecting events while weaving.

Endless Loop

Autoreverse toolbar

Halt at End

These three menu items determine what happens whenyou reach the end of your liftplan, and one member of thethree is always selected, indicated by a check mark in themenu and a pressed in look to the selected button.

The default is to make an endless loop. The last pick inyour liftplan is followed by the first pick and the entireliftplan sequence repeats without limit. Watch out forliftplans that have top to bottom symmetry: if the last pickis identical to the first pick, there will be a pair of identicalpicks at the transition point. Either delete the identical lastpick, or see Set Range for another way to deal with this.

Autoreverse means that when you reach the last pick inthe liftplan, the direction of weaving reverses, and youwork backwards through the chain. When you reach thefirst pick of the lift plan, the direction of progress reverts to forwards again.

Halt at end puts blank picks (marked M:) after the last pick in your liftplan.

Reset Chain

This menu item clears out the past history of yourweaving session allowing you to start a freshsession from scratch. It contains three options:

The first option resets the chain back to pick 1.

The second option resets the range of picks makingup the lag chain. The lag chain always has a designated start point and end point in yourliftplan. By default the start is pick 1 and the end is the last pick, but the Set Rangemenu item described on p.20



Reset chain, continued

allows you to start and end using only part of your complete liftplan. Always use thisoption if you insert or delete picks in the main drawdown window.

The weaving window automatically picks up minor edits of the liftplan done in thedrawdown window that alter the pattern but not the total number of picks. Major edits ofthe liftplan done in the drawdown window that alter the total number of picks willrequire Reset Chain so that the weaving window can use the altered liftplan properly.

If you add or remove a few picks using the Insert Pick and Delete Pick from the Editmenu (p.10), the weaving window keeps track and does not need a reset.

The last option clears the history of what was already woven. In each weaving session,Fiberworks records how many picks have been woven, your current position in theliftplan, the current direction of progress and the pattern of the last 64 picks woven. Thisinformation is used for Unweave (p.17) and is stored in your file if you save after endingeach weaving session. This allows you to resume where you left off in the next weavingsession.

Go To Lag keyboard Ctrl+G toolbar:

Use this menu item to move to a specific lag or picknumber the chain. If you have a very long chain, theslider moves around quickly; for fine control, use thespin buttons or just type a number in the box.

Set Beeps

Use this menu item to set visibleand audible marks in the lagchain that you can use as alerts.The default is every 20 picks.For a visible alert, everytwentieth pick appears with redrather than black text.

For an audible alert, you can setone of the standard Windowsalerts to sound every 20 picks.Click the Test button to listen tothe alert to see if it is suitable.For this to work, your computer must have speakers and have sound enabled. Check theWindows Control Panel > Sounds to ensure sounds are enabled.

Alternative prompt points include:

Beep whenever a particular color appears in the weft color sequence.

Beep on every color change (don’t use this if you are alternating colors every pick!)

Beep on markers that you can set in the lag chain. Click on the Set marker button.



Set beeps, continued

This dialog allows you to set specific markers in the liftplan to sound an alert when themarked point is reached. The dialog shows drawdown on the left and liftplan on theright. Marks are placed in the divider that separates drawdown and liftplan. Either clickwith the mouseto place a mark(click again toerase), or movethe blinkinginsertion pointwith the up anddown arrow keysand type S toset a mark andU to unmark.You can scroll tomark other partsof the liftplanthat are currentlyoff-screen.

Set Range

This dialog isvery similar to thedialog above,and allows you toselect a limitedpart of theliftplan to act asthe current lagchain. You canmark a startpoint and an endpoint anywherein the liftplan, andthese will beused as the limitsfor EndlessLoop orAutoreverse.

The limits are marked by the red arrowheads in the divider that separates drawdownand liftplan. The red line indicates the range that will be woven

When the mouse cursor rest on an arrowhead, it becomes a hand symbol. You can nowclick and drag the arrowhead to a new position.



Pattern Only keyboard Ctrl+P

Autotabby keyboard Ctrl+Atoolbar

Tabby only keyboard Ctrl+T

These three menu items determine the tabby contentof your lag chain. One member of the three is alwaysselected, and this is indicated by a check mark placednext to the selected menu item, and a pushed in lookto the corresponding toolbar button.

In Pattern only mode, every pick in the lag chaincomes from successive picks in the liftplan, with notabby (unless there was tabby in the original liftplan).

In Autotabby mode, tabby picks alternate withpattern picks taken from the liftplan. Tabby picks aremarked A: and B:. If tabby was included in the originalliftplan, both liftplan tabby and autotabby willappear. Autotabby does not add tabby to the originalliftplan and you can’t remove tabby from the originalliftplan by switching from Autotabby back to Pattern;instead use Weft > Remove Tabby in the Drawdownwindow, and then do Reset Chain.

In Tabby only mode, only tabby picks are woven.

Tabby Setup toolbar

This menu item and dialog gives you control over the tabby or ground weave structure,and allows for more complex ground weave structures than simple plain weave. The gridcan be 2,3 or 4 picks deep, depending on the ground weave selected. Initially, the gridcontains two simple tabby picks, which are determined by analyzing your threading. Youare free to edit the tabby grid as you please by clicking the mouse or by typing.



Tabby setup continued

The lower half of the dialog lets you set colors and thicknesses for the tabbythreads, and to choose a sequence for inserting tabby and pattern in theAutotabby mode. The default sequence for simple tabby is AxBx, where Aand B represent the two tabby picks and x represents pattern picks taken inthe order that they appear in the original liftplan.

If your ground weave is all one color and thickness, click the Set All button, otherwiseyou need to set the color and thickness for each pick in the tabby sequence. The defaultthickness of 4 units is the thickness of a normal thread in Fiberworks.

Step Tabby keyboard: Ctrl+B toolbar

Step tabby switches the positions of the A and B tabby picks in the Autotabby mode. Ifyou are using a three- or four-pick twill type ground weave, it steps through the picksequence of the ground weave.

Reverse Direction keyboard: Ctrl+R toolbar

Select this menu item or click its toolbar button to reverse the lag chain and progressbackwards through the liftplan sequence. If the liftplan sequence is already reversed,the lag chain will revert to forward progression. Only the preview section of the lagchain is rebuilt. This includes the current pick while shed is closed, but not if shed isopen. In the illustration, a red asterisk marks the turning point of the pattern. You should select Reverse Direction immediately after the turning point has been woven.



Unweave keyboard: Ctrl+U toolbar

Select this menu item, or type Ctrl+U,or click its toolbar button to work backthrough the lag chain’s history of whathas been woven already, so that youcan correct an error in a previouspick. Click the button or type Ctrl+Uagain to revert to normal Weaving.

How Unweave differs from Reverse

If you select Unweave after weavingpick 59, the current pick will be pick 59again so you can remove the weft

If you select Reverse after weaving pick59, the current pick will be pick 58. Theturning point of the pattern is notrepeated.

After you remove weft 59 and close theshed in Unweave mode, the currentpick moves back down the list of picksalready woven so that you can removesuccessive wefts until you reach theerror. The preview section does notchange direction.

When you Reverse direction, thealready woven section continues toaccumulate picks, and picks run indescending in the preview section.Compare the illustration on this page with p.16.

Solenoid power off keyboard: Enter toolbar

Release All (AVL CD III only)

Select Solenoid power off to rest the solenoids in your dobby head by turning power offto the solenoids while leaving the dobby box itself powered up. Use this option wheneveryou are taking more than a couple of minutes break to avoid any risk of overheating. Formost looms, you can also use this option when you want to lift nothing, e.g. for loommaintenance.

Use Solenoid Power Off on the AVL Compu-Dobby III to rest the solenoids asdescribed above. However with solenoids off, the Compu-Dobby III lifts all shafts. Forthe Compu-Dobby III and IV (negative dobby only), the additional menu item Release Allreleases all shafts by sending power to all solenoids. Use this menu item sparingly toavoid overheating and don’t leave it on for more than a few minutes.



Diagnostic Menu

This menu allows you to check aspects of your loom’s function, inparticular, communication with the loom. Not all looms use all ofthe functions in this menu, and specific details for each type ofloom are given in the Looms section.

Response Test This menu item test two way communications. The computersends a query, and the loom sends a response. If the response isdetected, you will get the message

Loom X responding OK!

If this test fails, the left hand end of the status line will say Switch Loom X on now if it’s not on yet!

Treadle Sensor TestThis test detects signals sent by the loom when the treadle is moved up and down. Runthis test if the pattern does not advance when you treadle the loom. For AVL looms, thisis a test of communication from loom to computer. Other looms use two waycommunication.

Test Left Dobby Unit On a loom with two dobby control units, this sendsdiagnostic tests to the left hand unit, otherwise tests go to the right hand unit.

Solenoid TestThis tests communication from computer to loom and checks that solenoids respondproperly. If the pattern is empty, click Fill Pattern to set all the odd-numbered solenoids.Click Activate Solenoids to send the pattern to the loom and check that they respond.

If you click Fill Pattern again, it will invert the pattern to set all the even shafts, or youcan click or double-click individual squares in the grid to turn them on and off in anypattern you like. Click Solenoids off when you are done.

Button Test, Alignment See the AVL section, p.27.



Looms

AVL Compu-Dobby I, II and III series

Power on, Compu-Dobby I, II and III

If you switch power on to the AVL Compu-Dobby beforeentering the weaving window, Fiberworks should detectit immediately, assuming communications areestablished. This is reported at the left end of the status bar.

If the AVL Compu-Dobby is not powered upwhen you open the weaving window, you willfirst see the reminder to switch on. When youswitch on the Compu-Dobby, it starts an internal test which activates each solenoid inturn, and you should hear the regular clicking sound. At the end of the self test, it signalsthe computer that it is ready, and it should then report that it is responding OK on thestatus bar.

Important: On AVL Compu-Dobby I and Compu-Dobby II, do not press any buttonson the control box until the computer has communicated with the loom by sending thefirst pick to the solenoids, or by doing the Response Test or Solenoid test. If youpress a control box button before the computer has communicated with the loom, theCompu-Dobby goes into Cartridge mode, and ignores all further signals from thecomputer. To get out of cartridge mode, turn the power off to the Compu-Dobby, waitfive seconds, and turn it on again.

Starting to weave

Initially, the word STARTUP appears at the right end of the status bar. The computer iswaiting for an indication that you are ready to weave. On the Compu-Dobby I and II, dothis by pressing each treadle in turn. Nothing lifts on the first cycle, because solenoidsare still inactive. The next time the lifting treadle is down, you should hear the solenoidsclick on. Push the release treadle to complete the cycle, and the next time you press thelifting treadle, shafts will lift and open the shed. When you are into the weaving cycle,solenoids should click each time the shed is fully open in readiness for the next pick.

You can follow the same procedure on the Compu-Dobby III, with the disadvantage thatwith solenoids inactive, you have to lift all shafts. Do this if you can put up with the effortrequired. The alternative is to press the Enter key to signal you are ready to weave; thiswill make the computer send the first solenoid data to the loom. When you do loom setupfor the CD III, you can choose to have solenoids activate when shed is open (better for afast weaver) or when shed is closed (less heating of the solenoids).

If you leave the loom for any significant period of time, click the Solenoids Off button orpress the Enter key to rest the solenoids and avoid overheating. Use the startupprocedure described above or press Enter again to resume weaving.



Navigating the lag chain

It is recommended that you do all adjustments of position or direction of the liftplan in theshed closed position. If you change position in the liftplan with cursor arrow keys or byscrolling or dragging the mouse in the weaving window (p.8-9), solenoids will click inrapid succession. This can be avoided by selecting Solenoids Off while doing majoradjustments. Follow the start up procedures described previously to resume weaving.

Diagnostics

Response test checks communication. If theloom receives the test, solenoids will startclicking one by one. The Compu-Dobby alsoclicks its solenoids when you first turn on powerto the unit. Do the Response test after youpower up the Compu-Dobby and it hascompleted its self-test so you can be sure thatthe Compu-Dobby is responding to thecomputer. When the solenoids finish clicking,the Compu-Dobby signals to the computer, andthe message above right should display.

Treadle Sensor test detects the signals thatthe Compu-Dobby sends to the computer whenthe arm that picks the shafts reaches its upperposition (shed fully closed, release treadledown) and when it reaches the lower position(shed fully open, lifting treadle down).Normally the lifting treadle is on the right andthe release treadle is on the left, but treadlescan be connected either way without affectinghow the loom performs.

The dialog that appears when you select Treadle Sensor test from the diagnostics menuindicates when these signals are received by putting checkmarks in the boxes. Pusheach treadle a few times until the box labelled test has passed shows a check mark.

If the test reports arm up when it’s actually down and arm down when it’s actually up,click the switch positions button to correct this. The loom will seem to function with thewrong orientation, but may occasionally skip a shaft or two because of the bad timing.

Sensor error detected indicates a possible electronics fault. Ignore it if it occurs once ina blue moon, but you may need to consult AVL if errors are detected frequently.

The Compu-Dobby I uses optical sensors embedded in a plywood square bolted onjust below the dobby box. These need steady ambient light to work properly. A bright lightdirectly overhead from the sensors can cause them either to not detect the armmovement, or to detect both positions simultaneously, which triggers the sensor errorresponse. Extraneous shadows, bright sunlight or reflections passing over thesensors can also set off spurious signals that mimic arm movement.



Solenoid test (p.24) tests communication from computer to loom. If this test succeedsand the response test does not, it indicates that there’s something stopping the computerfrom receiving signals from the loom, but otherwise the Com number of the selected portis correct.

You can use the Solenoid test to check individual solenoids. Click the Clear Patternbutton, then set solenoids on one at a time by clicking into the grid pattern. Treadle theloom to see that the selected shaft picks up and releases cleanly.

Button Test checks the response of the AVL buttoncontrols. These are found on Compu-Dobby I on a box atthe end of an extension cable. On the Compu-Dobby II,they are on the control unit that is mounted in the middle ofthe loom. The Compu-Dobby III does not have buttoncontrols. Button controls are designed primarily to operatethe Compu-Dobby with the memory cartridge, but weavingprograms can also respond to them. To test, press eachbutton once to put check marks in each box and repeat touncheck each box. Watch out for check marks that flickeron and off as you press the button.

In weaving mode (rather than button test mode) the buttons do the following

1) Skip advances the pattern by one pick (similar to the cursor up arrow key).

2) Reverse switches the liftplan direction of progression (similar to Sequence>Reverse).

3) Pattern selects Pattern Only mode (p.21).

4) Tabby selects Tabby only mode (p.21).

5) Save stores the current weaving position in when weaving from the memoryCartridge. When weaving in Fiberworks, it sets unweave mode.

6) Resume restarts a weaving session from the memory Cartridge. When weaving fromFiberworks, it turns solenoids off to rest them and turns them back on to resume.Don’t use Resume to start a session with Fiberworks before the first Pick has beensent to the Compu-Dobby. Doing so will put the Compu-Dobby into Cartridge modeand block communication from the computer (p.30).

Alignment activates your first and last solenoids (assuming you have selected the rightnumber of shafts in Loom Setup). Use Alignment when you mount the Compu-Dobby I orCompu-Dobby II solenoid box on the loom. Refer to the AVL manual for assembling theCompu-Dobby on the loom for instructions on how to set the alignment correctly.

Alignment should be a two person job. Your assistant should hold the box in place soit does not crash to the floor. Loosen the bolts that mount the Compu-Dobby solenoidunit on the side of the loom (on the Compu-Dobby II, not the control unit in the middle ofthe loom). Position the unit so the extended solenoids displace the shaft wires enough topush them into the slots in the arm mechanism, but not so tight that the “piano keys”resist the extended solenoid tips. Now tighten the bolts. Check bolts periodically toensure that they remain tight so that the Compu-Dobby does not slip out of its brackets.



AVL Compu- Dobby IV (including Little Weaver).

AVL Compu-Dobby IV is supported in Silver Plus v.4.2.0.8 and later.

Connection

If you have a serial port on the computer, a standard serial cable can be plugged into theSerial port connector on the loom.

or

If you have no serial port on the computer, you may use an external USB-serial adapter,and plug the USB end into the computer, and the serial cable into the loom.

or

Use a USB cable to connect from computer to the USB port on the loom. Fiberworks willthen activate the internal serial adapter in the Compu-Dobby IV.

Currently Fiberworks does not support direct USB or Ethernet connection.

All USB serial adapters require a driver to be installed so that Windows can recognize theadapter. Drivers are provided by the manufacturer of the adapter. In the case of theinternal adapter in the Compu-Dobby IV, the VCP driver can be downloaded from http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm

Make sure that you download a driver that matches your Windows version.

Installing the USB driver software

When installing the driver, the adapter must be plugged in to the computer so thatWindows can identify it. If you use the internal adapter, the Compu-Dobby IV must beconnected to the computer and be powered on so that Windows can communicate withthe chip in the Compu-Dobby.

Setting up and selecting the Com number

Select the Compu-Dobby IV from the list in the LoomSetup panel, and select the appropriate Com number(see p. 15-16 and p.36.). The Loom must be connectedfor its Com number to be listed. For the internaladapter, the Compu-Dobby must be powered on forWindows to see the port and to list the Com number.

Starting up

The Compu-Dobby IV may beswitched on before or afterentering the weaving window. Thisprompt acts as a reminder. Youmust switch on before you clickthe OK button or press Enter.



Troubleshooting Compu-Dobbies

If the Compu-Dobby does not lift all the shafts selected

Make sure the shaft cables have not slipped off a pulley in the castle

If you use the air-assist, make sure the piston is adjusted to bring the arm back to thetopmost position.

On the Compu-Dobby III, the solenoid tips have little stirrups to guide the shaftcables. Check to see that cables have not slipped out of the stirrups.

Check the how the shaft cables line up with the slots in the arm. If you live in a regionwith large seasonal changes in humidity, the mounting strut (CD I and II) may shift.

If the Compu-Dobby continues to lift shafts that were selected on the previous pick

Although it seems that you can close the shed by releasing the lifting treadle andrelying on gravity alone, a distinct push on the release treadle is needed to ensurethat the arm rises to the topmost position so that the shaft cables can slip out of theslots on the arm. If you don’t do this, some cables may stick in place.

If you have set solenoids to activate when shed is closed on the Compu-Dobby III, goto loom setup and set it to activate solenoids when shed is open.

If the treadle needs excessive force to open the shed

The cable from the lifting treadle should wind around a snail-shaped cam. Check thatthe cable has not slipped off this cam.

Check the tension on the shaft-balancing springs.

If one of the solenoids does not activate

Your Compu-Dobby box may need to go on a California vacation. Consult AVL.

Do make sure that lint does not accumulate around the cooling fan and louvres.

Do not ever use lubricant on the solenoids.



Programming the AVL Cartridge on the Compu Dobby I and II

This option on the File menu allows you to put designs into the AVL cartridge to allow youto continue to weave with the computer disconnected. You can load the design that’scurrently in the weaving window into the cartridge. When you Select this menu item, thecontents of the cartridge are uploaded to the computer, which takes about a minute.

A) shows the name ofthe current design andthe number of lags used.

Click Add to cartridgeto store the Fiberworksdesign in the cartridge.

Click Autotabby to addtabby insert tabby intothe design to be loaded.There are no autotabbycontrols on the cartridge,so tabby must bepreloaded.

B) Current tabby picks.

C) Preview of the liftplan.

D) Summary of space used and space available in the cartridge

E) List of designs in the cartridge

F) Button controls

Undo All undoes any changes you have made in this session.

Clear All empties the current contents of the cartridge

View item puts an item in the cartridge into the preview window C.

Delete item deletes a single item in the cartridge.

Retrieve item brings a liftplan from the cartridge into the weaving window. This is notrecommended as an alternative to saving designs as files on your computer, but you canretrieve to do minor editing if needed. The cartridge does not store threadings or colors,so a retrieved liftplan may not match the current threading in the weaving window.

Click OK when done. It takes about a minute to download the revised contents back tothe cartridge.

Note: CompuDobby I cartridges run off an internal rechargeable battery which over timeloses the ability to hold a charge. If the battery won’t charge, then the cartridgeforgets everything as soon as the power is turned off. If the battery has leakedand corroded the electronics, the cartridge may be a lost cause.



Louet Magic Dobby, Megado and Octado series

PortsIf you connect the Louet Dobby via the USB cable on pre-2014 dobbies, this links to abuilt in USB to serial adapter. Driver software for built in or external USB to serialadapters is not included in any version of Windows (unlike memory sticks, cameras andMP3 players). Post-2014 dobbies use direct USB and do not need an additional driver.

To use the built in USB-serial adapter, you need to install a driver indicated by Louet(more info on their website) so that Windows can identify the port. If you use an externaladapter to link to the serial port, you need to use a driver from the manufacturer of theadapter, usually provided on a CD when you purchase the adapter, but sometimesdownloaded from the manufacturer’s website. You should ensure that the driver iscompatible with your version of Windows. Don’t bother upgrading to Windows 7 in thehope that the drivers are finally included - they are not. Keep any CD with this driversoftware on hand in case you have to reinstall or if you transfer to a new computer.

Power on

If you switch power on to the Louet Dobby beforeentering the weaving window, Fiberworks should detect itimmediately, assuming that communications areestablished. The response is reported at the left end of the status bar.

If the Louet Dobby is not powered up when youopen the weaving window, you will first see thereminder to switch on. When you switch on theLouet Dobby, it sends a sign-on message to the computer to indicate that it is ready, andthe computer should then report that Louet loom is responding OK.

Starting to weave

Initially, the word STARTUP appears at the right end of the status bar. The computer iswaiting for an indication that you are ready to weave. On most Louet looms, you can dothis by pressing the treadle gently and returning to the rest position. It’s notnecessary to press all the way down. On the Magic Dobby without a treadle, push thehandle down a few inches and then return. The solenoids should activate when youreturn to the rest position of the treadle or handle. In a few cases, this may not work andyou should push the Enter key to fire the solenoids for the first pick.

Weaving Cycle

Solenoids are normally activated just as the shed closes, and deactivated as the shedreaches the fully open position. If you leave the treadle in the rest position for any lengthof time, the solenoids remain under power and risk overheating. It’s a good idea to usethe Solenoids off menu item or toolbar button (Sequence menu) whenever you intend totake a break. Resume weaving as described for Starting to weave.



Timed outTo prevent overheating, thesolenoids in the Louetdobbies turn themselves off if the shed is not opened within about 60 seconds of thesolenoid being activated. If this happens, the computer may beep and the Status barindicates TIMED OUT in the Weaving Status section. Resume weaving after beingTIMED OUT as described for Starting to weave.


If you can reach your computer easily from the weaving position, you can do adjustmentsof position or editing in the liftplan in the shed open position while solenoids are normallyoff. Changes will affect the next pick. If solenoids do not automatically activate when youclose the shed, press Enter to resume weaving.

If it’s hard to keep the treadles pressed while working at the computer, you can also doadjustments of position or editing in the liftplan in the shed closed position. If youchange position in the liftplan with cursor arrow keys or by scrolling or dragging themouse in the weaving window (p.11-12), changes affect the current pick and solenoidswill click in rapid succession. This can be avoided by selecting Solenoids Off whiledoing major adjustments. Follow the start up procedures described previously to resumeweaving. Minor adjustments (one or two steps) such as reversing the sequence orswitching to tabby can be done in the shed closed position with solenoids on.

Diagnostics

Response test checks two way communicationbetween computer and loom. The computersends a query and waits for a response. Whenthis is received the message on the right shoulddisplay. If no response is received, the remindermessage below remains displayed at the leftend of the status bar.

Treadle Sensor test detects the signals thatthe Louet Megado or Octado send to thecomputer as the knife moves from its upperposition (shed fully closed, treadle up) and asthe shed is halfway open. Louet looms use amagnet on the knife and two sensor switchesmounted on a wooden strut that projects fromthe dobby box. The upper switch is placed sothe magnet triggers it at or near the shedclosed position. The lower switch is roughlymidway between shed closed and shed fullyopen positions, so the magnet passes by theswitch very briefly. To do the treadle sensortest, it’s advisable to move the treadle steadily and relatively slowly rather than a normalweaving treadle action, so as to catch the instant when the magnet is next to the lowerswitch.



Treadle sensor test on the Magic Dobby: On the Magic Dobby, the knife that picks theshafts raises shafts instead of pulling down on cords, but otherwise the principle is thesame.

Switch 1 should respond when the handle is almost all the way down, shafts raised

Switch 2 should respond when the handle is all the way up, shafts down.

Solenoid test (p.24) tests communication from computer to loom. If this test succeedsand the response test does not, it indicates that there’s something stopping the computerfrom receiving signals from the loom, but otherwise the Com number of the selected portis correct. You can use the Solenoid test to check individual solenoids. Click the ClearPattern button, then set solenoids on one at a time by clicking into the grid pattern.Treadle the loom to see that the selected shaft picks up and releases cleanly.

There are no button controls to test on the Louet dobby units, and no Alignment test.

If the Louet Dobby does not lift the shafts selected

If the weaver dithers or presses the treadle tentatively, the solenoids may releasebefore the knife has caught all the “piano keys” that lift the shafts. Typically, thiscauses lower numbered shafts to be missed. To prevent this, the weave needs totreadle more briskly.

If the magnet is set too high or the knife set too low, solenoids may release too earlyand miss lower numbered shafts.

If the cord to the treadle is too tight so the knife is too low, or the magnet is set toohigh, the knife may pass higher numbered shafts before it can pick them up.

If shafts from the previous pick are lifted when they are not selected

Check for sticky shafts that don’t drop back to their proper unlifted position. Whenthis happens, the “piano keys” that the solenoids push out don’t return to their unliftedposition, and stick in a pushed out position (see step 4 above). When the knifedescends for the next pick, it catches the piano key even when the correspondingsolenoid is not activated.



What makes shafts stick?

Insufficient tension on the warp. Increase warp tension asmuch as reasonable, and use weighted shaft bars (availablefrom Louet) rather than plain wooden shaft bars.

Shaft cords have slipped out of the slots at the end of thewooden shaft bars - see cord 2 in the illustration on the right.

Bowed shaft bars. The metal reinforcement in the weightedshaft bars corrects this.

Heddles too crowded and bunched together, especiallybunches of unused heddles Spread your heddles as much aspossible, and stagger the placement of unused heddles at theends of shafts.

If the treadle needs excessive force to open the shed

Check that cords have not slipped of their pulleys, in particular the large woodenpulleys below the dobby head.

Check that lint and stray thread have not accumulated on the pulley bearings, inparticular, the wooden pulleys below the dobby head.

If one of the solenoids does not activate when it should

Use Solenoid Test to check the dobby unit when it’s dismounted from the loom.Consult Louet if a solenoid appears not to respond properly.

On the Magic Dobby, make sure that the plastic “piano keys” line up with the solenoidtips and a solenoid is not pushing between “keys”.



Leclerc Diana, Weavebird and Voyageur series looms

Power on

If you switch power on to the Leclerc Dobby before entering the weaving window,Fiberworks should detect it immediately, assuming that communications are established.The response is reported at the left end of the status bar.

If the Leclerc Dobby is not powered up when youopen the weaving window, you will first see thereminder to switch on. When you switch on theLeclerc Dobby, it sends a sign-on message to the computer to indicate that it is ready,and the computer should then report that it is responding OK.

Starting to weave

Initially, the word STARTUP appears at the right end of the status bar. The computer iswaiting for an indication that you are ready to weave. Press Enter to fire the solenoids forthe first pick.

Weaving Cycle

Solenoids normally activate just as the shed closes, and deactivate as the shed reachesfully open. If you leave the treadle in the closed position for any length of time, solenoidsremain under power and risk overheating. Use the Solenoids off menu item or toolbarbutton (Sequence menu) whenever you intend to take a break. Resume weaving bypressing the Enter key.

Timed out

To prevent overheating, the solenoids in the Leclerc dobbies turn themselves off if theshed is not opened within about 60 seconds of the solenoid being activated. If thishappens, the computer may beep and the Status bar shows TIMED OUT in the WeavingStatus section. Resume weaving after being TIMED OUT by pressing the Enter key.


If you can reach your computer easily from the weaving position, you can do adjustmentsof position or editing in the liftplan in the shed open position while solenoids are normallyoff. Changes will affect the next pick. If solenoids do not automatically activate when youclose the shed, press Enter to resume weaving. If it’s hard to keep the treadles pressedwhile working at the computer, you can also do adjustments of position or editing in theliftplan in the shed closed position. If you change position in the liftplan with cursorarrow keys or by scrolling or dragging the mouse in the weaving window (p.8-9), changesaffect the current pick and solenoids will click in rapid succession. This can be avoidedby selecting Solenoids Off while doing major adjustments. Press Enter to resumeweaving. Minor adjustments (one or two steps) such as reversing the sequence orswitching to tabby can be done in the shed closed position with solenoids on.



Diagnostics

Response test checks two way communicationbetween computer and loom. The computersends a query and waits for a response. Whenthis is received the message on the right shoulddisplay. If no response is received, the reminderto switch on remains displayed at the left end ofthe status bar.


Treadle Sensor test detects the signals thatthe Leclerc Weavebird or Diana and relatedLeclerc dobby looms send to the computer asthe treadle is moved from shed closed, treadleup to shed open position. To do the treadlesensor test, it’s best to move the treadlesteadily and relatively slowly rather than anormal weaving treadle action, so as to catchthe instant when the magnet is next to each sensor.

Macomber and Dobbytron series Looms

Power on

It is recommended that you should switch onpower to the Dobbytron or Macomber afterentering the weaving window. When theMacomber is detected, a prompt appears.

Starting to weave

Initially, the word STARTUP appears at the right end of the status bar. The computer iswaiting for an indication that you are ready to weave. Press Enter to fire the solenoids forthe first pick.



Weaving Cycle

Solenoids are normally activated just as the shed closes, and deactivated as the shedreaches the fully open position. If you leave the treadle in the rest position for any lengthof time, the solenoids remain under power and risk overheating. It’s a good idea to usethe Solenoids off menu item or toolbar button (Sequence menu) whenever you intend totake a break. Resume weaving by pressing the Enter key.


Do adjustments of position or editing in the liftplan in the shed closed position. If youchange position in the liftplan with cursor arrow keys or by scrolling or dragging themouse in the weaving window (p.11-12), changes affect the current pick and solenoidswill click in rapid succession. This can be avoided by selecting Solenoids Off whiledoing major adjustments. Press Enter to resume weaving. Minor adjustments (one ortwo steps) such as reversing the sequence or switching to tabby can be done in the shedclosed position with solenoids on.

Diagnostics

Response test checks two way communication between computer and loom. Thecomputer sends a query and waits for a response (see Power On).


There is no Treadle sensor test for the Macomber.

Toika

Power on and Starting to Weave

You can switch power on to the Toikabefore or after entering the weavingWindow. However, Fiberworks can’t detectwhether the Toika is powered up. Instead aprompt box appears.

Click the OK button only when the Toikais connected and switched on. Yourresponse will start the weaving cycle bysending the first pick to the loom.



Shaft order on the Toika

By default, the Toika uses Scandinavian shaft order,that is Shaft 1 is at the back of the loom. Whenyou do Loom Setup and select the Toika, you canchoose whether to place Shaft 1 in front (leave thecheckbox unmarked) or adhere to theScandinavian convention and keep shaft 1 at theback (click on the checkbox to place a tick mark init). Always thread the loom according to theconvention you have chosen. The Debounce optionstops the loom from skipping picks when the sensorthat detects shed action does not close cleanly, andsends two “advance” signals in quick succession.

Weaving cycle

Solenoids are normally activated just as the shed closes, and deactivated as the shedreaches the fully open position. If you leave the treadle in the rest position for any lengthof time, the solenoids remain under power and risk overheating. It’s a good idea to usethe Solenoids off menu item or toolbar button (Sequence menu) whenever you intend totake a break. Resume weaving by pressing the Enter key.

Diagnostics Use Solenoid and Treadle Sensor tests in place of a Response Test.

Solenoid test (p.24) checks communication from computer to loom. If the test succeedsand the treadles sensor test does not, this means that there’s something stopping thecomputer from receiving signals from the loom, but otherwise the Com number of theselected port is correct. You can use the Solenoid test to check individual solenoids. Clickthe Clear Pattern button, then set solenoids one at a time by clicking into the gridpattern. Treadle the loom to see that the selected shaft picks up and releases cleanly.

Treadle Sensor Test checks communication from loom to computer, in particular thesignal that tells the computer to advance the pattern. A switch on the control box of theloom determines whether to progress though the liftplan forwards or in reverse. Ifcommunications are good, when you treadle the loom, one of the following messages isposted, depending on the position of this switch.

The reverse switch on the loom duplicates the action of the Reverse Direction menuitem and toolbar button. The computer can track changes in switch setting on the loom,but the loom does not know when you use the toolbar Reverse button. To avoidconfusion, be consistent in which method you use. Sometimes the Reverse switchbehaves erratically, in which case choose the Ignore Reverse option above.



Arm Patronic

Power on

You can switch power on to the ARM Selectronic before or after entering theweaving Window. Only click the OK in thereminder box after power is switched on tothe loom control unit. Fiberworks then sendsthe loom a message to activate the computercontrolled mode.

Starting to Weave

To signal that you are ready, push the treadles in turn. The first cycle may be a blankpick, but solenoids should activate the next time shed is closed. When you hear thesolenoids click, open the shed without delay.

Time out

To prevent overheating, the solenoids in the Arm dobby head turn themselves off if theshed is not opened within five second of the solenoids being activated. If this happens,the computer may beep and the Status bar shows TIMED OUT in the Weaving Statussection. Resume weaving after being TIMED OUT by pushing treadles in turn until thesolenoids reactivate.

Diagnostics

Response test: A message should appear indicating that the ARM is responding. If Theloom seems to stop clicking solenoids at any time, for example after a time-out or afterthe treadle sensor test, and does not respond to pushing the treadles, doing the responsetest will reactivate the computer controlled mode.

There is no solenoid test for the ARM. To test solenoids, make up a simple pattern thatlifts one shaft at a time as well as any other pattern you need to check such as tabby, andopen the pattern in the weaving window.

Treadle Sensor Test checks communicationfrom loom to computer, in particular the signalthat tells the computer to advance the pattern.After doing this test, push the treadles in turn toresume weaving.

Schacht Combby and J-Comp

Fiberworks can no longer include software support for these looms. Instead a electronicmodification that allows these looms to run as a Macomber from a standard COM port isavailable from http://www.flatwaterfarm.com/ or contact [email protected].



Portchecker

Portchecker is an accessory program installed with Fiberworks that allows you to checkand monitor communication with your loom. You can find Portchecker in the Start Menu:go to Programs>Fiberworks>Fiberworks Silver Plus 4228>Portchecker. Portcheckerhelps you identify the correct port and lets you see the messages that pass betweenloom and computer.

Step 1: Portchecker scans for available ports up to Com9; the scan can distinguishbetween normal serial ports and modems, so Com3 is identified as a modem.

To identify the Com number of a USB-serial adapter, remove theadapter and click Scan Again. One of the Active ports shouldbecome NOT available. Plug the adapter back in, wait 20 seconds and scan again. The same port should become an Active port onceagain. Use this Com number when you do Loom Setup in Fiberworks (p.15).

For Louet looms with a built-in USB adapter, connect the cable and turn on power tothe dobby. Scan and note down Active ports, unplug the cable, and scan again to seewhich port becomes NOT available. Use this Com number for the Louet loom.



Step 2: Select the port by clicking a dot into the button in front of theCom number. Select the loom from the list, and turn on the power tothe loom. For looms that do a self-test, wait until it settlesdown, then click Check Loom.

If the port was correctly selected, a response should appear inData Received and Message Received boxes. To get aresponse from the Toika, you must treadle the loom.

Data received shows the actual codes sent back by thedobby unit. Message received translates this data intoEnglish. For the AVL Compu-Dobby, Check loom will initiatea self-test that causes solenoids to click in turn. If the self teststarts after doing Check Loom, but no response is received,something is interfering with data arriving at the computerfrom the loom.

Step 3: Set a pattern to test solenoid activation. The default is all odd shafts, but you cancreate other patterns by clicking check marks on or off in the boxes. There are only 16boxes, so shafts 17-32 echo the setting for shafts 1-16, and likewise for shafts 33-40.Click Solenoids off before quitting.

Step 4: Try pushing the treadles: the example here is for AVL Compu-Dobby. For Louetand Leclerc, you need to set solenoids before pushing the treadle.



Troubleshooting with Portchecker

The port you want to use is reported as NOT available

Ports can’t be shared between two programs open at the same time. Other softwaremay have claimed the port. Examples:

The software for linking a person digital assistant such as a Palm Pilot.

The driver that comes with an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). This driver isdesigned to shut down an unattended computer when power is lost. If your computeris not routinely unattended, you do not need to install this driver.

A driver for a serial mouse, never uninstalled when the mouse died.

Fiberworks: close down all weaving windows while you are using Portchecker. Closedown Portchecker when you try to weave with Fiberworks.

Although a socket exists for the port, it may not be connected internally, or the portmay be disabled in the computer’s BIOS settings. If you are not familiar with adjustingyour BIOS Setup, this may be something to leave to an outside expert, or buy aUSB-serial adapter, which is probably less expensive than hiring outside help.

Do not mistake a printer port (a socket with 25 holes to fit a cable with 25 pins) for aserial port .

The USB-serial adapter keeps changing its Com number

This may happen if the USB adapter is sometimes plugged in when you turn on power tothe computer, and sometimes plugged in after Windows is up and running. The adapter isbeing identified at different stages of Windows start up. Be consistent:: either alwaysplug in before turning power on or always plug in after Windows is up.

No new Active port appears when the USB adapter is plugged in

Make sure that the driver that comes with the adapter is properly installed.

Make sure that the supplied driver is compatible with your version of Windows, inparticular Vista, 7 and 8. If you can identify the manufacturer of the adapter, go to theirwebsite and see if there’s a driver available to download.

There’s no response from the loom

If it’s an AVL Compu-Dobby I or Compu-Dobby II, did you touched any buttons on thecontrol unit after turning the power on? The Compu-Dobby may be in cartridgemode and not listening to the computer. Turn the Compu-Dobby off, wait fiveseconds, and turn it on again. Wait until solenoids stop clicking before trying tocommunicate again using the Check loom button.

Uninstall or disable Norton Antivirus if you have it on your computer.

Make sure you are not plugged into a parallel or printer port.



No response from loom, continued

Cable problems

Serial cables come in two flavours, but only one is suitable for connecting a loom.

A standard RS-232 serial cable is intended to link a computer to an external device suchas a camera, a modem, a printer or a loom dobby unit.

A null modem cable is designed to link two computers together.

Two computers have their serial sockets wired thesame way. If a standard cable is used to connecttwo computers together other, the pins that talk oneach computer connect to each other, and likewisethe pins that listen connect. The result is nocommunication. The null modem cable correctsthis by crossing the wires in between. Now theleft talker connects to the right listener and the righttalker connects to the left listener.

External devices such as dobby units wire theirsockets the opposite way to computers, so astandard cable connects talk to listen in bothdirections. In this case, a null modem cableconnects talk to talk and listen to listen - henceno communication.

A typical null modem cable has identical connectersat each end while a standard cable usually has male at one end and female at the other.Inspect your cable. If the cable itself has identical connecters at each end but is made tofit the loom with an extra adapter, it may be the wrong type.

Using Windows Device Manager to explore your ports

Find Device Manager by opening the Control panel (Start > Settings > Control Panel).

Click on the System Icon, and then select Device Manager.



Using Windows Device Manager (continued)

Device manager (left) lists all the hardware on your computer. Expand Ports COM &LPT to show the list of Com ports. Modems, if present, are listed separately. Click openthe Com Port you wish to inspect to show its Properties dialog. The General Tab willindicate if a Port is disabled. There is no need to change Port settings such as baud ratehere: Fiberworks automatically makes the right Port Settings for a given loom.

Click on the Advanced Button. The Advanced setting dialog lets you change the Comnumber of a port. Do this if a modem and a usable Com port conflict with each other.Try putting a lower setting on the Receive buffer if you are having erratic reception ofsignals from the loom.



Alignment (AVL) 24,27ARM Patronic 39

Diagnostics 39Loom setup options 16Power on 39Starting to Weave 39Time out 39

Autoreverse 18Autotabby 21AVL 25-30

Alignment 24,27Button test 24,27Cartridge 16,30Diagnostics 26Loom setup options 16Optical sensors on CD I 26Power on 25Program Cartridge 16,30Response test 26Solenoid test 27Starting to Weave 25Treadle sensor test 26Troubleshooting 29

Back View 14Beeps (alerts) 19Button test 24,27Cartridge, AVL 16,30Change Face 14Chain direction 22Check communications 24Cloth menu 17COM number 15,16,44Color View Panel 7Delete Pick 13Device Manager 43,44Diagnostic menu 24

Alignment 24,27Button test 24,27Response test 24Solenoid test 24Treadle sensor test 24

Direction 22Dobbytron 36-37

Diagnostics 37Power on 36Starting to Weave 36Weaving Cycle 37

Drawdown window 6,9Edit Menu (Weaving window) 11

Edit Lag Chain 11,12By keyboard 12By mouse 12

Delete Pick 13Insert Pick 13Undo 11

Endless loop 18

File Menu (Weaving window) 10Close 10Drawdown 10Exit 10Open 10Save 10Save As 10

File>Weave 6Finding your Com number 16,40Finding ports 16,40Flip Warp 13Go to lag 19Halt at end 18Horizontal scroll bar 14Insert Pick 13Lag chain 7,9LeClerc looms 35,36

Diagnostics 36Navigating the lag chain 35Power on 35Starting to weave 35Timed out 35Weaving Cycle 35

Liftplan 9Loom setup 15Louet Looms 31-34

Diagnostics 32Navigating the lag chain 32Ports 31Power on 31Response test 32Solenoid test 33Starting to Weave 31Timed out 32Treadle sensor test 32,33Troubleshooting 33,34USB 15,31Weaving cycle 31

Macomber 36-37Diagnostics 37

Index



Power on 36Starting to Weave 36Weaving Cycle 37

Megado 31-34Navigating

By keyboard 11By mouse 12

No loom selected 6,8Null Modem Cable 43Octado 31-34Open File 10Pattern Only 21Port Properties and Advanced Settings 44Portchecker 40-42

Troubleshooting with 42Ports, Finding 16,40Ports, in Device Manager 44Ports, Troubleshooting 16,42Program ID 5Program AVL Cartridge 16,30Range, set 20Release All 23Reset chain 18Response Test 24

If it fails 27Reverse direction 22

On Toika 38Save file 10Save weaving information 10Selecting your loom 15Sequence Menu 18

Autoreverse 18Autotabby 21Endless Loop 18Go to lag 19Halt at end 18Pattern only 21Release all 23Reset chain 18Reverse direction 22Set Beeps 19Set Range 20Solenoid power off 23Step tabby 22Tabby Only 21Tabby Setup 21Unweave 23

Simulated weaving with spacebar 6,8Solenoids Power off 23Solenoid test 24

Status information 7Step tabby 22Structure Panel 7Tabby only 21Tabby setup 21Timed out 32,35,39Toika 37-38

Diagnostics 38Loom setup options 38Power on and starting to weave 37Response in Portchecker 41Response test 38Reverse switch 38Shaft order 38Solenoid test 38Treadle sensor test 38

Troubleshooting ports 16,42Undo 11Unweave 23Upgrade to Plus level 5USB-serial adapters 15,16,42

Drivers 16,42Troubleshooting 42

View Menu 13Back View 14Change Face 14Flip Warp 13Scroll bars 14Toolbar 14Zoom in 13Zoom out 13

Validation 5Vertical Scroll bar 14Warp Drawdown 17Weaving status 7

OPEN 8READY 9STARTUP 7TIMED OUT 32,35,39

Weft Drawdown 17Weaving Window 7

Resizing panels 9Windows

Control Panel 43Device Manager 44

Zoom in 13Zoom out 13

FIBERWORKS 4.1/4.2 SILVER PLUS


Documents

FIBERWORKS 4.2 SILVER PLUS Manual.pdf · · 2016-12-26Validation of 4.2 Silver Plus For installation of the PCW4.2 Silver Plus program, see the main Silver Manual Validation dialog