Plug-in Manual

Trendsetter

Version 6.4.0.0
October 23, 2006

Xitron Part Number Doc-1013 10/06

Overview
Xitron’s Navigator PostScript RIP and Raster Blaster TIFF
Catcher rely on software modules called plug-ins to
communicate with imaging systems. In many cases they work
in tandem with an interface card, while in others it is simply a
conversion to a bitmap file in a compatible format.

When interface cards are involved, these plug-ins act as device

drivers and control most actions of the output devices. Some of
these actions include checking device status, device setup, and
advancing and cutting material. In addition, the plug-in relays
all the physical characteristics of an engine such as supported
resolutions and imageable area.

During the launch sequence, both Navigator and Raster Blaster

scan a specific directory for plug-ins. The software loads each
plug-in it finds, and then queries them for a description of the
capabilities of the supported devices. In this manner the plug-in
configures the RIP to output a bitmap to these devices.

Each plug-in controls a particular family of recorders and is

able to understand most messages and errors communicated by
the output device. Plug-ins for use with Windows-based
platforms consist of three software modules. The first module
is the core plug-in written specifically for a particular device.
This DLL is 32-bit code and runs under Windows NT,
Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows
2003 Server and Windows XP. The second module is a kernel
mode device driver. This module communicates with the
Xitron interface boards and moves the bitmap data from the

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PC to the output device's interface. The third module is a
“helper” DLL that translates calls from the plug-in to the
Windows device driver.

When a page is sent to an output device for imaging, the

Xitron software loads the correct plug-in and begins a series of
steps prior to output. The plug-in first initializes the engine and
checks that it is ready. After receiving the proper signal, the
plug-in will begin reading bitmap data from the platform's hard
drive into a “printer buffer.” Once the printer buffer is full, the
plug-in will start communicating the data to the output device.
As the output device consumes the data, the plug-in relays this
information to the software, which then refills the buffer. This
continues until all of the data has been communicated to the
output device. The plug-in tells the software the job is
complete and waits for an indicator that the recorder has
finished. This process is repeated for each page being output.

Raster Blaster
Plug-ins used by Xitron’s Raster Blaster have the same
functionality as those for the Navigator RIP and the same
options are available for configuration. Therefore, unless
otherwise specified, the information in this manual will apply
to both products. See the Raster Blaster Reference Manual for
specific configuration information.

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Background Information
Always power up the Trendsetter and allow it perform its
start-up routine BEFORE starting the Xitron RIP or Xitron
Raster Blaster computer. The RIP must “see” the Trendsetter
on the SCSI bus during start-up in order to properly configure
the drivers.

After completing the software installation, Xitron’s

“TrendsetterMon” utility will automatically launch each time
the system starts. The Trendsetter must be on and the
TrendsetterMon utility must be running BEFORE the RIP or
Raster Blaster program is run. The TrendsetterMon program
will collect setup information from the Trendsetter (available
resolutions, supported media, etc.) and convey that
information to the RIP or Raster Blaster.

Installation
Begin by installing the Xitron software and the Trendsetter
plug-in as instructed in the Software Installation Manual. After
installing the software, it will be necessary to complete some
preparatory steps in the Windows operating system before
configuring the Trendsetter plug-in, or attempting output to
the Trendsetter.

The Windows 2000 and Windows XP operating systems will

attempt to load drivers for any devices connected to the
computer. In most cases this is a positive thing, as it saves

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operators from having to locate drivers and load additional
software. However, if the operating system recognizes a SCSI
device connected to the computer and can not determine the
type, it will load a “Generic SCSI Printer” driver. This driver
disables communication between Xitron’s plug-in and the
Trendsetter. Therefore, it will be necessary to disable this driver
to establish proper communication. Carefully follow the
instructions below to disable the generic SCSI printer driver in
Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

Do not attach the SCSI and serial (RS 232) cables until both the
Trendsetter and RIP PC are properly switched off. Attach the
serial cable to the COM port on the computer (as described on
page 11 of this document) and the SCSI cable to the SCSI card.
Complete the same connections on the Trendsetter, being sure
to fasten them tightly. Start the Trendsetter first, let it run
through its diagnostic routine and then start the PC.

After logging on to the computer, locate the Device Manager

dialog in the Windows operating system. Visually determine if
the OS has loaded a Generic Printer driver (see Figure 1) as
discussed earlier. If the Device Manager does not display a
Generic Printer, go to the next section of this plug-in manual.

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Figure 1

If the OS displays a Generic Printer, place the mouse over the

icon and click the right mouse button. Choose “Disable.” DO
NOT delete the driver as Windows will just reload it the next
time the computer starts. After disabling the driver, the Device
Manager window should appear exactly like the one shown in
Figure 1. That is, there should be a red X over the Generic
Printer icon. Restart the computer and proceed with
RIP/Raster Blaster configuration.

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Configuring the Trendsetter
The Trendsetter plug-in supports the following recorders:

• Trendsetter 3230, 3244

After installing the Trendsetter plug-in, create Page Setups for

the Trendsetter device. Click the Page Set-up Manager Icon
(Ctrl + S) and click the “New” button. From the drop down
Device menu, select the Trendsetter model being used.

For Raster Blaster, see the Raster Blaster

manual section “Creating New Devices.”

Start by selecting the appropriate resolution, then click

“Configure Device” under the Device list box. A dialog box
similar to that shown in Figure 2 will appear.

Figure 2

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From this dialog box you can configure the following options:

• Plate gripper margin: Enter values in millimeters and

the corresponding adjustment will move the output image
to the RIGHT on the plate. See the image position and
plate orientation diagram (Figure 3) for clarification of
plate orientation.
• Plate thickness: Enter values in mils (thousandths of an
inch). For example, enter a value of 5.5 for a plate
thickness of .0055. The system will generate an error
when the plate thickness value is incorrect.
• Media selection: This value will change depending on
the supported media information in the Trendsetter itself.
Be sure to choose the correct media: proper exposure
values, which are controlled by the Trendsetter, will
depend upon this choice.
• Bay selection: For manual load systems, choose the
Manual Load Platesetter option.
For systems with an Auto-Loader, ONLY choose
“Using Bay 1.” Do not use any of the other
options.

• Enable Narrow Mode: This option will increase the

quality of the image but will slow the imaging time on the
Trendsetter. Normally this selection should be off. It may
be necessary to turn it on if you are imaging very high line
screens or stochastic dots.

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Media Size and Image Placement
It is important to understand how the Trendsetter driver and
the Trendsetter view the media size and orientation. An
incorrectly specified media size will create errors when
imaging, while misunderstanding the image orientation will
make it difficult to configure the plug-in for proper image
position.

Plate and Image Orientation

From the perspective of the operator, the Trendsetter rotates

the image 90 degrees in the clockwise direction. For example
the top of the plate (as seen by the operator) is actually the left
side of the plate with regard to the image. Figure 3 displays
plate orientation relative to the image.

Figure 3

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Figure 4 explains the orientation with regard to media width
and media length as described in the Trendsetter plug-in. Since
it can be somewhat confusing, it may be necessary to
experiment with the rotation and right-reading/wrong-reading
settings in the RIP to achieve the desired orientation on the
plate.

Important: If using Raster Blaster, do not

change the rotation or orientation options from
the default. If it is necessary to rotate the
image or change its orientation, make these
adjustments in the RIP or the layout program,
not in the Raster Blaster software.

Figure 4

The designations (left, top, right and bottom) represent how the RIP and
Raster Blaster “view” the plate. They also correspond directly to the “TOP”
shown in Figure 3.

From within the plug-in, use the “Center on Media Width” and
“Center on Media Length” check boxes. Additional position

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adjustments can be made by using the plate gripper margin
mentioned on page 7 and found in the configure device dialog.
Make sure that the actual image size (as shown in Figure 5) is
not larger than the media size set in the in the Device
Configuration window within Raster Blaster or the Page
Layout window within Navigator. Remember that the Image
Width corresponds to the Media Length.

Figure 5

TrendsetterMon
The Trendsetter Monitor utility – or TrendsetterMon - is a
direct communications link to the Trendsetter. In many cases,
it will be possible to run the device with only the
TrendsetterMon window visible. The RIP or Raster Blaster
window can be minimized and instructions in the
TrendsetterMon window will tell the operator what to do
next.

Important: TrendsetterMon MUST be running at

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 all times. If it is not running the Raster Blaster
or RIP will abort any image sent to the
platesetter.

Figure 6 shows an example of the TrendsetterMon window.

Figure 6

Selecting a COM Port

TrendsetterMon can be configured to use various COM ports
for serial communications to the Trendsetter. To adjust this
setting, verify which COM port is connected to the
Trendsetter via the RS232 cable. From the TrendsetterMon
“configure” menu choose “select COM port” and select the
appropriate com port.

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Selecting a Measurement
Preference
TrendsetterMon’s measurement system can be set to inches or
millimeters. From the TrendsetterMon “configure” menu
choose “set units of measure.” Select from English or Metric.

When the RIP or Raster Blaster sends a bitmap to the

Trendsetter, the TrendsetterMon window will change to
reflect the status and the measurements. Figure 7 shows the
window when a bitmap has been sent to the Trendsetter and it
is waiting for the proper plate to be loaded.

Figure 7

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Using the Trendsetter Plug-in
With an Autoloader
When the Trendsetter is equipped with an autoloader, the
Trendsetter plug-in will inform the platesetter/autoloader of
the size of the next bitmap in the queue. This will allow the
system to pre-load the proper plate, increasing imaging
efficiency. However, in order to provide the proper
information some basic requirements exist.

Figure 8

In the example above, the Trendsetter plug-in will properly send image size
data to the autoloader. When output is enabled the image size for the
second bitmap in the queue will be sent while the first bitmap in the queue
is sent to the platesetter. This will allow the system to pre-load the next
plate.

The plug-in determines the size of the next plate/image by

retrieving the information from the job in the Active Queue of
the RIP or Raster Blaster. If there is no image in the Active
Queue the plug-in cannot communicate any information and
the autoloader will not pre-load a plate (see Figure 9). Because

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of this, it is possible that the system could appear “slower” than
expected. For the most efficient output with an autoloader, try
to queue up more than one image before releasing the images
to the Trendsetter.

Figure 9

In this example, the plug-in will not provide the autoloader with
information about the second bitmap because none exist. Therefore, if a
second image arrives in the Active Queue after the first bitmap has imaged,
the Autoloader cannot pre-load a plate.

An error can occur when preloading plates if an operator

changes the order of jobs in the Active Queue. Because it is
possible to move a bitmap from a lower position in the Active
Queue to the top of the Active Queue, it is also possible to
move a different size bitmap in front of the one for which a
plate has already been pre-loaded. The platesetter will then
post an error indicating the wrong size plate has been loaded.

To avoid this potential problem, never move an image above

the first job in the Active Queue. If it is essential to move a job
forward in the queue, always place it in the second spot (as

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shown in Figure 10), which will allow the system to load the
proper plate.

Figure 10

In this example the bitmap “trout-wr.ps(Y)” has been moved up and placed
in the second position of the Active Queue. The autoloader has already pre-
loaded the plate for “Xitron_Seybold Trap Test.qxd(M).” When the system
is imaging that plate, it will simultaneously pre-load the proper plate for
“trout-wr.ps(Y)” and no errors will occur.

If TrendsetterMon does display an error, click the disable

output box, move the job in process back to the active queue
and follow the error recovery exactly as recommended in the
error message. Before taking action, wait until the job
appears in the active queue. This will stop communication
with the Trendsetter and allow the internal error recovery to
execute.

For more information about Xitron Navigator or Raster

Blaster, please review their respective user manuals, which can
be found on the installation CDs or Xitron’s website at
www.xitron.com.

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