USB Link

Embroidery designs can be embroidered by transferring the embroidery data from the computer to one or more embroidery machines compatible with the USB Link function. Connect the embroidery machine and computer with a USB cable. These embroidery designs are embroidered after the data is sent from the computer to the embroidery machine in the same way that a document is printed after the data is sent from a computer to a printer.

1. Create an embroidery design in [Layout & Editing].
2. Set the embroidery machine in USB Link mode.
   • Turn on the USB Link function of the embroidery machine, and then turn off the machine.

     For details on setting the machine in USB Link mode, refer to the instruction manual provided with your embroidery machine.

3. Use the USB cable included with the embroidery machine to connect the machine to the computer.
   • Turn on the embroidery machine.
     • For details on connecting the machines to the computer, refer to the instruction manual provided with your embroidery machine.
     • If the machine is positioned far from the computer, we recommend you to use a self-powered USB hub. Do not use USB extension cables or repeater cables.
     • Do not connect or disconnect the USB cable while the machine is turned on.
     • Select [Power Options] in [Control Panel], and then set both [System standby] and [System hibernates] to [Never].
4. Click the [Home] tab.
5. Click [Send] in the [Sew] group, and then click [USB Link].
   
   
   
   1. Transferred design
   2. Queue
      Displays the data before it is transferred to the embroidery machine.

      When the machine is ready to start loading the data, data transfer begins. While the data is being transferred, a message appears in the screen of the embroidery machine, and the design moves to the transferred design area.

      
      

      If the data sent from [Layout & Editing] does not appear in the transferred design box, continue the operation by using the machine's operation panel.

      If you want to send more than one design to the [USB Link] dialog box, repeat steps 4 and 5 for each design. The [USB Link] dialog will remain open while the selected design from [Layout & Editing] will be sent to the Link.

6. After the design has been transferred, press the start/stop button on the embroidery machine to begin embroidering.

   The transferred data cannot be edited from the embroidery machine. The received data can only be embroidered. However, embroidering settings can be specified.

When embroidering is started, the following appears in the [USB Link] dialog box.

1. Transferred design
2. Queue
3. Shows the status of the embroidery machine.
4. Status indication

Each status indication is described below

If multiple designs were sent to a single machine

Multiple embroidery designs can be embroidered after being sent to the [USB Link] dialog box. In this case, the dialog box appears as shown below.

The following operations can be performed from this dialog box.

1. Moves the selected design(s) to the beginning of the embroidering order.
2. Moves the selected design(s) one position forward in the embroidering order.
3. Moves the selected design(s) one position backward in the embroidering order.
4. Moves the selected design(s) to the end of the embroidering order.
5. Automatically adjusts the embroidering order of the designs to reduce as much as possible the number of thread color changes.
6. Deletes the selected design(s) from the [USB Link] dialog box.

   Before the message "The machine will move. Keep your hands etc. away from the machine." appears on the machine and [OK] is pressed, the embroidering order of the designs, including the first one, can be changed since the first design has not yet been sent to the machine.

If multiple embroidery machines are connected

The [Distributor] dialog box appears, in addition with the [USB Link] dialog box for each embroidery machine. The designs in the [Distributor] dialog will all be selected. Specify which file is to be transferred to which machine.

Distributor dialog box

1. Selects all embroidery designs.
2. Deselects the embroidery designs.
3. Deletes the selected embroidery design. (The design is deleted without being moved to the <Recycle Bin>.)

1. Select a machine in the [Machine Name] 1 selector, select an embroidery file, and then click [Send] 2.
   
   
   1. Machine Name
   2. Sends the selected embroidery file to the [USB Link] dialog box.
   3. The [Distributor] dialog box can also be displayed by clicking [Distributor] on the [Option] menu of the [USB Link] dialog box.
      • The initial machine name is the machine's ID.
        For details, refer to the instruction manual provided with your embroidery machine.
      • The name of the machine can be changed.
        For details, refer to Changing the embroidery machine name appearing with the USB Link function

      The embroidery designs are moved to the [USB Link] dialog box.

      
2. Repeat step 1 to move each design to the [USB Link] dialog box.
   
   • The embroidering order of designs in the queue can be changed.

     For details, refer to If multiple designs were sent to a single machine.

   • If additional machines are connected while the [USB Link] dialog box is displayed, corresponding queues will appear. If a machine is disconnected, the corresponding queue will disappear.
   • To display the [Property] dialog box for a file, double-click the file's icon, or click a file to select it, right-click it, and then click [Property] from the menu that appears.
   • To reduce this dialog box to a button on the taskbar, click the [Minimize] button.

   To disconnect the USB cable, or shut down the computer

   • After data transferring to embroidery machine and the transferring message on the screen of the machine is closed, you can disconnect the USB cable, or shut down the computer.
     When connected to the embroidery machine again, you can continue the USB Link operation.
   • The embroidery machine can finish sewing the design currently being embroidered even if the computer is turned off.
   • If the embroidery machine is turned off while it is embroidering, the resume operation can be used the next time it is turned on. At that time, transmission can be resumed using the USB Link function by clicking [USB Link] in [Design Database] or in the [Option] menu of [Layout & Editing] to display the [USB Link] dialog box.
   • If the embroidery machine connection cannot be detected, the [USB Link] dialog box will close automatically.
   • To display the [USB Link] dialog box again after the computer has been restarted, click [USB Link] in [Design Database] or in the [Option] menu (in the upper-right corner) of [Layout & Editing].
   • To display the [Distributor] dialog box, click [Distributor] in the [Option] menu of the [USB Link] dialog box.

Changing the embroidery machine name appearing with the USB Link function

1. Click [Machine Name] in the [Option] menu of the queue whose name is to be changed.
   
2. Type the name in the [Machine Name] box, and then click [OK].
   

   A name (up to 10 alphanumeric characters/symbols) can be specified for the embroidery machine.

   • When an embroidery machine is connected to the computer, the embroidery machine is recognized by the computer as a removable disk and is assigned a drive letter. If this drive letter is the same as one that has already been assigned by the computer, designs cannot be sent from the computer to that embroidery machine. This problem occurs, for example, if a network drive has been assigned a computer drive letter. If this occurs, cancel the assignment for the drive with the conflicting drive letter.
   • When the number of embroidery machines connected to the computer via USB is increased, the operating system may require that the computer be restarted. At that time, restart the computer.