STEP BY STEP INSTALLATION PROCEDURE FOR
D-CARRIER EPSON (mod. EE)
In the following pages you’ll find step by step instructions how to install
correctly D-Carrier systems based on Epson LCD. The instructions are also
valid for LED systems. A Noritsu 2301 minilab has been selected to explain
the procedure, however the method explained is valid for any minilab
provided that the D-Carrier installed is based on Epson 1400x1050 LCD or
Epson1024X768 LCD matrix. The procedure is not applicable for D-Carriers
featuring Sony 1280x1024 and Sony 1600x1200 LCD matrix.
GPE Dcarrier products
Dcarrier “E” 12bit(D3tech) =Epson (epson 1400x1050) 4/9 move
Dcarrier “E”new 24bit(D4tech) =Epson (epson 1400x1050) 4/9 move
Dcarrier “j” 12bit(D3tech) =Junior (epson 1024x768) 4 move
Dcarrier “S” 12bit =Standard (sony 1280x1024) 4/9 move
Dcarrier “SP” 12bit =sonypro (sony 1600x1200) 4/9/16 move
Dcarrier “K” 24 bit(D4tech) =King(epson 1400x1050+mask) 4/9 move
Basic requirements
The following procedure for Epson D-Carrrier requires a Kitinterface SW version higher
than 3.25
The firmware version of the Eeprom installed inside the Control Unit must be KLCD 4.00
or higher
The monitor resolution must be
equal or higher than the basic
LCD resolution (1400x1050).
A monitor with resolution 1600x1200
is a suitable device.
During the test operations (preview options, epson test, etc) the resolution of the monitor
must be 1600x1200, in operating mode the resolution can be 1280x1024.
control Units models B, C and T
“B” control box version has the DDSync and I2C boards are external
“C” version, the DDSync and I2C boards are intergrated into control box board
“T” version include a “C” version and a power supply for LED lamphouse system
Control Unit Model B
The Control Unit model B features both DDSync and I2C boards, as well as their
connecting cables, external to the Control Unit case. The firmware of the Eeprom installed
inside must be KLCD 4.00 or higher
DDSync
I2C
Cotrol Unit Model C
The Control Unit model C features both DDSync and I2E boards internal. The wiring
connections are therefore simplified. The Control Unit model C requires an Eeprom with
firmware version KLCD 5.00 or higher.
Control Board inside
the case
Video board installation
To install:
-ATI RADEON 9600 PRO 128MB -ATI RADEON 9800 PRO 128MB
-ATI RADEON 9800 SE 128MB -ATI RADEON 9600 XT 128MB
Catalyst version: 04.7
2D version: 6.14.10.6458
Packaging version: 8.03-040610a-016126C
minimum required system specifications are:
– Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4
– DirectX 8.1
– AGP8x bus mother board
1)DirectX version 8.1 must be installed before the installation:
if it is a new installation, then jump up to point (3), if you are
upgrading from a different video board system, continue below to point (2).
2)Uninstall previous video board driver (control panel – add/remove programs) then
remove VGA board.
Attention! Unplug the power cable before remove the video card.
3)Connect ATI Radeo video card, connect only the main VGA cable and
then restore power connection.
4)On Windows 2000 Operating System startup, a new hardware will be detected: Cancel
the procedure and execute the driver's installation file, named as below:
“wxp-w2k-catalyst-8-03-040610a-016126c.exe”.
5)Follow the setup instructions and restart Windows.
6)Control panel – Display – Settings – Advanced, Click the “Display” tab. In the “Scheme”
menu
select “switch among monitor” and assign the hotkey combination: CTRL+ALT+M. Save
the hotkey scheme. Apply and confirm settings clicking over “OK” button.
7)Setup monitor resolution (1280*1024 or 1600*1200 - 32milions of colors).
8)Connect the DVI cable.
9)At this point main monitor will become black. No image. Press once the mentioned
hotkey
combination (CTRL+ALT+M), and the VGA monitor will come back to normal visualization
state. Computer unit has been correctly set-up to use both VGA and DVI outputs.
Pci express video board requred:
Ati radeon x600 XT 128 mb
Ati redeon x600 PRO 128mb
Geforce 6600 LE 128mb
-
Installation steps
1. Kitinterface SW installation
2. Setup configuration
3. Setting the default values
4. Focusing procedure
5. Centering the image of the video board output
6. Pre setting the standard gamma values: 850 - 3850
7. Balancing the exposure times
8. Checking Move 64 file print
9. Premask II procedure
10. Calbration of the DelayMultiPrint value and micro movements
11. Uniformity compensation
12. Gamma values fine tuning
13. Final check of the mask uniformity and elimination of the
presence of lines after Gamma values fine tuning
14. Checking black and white saturation
1 – Kitinterface SW installation
As mentioned above, the version of the Kitinterface SW must be 3.25 or higher. After the
SW installation is completed the Kitinterface program generates on the desktop three
shortcuts:
Kitinterface.exe
Mask.exe
Piezo.exe
As a difference with respect to the previous
Kitinterface SW versions no option has
to be added to the shortcuts Kitinterface.
exe, Mask.exe and Piezo.exe.
Once the Kitinterface Sw has been installed a new directory named Kitinterface is
generated. Inside the Kitinterface directory are saved all the files relative to the D-Carrier
installed.
Please note that the extension of the configuration files including all the setting information
is *.ini.
It is now possible to initialize the SW for the
D-Carrier.
2 - Setup configurations for D-Carrier EE
Once the SW is operative the page Startup option selection is visualized on the monitor.
NOTE: The remaining options available on the previous page must be selected according
to the model of minilab. Usually FlipPiezoH and FlipPiezoV parameters are standard,
however they may be inverted during the installation. More details on the next pages.
3 – Setting the default values
The default values need to be set inside the pages Piezo and Epson, under
the Parameter section. To access this page press at the same time
CTRL+SHIFT+F12 after that the program has been initialised.
Most of epson pre-set values are definitive.
The micro-movement values are not definitive,they must be properly modified
by Piezo software before.
The figures shows both values.
DelayCpuKeyClick, DelayCpuKeyPause and DelayCpuKeySeq depend on
the minilab in use. The correct values can be found on Installation Manual for
the specific minilab. It must be set on Parameter – General
Identify the minilab in use and respectives Delay values
Input Delay
values found
from
Installation
Manual on
Parameter –
General
section
4 – Focusing procedure
The focusing menu is different according to the minilab. In any case the best results can
be achieved by setting the minilab zoom value close to its maximum magnification value.
With this device the pixels are easily detected. To adjust the focus usually it is sufficient to
open the minilab shutter to detect the LCD light projection on the paper deck plane.
NOTE 1. In case of D-Carrier featuring a filter wheel it is necessary to select the geen filter
and to open the D-Carrier head shutter before proceeding.
NOTE 2. In case of D-Carrier LED enable the output LedR (red led),and “peltier”(peltier
is our elettronic cooler system)
, under menu Test (there is no shutter on LED D-Carriers).
A D-Carrier featuring a filter wheel
is shown at the left side only for
explanation purposes. The
procedure for LED version is
exactly the same.
The image shows the adjusting
screws for focusing and the
blocking screws to be tightened
after the focusing procedure has
been completed. The focus must
be as sharpen as possible on all
Adjusting screws the area of projection of the LCD
Blocking screws on the paper deck.
5 – Centering the image of the video board output
The resolution used during the print is 1600x1200 but we use only
1400x1050 (in case of Dcarrier epson standard and king) .
The centering values change according with the type of video card
and the type of lcd drive board.
Above there is some standard values you can use to centering the lcd ,
and than the procedure to follow if all the image is not visible.
Video card centering values
Geforce 4200/4800 left -20 top -72
Ati radeon 9600 left -24 top -72
The epson test option is used to center the LCD matrix into the
video board window.
During this adjustment use a small enlarging factor and use a focusing
procedure .(see .1 and .2 on the Focusing procedure paragraph)
The aim of the procedure is to
make visible the four white
perimetral lines of the file projected.
Press F1 and use the arrow key
to center the image.
Lines that must be made visible
on the focus meter screen.
Probe located on the paper
deck
Once the image is centered correctly it is necessary to save the setting done
by pressing the key enter. Pressing enter the Epson option is quit as well.
By printing the margins setup file (test print menu) it is possible to check the if
the procedure below is donethe micro movements is correct.
6 – Check movement direction and image rotation
By printing the Move 64 file it is possible to check the direction of
the micro movements is correct.
In case it is necessary to invert the direction of micromovements.
Restart the D-Carrier program and change the options FlipPiezoV and/or
FlipPiezoH
Red arrow to
detect print
direction
Example of
correct micro
movement
settings
Mov.
Hor. 0
Mov.
Hor. 1
Mov.
Hor. 2
Mov.
Mov.Ver. 0
Mov. Ver. 1
Ver. 2
A wrong micro movement
setting results on a twin
line, horizontal or vertical
as shown inside the
cyrcles. Note that the red Example of wrong
arrow must be located on vertical micro
top left side in order to movement setting
detect the direction of the
micro movement (horizontal
or vertical)
Example of wrong
horizontal micro
movement setting
7 – Presetting the standard gamma values 950 – 3900
Before beginning to work on
the photographic section it
is necessary to pre set the
gamma values, press
clear gamma and use the
follow values for black and white.
The appropriate values for
white and black levels are
respectively:
White: 1000 (lowest point)
Black: 3900(highest point)
8 – Pre masking II procedure
The aim of this procedure is compensate the insufficient intrinsyc diffusion
homogeneity of the LCD device. This is achieved by the pre masking
procedure and uniformity compensation.
The Pre masking II procedure can be applied in case that Mask.exe SW
version 2.6 or higher are installed. The procedure is made of two or three
steps, combined. This generates a better file as a starting point to apply the
next uniformity procedure.
Select a paper size which includes the full LCD projection area, leaving at
each of the four sides a white border It is suggested to set the minilab zoom
value at a 70% level with respect to the maximum magnification.
Remove all the margins and shift in photo channel (technical menu).
Print now the uniform color test file
located on the section Test Print.
The values for R,G, B are fixed
to 150,150,150.
select resolution enhance
unselect noise correction
To balance the colors you can adjust the power of the LED light source into size
channel-emulsion, “0” means maximum power, if you increase value the power
decrease.The typical values are :
Red 0, green 250, blu 350.use the master balance DRGB exposure times on photo
channel section only the fine adjust .
A print made by an Epson LCD,
with no compensation, shows a
darker area on the top right corner
(the print has to be looked at with dark top right
the red arrow located on the top area
left side).
Open the mask program, available on the desktop, select
“premask”.
Write the name In “optic name section” like pre(optic name)and
step; step
“0” in the first step, then step 1 and step 2 ,etc.
Select the scanner by “select source” and press “aquire”.
On the Epson scanner interface what is really important is disable
the unsharp mask and the color correction, the file size obtained
must be between 60 and 90Mb.
The image must be scanned without white borders.
Rotate the image until the red arrow Key to press
to create the
is positioned on the top left corner pre mask II
file
(see at page 42). Press the key
Premask II. The SW independently
creates the pre mask file for the
LCD in use.
Two files automatically generated in the Kitinterface directory are:
mask_[filename]_0.noise and mask_[filename]_0.bmp
To enable the premask compensation file open the section Parameter –
Epson – MaskVMID 0, select Mask and apply the file saved. The file to be
loaded has extension .bmp
Load the file
mask_[filename]_0.bmp
Add twenty point density in the master channel, than print again the uniform
color test. Premask II procedure is made in two or more steps.
Aqure the new uniform color test, use the same name and change the step
then press premask II. The software will create and combine the new file with
the previous one.
Load now the mask_(filename)_comb.bmp and print again; this procedure is
end when the four corners has the same density.
10– Calibration of the DelayMultiPrint parameter and micro movements
An optimum calibration of the
micro movements is mandatory
to get optimum print results to
avoid the presence of a visible
background net generated by
the LCD pixels
The file to be printed and then used to optimize the micro movements is
located on the TestPrint section. The file name is MicroMoveAutoTest.
It has to be printed with the parameter Resolution Enhance
enabled.Resolution Enhance is to be enabled from now on unless
clearly stated.
The aim of the procedure is to make invisible the LCD pixels on the pictures.
For this reason is advised to carry out this step procedure using a zoom
magnification set to the maximun value allowed for the zoom in use. When
enlarging the projection area it is necessary to compensate for the decreased
density by rising the density value on Photo Channel. After the procedure is
finished go back to the previous exposure times.
The task is done in two steps:
A - phasing the DelayMultiPrint, section General – Parameter
B - calibration of the micro movements by the Piezo.exe software
A – Setting the DelayMultiPrint value
Modify the DelayMultiPrint value,
section General – Parameter,
to put in phase the micro movements
and the sub images generated with
the RGB exposure times
Mov. Mov. Mov.
V2 V1 V0 The aim of the procedure is to get
the same density of the horizontal
Mov.
H0 and vertical shifted lines.
If H 0 and V 0 are darker, the
Mov. DelayMultiPrint value must be
H1
decreased (or increased).
If H 2 and V 2 are darker, the
Mov.
H2
DelayMultiPrint value must be
increased (or decreased).
Note that both the three bars H and V have different density and uneven color in case that
the DelayMultiPrint parameter is heavily unbalanced.
Delaymultiprint value to be adjusted finely
The image at the left side shows
an example of a wrong DelayMultiPrint
value setting. Note that until the setting
is not done at the optimum value the dots
internal to the rectangle show different
density and/or color.
The range of the nominal values of the
DelayMultiPrint parameter is 0
to approx 80.
B – Calibration of micro movements
This procedure requires the program Piezo.exe on the desktop. Close
Kitinterface and open piezo program, select the scanner and acquire the
image.
Scan the image on the
grey external frame.
The rectangular area to be
scanned must be included
inside the dark borders of
the print.
The acquisition must be done
to get a 2 to 4 Mb file. For this
purpose it is necessary to
modify the dpi value on the scanner
setting menu in order to get the
figures above reported.
Note: put the picture in
Horizontal
Once the program has completed
automatically the 8 steps to locate
the position of the dots, it generates
a window that shows the values
Current piezo input (values available
on Parameter – Piezo H) and
New Piezo Input (values generated
after scanning),accept the
Horizontal update . Don't accept
the vertical one.
The above scanning step has
to be repeated for the
vertical image, in this case don't
accept the horizontal update but
accept the vertical.
Repeat the procedure until the LCD pixels become invisible on
the pictures
11 – Uniformity compensation (Diffusion Test)
After having completed the
pre-masking procedure we
can do the next step, the
uniformity compensation.
This step allows to get a
perfect uniform Diffusion
Test print, both in color
and density, by removing
all the vertical lines. Use
again for this purpose the
Mask.exe available on
the desktop and the file
Diffusion Test
(Resolution Enhance enabled).
Print a Diffusion Test and acquire it using the program Mask.exe,select
mask, take care to leave a small white border on each sides of the image so
the scanner can read the complete projected area generated by the LCD.
The file, after the , should be
between of 70 to 90 Mb size. As it
was done for the
pre-masking procedure
Give a name to the mask
file before pressing Process
Rotate the imageuntil the red
arrow is located on
the top left corner , frame the
Mask step number
image exactly at the four limiting
corners (Top Left, Top Right,
Bottom Left, Bottom Right).
Before pressing the key Corners limiting the
rectangular image
Process to create the
compensation file, be sure
Optic name and Mask step
has been typed.
Usual name for uniformity compensation is lensname minilabname] e.g.
ZoomN2301.
After processing the image the SW automatically saves the file on the
Kitinterface folder.
NOTE: in case that the lens used to create the diffusion mask is a fix focus
lens type the values of margins available in Photo Channel in the box
MarginH, MarginV, ShiftH e ShiftV to get the perimetral white border for the
Diffusion Test,.
Mask name Margins
Number of Mask
List of the Noise Step
Masks saved and
number of steps
The name of the file
just created is visualized
in the box Noise List.
The file is located inside
the Kitinterface folder
Close the program Mask.exe
and load the compensation file
to the program Kitinterface.exe,
Technical Setup option, Value of
Mask 0. TheSelection
value ofofthe
the percentage
percentagefile
cangenerated
be between 200 of mask
to 400. noise_Name_0 application
.noise inside at 300
Kitinterface
folder
Noise Correct and
Resolution Enhance
must be ever enabled
from now on
Print again the Diffusion Test,
enabling from now on the
option Noise Correct so that the
file loaded on Technical Setup,
box Mask 0 is operative.
Repeat the procedure to create a diffusion mask step, leaving the same
name under the option Optic name, however type 1 on the Mask Step
option (corresponding to the second masking step). After pressing Process,
in the Noise List are listed both the file just made (step 1), the previous one
(step 0) and a new file named noise_[name]_comb.noise generated from the
combination of the two. Load it again on Technical Setup. From now on the
name of the file to load for the next steps is always
noise_[name]_comb.noise.
The procedure is to be iterated until the final print has good uniformity without
evident vertical lines.
NOTE: it is not necessary to select both noise_[name]_0.noise,
noise_[name]_1.noise and combine them together by the Combine
command. The SW provides by itself to combine all
noise_[name]_[number].noise and save it on noise_[name]_comb.noise
12 – Gamma values fine tuning
After having obtained a good uniformity on the last diffusion
test make some prints to check the white, black and contrast
results. A suitable reference file to be printed is Test.bmp, inside
the Kitinterface folder.
Open a new order and print it like a normal production file.
Adjust the black tones by the master density. The midle and the hight
tones by the gamma values(ML, M,MH,H).
Remind that the response is opposit; if the tones are too dark increase the
value to make it lighter.
12 – Color profile calibration
If it is in possessed a colorimeter is possible to create a color profile
dedicated to the customer paper and chemistry.
Disable the color profile in use into parameters- profile.
Disable color correction into technical menu.
Print the fuji test or GPE test.bmp found into kiinterface folder; adjust color,
contrast and gray scale.
Print the file supplied by the colorimeter software, run the colorimeter
software and follow the procedure. Load the file.icc obtained, into Parameter/
profile, output and enable the function.
If the final result is not perfect in all the color you can enable the color
correction on the tchnical section and fine adjust the primary colors.
Contrast values fine tuning
Low contrast gamma hight contrast gamma
To increase the contrast of the pictures decrease the value of ML and
increasing the value of MH .
Invert the procedure to obtain less contrast.
-ML +MH = more contrast
+ML -MH = less contrast
In case that MH and ML are modified too heavily it is necessary to adjust the
extreme points H and L to get a smooth curve with only three slopes.
Gamma curve with normal Gamma curve with
values bad values
White values adustments
To increase the density of
hight tones decrease
MH and H values to MH and H.
decrease to increase the
density of the light grey
bars
It is possibe to increase slightly
also the value of the minimum
point (usually set at 1000)
13 – Final check of the mask uniformity and elimination of the
presence of lines after Gamma values fine tuning
After having adjusted the gamma
values, and mainly if large
modifications have been made,
it is possible that some vertical
lines having uneven density may
appear again. It is sufficient to
process one or two additional
steps of the diffusion test procedure
to get rid of them (see par. 11).
Some vertical lines are visible after
having adjusted the gamma values.
They can be removed by
processing one or two additional
diffusion masks steps
