# Tajima Upgrade to USB or Serial or stick with Floppy?



## billnewhook (Mar 8, 2020)

I recently acquired (2) Tajima machines that are right around 2000-2002. Both are still using floppy disks, which is not a big deal as I have 100's of them, but wondering if there is a real advantage to upgrading to a USB drive or even sending directly from PC software. Would love to hear thoughts or suggestions.


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## ElitePromo (Aug 21, 2018)

Only real difference will be in speed of uploading the design, both from the computer to the drive and from the drive to the machine. Can load couple hundred thousand stitch design in under 10 seconds. If you are not worried about speed and the floppy drive is working fine for you, then it's money that can go elsewhere in the business.


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## billnewhook (Mar 8, 2020)

I think you are right, the floppy option might be best to stick with, save some bucks. Both drives seem to be working fine. Is it a big job to connect these machines directly to a computer? I assume a serial connection is used?


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## ElitePromo (Aug 21, 2018)

Yes, not sure about for the Tajima's but for the Barudan's it's a null serial cable? Not too sure what that means, but do remember the length of the cable cannot exceed 25 feet or data gets lost in the transmission and you can end up with a mess.


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## Muldo (Oct 18, 2017)

Direct to computer through serial is all well and fine...so long as you have software to push the design to the machine.

Based on the age of your machines I'd guess they're either TMEX or TEHX machines.

If so, just get these USB units:

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07K88L86N/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They're fifty bucks from Amazon. Takes 10 minutes to install. MUST be that specific model though, Gotek makes a bunch of them, but it must be that specific one for the Tajimas. Don't waste $300 on the ones the dealers sell.

Make sure you keep your floppy drive though, as if you ever need to reinstall the machine firmware, you need an OG floppy to do it. Some USB upgrades claim to work with the firmware, but I've tried some and the only thing that works is the original floppy drive. For day-to-day use though, upgrade to USB.


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## billnewhook (Mar 8, 2020)

Thanks Muldo, I'll see about ordering a couple of those. Totally agree $300 is crazy for one. Just curious, what makes these work for Tajima and not another? What size USB drive would I use? My 4Head Baurdan has a gotek and it likes a 1gb Drive I have.


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## Muldo (Oct 18, 2017)

Hey Bill;

It's all about what floppy size, format, interface, etc. I've attached a reference file I found.

I've used any old flash drive I had laying around. Capacities vary from 256k to 16gb. I recently purchased a pack of 1gb drives from Amazon for like...20 bucks or something. They seem to work fine...I've not had any problems with any other drive though.

The only thing I've noticed about the floppy emulators though is that if you put new designs on the USB you have to turn the Tajima off and then back on to 'flush' the emulator's buffer. This is true with my $300+ Richpeace one, as well as my $50 gotek.


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## billnewhook (Mar 8, 2020)

Thanks for the info, I think I'm sticking with the floppies right now til we get up and running after this virus, things slowed down quick.


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## LancerFlorida (Mar 20, 2018)

you are going to miss the sound of the floppy reader churning. But, if you have 100's of them, and still using them on other equipment, then understand, YOU are the expert in keeping floppies alive and well. Stay the course.
However, few things say OBSOLETE like a floppy, cassette deck or harvest gold and avacodo.


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