# Melco EMC6 problem.



## mgb (Mar 4, 2016)

Hello everyone.

We bought a Melco EMC6/4 embroidery machine some time ago and got it pretty nicely set up and running. Now recently the computer used with the machine didn't recognize the Melco machine at all. 

We even built a whole new PC to try and get it working, but that was no better. Our Starlan card is ISA-model and the PC is running Win98 and Design Shop 5.07.

I am really getting desperate here, because nothing seems to work. I have read all the instrucitons provided by Melco to install the ISA card with no success.

Could the cable used to connect the PC and EMC be faulty? The cable we are using seems to be some kind of a DIY version. Although it was working perfectly fine earlier.

Any help whatsoever would be hugely aprreciated!

You can also contact me through email if you are willing to help with this.

[email protected]


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## Bigmacatac (Oct 18, 2011)

There are a multitude of things that could have gone wrong with this:
1) your isa card could have gone bad
2) Your cable has gone bad
3) worst possible the information/controller card in the emc6 has gone bad.

do you have a boot disk, floppy drive setup you could test with?

it would eliminate the information/controller card in the emc6 issue as far as what might have gone bad.

cable is fairly inexpensive at melco 

CABLE, DATA, 5 COND W/DRAIN, 25 foot

isa card is almost impossible to find and Melco no longer sells them. I have an extra i can sell for $300 if your interested.


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## luke711 (Mar 8, 2016)

I have found the cable can be the culprit a lot of times. I think the last one I picked up from Melco was $20-25.


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## mgb (Mar 4, 2016)

Bigmacatac said:


> There are a multitude of things that could have gone wrong with this:
> 1) your isa card could have gone bad
> 2) Your cable has gone bad
> 3) worst possible the information/controller card in the emc6 has gone bad.
> ...


Hi and thanks for the reply.

I do not have a boot disk or floppy drive to setup with. Our machine only supports loading designs through the cable from computer afaik.

I think I'll get a new cable next and see if it works.


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## mgb (Mar 4, 2016)

luke711 said:


> I have found the cable can be the culprit a lot of times. I think the last one I picked up from Melco was $20-25.


Ok. Our cable seems to be some kind of an DIY in the sense that it has been soldered from some points. It was working before though so I guess I could try and resolder all the connections to see if it works.

The problem with ordering cable from Melco is that we are situated in Finland, and Melco doesn't ship their orders outside the US I think.


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## luke711 (Mar 8, 2016)

I've sold most of my old Melco parts on Ebay but I'll take a look and see if I have any cables left. If your cable is that beat up I would be looking for a good one.


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## Bigmacatac (Oct 18, 2011)

i just emailed you about the data cable your looking for


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## mgb (Mar 4, 2016)

Hey everyone. 

We did tear down the cable and resolder all the connections. It didn't seem to help really. What I am suspecting is that our problem right now would be with the computer regarding the Starlan card. Does anybody know if the card requires some kind of drivers to work? I have tried installing it following the Melco instructions from here:

[media]https://melco.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/article_attachments/202896145/StarLan_PCB_install_guide.pdf[/media]

But in one part there it says I am supposed to open Melco apps>config. Now our computer doesn't have such program/option there. Anyone know anything about this?

Edit: We are also open for offers for a Starlan PCI card in case we can't get the ISA-connection working.


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## icaras (Apr 1, 2009)

mgb said:


> Hey everyone.
> 
> We did tear down the cable and resolder all the connections. It didn't seem to help really. What I am suspecting is that our problem right now would be with the computer regarding the Starlan card. Does anybody know if the card requires some kind of drivers to work? I have tried installing it following the Melco instructions from here:
> 
> ...


You might want to rethink the usb floppy conversion. If your machine was working fine this would have it running quickly. I am in the same boat with machine but mine is having mechanical issues. Search usb emulation on this site.


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## Bigmacatac (Oct 18, 2011)

The ISA card is an automatic connect with the Melco software. find the config file inside EDS files if you do not have the shortcut on the desktop. open it and set for ISA.


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## mgb (Mar 4, 2016)

Our machine is a black head(?) model so AFAIK it can't be converted to read USB. I tried looking for the config file, but can't find it anywhere. Any ideas where exactly should I be looking?

I have currently installed EDS V5.07 on the computer. We also have the disc for Design Shop 7, but it isn't compatible with Win98.


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## Bigmacatac (Oct 18, 2011)

first a black head Melco is a Melco machine with a Tajima head. somewhere inside the melco file installed/stored on the computer should be a config.exe file if you can locate it double click on it. it should open and allow you to set a connection to your machine. also the cable you need is available on ebay, here is the link

Melco EMC Embroidery Machine Network Cable | eBay


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