# Networking Embroidery Machines



## screenprinter1 (Jan 5, 2008)

So I'm fed up with using floppy disks/anything that I have to physically carry from one computer to another.... such a waste of time!! We run both Tajima and Barudan machines, and all of them seem to have a serial port. I found this:

CxD WiFi (wireless)...

on the internet, that seems like it would work, but I could buy a used computer that could network wirelessly for every emb machine in the shop for the cost of putting one of these things on my machine. Anyone have any experience eliminating the old school method of transferring files to the machine without breaking the bank?


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## screenprinter1 (Jan 5, 2008)

Also, I've only ever dumped DST files into my machines and then manually assigned the color way. On either Tajima or Barudan, is there a way to dump a preprogrammed file into the machine (floppy disk, usb, etc) that has the color way already programmed. Then I just have to make sure my thread colors are on the right needle? 

Just trying to make things more efficient in the old embroidery department


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## Riph (Jan 11, 2011)

My understanding of DST files is that they don't contain the color info, so you have to handle that on your own, as you are.

Hence the problem isn't really with a particular brand of machine, it's the file format the machine uses. If you must use DST files, then you are stuck.

Other manufacturers have created their own file types that do contain color info, such as the .pes file (Brother/Babylock) and (I think) Melco also as a proprietary file type that contains thread color assignments. There may be others, I don't know.

On the networking issue, I don't know the answer, but I'm very interested as I am looking at used Tajimas (4-9 years old) and they seem to have only floppy drives. I don't own a computer anymore that has a floppy drive, so I hate to take that backward step. I will be interested if any one else has a solution.


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## Riph (Jan 11, 2011)

Screenprinter1, 

I read on another forum that Tajima has a file format called ".tbf" that will store the color assignments. I assume it is fairly new.

I don't know much else besides that, but you might want to look into it with your Tajima dealer.


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## Liberty (Jul 18, 2006)

Having the colorway in the DST and moving threads would seem to be a lot more work than just setting the color assignments in the machine? 

On our tajimas we setup a directory structure and keep a lot of our commonly run designs in the machines. It remembers the last colorway and needle assignments which is fine as long as we haven;t moved threads. we keep the common colors, black, white, red, silver etc, on the same needles all the time though so that problem is minimized.

We have the front end and the back end pretty well separated so up front we will setup all of the designs, copy the DST files to a thumb drive, print out the design worksheet and send everything to the back. The thumb drive will contain most everything we are running on a given day or more. The worksheet gives color instructions to the machine operator. Any new designs are samples first and the sample becomes a part of the customer file along with the design worksheet. On the worksheet we make notations as to location, hoop, backing, topping etc as well as specific color numbers used.

I think the key is to get a sytem and stick to it.

The floppies were a pain, very slow reading etc. When we said goodbye to our last Melco we had a floppy toss party, sailed those suckers across the room into the trash can...


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