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DesignaKnit communicates with your knitting machine via a cable between your computer and the knitting machine. Soft Byte developed during the development of DesignaKnit also a set of cables to connect your computer to your knitting machine. These cables use a serial port of your computer.
The Silverlink 4 provides both serial and USB connectivity.
All other cables are only available in the serial variant. In order to attach a serial cable to a USB port, you currently need a qualified USB to serial converter.
We have developed a set of cables that interfaces directly to a USB port without the need of an additional USB to serial converter. The cables have the same functionality as the Brotherlink cables with the same number. The difference (apart from a complete new design) is that you no longer need a serial port on your PC. You now hook up your knitting machine to your PC via USB.
| DesignaKnit Versions |
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| DesignaKnit 6 (6.11 and above) | DesignaKnit 7 (7.14 and above) | DesignaKnit 8 | DesignaKnit 9 |
| 16/32 bit Operating Systems |
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| Windows 98 | Windows ME | Windows 2000 | Windows XP | Windows 2003 | Windows Vista | Windows 2008 | Windows 7 | Windows 8 & 8.1 | Windows 10 |
| 64 bit Operating Systems (*) |
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| Windows XP x64 | Windows 2003 x64 | Windows Vista x64 | Windows 2008 x64 | Windows 7 x64 | Windows 2008 R2 x64 | Windows 8 & 8.1 x64 | Windows 2012 x64 | Windows 10 x64 |
* DesignaKnit 6 and 7 don't run on 64 bit operating systems.
| PC Connectivity | Power |
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| Series A USB connector | Derived from USB |
| Diagnostics |
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| LED Green | PC sends data to the knitting machine |
| LED Red | Knitting machine or IK option sends data to the PC |
Available Cables
| Product | Description | Notes | Knitting machines |
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| BL1USB | Brotherlink 1 USB |
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| KH940, KH950i, PPD(KH900,CK35) |
| BL3USB | Brotherlink 3 USB | | | PPD (except BL1USB) |
| BL5USB | Brotherlink 5 USB |
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| KH970, KH965i, KH950i, KH940, KH930 |
| BL6USB | Brotherlink 6 USB | | | BL3USB+IK |
| BL7USB | Brotherlink 7 USB |
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| FB100 |
| Cartridge | USB stitch pattern cartridge |
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| KH900, KH965, HK970, KH270, CK35 |
| EL1USB | E6000Link 1 USB | *** |
| Passap/Pfaff E6000 |
| EL3USB | E6000Link 3 USB |
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| EL1USB+IK |
| EL13Sw | E6000Link 1/3 Switch |
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| EL1USB, EL3USB, EL1 serial |
| E8L1USB | E8000Link 1 USB |
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| Passap/Pfaff E8000 |
| E8L3USB | E8000Link 3 USB |
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| E8L1USB+IK |
| SLUSB | Screenlink USB | | | punch card & non-electronic machines |
*** Win_Crea users, click here for additional information.
Below you find a table that provides cable options per knitting machine.
Please consult the table to work out which USB cable is appropriate for your knitting machine.
Machines and USB cable options
| Brother | USB Cable | Upload | Download | Interactive Knitting | Serial Cable | KnitKing | Erka |
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| KH900 | Cartridge | CartUtil | CartUtil | Yes, IK option required | | CompuKnit ST | |
| | SLUSB | No | No | Yes | SL | | |
| KH910 | SLUSB | No | No | Yes | SL | CompuKnit II | Erka 80 |
| KH930 | BL5USB | Yes | Yes | Yes | BL5 | CompuKnit III | Erka 85 |
| | BL1USB | Yes | Yes | No | | | |
| KH930M | BL5USB | Yes? | Yes? | Yes | BL5 | | |
| | BL1USB | Yes? | Yes? | No | | | |
| KH940 | BL1USB | Yes | Yes | Yes | BL1 | CompuKnit IV | Erka 90 |
| | BL5USB** | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | |
| KH950 | SLUSB | No | No | Yes | SL | | |
| KH950i | BL1USB | Yes | Yes | Yes | BL1 | | |
| | BL5USB** | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | |
| KH965 | Cartridge | CartUtil | CartUtil | Yes, IK option required | BL4 | CompuKnit V | |
| | SLUSB | No | No | Yes | SL | | |
| KH965i | BL5USB | Yes | Yes | Yes | BL2 or BL5 | CompuKnit V cx | |
| | BL1USB | Yes | Yes | No | | | |
| | Cartridge | CartUtil | CartUtil | Yes, IK option required | BL4 | | |
| KH970 | BL5USB | Yes | Yes | Yes | BL5 | CompuKnit V Star | |
| | BL1USB | Yes | Yes | No | | | |
| | Cartridge | CartUtil | CartUtil | Yes, IK option required | | | |
| KH270 | Cartridge | CartUtil | CartUtil | Yes, IK option required | BL4 | | |
| CK35 | Cartridge | CartUtil | CartUtil | Yes, IK option required | | | |
| FB100 | BL7USB | FB100 Utility | FB100 Utility | No | | | |
| E6000 | EL1USB | No | Yes | No | EL1 | | |
| | EL3USB | No | Yes | Yes | EL1+SL | | |
| E8000 | E8L1USB | No | Yes | No | | | |
| | E8L3USB | No | Yes | Yes | E8000Link | | |
| Other | SLUSB | No | No | Yes | SL | | |
** enables you to knit model only
Users, who have a knitting machine and want to use the PPD too, have on top of the table above, also the options in the table below.
Please consult the table below to work out which USB cable is appropriate for your knitting machine + PPD.
Machines + PPD and USB Cable options
| Brother | USB Cable | Upload | Download | Interactive Knitting | Serial Cable | KnitKing | Erka |
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| KH900 | BL5USB | Yes | Yes | Yes | BL1+SL | CompuKnit ST | |
| | BL1USB | Yes | Yes | No | BL1 | | |
| KH910 | NA | | | | | CompuKnit II | Erka 80 |
| KH930 | BL3USB | Yes | Yes | No | BL3 | CompuKnit III | Erka 85 |
| | BL6USB | Yes | Yes | Yes | BL3+SL | | |
| KH930M | BL3USB | Yes | Yes | No | BL3 | | |
| | BL6USB | Yes | Yes | Yes | | | |
| KH940 | BL3USB | Yes | Yes | No | BL3 | CompuKnit IV | Erka 90 |
| | BL6USB | Yes | Yes | Yes | BL3+BL1 | | |
| KH950 | NA | | | | | | |
| KH950i | BL3USB | Yes | Yes | No | BL3 | | |
| | BL6USB | Yes | Yes | Yes | BL3+BL1 | | |
| KH965 | BL3USB | Yes | Yes | No | BL3 | CompuKnit V | |
| | BL6USB | Yes | Yes | Yes | BL3+SL | | |
| KH965i | BL3USB | Yes | Yes | No | BL3 | CompuKnit V cx | |
| | BL6USB | Yes | Yes | Yes | BL3+SL | | |
| KH970 (*) | BL3USB | Yes | Yes | No | BL3 | CompuKnit V Star | |
| | BL6USB | Yes | Yes | Yes | BL3+SL | | |
| KH270 | BL3USB | Yes | Yes | No | BL3 | | |
| | BL6USB | Yes | Yes | Yes | BL3+SL | | |
| CK35 | BL5USB | Yes | Yes | Yes | BL1+SL | | |
| | BL1USB | Yes | Yes | No | BL1 | | |
* In KH940 mode
Terminology:
Upload: transfer patterns from the knitting machine to your PC
Download: transfer patterns from your PC to the knitting machine
IK: DesignaKnit Interactive Knitting
CartUtil: driver program for Cartridge
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