Sawstop dado cartridge connector

[Andre Masse]

Hi all,

Do anyone know if Sawstop changed the cartridge's connector? Just got my saw this week and the connector has 2 rows of pins while the dado cartridge I bought has 3 ... Took a while to figured out why the cartridge wouldn't slide all the way in. Today is Sunday and obviously my dealer is closed...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3101/2580016831_8dfa463a10.jpg

[Walt Caza]

Hi Andre,
I have checked my SS cab saw and cartridges for your benefit...
all have 3 rows of pins. (just like your photo)
Hope that helps,
Walt
:)

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

I understand that Sawstop has improved the cartridge. To differenciate the old one and the new one, the box should be marked for the original or new one. Your dealer should have both versions in stock. It appears that they gave you the wrong one.

Bruce

[Andre Masse]

Thanks Walt for checking yours, and Bruce for the info. I'm pretty sure my dealer wasn't aware of that.

[Ted Baca]

Bruce so if I understand you correctly: The cartridge for the new saws rolling off the line now, won't fit my older saw?

[Brian Penning]

Jeez! I thought I was the only guy in Mtl that had a SawStop! :)

Oh! Both my cartridges(regular & dado) have 3 rows.

[Andre Masse]

Jeez! I thought I was the only guy in Mtl that had a SawStop! :)

Sorry Brian, now we are two ;)

Here's a picture of the connector on the saw:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3035/2584036038_c925231310.jpg

Wonder why they have change it. Now they have to maintain 4 series of cartridges...

[Walt Caza]

Yes Andre,
If SawStop switched from the original 15 pin connector, to a 9 pin...
'why' is precisely the question?!?
Are you speaking about the SS cabinet saw? or contractor?

Perhaps several pins were unused originally, or have become unused since?
Maybe the 9pin are cheaper? It is common for all consumer electronics
to evolve to simpler and cheaper forms. (like playstation)
Multiple chips become just one smaller, cheaper chip.
Cheaper suppliers emerge. Quality can slip out the back door.

There must be some benefit to SS, to have to stock 2 versions of both
the blade and dado cartridges...
why indeed?

be well,
Walt

ps another added detail to cartridge purchasers trying to get the correct parts
:)

[Dave Bureau]

from what I've heard, the US saws have the 15 pin and the export saws have 9. But i cannot confirm this.
Dave

[Andre Masse]

Are you speaking about the SS cabinet saw? or contractor?

Cabinet saw. My dealer received a brand new shipment 2 weeks ago.



from what I've heard, the US saws have the 15 pin and the export saws have 9. But i cannot confirm this.

I went to my dealer today there's indeed a new part code for the new cartridges. Should get mine this Friday.

[Dennis Lopeman]

Weird - that 3 row connector looks like a computer MOnitor hookup and the 2 row on looks like a 9 pin Serial hook up... (I'm a computer guy by trade)

[Steve Gass]

I think I can help here. We changed to the 9 pin configuration when we moved the high voltage charge circuit that charged the big capacitor that burns the fuse wire from the switch box to the cartridge. That eliminated two lines and we also changed to use a 5V supply in the switch box instead of a 6V like we used to use. We did this all as part of an performance upgrade on the cartridges were we switched processors from a 40 MIPS (million instructions per second) part to a 100 MIPS. With the prior version we were already using almost all of the available processing power to run the detection algorithms.

The new part gives us a bunch more processing power to be able to further enhance the detection algorithms. This is most likely to make a difference in the saws ability to not activate when it comes into contact with metal. That functionality isn't fully developed, but it's in the works and should be nice for the occassional times you nip your miter gauge.

We originally didn't think we could make a backwards compatible version, but we were able to figure that out and now we have the same cartridge available with a 15 pin connector, so when we finish implementing any improved algorithms, you will be able to get that for both the new and old saws.

Steve Gass, President
SawStop LLC

[Andre Masse]

Thanks a lot M. Gass. Your explanation, while way over my head, was very informative.