Community / Digitizing /
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by moblet 26 Nov 2017 ( edited Nov 29'17 13:30 )
+26

Seeking help/advice to upgrade a Bernina Deco 330 to v1.2.

Greetings from Australia. I know nothing about embroidery but a little about computers & have been handed my local community association's Deco 330 to try to upgrade to v1.2 to enable the use of modern flash media.
I have an artista 200 card that the Deco has been unable to format or use since I formatted it using a PC. Even when formatted as FAT16 the Deco can't read it. Bernina Australia has kindly sent me a card to try - the Deco can use it but none of my computers can recognise it.
Wondering if anyone has any knowledge or equipment that can help. I have the following equipment on hand:
- Windows 10 64-bit PC
- Windows 7 64-bit laptop
- Windows XP 64-bit laptop with PCMCIA slot
- Windows XP 32-bit laptop with PCMCIA slot
- Linux Mint 32-bit laptop with PCMCIA slot
- Kingston FCR-HS2/ATA card reader
- Bernina artista 200 PCMCIA Personal Design Card (readable by PC but not the Deco)
- Bernina artista PCMCIA Personal Design Card (readable by the Deco but not any of the above PC's)

Comments (10)
234507
by pennifold 26 Nov 2017
+5
Welcome moblet, I'm afraid I can't help you. I have a Husqvarna Designer 1 and a Brother Quattro 2 Innovis 6700D (Disney) machine.
I'm sure someone will come along soon who has this machine and can help you out. Someone is on here 24/7 from all over the world.
If not have you tried YouTube or Googling what to do with your problem?
Good luck from another Aussie, Chris, Newcastle, Australia.

Try this url and check out the Bernina blogs etc.
https://www.bernina.com/en-AU/Support-AU/Machines/bernette/bernette-deco/deco-330-Update-auf-V1-2
1 comment
by moblet 30 Nov 2017
Thanks for the link @pennifold. That's where I found and downloaded the upgrade files. Unfortunately Bernina no longer provides support for our machine beyond that.
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by mops 26 Nov 2017
+6
What I miss in your list is Bernina embroidery software and I think that's what you need to format the card.

Like pennifold I have embroidery machines by Brother, Husqvarna and also by Melco.
The Brother and one of the Husqvarnas can only read the outdated embroidery cards, each their own kind, and need a special reader/writer. Both machines can not be updated to more modern things like diskettes or flash drives.

The other more recent machines (Husqvarna and Melco) come with a flash drive preformatted and partly filled with bonus designs.
In Explorer you'll be able to add designs to the Emb file, but the usual way to do it is in embroidery software. And Bernina machines need Bernina software. There is a free version available from the Bernina website. your designs need to have been downloaded in the right art format, as the free version does not convert TO Art (it does from ART).

I hope one of the Bernina users can help you out!
24331
by sandralane 26 Nov 2017
+5
Hi from another Aussie in Albury. Welcome to the cute site where there are very knowledgeable people who will be along to help you out with all the info you need I am sure. Just keep on asking questions, the only way to learn this wonderful craft Sandra,
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by babsie 26 Nov 2017
+4
Welcome to Cute Embroidery. I have a Deco 340 and use Artista 4 software. You can download Bernina Artlink 7 for free with which you can download embroidery files to a memory stick which you put into your embroidery machine. I do not know your model so do not know if it can take a memory stick. Do not put too many files on it as it will slow the embroidery machine down.Artlink will work on Microsoft software and the Artista 4 only use XP. I hope you get it to work and please ask if there is anything else. I am from South Africa so it's a bit too far to hop over and come and help. Hugs
3 comments
by moblet 27 Nov 2017
Thanks @babsie. Do you know if the Artlsta 4 software has a formatting function that might allow me to format a PCMCIA card to the 330's tastes?
by babsie 27 Nov 2017
Hi, it can open various formats and then you can save it to ART but I do not know if it can format a PCMCIA card. Sorry wish I could help. Hopefully someone will be able to help. Hugs.
by elizabethak 13 May 2018
Hi Babie, I'm from Port Elizabeth in SA. I bought Bernina V6(R7000???) some years ago. It now cannot be upgraded and is only Windows & Compatible. Was looking at upgrade by buying the V8 but cst is prohibitive. I know very little about digitizing but as am so glad to have come across your message regarding free Artlink 7. I've just downloaded it and have managed to "write" it to a USB stick and thereby will be able to embroider it. Thanks so much for informing me. Here was I thinking I had to find the R13000 odd to enable me to buy new designs.
ElizabethAK
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by marianb 26 Nov 2017
+3
Welcome to Cute, I can't help with your problem, hope the ladies have given you some helpful hints. Marian Sydney/Australia.
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by dragonflyer 26 Nov 2017
+1
Wish I could help, but I do not have Bernina...hopefully, someone else will come along with some more answers....can a local Bernina dealer help you possibly? Anyway, big welcome to Cute...let us know how you do...
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by moblet 27 Nov 2017
+2
Thanks everyone for your warm welcome and support. In response to some of your questions and suggestions:
- The Deco 330's connectivity is by PCMCIA card only. The technology pre-dates Windows XP. The v1.2 upgrade allows the Deco to read modern computer formats and the use of compact flash cards via a PCMCIA adapter. Here is someone else's photo of the card and reader we have - https://img.bidorbuy.co.za/image/upload/user_images/518/410518_110914122626_mini-usb_reader_007.JPG
- Neither Bernina dealer here in Tasmania is able to help. Calling every Bernina dealer in the country is next on my list of things to try.
- I have Artlink 7 installed on the Windows 10 PC (it was the first thing Bernina Australia suggested). It can save designs to removable media but has no formatting function. It also cannot save non-design files such as the v1.2 upgrade files to removable media; that has to be done using Windows Explorer or the DOS window.
- Yes, I've been scouring the internet, but with little success. Hence my asking here.
1 comment
by elizabethak 13 May 2018
I have art V6 only comptible to Windows 7 but have ben told if you put your designs you usb stick should never be biiger than 1 gb. I download designswrite to my machine on the stick which i plug into the machine and embroider from there. I have the Bernina B580. Preiously I had the Aurora 440 and that machine didnt require a usb but worked laptop to machine.
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by asterixsew 27 Nov 2017
+3
Hi and welcome. Thanks for replying. I have a very vague memory of using one of these machines about 15 years ago and it was a basic machine and machine embroidery has rapidly moved on. I have Brother machines and know my Galaxie 3000 doesn’t have a usb just floppy disks and the memory card for the soft wear I use. I’m on my phone which isn’t easy and it’s midnight in the uk but see one Cutie who I think had the machine you mention hasn’t replied so I will contact her tomorrow and try someone else too
2 comments
by asterixsew 27 Nov 2017
Using cards flash drives etc - put very few designs on or it won’t work
by moblet 28 Nov 2017
Thanks @asterixsew. One of the dealers I spoke to stressed the need to use small-capacity storage media because of the machine's practice of making you wait while it reads the entire contents.
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by awesome1 28 Nov 2017
+2
TTT. Taking to top.
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by airyfairy 29 Nov 2017
+1
I am afraid my only offering is to say that I have a Bernina Deco 340. My machine can read cards (which I do not have or use) and a flash drive. I use Artista to down load designs from the internet on to flash drives. I have Windows 10. If I can be of any assistance please let me know.
Sarah (South Africa)
1 comment
by elizabethak 13 May 2018
i Airyfairy, I'm down the road from you in Port Elizabeth. I have the V6 Lite but ut is not compatable with Windows 10 so have it on an old windows 7 laptop. My query is whether I should splurge and pay the 1300odd to upgrade to V8 or how do i continue using my designs (purchased) if Windows 7 stops working (Microsoft is no longer supporting windows 7) and if i need to create new designs (usually just large names, all other digitising i get someone to do for me)
Elizabeth