Easel Driver Announcement

Summary:

  • Inventables will be removing support for Driver Version 0.3.21 on July 25, 2023.
  • Users with computers running Windows 7 or 8, and macOS 10.12 or below should update their operating system to a supported version.
  • Users can download and install the latest Easel Drivers here: Easel - Downloads
  • For additional information, please review the post below and this support article: Download and Install New Easel Drivers

Hi all,

We’d like to share a brief announcement regarding the update to the latest Easel Driver version (0.4.0). We apologize for any inconvenience caused by uncertainty relating to this Easel Driver update and the timing of the release. Reflecting on the release, we acknowledge that clearer communication about these kinds of updates is essential. We’re making improvements to our processes to set better expectations for future updates to Easel systems, drivers, and machine firmware.

Users can stay informed of the latest Easel news by joining the Inventables forum and keeping up-to-date with our monthly newsletter. All users can expect regular and timely updates ahead of major Easel updates through these channels. If any users have questions or concerns related to updates shared in the forum or newsletter, we encourage them to reach out to our Customer Success team during our regular business hours (E-mail: help@inventables.com, Phone: 312-775-7009).

In regard to the latest driver update, we want to inform all users that Inventables will be removing support for the previous version of the driver (version 0.3.21) on July 25, 2023. We encourage all users to always update their driver to the latest version available (0.4.0).

We know there may be some concern and confusion about updating your Easel Driver. We have outlined an FAQ below for users who may have questions or concerns.


Why does Inventables need to update the Easel Driver?

There are a number of reasons we may need to release a driver update, as the driver controls communication between Easel, your computer, and your machine. Some routine reasons to update the driver are security certificate renewals and framework updates. Necessary upgrades to maintain the driver framework are often limited to compatibility with current supported operating systems. To ensure that we can provide software that works on devices running Mac and Windows, we must stay in compliance with their regularly updating Terms of Service and supported OS versions. For example, Windows 7 and Windows 8 operating systems reached their end-of-life support by Microsoft in 2020 and early 2023, respectively.

For the above reasons, as well as other security reasons, we cannot continue supporting the old version of the driver beyond the stated date.


Who does this affect?

  • Users with computers running Windows 7 or 8, and macOS 10.12 or below should update their operating system to a supported version.
  • Users who use Easel or Easel Pro to connect their CNC to their computer and to send carves to their CNC will need to have their driver updated by 07/25/2023.
  • Easel users who export gcode to other machine control software do not need to install any drivers, Easel functionality will remain the same.

Is my computer compatible with the latest version of the driver?

You can review the system requirements for Easel here: What are Easel’s System Requirements?


Will I see any new changes to Easel after installing the latest driver version?

Nope! Easel will look the exact same. This driver update does not involve any changes to the functionality or interface in Easel. Users whose computers do not meet our outlined System Requirements may not be able to connect to Easel after updating to the latest driver.


Where do I go if I need help?

If you are having trouble installing the driver update, or if you are having trouble connecting to your machine after installing the update, please review this support article: Download and Install New Easel Drivers

If you need additional support, please reach out to our Customer Success team via help@inventables.com or call 312-775-7009 during our regular business hours:

Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm CT and Sunday 12pm to 4pm CT


We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We appreciate your understanding and if you need it, we are here to help.

Thank you!

2 Likes

Natalie and Inventables Team,

Thank you for making this Announcement.
Although it is unavoidable given the circumstances that Inventables will most certainly face some degree of backlash from existing customers using an already aging operating system, I think it’s safe to say that you have done a very good job this time around with the information relayed within this Announcement.

You’ve done a thorough job of explaining the situation, the impact and a path forward and provided 3 months of notice for impacted users to update their OS or source an alternative solution.

For your clarity within this Announcement, Thank you!

4 Likes

so I loaded the new driver and now Easel can’t find my CNC. I am using windows 11 and a FoxAlieb 4040. Been using com 4 for a year. I tried 2,3,4,5,6 with no results. I was in the middle of a carve changing from rough to finish when the noticed poped up on my screen so I shut down and loaded. Help

After the third reboot I got it to work!

1 Like

Hello,
Driver version 0.3.21 has been deprecated and is no longer supported. Please visit Easel Downloads page and update to the latest version to continue carving. The latest version as of writing this post is 0.4.0.

Thank you,
Kacper@Inventables