Summa devices with Mac (ARM) and Windows Virtual Machines

This article is specific related to setup Summa USB devices on a MacBook equipped with an ARM-based Apple Silicon processor, running Windows 11 through a virtual environment such as Parallels Desktop and using the USB port on the Summa.

USB communication between Summa devices and Windows 11 running on ARM architecture is currently not supported. 

The issue lies in the driver installer, which checks for system architecture and only recognizes Intel or AMD processors. Although Windows 11 on ARM is capable of running the software, the driver installation fails due to this limitation.

We understand that ARM-based Macs are becoming more common, however, at this time, there are no plans to release a compatible driver for this configuration.

Possible workaround: 

• If your Summa device supports Ethernet connectivity (e.g., most legacy SummaCut-R or S Class 2 series and all latest models S Class 3 and S One), it may be possible to control the cutter over the network from within the virtual machine. Please note that this does not apply to OPOS CAM models, which require direct USB communication. Also, if your device is a first-generation S Class model, it does not have an Ethernet port, so this workaround would not be applicable. Some distributors have suggested using a serial port connection, which might be an option, but this would need to be tested in your specific setup.
• Another alternative is to use cutting software that runs natively on macOS. While options are limited, MacSign is one such solution.
  MacSign 11 is available for macOS Catalina (version 10.15) or later, and supports both ARM-based Apple Silicon processors and multicore Intel processors with 64-bit support. You can find more information on the Softeam website: https://www.softeamweb.com/en/macsign