Chuck Keysor
12-18-2013, 12:44 PM
Hello Shopbot Friends:
My PRT alpha has been sitting since this summer, at which time it was working fine. But in the last week since I have started to use my machine again, I have hit a couple of odd new problems I have never seen before.
1) A week ago, upon doing a spindle warm-up, I could not stop the spindle using the limited commands that I normally need to use. So rather inelegantly, I had to use the "Panic" button. Then I got the message that said "Position not responding". I had to turn off my PC and restart it before everything was OK. Strange, but it seemed like a fluke, and I just went on.
2) Now today, I ran a 90 minute long "V-carving" file, no problem. Then I repeated the file to make a second copy. Fifteen minutes into the file, the machine stopped running, and I found this error message on my computer screen: "You are having difficulty communicating with Control Box. Missing Comm Return." I tried to close down SB3 and then got an error message saying: "Connection Lost to Shopbot on Port 11!" I had to fiddle around simply trying to shut down my PC when I could not close out SB3. After a few minutes of trying, I got my PC shut down, and restarted. Upon restarting, SB3 came back, and the machine was responding fine to basic commands.
A few notes/clues:
a) I don't have dust collection, and it is humid in my basement, so I don't have static issues.
b) Last summer, I did have random problems, where in the middle of a cut file, I would get a message saying that I had exceeded the limits of my table, when I hadn't! I hit the ignore option, and the file would run OK to completion. After that happened 3 or so times, at random times and locations, I posted a call for help, and it was suggested that I install a direct wired ground from my spindle, back through my e-chains to the ground point at the base of my SB's frame. I did that, and had no further problems in the remaining month or so I was running my machine.
Any help is appreciated. Santa's workshop is now behind! Thanks, Chuck
My PRT alpha has been sitting since this summer, at which time it was working fine. But in the last week since I have started to use my machine again, I have hit a couple of odd new problems I have never seen before.
1) A week ago, upon doing a spindle warm-up, I could not stop the spindle using the limited commands that I normally need to use. So rather inelegantly, I had to use the "Panic" button. Then I got the message that said "Position not responding". I had to turn off my PC and restart it before everything was OK. Strange, but it seemed like a fluke, and I just went on.
2) Now today, I ran a 90 minute long "V-carving" file, no problem. Then I repeated the file to make a second copy. Fifteen minutes into the file, the machine stopped running, and I found this error message on my computer screen: "You are having difficulty communicating with Control Box. Missing Comm Return." I tried to close down SB3 and then got an error message saying: "Connection Lost to Shopbot on Port 11!" I had to fiddle around simply trying to shut down my PC when I could not close out SB3. After a few minutes of trying, I got my PC shut down, and restarted. Upon restarting, SB3 came back, and the machine was responding fine to basic commands.
A few notes/clues:
a) I don't have dust collection, and it is humid in my basement, so I don't have static issues.
b) Last summer, I did have random problems, where in the middle of a cut file, I would get a message saying that I had exceeded the limits of my table, when I hadn't! I hit the ignore option, and the file would run OK to completion. After that happened 3 or so times, at random times and locations, I posted a call for help, and it was suggested that I install a direct wired ground from my spindle, back through my e-chains to the ground point at the base of my SB's frame. I did that, and had no further problems in the remaining month or so I was running my machine.
Any help is appreciated. Santa's workshop is now behind! Thanks, Chuck