Desktop Stops in the Middle of a Cut

[Steve Wonser]

My machine periodically stops cutting with an error. It happens both with and without the spindle running. I've had it stop in the middle of cutting acrylic with a diamond drag bit (spindle off, dust collector disconnected) and also while cutting MDF with the spindle and dust collector on.

The most recent error was:

"PAUSED in Movement or File Action
- Unexpected Return Fault! -
Current line 5633.

I did a UD command and the Packet ET was 21.3 ms. If I do an MX4 command and then UD the Packet ET is 14.5 ms. I'm running v3.8.26 of the SB3 software and the Control Box Firmware is 218.

My computer is running Windows 7 Home 64-bit SP1. I have most all non-essential processes disabled as suggested by the bare bones setting listed at the Black Viper website. The computer isn't even connect to a network.

I sent this info to the ShopBot Support email as well.

Thanks for any help that you can give me!

Steve

[scottp55]

Steve, Packet ET after the MX move was good(only use single axis 4" Moves so that apples remain apples for you).
Did you have a USB data stick in? Sometimes that can do it people say.
Does spindle retract and shut off?
Blow out keyboard and all USB connections and if you can try swapping out mouse/keyboard(caused similar for me just before they died) if using a USB hub--try without.
Aaron's having issues and Jeff gave good advice--dig deep for software settings.
Any file? or specific files?
Is the time into the file when it stops similar? If so, it's probably a setting.
Let us know what it was, when you find solution.
Good luck,
scott

[adrianm]

Personally I've never bothered with all the Black Viper stuff. I've always had more problems afterwards than just with a bog-standard install with the obvious things like the screen saver and auto-updates turned off.

One thing that will flip my machine out every time with an error like that is to take the ShopBot supplied hub off.

They insist that it's not needed for the latest 3.8 versions but for me I can't run for more than a few minutes without it whereas with it I can run without problems for as long as I like.

[scottp55]

Just saying about the hub Adrian, as I had one go bad in the spring and been using without since. Swapping/removing sometimes helps to isolate the problem.
Steve's Desktop is pretty new also.
Good luck Steve,
scott

[scottp55]

May give you some more info Steve.
http://drshopbot.com/index.php?title=MaintainingConnection

[Steve Wonser]

I transfer the part files from another computer on a USB stick. I have been copying the files to the local hard drive rather than running off of the USB stick because I thought that it may be causing a problem. However, I do leave the USB stick in the computer. I'll try removing it from now on.

I have my computer located underneath the ShopBot so I'm running without a USB hub.

The last time it failed was using a part file that I had used a few times before without a problem. After I reset everything, (stopped the SB3 software, shutdown the ShopBot, restarted and re-zeroed X, Y & Z) then the part file ran without a problem. I actually ran it twice after that without any problems.

I don't think that I started any other machinery at that time of failure, but I'm not sure. It seems like just when I start to get confidence that everything is running okay and am not paying close attention is when it fails.

ShopBot support recommends reloading the firmware so I'll try that.

Thanks again,
Steve

[scottp55]

May very well have been USB stick. Hope that was it:)
Someone(Brady?) said USBsometimes have energy setting of their own now(I think I got that right?)
Just a bump in the road!
Keep working:)
scott

[Steve Wonser]

I finally got back to working with the ShopBot Desktop again. I moved my computer from under the ShopBot to another location so that the USB and power cables that I had neatly rolled up and zip tied are now uncoiled, incase that was causing any electrical issues. I also remove the USB stick before cutting.

I reloaded the firmware as ShopBot support suggested. Then I started cutting a pocket and four identical profiles in a 9 x 9 piece of 3/4" baltic birch plywood using a 1/8" endmill. The pocket and two of the profiles cut without a problem. The third one was cutting fine then the ShopBot stopped moving for a second or so and then continued the cut at a really slow speed, maybe half of what it was doing. I think that was about 8 or 9 minutes in to cutting. When it was just about through with cutting that profile, maybe 2 minutes later, it stopped and with the -- Unexpected Return Fault ! -- error at line 8629.

I exited the SB3 program, power cycled the ShopBot, restarted SB3, re-zeroed the X, Y & Z and then was able to restart the cut where it left off. It finished without a problem.

Any ideas as to what may be causing this?

[scottp55]

Steve, By power cycled, does that mean you threw the breaker at the panel, left off for a few minutes, and re-engaged?
Forget if you're running 3.8.26 and then firmwared.
Been searching "The Slows" that were a big issue in 3.8.X but seem to have disappeared for a while.
Not that it should make a difference, but are you running latest Aspire or VCP(7.514)?
Still searching, but isolating electrical problems that require more than disconnect/clean is not my forte :(
Call Tech again?
Stinks that you're still not running after eliminating the usual suspects. Probably something very simple we're forgetting.
scott

[bob_dodd]

Steve I did the Black Viper thing And had to go back in and change setting , as after a couple of weeks a setting on the USB had changed and caused my desktop to move like a turtle and stop at any given time , Had contacted support

[Steve Wonser]

Scott, the SB3 software is 3.8.26 and the control box firmware is 218. VCP is 7.5, but I'm not sure of the last two digits as I'm on a different computer and can't check it.

Bob, it sounds like I may have the problem that you had. Can you be more specific as to what you have changed? I tried to look for COM 4 but couldn't find anything. I did find that my USB has power management enabled. I'm going to turn that off and see how that works when I can get back into the shop.

Thanks,
Steve

[scottp55]

Steve, as long as you're digging around make sure EVERY power management setting is set to "Never" turn off, on every component.
Sounds like that may help(couldn't find Bob's setting either when searching for the glitch that wound up being a loose/intermittent HDMI cable--Thanks Bob), but at least it steered you in a good direction.
No internet connection on control computer, so my control computer is running VCP V7.510 Shopbot edition, but design computer is running 7.514 which addressed a nesting problem(as well as other minor glitches I haven't noticed).
Downloading 7.514 from Vectric and transferring it to control computer WON'T work as it doesn't recognize it as a Shopbot edition. Pain to nest stuff on laptop, transfer, and not be able to tweak on the fly on the control computer.
I'll have to ask Shopbot for their version of the patch.

HOPE that management setting works, seems like you're learning the hard way, and it will be good to get your confidence back:)
scott

[bob_dodd]

22686

22687

22688

I can not find my notes on this , but the pictures may help these are from emails to support

[Steve Wonser]

My VCarve Pro is version 7.510.

Thanks for the pictures Bob. Unfortunately I don't have that COM4 service listed. Hopefully the power management changes will work.

Support said that it may not be a communications issue and that I should try setting "Disable Res Shifting" to a value of 1 using the VU command. Does anyone know what that does?

I probably won't be able to cut until the weekend, but will post my results when I do.

Thanks again,
Steve

[scottp55]

Steve here are my VU settings(working well and not modified)

[scottp55]

Greenshot too small. Bigger.

[bob_dodd]

Steve I had used Black Vipers windows 7 Super tweaks

Black Viper top 8 tweaks for a faster windows 7 PC

In tweak #8 was where my problem arose on the com ports

[Steve Wonser]

I was able to get back to the shop yesterday and am happy to report that the ShopBot Desktop worked perfectly! I cut some very small text with my 60 degree v-bit for 31:20 without a problem. That was followed by a couple of smaller toolpaths that took 3:17 and 2:50. Finally I did the cutout that took 39:21. Everything completed without any errors!!!

I'm hoping that I am over the communications problems. The last thing I did was turn off power management for the USB ports. One would think that Windows 7 would know that when a USB port is in sending data to the ShopBot that it should not mess with the power, but I guess not.

Here is a link to the information I used to change the USB power settings:
http://www.fixedbyvonnie.com/2013/11/fix-usb-root-hub-power-management-issue-windows-7/

Thanks again for everyone's help!
Steve

[scottp55]

Great Steve:)
Thanks for link.