Great I have Com Troubles

[majohnson]

Reading Adams post on his com troubles, I'm stuck with something simular. Yesterday in the middle of a cut, I heard a change in cutting sound then my tapered 1/8" ball nose exploded as my z axis traveled down. Over 5/8" of my cutter was buried and broken in a piece off maple. I put in a new bit and things seemed fine.

Today I was running it for about an hour, things seemed ok. I changed bits to cut a simple v grove, it zeroed fine. Then when I went to run the cut, the car traveled about 9" on the X axis the Z went up and down maybe 1/2". Then I had a window come up saying lose of com.

To try and correct the problem I switched the usb connection on my laptop. I rezeroed the Z axis, then tried to recut a different file. The same things happened with the car traveling and the Z axis, along with the same fault message. I power cycled both computers, used canned air to blow any dust out of the connectors. Reset the z axis with the same end results. So please don't tell me I need a board as well. My bot is about 3 years old, but only has maybe 25 to 30hrs of run time.

[David White]

I have never had any luck running the bot from a lap top. You might want to first check your com speed.

Good luck Dave

[dhunt]

http://www.eusing.com/free_registry_...ry_cleaner.htm

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[myxpykalix]

I have run mine from a laptop since i got it with no problems. However the laptop has never been on the net and is stripped of a lot of update type functions. That may be an issue.

[dhunt]

I have run mine from a laptop since i got it with no problems.
However the laptop has never been on the net
and is stripped of a lot of update type functions. That may be an issue.

Nothing beats a well-sorted, stand-alone Shopbot control computer
devoid of all or most other software!

No internet hookup.
Nothing else to do but run numbers to the machine.

[Gary Campbell]

Mark...
Most of the comm errors occur as a result of background processes happening in the control computer. I set up mine as a dedicated SB computer and set all of the following:

Screen saver: NONE
power settings: all to NEVER
Auto update: OFF
System restore: OFF
all task scheduler items: OFF or removed
Virus software: REMOVED from computer
Printer software: removed from computer... drivers only installed
All windows features except explorer and sound: removed
all network features:TURNED OFF
if laptop: (dont recommend) Wireless disabled
ALL software other than SB3 and PartWorks (and SB Link) REMOVED
I usually turn the network card off in BIOS so that no app even thinks it can access the internet.
Then I use a REG cleaner and defrag.

Usually a "clean install" of XP is required to do this properly, especially if computer is a "branded" economy unit. These are loaded with stuff that constantly tries to let someone sell you something. I also turn off all Window$ services as per "Black Vipers" services configurations for XP Bare bones.

THis assumes you have a computer that has a decent comm buss rate and RAM that is adequate. Also a USB 2.0 HUB MUST be installed (NOT BELKIN)and the SB control USB cable MUST be plugged into it. (nothing else) I consider minimum RAM to be 2 gigs for SB3 alone and 4 gig if the SB link is involved. Some machines (read as many Dells) require the addition of a PCI card to ensure good comm.

I also

The above usually work, but dont leave the machine as a "fun" computer. Hence the term...DEDICATED CONTROL COMPUTER.

How close is yours to the above?

[dhunt]

Most of the comm errors occur as a result of background processes happening in the control computer.
I set up mine as a dedicated SB computer and set all of the following:

Screen saver: NONE
Power settings: all to NEVER
Auto update: OFF
System restore: OFF
all task scheduler items: OFF or removed
Virus software: REMOVED from computer
Printer software: removed from computer... drivers only installed
All windows features except explorer and sound: removed
all network features:TURNED OFF
if laptop: (dont recommend) Wireless disabled
ALL software other than SB3 and PartWorks (and SB Link) REMOVED
I usually turn the network card off in BIOS so that no app even thinks it can access the internet.
Then I use a REG cleaner and defrag.


How close is yours to the above?

How close? Ours was purty darned close!

I did however follow your lead and did the three things I've put in bold.

Fortunately, our version of XP is "Mini-XP"(for developers) with v.few if any frills
-just great for a dedicated control computer, if you can get ahold of it..

I don't think people pay enough attention to the workings of their Operating Systems that lies beneath the SB Control Software
but little by little we may be changing things as suggestions get passed around.

Thanks for the tips.

[Gary Campbell]

David, et al...
One additional item. Do not run transferred cutting files from the thumb drive. Instead, copy to hard drive, then run from SB3.

[feinddj]

I had the same problems with my laptop. It is completely stripped down and I was tearing my hair out trying to figure the problem. I happened to be visiting family in NC so I stopped by shopbot to ask about it.

The FIX: usb hub.

I put one in line with my com and have yet to have any issues since.

David

[dhunt]

One additional item. Do not run transferred cutting files from the thumb drive.
Instead, copy to hard drive, then run from SB3.

Funny you should say that because..

About 6 yrs. ago we stopped using floppy disks (remember them??)
and started using USB-keys (plugged into a 2ft.long extension wire)
and haven't noticed any probs. with that methodology, in all that time!

We now have two USB-keys which get interchanged
and are unlikely to spend the time transferring from USB-key to the C drive
unless we are to cut a very important or very BIG cut-file, in which case said transfer to C:drive makes sense, I guess
but in our everyday functions.......naah.


Just last week, I upgraded our USB channel in the SB control computer from USB 1
to USB 2 --I bought a card for $16 and stuck it in there.
Hopefully that'll make our USB-key cut-files theoretically more reliable?

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