Need Assistance, Tech Support is too busy to help me

[JimmyD]

I have a PRS Alpha, running 3.8.26. I have started having problems when I first turn everything on. The SB software will only start up in preview mode unless I disconnect/reconnect the USB from the machine and try to switch to cut mode. This has to be done several times before it will finally not hang up and just sit there. Once it finally starts up in cut mode the location is off and all axes must be reset.

I've checked all cables, connections and I am the most grounded person and machine there is. My computer is not connected to the outside world and has everything that is non-required for operation turned off.

Any ideas? I'm guessing I need to reload firmware.

Thanks,
Jim

[bleeth]

Jim:
Unless you re-installed the software you shouldn't need firmware update but it can't hurt. After that if no joy:
Go back to 3.6.48 would be my next bit of advice. Not that I think that is definitely the issue, but 3.8's have had so many issues.
Next-If all is good, good.
If not then your USB hub may have gone bad. Replacing is quick and cheap. Make sure it is a powered one and the software is loaded properly according to manufacturer.
Not using one? Some run better with one and some without. For any 3.6 you pretty much need it.

Dave

[jerry_stanek]

Do a UR and reload every thing including the firmware. I had a problem like that and that is what Shopbot told me to do

[JimmyD]

Thanks to you both for the timely response. I appreciate it. I will try the UR first and then look at rolling back to 3.6.

Again, thanks.

Jim

[zeykr]

Change out your USB cable also - have had one go bad with similar results.

[tomhartnett]

Jim,

You can try to run the USB speed tester when the machine does register as connected. You can find the program here c:\program files\shopbot\diagnostics with a standard install of the ShopBot 3 software. Make sure the SB3 software is closed when you try to run this.
Since you are having comm issues the USB tester may say it cannot find a ShopBot. If this is the case, and the UR and UI do not resolve the issue, try a different PC if possible to rule out bad USB hubs on your PC.
This is just an extension of the recommendations made prior.

Best,
-Tom H.

[barrowj]

I had a similar issue a few months ago and it turned out to be a bad usb cable. It was one I had purchased several months prior and just went bad and once I replaced it I haven't had any further issues. It sometimes is just as simple as that with no reason as to why it went bad. Please keep us updated, always good to learn what went wrong and how you got it fixed.

Joe

[harryball]

I experienced something similar, turns out it was the powered USB hub, I replaced it with an un-powered (actually a hub I lost the power supply to) because I had one... in fact it's the Tardis, and it's been working so well since I've not changed it. With the hub I get 75 to 80% on the USB test, without it I get 60 to 70%.

With the failing hub it would fail to connect and go to preview mode until I unplugged and plugged in again. With the Tardis... it's working perfectly and I get a blue flashy light.

[JimmyD]

Thanks to all for your comments.

Warning, my comments from here on may offend some, but I'm frustrated as hell with this machine that I spent many tens of thousands of dollars on. I apologize in advance if I offend anyone.

I've tried changing the USB cable to two others, no affect. I've tried running the speed test but I don't have any such software in any shopbot or any other file. (I hear that there is supposed to be a USB stick that came with the machine that has lots of stuff on it, but I don't have one. This is a remnant of the three times I had a machine shipped to me with different issues each time.) So I went to the shopbot website, there is no search function, so can't search for it. I downloaded the 3.6 software, installed it on another computer and there is the speed test software. Moved it to the computer that runs the machine that is ruining my days and it says there isn't any shopbot connected. I can do the connect/disconnect thing and get the software to connect and operate the machine. Then I can check the port number. Close the SB software, run speedtest and it says there is no machine connected. Specify the port and it says there is no machine connected. Did this whole scenario 4 times, same result. Shut everything down, restarted everything, same process, same results.

So, I have no idea what speed the USB is running at. I disconnected the USB hub and tried again, same results. I replaced the USB hub, same results. I then tried the UR and UI, same results. Rebooted, same results. Now its time to put in a different computer, that's a tomorrow job. I'm crossing my fingers, but I don't have a lot of faith.

It's a very good thing that I supplement my income with this thing and not depend on it to feed my family. At this moment there may be a sale on a really nice machine (it's supposed to be anyway) in the near future. Another brand is probably in my near future.

Ranting is done, I'm having a beer. I'm done with trying to be happy with my purchase. Bottom line, you would think that for this much money, these kinds of problems would not exist.

[coryatjohn]

Jim,

I can tell you that your experiences are not the typical scenario. I bought my machine, hooked it up and it worked as expected. Either your controller is having a problem, your USB infrastructure or your computer is to blame. Figure out which and your machine will work.They do. They work great.

I feel bad for you. I really do. I'm surprised you're not getting good support directly from SB. They have excellent people willing to go the extra mile for customer satisfaction. Did you blow up at them or something? Did you send a box full of dog poop with a happy birthday card? It's certainly unusual to see a problem with support.