Those com error blues....

[chunkstyle]

Had to send a shop helper home today after repeated com errors running Shopbot out from the E-cab link. I've noticed it's the least stable and most prone to com errors running out from the Link.
Looking at the motor cables and prox cables. Wondering about getting shielded cables for them as a way to mitigate any dirt and noise getting back to the control computer and crapping out. Has anyone gone this route and found it helped? If yes, do they have a gopod supplier for the shielded cabling.
I've been able to creak along with the missing com errors now and again but as work has picked up significantly I really have to address this far to long of a problem for me.
I'm getting killed running out of the link.

Thanks for any supplier referrals or fix ideas.

Tim

[jTr]

Tim,
I fought them for a full year. Tried lots of things. Swearing is completely ineffective. I feel for you, and want to share how my experience turned out.

What I found I did wrong:
1- Wires a bit loose in e-chain and migrated on top of each other - corrected and it helped, but did not completely eliminate issues.

2- Assumed I had proper grounding. In theory, yes. In my climate, not adequate.

What eliminated the issue once and for all was running a copper line through the flexible dust hose. Thought I was good with the integral wire in spiral - had it exposed at pickup end near bit and grounded to metal ducting at ceiling - tech support even verified that should be good. NOT good enough - Brady pointed out that the particles must be discharging as they travel full length of flex line, especially in a drier climate.
Furthermore: This is the time of year that we begin rapidly drying coming out of summer, and comm issues begin to reappear and intensify, which is why I urge you to more closely examine this area. Besides - you can do this with $5 and 5 minutes.

Tie a rag to one end of thin hobby copper wire, fire up collector, and let out enough slack so the ragged end reaches your grounding destination. Power down collector, open connection, fasten copper to dust collection ground. I fashioned a sort of spider-web at inlet to hold back larger debris, as I experienced a bit of clogging in main branch due to plywood strings.

Really hope that helps - I was frustrated for quite a while, and hate to see anyone else stuck there.

Good luck, and let us know what works for you.

Jeff

[chunkstyle]

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for taking the time to offer advice. I've been thru most of what you've described and would second your suggestion on grounding.
These are gremlins I've had for a while now and hoped to get them behind me. Unfortunately some have stubbornly remained. A new controller card and VFD card fixed most of what was ailing it. The intermittent com errors have come and gone and come and gone. It seems I've come up short in the machine purchase lottery. A lot of folks report having little or no problems on startup but a few seem to be stricken with them.
Works gotten busy busy and relying on this machine to perform has gotten problematic again. I'm casting about with the shielded cables in hopes that some may have replaced their cables ad found that it helped.

[jerry_stanek]

At work one of our Biesse's had problems that were driving the operator up a wall it would start cutting then error out. I said to check the grounding and he checked all the wires that went to ground but not the dust collection ground.
After 2 days of fighting the problem he called and Biesse told him it was a grounding problem and he was sure everything was grounded right then they said to check the wire in the dust skirt it had come undone at the end where it tied to the metal ducting. he reconnected it and that solved the problem. So it is not just a Shopbot problem

[jTr]

Tim -
Only other fight I had out of the gate was with the USB hub. It was supplied, so I understood it was needed. Someone here stated that a hub will command top priority in the data stream. A real eye opener - if you have a hub plugged in anywhere, related to shop bot connection or not, it can be quietly hijacking your data stream sporadically.

For what it's worth - my system is at it's best with no hub at all.

Still think shop bot should offer an integral controller - we all need one anyway - I'd rather have sent them more money than spend months playing with computers and $ until I found the right combo to make my system happy.

Again, hope something works out soon for you, and let us know when you reach the "Ah-Ha!" moment...

Jeff

[chunkstyle]

Hey Jerry,

Can't imagine having a payment on a big iron machine that has operated like mine over the last few years. Think Id pour the gas and watch the shop burn with a few beers if that was my situation. Yeah, I know that others have had problems and mine have calmed down to an acceptable level of grief (for now).
What I'm thinking about are other options or solutions to some of these last, most stubborn warts.
Your machine making you money...GREAT!
Mine does sometimes, sometimes it doesn't. Trucks are running full and I'd like to find ways to eliminate days that it doesn't.

Had three com errors today.
Window display will fail to 'Print Message' during tool changes. Actually it does but for some reason it will leave print message screen behind the SB# windows. Not always but some days it will. Sucks when you cant see the next tool #.
Com errors may be fixed with shielded motor cable? Prox switch cable? dunno. Thought I'd ask.
Already checked my ground connections. Took out USB hub to get better USB speeds. Etc..Etc.
Running 3.6.44 for dependability.

[jerry_stanek]

I have a PRS Standard the Biesse is one of the ones that the company I work for have. I run a Biesse pod and rail unit there. I don;t have to do any programing as all the parts have been programed and I just have to adjust the cuts.

[Ryan Richardson]

Tim-
I had a similar and very frustrating issue with comm errors on my bot recently. I thought I had everything in order but the power that I was running to the machine apparently had some variability in it that was causing comm errors when other machines were running in the shop. Finally had to install a power conditioner and things seem to be solved for the moment. Sorry for your struggles-

[chunkstyle]

Thanks for the suggestion Ryan,

All our apc units have LED displays that monitor current. Haven't seen any variability regarding voltage but maybe something else going on I'm unaware of?
Ran 10 shts. of material yesterday without a hitch so it's a variability that comes and goes.
I'll be doing some mechanical mods soon that will require me to mess with the cabling. I'm going to try going the shielded cabling route as I've exhausted all the other avenues to try. If I see any improvement I'll report back on it. Problem is that it will run fine for a while then starts puking com errors or model 401 errors then back to running fine. Frustrating. Not nearly as bad as when I first started running but I'm still hoping for a time where I can turn this machine on and know what to expect.
My other issue is having the "jumping print message" panel.
I have a print message line in tool change file that shows what tool is currently in use and changes with any subsequent tool change call up. It stays open so that at any time the operator can see what the tool should be. Like com errors, 'print message' panel will stay put in a place where it can easily be read for a few days or weeks but will jump to a new location from time to time. sometimes it gets dropped behind the control console of sb3 where it cant be read at all. This requires a reboot of the computer system and reloading the file from Ecab link. Other times it comes up partially off screen and cant be read. I've tried different video settings and reduced the size of the SB# screen. This has helped keep the tool change 'Print Message" panel from being covered but only if it displays well away from the SB3 screen to start with.
Had to reboot this morning as the Message box was off screen just enough that the tool # could not be read.

I'm throwing it up here on the forum as tech support seems to be at a lost as to why this would happen as much as I am. These problems have cut across different control computers that we've tried as well.

[jTr]

Tim,
Do you run e-cabs exclusively, or do you run the occasional part file from Vectric or other resources? (Don't have the link, so don't know if you can bypass the e-cabs setup readily).

As I re-read your original post, this question comes to mind:

Just curious if your consider e-cabs a contributor to the problem - somewhat, mostly or not at all?

jeff

[chunkstyle]

Hi Jeff,

Lately I've been running nothing but Ecabs, so the experiences I'm seeing have been while running programs thru Link. Cant say with certainty that the link is the culprit or not. Doing a simple Z-zero command with sb3 a couple of days ago resulted in a couple of "model form 401" errors when the tool bit made contact at the second drop. That tells me some of the issues are unrelated to the Link and squarely on machine controller, wiring harness (OK wad of wires from control box), ground, electrons from telephone poll, USB cables, barametric pressure and tide schedule. : )
Most issues went away with newer controller card and VFD card but these last issues remain. So far today and yesterday have been good cutting days whereas wenesday was poor.
"print message" box jumped to a new location after starting up machine from lunch. The search goes on....

[chunkstyle]

Hi Jeff,

Lately I've been running nothing but Ecabs, so the experiences I'm seeing have been while running programs thru Link. Cant say with certainty that the link is the culprit or not. Doing a simple Z-zero command with sb3 a couple of days ago resulted in a couple of "model form 401" errors when the tool bit made contact at the second drop. That tells me some of the issues are unrelated to the Link and squarely on machine controller, wiring harness (OK wad of wires from control box), ground, electrons from telephone poll, USB cables, barametric pressure and tide schedule. : )
Most issues went away with newer controller card and VFD card but these last issues remain. So far today and yesterday have been good cutting days whereas wenesday was poor.
"print message" box jumped to a new location after starting up machine from lunch. The search goes on....

[gundog]

I might be able to help you with a small portion of your problem with the message being hidden behind the control software display. You should have an icon on the bottom of your screen if you click on the hidden icon (Right click) and choose move your mouse pointer and use your arrow keys at the same time you should be able to move it to a visable position. I can't help with the rest good luck I hope you get it figured out.

Mike

[Bob Eustace]

Tim I might be able to help with zero fail on second pass. Try cleaning the plate with scotch brite as well as the clamp faces. If it continues reseat the cable in the waco connector and remake the connection to the clamp. We get this weird problem about once a month. Why its weird is it never fails on the first pass ever. Others have permanently attached the cable to the spindle with success.

[chunkstyle]

Mike,
Thanks! I will try that and hope it works. That will be the nuts if it doeas and save a lot of time from reboots/reloads.

Bob,
Same on my end with regard to the second drop. I will try the scotchbrite and then the cabling. Much appreciated. Thank you.