Issue with new control software

[Ryan Richardson]

I'm hoping someone can tell me if an issue that I've had when running the new control software (v3.86) is normal. My issue is that, during a cut, the shopbot seems to pause for 2-3 seconds at some points with the spindle still running. After a couple of seconds, the cut will resume as normal- is this a common issue for others running this version of the software? In the end, everything cuts okay, but I'm hovering over the panic button for a few seconds every time this happens.

My only thought is that the old computer I'm running the new software with isn't powerful enough to keep the commands flowing to the 'bot at the rate needed to avoid these "pauses". The computer I'm using is a 2007-era machine with a 2.4 ghz processor and 2gb of RAM.

Can anyone running the newer software confirm that a more powerful machine is needed to run it?

Thanks in advance for your help-

[Ajcoholic]

Ive been running the new software (and firmware) for several months now. Lots of 2D and 3D cutting. So far no issues and I have not noticed any pausing in the cuts.

AJC

[steve_g]

Pausing during cuts can be caused by low memory availability or a drive that has to be woken up... If your setup allows the HDD to go into sleep mode, disable that feature in your control computer. I use a NAS Drive (network aware storage) and occasionally my Bot will pause while loading more code across the network.

SG

[feinddj]

check the RAM requirements on the new software. I think they suggest 4 MB of RAM. I was having some issues with it and upgraded. I'd like to say that it fixed all my issues, but no it didn't.

David

[myxpykalix]

I have seen on some of my bigger 3d files when it first starts up it will start to move then it pauses to load up the memory and you see a progress bar loadingt memory and then it starts and runs. But after that initial load up it doesn't pause.
When yours pauses after startup do you see a progress meter or does it just pause with no indication as to why on the screen? No progress meter like it is loading memory?
When it pauses does anything move at all? I recall one guy had something similar only to realize he had an eroneous z speed or something like that set at .001 i think that made it crawl like it wasn't even moving.:confused:

[Ryan Richardson]

Guys- thanks for this feedback. I haven't noticed a progress bar loading up during one of these pauses but I'm usually paying more attention to the spindle and hovering over the panic button like I'm on a game show :)

The RAM issue makes complete sense- the new software is more capable and likely requires more power to run it- I'm maxed out in my old PC at 2gb so it may be time for an upgrade there-

[catbourger]

I get pauses, but they are always in the same place on the workpiece, where a "sharp" curve begins. Are yours in such places? Such pauses are probably the linear speed of the machine slowing down in anticipation of the curve ahead. If the pauses occur in random places, then low memory, etc. is probably the culprit.

[Ken Sully]

Ryan
I get the exact same thing on my 3D cuts. When I look at the computer screen I
see a blue bar loading up and the Bot continues the cut. I have a newer computer with 4 GB ram and Windows 7. Guess I thought it was normal.
Never a problem with the cut

[jerry_stanek]

I have an old computer and run some long 3d files and there are only a few times when it will take time to load a new batch of lines. There was a discussion about using only one channel on a multi core computer to force a smoother run with no errors.

[Ryan Richardson]

Guys- to provide an update that may be useful for someone else, I bought a newer used PC over the weekend and did a bare bones install of Windows Vista on it. It looks like that solved my pausing issues!

I went from a 2.4ghz dell with 2GB of ram (the most the board could accept) to a 3.33 ghz dell with 4GB of ram.

The good news is that Shopbots don't take tons of computer horsepower to run them and the computer that I upgraded to was still pretty cheap.

[ron_moorehead]

One of the thing you may want to look at is Black Viper web site and see what a bare bone install does install, lots more things you can shut off that you don,t really need running on the PC.