Post Processor Router/Dust Collector Help

[dcruze]

I added a relay board to my Shopbot controller and I am trying to add a line of code to the post process from Aspire 4.5 to turn on the router SO1 and the dust collector SO2.

Here is the code I was changing. I only added the line in Red to turn on the dust collector, but when you run the file it stops at "C#,90 'Lookup offset values"
and locks up, then I have to reboot the whole computer.

+ Commands output at the start of the file
+---------------------------------------------------
begin HEADER
"'[TP_FILENAME]"
"'File created: [DATE] - [TIME]"
"'SHOPBOT FILE IN INCHES"
"IF %(25)=1 THEN GOTO UNIT_ERROR 'check to see software is set to standard"
"C#,90 'Lookup offset values"
"'"
"'Turning router ON"
"SO,1,1"
"'Turning Dust Collector ON"
"SO,2,1"
"PAUSE 2"

I did add the line at the end of the file to turn the dust collector back off.
What am I doing wrong?

[bcondon]

What is this relay connected to?

What does your electrical circuit with the relay in it
how are you turning on the dust collector electrically?

Thanks
Bob

[dcruze]

The relay board is attached to the main control board and ties into SO1 and SO2. From there they run out to contactors which operate a outlet to turn on the router and the dust collector which are both on their own electric circuit.

The connections all work manually. I am having trouble getting the post processor to work. It seems when ever I open a post processor, make a change and save it, it locks up when run.

[adrianm]

Very strange. I have a similar mod in my Post Processor (output 8 rather than 2) and that works fine.

What program are you using to edit the Post Processor? Clutching at straws here but maybe it's adding some strange end of line/end of file characters or something.

[srwtlc]

Dale, when you say "it locks up when run", what is it that locks up? SB3 locks up when running a file generated by your modified post?

If you open the (K)eypad and then type Alt-2, does the output work then and turn on the collector?

Did you change anything else in the post processor?

Adrian's got a good point, you don't happen to have word wrap on when saving?

[bcondon]

When I spoke to Frank, my understanding is that the relay may not have enoght power to drive (close) the contactor. I wanted to do the same thing and he said this is not how it worked.

I was looking at an X10 (smarthome.com) relay that when the lines are closed, (touched together) then an X10 command is sent to the dust collector X10 relay.

I have an X10 control panel when you hit a specific button (1-8), then a
X10 ON command is sent out. My dust collector is 220V 15A so I have a heavy duty Appliance X10 module. When I hit my #1 button, must collector turns on.... when I hit it a second, a X10 OFF command is sent.

The module I was going to connect to my relay simple has 2 wires that when connected, sends and X10 ON command and when broken sends an X10 OFF command.

I thought the relay was only to make a connection, but NOT to power the circuit... I never got the guts up to connect it up...
Bob COndon

[dcruze]

It is my program that locks up when running. I was editing the PP with Wordpad. When I edited it with Notepad it helped, but it now locks up at the end of the program. I went back and compared it to the original PP and the only thing I can see wrong is there are more lines of code in the new PP.

Does this line have anything to do with the number of lines in the file?

LINE_ENDING = "[13][10]"

What does that line mean?

[adrianm]

That says to place a carriage return line feed combo on the end of each line written by the Post Processor. It's correct for the ShopBot.

Have you tried going back to the original working Post Processor and making the changes again just using Notepad?

Check for matched quotes etc. Wordpad is a word processor and will change the type of quotes used. They look the same to the naked eye but they're not as far as programs are concerned.

Also try making the last line of the Post Processor a blank line. Sometimes if the file isn't terminated properly that can help. I haven't seen that with a Post Processor file but I've had it happen when writing programs before.

[dcruze]

I did start over and made my changes with Notepad. That did help but now when I run a file created with the new PP it runs the first time but if you run it again it freezes and you have to reboot the pc

[srwtlc]

Dale, I can't do it today, but if you zip up and attach your PP file, I can attempt to run a file from it on my machine tomorrow morning (although, I don't have the relay board, I can still cycle the output).

What happens if you make a simple .sbp file that turns on/off the output that you have the collector on? Make one that cycles a number of times with a pause.

SO,2,1
PAUSE 10
SO,2,0
PAUSE 10
SO,2,1
PAUSE 10
SO,2,0
PAUSE 10
'And so on....

Maybe double check your wiring to make sure there's not something wrong and causing some feedback to the main board. Is this the relay board sold by SB?

[dcruze]

Scott,
This is a relay board by Winford. The relay board and the contactors are all working OK. The problem is the PP file. I don't think I can attach a file to the Post here. If you send me your email, I will send you a file, but here is how I made my PP file.

Start with the Aspire 4 file ShopBot_Arc_Inch.pp
I opened it in Notepad, Renamed the file

Modified the section that read:

"'Turning router ON"
"SO,1,1"
"PAUSE 2"

To read this:
"'Turning router ON"
"SO,1,1"
"'Turning Dust Collector ON"
"SO,2,1"
"PAUSE 2"
"PAUSE 2"

At the end of the file I modified it to turn it off.

The file will run fine the first time. If you re-run it the software freezes and you have to reboot the PC.

Here is my email. If send me your email, I will send you files.
dalecruze@gmail.com

[dcruze]

After more testing and I think there is a problem with my relay board. When I unhook the relay board from the main board the PP runs fine. I will do some more testing and see if I can pin it down.