2001 PRT problems 3.8.14????

[David Iannone]

I upgraded my 2001 PRT to the 4G board a few months back and loaded control software 3.8.14 like the instructions said. I have had no issues until today. However I use the machine very little and have only been cutting basic shape cuts or flat bottom carved signs, so this is the first big job I have tried to run since the upgrade.

I setup a file in aspire to carve a 2'x3' dunna board sign with a grain texture backround. It has 1998652 lines in it so that was the first error I got. I opened SB editor to delete out half the lines just so I could run a test on the table on a scrap piece of material. Computer froze up. I reset computer, while it was rebooting I went to office design computer and switched toolpath to a .25 ballnose and didnt loose to much detail in an effort to cut down on the amount of lines of code. Went back to machine put in .25 ball nose, went to zzero and smashed bit into zzero plate, for some reason all the sudden it isnt reading the plate. Still had communication of machine. I manually zeroed z just to try to run the file on test material. opened new file and control software gave an error, i pressed enter to ignore and machine took off in wrong direction. I shut control box off to stop the machine.

NOW, I reset the computer again, restarted control software and it cant find the bot. I have now downloaded control version 3.6.44 from shopbot site, reloaded that and still no luck establishing communication at all with the machine. I have tried multiple usb ports on the control computer as well.

Control computer is Win XP, never connected to internet, no antivirus, no windows updates, only older version of vcarve pro and shopbot control software. Can anyone point me in the right direction here? I haven't called tech support, I read the forum at least every other day and am hoping to get a quicker response here.
Thanks,
Dave

[David Iannone]

OK, update. I reloaded 3.8.14. It located tool. I found a break in my zzero wire....(DUH)

About to go back to testing my cuts again. I will have a problem I fear. I have 2 signs 2'x3' to carve full 3d backrounds and do not trust the machine right now.

I would rather just go back to 3.6.44 if that would be the smarter more stable solution for my older tool. But why did it no locate the tool?

[supertigre]

If you go back to 3.6.44 you will also need to reload the earlier version of the firmware onto the control box.

[srwtlc]

David, before starting anything (with 3.8.14), do a UR and choose the proper settings file for your machine/controller (for example, ShopBot_PRT96x48v4gRBK.sbd). Do a few test moves to make sure things work properly. You shouldn't have a problem with the number of lines in your code unless perhaps not having enough memory would limit it. Take a look at the information under UD and it will state max lines and available memory. When switching back and forth between versions, you'll have to update the firmware each time with UI.

[David Iannone]

Ok, did a UR and made sure I was on the correct machine

Did UD and it said max lines 1000000.

Would that mean more ram or better control computer would allow more lines?

[Brady Watson]

Would that mean more ram or better control computer would allow more lines?

Yes.

-B

[David Iannone]

I just loaded SB control software on my design computer and did UD and it still said 1000000 lines max. I have and intel corei7 with 4 gig ram in this computer. Is there something else I need to do or is that the max amount of lines that can be run?

I wouldnt think a 2'x3' sign with a .125 ballnose should be too much to handle. Now I know it will take a long time to machine, but this was the main reason I upgraded to 4G board and Aspire to do this type of work. Just want to get things setup right.

What is the maximum lines anyone has cut?

[srwtlc]

Double check that number and make sure you didn't miss a 0. It should be 10,000,000.

I think my largest one so far was approx 4 million lines.

[David Iannone]

Scott, you were right, I did miscount a 0. On design computer it is 10,000,000.

I just opened control software on design computer and ran same toolpath file with the .125 ballnose bit in preview mode and it ran it. (this was the same file control computer would not run) So I will just upgrade control computer.

I was able to complete both the 2'x3' 3d carved signs yesterday using the toolpath with .25 bit. They turned out ok. 10 hours of machine time, and still using 3.8.14 with no hickups.

Any advise on with version of conrtol to go with on new CPU? Is there any reason not to use 3.6.44? For someone like myself that has a 4G PRT that does not use machine a whole lot at the moment?

Thanks,
Dave