Input #4 Emerg Stop Pausing Machine

[mrgadget]

Hello all:

Machine info:
PRT Alpha 48x96
Win XP
SB 3.6.46(just upgraded from 3.6.44)

When running a couple of different files today the machine would stop because of the #4 input lighting up. Machine is very well grounded as I followed the instructions posted here on grounding so I don't believe static is the issue. I jumpered the e-stop motherboard pins 1 and 2 together and pins 3 and 4 together to eliminate this as a potential problem. Problem still exists. I can air cut the file to completion with the router on and off with no problems. When I zero to the material and proceed to cut, it throws an input #4 stopping the machine???? I am totally stumped as to what could be causing the problem and am leaning toward something on the motherboard being bad from what I've read searching the forums on this particular problem. Any ideas or inputs???


Thanks,

Jay

[jerry_stanek]

I would do a UR command and reload your info I was getting a zero error like that and talked to Shopbot and they had me do a UR command and that fixed the glitches

[mrgadget]

Thanks for the suggestion Jerry. Did the UR command with no success at all, unfortunately. Machine is still stopping because of the #4 input light flashing. It stops the file at the same place every time at the same line. I think I've worked on this machine more than it has worked for me.

[Kyle Stapleton]

I have read about this problem before and if it is like the others there may be a wire that is getting twist up at that point on the file. run it again (no air cut) and when it stop start looking at all your wires.
Hope you find the problem.

[mrgadget]

Just to keep documenting this--I followed the settings on blackviper.com for the barebones settings for the control computer (which is an old laptop) and checked the com rating using the tool in the Shopbot's diagnostics folder. Laptop seems to be running faster and I'm getting 73.8% on the usb connection speed rating. Slowly but surely eliminating issues, but still not to the bottom of this problem yet as it still is stopping mid file while cutting.

[mrgadget]

Also, would like some clarification on the #4 input if possible. From what I've read here, it is associated with the emergency stop button pendant. What else would be included in the control box or motherboard that would cause the machine to open that particular circuit and cause the machine to stop running while cutting?? Seems like if you remove the pendant from the circuit (as I have done--mentioned above) it wouldn't stop the machine. This tells me there is possibly something else tied in with this circuit that is somehow malfunctioning. I've checked all the wires and connectors and those check out fine as far as I can tell from the motors all the way into the control box and all inside the control box.

[MogulTx]

Possibly a bad wire in the wire loom? When the machine gets to a certain place ( or area) on the table, it moves it such that it shorts two wires together---?????

[bobmoore]

Jay when I had this it was a loose connection in a wago fitting from one of the motors.
Bob

[mrgadget]

Thanks guys! I'll go back over the connectors and see if I can pinpoint the problem before I call Frank about this. Bob, had your wago connector worked loose and not firmly seated together or was it one of the wires inside the connector that had become loose?

[mrgadget]

We have a resolution to this problem!! Turns out it was user error by yours truly caused by not enough experience and still learning how to use the machine. I kept investigating this by:
1)checking all the wiring and connectors -->they were good.
2)eliminated the pendant so it was not a factor --> so far so good.
3)knew the problem cropped up when it was trying to change the z height by going deeper for the next cut -->which leads us to the resolution.

Resolution:
Machine would run the file by air cutting above the surface, so I took the bit out and kept running the file at ever increasing depths and got down to where it was causing the problem when the bit was actually in the collet and VOILA.....machine was hitting the hard stop on the z-axis causing the machine to throw a #4 input error. I couldn't hear this while machine was running and obviously it can't be seen unless you peer down inside the tubes of the z-axis on a PRT.

LESSON LEARNED: Don't run bits that are too short and know the physical limitations of your machine.

A great BIG thank you to all of you guys here once again for your help and input. I really do appreciate it.

Jay

[MogulTx]

Congrats on figuring it out! Good for you! Now get it cutting!
:)

[t28c34]

It figures, the last post I find takes care of my problem. I too started getting Drive/motor fault! location error, as well as run time error 9. I went though all my wiring, made sure I was grounded. I was cutting a lithophane with a 1/8" bit that was pretty small. I was at the end of a 6 hour run when it ended with the errors. After reading your post Jay, I made an air cut and it ran fine. So I pulled the bit out farther and restarted, and it ran fine.
Thanks Jay