Need advice to get a PR48 up and running.

[MichaelPackard]

Hi! I'm working with a guy who has an ancient ShopBot PR48 that has been sitting idle for several years since is windows 98 computer stopped working. I pulled the hard drive out of the old computer and attached it to a windows xp machine that has a 9 pin serial port, but the software is dos and when it runs it says it can't connect to com1. The control box is in a half sized tower case. What's the easiest way to upgrade the controller so I can use current software?

I have never worked with a shopbot, but I have other CNC machines running Mach3 using parallel breakout boards and tb6560 drivers.

Thanks
Michael

[MogulTx]

ShopBot will help you with that. But if the controller is in good shape, you can download the older version of the software to a memory stick and put it onto the new machine you are working with. You MAY have a broken communication wire in there somewhere... the old PR and PRT's were pretty easy to set up and use.

ShopBot provides free phone support and they are really good to work with. You may have to leave a name and number but they WILL get back to you if you give them a little time to solve the problem(s) of whoever else they are on the line with. They are a small outfit and a good group of people....

Monty

[MichaelPackard]

They told me I had to run on a dos computer or windows 98, unless I wanted to pay $2934.95 for a new controller. Yikes.

[tlempicke]

I had one of those machines and made one whole lot of chips and sawdust with it! Simple and pretty bulletproof when you got it going.
As I remeber you have to get the serial port set JUST RIGHT before it will connect. You need to have the computer set up for the right number of bits, stop bits etc.
Also the baud rate must be right. Just for grins try 9600 baud 8N1 as a setting.
Shopbot will be able to tell you the right setting for sure.

[MichaelPackard]

Ok I went back and opened the control box. It says “Shopbot Control Box PRT 82801-00853.

The motor wire connectors to the box are as follows vertically from top to bottom:

connector 1 X1 One Red Stripe
connector 2 X2 Two Red Stipes
connector 3 Y Blue Stripe
connector 4 Z White Stripe

When we turn the box on we get a audible click from the motors and there appears to be holding force holding them in place against manual movement.

I downloaded and attempted to load Setup_sb3_4_27_PRT.exe on a Windows 98 computer (fresh install) During install it gave me the error message “Could not automatically update part wizard post processors 0”

When I attempted to run the software, I got the following error:

“Runtime error 430
Class does not support automation or does not support expected interface.”

and it quits.

I uninstalled the software and installed sb238sx.exe the older version 2 software. I believe they were running v2.2 or something similar before. SBcut.exe gave me a message that it couldn’t connect. I checked the readme file and it said to load the load23.exe to update the controller.

I ran load23.exe to update the controller. It found the device and loaded successfully. I ran the sbcut.exe and it connected to port1, with no error messages, but I have the following issues:

When we try and initiate a move in X (move or jog) we hear clicking from the motor and no movement. my boss said “It sounds like it WANTS to move.”
When we try and initiate a move in Y (move or jog) Z moves down and x and y move forward and to the right slightly. Less than the amount we specified.
When we try to initiate a move in Z (move or jog) nothing happens, no hums or clicks.

The last time the shopbot was used it performed without any issues. The old win98 computer it was attached to failed and the shopbot’s been sitting idle for several years. With the controller off all axis can be moved easily manually.

What do we do now?

[signsbyjay]

Michael,

If you have a PRT controller, try running it on a XP computer with the latest software from the shop bot site. I run my PR 48 X 96 this way without any issues.

Jay

[MichaelPackard]

I tried running it in xp, it said it wouldn't connect and the shopbot folks told me it wouldn't run in xp, and I had to run in windows 98. The controller is from 2001 or so.

[Brady Watson]

If you have a PRT control box, you can run it off of XP. You CANNOT run SB2.xx on XP, it MUST be SB3.4.27. You MUST install the firmware via UI command in SB3 before it will be able to connect to the PC. If the computer has a native serial port on the MoBo, then you can use serial. Otherwise, you will need a compatible USB to serial converter to go from USB on the computer to serial at the control box. The ONLY one I would recommend for this is the IOGear one available from Amazon or from SB. Other converters have proven not to work for CNC.

-B