Problems Restarting a Part File

[Steve Wonser]

My ShopBot desktop has intermittent issues where a part file will intermittently stop with an error and I find myself having to restart it with the 'go to line' feature. Unfortunately, I'm getting mixed results in doing that. Sometimes it works great and other times it will skip parts that should be cut. Other times is will ramp down to the cutting depth right through a previously cut part.

Is there any way to prevent this other than trying to manually analyze the part file to find an acceptable line to restart the cut from?

Thanks,
Steve

[bleeth]

You should always carefully inspect the line you are going to start from and either make sure it is not in the part, but above it so you don't accidently go into the part as when moving to that fist line from another location the machine will automatically get there in a straight line.
You can also "create a new file" and then it will approach the first code location by first going to x/y co-ords and then plunging to the z.
If you can't do this, like when running a carving, then you need to make sure the actual x and y is matching the x and y of where you are going to start the file back up.
SB code, if you haven't looked it over, is not to difficult to read. Info in your manual.

The other issue is what kind of errors and why. Files should not stop running until complete unless you lose power.

[chiloquinruss]

"ramp down to the cutting depth right through a previously cut part" Back when I was having ground issues I learned about restarts. In addition to writing down the LINE NUMBER also right down the X and Y numbers. I learned the hard way that if you don't actually restart at the point of error all kinds of issues pop up!

If your stopping is intermittent double check all of your ground wires, that was what my issue was. Good Luck! Russ

[Steve Wonser]

Thanks for the advice. I'll definitely start looking at the part file for a better line to go to where the cutter is at the right x, y position and z is above the material.

I've been having intermittent problems since I've owned the ShopBot. I have used the Black Viper recommendations to turn off everything not needed on my PC. I've turned off the power management on the USB ports to keep them from going to sleep. I've added a ground wire to the inside of the dust collector hose that goes up to the ShopBot spindle, but doesn't touch it. I have a surge protector on the power to the ShopBot that only powers it and the PC. I'm thinking about putting a separate USB adapter in the PC and possibly adding a USB port isolator. Here is a link to one: http://www.bb-elec.com/Products/USB-Connectivity/USB-Isolators/Compact-USB-Port-Guardian.aspx

I'm open to any other ideas.

Thanks again,
Steve