Output 1 No Effect?

[bernhardt.7@osu.edu]

This morning I found something very curious with our Alpha 'Bot - apparently the system has started to ignore the status of output channel 1.

Through yesterday, the ShopBot was working correctly - I (or the students here) would use 'SO 1,1' to turn on output channel 1 before running a file, and the software would pause before executing the file and tell us to hit Start on the control box.

This morning, however, we're not getting that popup window - the tool just starts moving with a stationary bit. It's as if the output channel is irrelevant.

Has anybody seen anything like this? Any ideas on what I could look for to fix it?

[john_david]

I had a similar problem with my ALPHA and it turned out to be a stuck relay inside the control box. I opened the box and pushed in the coil by hand and the problem was fixed

[bernhardt.7@osu.edu]

This is what Frank from tech support has recommended as well - one of the contactors does seem to stick, but I'm not sure how that would have any effect on whether the software shows a popup window.

In the past, with the same sticking contactor (this has been an ongoing issue), we'd still get the popup window - but when we pushed the Start button nothing would happen (because the contactor was sticking, preventing the circuit from closing). Now, we're not even getting the popup window.

[gerald_d]

Randall had a similar problem here (http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/messages/26/11477.html). Looks like a quality problem with that relay.

[bernhardt.7@osu.edu]

The more I poke around, the less sure I am that this relay/contactor is the problem. It seems to be software-related, that the software just isn't throwing up the popup window before executing the file. Frank at ShopBot is checking around with the folks there to see if anybody's seen anything like this - is there a software/firmware upgrade that I can try applying?

[Ryan Patterson]

Matt
Can you start the router with the key board "K" using the switch? When you start the file does output #4 turn on?

[paco]

Have tried to have the shopbot.ini file re-created? Move the original to the desktop (for testing purpose) and restart SB3 (to have create like the first time). You have the latest right (3.4.19)? Do you know how to upgrade the firmware?... It's in the documentation or the Help menu or the README or the UI command.

[bernhardt.7@osu.edu]

Thanks to everyone for their advice - after talking more with the folks at ShopBot, I ended up uninstalling the software entirely and re-installing the latest version of the control software (we were running 3.4.1, now 3.4.19). Whatever had been the problem, this fixed it.

Previously, I had tried to use UR to completely wipe all the local settings (including the shopbot.ini) - that didn't work.

Ryan, I didn't try starting the router with the K command, but running a file did turn output 4 on.

Problem solved - on to the next problem! :-)

[john_david]

One more thing I remembered is, If you type in SO1,1 and SO4,1 more than one time after starting the ShopBot software it kinda cancels out and you need to either restart the software or turn both outputs off and (so 1,0 so4,0) then turn them back on. This was an issue for me at one point

Glad to see you allready fixed the problem