Losing communication with controller while probing

[brian]

My probe is working but after a short time I get the"problem connecting to shopbot controller".What causes this??
Brian Newman

[kerrazy]

any other software running in the background? And I mean anything, even a screen saver?

[brian]

No screen saver or power down hard drive running.
I,ve checked all my USB connections but the problem persists.

[paco]

Yellow dialog?... or could it be rather the connection to the probe with the controller (not a yellow dialog; does the machine wiggle the probe to try to fix bad connection when this happen)?

[steve4460]

Hi Brian
Check the manuel , it says something about comunication problems and to add a capacitore to the wako connector when that happens .

[Brady Watson]

Stephan,
You only add a cap to the Wago connector if you are receiving interference on Input 1 or Input 3. The probe uses input 1, but you have to determine if there is interference or not 1st.

With the probe connected and the stylus hanging there, check to see if input1 lights up. If so, move the stylus with your finger and see if the light goes out. If it does, then your probe should be functioning. If not, then check all wiring from the probe back to the control box. If using a 3-wire probe, be sure that one of them is getting 5v for the optical components in the probe. If a 2-wire model, check to make sure that you have it hooked up properly. Wires can often *appear* to be connected when in fact they are not.

Be SURE to place a piece of tape from the collet nut to the router body to keep the probe from spinning.

Perhaps the biggest thing that you should make sure of, is that you are using version 3.4.16 or better. There are revised routines in the software enhanced specifically for probing.

-Brady

[acelocc]

We probed a wooden paddle we want to produce. No problems. When we went to cut it out, it looked fine except that it cut out a dent in the slanted roof of the paddle and left ridges. In order to correct it we stepped over .08 instead of .125. We re-probed it. After awhile it came down, but didn't lift up anymore before stepping over and dragged across the surface, bending the stylus and now it won't work at all. The probe light won't go off on contact. We called ShopBot who had us check the wiring while on the phone, which checked out. They said it could be in the probe and want us to send it back. Is there anything we can do before sending it in. Help.

[mikejohn]

Cover the paddle with aluminium cooking foil.
Use a metal probe the same size as the bit you intend to cut with.
Connect the foil to earth. Connect the probe to #1,
Use the "normally open" program.
I have just done this, (with Bill's assistance) and it worked a treat.

..............Mike

[mikejohn]

I have been emailed by someone telling me that "Frank at Shopbot says this method will not work"
I can state emphatically that this does work.
Aluminium foil 50c, probe 50c, wire 50c.
If Frank of Shopbot says this method doesn't work, I wonder why he said it? If he did say it, he should talk to Bill.
Probably a misunderstanding somewhere.

..........................Mike

[dvanr]

Mike,

Your explanation is wrong if you are using the same basic method as the z-zero plate.

The probe (ball bit) is connected to earth ( through the router and frame) and the foil is connected to input #1. Normally open is still used.

Other than that what you did worked , you have data to prove it.

[gerald_d]

Mike, I guess that the statement attributed to Frank relates to the fact that the file supplied with the SB is for a probe where the contacts are "normally closed". A standard SB, with its factory-supplied software, will not probe using the tin-foil method. But, a simple tweak to a file, or a battery & relay, can make it work. Link1 (http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/messages/312/1894.html) Link2 (http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/messages/312/482.html)

[mikejohn]

Dick
I must be more careful!
My collet is isolated from the machine, and, hence, from earth. This is normal for European tools, which have no earth (ground) wire. In my case I did connect it as I said, and it worked.
As Dick says though, its better to connect the probe to earth and the foil to #1.
This way, if your collet is connected directly to earth, you will have no problems.
If you are probing metal objects, or you can cover with foil, the simple method will give you a .dxf (or whatever) file equally as good as the fancy probe. As Bill says elswhere, it costs little or nothing to have a probe the same size as the cutting bit.


..........Mike

[gerald_d]

Why the emphasis on using the collet to hold the probe? I used to attach a "knitting needle" directly to the z-slide using a vice-grip pliers.

[acelocc]

We have an alphaprt96 cutting wooden paddle parts. It worked fine until today. Today it will cut two, maybe three parts and then the spindle will stop spinning (and cutting). The carriage will still move as if it's cutting. We shut it down and start again, but it'll do the same thing after two or three parts. But it never stops exactly at the same part, just randomly. Called ShopBot, but they haven't figured it out yet. Anyone out there have any suggestions?
Al