Need help with shopbot control software - start spindle confirmation dialog

[Marc F. Lupien]

Evey time I run an SBP file, there is a dialog that comes up to confirm that I want to start the spindle before the first cuts starts.

I want to know what exactly makes the shopbot software decide to show this dialog ? I would expect that it is just before I switch on my router with something like SO,1,1...

If thats the case, will it come up when I try to turn on any other switch (ex.: switch 5 to 8) ?

Is there a way to prevent the dialog from stopping the SBP file (in other words is it possible to bypass the dialog alltogether) ?

I am helping someone with a laser setup problem using output switch #5 where the output is switched ON *before* the user answers the confirmation dialog and that's not normal.
Thanks in advance.

[dlcw]

It is a safety feature. I don't know of anyway to bypass it.

I know that with my ATC, once it starts a cutting file, I don't get that dialog each time bits are changed. So that tells me the dialog is in the system software and not user controlled.

[bill.young]

Hey Marc,

I checked with the support guys and there are a couple of options. One is to use pwm to control the power of laser so that it doesn't burn when you are starting up. There are also a couple of the outputs that don't give that dialog because they weren't set up to control spindles or air frills..outputs 3 and 9-12 might be possibilities.

Your best bet is to contact ShopBot support and they can help you out.

Bill

[Marc F. Lupien]

The thing is I am trying to help a guy that installed a laser bought from JTech. They suggest interfacing it through output switch #5. Personally, my laser is interfaced with PWM and works great but the guy is not good enough in electronics to hook it up that way by himself and he lives a couple thousand miles from where I am... so I try to make it work with the output switch.

The weird thing is: on his system, the spindle start dialog comes up AFTER output #5 has turned ON so it burns the material without moving, waiting for him to confirm the dialog... Still trying to figure out that.

[SparksStudios]

I can second the issue.

I’m getting exactly the same thing trying to run a J-tech laser module on my Buddy 48. I’ve come to the conclusion that the ‘Spindle start’ prompt is built into the core program and there is no public accessible software switch to bypass it. Probably a legal issue.

I’m going to work-around the problem by running the laser on its own stand alone frame.
Not ideal space wise, but I’ll have more control over the laser then I would going thru the Shopbot controller.

-Taylor

[Marc F. Lupien]

I agree. It seems the control software pops up this dialog before switching on some outputs but not all of them. A stripped down test SBP file showed that the dialog shows up on switch 5 but not on 6 nor 9. It depends on the output switch.

The person I was trying to help ended up moving his laser from switch #5 to #9 I believe.

On my machine, I use a PWM output from the control card to interface my laser. I had to put some electronic components in between my laser and the shopbot card to keep things electrically isolated (optoisolators) since its not hooked up to a relay but the 'spindle start' dialog does not come up automatically. Instead, I created my own confirmation in my post processor.