shop bot

[Paul Schuster]

I was told o post this here just now found out...

On Thu, Jun 7, 2018, 6:28 PM Paul Schuster <classa...@gmail.com> wrote:

tried to use the shopbot today, but the x and y axis won't move with the yellow screen, and the red screen positioning indicates a 4 output error and sometimes 4 input error as well...
 

The Z axis works

The X and Y won't move with an output error 4 that won't clear.
The spindle works and will go through warm up. 
Sometimes there is also an input 4 error.
Not sure if the limit sensors are dual color led's but they are both red. 
Nothing crashed into anything. No jobs were run.

I was only zeroing when this occurred.
After I zeroed the x and y and then the z with the plate which worked 
Then this seems to be the point where the x y stops...

 I had loaded the gcode file, but before I ran it I decided to cancel that run, and check the zero points once more to be safe through the yellow screen, to avoid any possiblilty of improper settings. . At that point is when the x and y stopped with an output 4 error that won't go away, and it has happened twice now..

 There must be a software glitch, that prevents you from canceling a run and trying to check zero, but I can't say I am certain of this. Please advise.

Also I have noticed that one of the x or y axis has been making a lot of noise when you manually position using the yellow screen.. vibrations etc.. I think this may have something to do with all that weight added by the dust collector housing, or possibly lubrication or electromechanical stepper motor problem. This noise is getting worse. normal?

 The dust collector should only have a hose attached, and that shut off valve should be moved off of the machine in my opinion as a lifetime digital / mechanical technician.

With the machine off the weight will override the z axis motors and cause it lower on its own.

You may reach me at 502-368-3807.... I think this just needs a reset but don't know how to do it. 

 

 

[Daniel Johnsen]

Highly possible your gcode could have an error. Can you share how you created the gcode? I'd try making something simple or an existing load of a known working file to see if it is yours or the controller. There should be templates already on the shopbot computer. If the gcode of the spindle warm up consistently loads and you can move the gantry around with the arrow keys when the yellow control box is open but then stops after you load the file, your file is the known variable that's changing the operation. I've had it happen before during a gcode export.

As for resetting the unit, a power on then off should reset the controller and also close out of the ShopBot program and reopen. Try the zero operation and moving the gantry.

As for the sounds, I'd suggest waiting til someone can confirm the noise. It could be that the gantry is no longer square and requires disassembly to reposition. Takes a few people to do it.

If you can post the sound via a video that may help diagnose.

So first share the noise before proceeding with any large movement of the machine so it isn't damaged.

[Paul Schuster]

G Code:​ I put the vcarve file that I composed with a client approved and licensed software and set up for a ShopBot inch format in the machine computer through the usb port...and saved it as Bryan instructed in Vcarve. I then used that gcode file to set up shopbot software. 

  The thing is I didn't run any G Code. In this case all I did was to load the GCode after I zeroed the machine in the ShopBot software.. I was over cautious and wanted to double check my zeroing so I cancelled the Gcode shop bot parts load file, and went back to the manual yellow screen.. AT that point the Z axis would move but not the X and Y.

  Probably most people aren't double checking, so my suspicions are that loading the G code file and then canceling , then calling up the yellow screen is causing some position sensing mal sync problem, but this needs to be verified.

 I can't believe that it is near impossible to find an error number indication chart on the web. 
However I did find information that when this error occurs, turn the machine off and manual move the x and y axis a little by hand to reset the position problem" and turn back on. I tried that but it had no effect. 

Forgot his name but the guy with a red beard who likes to paint and has instructed on the shopbot, has heard the sound which I am sure is on the X axis and only occurs when manually moving longer distances, not during run operation. I will try and record.

He believed the dust collector weight was at least partially responsible or that it was a bad setup.   A similar thing happened Friday, and one of the computer guys did some sort of utility software load on the shopbot which reset the problem.. Friday though the error occurred during the beginning of gcode operation and the Z axis crashed and drove a bit into the board.

This resulted in the collett being a little difficult to remove, and I am sure some people think some idiot was on the machine that drove the zaxis into the workpiece.  I assure everyone that I did nothing wrong. So that made me overly cautious and is why I was double checking, but by doing so could have caused the xy to quit working with a 4 error.  Someone needs to verify this when the machine is working, by loading a gcode file, cancelling and then calling up the manual yellow screen. This is only a possible theory at this point, but I have seen this sort of software glitch happen on other equipment using similar mechanics. 

 I worked for NASA as a digital tracking station technician and for Compugraphic Afga during the period of computer driven photo mechanical typesetting systems. This sort of noise that I am hearing would occur when there was a mechanical problem dragging the stepper motors or when the driver boards were defective.. It was almost always not the stepper motos.

Putting an oscope on the stepper input lines should detect any sort of square wave electronic noise pattern, which can occur when the motors are being "held back" mechanically, but I know I am getting ahead here. 

I thank you for your response. I am here to help anyway I can. 

If repaired I will try loading a simple existing gcode file from the server first as a test. 

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[Brian Wagner]

I am going to take a look at it tomorrow and get it sorted.

Brian

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Paul Schuster

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[Paul Schuster]

Thanks Bryan... 

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Paul Schuster

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