I probably did. I don’t recall seeing the red background on the state field.
This afternoon I got a fresh start with everything and loaded the next toolpath file in the list. It started the cut and ran for about 15 seconds before stopping (bang head on desk). Going to call Inventables for help.
Yes. Support walked me through reflashing (again) and reinstalling the drivers (again). We changed COM5 to COM2 and changed its baud rate to the max. He’s going to send me a couple of parts - USB cord and a replacement jack, I think. Then, after you and I talked about a z-probe macro, I loaded my toolpath file in UGS and ran it, and the spindle headed off for the wild blue. Slap red button. Rebooted and dang if Windows didn’t choose right then to update itself. So started up UGS again after all that and found that my newly configured COM2 port had disappeared. Re-re-reinstalling drivers does not bring it back.
If they ever come for me because I’m walking down the middle of the street with a rifle, naked, shouting bible scriptures and shooting out windows, this machine will be the reason why.
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Using UGCS 1.0.9 and grbl 1.0c if you homed your machine before setting Work Zero then set Work Zero, and power down your X-carve, UGCS, and your computer, then start everything back up, home your machine, then Work Zero will be the same as it was when you turned everything off.
This assumes that you do not run any other program to access your machine between the time you shut everything down and start everything back up.
I don’t know what Easel does, so I can’t speak to that issue.
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This was informative. In UGS the baud is set to 115200 (which I know is what you meant), but the actual port, in its properties, had 9600. Do you know–does UGS set the port’s baud rate, or does that just tell it what to expect?
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Man, Phil, Larry, Justin, if you guys aren’t getting paid for all this advice, then you are a really selfless crew. I hope one day to be in a position to pass it forward.
Okay, I used my Inventables z-probe for the first time, with UGS. I used the macro we came up with a day or so back. Remember that I don’t (yet) read g-code.
M5; G17; G20; G91 G38.2 z-.5 F2; G92 z.590; G91 G0 z.1; G90
The spindle slowly lowered, made contact, and rose back up a tad. At that point, I clicked “reset zero”. When it went out to do the cut, it stayed about .59 above the material. So I concluded that I shouldn’t click “reset zero” after using the macro. So my question is, did the macro do it for me?
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The macro set your zero no need to reset at that point as you ended up setting the zero above the workpiece where the bit pulled back to.
Gotcha. Thanks
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Windows port settings are “default” settings. This is, I believe, for a program that doesn’t explicitly set a baud rate (probably a legacy thing). UGS will set the baud rate to what the UI has as a selection. 115,200 is the speed for the newer GRBL.
As for your macro, the “G92 z.590” code is setting a Z coordinate offset that uses the z position offset an additional 0.590 to set your Z zero position. UGS’ reset to zero button sets the current X, Y, or Z as the new zero position.
I was trying again. Having been told by the support guy that electrical activity in other machines could interfere with the CNC, I turned off my bluetooth and a few things around the shop and tried again. This time a bit broke. So I cancelled the job and returned it to work zero, and changed the bit, moving the spindle a half-inch or so in the process. At this point the port was closed, so I opened it again. Because I had jostled the spindle, and based on the understanding that I could home the machine and UGS would remember where Work Zero is, I homed it and then clicked “Return to Zero”. And the spindle proceeded straight up, shattering my z limit switch. That’s the fourth one; I only have one left now.
From reading other threads, it looks like maybe I should have clicked soft reset after the cancel, before homing.
I am happier than you know to be able to say, I have run five toolpaths with no trouble. One of them was three hours long, a couple an hour each. The machine is not stopping on me any more. This is after I installed a new USB panel mount B to mini B cable and a new USB 2.0 gold cable sent to me by Inventables tech support. This seems to be what has fixed the problem. Woohoo!
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Yes, that’s what got it working properly. Thank goodness! I probably lost a year of life to frustration. While everybody on the forum was posting gorgeous pics and discussing upgrades and advanced techniques, I was just trying to get my machine to finish a toolpath. Really appreciate eveyone’s suggestions and comments.
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