I installed the updated (Version 0.3.9) easel driver last weekend, but did not have a chance to use the machine until Today.
Now the machine does not work. I can upload a file from my projects, I can jog the machine to the home position. When I proceed to carve, the machine responds to the “raise bit” and “Start spindle” commands.
When I select “carve” the tool paths appear to upload, and the progress bar begins to fill, but the gantry does not move on any axis.
After a few minutes, I cancel the carve. The spindle raises further and then moves -X and -Y as if it were returning to the home position as it would at the end of a normal carve.
Normally the blue indicator light on the G shield remains lit as long as the machine is powered up, but now, as soon as I select “Carve”, the blue indicator light goes out and stays out until I cancel the carve and the machine attempts to return to home, at which time the blue and green indicator lights all resume their normal blinkiness.
Just tried it again and was prompted by Easel to upload new firmware. I did this, the problem is not solved.
As soon as I send a power up command to the spindle, the spindle starts, but the power supply to the machine shuts down.
…and I just found the problem.
Someone ( I have 100 kids in the shop each day) swapped the power supply cord into the “normally on” side of the IOT controller…it should have been in the Always On side.
My first relay has all 4 outlets switxhed. However, the two I just received have 2 normally off, 1 normally on, and 1 always on. Maybe this is the design change that had them off the market?
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Hi Phil,
DLI changed the outlet configuration with version 2. It now has all three types of outlets: 1 Normally On, 1 Always On, and 2 Normally Off. I’m not sure if it is widely available (Spark Fun just announced it today.) But DLI sent me an early production model of version 2 last May.
Previously I was using the original IoT relay, but after some correspondence with DLI and reading a few comments here, I had modified it to change the Normally On outlets to Always on so I could power the machine and a work light with the IoT as a master switch providing breaker- and surge-protection to the whole works.
My “X-Carve Student Manual” shows the old IoT and the students simply followed the illustration in my student manual. It was pure cooincidence that the illustration in the student manual had the power supply plugged in to the location that matched the Normally On location of the new version of the IoT relay.
Good lesson for the kids to learn that the documentation doesn’t always match the hardware configuration.
Cheers,
Chris
