How could Grlb change when the machine and computer is off?

New to GRBL but not CNC. So I upgraded my shapeoko2 to current x carve specs after 4 years of not using it. I’ve been making some small parts while I wait for the dust collection system to arrive. Things have been fine for a couple weeks.

Today I booted up the computer and open up the UGS. It wouldn’t open where I could move my axes via the keyboard. I tried to load a program and got a port error message. I changed it to the available port, tried it again and got further until it gave a “grbl not finished booting” message. I clicked on $x and got a message that this version doesn’t support a lock, or something like that.

I thought maybe I tried to start the UGS before the computer was totally set and still no go. I went through the set up again through Easel. That allowed the axes to move, but my zero touch plate isn’t working. I tried to use the UGS again. Same “Grbl isn’t finished loading” comment. I came back in the house and searched for " grbl isn’t loading and saw that in some cases people had the wrong baud rate set.

Now I just shut the thing down by closing it and turning it off last night. I vacuumed around the machine and the X controller like I’ve done before. Anyway it turns out that I did have a different baud rate setting somehow, and after changing it, everything works except my Zero touch pad.

I find the whole thing a bit odd. Now I will reexamine my touch pad wiring in the jack later, but I can’t help but wonder if vacuuming, the humidity, or the laptop perhaps had something to do with this. I wonder if I have the old version and new version of GRBL or UGS on the computer and that has something to do with it since I did have the shapeoko operational on the same computer.

Issue a $I command to grbl to determine the version you are running.

1.0c20161011 If I recalled it correctly. Oddly enough my 2 out of 3 macros are gone too. It also changed the baud rate and port again after the earlier shut down…weird. I did do a java update which I had been putting off,so we’ll see if that helps.

If you use the nightly build of UGCS then you are going to run across some problems occasionally. Version 1.0.9 is the latest stable build, but it has issues with large G-code files.

I use 1.0.9 for most things, and PicSender for large files.

OK thanks. I did download 1.0.9 of the UGS with the x controller upgrade. I read that lengthy programs are problematic so I divide up my work into multiple files and load them independently.

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Well the same thing happened today and oddly enough it is a month later. The baud rate had changed and there was no port assignment. I lost all my macros for homing. I corrected those and everything works except the Z probe. The macro will sort of work but because the probe isn’t working right, the Z isn’t moving correctly.

I went through the xcarve setup and all the axes move correctly through setup. I selected all the usual features and it homed fine. Next item to come up is the probe. I plugged it in, clamped the collet, and it doesn’t see it. I checked the probe with a multimeter and checked my probe wires in the plug on the back of the controller. Nothing. I checked $10 and it is =115. I’m not sure of where to go next. This is aggravating. Any ideas? Thanks.

Oh and yesterday I got some Microsoft updates. Is it possible that messes up the settings?

Well there had to be something. What were you checking ohms?, volts? What were the readings from the meter?

A Microsoft update, An Easel update, a firmware update can all cause problems.

Easel stores some info on your computer during setup. That can get compromised by many ways.

I was checking the plug end to the other ends for continuity so that I could eliminate that from the potential problems. They read as a short ground to ground and hot to hot. I loosened the plug end and made sure the wires were in the plug. This worked yesterday and nothing got moved around.

I like to start with the basics when I’m looking for a problem.

Could you post the $I (capital I) and $$ output here so I can see what state the firmware is in?

Also, $G

Thanks for the help. Here they are:

It appears that you are running standard Inventables 1.0c release firmware.

Unfortunately, UGCS does not pass some of the grbl commands to the Arduino/X-controller. Do you know how to use the Arduino IDE Serial Monitor?

Your grbl settings look fine.

I don’t know much about the software end of things, so no, I haven’t messed with anything more than the standard downloads. The funny thing is how things have been fine for a month and everything worked. I have another laptop that I may try to download the software on and see how it responds to that.

See if you can try to run this. With it we can see if your hardware is working correctly.

Larry, thanks again for your help. I tried another old laptop and got the usual " grbl isn’t finished booting" message. I ended up going back to the original laptop. I changed bits in the collet to something that I knew worked as I had a 1/8" Dremel burr bit within a 1/4" adapter in it before, and went through the x carve set up again. Maybe that bit isn’t as conductive…I don’t know. This time with a carbide bit, I got the green light when I touched it. I tried a different macro adjusting it for inches, and things are back to working.

Ok. Great news.

Hope you enjoy your machine.