Losing connection

Okay… I know this is a question that has been answered. But I have also done literally any and everything that has been suggested before asking here.

Background:

My machine has run 100% reliably for 18ish months. In fact I’m in the list of top easel users. Then, last Friday or Saturday it started losing connection mid carve. I hear an audible tone from the laptop that the USB is unplugged, then another saying it’s back. Also the steppers unlock, then relock a few seconds later.

All is not well. I have replaced the USB cable, bypassed the bulkhead connection. Redownloaded easel and ftdi drivers.

Then last night I changed the AC Circuit in the garage it powers from (independent with it’s own breaker). And turned on my x-controller. I wasn’t doing ANYTHING. I just turned it on, and started a stopwatch. Every time it lost connection (audible because you hear the USB unplugged tone from the computer, and stepper motors unlock) I hit the lap button. Again, I wasnt carving, editing or otherwise even using any processor or Internet bandwidth.

Results of each “lap” gap between disconnects, in minutes:
8:22
20:19
17:31
2:31
13:53
6:08

What are the odds of the power supply going south? This thing was working perfectly, zero hiccups, until Friday or Saturday, and hasn’t completed a carved since. I think I was in the top like 5% of easel hours used this year. I’m really counting on getting this thing fixed.

Nothing about my machine has changed, been moved, rearranged etc. It’s on the same torsion table it has been on since assembly.

Any more suggestions? I’ve been in comms with @JohnHayes already

Edit it’s a Windows 7 hp laptop

Not highly unlikely, but have you tried a different computer - just to rule out the PC side of things?

Did your laptop get a Windows update by chance? May have set the USB ports to power savings mode.

I checked all that, too. I swapped to my old laptop, and 45 minutes in, it hasn’t disconnected. We’ll see how this plays out

Howdy…I have posted the same problem… works fine on my Asus computer… Windows 10… but stops at different times on my older Dell. Dell was wiped… Windows 7 installed… 4 gigs of ram… and no junk on the laptop. Checked every power setting… including the USB hub… moved the computer away from the electric connection with the Xcarve…`
and it still stops. Haven’t purchased a braided USB cable yet… but I have a powered USB hub coming tomorrow. These are all suggestions people have made… and I keep trying.

Did you specifically set Windows to not power down the USB ports?

Control Panel >>> Device Manager >>> (each USB hub)
image

Howdy John… sure did. Someone suggested this last week and I went into each one and changed it. I thought this might do it… but no luck.

Chuck

Why? What was the change? Did you accomplish what you made the change for?

Just noticed the poster changed. Sorry.