Port Problems!

Great job troubleshooting. Use it in manual mode and next week we can try to figure out what could have started causing that to happen.

Do you know roughly how many hours you have on the machine?

Total, maybe 8 - 10 hrs of actual run time

@ThomasGonzales @Zach_Kaplan, looking at Thomas’s first picture the wires to the fan are going to what appears the top side of the fan. When I built mine I thought that since the sticker on the fan was showing it was the right way around but after firing it up it was sucking air out instead of blowing air in. When properly installed the wires should be on the side next to the enclosure or the bottom of the fan.


The wrong direction could be causing the shield to overheat causing the problem?

Just a guess, but something to look at.

The fan is blowing air out instead of in! I can flip it around and run the tests again! it just seemed weird that it was only getting the error when the spindle was in logic…does it generate more heat in logic and the spindle set at 1300 rpms, than it does with the spindle in the on position with the spindle sounding like the rpms are much faster?? Either way, I will give it a go, test it out and see what happens!! thanks I will post the out come when done!

@ThomasGonzales,
To me that would make sense since in logic mode either the Arduino or the shield is controlling the on/off cycle of the spindle and something may be getting too hot and shutting down. At least now you can get closer to the final problem and a solution

It’s worth a try but I don’t think the temperature is the issue for this case but it could cause weird behavior in the stepper motor drivers.

I was thinking maybe there is some sort of loose or intermittent connection.

OK so I go to my machine today and the only thing I did was flip the the fan over. Now when I have it in Logic, no matter what rpm the G code says, it stays at one constant rpm. I had my code at 1200 rpm, no change, 1500, no change in speed. it looks like its staying somewhere around 500 - 800 rpm, either way its way slow! I even started the project and paused it and tried to change the rpm in the command bar and the console said it took it “ok” but no change in the rpm.

By the way the on position still works fine, it seems like its getting to full rpms. its just the logic that isnt working

Awwwwwww. Im so frustrated!

OK so now I cant even open UGS! I click on the icon, it thinks for a minute and nothing. so mind you all of this stuff has been happening in UGS. Back in Easel I cant even connect to the port. When I go to Machine set up to connect to a port, the only option it gives me is a semicolon ( : ) and thin it just thinks until I exit out. One time I let it sit there and think for 3 1/2 hrs.

Is this in spindle on or logic mode?

Do you have another computer to test to verify its the Arduino and not an issue with USB on the computer?

Hmmm. I have a desktop that I was going to use, but it doesnt have a wireless network card yet so I would be able to connect for easel…Oh wait, I have a couple computers that Im fixing and cleaning up for other people. I might be able to clean one up in a couple hours and try it on one of those!

OK so here is where I stand on the issue: Besides the original laptop I started off with having a problem, I now have tried 2 other laptops.
The first laptop was a computer that I just fixed and removed some viruses. Its running Window 7 ultimate.I downloaded the Arduino environment, plugged in the Arduino and it actually took the driver install sucessfully, which I thought it was suppose to not be successful and then I was suppose to update drivers or something like that? Anyways I tried to update it anyway and it said all drivers were up to date! So I log into Easel and download the Easel Loal and then try to set up machine. It cant find the port the Arduino is on! I close Easel download UGS and Java, open UGS and try to connect the port and it says port not in use. So I go back to device manager and it clearly says the Arduino is on COM4. I tried changing it to COM6 and still wont connect.

The second computer had Windows 7 and did the exact same thing as the first. Then I restored to “out of the box” factory recovery running Vista. Download Arduino environment, plug in Arduino and drivers did not install successfully this time so I go into device manager update the drivers successfully , download Easel Local, machine set up everything works. But now I cant install UGS or Java. Java had an error code 1606, which is a corrupt MSI, so right now I am updating my windows completely and then try again!

In conclusion: its seems like its a computer issue, more specifically a Windows 7 OS issue, but I am not sure if its multiple issues and the computer is one of 2 or more issues. Once I can get UGS up and running and connected, then I can test the spindle in logic again, see if I have spindle rpm control back and go from there.

First question: Is there something in particular about Windows 7 that is causing these problems?? Im sure there are people that are running windows 7 without issues so Im not sure why this Arduino is not connecting to Windows 7.

Second: If I get a brand new computer running Windows 7 or Windows 8 and it comes up with the same problems, is it safe to say that it is an Arduino problem and get it replaced? Its odd that it would work for Vista And not Windows 7.

Thats were I am at right now!!

Reading through this thread, it looks like you had it working, you flipped your fan over, it was still working, and then it stopped. Did anything else change?

It looks like your computer can pick up the Arduino’s com port correctly (I’m using Windows 7 and it’s working fine, btw), but Easel/UGS aren’t detecting it. I wonder if somehow your grbl install got wiped out? At this point it seems like attempting to reinstall the X-Carve grbl version is worth a shot, since the other option is you need to replace your Arduino.

Here’s a link to a thread about re-flashing your Arduino, maybe it will help:

I would say sure but I got easel working now but only on Windows Vista, so that tells me that the Girl program is still in the Arduino, right?? The issue now is I can’t get Java on the computer with Vista on it, I get an Error 1603 did not install completely, or on windows 7 I can’t get the Arduino drivers installed correctly!!

And by the way if I can’t connect to the Arduino port, then I can’t install the Hex file into the Arduino cause the Arduino and computer won’t communicate, right??

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It seems like your computer sees the Arduino, since it’s getting assigned a com port. If you’ve gotten Easel to run on a Vista machine, then it would seem that grbl is still installed on your Arduino.

Nothing changed in your setup from when it was working to when it stopped? Does Easel on your Vista machine work reliably if you try it several times in a row (my thinking here is that there might be a loose connection between your Arduino and the grbl shield).

Regarding your java install issue in Vista, it looks like you might be able to uninstall a specific Windows update to get it to install: http://www.computing.net/answers/windows-vista/how-to-fix-error-code1603-java-install-windows-vista/13881.html

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Doing a Windows update should load the newest fixes and security patches needed to install software. This is a known issue when people restore an older system and all security issues have not been updated or automatic update is not enabled.

UGS wont install without Java and Java won’t install because the Win7 security does not recognize the newest version.

Once fully updated Java has an older version removal tool that you can use before trying to load the latest version.

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That sounds really frustrating. It’s weird that vista works but Win7 does not. Is it possible there was some windows update that happened between the last time you used the machine and now that messed up the Arduino drivers?

It doesn’t help your situation at this moment but Microsoft has finally acknowledged the Arduino and is working to include the drivers in Windows 10.

Peter, I did research that as well, Java them selves have said that it has caused problems, thing is I didn’t see that update in my windows update history!

As far as widows updates on my original computer, I’m not sure if there were any updates that may have cause a change in my Arduino drivers. I will have to look at the history by date, I’m thinking there shouldn’t be cause I set that computer to not update without notification!

And the windows update didn’t help, still get 1603. But that was only uninstalling through the control panel! Looks like I’m going to have to go through the registry and all my file to try and get all Java files out before trying again!!

So when I try to install Java in Google Crime, I save the file, then when I try to open the file nothing happen, the file will not install! When I try with IE it automatically starts running the installation but then I get Error 1603!! I’ve tried deleting every bit of Java before installing, still same results!!