Well here I go again

Larry,
No, I’m good right here.
It looks like we may have the same problem.
Besides, you both have helped me out with my issues.
If you moved somewhere else, I would only track you down there and keep bugging you guys. LOL.

2 Likes

Ok, I just looked back through the thread and saw that you ordered a USB hub. Interesting that you ordered one that doesn’t require a special driver. That should help.

Let’s see if it fixes your issue before we try other things. I think your issue is different from Jan’s.

1 Like

Phil my gut is telling me that this is a Java problem, either in the Java Platform install or in the UGS .JAR file. I’ve been searching though the Java forums and I’ve seen reference to it but not why its caused yet. I found a post on GitHub on a Arduino board where a guy was having the same problem on a smoothie board but he never did post what his solution was. I’ve never seen this error but that doesn’t really mean anything as I’ve reloaded my Library to the Uno .09j, along with some other stuff. I will say that my computer connected to the XC is a purpose machine that I do nothing else with at all.

I just checked and GRBL is up to 1.1f, it might be worth flashing your Library with it and see if it stabilizes. If nothing else go to Java and have it check your platform.

Nope. I’ve just spent about an hour playing with the nightly build. In my opinion it is a step in the wrong direction for me, but I can see how others might like it.

I have not found the “perfect” G-code sender that works like I would like it to.

At this point, for most things, I use PicSender and for the nitty gritty stuff I use the Arduino serial monitor and raw G-code.

2 Likes

Larry: Deeply respectful of your contributions to the forum. Your knowledge of ‘electronics’ is awesome. Perhaps, some day, I’ll understand what you’re talking about. Thanks.

No worries. Everybody starts at the bottom and works up.

Most of the time I try to give some additional information rather than just giving a yes or no answer. That way others can get feel for what I’m thinking and straighten me out when I screw up.

You don’t really need to know about the things mentioned in that post.

If you don’t understand something and want more information, just ask.

@PhilJohnson

Phil, are you still running your system on Windows XP? Do you have service pack 2 installed?

Next time you’re at your machine, check it. There were significant changes to USB handling in service pack 2.

1 Like

Ok, Thanks. That’s as good as XP gets. The hub you bought may help, but you still have to talk to the hub with XP. USB was in it’s infancy with Windows 98 (an add on - only) and started to become mainstream during and after XP. XP service pack 2 added the winusb driver which was the fore-runner of what is used today in the later versions of windows.

If you know how to check updates look for this to see if you have the update:

To verify that the update is successfully installed on a computer that is running Windows XP, follow these steps:Note If the update is installed, you should find Microsoft WinUsb 1.9 in the list of installed updates.

For more information about winusb 1.9

Larry,
So, I’m trying to follow all this.
Am I to assume that my windows 10 will be good to go?
I bought a hub also and it will be here Tuesday.
In the mean time, I have my relay for the spindle and dust collector on a separate circuit.

Phil’s problem is different from yours. I’m beginning to suspect that his problem is with his computer and operating system, because he has done most of the things you can do with wire issues. Hopefully the USB hub he ordered will correct his situation.

Windows 10 would not have the problems that XP could have. I have other issues with Windows 10, but that is just a personal dislike of the OS.

Since your separate circuit work around is working, your issue is electrical noise.

As @JohnChamplain suggested, adding a UPS device could help with this as those usually include some noise filtering. This one from APC does have a EMI/RFI Filter even for the non-battery backup ports. You’d only want the Electronics connected to it, leave the router and spindle connected otherwise.

It’s about the same cost or cheaper than adding a dedicated circuit breaker ($45 AFCI/GFCI 20A breaker, $25 for 25ft of 12/2, $5 20A outlet).

1 Like

The Uninterruptable Power Supply is a good idea, but there is something else to consider.

You should normally plan on using no more than 80 percent of a breaker’s rating. That would be 16 amps for a 20 amp breaker.

Using a router (about 7 amps) and a vacuum/dust collector (most likely around 6 amps) that’s 13 amps of your 16.

That only leaves about 3 amps (at 120 that’s 360 watts) for everything else, and doesn’t even address the in-rush current.

Might be best to go ahead and drop a new circuit in and be done with it.

2 Likes

I most likely will do just that.
I currently have the relay (with the dust collector and router), my laptop, the X controller, and an overhead light, all plugged into one 4 gang outlet.

1 Like

Also to consider is one of these. Selling point Lifetime Warranty and $50,000 Ultimate Lifetime Insurance for connected devices. Also its a beast I have 2. But like LarryM said still separate breaker for the dust collector and router. Correct if I’m wrong but I Don’t think you need a GFCI breaker for this application.
https://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-Protector-Suppressor-ULTRABLOK/dp/B0000513US?th=1

Well I just completed my first carve for the weekend.
As said earlier, the router and dust collector are on another circuit.
At the end of the carve the router shuts down before the dust collector.
As the dust collector is winding down, I can hear and feel a clicking in the x controller.
At the same time the steppers click also. (like they are turning off and on)
When the clicking stops the machine wont move.

So this morning I’m googling com ports.
I found out that I have been using on of the 2.0 ports on the left side of my laptop, and I have 1 high speed 3.0 port on the other side of my laptop.
Do you think I may make a difference if I switched over?
Thoughts?

How old of a laptop? Some early USB 3.0 implementations can actually cause more issues with USB serial ports. We had a beast of a time tracking down an issue at work that ended up being using a USB 3 port instead of a USB 2 port.

It may not be a cure all but you can always try it, just relaying my experience with the FTDI chip and USB 3.0.

I honestly don’t remember when I bought it.
Maybe 4 or 5 years ago.
~4 months after I bought it, Sony announced that were no longer going to be making computers.
I have not tried the USB 3.0 only because its on the left side of the machine the other ports are close to the X controller.
But I am going to try it.

I still think your issues are being caused by the dust collector. Try removing the dust collector from the relay for a while. When your job is done running let the dust collector go for a bit and see if things still freeze up on you. Are you still getting the same error message from UGCS?