So does that mean a USB hub with its own power will correct the problem?
I have 8 separate circuit’s in my shop.
It will be very easy to run an extension cord to the relay.
I will set that up tonight.
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No. The controller is powered by its internal power supply.
That would be useful information, but I think it’s the combination that is causing the problem.
If you take the relay out of the system then you are not testing the system. The variation in timing turning the router/dust collector on/off may mask the original problem and lead one to thing that the relay is the problem.
Not to say that the relay is not the problem, it could be.
Worth a try and easy to do.
Obviously, if you take the relay out and it still happens, then it’s not likely to be the relay. One more data point.
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I suspect the problem is the relay sort of. When A relay closes it closes fast trapping stored energy in the wires and magnetic field of the dust collectors motor windings it is then converted back into voltage/current causing a spike. That is a pretty simplified version I’m not an electrical engineer just a hobbyist. That spike is probably the root of of your problem. Distancing the controllers circuitry from the dust collector relay should be enough to tell us if that is the problem.
The Xcontroller doesn’t get 5V from the cable. The 5V for the processor is internally regulated from the 24V used (power supply output) for everything else.
If the power circuit is at fault, it would affect the controller and a powered USB hub, depending on how much capacitance is built into the hub. Some devices can handle momentary blips, some can’t.
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The X-Controller gets power internally, so not from the USB port at all. You could disconnect the USB and the controller will still be on, just not connected.
Not every USB device pulls power from the USB bus.
Based on schematic, the Vcc pin from the USB is connected to the “RESET#” pin on the FTDI USB chip. It doesn’t look like this pin is necessarily used but it may also be used to reset the chip once a cable is plugged in and 5VDC is applied.
The Ardunio Uno DOES use USB power, hence why you can turn off the power supply but the Arduino stays active. That also could explain why the powered hubs may help out an Arduino/Gshield setup but may not actually matter for the Xcontroller.
In fact, I believe the Arduino can be plugged in to DC power and not be bus powered but that would require modding the enclosure for the Gshield/Arduino setup and procuring the DC adapter.
The FTDI chip (handles USB communications) is held in a reset state until the USB +5 volts is applied. That’s the only thing the USB +5 volt signal is used for by the X-controller.
[Edit] - trivia question - How many X-controllers can be hooked to a USB port without exceeding the current rating for a USB port?
{answer 1472 X-controllers}
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You guys just went WAAAAY over my head now.
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Yes.
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No modding necessarily the arduino has a barrel connector and a voltage regulator so supply 5-9 volt dc
He is referring to the enclosure. The barrel connector is on the Arduino, but you can’t get to it because the case doesn’t have a hole for the power cable.
I see. I stand corrected. Wouldn’t be hard though just probably pointless.
Exactly. You’d have to drill a hole to access it. I thought it was strange to not use that when I was using that setup.
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A powered hub would hold up the +5 on the X-controller and prevent a reset, but you still have to look at the input to the hub which is more likely to be the cause of a disconnect.
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I’m not sure. Don’t stop with the ideas. USB is like voodoo. It’s magic when it works, but it doesn’t always work.
My system is running on a 15 year old computer, a 15 foot unpowered USB extension cable, followed by a generic 6 foot USB cable, no ferrite beads with an Arduino and I haven’t been able to make it fail in a year and a half just short of causing physical damage.
Are we talking about the issue in this thread or your machine?
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Has it ever happened with Easel?
Refresh my memory, you’re running grbl 0.9j and UGS 1.0.9?
FYI.
I am now in my shop.
The very first carve, at the end, UGS quit.
I ran an extension cord from another circuit and plugged in the relay (which holds the spindle and the dust collector)
No problem. It worked perfectly.
But lets keep in mind that this is only one run, and it doesn’t do all the time.
So my plan is to leave it plugged in this way until my powered hub arrives.
And if need be, I will run a separate circuit to the relay.
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I will definitely do that.
Thanks for your help.
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I’m glad that I could help!