Please help - no tool path generation and trouble with X0Y0

[LC]

Hi all,

This is my 1st post and it will be immediately obvious I'm a newby to all this.

I have a small cnc router that is controlled by mach3. I use VCarve Pro to design jobs and create g-code.

Today I was happily routing away when the machine froze. An error message on the screen said there could be a problem with windows not transferring data, etc (I can't remember the rest).

I tried to send the tool home by clicking on the X0Y0 button - nothing happened. I tried moving the tool by pressing the arrow and page up/down buttons - all seemed good. I again tried the X0Y0 button and nothing. I reset the e-stop and tried again - still nothing.

I exited mach3, re-started and tried again - still nothing when the X0Y0 button is pressed.

I rebooted the laptop, turned the power off and on to the machine and re-started mach3, again pressed the X0Y0 button - still would not drive the tool back to X0Y0.

I also noticed when I load a g-code program no toolpath is generated - it just sits there calculating.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks LC

[Hood]

Can you attach your xml please.

Hood

[LC]

What's an xml? I did warn you I know next to nothing

[Hood]

The xml is the file that holds your config settings and will have the name of the profile you are using. If for example you are using the standard mill profile then it will be called Mach3Mill.xml and you will find it in the main Mach directory. If you have a custom profile the xml will have the name of that custom profile.
To attach to the forum use the additional options button on the reply page. You will likely also have to change the name of the xml as the forum only accepts a file name once. So copy your xml to the desktop and rename to something like LC.xml and then attach it.
Hood

[ger21]

Are you using a SmoothStepper?

[LC]

Thanks for the replies.

Hood - in the main Mach3 folder there are 5 xml files: Romaxx.xml, Smoothstepper.xml, Screen4.xml, Mill.xml, and Lazycam.xml. Is Mill.xml the one you need?

Gerry - Yes I am using smoothstepper. I'll try to attach the error message.

Thanks again for your help.

LC

[LC]

I forgot to say, this error message appears whenever I press reset on Mach3.

[Hood]

It will be the SmoothStepper one if the above screenshot is the profile you use as you will notice it says Smoothstepper for the profile (lower left of screen)

Hood

[LC]

Hood,
Smoothstepper file is attached.

Thanks

[Hood]

I will have to wait until I get home from the workshop to test with my spare SmoothStepper.

Hood