Sometimes Mach just 'goes away'?

[rcaffin]

Hi all

I'm wondering whether anyone else has seen this problem. (I tried searching for it, but ...)

Sometimes, shortly after starting Mach and loading a program, I will be trying to move or zoom the tool path and Mach will just disappear. No Q about 'do i really want to quit' or anything, just blip and it is gone.

But! It is still there in the Task Monitor process list, and trying to restart Mach always fails without explanation. Trying to kill the existing Mach process also fails (which is really wierd!).

When this happens Mach also loses contact with the SmoothStepper, and fixing that is a pain. With the Ethernet SS I actually have to cycle the power on the CNC to reboot the ESS. But a similar problem was happening with the USB SS.

Or is it just me?

Cheers

[Hood]

I had that problem with a test version of Mach I was using, it wasnt just random however it was if I opened the NFS wizards. Not had it since that version.
What version are you using? I know it wont be the same one I had issues with but I could try it and see if it happens to me as well.
Hood

[rcaffin]

3.043.022
Current?

Cheers

[Hood]

Will try that when I get to the workshop tomorrow and see.
Hood

[ger21]

If you run drivertest.exe after it disappears, it should kill the task and allow you to restart. You might want to try the development version to see if it works better. Sounds like Mach3 doesn't like  your PC.

[Jeff_Birt]

I had something similar happen a few times to a customer. He would be running a part (somethign that took many hours to run) and come back to find that Mach had shut down. I also could not turn up anything in searches.

[rcaffin]

If you run drivertest.exe after it disappears, it should kill the task and allow you to restart.

I will try that the next time.

Sounds like Mach3 doesn't like  your PC.

Fairly new Dell Vostro 230, dual processor, >2GHz, 3 Gbyte, and the processor activity is usually <10% when running Mach. If Mach does not like that, then I think Mach just might need a few bug fixes.

Cheers

[ger21]

Did you try the development version?

Another thing is to look in the bios for a setting, either C1E or EIST, and disable it.

[rcaffin]

Hi Gerry

Did you try the development version?

No, I haven't. I am trying to get some work done and the implications of the notes were that the dev version might crash. I may have misread this of course - I don't know. I would appreciate your advice here.

Another thing is to look in the bios for a setting, either C1E or EIST, and disable it.

Frankly, I have extreme doubts that clock speed has anything whatsoever to do with the problem. Let me explain.

This disappearing act only happens (as far as I know) shortly after Mach has been started. Typically I will have just loaded a g-code file and be moving the mouse around the display window to check the path. Poof, and the whole Mach window is gone.

Reasons I think it is some very strange Mach problem and not a clock problem include:
It only happens to Mach, and usually just after starting.
It only happens (I think) when I am mousing around the path display.
It leaves part of the Mach process in memory and UNKILLABLE.
It interacts with the ESS driver, crashing the ESS.
It does not kill the ethernet interface in the ESS because when that happens Windows reports a loss of network.

We know Mach is trying to subvert Windows a bit to get reliable Real-Time performance: I have this gut feeling that the problem is down there somewhere. No evidence, just 40 years experience at the hardware level.

Cheers

[budman68]

Not a pro here but a thought as it sounds like a video conflict.

Do you have onboard video? Have you tried turning off the toolpath display to see if that's it?

Dave