Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: Smiler on August 24, 2008, 04:48:39 AM
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Hi everyone,
Have a strange problem with a Dell latitude C640 and Mach 3 2.63. Mach loads fine (Mill) and will sometimes run ok but often for no apparent reason the mouse disappears, the keyboard freezes and after a short while the PC shuts down. This mostly happens when I'm in the config menus, also happens clicking on a dialogue box button. I'v also noticed it happens when Mach3 is running a GCode program, Roadrunner for example. The program proceeds maybe 3/4 of the way through and the mouse disappears, keyboard locks up. What is wierd is that Mach keeps running for maybe a minute before unceremoniously, the PC shuts down.
Things I've tried:
Optimization txt. Gone through this document and other than a re-install of XP or W2000 I've pretty much exhausted that.
Disabled all unused services
Turned off Intel Speedstep
Disabled Wireless LAN and Ethernet.
Installed special driver
Laptop is Dell Latitude c640, P4 mobile @ 2.4 GHz, 1gig ram. Windows XP Pro SP2 running Mach3 R26.3 (also does this in developement version too)
Has anybody any ideas what could be the cause, Mach is the only software that the PC crashes in.
Many thanks for any replies.
Regards, JEff.
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Jeff, my first suggestion would be to build yourself a desktop machine for Mach. Although some laptops can be used, I think it seems to most always be a toss up. Have you tried takeing the battery out and running straight off AC power? Try going to the diagnostics page and turning off the toolpath too. Have a look in the useres docs board. There is a thread there that will help some I think. Let us know what works for ya.
Brett
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Hi Chaoticone,
I'm afraid a laptop is a must use :(
The router wil be housed in an outbuilding and we live in a very damp, corrosive atmosphere next to the sea. A desktop/monitor would almost certainly have to permanently live out there too and while I can harden the machine against damp, the PC might not fare as well.
I've decided to experiment and start with installing Win2000 with a setup as per the Optimisation.txt (standard PC) and see where that takes me. I was using RMClock to mooth out the parallel port and that was working good, thought I almost was there until this little problem. In case it is the Parallel port I was thinking of getting a smoothstepper, can't hurt to try.
Thanks for the help.
Regards, Jeff.
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Jeff,
I use a Dell D600 and here's my setup to optimize:
I can tell you exactly what I do as I use my PC for my machine and webuse. You can switch back and forth between Standard PC and ACPI PC modes. When switching to Standard PC mode (procedure shown below:), after the computer restarts, I then go into Task Manager and click on the Process tab and then click on the USER Name menu (You) and turn off everything except:
- explorer.exe
- tfswctrl.exe
Leave all the Local Service, Network Service and System settings alone.
Set Computer to Standard PC NOT ACPI PC
1. Right Click My Computer and select Properties
2. Click Hardware tab.
3. Click Device Manager Button in the middle.
4. Double click "Computer".
5. Right click on Standard ACPI PC and choose Update Driver.
6. Choose "Install the software from a Specific Location (Advanced)"
7. Click Next.
8. Choose "Don't search. I will choose driver to install."
9. Click Next.
10. Choose "Standard PC" from the listing.
11. Click Next.
12. Click OK.
Restart and turn off the process' running explained above and you should be good to go.
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"Set Computer to Standard PC NOT ACPI PC" - How do you do that?
Regards,
Ray L.
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Ray,
- "Start" button
- right click "MY Computer" Icon
- click "Hardware" Tab
- click "Device Manager" button
- click the plus sign next to "Computer" and it will probably say something like, "ACPI PC" under it.
- right click on ACPI and click "Update Driver" then click "no, not at this time" then "Next"
- then click "Install from a list" then click "Next"
- then click "don't search, I will choose driver" then "Next" button.
-then click "Standard PC" option and then finish and it will ask you to restart. Click Yes and then follow what I typed above.
Hope that helps,
Dave
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Thanks for all the help guys,
I've installed Win2000 as Standard PC and the difference is remarkable. The lockup problem is gone. In XP I was getting missed steps and stalling at rediculous rates (500mm/min). The steppers are perfect now, smooth and no chugging like before. I'm working the motors up past 2000mm/min and still no problems. I have not tried stopping services or processes yet and may not have to with a little luck
I may just install XP on another partiton just to see if it was the problem.
Once again, thanks for the help
Regards, Jeff.
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Jeff,
I can't run my machine in ACPI mode in XP at all as the motors just sit and grind for me. But once I do the process above, it's like night and day.
Dave
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:)
Brett
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Hi everyone,
Just to update, I installed XP Pro(SP2, standard PC) over my Win2000 setup last night just to compare and while my mouse/keyboard problem had gone, the drivertest results were almost as bad as before and the missed steps etc were back. It didn't seem to matter what I did other than running RMClock, which helped a little, I couldn't get a clean graph at all. I've just re-installed Win2000 and all is smoothness again.
So, for me it appears that Win2000 in Standard PC mode is the way to go.
Thanks to you all for your help. ;D
Regards, Jeff.
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Whatever works then, right? :D
Glad you got it working-
Dave
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Whatever works then, right? :D
Glad you got it working-
Dave
Hi Dave,
Since my last reply, the shutdown problem came back but only on really long runs. I'd also asked about this in other places and found out that while the C640 is a well regarded laptop, it does have cooling issues and I was advised to strip off the keyboard and check whether the heatsink had become detached from the CPU and it had, partially at least plus there was a lot of dust and fluff in the cooling vanes. Cleaned the cooling system, added some new thermal grease and put it back together. I've been running it very hard over the last two days and had zero problems. I think we can add the Dell C640 to the list of Laptops that work with Mach3 now.
Big thanks to PMINMO for the help with RMClock and other excellent advice.
Regards, Jeff.
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:)
Brett
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Great to hear, I'll have to keep that in mind as a "to-do" item for the near future so thanks for passing that info along - ;)