Machsupport Forum

Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: WoodyCam on June 18, 2006, 10:05:22 PM

Title: Freezing! Mach3Version D1.90.035 to 50? What's different from vn17?
Post by: WoodyCam on June 18, 2006, 10:05:22 PM
Hi All,

Been running licenced vn of Mach3 1.9.017 (fantasic, I love Mach3) and its been completely stable for many hours of operation and survived many stupid inputs and cable disconnections from me as I built my 4axis stepper machine.

Recently upgraded to vn 35, 41 and now 50 and these have all been unstable on my PC. After 5 to 10 minutes, PC hangs and usually system eStops. Motors always stop. Doesn't matter if a programme is running or the machine is idle.

Sometime, in the hung state, I can press the hard eStop on the machine and the PC will instantly recover and I can re-set again. Strangely, the status box sometimes then says "Script Terminated" only when that happens. But, then about 5 mins later the PC will hang and have to hard re-set no matter what the machine was doing.

"Driver Watchdog Triggered" also comes up. When I turn watchdog off, makes no difference to hanging. Also, I messed with increased inputs debounce and that also makes no difference. As Vn17 works, I don't think I have noise. It is a simple setup but with well shielded and filtered inputs.

So, any idea what was changed in the code or the pulsing driver that my PC doesn't like from Vn17 to vn 35 onwards? Or is there a setting I need to change on my setup? Enhanced pulsing on or off makes no difference. When I go back to Vn17, all is well again.

I've been through the very useful optimisation text and the PC works great. P3 1gHz, 256Mb, but it is not in "Standard PC" mode. Is that critical for releases after Vn17? At the moment, I am not brave enough to change this and don't really understand what difference it actually makes. xml attached.

I would be really grateful for your help.

Thanks

Title: Re: Freezing! Mach3Version D1.90.035 to 50? What's different from vn17?
Post by: Brian Barker on June 18, 2006, 10:37:36 PM
sounds like you have something running in in the background... look under MSconfig and see if you can turn off processes.

That should do it!
Brian
Title: Re: Freezing! Mach3Version D1.90.035 to 50? What's different from vn17?
Post by: WoodyCam on June 18, 2006, 10:54:55 PM
Thanks Brian, I will check that tonight but there is not much running - maybe 12 or 14 processes. Is that normal?

Its Win 2k by the way. Is that an issue? Do later versions HAVE to run on XP?

Any idea why Vn17 is always stable?

Sorry for so many questions. I will post a pic of my machine one day - its wood and aluminium but engineered for high stiffness - it will cut steel - maybe... Should find out soon!

Thanks!

Richard.
Title: Re: Freezing! Mach3Version D1.90.035 to 50? What's different from vn17?
Post by: WoodyCam on June 19, 2006, 08:29:25 AM
Hi Brian, attached is what I have running with Win2k before I start Mach3 (ignore firefox!).

I followed the optimisation as best I could, I don't think there is much else I can do without? What do you think?

Any idea why 17 would be stable with this setup and not vn35 to 50?

Could it be my Prn port settings - any basic settings we should use?

Or is this a "not running Standard PC problem"? But not sure why IRQs would change after windows starts?

Thanks, Richard.
Title: Re: Freezing! Mach3Version D1.90.035 to 50? What's different from vn17?
Post by: ART on June 19, 2006, 09:37:46 AM
Hi:

 Doesnt sound liek com settings or anything. Run Mach3Turn...just as a test. Does it hang after 5 minutes of sitting there..

Art
Title: Re: Freezing! Mach3Version D1.90.035 to 50? What's different from vn17?
Post by: WoodyCam on June 20, 2006, 09:39:15 AM
Hi Art,

Ah ha, Mach3Turn Vn50 does not hangup. OK for over 1h jogging and resetting and so on. No Problems. But Mach3Mill - hung after 5 mins again. ???

Sometimes, PC comes back after hanging but most times just freezes.

Is there some script always running with Mach3Mill that is different with Mach3Turn?

Thanks

Richard.

Title: Re: Freezing! Mach3Version D1.90.035 to 50? What's different from vn17?
Post by: ART on June 20, 2006, 10:34:37 AM
Richard:

 Good. So at least we know its a setting of some sort. (Both are the same program..).

 So in Config turn off macropump, andin ports&Pins, make sure All the serial controls are turned off as well as modbus control. (if its on..)

In config/state turn off MacroPump and UDP is its on.

 Were any of those on??

Also, delte the contents of the plugin folder. (If theres anythign in it..)

Thanks
Art
Title: Re: Freezing! Mach3Version D1.90.035 to 50? What's different from vn17?
Post by: CncBr on June 20, 2006, 08:24:54 PM
 ::)

HI FOR ALL,   
Some drives of video AGP ATI that this causing this instability in Mach, this very day I had this problem.

SOLUTION:   
TO USE DRIVER OF OLDER VERSION

THANKS,
Title: Re: Freezing! Mach3Version D1.90.035 to 50? What's different from vn17?
Post by: WoodyCam on June 20, 2006, 09:07:02 PM
Thanks CcnBr - I will check that.

Thanks Art, they were all off and no serial ports/pins configured. But I did see that I wrongly had spindle enabled and set to port 2 (which is disabled). This is different in the turn config which did work.

Removed "JoyStick.dll" from plugins.

Tested OK for 8 mins then just had to go to work....AHH.  So, still don't know if stable.

Any other settings you could suggest I check?

By the way, why does "HiddenScript." come up in the VB macro editor sometimes when Mach3 starts in vn 50? Sometimes this hangs on startup.

Thanks very much for your help - we are making progress!

Richard.
Title: Re: Freezing! Mach3Version D1.90.035 to 50? What's different from vn17?
Post by: ART on June 20, 2006, 10:22:10 PM
Hi Richard:

  Cant think of anythign else. Check your initialisation string, does it call a macro? There may be some illegal character in it or something.

Let me know what happens on stability..

Art
Title: Re: Freezing! Mach3Version D1.90.035 to 50? What's different from vn17?
Post by: WoodyCam on June 20, 2006, 10:52:05 PM
Thanks Art,

Is that in Config, State? Just says G80, I've not touched this. Top right hand corner says Mill->G15 G80 G17 G40 G21 G90 G94 G54 G49 G99.

What is "HiddenScript" for, by the way, seems to contain just a few spaces?

Also, what is "ShuttleMode" and accel setting? Can't find reference to it. Is this new, secret functionality!!

I will report back tonight, Thanks, Richard.
Title: Re: Freezing! Mach3Version D1.90.035 to 50? What's different from vn17?
Post by: CncBr on June 20, 2006, 11:12:56 PM
Hi Art, 
On the comment Richard!  
On the vb editor to open, this really happening but it is not always, he opens random! 
That began to happen of the version dev 1.90.050, In the version 1.90.051 it is also!

Thanks,
Title: Re: Freezing! Mach3Version D1.90.035 to 50? What's different from vn17?
Post by: WoodyCam on June 21, 2006, 08:18:35 PM
Hi Art,

Success!!  :) ;D I think deleting the JoyStick.dll plugin fixed the problem. Now stable as a rock.

Perhaps that should be an option during installation just for those who need it?

All that remains is the "HiddenScript" issue which sometimes crashes Mach3 on startup.

Thanks for your help. I really appreciate the effort you and Brian are putting in to Mach3.

Regards, Richard.
Title: Re: Freezing! Mach3Version D1.90.035 to 50? What's different from vn17?
Post by: Brian Barker on June 21, 2006, 08:53:32 PM
Could you post your XML ? i would like to see if my system is going to call the hidden script :)

Thank you
Brian
Title: Re: Freezing! Mach3Version D1.90.035 to 50? What's different from vn17?
Post by: WoodyCam on June 22, 2006, 10:34:02 PM
Thanks Brian,

As requested. Also screenshot of what it looks like. Sometimes if I close the VB editor before closing the file it has opened, it will crash Mach 3.

Let us know if you find anything. I don't think I have a very complex setup!

Richard.
Title: Re: Freezing! Mach3Version D1.90.035 to 50? What's different from vn17?
Post by: WoodyCam on June 22, 2006, 10:35:06 PM
Also, you will see that is says Error Starting Engine - but actually, everything works fine!?

Richard.
Title: Re: Freezing! Mach3Version D1.90.035 to 50? What's different from vn17?
Post by: Brian Barker on June 23, 2006, 07:15:41 AM
update to the lates rev of Mach3 and see if you still have the probelm... I loaded your XML and couldn't get the error :(

Thanks
Brian