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Author Topic: Mach3 won't keep zero!  (Read 7845 times)

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Mach3 won't keep zero!
« on: August 10, 2009, 01:26:08 AM »
So I notice that my machine won't keep its zero, so I write a program to confirm this. I leave it to g0 x0 y0 z0, g0 x1 y1 z1, and I let it run for an hour and it's still dead on from what I can see. The monitor had gone into power saving so I wiggle the mouse. The machine is still running, and it IMMEDIATELY loses it's zero and smashes the bit I have in the collet. It obviously lost a TON of steps on the up swing, meaning the zero point was now below the bed. What can I do to prevent this? Please please tell me there's a better solution than preventing the monitor from going into power saving.

Offline Hood

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Re: Mach3 won't keep zero!
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2009, 01:55:57 AM »
Sounds like your computer may be the problem, what is its spec?
Hood
Re: Mach3 won't keep zero!
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2009, 02:01:28 AM »
1.2 ghz atom, 1 gig of ram. Not a laptop, but potentially a laptop chipset since it's an itx motherboard. Plenty of cycles and memory to go around though...

Offline Hood

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Re: Mach3 won't keep zero!
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2009, 02:03:03 AM »
run the driver test while moving the mouse.
Hood

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Re: Mach3 won't keep zero!
« Reply #4 on: August 10, 2009, 02:04:26 AM »
Also look and see what CPU load is at when running code, Ctrl Alt Del will let you see that.
Hood
Re: Mach3 won't keep zero!
« Reply #5 on: August 10, 2009, 02:20:18 AM »
Okay now something entirely different is happening. I can run the program and then the DROs jump like crazy, and the steppers lock up and turn on and off. What the heck is happening?

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Re: Mach3 won't keep zero!
« Reply #6 on: August 10, 2009, 02:47:33 AM »
Your computer sounds like it is too low a spec. As I said run the driver test to see what the line looks like, especially if you move the mouse whilst doing so. Also what is the CPU load when you are running code.
If you have not already done the optimisation steps detailed on the downloads page then do them.
 The Atom CPU however from what I have heard is a very basic CPU and although the clock may be 1.2Gig its the performance is more like that of an 800MHz CPU.
 Another thing, does this have onboard graphics? if so then that is just another black mark against your chances of running well with it.


Hood
Re: Mach3 won't keep zero!
« Reply #7 on: August 10, 2009, 05:18:03 AM »
CPU usage is down at 20% or so. I wasn't having this kind of trouble even with a 600 MHz machine, I really doubt it's a performance issue.

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Re: Mach3 won't keep zero!
« Reply #8 on: August 10, 2009, 06:17:10 AM »
Driver test?

Hood

Offline RICH

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Re: Mach3 won't keep zero!
« Reply #9 on: August 10, 2009, 09:32:46 AM »
gaze,
You should turn off the power saving feature of the computer.
We run computers 10 hrs a day all year long and don't have problems with monitors going if that's your concern.

And here is a weird one, I recently had a real bad problem in that every time i loaded MACH3 along with using
a SS / video camera/Copycat i could only do so much and then would get a reset. Upon hitting the reset button
with the mouse the pc would crash. Long story short.......one of the memory chips went bad.

Never had memory go bad, but that was the culprit and it didn't do it when using a whole bunch of other programs all opened at the same time. After a few days it started crashing on boot up.

Not saying your memory is bad, but just thought i would mention this because i was realy stumped for a short time until the bad memory was identified and replaced.

RICH