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Mach 4 stops while running program
« on: May 01, 2017, 08:22:25 PM »
I've been successfully running Mach 4 (v2.0.3233) for a few months. A recent problem has come up. My router stopped in the middle of running a program and Mach 4 seemed to just stop responding. I had to shut down Mach 4 and start it back up just to be able to jog the bit out of the part.  I ran the program again and it stopped in a different place.  If I run the program up out of the wood, it completes the program. Put it back down into the wood, It stops somewhere in the middle of the program...

Any ideas??
Re: Mach 4 stops while running program
« Reply #1 on: May 01, 2017, 08:23:34 PM »
It could be electrical noise from the spindle. Less load equals less noise?
Steve Stallings
www.PMDX.com
Re: Mach 4 stops while running program
« Reply #2 on: May 11, 2017, 07:43:03 PM »
By electrical noise do you mean vibration?  My set up is a handheld router without the base mounted in a 1-1/2 thick plywood spindle mount that I made with the CNC.  Could this be the problem?  should I make a new one out of aluminum?

What else could be causing this problem?

 The rest of the set up is as follows:
-Home made machine made from extruded aluminum (8020 parts).
-Control board is a C10 with a Ethernet smooth stepper.
-Toshiba laptop running windows 10 64 bit with 8 GB Ram.
Mach 4 Hobby version 2.0.3233



Re: Mach 4 stops while running program
« Reply #3 on: May 11, 2017, 11:46:10 PM »
Hi,

that sounds like the demo-timeout. Could it be, that you changed something to your laptop so that mach does not recognize the license?
Look at the titlebar of mach, whether it says something like "demo".
Or when mach stops, just press "start" again. When in demo mode mach will issue a message then.

cheers Reinhard

Offline Mauri

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Re: Mach 4 stops while running program
« Reply #4 on: May 11, 2017, 11:46:53 PM »
Soxfan963,
When a machine is under stress a number of electrically driven parts will produce RF and EMF noise.
In your case it could be the spindle.
You need to put in place an RF and EMF suppressor in your electrical connections.
Also Noise can be fixed by adding suppressors to wiring like RF ferrite noise suppressors and clip then around all the cables. (ebay has many sizes available fairly cheap).
Make sure all your cabling are all shielded and one end of the shield is earthed to the mill/router table.
We have had situations in the past that even a remote garage door opening caused to machine to stop.
Regards,
Mauri.
Re: Mach 4 stops while running program
« Reply #5 on: May 12, 2017, 09:16:35 PM »
thanks Mauri, I'll give it a shot. 
Re: Mach 4 stops while running program
« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2017, 08:27:15 AM »
so what cabling needs a suppressor?  the router power cord?  the ethernet cable to the laptop? all the wires running to the control box?  where is the interference coming from?

Thanks for all the help!

Offline Mauri

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Re: Mach 4 stops while running program
« Reply #7 on: May 13, 2017, 05:16:48 PM »
Soxfan963,
You can place ferrite suppressors on all cables that way you get the best results they are very cheap from Ebay.
The Ethernet cable should be OK they have twists to prevent noise, but a shielded version is the best.
All cables should be shielded (motor, home and spindle).
All cables should be twisted (i.e.) cables to Motors, home and spindle, cable inside the controller.
Regards,
Mauri.
Re: Mach 4 stops while running program
« Reply #8 on: May 15, 2017, 08:31:54 PM »
Frustrated....  So I bought ferrite suppressors and placed them on all cables as suggested ($15.00 no big deal).  Problem didn't go away.  I decided to seperate the spindle cable from the rest of the cable bundle and plug it into another outlet. It seemed as if the problem went away.  the router cut as expected for about 2 minutes and stopped again...  Started over, cut for about 15 seconds and stopped.  What the hell am I missing???

Mauri, what do you mean by "cables should be twisted"?
Re: Mach 4 stops while running program
« Reply #9 on: May 15, 2017, 08:48:32 PM »
Also, If I run the machine at a VERY slow feed rate, it runs fine. only as I speed it up do I run into problems....