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Mach 3 freezes during operation
« on: September 14, 2017, 12:59:45 AM »
Hi
I have no other problems with Mach3 other than during a g-code run it suddenly stops and I cannot use any feature to get it going again. I have to close down and re-start my job. It doesn't happen all the time but it is very annoying.
Any suggestions? Anybody else had this problem and overcome it?
Moonchpa
Re: Mach 3 freezes during operation
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2017, 09:11:22 AM »
Mach 3 doesn't do that generally so it's likely to be something to do with your system,  when asking questions about problems which don't impact most people and are thus unlikely to be caused by Mach3 you should really specify the versions of Mach3 and Windows you are running, whether the machine is isolated from internet and other network connections, what AV you have installed, what other software you have installed, how you are connecting to your machine etc.

Regards,
Nick
Re: Mach 3 freezes during operation
« Reply #2 on: September 15, 2017, 01:34:26 AM »
Right.
There is an old post about the same problem. The recommendation was to alter the debounce to 200 and uncheck the watchdog in general config. It appears for that situation there was perhaps some interference from an erratic light (or something). I have no idea what that is all about but it looked good! Perhaps other machinery or the like interferes with the parallel port. I don't use a smooth stepper (again, not sure what that does other than what it sounds).
I did that on my Mach 3 and no problems today. However, it is erratic so I  cannot be sure I have fixed anything.
In answer to you post here are a few details.
I purchased Mach 3 this year so I guess I am up to date there. It is on a Windows 7 system and linked by parallel port to a 6040 cnc machine from China. It is stand alone in my workshop with no internet connection. The only other programme is Vectric software
Re: Mach 3 freezes during operation
« Reply #3 on: September 15, 2017, 03:27:37 AM »
Did your Mach3 come with your machine purchase or did you buy it from Newfangled Solutions? Lots of bundled versions can be a bit flaky if they've been tweaked for specific hardware in China.
Long debounce settings are to solve problems with E-stop and limit switches triggering spuriously, when this causes a stop you can see it'a an E-stop or limit switch from the on screen messages, are you getting a message to do with a switch triggering and causing your stop but didn't mention that?
If you look through posts referring to the recommended version of Mach3 to run it's almost never the final version, the new team was adding new issues as fast as solving old ones at the end of "development"

 - Nick
Re: Mach 3 freezes during operation
« Reply #4 on: September 15, 2017, 06:49:17 AM »
Nick. Thanks for following up on my worries.
I purchased Mach 4 from Newfangled solutions first and couldn't configure it (I was very new). Someone on the forum said it was like swimming in a pool of alligators! I then went on and bought Mach3 and had everything going within the week. I have version 3.043.066.
There are no messages. The g-code stops (or something stops the g-code and the cutter is left spinning on the spot. Nothing I have tried has set it going again from the same line. It won't even move from that line of code. Nothing, Zilch. Zero. Re-start Mach 3 and re-load, and begin again  from the zero position and let the cutter cut thin air until it gets back to where it left off. usually I can get the zero position accurately set because i make a mark or a hole in the material before I cut anything.
The strange thing is that it is totally random. I don't know of anything I do, or don't do differently to make it seize. Moonchpa

Offline Tweakie.CNC

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Re: Mach 3 freezes during operation
« Reply #5 on: September 15, 2017, 07:09:24 AM »
Hi Moonchpa,

Mach3 v.066 is not the best version for you to be using.
Download and install version .062 (it can be installed over the top of your existing version) and report back if the problem still exists. Version .062 can be downloaded from here: ftp://anonymous:guest@ftp.machsupport.com/Mach3/Mach3Version3.043.062.exe

Tweakie.
PEACE
Re: Mach 3 freezes during operation
« Reply #6 on: September 15, 2017, 06:15:05 PM »
Thanks very much. I hope you never hear from me again in this regard!
Moonchpa
Re: Mach 3 freezes during operation
« Reply #7 on: September 16, 2017, 05:40:24 AM »
Thanks very much. I hope you never hear from me again in this regard!
Moonchpa

Let us know how it goes, either way ;-)
Re: Mach 3 freezes during operation
« Reply #8 on: September 16, 2017, 06:39:03 AM »
Okay. It might take a while to test Mach's stability.
By the way, I will have to reset all the config. in Mach 3 again after I install the other version?
Moonchpa

Offline Tweakie.CNC

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Re: Mach 3 freezes during operation
« Reply #9 on: September 16, 2017, 06:50:50 AM »
Quote
By the way, I will have to reset all the config. in Mach 3 again after I install the other version?

No, all your settings will be preserved if you install the new version over the top of the old version.
 
However, just to make sure make a backup of your existing Mach3 folder.

Tweakie.
PEACE