Hey all. first time on Mach support. i have recently built my first machine (2'x4' CNC plasma table) and have cut a few things till my Vary old, Cheap, plasma cutter failed. i upgraded to a Primeweld Cut60 hooked it all up and the torch would move to its first pierce then hold there, and would not continue the G-Code. i am not running THC at the moment and am only garbing the trigger wires from the plasma. G-Code runs fine when plasma cutter is not hooked up. and i have cut these files before with the older plasma cutter. i am using china motors and drivers and a BL5 - mach3 USB Breakout board. not sure what i am doing wrong and would love some help if posable. or some stuff i can check.

Hi,
it is highly probable that electrical noise is wrecking the USB communications.

Plasma is electrically noisy....in fact its pure lightning....electrical noise by any other name. In addition most cheap Plasmas use HF start which is almost certain
to bugger up your USB comms.

Ethernet is much better in a noisy environment...but Plasma will give Ethernet a hard time too.

Try making your USB cable short, short as possible, 1 foot or less.

Craig

awesome! thank you so much for the info. i will try to do that and see what happens. thanks for your time. i guess it would help to move the plasma cutter away from the machine as best i can to? i think i have the availability to do so.

Something here might help.  Mine multipurpose machine. 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYdfjGc1OOrhWuT7gE_PHDY-klGkjHV37