246 Axis Error

[SandBuoy]

I had the machine stop on two other projects this morning on axis error. I came in and read about this problem and fixes. Seen where it could anything from Z axis being bad, a twisted board, bit length or memory card failure. I think I can now add one more possibility to the list. The design doesn't download right on the card sometimes.

So for the heck of it I came back in and reloaded the design that was still up on my screen onto the memory card. Flipped the board over and ran the project again. This time is carved the entire 1/1-2 hours without a hitch. To bad I inverted the indian head as it would have looked so much better left alone.

So this afternoon I designed another clock face with and indian head center, numbers 12-1-3 and 9 in their positions and used the drill function to cut .752 diameter circles to place real IH pennies in for the other numbers. I also put some corners on this design for kicks.

I loaded the program on the memory card, put in a new board and started carving the design. I watched for about 5 minute to see is everything was going to plan and went inside to watch some American Idol with the wife. About 12% into the project the machine stopped. I went out and seen there was a 246 Axis error at 12%

I started to wonder now if it was a glisch in the program. I started the job over and it started cutting almost prefectly where it started the first time. I watched again for a little while and went back inside and listened for that dreaded silence again. Sure enough, at 12% the machine stopped and I got a 256 Axis error. Infact the bit stopped in the same place it did the first, in the middle of the first corner.

So I am thinking that that when you download a program there is a chance it doesn't store right on the card sometimes. I came in to redownload the design to see if it would carve the entire thing after putting it back on the card. But my machine froze when I put the card in and tried saving it .

I think I am going to leave the board in place and try recarving it tomorrow after I load it back on the card. I am also going to order a new card as this has happened 3 times now and when I reload the design it runs all the ways threw. Like to know if this works for anyone else when they get the 246 error. Maybe try it and let us know if redownloading design, staring the project over and see if the entire design carves.

[Jeff_Birt]

Wow, that's a great error report. Very good work. Can you provide a little more detail on the Version of Designer your using, firmware on memory card and OS?

[SandBuoy]

Jeff, its says I am using designer 1.126 and my OS system is window XP. Not sure where to locate the memory card specs at. Thats one of the real irks I have with this memory card set up. You can't get any information back off the card once its uploaded to it. Its either keep it on there or erase it. Unless theres a way that I don't know about.

I am 95% sure that that error came up from a bad uploading onto the card. It stopped at the same percentage and the exact spot both times. That leads me to believe the machine can't read it or its a defective upload.

BTW, when I came back in with the card and tried uploading the project again, I got a message that there was a error in the program, then it locked up when I hit retry. Lost my design (stupid me didn't save it) and the memory card won't allow me to bring it back up.

[Jeff_Birt]

Jeff, its says I am using designer 1.126 and my OS system is window XP. Not sure where to locate the memory card specs at. Thats one of the real irks I have with this memory card set up. You can't get any information back off the card once its uploaded to it.

If you go to File->Flash manager it will tell you the firmware version on your memory card. I will assume that you are using 1.126 firmware, otherwise you would be prompted to upgrade whenever you uploaded to the card. You could also try reformatting the card with Flash Manager to see if that helps.



BTW, when I came back in with the card and tried uploading the project again, I got a message that there was a error in the program, then it locked up when I hit retry. Lost my design (stupid me didn't save it) and the memory card won't allow me to bring it back up.

That makes me kind of suspect a problem on your PC. My older PC had issues with the on-board USB ports, if I tried to insert the card with Designer running, Designer would lock up or tell me that it could not find the card. Luckily I had a PCI USB 2 card installed and switched the memory card reader to it and all was well.

As for reading back off the memory card, jlitz has written a program that lets you do that, but it is not useful in the sense that you are thinking. When the project is compiled (or posted in CNC speak) it is converted into a series of movements for the machine to make. So even if you could read this information back in you would not have your original project. (Just like after you cut a board into smaller pieces you can't again make a single whole board from it.)

[cmorlier]

Just curious at the point in the carving where it fails, is there anything different about the pattern? Specifically, is it maybe deeper than anything earlier in the project?

I ask, because I can't think of any reasons why the software would throw a stall due to a corrupted project, but I would like to try and determine if there is a link.

One thing to try is to note about where the Z-truck would have been when it stalled. Then raise the head up (with the machine off), and try moving the truck up and down smoothly through the full range. Are there any catches near the depth where it is failing?

[SandBuoy]

Okay, did a reformat on the card, looked and its 1.126 before the format and it also gave me a message that there was an error on the card. Asked if I wanted to send error and I did. Maybe it will go to CW and they will write me about it. It also asked if I wanted to upgrade so I did that to, same 1.126. Maybe it will shake some bug loose or clear it out. Planned out another clock face last night and I will give it another shot later on.

colier, when this has happened to me it has been at different places on the run. Last was 12% .125 depth, the night before was 32% at .250 depth and I did have this happen on my second or third project also. The first one I just figured it was because I had the board in wrong or out of square.

wasn't the case as the board slid very easily once the head was raised. I also thought maybe because the board was warped in the center and the machine read a difference in head compression. But I redesigned the project and used the same board. Ran the entire 10" clock face with no problems.

Now that I think about it, the first stall happened very early in the carve. It didn't get 1/4" into the .250-10" diameter circle before it stalled. I started the run over again and it stalled the same place. I think it stalled just as it was starting to cut the 9 on the face.

There is something else I think might be causing the problems. It may have no bearing at all but worth a shot. I asked Jeff a few nights ago about a couple of things I didn't understand and he helped me with them.

First I wanted to be able to put in a relief around my numbers and features. He told me how to do it and said click on Merge/additive. I am wondering if maybe that is some of the problem with the carve ad the stalls. I may have forgot to do it on the 2nd and 3rd designs as I rearranged some of the feature after deleting them. That something that comes with repetition and I could have overlooked after the delete.

While I am on this subject, do I have to Merge all items added to the design. I now have incorporated 8 .750 x .060 deep holes to the clock face. Do each one of these have to be merged in? I make the first one and just copied and pasted the last 7 and aligned then. I haven't gotten that far on the carve yet but its good to know on a new design.

Jeff, I am running my memory card off a hub that runs off a main connector in the back of the machine. Maybe i will try connecting the reader directly into that port and see if theres any difference in the upload. Maybe I am getting a glitch running from the port, to the hub and then into the reader. Its worth a try and thanks for the heads on that.

The machine is a 2500 AMD so its not all that old, maybe 2 years. Planning on upgrading to a new 64 here shortly. Did my wife about 5 months ago to a 64 bit Intel 3.6 or something like that. I know Intel is suppose to support graphic designing a little better. Anyway my son a Best Buy Geek in one of those black/white Bugs says he will only use his Intel machine for program designing and graphic animations. But he used his AMD for running games, go figure.

BTW, in between these two indian head clock face runs I did one of those cut out of the carpenter guy. Ran that design without any problems and it was almost a hour and a half run. Project came out fantastic too even enlarging it in size. I also completely clean the machine after each run too. use a shop Vac and run it along the tracks, belts and sensors. So I don't think it a chip or piece of material jammed in the sensor or a belt.

[RanUtah]

Sandbuoy, did you happen to get your issue resolved? It sounds identical to what happened to me today except with my project it was about 75% done. I seem to be stuck until I find out what the problem is. I'm running 1.126 and XP as well.

[pkunk]

FYI, I had a design awhile back that drove the machine crazy & I couldn't figure it out. I'd made many changes on the design and somehow I believe they corrupted the Designer file. In going back and forth with Michael of Carvebuddy (who helped me solve the problem) we decided that a new project might eliminate the problem. Because I thought that maybe my computer was at fault, he made the same MPC for me with my patterns and it worked.:D So, in retrospect, if you've worked and reworked a design & it won't carve right :), try making an entirely new MPC just following the design of the one you spent time on, but without making all those changes.:)
It worked for me!

[SandBuoy]

Thanks pkunk, I think you have a valid point and thats exactly what I did. I have a lot of changes going on with the initail designing of the project. Changed some things a couple of times, might have forgotten to reinstate a few details and think I could have errored the design. I went back in, resigned the project without having to make any changes and it worked great.

But I know at least 2 projects were nothing more then just uploading the same design still on the screen to the card and it worked fine. This seemed to be a flaw in the tranfer of the data from my machine to the card. It was a quick fix and the machine started the cut just about dead on where it started.

[Jeff_Birt]

SandBouy, didn't you find your flex shaft was also not seated properly causing the bit not to spin (a few days ago)?

[RanUtah]

I tried pkunk's advise on redesigning my project as a new one. When I plug in the card and fire up the machine I immediatly get the Z axis error 246 right off the bat. I've uploaded other projects that I have done in the past that I know that have worked before and I'm getting the same error. I have deleated the errors off of the card before uploading. I guess I'll have to call LHR tomorrow.

[SandBuoy]

Yes Jeff, When I oiled it one time I must have not seated it right. It didn't damaged anything as I have craved 4 projects since. I really think this was also the reason for the machine kicking into high speed sometimes. It hasn't done it since that I have noticed.

Also wanted to say. I had a litho Tuesday stop at about 23% with a error message machine cannot read measurements or something to that effect. I went in, unloaded the project to the card, started the carve over and it started almost exxactly where it had started before. Did the complete carving with no problems.

This could be a lot reasons for a machine to stop during the middle of a carve. I have gotten a few different error messages now that uploading the design over onto the card as fixed.

BTW Jeff, did you see my PM about the coin slots or dillings I sent to you. maybe it didn't go threw

[Jeff_Birt]

OK, glad the flex shaft thing fixed that problem. I have not seen a PM or email, did you send it to the right Jeff.

[SandBuoy]

I will thanks.

[RanUtah]

Sandbuoy, did you get the issue resolved with the z axis error?