Skynet Got Me Today

[Nicolas Silva]

odd coincedence but I was watching Terminator 2 and running a job at the same time
and on the 2nd pass of the job the laser decided to run a line from the lower left hand corner to the upper right
hand corner across the job and then two horizontal lines across the length of the job which completely
ruined the job. Didn't do it on the first pass. There may be something to this 'rise of the machines' thing.
a reboot later and it all worked out.

[Bert Kemp]

So How many times have you watched T-2 I've lost count LOL

[Keith Colson]

MY Universal does odd things too. About every couple of weeks it just stops mid job and I can only correct it with a reboot on the PC.

Cheers
Keith

[Kev Williams]

data transfer errors. Hate when that happens. My laser's do that occasionally. So do my other engravers. This just happened yesterday, instead of the tool picking up and going to the next part on the right, it just stayed down and engraved a straight line left to infinity (or the limit switch, whichever comes first! )
line.jpg

[Bill George]

Do you have someone running a welder, Ham or CB type radio transmitter near by? Could be RFI or EMI either on the power line or someone near you with an electronic device.

[Ross Moshinsky]

I used to have this problem regularly with my LS100. It was a bearing issue. Since I've replaced the bearing and rail I haven't had a problem and that's about 3-4 years.

[Keith Colson]

I had it happen just now, mid way through engraving a piece of maple darn it. I re ran the job with the lid ajar and then dropped it at the right time, I got a tiny black line in the art that I can get away with.

It happened exactly when I pushed my garage door remote to let a customer in hrmmmm. Ross my bearings on the x axis are a bit noisey so I will replace them as a matter of course and see if it helps.

Cheers
Keith

[Keith Colson]

Since I have been running my new air compressor that has much lower ripple current I have not seen this issue reoccur. Fingers crossed the issue is fixed.

[Keith Colson]

Well it got me again today, the machine locked up exactly when the compressor cycled on, so I am pretty sure that it happens when you get the voltage drop due to the compressor starting up.

If I get ambitious I will pull the power-supply apart and check/replace the electrolytic capacitors. At least I know the cause now.

[Bill George]

Any chance to put the laser on another circuit? You might also try a power strip with the surge protection and filtering, might need to spend a little more to get an industrial rated one. I have a heavy duty one on mine and I would have to go out and get the brand and model. I see you are an electronics person, so maybe you know about adding bypass capacitors to take any RF to ground.

The last more expensive solution is running the laser off a UPS system.

[John Noell]

The last more expensive solution is running the laser off a UPS system.

I looked at UPS cost and went with a much less expensive APC voltage regulator. (Our electric power is very unstable.) I was very happy with the regulator.

[Bill George]

I looked at UPS cost and went with a much less expensive APC voltage regulator. (Our electric power is very unstable.) I was very happy with the regulator.

Are you folks on diesel generators for the entire island or do you have your own solar / wind set up off a battery bank and invertors?

[David Somers]

Bill,

John can update me if I am not current....but I believe Fiji has a very modest Hydro generation setup that I think came on line in 2012 or 2013? They also have a bit of wind and a bit of biomass generated by burning the scraps from timber and sugar production. Otherwise they are on diesel generators. And if I remember right, pretty old ones.

John.....don't feel bad. It could be worse. You could be in Saipan (commonwealth of the marianas) where they are almost 100% diesel, running generators that date back to the German occupation of the islands (seriously) and are constantly in arrears on their payment for fuel to the point where the oil companies will only take cash now for delivery. They anchor a fuel tanker off the coast (to taunt them I think) and wait till someone gives them hard currency for the fuel. So the island has longgggggg rolling blackouts. Almost all businesses and hotels and the National Park unit I served there have generators to take them through these long blackouts. If you are a homeowner with limited $$ resources you are simply up a creek without a paddle. Amazing way to run a country. Hopefully Fiji is a bit more stable than that.

Dave

[Kevin L. Waldron]

Keith,

Problem with the Universal machine will be USB connection....... 1) it's possible your USB card or mother board 0n the computer are getting weak when they get hot, 2) you might also try a power assisted USB 3) as mentioned the power surge on the same circuit etc. could also cause a micro second off/on just enough for the ULS to loose the USB two way communications...... ( We have two Universal and very familiar with the problem. At one point the only cure was a new internal powered USB Card)

Blessings,

Kevin

[Michael Kowalczyk]

I'llllllll beeeee backkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!