Micro Router 2nd Hand

[Chucky5516]

Thank you both so much for your help. After all that, the electrician was about to follow the advice of bypassing the switch, went to one of the terminals suggested and the wire just fell out. It wasn't in there properly or tightened down. So, we aborted the plan, put the cable back tightened it down, and that was it. Problem solved.

I feel a bit silly, but didn't really want to start playing with the wires on the control board without supervision. Turns out this is why the signal has been intermittent for the best part of a year. Thank you so much for your help again.

So onto the next problem, the stalling axis. What did you mean Argos by can I stop the X axis by hand?

[Agors]

Open the door,
(Carefully please) please a finger on the x axis trying to stop it.
Jogging the axis, and trying to stop it with your hand, are you able to stop it?

[Martin]

If it`s stalling at high feed rates in manual then you will need to remove & clean both leadscrew nuts.

It`s not a massive job as long as you remove & clean them one at a time & check the alignment is correct as you put it back together.

[Chucky5516]

Are the lead screw nuts the triangular ones?

[TDIPower]

YES

[Chucky5516]

Apart from the alignment of the nuts, is there anything else I need to check when reassembling?

[Martin]

viewtopic.php?f=37&t=5500

[Chucky5516]

Machine has been excellent all Autumn, Winter, and Spring, but now the Summer has arrived a familiar problem has occured. The dreaded ' device driver call failed'.
I have no idea why it is happening in the Summer only, but the fan in the black box is blowing cold air out so that doesn't feel too hot. I was advised to buy a USB isolator by denford to help protect the USB outputs from ESD plus other issues, this hasn't worked. I thought about the USB cables themselves, but if these are a problem then why were they fine all Autumn, Winter, and Spring (not one issue), and the same goes for the laptop? Unless that is overheating in the Summer but I doubt it as it would probably shut down to protect itself.
Could it be the regulator on the bottom card? I've read that on another post. I am liasing with Denford too, but this is causing huge issues. I use my CNC for business and am really busy with orders, but this is making things extremely difficult.
I just can't work out what it is, and why it is only in the Summer?? Denford suggested it maybe due to static, because the air is drier (hence the USB isolator) but that doesn't seem to have worked.
As a last resort, I'm throwing it open on the forum. Any help would be hugely appreciated.

[TDIPower]

you could try one of those temp sensors (look like a 'ray gun') just look at the temps on components, when i worked in electronics we would use freezer spray and a small nozzle heat gun, to try and warm or cool components to see if that was an issue, sometimes it was a dry joint on a connector or chip that due to thermal expansion would cause an issue.
or even a thermal image camera, you can get them on mobile phones now too!

Is the error a drive missing or un recognised device? I have had that with low quality leads and even when I have made usb stuff where I got the PCB track lengths slightly different it threw up unrecognised device.

Might be worth trying some additional cooling (take the panel cover off and run it without it and maybe a fan on it.)

Just throwing ideas

Pete

[Chucky5516]

Exactly what I was thinking Pete. Maybe try some PC case fans with their own power to add extra cooling?

[Chucky5516]

Just an update, as might be useful for someone with a similar issue. I have since fitted two 120mm computer case fans that run off USB to the inside of the door of the black cabinet, directly facing the control card. The black box has an 'exhaust fan' for removing hot air but no cooling fans. The card is at the top of the box and heat rises (hence the exhaust being at the top), so I aimed the fans directly at the card.
Since then typically the weather has got milder, but it still cuts out even in this milder Summer weather. I tried it today and cut 3 signs one after the other and left it connected for 3-4 hours and there was no drop out. I'll no more definitively when the weather heats up again, but touch wood the signs are good.
It has to be heat as otherwise the issues would continue in the cooler months, and not one drop out through the cooler months, weather heats up and I get drop outs?? Hopefully these two fans are enough. I neatly cable managed everything with clips and cable ties and now just run the fans off the same laptop using a USB extension. I so, so hope that is the fix, as it is my last major issue to fix out of all the teething issues since I've had the machine. Unless something new crops up. Everyone on here who has helped has been immense, and a big shout out to Steve Oddy and Julie Bramley at Denford for there fantastic help and support that has gone above and beyond. I'll keep you posted...

[Steve]

Hi, Glad it seems to be working. You may have been better running the fans off the 24V supply as if you are using the 12V or 5V supply this will increase the heating effect on the voltage regulator on the control card.
Hopefully the cooling fixes this.

[Chucky5516]

Hi Steve,

I'm not running them off the card or the power supply, I'm running it via USB off my laptop. Porting the cable out of the back of the black box where the existing USB cable comes. Hope that makes sense.

John