just recieved my shapeoko xxl. Get it assembled and connected and my computer isnt noticing the shapeoko with the power to the machine off. when u turn the switch on the blue light from the board turns on. The computer then said usb device not recognized and wouldnt connect to cutter. i then restarted everything reinstalled it all and tried again. the computer then tried to install the shapeoko software but failed it says this deivce cannot start (code 10). Yes i have tried all the steps mentiond anywhere i could find. this is not a happy start to buying this. not to mention how unsquare this this is no matter what u try. Any information would be helpful before this ends u back in the box and on its way back.
Very sorry to hear about this difficulty.
There is a basic page on troubleshooting connection issues at: https://docs.carbide3d.com/software-faq/can-t-connect-to-machine-or-jog/
Have you tried a different computer? Note that support for Windows 7 is being discontinued in advance of its EOL 14 January 2020
For squaring the machine please see: https://wiki.shapeoko.com/index.php/Calibration_and_Squaring_the_Machine#Squaring_the_Machine
I was just able to get it connected… i dont know how. 1 min later my laptop died i restarted it and now cant get it connected again? yes i have tried the trouble shooting page. Serious question are all the responces i get from this site ans emails just auto respond? Ive said many times i tried the trouble shooting page…what else can you tell me?
Please let us know if you have any further difficulties and we will do our best to work through them with you.
yes i just said i was able to connect for a minute and now i cant…lets start there
What operating system?
Have you restarted? Unplugged USB cable and plugged it back in. What else is open on your computer besides motion? Close that stuff.
The connection issues are most likely on the PC side.
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that almost sounds like static build up or a really bad USB cable
my laptop has ONE special usb port that can also charge devices (in other words, that one port has power management off)… if yours does as well try using that port?
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also when you installed carbide motion, was the shapeoko turned on ?
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Windows 7…I will be trying a windows 10 computer in an hr and see how that goes. Just weird I was finally able to connect and then a min later it wouldn’t again.
I did not have the usb connected or shapeoko on when I installed cm.
I’m just using the usb cable they sent me. Should be of a good quality.
that really sounds like power management or static
This frustration may not be for me. Just got a new laptop running windows 10. It connected to the machine fine…i go to run intitlizing setup it starts homing and then gets to the back right corner and just keeps hitting the back right rail for like 20 seconds then finally gives up and gives me a homing error. Im not trying to be a compaliner but come on…is it always this hard? please tell me now and ill return it today. i wasnt looking for a $2000 headache. There honestly seems to be no helpful information to anything. Is there a help like that i can have walk me through this or am i going to have to sit by the computer waiting for a "did you trouble shoot it response?
There is a basic page on troubleshooting the homing switches at: https://docs.carbide3d.com/software-faq/home-switch-troubleshooting/ There is also a Carbide 3D Answer video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7lOLMAcl_0&feature=youtu.be
Please check that the switches are plugged in correctly, and work properly — when the machine powers up the homing indicator lights should flicker on/off, then once the controller is booted up you can test the switches by pressing them — the matching light should light while the switch is pressed (closed), and should go off when the switch is released (open).
Please make sure that the machine can mechanically close the appropriate homing switch on an axis before reaching the limit of travel along that axis — if it can’t, it should be possible to adjust a problematic switch’s placement by loosening the hardware in question, pulling it into a better alignment and then tightening it. The machine being out of square can also affect this, squaring up the machine, or more expediently, securing a small block or plate for the homing switches to contact may be necessary.
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getting the machine to work first time is the hardest part, the assembly has many steps that can go wrong.
but also to be honest, it’s machine. fidgeting with machines is fun for some of us… but it’s clearly not for everyone. but the patience part will get a lot better. after the first week or so my machine has been great and either just working or a single thing that I screwed up was obvious.
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Sorry about your problems but you have to understand that this is not an appliance, it needs that you assembled it, that you connect it to your environment and you maintain it. You may have not assembled it completely perfectly or there is a problem with a component.
From your description, it appears that your controller does not see the X or Y limit switch. Can you turn off your Shapeoko that try to slowly move your gantry to the back right corner to see if the see if the switches are touching and the little buttons gets depressed? They may need adjustment if they are not pressing against the frame.
If they are touching, turn on the Shapeoko and open the controller box and press each switch to see if a light appears on the controller board when they are depressed.
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Alright i was able to get it to run the sharpie test a few times…thats very exciting. Now when i try to run a job after i initialize the machine and start to jog forward it eventually looses signal and gives me the grbl error or a port error and wont reconnect untill i shut it off and back on. Every so often it will say does not recognize device. Then ill shut it off it will connect initialize jog and disconnect sometimes disconnecting in the initializing process. I see nothing that could cause a disconnection. Thanks for all the help!
Sometimes, a bad USB port on the computer drops the connection if you move the PC or wire just a bit. The other issue especially at this time of the year, in the northern climate, the dry air will cause static to zap the connection. You may have to install additional grounding to get rid of the static electricity.
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The computer is brand new and ive been trying both ports but get the same issue. i am in my garage with a propane heater going. I believe they actually add moisture to the air. I will give the Grounding a try. I also have another cord to try. Any recomendations on the best way to ground it? Thanks
I had this exact same issue – I was running in my garage and experienced constant disconnect issues, In order to get things working at all I had to: a) unplug everything else in the garage, b) run on two different circuits, c) keep my laptop unplugged – and even then it would disconnect occasionally. Which made things like 3d milling a nightmare.
Then, with help from the community and the support team, I got it fixed. Haven’t had a single issue with disconnects since. Well, once, which I will explain in a moment.
Here’s are the two simple things that solved it.
1 — Keep your router power cable as far away from the back of the Z gantry as you can. I screwed a hook into the ceiling above the machine, sent the power cable up there, and gave it just enough slack to have full access to the cutting area without it ever coming too close to the wiring on the back of the z gantry. I’ve only had one disconnect issue since I got this solved, and it was because there was slightly too much slack and the router cable touched the other wires. Immediate disconnect.
2 — Since this is an obvious EM issue, the usb isolator that the Carbide support team sent me was a big help. I would try #1 first, and if that doesn’t work, get in contact with support and they will likely help you with an isolator. Seriously, these guys are awesome. Just be patient, both with the machine and with the support team, and you will get things figured out. As someone mentioned above, this is very much not an appliance, and it’s a fairly steep (and fun!) learning curve to get everything working just right. I’m only a few months into it, and still learning lots every day, especially from this community.
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