I’m using Carbide Motion version 6.5.3 and it will not connect to my Shapoko 5 Pro 4x4 machine. The message on the screen is “no machine found. Please connect your machine and turn on the power.”
I’ve been using this setup with my MacBook PRO for over a year and I’ve never had this problem before. I’ve checked all my cabling over and over to ensure everything is connected properly. I don’t know what else to try. Yesterday, I came out to try some more troubleshooting and when I fired it up it worked perfectly all day. Then I came out today to complete my customer order and again it won’t connect. I’m about to miss a customer delivery date if I can’t get this resolved. Any ideas?
I tried unplugging and waiting 30 minutes. No change in status. I’ve already submitted a ticket to support and replied to their request for information. I was just hoping someone else and run into this issue and had solved it. Thanks for you feedback.
I am assuming the lights come on under the X transom when your power up the controller.
It not, check the E Stop button, make sure it is extended. It’s a twist too release.
Remove the USB connection from the PC/Mac/etc …
When you plug the USB into the powered up controller and PC/Mac/etc… you should hear the the machine start up. I think I am hearing the stepper finding themselves.
If no changes, wiggle the USB connection to the PC/MAx/etc… My old Dell laptop is very sensitive to this. Or try another USB port.
Test the USB port with another device, a Stick or something.
Repeat the test on the controller USB? connection.
I’m using MacBook also, and I had a “similar” issue. My machine would not recognize anything until I specially unplugged the USB cable after everything was on. Support folks saw this and said “huh.” So I’m thinking they may have a small issue, but for me just unplugging and plugging once everything is one seems to work. Probably didn’t fix your issue, just food for thought.
Update: at the advice of the support team, I tried using a different computer, my wife’s MacBook. After loading Carbide Motion on her machine and connecting to the Shapeoko, I went through the setup procedure and everything connected successfully. Then over the weekend, I was able to complete my customer order and deliver on-time.
I then switched back to my MacBook Pro and once again had no luck, it is not censing the connection on the USB port. I used the exact same cabling with both computers so it eliminates the cabling and the Shapeoko hardware. I used the same version of CM on both computers. So, there is something about the configuration of my MacBook Pro. In comparing the two computers, I found that my MB Pro is running macOS Tahoe Version 26.3. My wife’s MB is running macOS Sequoia Version 15.5.
Both computers are using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi with BlueTooth Keyboards and mice, but I don’t use the BT keyboard in the the shop when connected to the Shapeoko 5 Pro. At the advice of the support team, I tried turning off BlueTooth but this didn’t change anything. At the end of the support call the advice was to buy a cheap PC because they have fewer issues working with CC. This is an unacceptable answer in my opinion. The product is clearly advertise to work with Macs and so they need to find an answer for this issue.
Has anyone else had issues with using macOS Tahoe Version26.3 or any other version for that matter? Surly I’m not the only one using the version.
Apple just dropped Version26.3 a couple weeks ago, So I’d be blaming Apple for it not being compatible. Your wife’s version came out last May, so it’s not surprising that her’s works.
Just as an additional check, have you looked into the USB port for gunk inside it?
It could also be that the USB port has developed cracked/bad solder joints to the MB - intermittent behavior is the hallmark of bad electrical contact.
Do you use the USB port with any other devices/peripherals?
Considering you have used the MacBook with your CNC for quite a period of time, I would highly suspect a bad USB port vs anything software. The USB software stack is pretty mature & solid but hardware undergoes wear & tear with use.
I have a MB with Version 26.3, the only issue I have ever have is when I close the lid and it goes to sleep I must unplug the USB and plug it back in, in order for it to see the controller. I had the same issues with every version of Mac software.
I tend to believe as @Chaotica does, your USB port might be failing. Try a different port? Maybe a USB HUB if your ports are full.
Good thought. The MacBook Pro has two USB-C ports. I use either for connecting to the Shapeoko 5 Pro. I’ve tried both with the same results. Plus, I have use both ports successfully to connect to external hard drive when in the home office. So, I don’t think it’s the physical ports but I am going to take a look in them.
I totally agree that it is a problem driven by something Apple did. However, that doesn’t help me any. Carbide 3D should be making sure their products work with each release of macOS that is released and reporting back to Apple if there is a problem. If there is a known problem with a particular OS/CM release combination, they need to let us know so that we can avoid the issue. Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to roll back OS releases especially since I don’t know what to version role back to. I definitely going to turn off auto updates for now.
I was able to get ahold of the “Parallels” help line and present the problem. The agent solved my problem in less than 5 minutes. The issue was that Parallels had opened a connection to the USB port under the name Shapeoko 5 Pro. So under the Parallels Setting menu, after selecting the USB port section, you select the Port Connect with that name and hit the “minus” sign to delete it and boom, Carbide Motion would then connect to the Shapeoko 5 Pro.
Thanks for all the ideas and support everyone provided. I’m still not sure how the port connection got estabisted in the 1st place after a year of using this setup but at least I have a solution going forward.
I have this problem occasionally. My simple fix was to only unplug the connection from computer to the machine, AKA, USB port. Works every time for me (knock on wood). However, I have a windows computer, you have a mac, THAT might be the problem. I don’t do apple products.
