The hose and dust collector are also grounded. However, I am still getting disconnects even WITHOUT the hose or dust collector attached to the dust boot. So I don’t think it’s static from the collector. It seems to be coming from the machine itself…or some other element that is connected to the machine…like maybe the laptop or something? who knows.
Which plastics are you cutting?
Have you tried to run the laptop without a charger, just from its battery? Depending on the charger they can tie the PC communication ground to PE. While this is usually OK it can cause problems. Another item that is handy for testing is a USB isolator to provide optical isolation between the PC and the control.
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Ultem 1000 plastic. Translucent amber colored stuff.
I haven’t tried that yet, but will do so tonight. What is PE?
Not worked with that myself, but the data sheets say ‘high dielectric strength’ which means it’s a really good insulator and likely to accumulate static charge really well.
The suggestion to try running the machine with your laptop on battery is well worth a go, It’s quite likely your issues are the result of communications interruptions on the USB due to electrical noise from static discharge. The other option is electrical noise but as this is the Carbide spindle that’s less likely.
I’d also give the can of anti static spray on the bed and workpiece a go.
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PE is Protective Earth. The 3rd prong on the plug.
Gotcha. I’m still learning all of these electrical terms…it’s been a crash course for the past week or so.
Be careful running the laptop on battery, Power saving modes can kick in and disrupt your work
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Ok so after running the job with my laptop unplugged (battery power only)…I no longer had any random disconnects. Seems like a strange fix…but it worked (for now). Thank you for all the tips!
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Glad to hear you’ve made some progress. Is the charger for your laptop a 2 or 3 wire plug? If it is a 3 try to use a 3 prong cheater to remove the ground connection - for testing purposes of course. If that helps or if it is a 2 prong charger, consider a USB isolator. It is possible that the ground of the USB port is causing a ground loop and creating a the noise problem on the USB communication lines.
I have had 2 HP laptops in recent times. Both of them the battery lasted hours. I never hook up my power supply unless it is like a 12 hour run. I think not hooking up my laptop power supply keeps static on the usb connection to a minimum. Mileage varies.
ok so after trying sooooooo many different variables I am still getting random disconnects (and to be super specific…it is Carbide Motion that is crashing on my laptop). I thought unplugging the laptop helped…but again, I am getting disconnects.
I was told by Carbide it could be the bit setter causing electrical interference…and to remove it…but I can’t run any jobs without the bitsetter.
so. Back to square one I suppose.
Have you tried another laptop and or g code sender? Ferrite rings on the wires? Usb hubs can cause problems with this type of thing aswell. Its worth running one op of a job on some plastic without the bitsetter to atleast narrow it down. If you have the problem child you can direct all the attention to that instead of running around the machine bandaiding wounds that might not be a problem.
Off topic, Love your work 
I tried running without the bit setter and still…10 min into the job Carbide motion crashed again. Ferrite rings are on the way…but I don’t think they are going to make a difference.
I am not feeling or seeing any extreme static on the material or machine either. Everything is grounded…no dust collector running. I’m flabbergasted!
You must be going nuts! I’ve no idea why it would matter but, given everything else you’ve tried, have you tried a different g-code sender? Say CNCjs or gsender?
I’ve recently switched from CNCjs to gSender and would recommend it. Again, I can’t imagine why this would make a difference with disconnects but…no stone unturned?
I will give that a shot as well I suppose! I have had no probs cutting wood, composites or brass. It seems to only happen on plastic…which I understand generates a lot of static.
Can you use the Bitsetter with Gsender?
yes, @neilferreri macros for cncjs work with gsender too. You can find them on GitHub or I can dig em out.
