Blew a breaker!! Now what??

[Cassondra Bennett]

I finally got my laser working the other day after some cord problems and everything was moving right along until I blew a fuse......power went out......I unplugged everything......reset the breaker and tried to start over and NOTHING!!!!

Computer seems fine and the machine turns on but its not getting the job or if its getting it its not doing anything with it. I unplugged everything and plugged it right back into where it was but still nothing!!!

so now I am not sure if its an issue with the cord again which seems unlikely because it was working fine or if its some new problem....UHHHH!!!

My plan is to call Epilog this morning after a pot or 2 of coffee but thought I would ask first if anyone had any brilliant ideas on how to resolve my dilema. I read threw the manual to see if there was some kind of reset or breaker on the machine but didn't see anything there.......sooooo frustrated!!!:mad:

Thanks in advance for your help

[Mitchell Andrus]

Epilog should get you on the right path...step-by-step. If there isn't anything else on the circuit, it might be that something in the laser blew and tripped the breaker. I'm thinking the low voltage end of the power supply. An easy thing to replace, but not cheap.
.

[Cassondra Bennett]

Uhhhh!!
of course not cheap thats what I am afraid of!!! so far the money just keeps going out!!!!!:(:(

I keep hoping that will change and some will start rolling in but hard to work when the monkey wrenches keep flying in!!!

Its been one of those weeks when I I just keep saying to myslef "What was I thinking???":eek:

[Richard Rumancik]

Cassondra, are there some self-tests you can do? If you have the manual you may be able to find out how to put it into a diagnostic mode. Is there a self-test on power up? Can you check RAM etc?

Do you think the outlet was overloaded by another applicance? What else is on the same circuit? Sudden power interruptions can ocassionally cause components to fail (unfortunately) - hopefully the power loss did not cause something to blow in the laser. If you KNOW that you overloaded the breaker then at least we can attribute the blown breaker to an external cause and not to the laser system itself.

If something in the laser caused the breaker to blow, then I would not have expected it to come back on. Can you check that you actually have an active laser source? (Pulse the laser manually like you would in a beam alignment to ensure that the laser and everything in front of it is "live".)

If the laser source works, then it may be a communication problem again. I think you should test with another parallel port cable or two. Seems to me that you had cable problems, then it went away, now it seems to be back. I am always skeptical when things start working on their own. Lots of computer users will have parallel port cables in a box because it used to be that most printers used them. Ask around before you buy one and you may find a bunch. If you buy a new one it should be less than $20.

I have to ask as well - what do you have for surge suppression on the laser? If you don't have a good surge suppressor (like 3000+ joules) or TVSS or battery backup then you really need to consider this to avoid future problems from power glitches. I realize it is more money . . .but it is insurance.

[Lee DeRaud]

If the laser source works, then it may be a communication problem again. I think you should test with another parallel port cable or two.I'd also try a different computer if one is available, and/or try that computer/cable combo with a regular parallel-port printer. Could just need something as simple as a $10 interface card.

[Cassondra Bennett]

The tech guys at Epilog ROCK!!!
ALWAYS so friendly and patient. It was the cord....which is an easy and inexpensive fix YEAH!!!:D

They said if I turn on the machine and then the computer it should work but a new cord paralell to parallel is definitely in my future

Thanks to all for your input

Have a GREAT weekend!!