Laser stopping in the middle of engraving a file

Over the last few days my Trotec Rayjet has been randomly stopping engraving whilst its in the middle of a file. It doesn't happen all the time, normally about every second job or so. I have checked the cable from the laptop to the laser to ensured its connected securely and it is. This is a 30W rayjet which uses Mini manager and not job control. I have noticed that when I am looking at the mini manager control panel and following where the laser head is that the location data goes blank and a few seconds later the laser stops. Its like its losing the data connection somehow.
I have no idea why this maybe happening, has it happened to anyone else and what was the fix.

cheers

Mike

Does it pause and start again or stop completely? I have had my Speedy 400 pause for a split second during a job but it always keeps going. I don't know what causes it but it seems like a spooling issue.

Hi Gary
Its stops completely and I have to resend the file. I start the file at the opposite side to the previous way and the engraving meets in the middle. I am engraving the backs of my wooden coasters I make so its not totally critical but it is annoying and I need to resolve the issue before I start to engrave the fronts of them. I have just rebooted my laptop and run the first batch which engraved without stopping. Maybe I was needing to clear the minimanager cache or something like that. Pure dead guessing there! I wonder if I replace the cable between the laptop and laser it might help it . Might have a partial break in or something like that?

I installed a new computer. In the middle of a large stamp, the 'puter decided to go to sleep. Somehow it knocked the Trotec Speedy 300 off line. After resetting the computer to never sleep, all is fine. That education cost me......

Art

Something like 90% of all computer problems are resolved with a reboot... I would check with Trotec and see what they say, but you are possibly correct that rebooting cleared the cache or released/removed temp files that may have been causing problems.

Here's something I and many other learned when running a shopbot cnc. Prior to the discovery , you would have low communication speed and the machine would stall, someone discovered that installing a powered hub between the comp and the machine increased the speed, counter intuitive I know, but it solved the issue. There is a way to give priority to your port but I can't recall how. I've had spooling on my laser and a new computer fell asleep on me twice and ruined the part. I forgot all about sleep settings til then.

My bet is whatever cable is connected is the problem. I can't count the times I've had connection issues over the years.

Back in the 80's when everyone around here was getting C-2000's and Dahlgren Wizzards, my competitors would call me when their machines started messing up. Without fail, a shot of Radio Shack electronics cleaner on the machine and computer connectors and the cable ends, and all was well. Thing's haven't changed much... :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kev Williams

Without fail, a shot of Radio Shack electronics cleaner on the machine and computer connectors and the cable ends, and all was well. Thing's haven't changed much... :)

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It's amazing to me that we have multi-thousands $ of equipment loosely held together by cheap connectors, especially connectors that are the same as they have been for decades.

Same thing happened to me two days ago.
Engrave file stall. Delete all and draw a circle, send and all is good.
Load file again. Stall. Repeat circle. Good.
Diagnosis: Corrupt file. Not sure if it was the way I exported it, imported it, or had bad settings.
I re-exported the file from CD and all worked well. Make sure to start from a file that works 1st to be safe.

What Software? I was using LaserCut.

Good luck

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mike Dempsey

Over the last few days my Trotec Rayjet has been randomly stopping engraving whilst its in the middle of a file. It doesn't happen all the time, normally about every second job or so. I have checked the cable from the laptop to the laser to ensured its connected securely and it is. This is a 30W rayjet which uses Mini manager and not job control. I have noticed that when I am looking at the mini manager control panel and following where the laser head is that the location data goes blank and a few seconds later the laser stops. Its like its losing the data connection somehow.
I have no idea why this maybe happening, has it happened to anyone else and what was the fix.

cheers

Mike

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Cable or port issue most likely. Try a new cable and plug it into a different port on the computer