error

[BrianMick]

I have a samson 5x10 table with a hypertherm 1650 with a machine torch(the t100 i believe)
Dell optiplex jx520 with 3gh and one gig mem in the small form factor...
my table ran fine with my old dell but now I am getting this error quite frequently and is getting very anoying plus I have to re initilize the machine every time and some times it does not cut in the same spot after initialization

comunication error
possible noise problem from plasma cutter, parrallel port,or cable
error code 128
(may be related to low voltage port)

What to do any help for me?
Brian

[AnotherDano]

The 'hail Mary' solution from PlasmaCam tech support was to make sure the PCam control box and the computer were on seperate outlets (circuits). Sounded pretty outlandish at first but it sure worked.

Since then, I added a UPS and plugged everything into it. It lives in the computer cabinet and one outlet feeds it, saving a bunch of extension cords laying all over the floor. Works lke a champ. YRMV

Good luck.

[BrianMick]

yeah i'm already doing that and have a ups hooked to each.....since this post I have seperated my parralell cable from all of the others and have seen a improvement on the frequency of the errors but they still happen.....any other suggestions?
Brian

[Francisco]

Hi, Brian

I'm assuming you've already tried the parallel port setup rituals.

Although you've probably done it as well, I'll suggest you connect the grounds for both UPSs together to the machine's and plasma source's common ground.

If that's doesn't solve the problem, it could be a parallel cable issue. If you installed a new one in with your new PC, it might have downgraded communication with the controller: many of the printer cables currently being sold are no good for our application. As a simple test, check the cable for ground continuity (the metal flanges surrounding the plastic housings at each end should be connected to each other). If there's no flange ground continuity, there?s probably not even any shielding in the cable; get one labeled "bidirectional", or better yet, one that is marked as IEEE 1284 compliant.

One surprising source of communication errors is the USB. If your PC has USB keyboard and/or mouse, ditch them in favor of ones with cylindrical mini-DIN plugs (the plugs and the receptacles are usually color-coded green and purple).

If your cable and USB devices are not the problem, the parallel port may be. If your PC has a PCI expansion slot on the motherboard (almost all do), get a parallel port card for it - a cheap, "Plug and Play" one is the SY-PCI10001 from I/O-crest.

Best of luck!

[geo4932]

The parallel cable must be separated from the power cords.
You probably have a poor quality shield on the parallel cable or the computer parallel port has a bad ground.
You can get around that by running a ground wire from the metal frame of the computer to one of the clips on the parallel port of the controller. Just some stranded copper wire will do.
A bad ballast on a fluorescent light can also induce line noise.
I do not recommend connecting a ground from the UPS to the table!

George