1 Topic by Ski52

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Topic: Communication Time-Out

I have 4 modes of accessing the SD.  Win7 Pro - laptop; Win8.1 & Mac OSX - IMac27; Win10 - HP 700 something or other.  I have been trying to print the parts for the Atlas scanner - some are larger prints - 3+ hr.  All 4 venues have crashed on me in the last 3 days with a 'communications time-out reset 'something', same with the Mac, but it calls it something else.  These are happening mostly near the end of a print - naturally!  I've been at this for 8-10 hrs/day for the last few days.  Would that have something to do with it?
What causes the com time out, and how to go about making it quit.  Costing me in wasted filament & frustration!  I managed to use Slic3r and cut the print to what I needed to reprint and finish it - little super glue and viola!
There gotta be an easier way, or I'm doing something wrong again, but on 4 machines.......

Suggestions greatly accepted!
Ski

Ender 3 Pro

2 Reply by carl_m1968

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Re: Communication Time-Out

Don't use methods that rely on a direct connection to a PC. If you don't have a display consider getting one even if it causes you to need a different controller. Then you can print straight from the SDcard through the display.

Based on your current setup could be a bad cable, cable is too long, or you are printing through a USB hub.

Printing since 2009 and still love it!
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3 Reply by jagowilson (edited by jagowilson 2016-01-27 00:14:53)

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Re: Communication Time-Out

carl_m1968 wrote:

Don't use methods that rely on a direct connection to a PC. If you don't have a display consider getting one even if it causes you to need a different controller. Then you can print straight from the SDcard through the display.

Based on your current setup could be a bad cable, cable is too long, or you are printing through a USB hub.

A display may not help, sounds like a problem at the board itself, if it isn't any of the things you said above. USB printing should work indefinitely as long as the computer doesn't go to sleep.

4 Reply by carl_m1968

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Re: Communication Time-Out

jagowilson wrote:
carl_m1968 wrote:

Don't use methods that rely on a direct connection to a PC. If you don't have a display consider getting one even if it causes you to need a different controller. Then you can print straight from the SDcard through the display.

Based on your current setup could be a bad cable, cable is too long, or you are printing through a USB hub.

A display may not help, sounds like a problem at the board itself, if it isn't any of the things you said above. USB printing should work indefinitely as long as the computer doesn't go to sleep.


What I meant was if it turns out to be a board problem, when he switches boards to use one that has a display. Then you only need a PC to slice the model..

Printing since 2009 and still love it!
Anycubic 4MAX best $225 ever invested.
Voxelabs Proxima SLA. 6 inch 2k Mono LCD.
Anycubic Predator, massive Delta machine. 450 x 370 print envelope.

5 Reply by wardjr

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Re: Communication Time-Out

Sounds like a bad wire or connection that is causing interference with the USB.  Take a very close look at your PSU and its connection to the board.  Problems like this can be very difficult to chase down so take each component and its wires and connections at a time.

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6 Reply by carl_m1968

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Re: Communication Time-Out

wardjr wrote:

Sounds like a bad wire or connection that is causing interference with the USB.  Take a very close look at your PSU and its connection to the board.  Problems like this can be very difficult to chase down so take each component and its wires and connections at a time.


Also make sure that the frame of the printer is in contact with the power supplies body. Then make sure the earth ground is connected to the power supply as well. Just two AC lines from the power supply will cause issues.
Another issue is make sure the printer is not on an AC circuit (main house wiring) that has an inductive load on it like a motor, florescent lights, you  pretty much want to have the printer on a circuit that it shares little with it. A few regular lights will be OK.

Printing since 2009 and still love it!
Anycubic 4MAX best $225 ever invested.
Voxelabs Proxima SLA. 6 inch 2k Mono LCD.
Anycubic Predator, massive Delta machine. 450 x 370 print envelope.

7 Reply by Ski52

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Re: Communication Time-Out

Well, I managed to get all of the pieces printed!  I was on a USB hub, not no more.  I have an in-line switch to power off the 5V USB line so the board doesn't stay powered on all the time.  I may bypass that with a new cable to check if that is the problem.  Putting the printer on a single or little used circuit is not too likely.  My 'computer room' has 3 independent computers, 3 printers a video surveillance system plus lights, etc...  It just started doing this, so hub and cable sound appropriate.

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8 Reply by jagowilson (edited by jagowilson 2016-01-27 18:31:33)

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Re: Communication Time-Out

You really don't want a switch in line with a USB signal, unless it's highly insulated. Even then, it's really not recommended. USB communication is prone to errors with noise in the line. Switches can spark too, which could damage the board without proper protection.

9 Reply by Ski52

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Re: Communication Time-Out

I'll have to find another way to shut down the USB.  Reason for that is I run both Win8.1 & Mac OSX on the same machine thru Parallels.  If I am printing on the Mac, switching to Win without a 'cold' USB won't let the USB port re-enable itself.  I have to shut it off, or unplug the USB cable, which is what I will do until I find another way.  I've been running it like this for near 2 years and just recently started experiencing continued problems.
So I guess I'll start unplugging and replugging...

Ender 3 Pro