Sorry, just saw your posts. How long is the USB cable between the PI and the Arduino? You should try to keep that cable as short as possible and as far away from any source of electrical interference as you can.
I have my PI4 and Arduino mounted in a common enclosure with a very short (< 6 inch) USB cable connecting them.
Here’s the inside of my control enclosure:
you can see the really short USB cable connecting the two.
Hey Jon! No worries. Oh boy not sure, its the long one that comes with the maker made.kit. my guess 6-8 feet. I can measure it tomorrow. Its literally touching the motors power cord all the way down from.the ardiuno to where they split and one goes to outlet a few inches away and the USB goes to the pi. Should I separate and then try to get really short cable and move pi? Also very nice clean setup, I like how you have that
Update…I moved the shield power wire out of the run in the back of the frame with the USB. Maybe this will help? Also more thinking about it I have a fan being run in my pi case as well as arduino being powered from it. Can that be a problem.with it too, the fan and the USB powering arduino?
As a general rule in industrial automation you want to separate your communications and signaling cables from your power cables (ac or dc). ideally, you would also separate your dc and ac power from each other as well.
its a good idea to keep your usb cable away from the cables connecting the arduino to the motors, and in general away from anything else for that matter. this is why the shorter you can make the usb cable the better. its why i mounted the PI right next to Arduino. A lot of people have been doing this actually and its one of the benefits of using the PI. you might want to think of just trying to mount the pi near the arduino and using a really short usb cable to test snd see of this helps.
maybe @Orob and @dlang can chime in to correct me if im off base
Thanks Jon! I did see that people were putting the pi and arching very close, but then some said they were still geting the error, so wasn’t sure if something else wrong as well. I did remove the power from that channel down the back of the frame, that part is done. Thank you for the explanation I was not aware that was a bad idea. I will order shorter USB cable now just to rule that out as well. Is this error that common or something that if I just keep.power wires away from.USB and move pi close it.never happens again? Is there nything else I need to.do so never happens like that again? Some of my.cuts wills be 52 inches long so if this keeps happening going to burn through plywood with bad parts pretty quick, where I can’t find a clean spot to try again on that wood once the cut stops midway through. You know what I mean? So really want to make sure do all I can to resolve this before trying that cut again. I do have a screen shot of home.and around where it stops.so.maybe can try the cut again later over the same area once I reset the chains
I only had it happen once to me but it was a long time ago, during an initial set up and test and while using a 15’ long USB cable. I haven’t had it happen to me since.
One thing @Orob mentioned jarred my memory about something that has happened to me on Linux machines before is the suspend and hibernate modes causing me issues. I usualy run my linux boxes as stand-alone servers and as such don’t want the OS to go into hibernate or suspend mode. As a habit during the initial configuraiton, I now disable the suspend and hibernate modes of linux with the following command at the CLI:
sudo systemctl mask sleep.target suspend.target hibernate.target hybrid-sleep.target
I’m not sure if the above command will help with the USB communicaiton issue or not but it’s something that I have done to my PI4. If you use this, be carefull as you are issuing a system control command.
Thats why I recommended spending a week and just experimenting with cheap plywood or even MDF (make sure you have REALLY good dust collection for MDF though). You really dont want to learn on high quality plywood.
An option to test to make sure you’ve solved the USB issue without wasting any plywood is to just take the bit out of the router and run the the entire program WITHOUT the router running (bit removed of course). That way you can test the entire program, for the total length of cut time and see if the USB issues crop up again. If they do then all you have wasted is time. If they don’t then you have probably fixed the issue and can try a real cut.
This is great info, so same USB cord probably as I think mine is longer than I stated…you changed, never happened. I am going to see if W-mart has one so I can try this tonight, and I will keep the Amazon one as a spare. I have never checked to see if Pi defaults to the ports going to sleep, sleep in general, but the fact that you used code to make sure it was not set to that, I can guarantee if default is to sleep mine is set to that. Next step actually before I hunt down new USB cable tonight. I was wondering sleeping of the Pi was potentially an issue as this happened after cutting in one area for a long time, why I wanted to probe beyond just the USB close to power issue, as I am not an expert in Linux…and wondering if that was possible. I can get around in Linux, but not like you guys can. I think Anthony may have set something in Webcontrol, something having to do maybe with “idle” and “restart” to never, which maybe this is a problem as well? I am not 100% sure he did this, he types so fast, but I think he may have. This is super great info Jon, thank you! I will do both these things (the USB is already moved away from power cord…like I mean they were touching every step of the way for probably 8 feet or more, so not good!) and report back in hopefully after dinner. the sled with NO router, best idea!! I will do that now until no more issues. …and yes, I didn’t listen and went for the big cut, should of listened 
Sorry I only keep cabinet grade ply in stock so all I have to cut.
No worries. We all have learn somehow
haha we do! You know the snow has melted the snow pretty good in CT, so my trailer is looking almost accessible, when I can maybe will pick up a few cheaper sheets of ply or MDF. I hate MDF (I just do), more so as I like to sand the grades for everything I make, and as you are stating…it makes a mess! The vac system I have is pretty Kick-A for an Am-z-on purchase, so may try it out. Like what I cut so far, not an ounce of dust anywhere that I can see. Which I had to reduce 10 feet of the line from 4 inch to 2 1/2 to keep the drag down on that sled, so I know the suction is down a bit from what it could be. I forgot to mention I was getting a “sled could not keep up” error before reaching the forum. Which I found on the forum to bump the number way at the bottom of advanced settings from 2 (or 3) to like 20. Which I did. Error never came up again, so must have fixed it.
I’ve peeked in industrial boxes and they have separate power lines from signal lines and ac from DC, so yeah, I think you got it. Users have seen improvements with router power cables being moved away from USB cables. I read the USB spec once and at the time “certified” USB cables were rated for 6’ or less. I was shocked when I saw the maslow cable length and the cable I use now is about 6" with the rpi3. I don’t have math to prove this but my impression is that the DUE boards tend to have more signal drop issues via USB than the MEGA boards, though both have been reported with issues and my experience may be simply from the effective marketing of makermade and influx of new users.
When you get some time, start looking at your local lumber yards instead of the big box stores to source your materials. Your plywood choices (grades) are much better and the quality is usualy better too. Also, local lumber yards may offer free delivery. Mine does.
Look into starting to use Baltic Birch for your cabinets and higher end projects. The true stuff, not the chinese brands. The real stuff comes out of Russia or Finland and comes in 6, 12, and 18mm thicknesses and is 1.5 meters X 1.5 meters (5’ x 5’). I just bought 5 sheets of 12mm today for $45 per sheet. The top veneers are much thicker than the cabinet grade box variety and tears out less. Also, baltic birch is essentialy veneer grade in all laminates so very little to no voids. It’s the only plywood I trust to put a screw or a threaded insert in the end grain. It’s strong an dimensionaly stable enough where in some applications where you can would use 18mm, you can easily get away with 12mm.
The control cabinet picture that I attached above is made from 12mm Baltic Birch, BBB grade. In your area Atlantic Plywood is the big distributor for it. They have a huge wharehouse in CT nad another in MA. Local lumber yards will probably already get most of their stock from them already.
Thanks, I wanted to make sure I wasnt making thing unnecessarily complex. I dont want to waste anyones time.
Hi Orob, that is good to know as this has to be part of my problem then. I mean them wires touches every step of the way as I have them clipped to one another in the back, pulled good and tight to keep it clean. If they should be separate, mine were complete opposite from like inch or 2 away from the board. I do have a MEGA board, so it sounds like that is better of the 2…which I suppose gives me some comfort that not a board issue. Now as far as USB cable lengths, THAT I was absolutely not aware of! I understand they want to allow for plenty of room to keep your computer distance away from the Arduino, but that blue cord is very long. I mean mine is wrapped in loops like you would an extension cord hanging on a nail on the back of frame I have so much extra. The more I think about it, I have never seen any device come with one that long, even for a printer which is what those were mostly used for (at least I think). I have one coming in tomorrow, but trying to look for my old printer one (for now) just to see how much it helps. Well yeah, if the majority of us start with the makermade kit clearly because you may not know how this will work, etc etc…is it really because they supply that ridiculously long cable. It’s the cheapest way to get in the door, until like even me you realize how Maslow works and next you know metal maslow becomes your credit cards best friend…which for me it had. The more I look at Jon’s setup, I am going to see if I can find an even shorter USB cord on Amazon, I only saw 3 footer as shortest so purchased quickly as could get next day. I do have a board supposedly on it’s way with the aux ports so I can add the on/off feature and touch zero easily. That is not the DUO board you are referring to is it? If is, maybe I will solder on the mega board which I “think” you may be able to do to wire it up. Thanks for all the great info Orob
Jon, I looked again at the box pic, yeah there are more layers. I had birch like that once, it was like 10 layers and I noticed the difference. In fact the only remnants I have of it are what my Kreg jig is mounted to (I just checked). Never saw it again after that, but I think got it at HD believe it or not. Then it was hard to find, and eventually started buying the maple. Even that though is 5 layers too, and I think less voids then poplar, but still has them. YES, I hate the voids, I’ve had projects ruined because of that using the tracing router bit with bearing, gouges in and your stuck patching or tossing. I should clarify too, as I say cabinet grade as I make cabinets from it for myself, even arcades, but you can get much better cabinet grade from a real lumber yard, and if staining I would never buy from the orange friend down the road. Now we do have a lumber yard in town oddly enough, and although next to Bristol (big enough to have ESPN) its very rural. We do have one lumber yard though and actually the only thing on this long stretch of road before hitting our little center of town from my house. They are super nice there, but they got bought out by some conglomerate company and the prices are very steep now. They more build custom log buildings and stuff, so the wood they sell is nice but super expensive. I am going to try a yard a few towns over that used for other specialty wood/trim items, bet they have since Atlantic is in CT. If I can get that, for what your getting $45 a sheet, that’s cheaper then then you know where for better quality.
Funny I was like I know Atlantic, I swear I have seen it before. I told myself I think they are in South Windsor…I looked them up…they are! I pass them when I journey the 55 mins out of my way for boat parts. You will like this one, as you are in the NE. Atlantic is literally on the same road you would know up north as Rt 5 actually…which as you know, or I think you do, runs along side of 91 all the way to Canada (and was the ONLY way to get to Canada before 91 highway was built. My father in law, and if not for him never met my wife, before starting a huge drywall company (yes he was Canadian so we all know the jokes about Canadians and drywall), used to move timber from Canada to South Windsor. My wife grew up 2 towns over as a result when he settled here to do drywall. Anyhow, I will have to see who supplies that Baltic Birch around here as not sure I would be able to get from their warehouse. thanks for the info, good stuff!
Nice, just found a 5.5 footer I had from an old printer! Going to swap to this for now so can test sled tomorrow morning. It’s under 6 feet so better than the MM one. I have a 3 footer coming Thursday, and a 1 foot cable on Friday
Hey as long as you are collecting USB cables, here’s the one that I am using:
The due board is the new m2 controller. It sounds like you are getting a new shield. With the aux ports for auto zero and spindle control.
Jons setup is super clean with the din rail mounts. My controller box is functional, but less pretty.
Dont sell yourself short Orob, my setup may be super clean but you have functional buttons. My buttons just sit there…on the side of my machine…mocking me. As functional as the door close button on an elevator.
6 inch ordered Thank you!! Be here by Friday. You know I did not even check, but yeah it’s the shield with aux ports not the Arduino. I ordered it a while ago, still not here so not sure if got lost in mail. Again 7 concussions, I forgot what I ordered 2 days ago let alone a week ago. Good to know too, so my Mega can stay. Hey I have to say the switches Orob has I have seen in video, very nice. Like I already plan on moving my switch from vac system 10 feet past the side of machine TO the machine side its so clean! Jon, I was proud of my setup, but the rails takes the cake…seriously I wrapped mine in plexi so could see lights and the arduino in general, but I can’t compete w/ that box setup. You win.