My windows computer timed out and shut down mid-project with end-mill down 3/4 of an inch.
I had to physically turn the computer back on, and open a browser to re-establish communication with Maslow 4. It dropped the g-code file, so I have to re-set up. Maslow wants to re-extend the belts and do its normal start up before it will allow me to raise up the z-axis. My problem is that I need to raise the z axis first to clear my project and allow Maslow to get its orientation.
I thought of a work around I’ll try tomorrow. I plan to put a hole in a 1" piece of scrap wood to act as a temporary sled so I can move the machine without ruining my work piece. This temp sled will stay in inventory for future “oops.”
Before I apply the work around, I would like to raise the z-axis to clear and remove the tool. If I can do that, I won’t need the work around.
Any thoughts?
I am running Maslow4.0 software version 1.7. Also I usually run Linux. Any thoughts about how to tweak Windows 10 for continuous computer operation?
You should be able to click on Alarm (main Menu), it will go Green and you can then operate the Z axis using the up and down icons.
From start icon, Go to setup (Cog), then Power and sleep, Set Sleep setting to Never. Also you should be able to run Maslow from a web browser under Linux.
Thanks Ian, I bought this Windows unit to set up and run my old M4. I’ll try your suggestions this am. I also have another question. I can’t seem to locate a pane for manual g-code commands on the Fluidnc interface. I am familiar with g-codes, and would like to be able to enter them manually and control the machine that way as well as using the “jog” pane or loading a gcode file. Is this possible in fluidnc?
The way to send a command is to go to the FluidNC tab at the top and then there will be a “Send Command” button at the bottom of the page. That should let you send either Gcode or FluidNC commands
Thank you bar, I found it! I used to program and run NC’s back in the late 1970’s and 80’s. We had only 256k of memory. My programs were produced by manually typing gcode commands on 1" paper tape and rolling it on reels (like an old time movie). The reels were sent out to the machines in the shop, along with a tool list, instructions for part set up, location of clamps, etc. The machines were equipped with tape readers which read and executed the programs line-by-line in real time. Because of limited memory, we used "canned’ gode commands which allowed one line of gcode for complex cutting operations, such as cavity milling, bolt hole drilling, and circle cutting, cutter compensation, etc. I currently use Easel for part design and gcode output. Easel doesn’t use these canned cycles and produces gcode files with many thousands of lines. I look forward to manually entering some of these gcode cycles and checking to see if the Maslow will be able to execute them.
Thank you bar, for designing and bringing this machine to life! I’ve waited many, many years for an affordable, large format CNC. Maslow is a dream come true for me in my retirement years. Thank you again.
I’m always a little disappointed when I look inside a gcode file and it’s only G1s. There are so many more elegant ways to do things, but I guess now that memory is cheap it’s not worth it.
I’m always impressed with how much could be done with the limitations on technology back in the day.
We use FluidNC for gcode interpretation, you can find a full list of the commands that they support here:
Hi Bar,
I have read the wifi disconnection threads in the forum and have a question. Maslow 4 has a USB connection. Can the wifi be bi-passed with a USB-ethernet adapter and an ethernet cable making a direct connection to the computer. I imagine this won’t help if wifi disconnects are base on encoder errors or other alarms. I am having this issue when I am running nc-files. The machine has to be turned off and re-setup before it will run again. The next time I will check the logs to see the exact reason for the disconnect.
Thanks again for your help
You can’t plug in a Ethernet adapter, but you can control the machine by plugging it directly into a computer USB port. It will be a little tricky to do things like control the retracting and extending the belts since most CNC control programs can’t send those commands, but sending gcode to the machine should work.
You can also even just use the regular web interface but leave a computer connected to the USB port just to get the error messages.
Are you having this issue after updating to 4.1 or before?
Bar wrote:
You can’t plug in a Ethernet adapter, but you can control the machine by
plugging it directly into a computer USB port. It will be a little tricky to
do things like control the retracting and extending the belts since most CNC
control programs can’t send those commands, but sending gcode to the machine
should work.
most control programs give you to option to type arbitrary g-code, we just need
to better document what the special commands are (they are in the code, but we
should have a web page that shows them)
You can also even just use the regular web interface but leave a computer connected to the USB port just to get the error messages.
any progress on making it so that the machine will just keep cutting the file if
the connection to the browser is lost?
David Lang
I haven’t upgraded to 4.1 yet.
Stephen Roberts wrote:
I haven’t upgraded to 4.1 yet.
4.1 is a mechanical upgrade (and electrical connectors), continuing running or
not is a software issue (firmware version) which is the same for 4.0 and 4.1
David Lang
I think I got significant improvement on this by taking the following steps:
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Isolated the machine network. Connected directly to the machine, not to my home internet.
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My home internet has too many toys for the browser to play with, and modern browsers have ADHD. Let alone security concerns of those on the internet trying to hack 192.168.100.0. Sent my browser to gosh knows where!
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Isolated my browser. Firefox, and other browsers want to connect to all kinds of things. They will hesitate every few minutes to look for internet providers, search engines, try to send data to Mozilla, play with cashe, pings, and bake cookies.
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Found my settings tab in Firefox, and set my Homepage to Maslow (AP). Then I went through all my settings and unchecked the boxes on just about everything. My goal: get my browser to focus only on Maslow. Didn’t choose a search engine; didn’t send information back to Mozilla (or Microsoft); don’t try to connect to neighbors network, etc.
This seemed to work. My wifi connection went from several minutes to several hours. I still haven’t checked it on a gcode program lasting more than 3hours, but I got to finish my first project.
Eexcellent advice!
What did you make?
When we first got married, I made my wife a round picnic table out of pressure treated 2” stock. She always loved it, and asked me to make her a new one. I am a little older now and realized that I couldn’t move it if I made it out of 2” stock, so I designed it to be made out of 1” stock to save weight. I made the 6’ round top manually out of 1x6’s tied together with 2x2’s. It was cut round with a “compass” board fixed at the center of the table with a 3/8 bolt. My other router was attached at the 3’ mark. My wife held the table top while I walked around it several times lowering the end mill until it was cut through. I used the maslow to machine the pedestal base out of Pressure treated 1x6 uprights, and two concentric rings cut out of a 3/4 sheet of plywood. I have pics, but don’t know how to upload them.
This is gorgeous 
. I love it!
When I lose contact with wifi, I still have to shut the maslow down to reset it. Then I have to retract/extend/apply tension to regain x/y positioning. Then I need to reload the gcode and try to find where I left off in the cutfile, manually add the initial codes for selecting inches rather than mm’s, xy plane, etc. Then restart the Dewalt, manually set the cutting depth and continue the gcode file from the point it stopped. One thing I noticed was, I had reset the xy origin to the part origin at the beginning of the cut. The Maslow had preserved the part origin after it disconnected from wifi. I couldn’t figure out how to get back to the machine origin.
While playing with the machine, I tried to upload a particularly large gcode file (over 7mb) and it disconnected me from the Maslow with a “Failed to Load” error. tried again with the same result. Uploaded a smaller gcode file (<1mb), and succeeded. Went back to the larger file and got immediately disconnected again. Is there a limit to the size of files the Maslow will take?