Losing USB connection

Thanks for detailed explanation of possible causes and solutions. Do the AUX pins work on a “stock” Arduino for the spindle relay control? I will replace Arduino and powersupply first. I just had an “USB loss” again. Just 5 minutes before the cut would had been completed…

I am currently using the powersupply and Arduino/Head Setup which came with the metal maslow-kit.

Can anyone tell me where “+” and “-” on the round plug going into the arduino motor-head is?

Can you show us a picture? I’m not 100% certain that I’m thinking of the right plug, but if it’s the one from the power supply I’m pretty sure it’s center positive

The barrel connector the outer is typically ground and the center pin is +.

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I tried 3 cuts yesterday, all failed with “”“USB Loss”"" during the last operation. Since ive moved the PI close to the arduino, so i can use a short USB cable, connection loss increased like 10 times. I already did put ferrit cores on all of the cables. Seems worse since i did.

I know that the electricity, cabling and the “quality” of the electricity is shitty here. But the Arduino is the only equipment which constantly fails. 2 x raspberry PI 4 and one Raspberry PI Zero which i use as “maslow cam” work without any issues.

I need to go into production urgently and now the maslow is basicly non-functional. Ordering an building an alternative (Lowrider CNC) will take around 3 months… sic

The plug going into the motor shield. I need a supply which supplies >= 12V, 5A, correct?

If you have a computer power supply, wire the black wire as ground and the yellow is 12 V. Typicslly there is a green switch wire that must contact black to switch it on.

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Then, i am trying to get a new KEYESTONE Mega. There is a new Version which is called “Keyestudio Super Mega 2560 R3 Advanced 5V 2A MP2307DN”. The WIKI says:

" Note: the most important difference between keyestudio MEGA 2560 compatible board Advanced and keyestudio MEGA 2560 R3 board is the voltage regulator chip used in the board.
The voltage regulator chip used in keyestudio MEGA 2560 R3 board is NSP1117. When connect the external power, output 5V, the drive current is 1A. However, keyestudio MEGA 2560 compatible board Advanced features the voltage-regulator chip MP2307DN. When connect the external power, output 5V, the drive current can be 2A."

I supose a better voltage regulator chip could help? Its only i cant buy it here in Indonesia and there is only one seller from China on Ebay which has delivery times until may :frowning:

center positive

David Lang

not likely to make a difference. The maslow is not driving much from the
arduino.

David Lang

Have you tried hooking the arduino to a powered usb hub and then to the computer? Maybe your pc is struggling to output a consistent usb power signal?

The Arduino is connected to a raspberry PI 4B. I will research if this could be a problem. Currently i think its either the power-supply or general problem with the electricity. I cant connect a second power-supply to the arduino, can i?

The “USB-Loss” mostly happens when the sled travels “fast”. Like 600mm per minute.

I also accidentally solved my issue… Mine is more embarrassing though…
While rigging up a single weight pulley system I noticed that the usb led was flickering. My control board and Arduino are mounted to the back of the main beam so they are mounted leaning backwards. The Arduino was mounted to the main board just fine, but I never secured the control board, so it was pulling out of the headers. Huge face palm. Havent had an issue since.

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I zip tied my boards together… just in case.

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Hi,

i cant use an external power supply for the Arduino and the motor head, can i?

You can use 5v for arduino, but it gets enough power from the usb.

Hi,

continuing my sad “USB loss” story:

i did check the breakers and it turned out they installed only 6A breakers. So i did replace the one powering the maslow-setup (minus the vacs, they are on a different breaker) with a 16A breaker. No change, i still got “USB loss” 2 times yesterday within like 3 hours.

Luckily i do have one Arduino and one motor-head spare which i did install yesterday. When being like 3 minutes into a testcut i did check on the temp of the controller and the left chips cooling thingy had been so hot i could barely touch it. Is this normal or could it hint at wiring or motor problem? The right heat-dispenser had been only slightly warm.

I will test today if i still get “USB loss” with the brand new, original Arduino and the original maker-made motor-head. If yes, i will exchange the powersupply. If this does not work i am close to giving up. What would be left to do? Get an Oscilloscope? I would need a means of debugging the electricity installation and be able to log spikes etc?

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The ambient temp here is around 24-30C btw. I did buy the backup Arduino/motor shield i just installed about 6 month back directly from the maker-made store. Is this setup “overheating proof”? Probably not, right?!

Same error with new Arduino/Shield Setup. Now i did exchanged the power-supply… cant say i am too optimistic of the outcome…

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A new power supply also does not change anything. Any ideas how i can further debug this or can i put the whole setup into the trashcan?

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