Another huge failure tonight

[Parkgrr]

Really, who else has weighed in on this issue since the update? Most that I’ve interacted with have just abandoned the UCR201.

Software version is 1.2115 and API version 2.1930

[cncdrive]

There were 2 guys had problems like this reported in email and one on the UCCNC facebook group, so 3 in total who I know. Which is a low number if we take into account the large number of UCR201 controllers are out working fine at customers.
On Facebook the name was "Alexandru Pislaru" https://www.facebook.com/groups/484346762309609 , you can read his post he made some time ago he reported the exact same issue as you did and the fixed version fixed the issue for him.
The other 2 guys experienced the same, that the issue was fixed with the new release, but I don't know if I'm allowed to publically post their names, so I better not...

[Parkgrr]

I’m confused, are you saying I’m imagining this issue or….?

I’ve offered solutions, your response, like before, is “you’re the only one”.

[mickecarlsson]

I have noticed that even with the new 2.115 (with new API) I once and a while get movement when I am laying down the UCR 201.
It is a short movement, I had not noticed it but heard it as the stepper motors ”whined” a short period. Like 1/100th of a second.
And it is always when I have moved the gantry in Y direction to move it away from my workpiece, and it is always when the job is done.
I don’t remember if it is after I close the G-file or before.
It is like this:
Start up UCCNC, move Y, X and Z close to home switches with UCR201, press the Home switch on UCR201.
Move the gantry away so that I can attach the workpiece. Move to set X and Y zero work coordinates. Run Auto Zero.
Load job, let it run to the end. I *think* that I now close the G-file, just to be safe that nothing is ready to run,
Use UCR201 to move the gantry back so I can remove the workpiece, when I lay down the UCR201 and reach for my screwdriver I notice a “whine” from the Y motor.
It does not do it all the time (I think) or it may, I always wear safety glasses and hearing protection so I might not hear it, it depends if I remove the glasses and hearing protection before I start to remove the workpiece.
I don’t have anything that needs to be done on the CNC in a while, so it might take a while before I test it again.

Hope this helps.

[cncdrive]

Yes, currently you are the only one who I know that still has this issue.
I'm told you this to let you understand that if you will not give us more information about the issue then it will be probably impossible for us to fix it, because we cannot reproduce it and there is no other person other than you who has this issue.
So, my question is still: IS this issue only happens when the UCR201 is waking up?
And it makes no sense that you link-ing a 3 year old video because that is sure not made with the latest release which has this fix.
My suggestion is to please make a new video showing when the issue exactly happening and how is it happening and please show it with the new UCCNC release to let us see if anything changed or not compared to how it was at you 3 years ago with the old UCCNC verison.

[Battwell]

i was one of those that had issues.
i only have ucr201 on one machine now. which rarely gets used .
i should have a new development machine set up at my workshops shortly which i will give a good thrashing with ucr201 to test it.
i have recommended a few to upgrade to 2.115... not realising the beta release 2.115 was different to the one to download off the google drive.
id suggest adding that version on the general discussion test release page. (with a quick description of the only change)
i have the correct version downloaded ready.

[Parkgrr]

Balazs, I have provided an enormous amount of information to you regarding this issue.

I've also offered twice to do literally anything possible to gain more information about this issue at your discretion including installing diagnostic software to monitor IO on that USB port, a plugin on the software itself, whatever. I've brought in an RF expert with top tech to analyze my shop for interference and done endless AB testing. This is all described in this thread and the other. You're asking me questions I've already described many times. I'm not sure what you'd like me to do except remind you of what I've already described in detail.

If you are referring to my one year old video as the three year old video then yes, as explained, that is the most common form of the issue and it is still occurring.

The only update to the situation is that after doing the most recent update I am now constantly losing connection from USB stick to pendant no matter the distance from pendant to USB stick. The USB stick is now periodically showing a yellow LED which I've never seen to this point. I also lowered the MPG filter value and there is some chance it has lowered the frequency of occurrence. Additionally, almost every time I open the UCR201 plugin window it changes the RF region from US Ch. 5 to Europe Ch. 1 and I must change it back.

[SteveM]

I've not read through the whole thread so I'm not sure if this has been mentioned.

Unrelated to UCCNC but related to Bluetooth, in the past I've had a lot of trouble with interference causing Bluetooth to fail on some devices, previously I traced it down to my sons fly zapper, but currently I'm having the same problem again. One device in particular is my EMTB controller, I normally connect my phone to download ride info once I'm back home, but I'm having to do this away from my house at the moment because it just will not get a stable connection at home.
So, after that long winded preamble, could you be having interference problems?

Steve

[crjohnson]

If you are having a fair bit of trouble because of the UCR201, can I suggest you try one of these? I have been using it with zero issues, it might lack a few functions but it is quite cheap and may save a few headaches until the bugs are sorted?


https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000288 ... 1802sqxMxR

[Parkgrr]

@Balazs, are you disinterested in this issue? I am spending a lot of time documenting this but will stop if you have no interest in addressing the problems with the UCR201 pendant

The most recent update is that
1. I changed the "MPG Filter Constant" from 5 to 3, this seems to have cut the frequency of this bug by ~60%.

2. The pendant is still continually disconnecting from the software with the 'no connection to software' message with no difference made by distance from the USB antenna, this usually lasts for about a second before coming back. It may disconnect and connect again repeatedly like this. I can be 6 inches away or 10ft away and this continues to happen. The light on the USB antenna is yellow continually which I've never seen before now, this is all new since the update.

3. The freezing/crashing of UCCNC is still happening, only since the update.

So there are 3 more data points. Maybe you could use that information along with the other information presented by me and others, and document it, and use it in case you start to try to narrow down what the cause might be. There are lots of good apps for note taking that might help you to document occurrences of problems and start to make connections or ask questions about what might be causing those problems by using the process of elimination. It may be useful to organize by date to track over time whether software update releases are hurting or helping the issue. For this sort of thing I use an app called Notion that makes it easy to document things like this.

@SteveM Good thought, I brought in a ton of RF analyzing equipment to analyze all RF in my shop over days. I found the frequencies all other devices were operating on, and set the UCR201 to operate in bands where there were no other devices operating/emitting with no change to the UCCNC software bug. Weird about the bug zapper.

@Micke, I also experience the same thing when setting down the pendant, exactly as you describe.

@crjohnson thanks for that link.