Anyone else's controller crash on installing CP 2.01???

Discussion/questions about software used with your CNC Shark and programming issues

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MINNE_JOHN
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Jul 19, 2014 1:42 pm

Anyone else's controller crash on installing CP 2.01???

Post by MINNE_JOHN »

Last night when I turned on my Shark Pro HD, the software demanded that I upgrade to Control Panel 2.01, even though my system is not online (my shop has no Wi-Fi). I took it to the house, and let it download/install. However, when I returned to operation, the software immediately started TWO simultaneous installs again, with duplicate dialog boxes, the controller immediately powered itself down, and a "floating point error" dialog box appeared. This repeated multiple times, and I did the normal stuff ... booted everything, reconnected all cables, re-ran the software ... even tried to "cancel" the repetitious demand to upgrade. Upshot: I was unable to produce a time-sensitive project for a paying customer, and it appears I have a $4,000 paperweight taking up space on my workbench. Anyone else have this happen?

EdThorne
Posts: 345
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2012 11:26 pm
Location: Massachusetts

Re: Anyone else's controller crash on installing CP 2.01???

Post by EdThorne »

Hi John,

I didn't experience any of the issues that you have encountered. SCP 2.0 simply informed me that my registration key had expired. This seems to have happened to a number of us [probably all] using SCP 2.0. Customer Service sent me a file: "CNCSharkControlPanel_v2.01_Release.exe" that I used to install the latest version. You may wish to obtain this file from them. They will most likely ask you to uninstall the old version and then install the latest version using this new file. Installation was painless.

There is another thread on this board that goes through some of the issues that some of us have experienced.
http://www.cncsharktalk.com/viewtopic.p ... 954#p22322

The controller software never forced an update to a newer version of software on my system. It simply wouldn't let me run using my expired registration keys. It sounds like your issue is slightly different than what I experienced. I would contact Tech Support for some help to get you up and going again.

Good luck,
Ed

MINNE_JOHN
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Jul 19, 2014 1:42 pm

Re: Anyone else's controller crash on installing CP 2.01???

Post by MINNE_JOHN »

Thanks, Ed. I'll admit to being bumfuzzled by this; after initial teething pains with 2.0 -- as seems to be the rule with Next Wave software -- it had been rock-solid stable until this cropped up. If anyone else has experienced my kind of "fun," I'd love to hear what you did to resolve the issue. (My system didn't say anything about an expired serial number, just the "you must upgrade" message that started what appears to be cascading failures.)

Joseph Poirier
Posts: 107
Joined: Fri Nov 08, 2013 10:03 am
Location: Toledo, Ohio
Contact:

Re: Anyone else's controller crash on installing CP 2.01???

Post by Joseph Poirier »

Install will not work with existing 2.0 control panel open. You must close control panel for installation to complete.
download should be in a folder on the pc... named [CNCSharkControlPanel_v2.01_Release.exe], just search after the install for the file. It will most likely be in temporary internet files or download folder.

after installing 2.01, uninstall to remove old links from 2.0, then reinstall 2.01. Unfortunately there is a glitch in the install program due to Windows security updates that will not allow removal of old links during installation.

MINNE_JOHN
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Jul 19, 2014 1:42 pm

Re: Anyone else's controller crash on installing CP 2.01???

Post by MINNE_JOHN »

The problem was much gnarlier than what I first described -- and I haven't found a solution yet. I spent the better part of an hour on the phone with NWA Tech Support this morning, and at this point (2 hours later) they still have no solution. Sounds like an update that could have used at least one more test run before release on the unsuspecting public. Meanwhile, lost-production-time $$$ are going up the chimney of my shop. And so it goes ...

UPDATE: To further increase my confidence in NWA's tech support: The tech I talked to at length this morning assured me that he'd send me the file that would solve the problem "as soon as we hang up" -- and then left work for the day about two hours later without having sent it. Repeated calls to NWA tech support line have not been returned. And, no, the conversation this morning was never less than cordial and collaborative, so there's no reason they should be avoiding talking to me.

MINNE_JOHN
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Jul 19, 2014 1:42 pm

Re: Anyone else's controller crash on installing CP 2.01???

Post by MINNE_JOHN »

Well, sportsfans, it turned out to be ... a corrupted MicroSD card in the controller that was preventing the firmware update from "sticking."

Easy fix once I figured that out -- as I was breaking the system down to send the controller to Next Wave for repair (their suggestion after maybe 60 minutes of cumulative phone time). Thought, "What the hey -- how much worse can I make it?" Popped it out, low-level formatted it to the FAT32 system, put it back in and -- voila!

Now I just need to figure out a few "why did they do that" new features, settings and foibles in Control Panel 2.01 ...

EdThorne
Posts: 345
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2012 11:26 pm
Location: Massachusetts

Re: Anyone else's controller crash on installing CP 2.01???

Post by EdThorne »

That's great news, John. I am pleased that NWA Support was able to get you going. Maybe that happened during the firmware download.

Has anyone, other than me, been having problems using Virtual Zero on Version 2.01? This all worked on 2.0. The first tap file that I load from a power-up works fine. Then loading subsequent tap files causes the gantry to move to really odd locations, well outside of my workspace, and sometimes beyond the limits of the gantry. I am often not asked if I wish to used stored virtual positions before this happens. I haven't found a work-around other than power-cycles the controller and starting from square 0 each time. Otherwise keep your hand on the E-stop.

Ed

rsetina
Posts: 213
Joined: Sat May 04, 2013 5:05 pm

Re: Anyone else's controller crash on installing CP 2.01???

Post by rsetina »

Mine problem wasn't as bad as yours was, but I can imagine what you went through. Glad you were able to remedy the problem. Software glitches are the worst thing that can happen when you can't figure out what to do next.
Rick

WayneK
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Dec 15, 2013 12:28 am
Location: 80123

Re: Anyone else's controller crash on installing CP 2.01???

Post by WayneK »

I didn't have problems immediately after installing SCP2.01 (in August 2014) but this month things went very wrong. I'm not sure if the problem is with SCP2.01 but I will try to go back to SCP2.0 to see if my problems go away. Here is a not I just sent to support at NWA explaining the details of the problems I have had starting this month. I'm not sure if these problems relate to the SCP2.01 or not?
1. I returned my old controller box for repair because my machine suddenly plunged the bit into the table.
a. What is the status of the repair to the old controller.
b. If you cannot identify the problem, please send me a replacement controller.
c. Tim Owens suggested I send photos of my setup. They are attached. CNC Setup 1 through 5.
2. I have problems setting up the new controller I just purchased.
a. The new controller is not sending correct z-axis information to the Shark Black Diamond.
b. When I use the touch plate to set the Z0, the controller seems to set the bit about 1/8” above the work piece surface. The old controller didn’t do this. See CNC setup #7.
c. To help you diagnose this z-axis error I have sent you screenshots of how I have setup the SC2 software. See SC_1 through SC_4.
d. I finished the circle cut through I was doing when the old controller plunged the bit into the table yesterday. The z-axis depth information the controller is sending to the router seems to be off by a factor of 2.15.
e. In order to get the router to cut through my 0.72” thick material I had to program the tool path to cut down 1.55”. See attach toolpath.
f. I discovered this z-axis depth error by making 6 runs each time increasing the depth of cut in Aspire by 0.1” until I finally got the end mill bit to cut fully through my .716” work piece by instructing Aspire to cut to a depth of 1.55”

MINNE_JOHN
Posts: 13
Joined: Sat Jul 19, 2014 1:42 pm

Re: Anyone else's controller crash on installing CP 2.01???

Post by MINNE_JOHN »

My machine is working OK with 2.01 (no craziness yet), but I am seeing "anomalies" in the setup/pre-carve phase. Specifically, the 0,0,0 point sometimes moves to a random point on the table instead of the one I zeroed to. So far, I've noticed this problem each time before I actually ran the cut, but had I missed the error, the results could have been catastrophic for bits, hold-downs and project. Do they actually test this stuff before they force it on us?!

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