Where are my files?

[CyberBiker]

I have a CNC Shark HD Extended with a pendant. I also have a folder (directory) with a whole bunch (29) .tap files for some personalized signs. Less than half of the files can be found when the drive is plugged into the Pendant. Where are they? If I look at the drive on the computer, they are all there. Sometimes the folders or directories are also missing.

Does this have anything to do with the highly truncated directory listing on the pendant?

Are there limits to how big a flash drive they can effectively read?
Is there a limit on how deep the file structure can go (how many directories deep)
Does anyone have a good suggestion for managing a long list of files that are ready for the CNC Shark?

Has anyone heard anything about an update to the Pendant software that will give us a longer file name display?

Would connecting a computer to the controller instead of using the Pendant be of any help?

Thanks.

[CyberBiker]

Discussed the issue with Next Wave. Seems that the pendant can only read a short list of file entries on the USB stick. If there are less than about 12 entries, everything is fine, if there is more than that the directory listing gets messed up. They did suggest that an improved file reading mechanism is in the pipe line.

[Kayvon]

Twelve? That's... not very many.

The more I read about the pendant on the forum, the happier I am to have a dedicated computer hooked up instead.

[CyberBiker]

Have been seriously considering connecting a dedicated computer to the CNC, but file transfer remains problematic since the wifi in the shop is terrible. I could hard wire it, but I think I need to put a router in the attic to pull that off. Not a pleasant project with outside temps of 15°F.

I do much of my design work away from the shop, but would not be willing to lug the computer attached to the machine all over the place.

Actually, since learning the limits of the pendant, I have changed my workflow to only put my "files for today" on the thumb drive. I put machine ready files in a "Cuts for Today" folder on my computer and just put the ones I will cut on the thumb drive. Actually makes identifying the files on the pendant easier. Small changes in the tool paths still require a lot of messing about with my "sneaker net" however.

Improved Pendant file display remains my top request for an improvement from Next Wave.

[Rando]

For fun, you can also try a third-party (or Windows I think has it also) file sync utility. You essentially tell it to watch for the thumb drive, and when it sees it, it syncs the contents of the on-computer folder to the thumb drive.

But, I gotta say that bites. In the age where cloud computing is so mainstream we're now bored and turning to AI to feed our new-tech fetish, it's ludicrous that thumb-drives and 8.3 file names are being used ANYWHERE, much less as part of the now-being-adopted preferred user interface for a twenty-first century manufacturing device like a CNC. NWA should be ashamed of themselves. What's their next namesake "innovation", cassette-tape data storage?

[Kayvon]

I've been impressed with the Axiom line of CNCs, but the USB drive also puts me off the idea as well. For my shark, I have an old laptop that simply references a shared folder from our real PC inside. If I need to make a file update, I just head inside, save the files, and can immediately access it from outside.

Needing to run back and forth with a thumb drives seems like a pain.