Vista Update and Torchmate Signal Generator

[runninwild400]

Hello all,,just wanted to let everyone know that today I did a vista update on my pc,,,I think it was a service pack for vista. When it was done and after I re-booted I fired up my Torchmate 2 to do some cutting, this is when things went bad. All was good until I tried jogging the table, then as soon as I clicked the X axis button to move I lost communication with the signal generator. If I shut the signal generator off then turned it back on and clicked online in the Torchamte controller window it would connect fine. It would stay connected for as long as I wanted until I tried jogging the machine and then it would lose connection with the signal generator again. I tried using 2 other usb ports on my pc but the same thing would happen every time. I even updated the drivers for the signal generator and still no luck. I finally did a system restore to before the installation of the update and things are back to normal now. Not sure why this happened, maybe it's just my pc,,but regardless I thought I would share just in case someone else is pulling out their hair over the same problem,,cause if your anything like me your hair doesn't need any help falling out lol.

[admin]

Hey Brian

Thanks for the heads up and the solution. Should be helpful to a lot of folks.

Admin

[chellewaka]

I have a question about my torchmate etc, I haven't done any update and I am wondering if I need to. I am a mac user and so I only use my pc for my torchmate software and to run the table. But lately I have had cut problems when once I had everything set. The cuts get fused together and the program is shifting this last time it was about an inch on the X axis. The tip was new as was the swirl thing (sorry I'm not too versed on the correct terms). I have looked on torchmates web site and have tried what was suggested there. I will have to call them tomorrow I guess, but they can't always help me because my plasma cutter is a Miller spectrum 1000 and miller apparently doesn't give out the info torchmate needs. I have had some beautiful cuts on this machine, but lately I'm ready to sell the thing off and say no more. Help me if you can. Rachelle

[runninwild400]

I have a torchmate 2 and I also have had problems with the shifiting problem. My problem is with the gear rack. If the gear rack doesn't run perfectly straight with the drive gears you will have problems at higher speeds. What happened with mine is the gear rack was running a little high is a couple spots, this would cause more force on the drive gear and cause the drive motor to work harder in that spot, it would almost slow it down for a split second, the when it cleared the high spot it would jump ahead and my cuts would be all off about an inch. I'm haveing a hard time keeping the drive gear and the gear rack perfectly in line, I have a buddy that is a machineist and he's going to build me spring loaded drive fasteners. As for the fusing together problem, I've been cutting for about a year on my table and I've had two sheets of steel that have done that to me also, all I did was turn up my amperage a little bit and then they cut out fine. Not sure why but I'm blaming that problem on the steel. Hope that helps you a little. If you resolve your problem please let me know what the cause was, it's always nice to know how to fix some of these little glitches.

[chellewaka]

I think I have figured out the shifting problem. One of the wires, maybe two were getting pinched or pulled when the machine was running a program big enough to take it over to a certain area of the table. My husband and I actually watched it do it through on cut and that was our best guess. So far it hasn't happened again. I will have to keep checking the wires, like when I clean it or before large cuts. We are thinking the wavy letters are because of the slats moving. I saw a variation of the typical slats here on plasmaspider and we are working to get that changed in hopes that it fixes the wavy letters. Thank you for all the suggestions and help. I look to this site more than I do torchmate or miller. you guys and gals are great, you save me so much time, Rachelle

[deluxbilt]

the problem that i have had with my table is the drive shaft from side to side will slip when it may hit a little some something in the gear rack but when you go to tighten the screws are tight about 75 % of the time my solution was i took the ends out of the drive shaft and ground a flat spot in it and then locktighted the screws in and i have had no more problems