Maximum Lines of G-Code for Mach3?

[Diesel]

Ladies and Gents:

A while back, I tried to cut a custom piece for a customer.
Overall part is about 26"x14", 3/16" steel, 65A, book settings, 270-some-odd pierces ( )...all inside contours except for the one outside contour.

SheetCam was happy, no open contours, etc.
Both times I attempted to cut this part, Mach3 went belly up...it didn't freeze, but the gantry/torch would just stop.
Neither part turned out the way it should have, but I was able to better salvage the second attempt.

On the second attempt, I created 3 layers in SheetCam:
2 layers for inside contours (with over 270 pierces, I was hoping that splitting up the part into sections would help keep Mach3 happy...)
1 layer for the outside contour

It still went belly up with 3 layers instead of two.
Is the answer to use more layers? Does this reduce the "load" on Mach3 for complicated parts?

I salvaged the second attempt/part by going back to 0, 0 (X, Y), lower torch, create quick hole for alignment, close Mach3, created new G-code for the remaining/missing contours in SheetCam, reopen Mach3, referenced axes, eyeballed the torch to the hole, zero'd axes and ran the new G-code in Mach3. Not perfect, but better than nothing.

Here is a video showing the G-code scrolling back and forth while it was belly up. Very odd.
https://youtu.be/uiLYFOIbqf0

Did I somehow find a limit in Mach3?

Thanks in advance,

Matt

[davek0974]

The only limit i know of is 500 lines for an unlicensed install.

Never seen that code movement before, What does an M109 do on your system?

[_Ogre]

that limit would be in sheetcam, as long as the post works you'd be good for sheetcam

possibly your drive is overheating? or losing steps from pc error or memory error
disable your ethernet card or any wireless card to eliminate errors there
even if the ethernet card isn't working your pc still looks for the signal (or so it says in the mach manual)

i do 4x8 sheets of 7x7 or 3x7 base plates, 300+ or 600+ pierces
to keep from messing up from tooling issues, i break it into 3 four foot rows of plates
maybe more layers would work just to keep the errors down

[muzza]

I'd guess your problem is more computer related. I have cut many times with over a thousand pierces using Sheetcam/ Mach3 and never used separate layers to alternate between inside and outside offsets. I usually have it checked to cut each part which normally sees it do any open paths fist, then inside offsets and then the outside offset of that part before moving to the next part and repeating the process which can be a nest of a couple of hundred parts, each with numerous pierces.

[Diesel]

What does an M109 do on your system?

Sorry - I have no idea.

disable your ethernet card or any wireless card to eliminate errors there

I can't disable my Ethernet - I have the CandCNC Ethercut/DTHC-IV.
It's entirely possible it is a PC or hardware resource issue. RAM usage seems OK under normal circumstances, but I did not check it when I had issues cutting the piece in question. I was already upset that ~45 minutes had elapsed and the piece was ruined...twice!

I have bigger fish to fry with goofy geometry, so I'll have to revisit this at a later date.

Thanks!

Matt

[pertneer]

After licensing Mach3 has a 10,000,000 line limit as indicated in this post.

[_Ogre]

only?