Machine disconnect mid-cut

Software
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Before I get to my issue, I’ve linked a forum post regarding the same issue however i think I can rule out the USB cable noise as I have always used the snap on ferrite chokes.

My setup has been the same for months with zero issues. Yesterday I ran several cuts without issue. I loaded a new program into firecontrol and started getting a machine disconnect error. I tried a few other files, same thing.

I’m running the Crossfire and have owned it since February. I have a Cut60 (wired for raw voltage). Plasma cutter is 4’ away from the table, laptop is unplugged (not charging) 4’ away from table on a separate surface, control box is insulated from the frame, new USB cord with ferrite chokes and wrap insulation (new cord made no difference). Ground connection is good, all connections are secure.

Took the control box cover off checked for loose connections, negative. I have the latest version of FireControl and re-installed it. I have an Acer Aspire with Windows 11. I periodically receive a Windows Notification that the USB device is not recognized. I have tried multiple new USB cords with the chokes and insulation wrap to no avail. The USB connection at the control box seems loose and I suspect that may be the culprit. The machine has about 10hrs runtime on it.

Continuing the discussion from Getting a machine was disconnected message in fire control:

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Machine disconnect means its losing it 5 v signal from your computer. You know cables do go bad.
Try a different usb port on your computer.
Sounds like you may have a USB issue on the computer. Reload the driver may help.

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Thanks, as I said I have tried several new cables with the Ferrite chokes and different USB ports on the computer.

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Do you have a different computer to try?

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No unfortunately. It just baffles me because it was doing just fine then within literally 3 minutes started going bonkers.

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Power saving chip, power setting on the laptop changing with an update perhaps?

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BTW this is how you introduce your problem. applause

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Thanks for the reply but no, I changed the sleep settings so it doesn’t shut off.

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Check the power saver tab in settings. Like @brownfox said an update could have turned it on.

To turn off power saving mode in Windows 11, you can change your power mode to a different setting:
Select Start
Select Settings
Select System
Select Power & battery
Choose a different power mode

Some power modes include: Best battery life, Best performance, Balance between battery life and performance, Balanced power plan, and Best power efficiency.
This is how you control the usb port power saver.

Right-click on your Network Adapter/USB. Select Properties. Click on the Power Management tab. Uncheck the box next to Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.Sep 14, 2023

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Yessir, I have turned off the setting that shuts USB devices off when the computer goes to sleep. I just tried changing the power plan I’ll see if changing the power plan makes a difference tomorrow. Hopefully it does othewise I’m stumped.

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Well if you’re periodically getting the disconnected message it may be an issue with a port either on the machine or the laptop.

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I think tomorrow I’m going to try another new USB cord and try prying out the cable at the control box to see if I can snug it up into the port a little more. It just seems awfully loose at the control box, but I am getting a connection. I should also mention there are no issues during a dry run.

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Keep us updated.

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Welcome to the forum and thank you for the very thorough set of information in your post! That is a very good practice that will help you immensely here.

Now, your problem is an intriguing one. You seem to have covered all the obvious causes, however, there is one possibility I haven’t seen mentioned. If the USB connector on the Firecontrol box got knocked so that the metal rim is touching the chassis, that would definitely cause interference problems. If it’s intermittent it may not show up with an Ohmmeter, but very careful inspection of the opening for the USB connector may be useful.

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Thank you! But, a few months back i had similar issues and put some electrical tape between the port and control box to eliminate thst possibility, but i will double check it as well.

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Thank you everyone for the input! Got very little sleep last night thinking about this so I was up at 5am and got it working. I ended up wrapping the male control box end of the USB cable in a small piece of aluminum foil to take up some slack because the connection seemed sloppy. I’ve since run 3 programs with no issues.

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You might have a bad solder joint on the USB connector. I’ve seen that a couple of times on the forum. The physical adjustment might be enough to keep the connection intact.

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The failure mode looks to a grounding problem. A bad connector or a loose ground wire, especially where there is a lot of vibration. Wires that are flexed significantly and often will fatigue and fail over time. A signal wire too close to a power carrying wire can be a problem. Metal foil on the connector is a poor solution until it isn’t.

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