Centroid Community CNC Support Forum

Well, I've been running the all-in-one for almost 2 years with an i7 intel 8 core processor. It does so well that I started to push the limits. I first realized that I could run and edit Inventor at the same time I was running a job...no problem. Then I found I could surf the web, run Inventor, manipulate files, and run a job...no problem. The system finally balked though. Here is the limitation:

I have been running parts from blueprints, and I frequently don't need the mill while I am reading and programming the blueprints into Inventor. I got in the habit of putting the computer to sleep, to make it easier the next day not to have to re-open several sets of the same blueprints. So...after running the computer 3 days without a full reboot, I fired up the CNC12. THAT is where the system baulked! It would start a job just fine, but the zero positions started drifting.

No need to lecture, as I will continue to push the limits to see what I can get away with. I thought someone else would be interested to learn how far you can go!?!

I have a Honda Gold Wing that will do 125MPH (Limited at that speed) but I don't feel the need to push it till it breaks just to see if I can break it.

There are best practices for good reliable CNC results and then there are practices that make machines unreliable. I think you have described a lot of the things that would make a machine run unreliably!

You will get away with it until one day you crash and then you won't!

Dave C.

Go hard or go home I say. No point in putting a capable PC there and having it work at 5% all its life. I run my development PCs for months on end without restarting them. Each day using super hungry design software and various programs. Centroids PC software runs on a single core. So it can run along side your other programs without loss of performance. Of course if you start running out of RAM or other programs are consuming so much CPU that CNC12 is getting starved then that wont be great, but if you stick within the limits should be no problems. There biggest risk is that another program causes a bluescreen of death or some other unexpected shutdown while a part is running.

But if you want to be safe, dedicate a PC to the CNC and then you can go nuts on your design PC with guarantee that it will never cause a problem. Link them together by one of the many possible methods so you can still control the CNC PC from the design one, or copy files to it.

I'm not pushing just to find the limits...It's a real time saver to be able to begin programming the next job while one is running. The alternative is to keep transferring programs and tool files between computers. I'd also have to leave the machine running alone as I program inside the office. I understand it is not recommended...just thought others would be interested how far is too far.

Oh...I forgot to mention I even have a the calculator program running...so is that about 150mph..?

Haha, watch that calculator. I personally think as long as you are not starving the cnc12 thread of cpu time or memory it will always run on time.

The worst thing is the risk of another program causing a blue screen of death midway through machining.

Another thing to note is that cnc12 is not that fast. It struggles to keep up with fast profiling operations where it has thousands of lines of g code for tiny little movements. I have seen this myself. Turning feedrate override much over 100 on these types of programs can get nasty!

Also if you find transferring files between PCs a pain. Put them on the same network and share your g code folder. That way both PCs can see the folder.

ashesman,
Turning the feedrate override above 100% may not work well because some variables in the motion profile are pre-computed based on the programmed feedrate. Results will be better if the feedrate is programmed higher and the knob is only used to reduce feedrate. This is not related to the CNC12 thread speed.

CJD,
It sounds like your position loss is due to sleep rather than working the PC too hard. Did you exit CNC12 before putting the PC to sleep? Possibly the motion control hardware got out of sync with the software if it was put to sleep. Many Centroid systems have run for months without a restart, but I've never heard of anyone putting the control PC to sleep before. You may be trailblazing on that front.