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SteveIsHeer
Posts: 49
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2015 5:45 pm

Random pauses while printing

I have noticed that almost every print I have done since installing S3D-v4 that the print will randomly pause for 1-3 seconds then continue on. It usually will only do this once but I have seen it happen twice on one print job. The weird thing is, reprinting the same model without adjusting any settings may not cause this to happen... it seems totally random. This was not present in the last release and I can not figure out what might be causing it. As expected, the pause causes an artifact to be created at that point in the print and on a couple of occasions has left a large enough deposit of plastic to cause a belt on my delta to skip a tooth, resulting in a layer shift. I did a test and re-installed the previous version and it has not once done this so something in v4 has to be the cause. Not sure if this is a bug or one of the new settings is to blame. Anyone else having this issue? Anyone with any idea on what might cause this?
I have not seen anything in the terminal window at that point to indicate communication error or invalid gcode. Kind of at a loss here....
It show's to go you how feelish you fool when your tang is all tungled up and you bart stalking tackwards!
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dkightley
Posts: 2405
Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2015 4:09 pm

Re: Random pauses while printing

This is a guess.....you're running WIndows 10 and printing via USB. If so, stop using USB and start using SD cards.....a known issue that you will find posts about if you search the forum.
Doug Kightley
Volunteer at the National Tramway Museum http://www.tramway.co.uk
Railway modeller and webmaster at http://www.talkingtgauge.net
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SteveIsHeer
Posts: 49
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2015 5:45 pm

Re: Random pauses while printing

dkightley wrote:This is a guess.....you're running WIndows 10 and printing via USB. If so, stop using USB and start using SD cards.....a known issue that you will find posts about if you search the forum.
Thanks for replying... but....

Absolutely NOT windows 10! I will never run that piece of crap OS. I'm on Windows 7 Ultimate and will continue using that until it is no longer supported then it will be Linux and MAC's from then on....

Anyway, I have always printed via USB and this issue had not shown itself in the previous releases of S3D.... it has only showed up since installing v4. I have tested by removing v4 and installing the previous release and the issue never showed up.

I prefer to print via USB so I have full control of the print while active. The Azteeg-X5mini-v3 (or any other controller for that matter) is designed to print over USB and as such should do so without issues. The SD printing is only a work around of which I prefer not using. I am running a highly modified OpenBeam Kossel Pro and it has been running very smoothly since I have upgraded it, aside from an initial ground loop issue I had that caused disconnects. After solving the ground loop, I have never had a disconnect or pause prior to v4 and the terminal window in v4 never indicates any com issues during a print, particularly during the pause. I am hoping someone discovers the source of this but if I find it before then, I will be sure to post my findings.
It show's to go you how feelish you fool when your tang is all tungled up and you bart stalking tackwards!
gapdev
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2014 7:05 pm
Location: Dana Point, CA

Re: Random pauses while printing

Also having this problem.
Anyway, I have always printed via USB and this issue had not shown itself in the previous releases of S3D.... it has only showed up since installing v4. I have tested by removing v4 and installing the previous release and the issue never showed up.
Same here. Problem seems to have appeared with Verion 4.

Kenny
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dkightley
Posts: 2405
Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2015 4:09 pm

Re: Random pauses while printing

Same here. Problem seems to have appeared with Verion 4.
Sorry....not the case! See the thread that was above this thread....but is probably now below.....where I have posted a link to a thread started in August 2015 that first reported this issue.

Here's the link: https://forum.simplify3d.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=7871
Doug Kightley
Volunteer at the National Tramway Museum http://www.tramway.co.uk
Railway modeller and webmaster at http://www.talkingtgauge.net
warham
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Sep 16, 2017 9:17 pm

Re: Random pauses while printing

it pauses a second every loop since version 4.
ceondraka
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Jul 09, 2019 12:58 pm

Re: Random pauses while printing

I too am seeing pause's randomly. Stops feeding g-code for 1-2 seconds then takes off again but leaves a blob/zit if it's on the outer perimeter. Pauses inside have no affect and don't see them. Reprinting the same item later might or might not happen again. So it's random. My print last night was 2.35 hours and had 4 pauses on the perimeter (it's obvious because the Snapmaker is a little noisy and when all of sudden silence.... bammm it's paused).

I went and optimized Win-10 which is a brand new machine/install running nothing but 3d software. No Change. Still having pauses.
I'm seeing the pauses on a long straight path, no retract at that point and no start/stop point there either.

Machine: Snapmaker 1.0
PC: Lenovo Using USB2.0 connection.

I printed the same item using SnapmakerJS and no pauses on the same PC and Printer.

Items open to test to see if it's PC/Hardware related. (Don't think so because it's not happening in SnapmakerJS. But will still try to rule out USB 2.0 issues.
1) New USB Cable with Ferrite rings at each end (Gold plated and speed rated).
2) Check the communication Timeout value in s3d
3) Export g-code to USB Stick and print.

Observation. I watch the machine control screen during printing and see that it's echoing the send/receive messages and wonder if s3d misses a send/receive from the printer and stops sending until the timeout value happens and another request to send happens and starts back up again.

Just curious.
ceondraka
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Jul 09, 2019 12:58 pm

Re: Random pauses while printing

Update to my above.
1) Changing USB Cable - No change
2) Trying different USB Setting including xon/xof and RTS/RTR (Actually RTS/RTR would not work). But I tried and will keep experimenting.
3) Have not tried this yet to see if the G-Code from S3d will have blobs.

I did take an Model and duplicated it on the table and had s3d slice it and print..... (4 pcs of the same model). Bad news I had stops and blobs on random area's on different parts. Removed the parts and restarted again and the blobs moved to different spots. So this is a random event and does not appear to be Model .stl specific. So this leads me down to PC or Program. I say both because the program might not be playing well with the PC.
ceondraka
Posts: 17
Joined: Tue Jul 09, 2019 12:58 pm

Re: Random pauses while printing

Update to the above.....
3) Transfered s3d G-Code to USB stick and zero blobs. So it's not a program issue...

It's a USB Port issue and either the software or the hardware are causing the pauses.

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