Correct. 
Yes, that’s really weird. Do have another power supply that you can test? Any 12V power supply with 5 or more Amps will do. Since you did all those tests, I think we can rule out the motors, cables and even the driver chips. Then power would be the next thing to check.
Thanks for the prompt answer @misken - You have proven yourself to be much more effective that Sculpfun customer support unfortunately, lol.
I’ve got a few 3A 12V laying around then some 14A 20V only so I am limited atm, will probably run a check on the whereabouts in case I can get myself an alternative power supply, now that all this is happening I remember that actually I have had problems at some point(s) turning on the machine, as in switching it on and the power apparently not reaching the laser or motors but since it was solved by simply turning it off then on again couple times I never thought much about it. Perhaps related.
Will update as stuff happens, maybe the info will be valuable for others.
Thanks again buddy
Eth.
Oh yes, the power button was also a weak point at some board series. It broke quite often. If you had an issue already, I think chances are high that it will completely break down soon. You can send a report to Sculpfun (support@sculpfun3d.com) and might get a replacement board anyhow.
The 12V 3A might also be ok for a check. As long as the laser is not firing, the whole thing doesn’t need much power. You can also disconnect the laser head completely, then you get rid of the noise during tests
Appreciated, I did write to sculpfun already a day ago at the same time I posted my problem here but no answer so far, I am hoping for next Monday if not I will send them a follow-up.
I also thought about checking the power supply with a multimeter to see if it still delivers the required amperage, just have to find it in the almost-forgotten-stuff chest.
Will update how things go soon, thanks for the tips!
Eth.
Hey all again, there has been some updates to the problem so I thought I should post about them:
Took three emails to get Sculpfun to answer me but after that it all went smooth in terms of Customer Service - A shoutout to Freya as the CS person from Sculpfun, he/she was very attentive and prompt with the communication.
After a few administrative steps (sending some pics of the controller, proof of purchase, etc) Sculpfun agreed to send me a new controller and also a new cable, these took a bit as is usual to arrive to where I live but nothing to complain about.
I just finished replacing all the components and…
Nothing, the problem STILL persists… Which is really upsetting - New motherboard, new cable, the Y motor works on its own perfectly so all that factors are to be discarded.
I have sent another email to Sculpfun CS - Will keep you updated in order to help anyone that might have the same problem, but this is quite disheartening.
Eth.
Sculpfun CS has got back to me with a similar advice, will have to dig around for an adaptor.
A note for those who might have the same problem, it is possible to either test the system with a 12V 5A adaptor to match the original one, or also with a 24V adaptor IF WE DISCONNECT THE AIR PUMP and the LASER MODULE, since these parts only can withstand 12V.
One question on my end though, and pls consider I am a complete illiterate in what refers to electronics, so just by using logic - I’d understand if the problem is caused by a faulty power supply at the time of homing since BOTH motors move at the same time (not enough power perhaps), but in the scenario of simply using the move function in Lightburn on X axis this moves normally, shouldn’t the power also be enough to move the Y axis alone since I guess the same power is required to move the Y axis?
Eth.
Stepper motors are constant-power devices: the driver provides the same current whether they’re moving or stationary. Counterintuitively, they don’t draw any more current when starting or stopping, so the power supply load doesn’t change.
Other devices, like fans / blowers / lasers, can overload a faulty supply when they turn on.
Amazing, thanks @ednisley for the clarification, I have learnt something new today and is quite fascinating, then from your point of view a power related problem should be discarded in my particular case?
Do they power BOTH axis in parallel or is there a particular axis that have ‘priority’ in what power delivery refers?
Eth.
That’s how it works: each axis has separate stepper motors with separate drivers using the same power supply, so they operate independently at the same time. I think that’s what you mean by “in parallel”.
It is entirely possible one (or more) of the power supply / cable / switch has an intermittent failure, which would explain everything starting with your first description:
The message indicates the machine did a hard reset, attempted to home, and failed. The fact that it was operating correctly up to that point suggests something changed for the worse.
Then you mention this:
I don’t know the rating of the original supply, but IMO no manufacturer ships an adequate power supply, particularly for high-power diode lasers. IMO they figure the current required for the laser, maybe add an amp or two, then pick the cheapest supply with that rating, rather than do it right.
I’d replace the power supply with one having about twice the OEM current rating: if the OEM supply was 12 V / 5 A, then I’d go for 12 V / 10 A or more. If you have something like that in your parts bin, try it out.
This will not rule out problems in the power cable or switch, but it will eliminate a source of bizarre faults.
Yes that is what I was meaning with ‘parallel’ hahah.
The original supply is 12V 5A and I have some 12V 3A lying around but not anything with more amperage, actually I have already ordered another 12V 5A but not sure if the vendor has proceed with the packaging/mailing so if I am in time will request a 10A one instead. I should have thought about this before since going a bit overboard on amperage wouldn’t hurt anyway.
The power cable I use isn’t the greatest thing - some generic random cable with some generic cheap multi-outlet but i did some tests in the beginning by connecting the power supply of the laser cutter right away to the wall outlet since i thought this could be the source of the problem with the same problematic results, I also have a (relatively small) bandsaw and some other power tool and this cheap cable never have given me any trouble, but will keep in mind to upgrade if the new power supply does not solve the problem.
(If by power cable you meant the one that provides power from the wall outlet to the working area - if you meant the laser cutter power supply cable, I do not know the specs in detail but is emmm, thick, and i guess thick better than thin! i know is oversimplistic but… does not look precisely cheap, the one from the wall outlet to the working area is way worst.)
Thanks again for the input @ednisley it is greatly appreciated.
Will update as I try more stuff!
Eth.
Despite my misgivings, it may be adequate and will at least eliminate a bad power supply from the list of suspects.
That’s the one I meant, but it may have thick insulation around craptastic conductors. I once got a ribbon cable with sketchy innards:
Given the sudden failure you experienced, it’s more likely to be a bad power supply than a bad cable. Ya never know.
Also, a failed switch or jack contact could cause similar problems, but take the troubleshooting one step at a time.
The cord from the AC wall outlet to the supply is unlikely to cause a problem, as the current will be relatively low and the contacts relatively robust.
Thanks again for the very useful information @ednisley - Will have all of it in account.
Unfortunately I already checked and the power supply vendor already sent the item so I am unable to switch it for a 10A, anyway I will keep it in mind as an upgrade in the near future (just have to find another utility for the 5A one - selfconvincing measure haha).
Eth.
Hey there all.
So today the new 12V 5A power supply has arrived, upon first tests…
It works.
Homing has returned positive movement from the Y axis as opposed as all the attempts before, I have not had time to test further (i will and report the results here) but apparently looks like the problem was originated by a faulty power supply, which is not the easiest thing to spot for newbs like me but something that both @misken and @ednisley pointed as a possibility.
There we go, learning new things everyday.
Eth.
Called a win perhaps a bit tad too early haha.
Ok so now all axis move perfectly, the machine homes, moves and frames the work areas just fine.
The problem now is that when I try to execute a work, the laser head moves to the starting point, then it suddenly ‘loses connection’ - this is the message that I get from lightburn, additionally, windows throws at me the ‘usb device disconnected’ chime followed by the ‘usb device connected’ chime.
On another note, I tried to check if the problem could be caused by the firmware therefore downloaded the firmware update software, which I have used before without any issue (with the old controller, mind i am using the newly sent one now), but once i try to overwrite the firmware it returns me a message of not allowed connection.
No settings at all have been changed on the computer since the ol’ days when all ran fine, not on windows nor on lightburn (besides the homing cycle stuff), so its quite confusing. The USB cable theoretically could be discarded as a problem (?) since the machine initially connects to the computer, homes and frames stuff properly.
Emmm, any idea of what could be causing the problem?
Eth.
The new one may still be inadequate for the task, for all the reasons I ranted at earlier, but at least it’s functional.
One step at a time …
Take a look at LightBurn’s Console window to discover what the controller is saying.
If the controller is restarting when the laser head turns on, this IMO suggests the replacement power supply is inadequate to power the stepper motors and the laser diode and all the other stuff.
If it’s not restarting, then the problem is most likely an intermittent USB connection that glitches when the laser draws a higher-than-usual current.
That is, unfortunately, the definition of the typical intermittent USB connection problem.
The fact that the connection fails while downloading firmware suggests that (part of) the problem has more to do with USB than with the power supply, because the controller doesn’t draw any more current than usual and certainly nothing compared to the laser diode.
A known-good / brand-name USB cable may improve the situation, with relatively expensive cables sporting ferrite slugs on both ends seeming more reliable than others. IMO the slugs probably don’t contribute much, other than raising the price of the cable enough to justify the better build quality you really need. Avoiding counterfeit cables is a problem on the usual shopping sites.