Those $#%&^* Communication Errors!

[Joe Jones]

I am hearing from a LOT of people lately, all complaining about the same thing : communication errors. One client just moved his 5x10 table 20 feet in a wooden shop with a metal roof. He grounded it with a rod, etc. Now the $%#^ table WILL NOT function without the dreaded "communication errors" error code!

I asked him, "What changed?" Are the lights over the table or the PC different/older, etc.?

Is the power outlet not properly grounded?

Is there a machine on THIS AC circuit that is screaming RF noise, that did not affect the controller when plugged into a different circuit?

It there an old doorbell transformer hiding in a wall and still powered on?!?

Is there an old florescent light fixture above without bulbs but STILL powered?

RF noise and EMF noise can come from anywhere. It is a real BUGGER to find it and KILL IT!

I advise people to go to a thrift store and pick up an old AM clock radio. Plug it in, and tune it to a quiet spot between two stations. With EVERYTHING turned OFF, the radio should be silent. Turn on one thing at a time in the shop, the lights, the coffee maker, the fridge, etc., and you will HEAR the offending device as loud static over the radio speaker. That is a "quick and dirty" way to find the offending electrical interference.

Finally, you can get LEAD TAPE, which is real LEAD in strips. It might be necessary to wrap the tape around the parallel cable and then use zip ties to keep it in place. Then wrap it again with electrical tape or whatever, to reduce contact with the LEAD. Silly? Maybe! But short of locating one of the old, original AMERICAN MADE IEEE-1284 Compliant parallel cables that may still be in a box in some geek store's closet, our options are dwindling!

Also, make sure the parallel port of the PC is putting out 5 VOLTS DC of power. Many of the parallel ports that are soldered to the motherboards of the older computers were 2.3VDC or 3.2VDC, and NOT the full 5VDC ports.

The LF1119KB PCIe parallel port card from PlasmaCam, or from SOFTIO.COM, or from Amazon will give you the strongest signal, and the best CHANCE at avoiding those @#%$^& communication errors!

Last note: Put those 5G cell phones far away from the PC and the controller and the parallel cable. They "ping" to communicate with the cell towers, and those 5G pings can be intercepted by the controller and read as errant commands. I keep my 5G iPhone 30 feet away from my tables! I can get to it in four rings if I need to answer the phone.

Joe

[Joe Jones]

This is a new one! It turns out that the parallel cable was on the FLOOR, and when he raised it up off of the floor, the communication errors ended. That is the first time I have heard of a parallel cable picking up interference by being in contact with the GROUND!

Joe

[weldguy]

I too have never heard of that one. I wonder if it has more to do with the ends of the LPT cable being compromised and picking it up off the floor moved helped to make a better connection at one of the ends. If problems persist I would be inclined to swap out to a new cable.

[Joe Jones]

I too have never heard of that one. I wonder if it has more to do with the ends of the LPT cable being compromised and picking it up off the floor moved helped to make a better connection at one of the ends. If problems persist I would be inclined to swap out to a new cable.

He first replaced the parallel cable with a thicker, IEEE-1284 rated cable of the same length, and still had the communication errors. It was by accident that someone lifted the cable up off of the floor (to sweep, or ???) while the machine was running, and the communication errors ended.

Joe