I’ve got an interesting issue. Yesterday, I was running my LR2 doing some waste board milling getting everything setup for a few guitars (or at least a try at it). The weather dropped very quickly overnight, and I have no heater in the garage where I keep my LR2. I went out this morning to run another program, and when I reinserted the card, the LCD said “Card inserted” on the main screen, but after setup, I went to actually use the file and it says “No SD card inserted.” I dug around on the forum, and found people with similar issues. I had a few of the LCDs around the house. I’ve tried shorter cables. I’ve tried a new graphic controller. I’ve tried multiple SD cards. Reformatted everything on the cards. I’m only using .gcode files on the cards. I can’t figure out what is going on. I’m using the Mini Rambo 1.3a to drive the machine. Everything starts fine. The machine jogs fine, but the LCD is very slow to move the screen and the previous screen screen configuration stays for just a bit when it does move. I’m assuming that this has something to do with the below freezing temps here in Cheyenne. I’ve spent the last several years stationed in Minot ND, so the temps don’t bother me to work in, so I don’t have a heater or anything out there, but if the machine wont work in the cold, I may have to do something about it.
Anyone else had issues with the cold causing a machine not to work, or is that not a problem? I’m at a loss. The only troubleshooting I can think to still do is just re-flash the MR1.3a and hope for the best, but everything else works perfectly so I doubt its the issue.
Let me know what you think. I know that pictures are usually requested for this kind of thing, but honestly, none are going to help in this situation (let me know if you’d like to see anything and I’ll post it). Its the same problem everyone else has with the LCD, just none of the trouble shooting that has fixed other’s has worked for me.
Not sure really. My first guess would be the card itself. I do know some cards don’t seem to work as well. Getting it to say card inserted and rebooting usually works. The currently available and cheap high capacity cards are not what these screens were designed with, if you can find under 4G cards they tend to work much much better. I have 7 screens running and all different brand and capacity cards. They all don’t act the same in different screens when they get shuffled.
I’ve tried three cards; 64gb, 16 gb, and 8gb. My 8gb was working fine before not work this morning. I’ll give it another shot. It’s the weirdest thing to have been working fine just 12 hours ago. Only variable that changed was the temp. I’ll post again when I give it a shot. Pictures this time.
Not sure if it was the SD card size or the light heat gun treatment, but suddenly I’m up and running. Hope it wasn’t the heat it may fail if it gets too cold again
Cold “usually” doesn’t bother electronics. I ran a crappy d-link webcam in a homemade pvc pipe enclosure on the roof of my house in AK for a few years and never had an issue with the cold. We’re talking low 90’s to -50’s American from summer to winter temps. You will see issues if you have a bad solder connection though. The chips and the circuit board expand and contract at different rates. So if you have a broken solder connection, it may disconnect when it gets cold, but make contact when it warms back up.
I have had similar problems when I get too much saved on a card. I really have problems if I get more than a few files on a 8gb card and it won’t even read a 16gb card. Try going to a smaller card or dumping some files. Removing the card with the power on has also screwed up a couple cards, I was able to reformat one but the other wouldn’t work. By the way, why are 2gb cards so expensive!?!?
I have experienced a good bit of temperature-related ghosts in hardware. My car’s stereo, for example, doesn’t work when the temperature goes below 5 degrees C.
Until you can get some heat in your garage, I think your solution is the best thing you can hope for ATM.
LCD displays definitely do not like the cold. The liquid actually start to freeze. Below 40 degrees F that can do some very funny things. I’m guessing cold is your issue. Also, electronics that aren’t properly shielded can suffer in the cold as well - especially when they start to warm up as they can produce condensation which isn’t a good thing…
Wow- interesting. We had a temp drop for a few days and having goofy Card Not Inserted stuff on the controller as well. Never considered it a cold issue. Maybe the cause of my x axis studder to. time to put a little heat up and see what happens. Wouldn’t that be a surprise if it’s the cold. That brings a whole new level to the machine!
Definitely a cold thing. We’ve had another cold snap here, and machine started doing the same thing. Only problem is, once it starts doing it, it doesn’t like to stop. I’ve heated up both the MR1.3a and the LCD controller. Slowly of course, with a heat gun, at a distance, set on low. It didn’t work this time. I’m moving to Georgia soon. The house we bought has a cabinet shop on the property. I think it’s heated, so I’m hoping it wont be a problem too much longer. My project timelines are getting pretty derailed by this one issue. The space heater doesn’t seem to be helping either lol.
I’m thinking it’s a bad solder joint that opens in the cold and closes in the heat. Each time it goes through a cycle it’s going to get slightly worse, until it eventually fails altogether. That would help explain the recent changes.
I have been running my MPCNC the last few weeks and have not had a problem with it working in the unheated garage. The last few weeks it had been in the low teens at night and when I started the MPCNC it was maybe only a degree or two warmer in my garage.
I went to walmart and grabbed a couple newe 16gb SD cards. They worked perfectly. I have no clue why. Weather is no warmer than it has been. The cards that worked at first don’t work anymore, but the new ones do. I’m not going to question it. If you’re having problems, I’d suggest spending 7 dollars on a new card before spending hours doing research.
