Interrupted movement on X-Axis

I recently got my XYYZ gantry router up and running. RPI4, 4gb w/ 7i76e

It has been working, mostly, with small issues that I have been working through with the help of this board. Thanks.

I tried to do a larger piece and a new problem developed. It is just a MDF board where I am cutting the profile, nothing too taxing.
Movement on the X-axis is interrupted while running. It briefly just stops moving in only the x-axis occasionally, causing issues.
It is noticeable when it happens and leaves a step in the machining like when it is cutting a curve.

This seems to happen only after the program is running for a few minutes, like it is warming up. 
The motors are warm, not hot to the touch. The problem repeats even when just running through the program, with the cutter raised above the stock.

Not sure where to look for the root of the issue. This feels like it is losing communication or something.
The g-code doesn't show any sort of stop or pause in the location it occurs, which is sort of random.
I've checked for mechanical issues and can't see anything obvious.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks, Tim

If just one axis is stalling I would thinks it mechanical or
electrical issues. Marginal timing is a common cause of step
loss. As a first step you might try increasing the step times 50%

Thanks, PCW.

By "increasing the step times" do you mean more micro-steps? or more time between steps (decreasing micro stepping)?

I have a feeling that this may be current related. I am going to try bumping up the current to something closer to the limit for a test.

I tore the mechanicals apart and verified there wasn't anything rubbing/catching. Also checked and re-tightened all X-Axis electrical connections. Nothing obvious.

Thanks again, Tim

I mean increasing the step pulse length.
(by editing the ini file)

Also, if there is a separate power supply for that axis, check the power LED on that supply while that is happening.

I think I found the root of my issues - Lack of power.

Confirm for me the following:
4 bipolar steppers with a rating of 5A will need (4 motors x 5 A/Phase x 2 Phase/motor) 40A supply. 

Do we de rate this to 2/3 of the value per the Gecko document ?

I had been running with a single 48v, 20A supply. 

Either way, dropping the amps allowed through the stepper drives to the motors improved performance and minimized/eliminated stalling. Bumping up the amps allowed through the driver made the stalling way worse (starved). The low amp torque is ok for cutting wood, but I need more power to get back to a more optimal amount of current for these motors.

Thanks for the help.  Tim 

You would not  allow for 2 phases. I make it 4 x 5 = 20 amps /1.4 = 14.3 amps required. You have heaps of power and 48v its a good voltage.
I would follow PCW's advice.
 

I went back and actually measured the current out of the Power Supply when it was running. Nowhere near maxing out the PS. more like maybe 1 amp total on all 4 motors when running above the stock. Not power limited...

This was with the stepper timing at and above what PCW suggested. That was at:
StepLen 5000, StepSpace 5000, DirHold 10000 and DirSetup 5000.

It is still missing/stalling/ messed up even at 20k, 20k, 20k, 20k.

I had worked to reduce latency and ended up with the histogram attached. This was overnight with 8 gears running. Except for a couple outliers, I figured it was good. Using 1,000,000 SERVO_PERIOD (set lower I was getting "error finishing read" issues)

Any other ideas you can point me to?

Attached are .hal and .ini as well.

Thanks again.
 

Set the drives to 3A and test again.

You might wan to read this, www.geckodrive.com/support/step-motor-basics.html , some really good info.

How have you wired the power to the steppers, one set of wires per driver from the PSU or some other method.