FAQ SHORTCUTS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
TECH SUPPORT
For assistance with your product or any questions, please call Tech Support at (419)491-4520.
SOFTWARE DOWNLOADS & INFO
For software, go to our DOWNLOADS & LINKS page
REGISTRATION
To register, go to our registration page register@nextwaveautomation.com
Customer pays for shipping of the item back to Next Wave. If it is deemed defective by Next Wave Automation (NWA), NWA will reimburse shipping and swap out part depending on length of ownership. Full credit within 90 days or swap out of machine for a working unit/part after 90 days. If it is determined not to be defective, customer would pay for repairs and the item would be returned at customer expense.
Contact support@nextwaveautomation.com or by calling (419)491-4520 before returning any product to recieve an Returned Goods Authorization #.
The customer would pay to return this and there would be a 15% restocking fee. Non-Warranty returns from the customer will be accepted in the first 30 days and must be returned complete in the original box. Software that is already registered can’t be used again and cannot be returned or credited.
Contact support@nextwaveautomation.com or by calling (419)491-4520 before returning any product to recieve an Returned Goods Authorization #.
Go to https://portal.nextwaveautomation.com/Portal/QuickUnlock and fill in the required fields
For complete instructions go to our visit our Help Center LCD Pendant Access code article
Be sure that you use the username off the card with your USB software thumb drive, you need the complete “Next Wave OEM - #####”, caps are not critical
Use your cell phone to enlarge the 60 character registration key if you need to. Pay special attention to 5,S O,0 1,I
The next day you will need to fill in your First and Last Name and email address and send it to Vectric. They will respond the next working day with an email with your final registration. If you do not see it by the next week please contact support@vectric.com and ask them to resend the registration.
Firmware updates for the Next Wave CNC Controller and LCD Pendant, SD100 Controller, and Ready2Laser (Moray) are currently processed through the Ready2Update - Firmware software available free for download after creating a Next Wave Portal account.
For complete Firmware update instructions go to our visit our Ready2Update - Firmware help page.
Vectric has over 50 plus hours of tutorial videos designed to walk a user through creating a project using the different toolpaths and techniques available in the Vcarve/Aspire software:
When saving the file to run on the CNC you must select the correct Post Processor to create a runnable G-Code file.
All current Sharks and Piranha XL
HD3 and older Sharks
Download the correct post processor to your PC.
At the bottom of the toolpaths menu in VCarve is an Add Post Processor function, follow the instructions.
Alternatively highlight the Post Processor and select copy. In VCarve select File and then “Open applications data folders”, find and select the PostP subdirectory and paste in the post processor.
Restart VCarve to see if the post processor now displays.
For adding the PhotoCarve post processor do the following
1.)Download the linked post processor http://cncshark.com/Downloads/CNCShark-USB_inch.pp
2.) Open the PhotoVcarve Post Processor system folder. The default location is:
C:\Program Files (x86)\PhotoVCarve\PostP or
C:\Program Files (x86)\PhotoVCarve\Exec\PostP.
3) Copy CNCShark-USB_inch.pp from the save location and paste them into the PostP folder.
4) Close PhotoVcarve
When PhotoVcarve is re-opened, the post processor will display in the post processors dropdown box. If the post processor does not display, try changing your desktop shortcut properties to "Runs as administrator" in the shortcuts advanced properties. Then open the program again.
The CNC must use some reference point so the start position on the VCarve project and the physical 0,0,0 setting at the start of the project must agree. Each time the CNC is turned on it resets the 0,0,0 to wherever the router is at power up. So you must set the 0,0,0 on each project or after each startup.
If under a production shop about once a week the dust should be blown, vacuumed or brushed off and a dry lubricant applied. Always turn off the controller when blowing air around the CNC. Do not vacuum it. The electronics in the controller and static electricity generated by the air compressor or vacuum do not get along and can cause damage to the electronic boards in the controller.
Any quality dry lube using Teflon/Silicon for the base, we sell Dupont Teflon Silicone Spray.
Yes, the controller needs to be situated where the Carriage does not pull on the wiring moving from one extent of the table to the other, the Y axis must have full movement.
Additionally avoid wrapping any ac wiring with the stepper motor wires, we suspect that this can occasional cause signal interference with the stepper motor and cause a wild cut.
Double check that you used the correct Post Processor. Make sure you saved the TAP CNC file and not the CRV Vectric project file.
If you are using a thumb drive that is larger than 8GB and have more than a dozen files in the base folder, try creating a sub directory for some of the files or delete some files. The pendant has directory problems with larger drives.
Anytime that the bit is unable to clear the wood before it is moved forward you will get chatter. Try speeding up the RPM on the router, Change the tool definition to slow down the Inches per Minute of travel speed 10-20 percent, decrease the stepover or decrease the depth of the cut. Sometimes changing the direction of the cut in the toolpath will also help, Try changing the setting from climb to conventional.
Do a forced recalibration of the pendant. Hold your finger on the center of the touchscreen while you turn it on. Follow the prompts and touch the circle in all 4 corners. If that fails and you have no front lights on the controller then do a Bare Box Reset and contact customer support. If the lights are on try doing the LCD firmware update.
Do you have the correct post processor? Remember the Post Processor for the newer Sharks and Piranha XL must be added to VCarve, it is not found on the VCarve list.
Do you have the safety key turned horizontal?
Is the laser plugged into a regular power outlet and not the controller?
Do you have a green light when the laser hub is plugged in and a red light when the program is running?
Do you hear the laser fan running?
If the above answers are yes but you do not have the blue laser light please call support.
If your file was created with the Raster File program if you have a lot of white space to start, redo you file with the white space cropped.
If you created a standard bit laser definition, do you have a depth of .001? Zero depth can cause the VCarve tap file to fail.
One of the top USB connectivity problems is caused by Windows USB Power Management. To change the power management settings of your USB hubs, please follow these steps:
1) Go to Control Panel and Click "Device Manager" OR type "Device Manager" in your search box
2) Click "Universal Serial Bus Controllers" (Usually at the bottom of the list), a new drop down list will display.
3) Right click on the first "Hub" listed (Typically the list will start with "Generic USB Hub", anything with hub in the name)
4) Click "Properties"
5) Click "Power Management"
6) Uncheck the box labeled "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power"
7) Click "OK"
8) Repeat this for each "Hub" listed skip any other items.
If your control box was powered on during this process, turn it off, wait 5 - 10 seconds, and then power it back on. Additionally, it will be helpful to make sure your computer has completed all necessary system updates as Microsoft continuously releases patches and bug updates which can effect device connectivity.
If at anytime you have CNC issues we will be happy to help assist you.
We have staff on call from 8:30am to 7pm eastern M-F at (419)318-4822
Contact via email at support@nextwaveautomation.com or our help form at Online Contact Form.
Vectric also has good online email help if V-Carve is giving you issues. support@vectric.com There are also over 50 hours of video tutorials on the Vectric.com website.
There is a Shark Users Forum online at http://www.cncsharktalk.com as well as a number of YouTube videos on both your CNC and V-Carve.
We also place solutions online at our help center where we post solutions to common problems. https://nextwaveautomation.zendesk.com/hc/en-us