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Author Topic: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion  (Read 212832 times)

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Offline Dan13

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Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion
« Reply #120 on: December 16, 2010, 04:28:48 AM »
Hood,

Thought the above probe was self contained and not just a piece of metal that would close the circle through the part and mill table...? I would like to be able to probe plastic parts as well. I have an idea how to make one, but a cheap commercial one sounds easier ;)

Dan

Offline Hood

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Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion
« Reply #121 on: December 16, 2010, 04:37:17 AM »
These probes, assuming its the same as I have, just have a battery and LED in them but rely on the material being conductive and the circuit being made via top half of probe, through bearings and body of machine, through work piece then to tip. I assume JH has removed the battery and LED and connected two wires instead. If thats the case then easy to make up a part to chuck, have a delrin sleeve then a probe tip inside that and you would end up with exactly the same.

Hood

Offline Hood

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Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion
« Reply #122 on: December 16, 2010, 04:42:10 AM »
Adding to this I made a ball and pin type probe a while back so that it doesnt need conductive material and it works well apart from its a bit iffy now that it got submersed when the office upstairs flooded and the water ran down into my workshop and right on top of all my collets and holders :(
 A guy I know made one similar in principle but instead of a circuit board he used a prox sensor above the stylus  and he says its very repeatable. I have been thinking of making one but not got round to it yet.
Hood

Offline Dan13

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Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion
« Reply #123 on: December 16, 2010, 05:26:08 AM »
Will revisit this idea some time...

Dan
Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion
« Reply #124 on: December 16, 2010, 11:36:29 AM »
Here are the buttons that I used, not the best buttons however, but a starting point if you choose...  Also, if you look at the M1200 Macro, each button is processed via the switch statement below.  This allows ALL the tool probe code to be in 1 file, instead of spread across several. 

To use, just add the Macro and a VB Parameter to each of your buttons.

Your Mach3 Button Code might look like this for "X-"  M1200 P6

Code: [Select]
   
    ' Process the selected tool probe button
    buttonId = Param1()
    Select Case buttonId
        ' XYZ Buttons
        Case 1  buttonPosXNegY  ' X+Y-
        Case 2  buttonNegY      ' Y-
        Case 3  buttonNegXNegY  ' X-Y-
        Case 4  buttonPosX      ' X+
        Case 5  buttonNegZ      ' Z-
        Case 6  buttonNegX      ' X-
        Case 7  buttonPosXPosY  ' X+Y+
        Case 8  buttonPosY      ' Y+
        Case 9  buttonNegXPosY  ' X-Y+
       
        ' ID and OD Functions
        Case 10 buttonCircleID  ' C-ID
        Case 11 buttonCircleOD  ' C-OD
    End Select


Hope this helps,
JH
Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion
« Reply #125 on: December 16, 2010, 11:41:17 AM »
These probes, assuming its the same as I have, just have a battery and LED in them but rely on the material being conductive and the circuit being made via top half of probe, through bearings and body of machine, through work piece then to tip. I assume JH has removed the battery and LED and connected two wires instead. If thats the case then easy to make up a part to chuck, have a delrin sleeve then a probe tip inside that and you would end up with exactly the same.

Hood

Hood, your right on.  All you need is 1 wire from the tip, so I grabbed the wire just before the LED and removed the rest.  The ground is via the machine IRON

JH

Offline poppabear

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Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion
« Reply #126 on: December 29, 2010, 03:34:46 AM »
JH,

   My Hat is off to you! That is a very, very nice macro, truely a work of art!!!

scott
fun times
Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion
« Reply #127 on: December 29, 2010, 05:50:03 AM »
Getting props from Poppabear, thats saying something!
Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion
« Reply #128 on: December 29, 2010, 02:25:10 PM »
JH,

   My Hat is off to you! That is a very, very nice macro, truely a work of art!!!

scott

Thanks....   If you posting code, make sure its clean :)
Re: 1987 Bridgeport Production Center Interact 412 to Mach3 Conversion
« Reply #129 on: December 29, 2010, 02:31:21 PM »
Time for coolant!  But before we start, we need to add bubbles to keep it fresh.  Since the way oil will get into the coolant on this mill, you need bubbles to keep the O2 breathing bacteria alive, an oil skimmer will be added to remove the oil, however this will only once in a while. 

Using some SS, the bubble rocks are held in place at the bottom of the tank.  I then added a simple switch to the side of the mill to turn it on/off with out having to power up the mill.

JH