Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => Mach4 General Discussion => Topic started by: Vandabrackin on November 24, 2016, 01:15:24 PM
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??? Has anyone successfully used a probe with the probing screen. It would be a really nice feature if it worked but i have a smashed probe that makes me think it is not ready for use. Is there a manual or any literature available for mach 4 probing? Thanks
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Probing is controlled by your motion controller.
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Probing is controlled by your motion controller.
Not entirely, unlike homing which *is* entirely controlled by the motion controller. When Mach4 executes a G31 command, it tells the motion controller to prepare for a probe move (i.e. "arm" the probe input). The Mach4 motion planner then generates the motion data for the G31 move just like it does for G0 and G1 motion. It is then up to the motion controller to detect the probe strike, record the current position, halt motion, tell Mach4 that the probe triggered, and discard the rest of the motion data that may have already been buffered.
That said, the probing screens in the newer Mach4 releases do a LOT of work in Lua scripts before and after the individual G31 calls. If the probe strikes during any of those moves (usually G0 or G1 motion), there isn't anything to stop the motion. Unless your motion controller has a feature called "probe safety", which halts *any* motion if it sees the probe input go active.
Who's "fault" it is depends on whether the original poster's probe crash happened during the actual G31 motion or during some of the G0/G1 motion that the scripts generate on the fly.
Bob
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Thanks for the clarification Bob. I am never sure of what mach and the motion controller are responsible for doing. I am building a new touch probe and will give it a second go. I think I will take my axis motors from 600 Ipm down to say..... 50 Ipm for my testing! This is a copy of my original post
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Can anyone please explain the touch probe settings/calibrations?
« on: May 06, 2016, 01:19:42 AM »
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Has anyone successfully used a touch probe in mach 4? It seems to be very inconsistent in the direction it travels when trying to calibrate the z. Most times it goes up, away from the work piece instead of down to contact the work. Without changing anything I can run the calibrate z again and it might go the other direction. The last time I did it, it traveled down to the work piece at 5 Ipm, contacted the material and repeated that process several times, each time the probe light came on when it made contact. After about the third time it did a full rapid move into my vise, turning my touch probe into a pancake. #%@* . After I regained my composure, I removed the wires from what was left of the probe and redid the calibrate Z. This time the z could not physically contact the vise. I broke the wire connection each time to simulate the probe contact. With the same settings I got the touch, touch, touch and ram, A full rapid up to machine z0, faulting out my servo!! Yes, in the other direction. The feed rates for probing was set to 10 and 5 ipm so where is the rapid comming from? Sooooo, before I destroy my machine can anyone give a detailed description on how to set up a probe. The mach manual doesn't mention probing. I cant find anything for mach probing on youtube, ect. A example of someone probing the edge of a vise, bore or boss with screen shots of their settings would be helpful. Anything would help. Thanks
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Not working here as well tried to calibrate Z , being a wimp I used a piece of 12 mm MDF light on screen tuned blue as it should when contact was made but it then rammed the probe tip through the MDF ( 3D probe not a touch plate )
As to the random direction same here put it down to the distance the tip was at the start , and maybe some unpurged data.
Have not had the courage to try the latest release . Probe tips are spendy
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Have any of you tried the TouchOff module? Clicking the touch button opens its dialog. It should work equaly well for probes and tools using touch plates. The TouchOff and probing use their own modules respectively. If using a probe just set the touch plate thickness to 0.
This link should help with the TouchOff functions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA49atQNzmg
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Yes I use the touch screen with success
But the probing screen is not so good but note I have not tried the new public version yet waiting for warp9td to get G31.x working as I have a toolsetter and a 3D probe
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I have not Tried the new touch module. i just got my new probe tip this morning and will give it a go and update. Stuart, i am glad you had success with the touch module. Please update us if you get the probing screen working for you.
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Working great for me!!