Machsupport Forum

Mach Discussion => Mach4 General Discussion => Topic started by: Frederic1231 on December 11, 2019, 05:21:47 PM

Title: M3 Probing error THC Pokeys
Post by: Frederic1231 on December 11, 2019, 05:21:47 PM
I have bought Mach 4 last week as an upgrade for Mach3.

I have a Plasma table with PoKeys57CNC and a PlasmaSense THC unit. I am using a Floating Head configuration.

I am using the Plasma Screen and I got the THC working but sometimes while Probing it stops the cycle.

Macro Alarm: 3 The Probe did not strike during our M3 touch move.

But the Probe signal is activ if I look at the diagnostic page.

This problem randomly occurs.

Any clue?

And my value in the dros of the THC settings screen are changing every time I restart Mach 4.


Title: Re: M3 Probing error THC Pokeys
Post by: Chaoticone on December 12, 2019, 09:44:23 AM
You are either running out of travel (need to make the max probe distance larger) or have a noisy/bouncy input signal. Lots of post on this forum on how to troubleshoot and fix noisy/bouncy inputs. This one good example.......... https://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php?topic=42086.msg274439#msg274439

The values in the DROs are changing because your machine units are mm or the Gcode your running is in mm mode. This has been fixed but not in a build yet. It should make it into the next build.
Title: Re: M3 Probing error THC Pokeys
Post by: Frederic1231 on December 12, 2019, 05:30:42 PM
My max Probe travel is at 100mm and my min max THC 100 and - 100 it is more then enough.

 I have no soft limits enabled.

The problem only occurs on the m3 Macro not in other Z Probe Funktions.

The I use shielded and grounded wires.

The PoKeys57CNC has some input filtering built in. And I played with the software filtering as well.
Title: Re: M3 Probing error THC Pokeys
Post by: RootbeerFLHX on May 25, 2020, 07:37:46 PM
I am having this same issue with Mach4 Plasma and Pokeys57CNC. If I type M3 into the MDI and press start it will work sometimes, and other times I get the error "MACRO ALARM; 3 The probe did not strike during our M3 touch move.". If I use G31z-3 in MDI the probe works without an issue. I've tried installing an RC filter, but that didn't seem to help.

I attached a log of my probe testing with the Plasma torch turned off. The first and the third probe were successful, the second one shows the error.
Title: Re: M3 Probing error THC Pokeys
Post by: KatzYaakov on May 26, 2020, 09:08:42 PM
i use also pokeys for woodworking cnc ,we use alot with probe,only with G31
never have problem,only with travel limit,so we add in the begin of the M function of the tool hight detect,disable the software limit
and at the end of the m function enable
Title: Re: M3 Probing error THC Pokeys
Post by: Lancer1307 on July 07, 2021, 02:41:22 PM
Did you ever find a solution to this problem ?
Title: Re: M3 Probing error THC Pokeys
Post by: Greekart on July 07, 2021, 02:55:02 PM
Did you ever find a solution to this problem ?

I start playing few days now with my plasma and HTC, i have Pokeys57 and Plasmasens. Few tries i make, when i had the ohmic sensor on from Mach4 module i did get random times macro alarm 3. I turned off ohmic sensor and add probe move to my post processor, for now i don't have this error.

Title: Re: M3 Probing error THC Pokeys
Post by: Lancer1307 on July 07, 2021, 03:16:28 PM
I think thats what Im going to do, i will use the Mach3 post processor in sheetcam . This seems to work a lot better. 

Can I also ask what settings you have in Mach4 for you THC anti dive etc ?
Title: Re: M3 Probing error THC Pokeys
Post by: Greekart on July 07, 2021, 03:31:26 PM
Can I also ask what settings you have in Mach4 for you THC anti dive etc ?

Anti dive for now i have it off, the rest depends on your plasma cutter. I have a Chinese HF plasma with a lot of modifications on electronics to work, my settings will not work on you.
Title: Re: M3 Probing error THC Pokeys
Post by: Lancer1307 on July 07, 2021, 03:45:28 PM
How have you turned anti dive off ?   I`m struggling to understand what values to use for the adjust rate
Title: Re: M3 Probing error THC Pokeys
Post by: Greekart on July 07, 2021, 04:38:48 PM
How have you turned anti dive off ?   I`m struggling to understand what values to use for the adjust rate

You use Mach4 or Mach3? For mach4 you go to configure/plugins/regfile and there are all the options for THC and more, you find the nf/thc/AntiDiveState and change it to 0 so it be disabled.

Adjust rate is the % of the feedrate you want the TCH to make corrections on Z Axis. If your Z axis velocity is 2000mm/min and you put 10% adjust rate then your THC will correct with 200mm/min.

Are more options but if you use Mach3 aren't for you and better ask Mach3 topics for help.
Title: Re: M3 Probing error THC Pokeys
Post by: Lancer1307 on July 08, 2021, 03:35:59 AM
Thanks for the explanation, I use Mach4 but notice the Regfile doesnt match what I have set in the GUI ?     in fact its in Imperial and not Metric I will have to do some experimenting.
Title: Re: M3 Probing error THC Pokeys
Post by: Greekart on July 08, 2021, 05:00:28 AM
Thanks for the explanation, I use Mach4 but notice the Regfile doesnt match what I have set in the GUI ?     in fact its in Imperial and not Metric I will have to do some experimenting.

Check this nf/thc/DeadBandWidth default is 5, if measured voltage is -/+5V then the THC is disabled. I have it to 1 but my electronics measure very low voltage 0-5V.

Yes the default values is inches but Mach4 not understand metric/inches, just put the values you want.
Title: Re: M3 Probing error THC Pokeys
Post by: Lancer1307 on July 08, 2021, 08:31:55 AM
Great thanks for the help, I will be doing more testing later today.
Title: Re: M3 Probing error THC Pokeys
Post by: Robert cnc on September 24, 2021, 09:55:08 PM
Hello I’m really struggling with my pokey 57 and the plasma sense thc I can’t get it to work if I do a test run plasma cutter on it arc but  won’t read out the voltage someone any idea
Title: Re: M3 Probing error THC Pokeys
Post by: Tony Bullard on March 07, 2022, 09:50:57 AM
You have to set the property of the Actual Voltage DRO to the Pokeys PlasmaSens HV register.