Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / Re: Auto Tool Zero - Sets incorrect Z zero (another A/T issue from GCode illiterate)

« on: November 02, 2019, 08:13:15 PM »

The answer to my problem was discussed in "New Guy Frustration LOL post", which you can search and read.

The code these guys found to work for Chinese Boards like my STB5100 (USB) is copied bellow..
The issue was about some boards like mine, not supporting the GetVar() command.

CurrentFeed = GetOemDRO(818) 'Get the current feedrate to return to later
CurrentAbsInc = GetOemLED(48) 'Get the current G90/G91 state
CurrentGmode = GetOemDRO(819) 'Get the current G0/G1 state

If GetOemLed (825)=0 Then 'Check to see if the probe is already grounded or faulty
DoOEMButton (1010) 'zero the Z axis so the probe move will start from here
Code "G4 P3" ' this delay gives me time to get from computer to hold probe in place
Code "G90 G31Z-1. F4" 'probing move, can set the feed rate here as well as how far to move
While IsMoving() 'wait while it happens
Wend
ZProbePos = GetOEMDro(802)  'get the exact point the probe was hit
Code "G0 Z" &ZProbePos 'go back to that point, always a very small amount of overrun
While IsMoving ()
Wend
Call SetDro (2, .766) ' change 0.060 to your plate thickness and then adjust for final accuracy
Sleep 200 'Pause for Dro to update.
Code "G1 Z1. F5" 'put the Z retract height you want here, must be greater than the touch plate thickness
While IsMoving ()
Wend
Code "(Z axis is now zeroed)" 'puts this message in the status bar
Code "F" &CurrentFeed 'Returns to prior feed rate
Else
Code "(Z-Plate is grounded, check connection and try again)" 'this goes in the status bar if applicable
End If
If CurrentAbsInc = 0 Then 'if G91 was in effect before then return to it
Code "G91"
End If
If CurrentGMode = 0 Then 'if G0 was in effect before then return to it
Code "G0"
End If         

2

General Mach Discussion / Re: New guy frustration LOL

« on: November 02, 2019, 08:00:42 PM »

Gerry, Chuck, Reuelt: Thanks so Much!!

Just opened basically the same issue looking for an Auto Tool Zero answer for China made boards (I have the infamous USB STB5100 Controller Board).

Luckily I stumbled on this topic and thanks to your work my problem is gone!

If you happen to go through Windsor, Can, PM me - buying a beer!

3

General Mach Discussion / Re: Auto Tool Zero - Sets incorrect Z zero (another A/T issue from GCode illiterate)

« on: November 02, 2019, 04:11:53 PM »

Well, after some hours of diddling with this, I found that a lot of people have this issue unresolved and that controversy of this "simple" thing has been going on for years. These two scripts I posted have been out for awhile and work like a charm for many, many but not for all. Not sure if the issue is with my cheap USB controller or else..

Now, I am not that uneducated as I jokingly declared and I did of course read carefully and changed the values for the plate thickness, retract offset and the rest,yet the issue is deeper here.

At the moment I got only this: if I ostracize any of codes out there to what I attached as "Dumbo" script I attached here I can get the Auto Tool Zero to lower the bit down touch the plate and stop. This lets me to manually Zero the Z, remove the plate than do G1Z-0.76 which is my plate thickness and Zero the Z again. Hence how I got the name for "my" first script.

So the issue is not with G31 command in my case but rather with setting the DRO to Zero after the bit hits the probe, it looks like.

4

General Mach Discussion / Auto Tool Zero - Sets incorrect Z zero (another A/T issue from GCode illiterate)

« on: November 02, 2019, 12:08:34 PM »

OK.. got the Touch Plate hooked up correctly now, and tried two different scripts for Auto Tool Zero..
Issue I am getting is scripts run fine the bit moves down to touch the plate stops and moves up to offset position.
When I hit G0Z0 or Go to Zero, the bit heads down to the alleged 0 but it does not reach the correct 0 for the stock used. It is off by half an inch or so.. with either script.

Thanks much.

5

General Mach Discussion / Re: Touch Probe Issue

« on: November 02, 2019, 11:31:03 AM »

What happened is I had the pin incorrectly set. Pin=11, seems to be the correct value for probe.
Also cannot find what INDEX lite is for, but I have disabled it as it also was referencing pin 11.
I can now get digitize to light up when probe shorts.

6

General Mach Discussion / Touch Probe Issue

« on: November 02, 2019, 01:57:47 AM »

Got the simple touch plate and hooked it up per my stb5100 (usb) Controller manufacturer's instructions.
I have setup the input signal as probe with port/pin combination same as z-axes.. Probe has "enabled" checkmark and "Active Low" has checkmark.
When I short the circuit and touch the plate with the alligator clamp, on the diagnostics screen my INDEX light comes on instead of DIGITIZE?!
When I press Autotool Zero the Z axes movement does not stop to touch. If switch "Active Low" to disabled, Digitize light comes solid on regardless of circuit shorted or not. Index light still comes on to touch.

Wondering if anybody ran into this?

7

General Mach Discussion / Re: X axis goes to Negative Values when going to RHS

« on: June 11, 2019, 10:06:05 AM »

OK.. could not find a solution on this forum but on Google search - which brought me back to this forum!

In another article I lost track of, Tweakie's solution was to change X and Z status in Ports/Pins, Motor Outputs from Low Active to Hi Active (unchecked Low Active on these two axes..)

Thank you a bundle Tweakie!! I was banging my head for the last few days and could not get around this issue..Solved the problem completely..

Cheers

8

General Mach Discussion / X axis goes to Negative Values when going to RHS

« on: June 11, 2019, 07:55:05 AM »

On my newly setup cnc my axes are moving fine, however for X axis my digital readout in Mach3 is showing negative values when my spindle is moving from left to right. meaning my 0 is at the most left edge of the table and instead of going to positive it goes into negative X direction and readings are negative.
My Controller is Stb5100, Motor Driver Tb6600. using laptop/usb..
I tried all combinations of different limit switch locations on LH/RH, Close/Far end along with changing Homing Directions to support that. I just cannot get a normal coordinate system: X axis to go to X+ when moving to the RHS, Y axis to go to Y+ going away from me and Z axis to go from Highest Position Zero towards Z- when going negative.

Many thanks in advance!