New to probing but need to digitize a point cloud diagram of a shape. I have taken the sample point cloud shape of the hand and sucessfully made a tool path and cut. Now I need to digitize my own shape. I have a Bob Campbell Sound Logic board and it is obvious that somehow Mach3 needs to recieve input as to when the probe contacts the part. Where do I provide that input to Mach3 I assume I will attach 2 wires to a NC probe and when the circut goes open the Z travel will cease and coordinates will be written to a file.
The question simply stated Where do I attach the leads of the probe to the system?
Thanks

see config / ports n pins / input signals /probe and 10.7.12 Straight Probe – G31 in the manual

cheers

Ian

Thank you but not so useful. perhaps my question should be posted in another place as I am using a breakout board so I do not have direct access to the pins on the parallel port. I am looking for someone using a Bob Campbell breakout board to tell me what terminals to hook up the probe to on the breakout board. I can probably figure out how to configure the Mach3 after that. Or perhaps I can't hook up a probe to that breakout board?

sorry - I've never seen a Campbell breakout but if you download the UG and the xml you can maybe put it all together.

the ports n pins dialog tells you that pins 10-13 and 15 are inputs. Clearly a probe is an input device so its going to have to connect through the breakout somehow to one of these pins.

If we fire up mach with the xml profile given by BC you'll see that pin 10 is used for e-stop and pins 11,12 and 13 are used for the three axes home and limit switches. Pin 15 is used for the A axis home and limits.

So first question is: do you have an a axis - either rotary or slaved linear - if no you could use pin 15.
alternateively you could rewire all your home, limits to use a single pin leaving you 3 inputs free - but we'll leave that for now as its just a tad more complicated.

Lets assume we're going to use pin 15. First alter the ports n pins so pin 15 is used for the probe input instead of A. Then you've said your probe is a simple NC switch - so take a look at page 17 of the UG where it shows how to use a NC micro-switch as an input rather than the BOBs default of a proximity switch. This will of course connect to what the breakout calls Aux or A home cos that's what's connected to pin 15.

Cheers

Ian