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Author Topic: Set Z to zero automatically?Auto tool zero questions  (Read 85097 times)

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Re: Set Z to zero automatically?Auto tool zero questions
« Reply #20 on: January 22, 2007, 06:27:50 AM »
Hey Brian, Art
how about adding this feature to the default screen set next update ??? buttons, code and DRO for us guys that don't even know where to put a maco or sub in the code.
chuck
Re: Set Z to zero automatically?Auto tool zero questions
« Reply #21 on: January 22, 2007, 11:26:26 PM »
Chuck,
I would LOVE... but there is no way that I can tell what you would like to the macro to do...  I could add code that would just set the Z to zero and would turn off the tool length comp. It is not a simple problem ;(
Fixing problems one post at a time ;)

www.newfangledsolutions.com
www.machsupport.com
Re: Set Z to zero automatically?Auto tool zero questions
« Reply #22 on: January 23, 2007, 12:28:02 AM »
Brian,
how about going to home or some offset from home than feeding down while looking at a selectable input from the pp that would detect touch than re-zero Z and move to safe Z.... or something to that effect that most of us boobs could fudge with.  WOW the more i rite the worse it gets.
Re: Set Z to zero automatically?Auto tool zero questions
« Reply #23 on: January 23, 2007, 07:31:04 AM »
See there is the problem! What if you don't have a home switch on the Z axis?  IThe only way that I see to get it to work is to have 5 tool length offset codes that all work from a plugin. This would make it so there was one for everyone!!!

Now you need to some how help me find more time to get to work on it :)
Fixing problems one post at a time ;)

www.newfangledsolutions.com
www.machsupport.com
Re: Set Z to zero automatically?Auto tool zero questions
« Reply #24 on: January 28, 2007, 08:24:57 PM »
I made a small plate from a piece of PC board. I soldered a wire to it and hooked that to my probe input. I used the Z button script from a few replies back.

That worked so well that I decided to add buttons for touch off on X and Y. I used the standard screen for Offsets, and used the graphic there to indicate which edge I was touching off. I simply hold my little PC board plate against the correct edge of the piece and click the button. It seems to be working perfectly.

I used the same script for each button, with the obvious changes for X and Y. I did screw up one button and made the pull back move the wrong sign and snapped off a test tool. At least I know my new mill has lots of torque :-)

I set the feed to 1 in/min, rather slow, but then the overshoot of the probe after it touches the tool edge is so small it doesn't hurt anything. I jog up close to the touch point, less than 1/4" before touching.

Works well for nice edges, like a vise. Might be hard to hold the PC board up to an irregular edge.
Re: Set Z to zero automatically?Auto tool zero questions
« Reply #25 on: February 20, 2007, 07:42:00 AM »
Ive been thinking about doing this for a little while. Just testerday it dawned on me. are you guys using this for a wood router. so that the touch plate is insulated on a peice of wood. cause if you were doing this on a mill say with a piece of steel. wouldnt the signal ground as soon as you set the touchplate on the machine? that is if I understand that the ground is hooked to the machine and the signal wire is hooked to the plate so that when the bit touches the plate it creates a complete circuit. and if that is the case would the guy who is using the PC board be a solution, that is if I m thinking that a pc board is plated only on one side.
am I understanding any of this correctly?
Re: Set Z to zero automatically?Auto tool zero questions
« Reply #26 on: February 20, 2007, 08:12:41 AM »
No, I am doing it on a Knee Mill, with metal parts and vise. What you are missing is that my plate is a piece of copper clad printed circuit board. It has copper on both sides, but is a fiberglass plate. I thought about removing the copper from the back side- the part that touches the work or vise, but its not necessary. The wire is soldered to the top of the plate, the side that will touch the tool.

It works well.

ron ginger
Re: Set Z to zero automatically?Auto tool zero questions
« Reply #27 on: February 20, 2007, 10:21:28 AM »
I am a real knucklehead when it comes to anything electrical.  Is there something that exists that graphically describes how to make this connection? 

I have a KDN driver http://www.kdntool.com/_sgg/m4m2_1.htm and I have the pin out configuration for the homing connector but it sounds like you are using the printer port for sensing. 

My main question is how do you make the connection from the plate to the printer cable????

Thanks.

Dan.   

PS... why wouldn't you make a spring loaded plate to touch off on and write a macro the hits the plate backs up a little and feeds down real slow.  That way your not dinging the plate and I would think getting a more accurate position.  I would liek this because a lot of my tools are pointed.  You could also make an offset so that you place the touch off on your part and the macro subtracts the offset.
« Last Edit: February 20, 2007, 10:26:06 AM by dfurlano »

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Re: Set Z to zero automatically?Auto tool zero questions
« Reply #28 on: February 20, 2007, 10:24:30 AM »
My aluminum plate has an adhesive backed flexible magnetic strip on the underside.  It's non-conductive and I can stick it to the frame of my machine when not in use.  Just use the total thickness of the plate and magnetic strip for the plate thickness setting.
Scott
Re: Set Z to zero automatically?Auto tool zero questions
« Reply #29 on: February 22, 2007, 07:54:31 AM »
ok Im determined to learn how to set this up. I watched the scripting video and Im reading over the macro that was posted a page back or so. I understand some of it. but not all. the video mentioned an advanced scripting video but I did not see one on the site. is there any other tutorials I can get my hands on to teach me how to do this. also I opened my screen editor and then opened the standard mach screenset. and everything in that file is all over the place so I had to spend an hour just moving DRO's and buttons to there proper place. one of my questions is if I want to create a screenset or add a button in screen designer. how do I load that screens set into my mach3 program.