I have just bought a CNC mill which comes with Mach3. The control box includes an Ethernet SmoothStepper, and has sockets for both a tool-height setter and a touch probe. Both sockets are wired to separate pins on the ESS. The software included tool-height setting macros (which work fine) but no probing macros.

I have started work on probing macros but immediately found a problem with switching between ESS input pins - it's just not practical to go via "ports and pins" every time, but G31 always assumes the same probe input as defined in P&P. Eventually I discovered that the existing macros use the SetInputData() command to switch the probe "pin" before G31 calls. I have managed to make use of this by guessing the meaning of the parameters from comments in the code (including selecting active-low or active-high) but it would be useful to see some documentation on this function. Apart from one reference that suggests that this was introduced in .066, I have not found any information. Does anyone have any pointers?

Thanks,

sorry i have also no documentation about SetInputData() command, except that it is only supported by Version .066.
due the fact i was recomended by my Motion Controller supplier (CSLAB) not to use .066, i have made external locic
by optocuplers and relays do Switch via Outputs between probe Input sources to able to use more then one probe.

On another machine I also used a CS Labs controller; I actually used .028 as there were a lot of problems with .066.

I have seen warnings suggesting that I should be using an older modified version of Mach3 to run on Windows 10 although I have not had any problems with W10 and .066 myself - and I need .066 for the SetDataInput() command!

For anyone who might be interested, as far as I can see (and this is all working on my own machine):

SetDataInput(a,b,c) takes 3 parameters

Parameter a appears to be related to the port number but I have no idea how this is calculated. I am using a=22 for port 2 on an Ethernet SmoothStepper - I have copied an existing value.

Parameter b is the pin number. I am using 13 and 15 for toolsetter and touch probe.

Parameter c is active low/high. From memory, c=1 is active high; c=0 is active low.

A call to this command will set the corresponding entries in the "Ports and Pins" table.

When I first started looking at this problem I considered an electronic solution. It only needs something like a Schmitt trigger on each input with possibly only a couple of diodes on the outputs to provide an OR function, to go to a single input pin. However, this is slightly more complicated as my input connectors are mounted on a PC board, so it is more difficult to fit this inside the cabinet, and I would need to find another 5V for an external box. No, none of this is impossible but is why I looked for a more convenient solution. I knew that the builders of this system could use both input ports; the problem was to find out how they did it! I also considered using a brain to OR together the input signals and take the result to a spare output pin on the ESS; I could then use a jumper to connect this to an adjacent input pin to use a source for the G31 probe operation. This did not work and it was while I was investigating why that I discovered the SetDataInput() command in a couple of the macros. It was these macros that meant that my brain/output-to-input solution did not work (as the macro kept switching the input pin) but did lead me to a purely software solution.