Sorry to anyone I annoy here.  I have tried for weeks to work this out on my own and failed.  I will appreciate any help you smarter more experienced Mach4 users can offer.

Knee mill running Mach4 (both versions by now, I & II), everything working properly - but I'm failing repeatedly to install/calibrate/use a new 5-24v (currently using at 24v) 3D touch probe that I bought from Slavtec.  I've followed the Mach4 probe calibration videos so many times I might burn the next drum set I see.  My machine does not react, no matter the settings, appropriately.  And it almost always craps out before a task is finished.  Like Bore/Boss for instance - it seems to do everything it should, step by step through X and Y + & -, but on the last touch of the last step it disables itself and game over.  The machine disables itself quite often actually during other actions too, a lot like a guy who works for me in construction.  Phone chimes, Ricky stops.   Probe calibration, machine disables. I don't understand either one of them.

Also quite often the machine disables, giving a "no contact" error, but while moving in a direction that no contact could even be made in the first place, like Z+.

I am using G31 (probe) for Probe Code Options.  In the TouchOff Ui, the only actions that work properly are "Find Z" or "Find X" or "Find Y".  Commands like "Find bottom left corner" produce a move to find Z, which it does correctly, then it lifts off and moves in Y - direction for @.5" and then disables itself for not touching anything again.

Could it be that the stock G-code I am using is just wrong?  Am I supposed to write this code myself?  Or is there a probe setup routine that I have somehow failed to find yet. 

Please, anything would help me at this point.  This mill & Mach4 which I was sure I could figure out a year ago have now replaced the monsters I used to fear at night in my closet.

Hi,
what motion controller are you using?.

Its common practice for programmers to code a g31 move when they want to move to a given location without a probe contact. After all a g31 move behaves exactly like a g1 move
if there is no contact. Its a safe way to move a probe around,if it touches something the machine stops rather than carrying on and crunching the probe.

The problem with that is that many motion controllers consider a g31 move that DOES NOT result in a probe contact before its terminal location as a fault and Mach stops.

The ESS has a programmable feature that turns off the 'Signal a Fault' behavior in absence of a probe contact.

Craig

Sincere thanks for responding Craig.   In an interesting turn of events my buddy just discovered our Bob inputs are set to 5v, but our probe is 24v.   I’ll change this tonight after work and start again from square one.   I hope this is the missing link.  Thanks again Craig