Ok guys what did I do wrong. I was trying to digitize a guitar yesterday and still can't get the 3d probe routine to work corectly.

I positioned my z axis over the body of the guitar like I wanted, zeroed the dro and started to set the 3d probe sequence up only to get a splash screen that says a previous sequence was not finished. I could not get the system cleared so I decided to home the machine. Knowing the z axis was too low, I hit the machine cord button and the z dro read what the correct position was. I then hit home.......machine moves home in all three axis only when arriving there the z axis suddendly lowers and proceeds to fold my digitizing probe tip to a nice neat 90 degree shape.

What did I do wrong?

I have two request. 1. Someone please post a screen shot of the 3d probe page set up correctly as it is obvious I can't seem to get it right. 2. Please tell me how to above zeroing of the dro and returning to the proper co ordinates so I don't fold another probe tip.


Mike

Do you have the homing sequence set up correctly as far as direction of travel? Are you using safe Z and if so is the zsetting really a safe z?? In some instances it is not(;-)

I NEVER let the probe ride around in an untested mode(;-) I have a small box of bent probe arms also. I went to using the brittle ceramic arms to prevent damage to the probe(;-) TP

(;-) TP

Just a though, was it hung in the probing routine? If I didn't exit the probing clean, I'd hit the escape key to end it for sure.

Brett

Do you have the homing sequence set up correctly as far as direction of travel? Are you using safe Z and if so is the zsetting really a safe z?? In some instances it is not(;-)I have been using Mach software since Mach 1 days, and to some degree I am quite familar with the software....to a point. I still run Mach 2 as my primary controller because it works, works well, and is sooooo stable. I have used Mach3 on a limited basis, but I have used it. I want to move over to only Mach 3 but each time I try, something like this happens and I go back.  To answer your questions.....yes the homing sequence is correct and has been tested and used numerous times.. My safe z is z0.000 which in my case is against the switch less one pulse in the positive or up position.

I NEVER let the probe ride around in an untested mode(;-) I have a small box of bent probe arms also. I went to using the brittle ceramic arms to prevent damage to the probe(;-) TP Agreed, but in this case I have used the 3d probe plugin several other times.......it's just that this time it didn't work and therefore the reason to home the machine to get it away from the workpiece, never thinking it would crash the z in the minus direction once homed!

(;-) TP

Mike

Just a though, was it hung in the probing routine? If I didn't exit the probing clean, I'd hit the escape key to end it for sure.

Brett

Brett the diags page did not show the probe to be made. I used the escape key two or three different times but it still didn't clear.

Let me go over this again in a little more detail to see if you or anyone can give me an answer.  When positioned over the guitar body, my dro's read appromixately the following.   x16.???Y14.???z-2.0642........I can remember that one too clearly!  I wanted to have my z zero'ed .250" over the top surface of the guitar. I jogged down till I touched the guitar body, backed off, and came in slowly with mdi and got it within .001" of the surface. I then raised the z by .250" and zero-ed the z dro. I then tried to access the 3d probe plugin but it gave the spals screen warning that a previous sequence was not finished. I looked at the diags page and the probe led was not lit, which it would have been if switch had been made, or in my case broken. I tried two or three times to escape but I only got a beep alarm and nothing else.

That's when I decided to home the machine to x0y0z0. Knowing that the current z0 was too low, I hit the machine co-ordinates button and the z dro again read z-2.0462. This is where I assumed.......I had correctly prepped the machine to move to the home position in all three axis, which it did. the problem was that once at that location the z axis dropped crashing my probe tip. It did this as a rapid move too, which did not give me time to abort.

Mike

Mike, can you get it to repeat this problem?

Brett

Ok a few things to check

1. Can you repeat this failure?

2. Check your safe Z setting. I turn it off when I do not specifically need it. It has caused similar problems in the pastdropping the zwhen you least suspect it. If you set the safe z BELOW where you are, it will drop Z not raise it(;-)

3. Check the code in the homing buttons to make sure some part of code was not left there that could cause the zdrop.

4. I would suggest in the furture if you see any error occur such as this one that you remove the probe and then rectify the error before preceeding. ( Have you wrapped the probe cable up into the spindle yet by accidentally turning on the spindle(;-)) I learned this one the hard way.

I suspect that the error was cause by an interaction of several programs try to run at the same time. Sometimes the esc button does NOT clear out all buffered code and in a later action that cleared the error the code ran from the buffer.

Just a thought, (;-) TP
Please let us know what you find.