[ger21]

Yes.
I have a UC300ETH.
The CNC drive controllers also work with both Mach3, and their own software, UCCNC, which I'm switching to from Mach3.

[ger21]

One other thing.
If you're using Mach3 3.043.066, try going back to 3.043.062.
0.66 is very buggy for a lot of people, especially with probing.

And check to see if you have the latest plugin release for your controller.

[jake76]

Ok. We tried a simple zero and it would not work the first 3 or 4 times then all of a sudden it does, however it gave a soft limit warnning (z axis). Do you think the chinese motion board is the culprit? When it finally did work we tried to do a tool change, the machine did not go back to the defined tool change postion (had to click TC) we then did a simple zero with the new tool and hit "cycle restart", the z axis went back to the part and retracted all the way to the soft limits. I'm posting a snip of the G-code at the tool change. Does anybody see anything there that would cause this behaviour?

I'll also attach the full nc file if anybody could take a look and see if maybe its something in there thats causing this erratic stuff to happen. We are getting a new board but it might take a couple of weeks to get here,we would like to use the machine until it gets here.

(NEXT CUT - NEXT TOOL)
(Machine Setup - 1  Planar)
(FEATURE 3 AXIS)

(TOOL #2 1/2 BALL ENDMILL - STANDARD)
N822 T2 M06
N823 G90 G54 X0.5 Y3.3 S1436 M03
N824 G43 H2 D2 Z1. M08
N825 G00 Z0.22
N826 Z0.12
N827 G01 Z0.02 F8.6173
N828 X0.543 Y3.3745 F17.2346
N829 X0.601 Y3.375 

[RCaffin]

Oh, you can always use your machine. Just do manual tool changes and manually zero the Z axis each time - like most of us.
Face up to the fact that the Chinese board does not work for this. The ESS on the other hand, with V.062, does.

Cheers
Roger

[ger21]

One thing that's important.
If at any time the macro does not work correctly, I HIGHLY recommend that you immediately close Mach3 and restart. When a macro does not run and finish properly, it can cause issues with all macro going forward, until Mach3 is restarted.
So, if you try to auto zero and it doesn't work right away, close and restart. But it should be working 100% of the time. It does for thousands of other users.

You didn't answer what version of Mach3 you are using.
Do you have SafeZ enabled, and if so, how is it configured? It needs to be configured in Machine Coordinates, and probably lower than your SoftLimits.

If you're not using 3.043.062, try it.
If you are, I'd do a complete uninstall, then re-install, and create a new profile from scratch. IF that doesn't fix it, then I'd say it's the motion controller.

Regarding your g-code. I recommend removing all G43 lines in your code, as they can change the Z axis position, if you have any tool lengths in your tool table.

But there's nothing in the g-code that can cause any of the issues that you are seeing.

[jake76]

Yep i did follow your advice from your earlier post and installed the older version so we are now using 3.043.062. I tried first with the original macros that came with your screenset and then with the new ones you sent me both erratic and not reliable.

I am using BobCad and it does have tool length in the tool defintion. Would this be a possible cause? I thought the whole point of the zero was to provide a the distance the tool travels before contact is made with the part.

I followed a tutorial on the soft limits. I'm at home right now so I can't check but I will check either today or tomorrow on the things you mentioned.

[ger21]

Tool length compensation can change your Z zero, if you have tool lengths entered in the Mach3 tool table, and should NOT be used. It could be causing your Softlimit issue.

But it's not causing the Macro to not zero the tool, and not moving to the tool change position. Sounds like the motion controller you're using doesn't deal with macros well at all.

[jake76]

We did at an earlier date suspect it might be tool compensation and did follow a tutorial on how to do that in mach but we didn't follow through with it. The only way you could use tool comp reliably, is if you have tools in chucks and they are kept in a tool holder and not touched, that doesn't apply to us, we don't have enough yet. Also if this was the case it should cause the same issue at the intial zero, I assume?

I'm going to try and get in today and remove the G43's and just eliminate it as a cause. After eliminating tool comp, I'm at a loss on anything else to try, all that remains is the chinese motion card.

Thank you for all your help Gerry.

EDIT
Gerry does your macro call for the machine to go to the programed tool change postion when using simple zero? We did test this and if we push TC it will go there but it didn't when running the attached file.

[ger21]

Also if this was the case it should cause the same issue at the intial zero, I assume?

It shouldn't cause any issues until the G43 is called. Not while the macro is running.

[jake76]

Well that did it, it works without the G43's.

Thanks for all your help Gerry.

[aixelsyd]

Gerry,
Thank you again for all the work you have done on the 2010 screen set. I have a quick question about using the auto zero routine with different units and offsets.

My machine is a new CNCRouterParts Pro 48x96 with their pnp electronics. CNCRP provides a configuration xml for mach3 with the native units in inches. I'm using G55 through G59 for different vacuum fixtures and have a single touch plate hard mounted to the table using your M6End macro (post #1156 this thread) that you provided another user for a single touchplate setup (All of my programs have Z0 at the bottom of the stock). Does the single touchplate macro you provided update the Z height for all of the work offsets, Just the CURRENT offset, or just G54?

In the videos you mentioned that it will work with both metric and imperial units, but the manual (page 12) says that the program units must match the machine native units. All of my cam is metric and I'm wondering if I need to repost all of my gcode in inches for the autozero to work.


Thank you again for all of your help.

[ger21]

Does the single touchplate macro you provided update the Z height for all of the work offsets, Just the CURRENT offset, or just G54?

The current offset.

In the videos you mentioned that it will work with both metric and imperial units, but the manual (page 12) says that the program units must match the machine native units. All of my cam is metric and I'm wondering if I need to repost all of my gcode in inches for the autozero to work.

To be honest, I'm not sure. You'd need to do some testing to find out. Here's the issue. The macros may behave differently depending on whether or not a g-code program is loaded, and depending on what mode Mach3 is in when the macro is run.
If all of your code is run in metric, then I think that if you specify all of the auto zero values in metric, and make sure Mach3 is always in G21, then it should be fine.

Rather than repost all of your g-code, a much simpler option is to create another Mach3 profile where everything is setup in inches.

[aixelsyd]

Thank you for the reply. I will do some tests and figure out what works best.

[RCaffin]

I would be kinda terrified of switching units in mid-flight. I am 99.9% certain something would break - fast and loudly (and with much $$ cost too). The Mach3 Mill manual says as much too.

Cheers
Roger

[VisualConduct]

Hello Gerry,

I just purchased your 1010 screenset and after installing, i'm very happy with it. Thank you!

I have however problems using the tool probe. I read from other people in this thread about similar problems.
The tool moves down and then goes all the up, sometimes it even tries to go past the end-switch. It gives the message after that that Z is set, but of course its all off.
When using the probe with the 1024 screenset it all works fine. I followed your suggestion to use the initial M6start.M1s and M6end.M1s files.
It seems that the 'Simple Auto Zero button' still calls for the wrong routine. What would be the best approach to have this working?

Many thanks, Robert Glotzbach

[ger21]

What motion controller are you using?

[VisualConduct]

Oh thats fast.... :-)
Its a chinese maschine...... https://www.omiocnc.com/products/x6-2200l-usb.html
Don't know the controller inside, I could look it up though.

Many thanks... robert

EDIT: I just opened the box, it has YOC556 controllers.

[ger21]

Send me an email, and I'll send you some different macros to try.
Which version of mach3 are you using?

[VisualConduct]

Great.... email send.
I have both R3.043.066 and R3.043.062

Regards, Robert

[VisualConduct]

Thanks a lot Gerry for the fast help.
Unfortunately the macro's that you've send me did not help very much.
However I copied the original code that I received from the manufacturer into the 889.M1s and its working smoothly now.
I might one day come back to this topic because the idea to have a set-up with 2 plates sounds very attractive to me.

Again thanks for your help :-)

Kind regards, Robert