[tovarna]

Hello everybody, and greetings from Spain.

I am trying to set the right macros and postprocesor to run a Chinese (yes) CNC that has 3 spindles on the Z axis.



There is a probe for Z height that I plan to use to set the tool height of each spindle.

I am using Mach3 and I either work with Aspire software of with Autodesk Inventor. And here is my logic (I first want help with this and then will see if also with execution).

I will set for now, three tools: T1, T2 and T3.
When mach3 readys a M6T()
it should activate the relay of that spindle
then go home
from there go to the probe
execute Zprobe macro (M930)
Then set that Height tool. Well, it will be at the bottom of the material, and probably would have to add an increment because we have a MDF sheet over the CNC and we then put the material on top of that).
Then it can add material height + safety working height and then it can start the spingle and go to the job position.

We usually use work coordinates rather than machine coordinates, so I have to take that into account when going home and then for the probe. Will work on that, I guess there is plenty of info in the forum.
I am not sure how to tell which relay to activate according the tool number

So, if M6Start.m1s
tool = GetSelectedTool()
SetCurrentTool( tool)

Can I then run something like this?
ActivateSignal (OUTPUT (2+tool))

What I have is three relays on OUTPUT3, 4 and 5, and what to activate them with tool1, 2 and 3
How can I tell the number of output related with the spindle number?
Spindle1=T1=OUTPUT3
Spindle2=T2=OUTPUT4
Spindle3=T3=OUTPUT5

Thanks for the help, and I hope it is clear my explanation

[tovarna]

Ok, some advances so far.
I have made a script for M6start.m1s that homes the machine and z-probes each of the spindles and records the tool height.
Will have to work around the work offsets or the spindle offsets and set that into the Tool change macro.

Here is what I have:
Sub Main()
Dim currentTool As Integer
currentTool = GetOEMDRO(824) ' Get the current tool number

Select Case currentTool
Case 1
Call Tool1Probe()
Case 2
Call Tool2Probe()
Case 3
Call Tool3Probe()
Case Else
MsgBox "Tool not recognized"
End Select
End Sub

Sub Tool1Probe()
Call SendGCode("G10 L2 P1 X0 Y0 Z0") ' Set work coordinates for Tool 1
Call SendGCode("G0 X512 Y11 Z5") ' Move to fixed position for Tool 1
Call SendGCode("M950") ' Perform Z-probe
Call SendGCode("G0 Z5") ' Retract Z-axis
End Sub

Sub Tool2Probe()
Call SendGCode("G10 L2 P1 X166 Y0 Z0") ' Set work coordinates for Tool 2
Call SendGCode("G0 X346 Y11 Z5") ' Move to fixed position for Tool 2
Call SendGCode("M950") ' Perform Z-probe
Call SendGCode("G0 Z5") ' Retract Z-axis
End Sub

Sub Tool3Probe()
Call SendGCode("G10 L2 P1 X332 Y0 Z0") ' Set work coordinates for Tool 3
Call SendGCode("G0 X180 Y11 Z5") ' Move to fixed position for Tool 3
Call SendGCode("M950") ' Perform Z-probe
Call SendGCode("G0 Z5") ' Retract Z-axis
End Sub

Sub SendGCode(gcode As String)
Code gcode
WaitForMovementToComplete
End Sub

Sub WaitForMovementToComplete()


and the M950 is my Zprobe script. The probe is at the front of the machine, so the idea is to take the meassure and work with the bottom of the working piece (that is why

PlateThickness = 33 'Z-plate thickness DRO

If GetOemLed (825)=0 Then 'Check to see if the probe is already grounded or faulty
DoOEMButton (1010) 'zero the Z axis so the probe move will start from here
Code "G31 Z-200 F500" 'probing move, can set the feed rate here as well as how far to move
While IsMoving() 'wait while it happens
Wend
ZProbePos = GetVar(2002) 'get the axact point the probe was hit
Code "G0 Z" &Z33 'go back to that point, always a very small amount of overrun
While IsMoving ()
Wend
Call SetDro (2, -PlateThickness) 'set the Z axis DRO to whatever is set as plate thickness
Code "G4 P0.25" 'Pause for Dro to update.
Code "G0 Z20" 'put the Z retract height you want here
Code "(Z axis is now zeroed)" 'puts this message in the status bar
Else
Code "(Z-Plate is grounded, check connection and try again)" 'this goes in the status bar if aplicable
Exit Sub
End If

[tovarna]

my latest macro:
I will try it today


Sub Main()
' Declare variables
Dim NewTool As Integer, OldTool As Integer
Dim XProbe As Double, YProbe As Double
Dim XShift As Double
Dim PlateThickness As Double
Dim ZProbePos As Double
Dim StoredX0 As Double, StoredY0 As Double

' Set plate thickness
PlateThickness = -33

' 1?? Deactivate all spindle outputs
DeactivateSignal(OUTPUT3)
DeactivateSignal(OUTPUT4)
DeactivateSignal(OUTPUT5)

' 2?? Detect current tool
OldTool = GetCurrentTool()

' 3?? Detect new tool from M6 command
NewTool = GetSelectedTool()
If NewTool = OldTool Then
Exit Sub ' No tool change needed
End If

' 4?? Store the current WORK coordinates of X0 Y0
StoredX0 = GetOEMDRO(800) ' Work X coordinate
StoredY0 = GetOEMDRO(801) ' Work Y coordinate

' 5?? Set X shift based on tool change
Select Case OldTool
Case 1
If NewTool = 2 Then XShift = -166
If NewTool = 3 Then XShift = -332
Case 2
If NewTool = 1 Then XShift = 166
If NewTool = 3 Then XShift = -166
Case 3
If NewTool = 1 Then XShift = 332
If NewTool = 2 Then XShift = 166
Case Else
XShift = 0
End Select

' 6?? Move X axis to adjust for the new spindle
If XShift <> 0 Then
StoredX0 = StoredX0 + XShift ' Apply shift to stored WORK coordinate
Code "G90 G0 X" & StoredX0 ' Move in work coordinates
While IsMoving()
Sleep(100)
Wend
Code "G92 X0" ' Set new X zero in work coordinates
End If

' 7?? Activate output signal for new tool
Select Case NewTool
Case 1
ActivateSignal(OUTPUT3)
XProbe = 512
YProbe = 11
Case 2
ActivateSignal(OUTPUT4)
XProbe = 346
YProbe = 11
Case 3
ActivateSignal(OUTPUT5)
XProbe = 180
YProbe = 11
Case Else
Message "Invalid Tool Selected!"
Exit Sub
End Select

' 8?? Move to probe position in machine coordinates
Code "G90 G53 G0 X" & XProbe & " Y" & YProbe
While IsMoving()
Sleep(100)
Wend

' Wait 3 seconds before probing
Code "G4 P3"

' 9?? Cancel offsets & Start Z-probing (ONLY MOVES Z)
If GetOemLed(825) = 0 Then ' Check if probe is not already triggered
Code "G49 G40 G92.1 G90" ' Cancel tool, cutter, fixture offsets
Code "G91 G31 Z-200 F100" ' Probing move (incremental mode)
While IsMoving()
Sleep(100)
Wend

' Get exact probe hit position
ZProbePos = GetVar(2002)

' Set Z-axis DRO to plate thickness
Call SetDro(2, PlateThickness)
Code "G4 P0.25" ' Pause for DRO update
Code "(Z axis is now zeroed)"
Else
Code "(Z-Plate is grounded, check connection and try again)"
Exit Sub
End If

' ???? Move to Z50 (SAFE HEIGHT)
Code "G53 G90 G0 Z50"
While IsMoving()
Sleep(100)
Wend

' ???? Move back to the UPDATED stored work coordinate
Code "G90 G0 X" & StoredX0 & " Y" & StoredY0 ' Now in work coordinates
While IsMoving()
Sleep(100)
Wend

' Set the new tool as the current tool
SetCurrentTool(NewTool)
End Sub

[tovarna]

I finally made it work.
With a slight different approach.
Still needs refinement.
Now I set WCS for G54 with tool1.
Then machine zprobes all the tools and creates G55, 56 and 57.
When the gcode calls an M6 command, the tool is loaded and the WCS is set accordingly.
Super happy with the results, and I already adapted my postprocessor for this.

NOW: THE PROBLEM.
The Z is not consistent. It is loosing steps or something. I run the same job twice in a row and the Z has changed.
Should I change driver steps? Current? both?