[Arbo]

I suppose those are possibilities, but what is the difference in length of tools used by most people in milling one part? For me, not a huge difference, perhaps an inch. And I can't imagine starting with a shorter tool before a longer tool (in all the stuff I do).

Either way would work, it would just be a matter of preferred work flow.

[ger21]

I've decided to go with a user defined clearance height for retracts. to prevent crashing at the top of the Z, when the tool is set to Z zero, the clearance height is compared to the actual Z travel (based on the Z home switch position), and the user is given the option of using a lower clearance, just below the switch, or aborting altogether.

With MikeF's beta testing help, I've made a lot of changes to this code, mostly in error checking.

I've added code to check the probe prior to the fixed plate probe as well. If there was a probe error, the reference height could be set wrong.

Since I'm using the second macro in my M6 end macro, there are a few additional concerns.
One is that if you exit the M6end macro (due to an error), Mach3 assumes the toolchange is done, and will proceed to start cutting with Z being zeroed. According to Brian, the only way to get around this is to put Mach3 into E-Stop. The good thing, is that the E-Stop will occur during a toolchange, so fixing the error, and doing a run from here should be pretty easy.

I also discovered that I needed to turn on the spindle before resuming cutting. Since not all use Mach3 to control spindle on/off, I added a user option to specify if they are using manual control. If Mach3 controls the spindle, it will turn it on and resume cutting. If not, a window will open telling the user to start the spindle, and will wait for the user to click OK to resume cutting.

To use my version, you need to add additional DRO's and LED's, and probably at least one more button. If anyone wants the code, I'll post it here, but they haven't been thoroughly tested yet. If we find that everything's working correctly, then my new screen incorporating them should be available very soon.

[PoppaBear10]

Hey Gerry, nice looking probe setup screen, did you do your screen in machscreen?
very nice looking, I would love to have a copy of screen and code!! I like your layout as well, very clean.

scott

[ger21]

Scott, it's done in Screen4. Graphics done mostly with Visual Studio Express 2010's Form Designer, and Photoshop.

I'm going to be selling it, but here's the code I used.

[ger21]

Here it is in operation.

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7np99wSr9c8"]YouTube - Mach3 2010 Auto-Zero[/nomedia]

[Robert M]

Hi Gerry,
When do you anticipate offering this nice screen of yours ?

[ger21]

two weeks, but it's a moving target.

There are a few bugs in the M6End macro I posted.

1) It will turn on the spindle, even with no g-code loaded. I fixed that last night.
2) It could move into the Z limit under obscure conditions. Fixed, but the fix leaves a bit to be desired. Hopefully, I'll get that fixed tonight.

[mcphill]

Do you have an e-mail contact list when it is ready?

[ger21]

No, but if you PM me, I'll let you know.

[mcphill]

No, but if you PM me, I'll let you know.

You've been PM'd... Thanks!

[Big-tex]

Nice work Gerry.
I have been meaning to update some code in my screen set and release installer.
It seams that I can catch up with orders, I am blessed in that respect.
Sorry guys I hope to still have it for download this year.

Merry Christmas to all.

[PoppaBear10]

Tex,

when you ready, I can put it all in a MSI installer for you....

scott

[Big-tex]

ok, here it is again, I fixed the ==, and changed the - value first probe, and second probe to positive numbers since his, math formula makes it a negative.
also commented out the "Option Explicit", since I did not data type the Dim vars...... so, it runs now..... sorry about the inconvienance.

here it is:

Sub Main() 'made it a sub, so you can return on "show stopper" errors

'UPDATED TOOL CHANGE ZERO SETUP SCRIPT
'Option Explicit
'Written by Big-Tex November 29 2010
'Modified by Poppa Bear, added Greolt's and Arbo's changes 08Dec2010

Dim xjobcoord, yjobcoord, zjobcoord, xmachcoord, ymachcoord, zmachcoord
Dim ZNew, ZPlate, Zplatetomaterial,PlateOffset, ZMaterialmachcoord, Zplatejobcoord
Dim xprobeloc, yprobeloc,xtoprobe, ytoprobe
Dim FirstProbeDist, FirstRetractDist, SecProbeDist
Dim CurrentFeed
Dim CurrentAbsInc

xjobcoord = GetDRO(0) 'get current job coordinate for X
yjobcoord = GetDRO(1) 'get current job coordinate for Y
zjobcoord = GetDRO(2) 'get current job coordinate for Z
xmachcoord = GetOemDRO(83) 'get current machine coordinate for X
ymachcoord = GetOemDRO(84) 'get current machine coordinate for y
zmachcoord = GetOemDRO(85) 'get current machine coordinate for z
xprobeloc = GetUserDRO(1100) 'get x machine coord of fixed plate
yprobeloc = GetUserDRO(1101) 'get y machine coord of fixed plate
xtoprobe = (xprobeloc - xmachcoord + xjobcoord) 'calc x move to fixed probe
ytoprobe = (yprobeloc - ymachcoord + yjobcoord) 'calc y move to fixed probe
CurrentFeed = GetOemDro(818) 'get current feed rate
PlateOffset = GetUserDRO(1151) 'get plate offset DRO
Zplatetomaterial = GetUserDRO(1102) 'get calculated material offset from somewhere else?
CurrentAbsInc = GetOemLED(48) 'Get the current G90/G91 state


'//////// the block below will set all your reusable vars depending on Inch or mm.
'//////// this sets the vars so you only need ONE large block of probing code.

If GetOEMLED(801) Then 'ON = English Measure INCH
FirstProbeDist = 6.0 'first probe travel
FirstRetractDist = 0.1 'first probe retract travel
SecProbeDist = 0.25 'second probe travel
FirstProbeFeed = 12 'First Probe Feed Speed
SecondProbeFeed = 2 'Second Probe Feed Speed
Else 'OFF = Metric Measure MM
FirstProbeDist = 150.0 'first probe travel
FirstRetractDist = 3.0 'first probe retract travel
SecProbeDist = 6.0 'second probe travel
FirstProbeFeed = 300 'First Probe Feed Speed
SecondProbeFeed = 50 'Second Probe Feed Speed
End If

'//////// Error Condition checking code

If GetOemLED(16)<>0 Then 'Checks for machine coordinates
Code "(Please change to working coordinates)"
Exit Sub 'ERROR! exit the macro
End If

If GetOemLED(825)<>0 Then
Code "(Z-Plate Grounded Check connection and try again)"
Exit Sub 'ERROR! exit the macro
End If

'//////// Start Probing Code, Probe In -Z direction.
'//////// The vars will be Inch or Metric from above if/else statment

Code "G0 X" & xtoprobe & " Y" & ytoprobe 'move to fixed plate location
Code "F" & FirstProbeFeed 'slow down feedrate to 12 ipm, or 300 mmpm
Zplate = (GetDro(2) - FirstProbeDist) 'probe move to z - 6", or 150mm
Code "G90 G31Z" & Zplate 'FIRST Probe Operation!
While IsMoving()
Wend
Zplate = GetVar(2002) 'read the touch point
Code "G1 Z" & (Zplate + FirstRetractDist) 'retract above hit point +0.1" or +3mm
While IsMoving()
Wend
Code "F" & SecondProbeFeed 'slow down feedrate to 2 ipm, or 50 mmpm
Zplate = (GetDro(2)- SecProbeDist) 'probe move to current z - 0.25", or -6.0mm
Code "G90 G31Z" & Zplate 'SECOND Probe Operation!
While IsMoving()
Wend
Call SetDRO(2,Zplatetomaterial) 'this sets Z DRO to calculated material offset
Sleep(250) 'pause for Dro to update.
'ZNew = PlateOffset + 2.6315 'calc retract
'Code "G0 Z" &ZNew 'put the Z retract height you want here
Code "G53 G0 Z" & SecProbeDist
While IsMoving () 'wait for probe move to finish retracting
Wend
Code "G0 X" & xjobcoord & "Y" & yjobcoord 'returns to the previous X Y job location
While IsMoving()
Wend
Code "F" & CurrentFeed 'returns to prior feed rate

If GetOEMLED(801) Then 'ON = English Measure INCH
Code "(Z axis is now zeroed in English Units)" 'puts this message in the status bar
Else 'OFF = Metric Measure MM
Code "(Z axis is now zeroed in Metric Units)" 'puts this message in the status bar
End If

If CurrentAbsInc = 0 Then 'if G91 was in effect before then return to it
Code "G91"
End If

Code DoButton(0) 'Cycle Start

End Sub

Scott
This script works with one problem
If error condition exists such as grounding issue or machine coords
Error message does not display it displays only message to start cycle.

[PoppaBear10]

Hey Big Tex,

I am not getting that, it works here, let me show you what I am doing, and you tell me what I am missing. (note, I dont have a probe system hooked up so I am doing the "Probe signal" via brains).

I put the Macro into the VB script window, to test the mach coor. stop/exit error func. I push the "Machine Coordinates" button which turns on the "Machine Coordinate" in use LED.

Then I go back to the VB test window, and push the run script button, as soon as it gets to the Machine coor. LED being "On". It then exits the macro, and the message in the status bar, appears as it should.

For the "Probing", I had to do some dancing around, I put an ON/OFF button on my test page, that turns on/off ULED 1200.

I then made a simple brain, rung is: ULED 1200->NoOp->Probe Input
so, when ULED 1200 turns on, this turns on the "Probe Input", and when it is off, the probe input goes off.

So, I turn on the ULED 1200, and again then run the VB script again, it faults again and gives the correct message, and exits.

So, I make sure that I had the Input signal enabled for "Digitize, or Probing" signal in.

Scott

[Big-tex]

Did you load g-code? And then started script?

Just to make it clear here is my M6start


tool = GetSelectedTool()
SetCurrentTool( tool )

TCX=GetOEMDRO(1200)
TCY=GetOEMDRO(1201)
TCZ=GetOEMDRO(1202)

Code "G53 G0 Z" & TCZ
While IsMoving()
Wend

Code "G53 G0 X" & TCX & " Y" & TCY
While IsMoving()
Wend

[ger21]

Scott, an easier way to test might be to set up the digitize input pin and just emulate it with a keyboard key. Press the key and the probe LED lights up.

That's how I'm testing the code in my screenset.

[PoppaBear10]

Hey Ger,

Unfortunatly, you can't do it that way, while running a "step through" debug of the code in the VB Window, i.e. if you set lets say Key "w" to be the one you use to emulate the digitize input, and your stepping through your code in the VB script window, what happens is, when you get to your break point in where you want to watch the code section, and you press the "w" you get a whole line of "wwwwwwwwwwwww" in the code window......... it is easy to do it like you say, and I am aware of that, but since I want to watch the code as I step through, without some key text being added from the :Hot Key, that is the reason I used the Brian to "activate" the digitize input...

always, got to do crazy a$$ed workarounds, don't I?

Big Tex:

As far as I can see here, the probing code faults out, as it should, when it should, if those conditions are met. If the code see's those conditions, it drops compleatly out of the macro (exits the sub). If you not seeing the macro drop out, when your running, in those error conditions, then for what ever reason the code isn't seeing those two OEM LEDs at the time it runs though......

YOU MAY have to do another work around.... since in a way, you may be running multiple macro treads...... that may be part of the issue.....

Try this for "Poops and Grins".......

Make a Brain, called fault Brain.
here are the rungs:

Input(OEM LED machine coor.) ->NoOp->ULED1200
Input(OEM LED Digitize)->NoOp->ULED1201

once you save it, remember to reload it, and enable it, then hit the view, to see if you see the ULEDs 1200 and 1201 coming on, with those conditions....

Then, in your probing macro, change the Error condtions for each type to the ULED that represents that type, that is controlled via the Brian. I.e. be doing an IF GetUserLED(1200) and on the next if/then, watch 1201.

then retest, the Brain runs in a seprate thread, and is not subject to the "Quirks" of the VB interpreter, and VB threading "Issues" that crop up here and there.

scott

[Big-tex]

Scott
Yes if conditions are met macro does drop out.
But it does not display needed message indicated in lines quoted below.

Code "(Please change to working coordinates)"

nor

Code "(Z-Plate Grounded Check connection and try again)"

instead message is displayed to press start cycle.

Can you verify this?

[ger21]

Where are you calling the macro from? If it's in the M6 Start somewhere, you're message is getting overwritten immediately by the M6 telling you to press cycle start.

Try using
msgbox "Please change to working coordinates"
instead. This should wait for you to press OK before proceeding.

But if you're in the M6, there's no way to stop it except to put Mach3 into E-Stop.

[Big-tex]

Ok ladies I will work it out and come up with new ver. installer.

As so far my work was and will be free to community.
From now I am accepting donations for further development and testing any help is appreciated.

Also there will be link within installation that will take user directly to my paypal account in case anyone wants to thank me for my work.