[ger21]

That's a Mach3 issue, and has nothing to do with the screenset. It comes up on the Yahoo group and forum at least once a month.
I think you need to uninstall Mach3, and re-install it.

[ger21]

A quick look on the Yahoo group says to try registering ntgraph.ocx

It was just posted a few days ago.

[Drools]

Probably something I'm doing wrong but the offsets are not saving.
It works fine on my small router but larger one seems to want to fight me lol.
A permission thing maybe?

[ger21]

Are you clicking the Save Offsets button? And if so, is the Offsets window popping up? And if so, are you saving from there?

Or, do you mean they're not saving when you close and restart Mach3?

If the latter, try checking "Persistent Offsets" and "Persistent DRO's" in General Config.

[ger21]

Nevermind, I just saw your email.

Give me a few minutes.

[Drools]

I figured it out, sorry for the question.
It was the "auto Zero XY coords" that I had left unchecked.

[ger21]

Good, because I didn't see any issue with the offsets.

[shorton]

Gerry: New to your screenset and not too seasoned with Mach3 either (sorry). Just got the screenset, getting ready to get it working, reading your docs and videos.

I have a question about the tool change setup. My machine is a fixed gantry and I really don't have a good place to locate a stationary touch point like the one you use in your tool change video. I'm looking to see if I can make a change to my X axis to inc out a tiny bit more travel so I could get to a stationary touch point on the side. It's looking unlikely without some major changes to widen X travel.

If I cannot, what is involved with using your routines without the secondary, static touchpoint? What I'm using now with stock Mach3 is a probe routine that works like yours to set Z, a slow move to touch, then slower to fine tune. But of course I have to do it with each tool change. I use the "auto tool zero" button. I'm wanting to understand what the workflow would be without the static point.

[ger21]

The simplest way is to output a separate g-code program for each tool, and just use the Simple Auto Zero.
Make sure there are no M6's in your g-code, or use the Ignore M6 option.

[shorton]

I'd like to say I understand but if that's the simple way I'm embarrassed to say I don't understand. Can you elaborate in more laymen terms? My gcode is generated via my CAm program. I have some options for adding code to tool changes in the processor sections (I think). But I'm not following what woudl happen exactly if I did this. Can you describe how the workflow would go?

Ideally, worst case, I'd like to be able to do what I used to do, that is, replicate the "Auto Tool Zero" button in the standard screen. At least I'm used to that workflow.

[ger21]

in a stock Mach3 install, the " auto tool zero" button does nothing. You need to add your own auto zero macro. Since I don't know how you had it setup, I don't really know how you were using it.
having said that, as I said before, the simple auto zero should be close to what you were used to. se the manual for the toolbar button for the simple auto zero.

[ger21]

What CAM program are you using?
What I was saying was to export the operations with different tools to their own g_code files, so that there are no tool changes. You just 're zero for each program.

[shorton]

Thanks. I'm using CamBam. I could do different files per tool but that would be a lot of trouble. I'm working with kids, so trying to automate what I can.

This is the script I use with the auto-tool zero in my stock config:

The way I was using it was when my program paused for a tool change (presumably due to a M6 command), I would change the tool, jog to the appropriate place, attach my probe's ground to my spindle, then rerun the auto-tool zero script, detach. Then click cycle start and off it went till next time.

I've found a place on the rear edge of my table I could put a semi-permanent reference touch point, but to do it right I'll need to keep a wire attached to it. Since my table moves that's more trouble than a moving ganty/stationary table, but I think I can do it. Just need to see if I can find some energy chain that has a small enough arc to "live" under my table, or maybe just a piece of very flexible wire I can route properly. Or make a connection point to attach my probe wire to.

'VB Code Start
'-------------------
CurrentFeed = GetOemDRO(818)
DoSpinStop()

ZMove = 5.00 'Total lenght of Probe to move before Stop or no Contact Made.
ZOffset = 0.060 ' Plate Hight
ZSal = ZOffset + 2.00 '+ Free Hight, Will possition the Proble 2 MM over the Material.

StopZmove = 0
If GetOemLed (825)=0 Then
  DoOEMButton (1010)
  Code "G4 P2.5"
  Code "G31 Z-"& ZMove & "F25"
  While IsMoving()
    Sleep(200)
  Wend
  Probepos = GetVar(2002)
  If Probepos = - ZMove Then
    responce = MsgBox ("**ERROR** " , 4 , "Probe **ERROR**" )
    Code "G0 Z10"
    StopZmove = 1
    Code "F" &CurrentFeed
  End If

  code "G0 z" & probepos +.1
  Code "G31 Z-"& ZMove & "F5"
  While IsMoving()
    Sleep(200)
  Wend
  Probepos = GetVar(2002)
  
  
  If StopZmove = 0 Then
    Code "G0 Z" & Probepos
    While IsMoving ()
      Sleep (200)
    Wend
    Call SetDro (2, ZOffset)
    Code "G4 P1"
    'Code "G0 Z" & ZSal
    code "G53 z-.1"
    Code "(Z zeroed)"
    Code "F" &CurrentFeed
  End If
Else
  Code "(Check Ground Probe)"
End If
Exit Sub
'-------------------
'VB Code Stop


'code "g31 z-10 f10" '
'While IsMoving() 
'Wend 
'code "G92 Z0" 
'code "G0Z3" 
'While IsMoving() 
'Wend 
'code "g92z0"

[ger21]

Just replace the M6Start and M6end from the 2010 screenset with the default M6 macros, and use the 2010 Simple Auto Zero to zero, and it should work just like it did before.

[shorton]

Perfect, thank you. I love what you did though and am going to try to implement the hardware to interface the code.

Another question. I use the keyboard for jogging. I'm used to using the arrows and PgUp/Dn for slow speed X-Y and <shift>[key] to go to the faster jog speed. I forgot if that's something I set up way back or not. In any case, I don't have it now, is there a way I can configure it? I've got the jogging settings similar to what you used in your manual as a start point. I see how to change them with the +/- key, but it's a lot harder to switch back and forth from the 2 speed's toggling modes than to just use the shift combination for one mode and no shift for the other. Hoping it's a configuration I missed or that got set back when I installed.

Scott

[ger21]

I'm not at home to check right now, and won't be able to until Sunday, but I thought it does work like that. I was under the impression that the shift key for fast jogs was standard Mach3 behavior, and there are no settings to turn it on or off. But I typically leave my jog speed at 100%, so I'll have to check.
If your jog speed is at 100%, the shift key won't do anything, because it can't go any faster. Make sure that's not the issue.

[shorton]

DOH! That WAS the issue. I appreciate your patience with my noob questions.

[shorton]

OK, working through the setup and issues with the auto-zero. A fine gentleman on the CamBam forum wrote a postprocessor executable for me to strip the beginning M6 that CamBam puts in the gcode. Works great. So that's taken care of, no secondary zeroing after the "Initial Auto Zero" macro executes.

Trying it "live" now, I ran into an issue I didn't think of when studying the process. My machine's spindle is electrically isolated from the tool. So there's no path to ground through the tool. My current zero probe is the type where I clip one lead to the collet and the other lead is attached to the touch plate. So, after a tool change, when the macro moves to the reference/stationary plate , I have to have something clipped to the spindle. After it touches off, the macro let's er rip.. moving back to where it needs to be and starting the spindle. I need a chance to un-clip. Ideally with a prompt. Any way to work that into the code?

My spindle is a Dewalt router modified for SuperPID integration. I opened it up to see if I could find anything with an electrical path to the tool/collet, but I could not. If I could I would hard wire that side of my probe, then only need the touch plate. Googling didn't turn up anyone else who had tried to overcome this safety "feature" of this spindle. I'd think other similar less professional level spindles would have this same issue.

[ger21]

I need a chance to un-clip. Ideally with a prompt. Any way to work that into the code?

On the toolchange tab, check the "Manual Spindle Control" box. This was originally added to allow for people to turn on their spindle, but it'll work for you're situation as well.


I've seen someone mount a motor brush through the top of their router, riding on the end of the spindle shaft. They connected it to their ground pin to complete the circuit when auto zeroing. It's in a thread here somewhere, but I have no idea how to find it. It might have been on a Bosch Colt.

[shorton]

I found the thread you are thinking of, thanks. It was a Bosch. The Dewalt is a good bit different inside. I can't even get to the upper area of the field shaft. Major surgery to attempt to mod that.

I considered making a special stationary touch point that had a "leaf" that contacted the tool, or collet as and before the tool touches but all of that is problematic with changing diameters and heights.

Following your recommendation, I checked the manual spindle control option and ran my test code. I get the "Start spindle, press OK to continue" prompt. But my spindle is controlled by Mach3, and with that dialog box open, it wouldn't let me click on the start spindle button. Then I found it started the spindle on it's own after I clicked OK, so in my case at least I think the the dialog box would be better if it said "Press OK to start spindle". Just a little whine. Don't suppose that's somewhere I can edit is it?

The bigger thing was...that option works with the dialog box providing the pause to disconnect the probe, but the pause happens after the reference touch AND a move back to the tool change command was issued. Which in the case of my test code, and normal operations, the location of the pause is no where near the tool change position, nor the reference plate position. So that move drags the probe wires across the table before the pause where they can be safely disconnected. If it would do the spindle pause dialog after it touches off and retracts Z from the reference plate that would be much better IMO. No pulling the probe wires around.

Any way to tweak that?

(hopefully) constructive input. I'm loving the screen now that I'm getting used to the icons (memorizing the toolbar icons that is).