[Edd1e]

Hi everyone......this week I have had a Renishaw probe fitted to my Haas VF3 Mill. I wish to print the probe results/findings and can't get this feature to work. I have connected a cable from the RS232 port on the back of the machine directly to a serial printer (not pc) and have placed a W1. on the probe programs lines I wish to be printed. Any suggestions greatfully recieved...

[pit202]

I do this from time to time and have no problems , check the serial port for same parameters on mill and (not) PC ( speed, parity , bits , stop bits ) use the upper serial port on the machine , when only one thing does not fit all wont work ( check the RTS/CTS I had a problem last time with this )

try to send a program from "list prog" via "send rs" if this work the probe should too.

Peter

[haastec]

I have not used this feature so I will not be of any direct help, but if you don't get things figured out, call Renishaw directly as their tech support has been good for me in the past.

Renishaw - Illinois (847) 286-9953

[behindpropeller]

Is it possible to go from the machine to the computer instead of a generic printout?

Thanks

Tim

[WallyL7]

I believe you need to use the DataCollect feature and you can rs232 the info to a computer. I am actually interested in doing this also, but am not using an rs232 cable setup, so I haven't done it yet.

Seems pretty straight forward in the manual, though. You just specify which variables you want written in the program you write and it sends those out.

I have a friend who does this a lot on his Mazaks and it is the bees knees.

[Matt@RFR]

Very timely thread. I just got done posting the below question on another forum...I'll repost it here in hopes we can get some more specific answers. This topic has been touched on in the past, but no specifics were ever given, just that it's possible.

Simply put, this is what I would like to do, in order of preference:



1) Probe feature (data is stored in variable #123)

2a) Transfer #123 to cell C4 in existing Excel inspection report spreadsheet

2b) Transfer #123 to cell ?? in blank spreadsheet, then link that cell to cell C4 in existing inspection report spreadsheet

2c) Physically print Renishaw inspection report using W1 / W2 inputs in probing cycles

2d) Physically print #123 using Haas DPRNT funtion



For 2a and 2b, I'm unsure if this can even be done, and if it can, if I would use W1 / W2 in the probing routines or DPRNT to do it.



To make matters worse, I have absolutely no experience with RS232 cables. Would I need DNC software to do any of this? I transfer programs to the machine via a USB stick currently.

[behindpropeller]

Here is the old thread that I brought up on the subject. The link was broken by the mods at impractical machinist:

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/haas_m...n_w_probe.html

[guypb]

Here's my solution - called CNC Reporter - has built in RS232 comms to get data out "real time" from the machine into Excel.

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC7ejUOvGQI"]YouTube - CNC Probing & Reporter[/nomedia]

This demo was on a Robodrill - but it's pretty much the same for the Haas.

It works off the shelf with the Renishaw Inspection Plus W1/2 function.
I supply some VQC templates for Haas machine tools so you can program using Visual Quick Code and run in either MDI or embed into programs.

You can see a closer view of the reports here:

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-Bgpq1K0MM"]YouTube - CNC Reporter[/nomedia]

[Delw]

Matt do you remember the one guy that wrote macros to probe a part on his machine by using small circles? ( early last year)was it KEVIN? that guy new alot about the probe system my opinion he was a f'n genius with the probe system. hopefully he chimes in on this subject.
Most HFOS including HAAS in ca. dont know a rats behind about how the system works other than finding tool heights/diams and findin XYZ on the part.
I havent called renishaw and asked them for a step by step, but they have sent me a few manuals to help, the only problem is I hate to read LOL I like to be shown or have it explained to me.

It would be great if we could keep this topic going and get some input from guys that know how to measure parts (odd shapes) and put them into numbers via print on a pc.
Maybe use somethign standard as a demo that we could all relate to like a hard jaw taken off a kurt angle lock vise?
would be pretty cool to see how to write a macro on checking the holes the widths counter bores and lenths even the hieght and spit out the numbers.
then the guys that dont know how to do it can learn by example.?

Delw

[Delw]

it wasnt kevin it was pit202
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/haas_m...lar_shape.html

heres another link also on printing
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/haas_m...32_output.html

maybe the admins could throw all the probing info into a subforum?

Delw

[guypb]

I'm a metric man, so bear with me...

Basic Renishaw Inspection Plus tutorial

Measure a 50mm diameter hole with 4 points (+X,-X,+Y,-Y) at X10. Y10., Z-5mm down the hole:
G65P9810X10.Y10.
G65P9810Z-5.
G65P9814D50.

Now add printing:
G659814D50.W1.

Now add a size tolerance of +/-0.1:
G65P9814D50.H0.1W1.

Now add a true position tolerance of 0.2
G65P9814D50.H0.1M0.2W1.

Now update a Tool Offset (Tool 1):
G65P9814D50.H0.1M0.2T1.W1.

Now add a NULL BAND (cos you don't want to keep updating the tool everytime - that would be BAD) A Null Band is a tolerance of say +/-0.05 within which no Tool Offset is updated:
G65P9814D50.H0.1M0.2T1.V0.05W1.

Now add a percentage feedback, as really you want to dampen the effects of any tool feedback. A percentage feedback will only update the tool offset by a percentage (say 75%) of the measured deviation:
G65P9814D50.H0.1M0.2T1.V0.05F0.75W1.

Now lets measure another hole of diameter 25mm at X50.Y50. - this time with 3 points. We can specify the degrees of each point. 0 degrees is the +ve X direction. So let's do equispaced points (120 degrees spacing).
G65P9810Z5.0
G65P9810X50.Y50.
G65P9810Z-5.
G65P9823A0.B120.C240.D25.H0.1M0.2W1.

The problem here is that the 2 positional measurements are relative to the Active Work Offset - NOT to each other. So how do we do that?

G65P9810X10.Y10.
G65P9810Z-5.
G65P9814D50.H0.1M0.2T1.V0.05F0.75W1.
G65P9834 (sets start point to centre of previous bore (line above))
G65P9810Z5.0
G65P9810X50.Y50.
G65P9810Z-5.
G65P9823A0.B120.C240.D25.H0.1W1.
G65P9834X40.Y40.M0.2W1. (where X & Y values are incremental distances between points).

THIS IS BASIC - with a basic shape - but once we change the 9814 to something else we can measure different features.

We can then start to build on this - capture different points - do some maths - create loops etc.. It can get pretty powerful. The key element is to start simple.

We can turn off machine alarms (these will annoy you), make decisions, work out material conditions, take averages, max/min, compare against stored data, update rotary axes, check machine condition, is the part moving in the fixture, are my roughing tools leaving on the RIGHT amount of stock before finishing or am I updating my finishing tools and diminishing their life early to compensate for poor roughing control, where's my pivot point on my 5 axis machine REALLY (cos that stamped plate on your machine is out of date) etc..

Personally I would not update a tool from one single feature so we can do stuff there also.

Remember - the trick to eating a whole elephant is to take one bite at a time - and there is a big elephant in your machine shop and it needs to be eaten - don't ignore it.

Apologies to those who are already sucking eggs...

[WallyL7]

First of all, Guypb...do you get out much!? Thanks for that post.

I agree that we all have that elephant in our shop and most don't use it for all it is capable of. This type of thread is excellent for those of us who want to take it to the limit.

Your spreadsheets look awesome!

[Matt@RFR]

DPRNT[X#185[44]*Y#186[44]]

and get only actual X and Y parameters

That is quoted from another thread, and is more along the lines of what I'm trying to accomplish. The only thing I don't know how to do is get that information into a specific cell in a spreadsheet. Where does DPRNT actually send that data? My manual says nothing about this.

The software mentioned is great, but it requires InspectionPlus which is $1,000+ if I'm reading things correctly.

[guypb]

If you have a Haas, and have the Renishaw OMP40 probe fitted and the WIPS option, you have Inspection Plus already - you may not know it as the programs are locked and hidden often. I can help you see if they are in your control.

#185 is the measured X position, #186 is the measured Y position - the [44]'s are the format of the data output - 8 digits, 4 before the decimal point, 4 after. Using W1 in Inspection Plus handles all this for you - no need to program a single DPRNT statement yourself.

DPRNT pushes to the RS232 port - you have to sort out what happens at the PC end - I learnt all this the hard way, hence CNC Reporter.

Wally - you don't need Machine Data Collect for this (Setting 143), that's for doing other non probing stuff.

And Wally, I do this stuff for a living (16 years at Renishaw, 5 years on my own) and you are right, I should get out more - but it tends to get very messy when I do :cheers::banana:

[pit202]

The only thing I don't know how to do is get that information into a specific cell in a spreadsheet.

there is no way to put it into a specific cell without a through software.

I still don`t know what you`re trying to achieve , are you trying to modify a existing one or make a completely new one ?

if you trying to make your own spreadsheet you still need to go through a text CSV file format , you can make your columns and can separate them via " ; " character.

maybe it will be much easier when you type exactly what you will do and what it suppose to be in that spreadsheet. be aware for big limitation with this process.

Peter

[Matt@RFR]

I thought I explained what I am wanting to do, so either I'm not finding the right words, or it's just not possible.

I have an existing Excel spreadsheet that I use for my inspection report. The .xls file is attached so you can see exactly what I have. (It's not finished, so don't be too harsh)

I want to, for example, fill in cell E1 in the spreadsheet with the contents of macro variable #185.

If someone can help me with getting an RS-232 cable, I'll just screw around with it myself. Can I just buy a cable pre-made, or will it have to be custom? Is Hyper Terminal ok to use for this? I really wish I could just hire someone, point at the mill and computer and tell him to make them play nice, but I have no clue as to where I would find someone like that to hire.

I don't like the Renishaw CNC Reporter (no offense) because, if I am inspecting 1500 parts, I don't want 1500 pages of data, especially when half of it I don't need. I mean, there's two columns that are redundant, and neither are needed ("In Tolerance?" and "Pass/Fail"). All that I need is to color out-of-tolerance 'actual' dimension in red and that tells me the same thing that the two extra columns told me.

[pit202]

you can make your own cable , all of this is described in the manual ( see attached file ) hyperterminal is OK , set the same speed parameters both on mill and PC ( I use 115200 7 E 2 , and shielded cable for about 10m long )

as I told you , there is no way to put an value into E1 automatically , you can print as many mill variables at one line as you wish , but this line will have only values of one measured feature, if you want only report one variable ( #185 ) of each feature , print them into a file , import all to an empty Excel file, and just COPY & PASTE to your excel file.

[Matt@RFR]

I think I'll stick to hand written inspection reports. I've never made a cable like this, and the picture in the manual doesn't make anything clearer to me, therefor this is not a cable I should be screwing with. Anybody want to make some money and make me a 50 foot long cable?

What really, really sucks is that most of the HFO's know next to nothing about the probes. They are the only ones remotely local to me that could help as far as I know.

[pit202]

this cable should work : 10' DB9 Female DB25 Male Null Modem Serial Cable RS232 - eBay (item 380274269989 end time Oct-29-10 21:25:56 PDT)

Peter

[Delw]

Matt cables are extreamly easy to make, first you go buy a cable with rj45/cat 5 cable ( like on your PC to router or cable box. avail everywhere( its the big phone jack type)) connections.
then you goto radio shack and buy the db9 or db25 connectors, they come complete with the pins out fo the adapter and you can put them anywrere. according to the instructions that pit202 posted then plug in the cable and your done takes about 10 mins.

they look like these
RJ45 Modular Adapters, Couplers, Screws: 8P8C couplers and splitters plus RJ45 to DB9, DB15, or DB25 modular adapters - Cables To Go

heres the 25pin type
RJ45 to DB25 Male Modular Adapter - Blue - Cables To Go