Hello all - Want to see if someone can add a little insight to clear things up.
I first posted this over in 'SheetCam'. This pertains to a plasma set-up. All dialed in with direction, distance, and motor tuning.

In a nutshell ... Load G-Code (choose 'THC Cut Profile'), hit 'RUN', and she takes off and makes the first pierce, raises about half an inch, and STOPS! No error and torch shuts off (well, the torch button is still on ... just the torch went out).

This is MACH3 BladeRunner with 620-4. I also had to purchase the 'Digital Current Probe' along with 'RAV-01' board for plasma cutter (Tom & Marti are GREAT people). A 4 X 4 'Precision Plasma' gantry kit (Ron, another good guy), and using 'Sheetcam'.

Now, I discovered that If I go into 'Ports & pins/Inputs' and DISABLE 'THC On, THC Up, and THC Down' that the machine will "GO TO TOWN A CUTTIN! Of course, the tip drags here & there without the Z working as it should.

The 'Post Processor' I've been using is the 'MP 1000-THC-ZRef' (edited in Sheetcam for Switch Offset: .144) which I'll show a snippet of. It doesn't show the edit ... only when I open it sheetcam ... and it shows up in the G-Code correctly. I'll include the G-Code of the four lines test cut also. Hope someone can stear me to a solution for a working Z.

I noticed the POST has: "Use with floating head (Auto torch off) only\n" (in the 4th line down)
Is there a setting I'm missing ... or maybe using the wrong POST? I thought maybe I was supposed to EDIT something else ... would rather not go messin with Tom's work though.

function OnAbout(event)
ctrl = event:GetTextCtrl()
ctrl:AppendText("Plasma MP1000-THC -ZRef post processor\n")
ctrl:AppendText("Use with floating head (auto touch off) ONLY\n")
ctrl:AppendText("Modal G-codes and coordinates\n")
ctrl:AppendText("Comments enclosed with ( and )\n")
ctrl:AppendText("M03/M05 turn the torch on/off\n")
ctrl:AppendText("Incremental IJ - set in mach3\n")
ctrl:AppendText("The torch is referenced at cut start and every 500mm of movement thereafter\n")
ctrl:AppendText("Designed for use with Mach3 and CandCNC MP1000-THC and Floating head Touch-n-Go\n")
end


--Post variables:

--refdistance - sets the distance between each reference (default is 500mm)
--switchoffset - sets your net switch offset amount (actual measured switch offset on your table)
--zrefslowdown - sets your distance that the Z uses ref-speed on the touch off. If larger than the Rapid Height it uses Rapid Height


-- modified 10/05/07 by Tom Caudle
-- Based on plasma1.post




Here's my test-cut.

N0000 (Filename: TestCut123.tap)
N0010 (Post processor: MP1000-THC-ZRef.scpost)
N0020 (Date: 8/14/2012)
N0030 G20 (Units: Inches)
N0040 G53 G90 G40
N0050 F1
N0060 (Part: TestCut1)
N0070 (Process: Outside Offset, Layer 1, T2: Plasma, 0.0435 kerf)
N0080 M06 T2 F120 (Plasma, 0.0435 kerf)
N0090 G00 Z0.5000
N0100 X0.5321 Y7.9823
N0110 G28.1 Z0.50
N0120 G92 Z0.0
N0130 G00 Z0.1440
N0140 G92 Z0.0
N0150 G00 Z0.2000
N0160 M03
N0170 G01 Z0.1000 F20.0
N0180 X0.5493 Y0.0000 F120.0
N0190 M05
N0200 G04 P1
N0210 G00 Z0.5000
N0220 X1.0299 Y8.0338
N0230 Z0.2000
N0240 M03
N0250 G01 Z0.1000 F20.0
N0260 Y0.0515 F120.0
N0270 M05
N0280 G04 P1
N0290 G00 Z0.5000
N0300 X1.5449 Y8.0338

It's Not the whole code - but it's Just 4 lines about half inch apart. With the above mentioned DISABLED ... it cut this just fine. With everything ENABLED, It just makes that first pierce and STOPS.

I know it's the newbie (me) ... what am I missing?
Thanks for any input.