[jhwatts]

Who makes a good digitizer probe and software at a good price?

[High Seas]

Software - Mach2 will do it - and it is a Bargain! You'll still need to import the point cloud into other CAD programs. You can DIY a probe - search here on the 'zone - you'll find a few examples - sorry no experience with a purchsed probe!
:cheers: Jim
sorry I'm away from the shop and can't get my hands my list of how 2s ..YEP thats the ones I was looking for ger21s got em....

[ger21]

http://www.cadcamcadcam.com/index.as...TS&Category=14


If you use Mach2 or Mach3 to do the probing, here's a free program to convert the point cloud into an .stl http://www.paraform.com/ppdl/

[ger21]

If you want to build your own, http://www.indoor.flyer.co.uk/probe.htm

[jhwatts]

I am currently re financing my house so I have a little money left over to play with and I was thinking digitizer but since it’s such a low cost item to DIY I think I am going to give it a shot.

[the_paco]

I just recently been into the same kind of thought (getting a cheap probe and get into some digitizing for fun) and the last link that Ger21 shared helped me alot (along with it's author: thanks Graham!)... I made mine from what I had handy and it just do what I expected!

The CAD of the whole thing was the biggest part... but free as spared time.

[mcurtis]

A little confused on how the probing works. Does the mill retract to the highest z level (in the specified window) for each point and than probe the z position and repeat this process for x, y position. It seems the probe will trigger on any surface, but the machine does not know what caused the trigger. Does the point cloud software know about the probe diameter?

Thanks
Maynard

[ger21]

It depends on what software your probing with, but usually you set a "high Z", for clearance, and a "low Z" which is the deepest you want to probe. You basically tell it to probe an X, Y grid, telling it how much to stepover in each direction.

DeskCNC can compensate for tip diameter, but again, it depends on what software you're using.

[tt_raptor_90]

Hi,

I have been looking at the websites that were provided for making your own digital probe, but I have one question. How do you ensure that after the probe touches a surface, the probe will return to dead center? I understand that there is a spring in the middle, but how does this ensure repeatability?

Thanks

Sebastian

[the_paco]

Hmm... I'd say builing skills first!

But from the link that Gerry gave (and that I used), you can see that the hub (hence the tip) rest on a tripod; tree seats made with steel ball for the tree rods. For testing (and fun) pruposes, 0.01" is still quite good if you ask me... I personnaly used it for 3D decorative carvings... not for analyse space shuttle engine parts and safety devices... my probe parts are, for the most, made on the CNC... Here mine teared down; you can see the steel ball "seats" and the rods on the hub. On Graham page probe page , he say he is looking for another way to get the rods on the hub; I've grooved the hub on the CNC for accurate positioning and retain 'em with a "cap" (the white part)...

[smoregrava]

Hey Paco very nice. you said that you did this in cad on your computer. Could you send me the cad files. If you have this in 3D models like IGES I would be a very happy man. I'm also dream about a probe but I'm lazy so I havent done anything yet. But I have a great Cam software and a CNC machine so if I have som cad files I don't need to bother my brain:-)

[the_paco]

Sebastian,

there a bunch that are still cheap if you need any better than a home brewed... well cheap, depends on your budget...

smoregrava,

I only used 2D CAD for this simple stuff, no need to go into 3D unless I had needed a 3D rendering... same for the CAM part; basic 2D.

I should have a personnal WWW corner soon with the details of this probe along with some ideas to share with all CNC enthusiasts. I'll bookmark this thread so I'll announce when it'll be out off my HD and free on the WWW. Still, the CAD I'll have there will be 2D DXF. Maybe I could share the CAM files too...

[smoregrava]

2D dxf files would be just fine to me. could you mail them to me (send as private message)

[jhwatts]

I would like have some drawing specs if possible also (.dxf). How does the probe send information to the computer? I see the three wires but what do they go too.

[the_paco]

On/off signal. Mine is a two wires only; some digital ones have a 5V power supply along with the signal wires...

I'll post my drawings on my pages... soon I hope. Specs in this case are based on parts that I had handy; steel balls (bearing), harden rods (drill bit shanks), spring, wires (speaker), plastic leftover from previous jobs for housing (something like UHMW I think) then I bought what I have'nt from that; screws, PCB blank...

[jhwatts]

I should have most the required materials available to make a probe. I use to rebuild machinery for a ball bearing factory so I have a ton of ball bearings in my tool box.

[tt_raptor_90]

Hi,

I got the idea how it centers. The ball bearings will not allow the center hub to move in its plane because of the triangular shape. The only way for movement to occur is by touching something and lifting the hub of the bearings. So simple, yet so genious! Thanks Paco for the pics.

Thanks

Sebastian

[the_paco]

Nope, I won't accept the credit... sorry!... but thanks for the thoutghtfull!