[NTLSYS]

Hi All,
I've used many types of edge finders and probes in the past. But when it comes to serious usage, I started with a cheap Chinese sprung-ball electronic edge finder. It was fine for finding X and Y, but there was no finding Z without a height gage. Well, after one of them rusted away and crashing another one, I went for US made electronic one off eBay. A few years ago, they were anodized red with a gold plated tip. Now they are black and no gold plating. Either way, they are working out for me these days. It turns out, over time, they seriously stick (even through the guy said they are good for like 0.0002" and can tolerate 0.03" over travel, yet very rigid). I'm finding the "good one" is off by 0.007" in X and 0.17" in the Y direction with no possible calibration, except in the control.

So I've been looking at a Renisaw (PH5) on eBay for like $150 but it turns out I need a TP2 module which will cost me another $600 on top of that, plus a $50 ruby stylus. OK, I can't afford that right now so the other alternative is the open source touch probe. I've owned the original when it came out but misplaced it somewhere. So I now have a couple of the new styles, which are nothing more than a multi-point series switch. So I understand how it works.

Now the question is, how can I connect this to my PMC? Ultimately, I will purchase a proper Renishaw but when that comes, I will run into the same issue of "where do I connect it to?" For the touch probe, it's basically only one wire connected to a source or a drain. I might need help with that too since I don't want to poke around and break my $100k machine.

So my machine is as so:
YCM XV1020A
Fanuc MX100i

The main board in the cabinet says YCM 504-E04-IR02

I've read on Practical Machining website and there was a good description of how to connect a probe to Fanuc, but there are references to connecting a probe to X4.7 (SKIP), but what and/or where is X4.7? The green terminal blocks are labelled X1 through X29 (or X28), but does X4.7 mean the pin labeled 7 (which appears to be GND) or the 7th position on X4 connector? Or am I WAY off?

I bought the machine about four years ago, and I just now realized the sakes guy only left me with the Fanuc manuals, none for the machine so I have no diagrams whatsoever.

I've tried searching this site for clues but most PROBE searches landed me with MACH3 related topic.

Any hints, suggestions or a shove in the right direction is appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[zavateandu]

you need to find out where is the X4.7 signal from the inputs.
this is done by looking in the electrical diagram if you have.
if is too hard for you scan the electric book and share it with us and we will try to help you.

[NTLSYS]

Yeah, that's what I figured. I assume X4.7 is a signal on the Fanuc side. The trouble is, (I guess spellcheck failed me, or I have really fat fingers or poor typing skills), the sales guy didn't leave me with the electrical diagrams for the machine so I don't have it to look up.

I was hoping someone has a similar machine so they could maybe take a picture, or even read off which YCM pin equates to X4.7 is on the Fanuc side, or whatever the SKIP signal is.

Thanks in advance.