I have been learning to run and program this Bridgeport within the past couple of months, and just started having problems with a Z command to far positive, during a T and N search. The search stops at a programmed location and then this alarm comes on. The TLO's are set correctly for the tools prior to the T or N being searched. I have been involved in CNC's for the past 20 years with the newer machines such as Mazak, Hardinge, Haas. If I take out the blocks of information, the search goes well. This machine is a big step backwards but am having problems with such simple situations. I am running Feature Cam for programming. I can run the program in preview and not have any alarm come up. The alarms usually happen in the canned cycle modes such as G83's on tools prior to the ones im searching. What could be going wrong.(Just recently upgraded to windows 98 network capable with a new mother board and hard drive from EMI)

I'm running 2 V2XT's. If you email a program that is not working, I'll look at it.

Robert
robert@lectrosonics.com

Thanks for the reply. The program is fine, I ran the tools through prior to recieving the Z alarm. The alarm only occurs when searching a T (tool number) or N ( sequence number) Example : center drill, drill, circular interpolate the hole with e-mill. Rerun e-mill to bring hole to size, search the N or T for this e-mill recieve alarm for c- drill section, or drill section. I will send this program for you take to a look.

Is the Nxx line number you are searching for before or after the TxxM6 line? What I'm thinking is that if you "reset program", then search for Nxx and it comes after the tool call line and you try to start your program, it will have problems. BP V2XT's will go back to tool offsets for tool #1 after a reset program. You can tell which offsets are active by looking at the right hand side of the screen and it will show the tool number and it's dia and length offset.

If tool #1 is active and or the current tool length offset is set to 0, then when your line that calls, for instance, G0 Z.1 (anything positive) will cause an error when that line is called because if current Z offset is 0, then any move to a Z+ number will be telling the control to move the Z axix higher than the fully retracted position.

This control will not execute modals or tool changes that occur before the line you are searching for. So you have to be careful.

Our Fadal's have the option to search for modals and tool changes, etc. that occur BEFORE the line we are starting on.

The search i am doing is on the line with the tool number example:N10T3M6. Any search done after a couple of tools have been run to a location after them comes to an error during the search process. Usually at a canned cycle code. I am not getting the error during the machine run phase, only when reset is hit and calling up the same tool again during the search for either N or T. The alarm only comes up in the search process. Once I delete out the canned cycles before the actual tool I am searching for then the problem does not occur. I will send a copy of the readout if necessary.

You can also try the v2xt yahoo groups page.

NEATman