SMM2 Tool Setting Weirdness

[TravisR100]

I just got a SMM2. It has version 16.something of the firmware on it. Now, this is the first time I've used a Haas but this seems weird. If I go to a tool I can enter the length, width, etc. When it asks me for the number of flutes I have a problem. By default it is set to two. It tells me to enter the number of flutes and press enter. If I enter 3 and press enter it changes to 5. I enter 2 and press enter it changes to 7. And so on. Whatever number I enter gets added to the existing number of flutes. Am I doing something wrong?

[HuFlungDung]

On my older Haas VF3, pressing Write usually also adds the current value that was entered to the value in the registers (depending on what screen is open). Pressing F1 however, will overwrite the existing value with the new value that was input.

[The CNC Noob]

Have you tried hitting f1 to input the number? On our hs1 I have to press f1. If I hit enter it will add the number to what is already there.

[TravisR100]

Aha! Thanks guys. That did the trick. It was doing it on the "approximate tool length" setting as well.

[Geof]

You have read the manual?

[TravisR100]

Geof, I'd be the first to ask that same question and bemoan that same person. I must confess, I hadn't gotten that far through it yet and I was embarrassed to find the answer to my question while reading.

I'm half way through it now. I have another question but now I'm definitely waiting until I get through the rest of the manual before asking!

[Geof]

It just proves you are normal.

Ask away on any question, I have found some things are very difficult to dig out of the manual and some are explained so poorly it is only after you have figured things out by trial and erro you realise what the manual is trying explain. And the Haas manual is good compared to some I have been told.

Part of the problem is that the manuals they now provide with machines are very truncated compared to what was supplied several years ago.

[behindpropeller]

Check your settings. There is one setting that has to be on or off when using the toolsetter. I can't remember it right now though!!

Tim

[TravisR100]

The toolsetter works (sort of, see my other thread). The problem was simply my screw up not knowing to press F1 instead of enter to keep the machine from summing the values.

[behindpropeller]

Originally Posted by TravisR100 The toolsetter works (sort of, see my other thread). The problem was simply my screw up not knowing to press F1 instead of enter to keep the machine from summing the values.

I think the problem you are having in the other thread may be related to the setting I am talking about.

[TravisR100]

No offense, but can we continue this in the other thread? Don't want to confuse the two issues. This one was my bumbling. The probe thread is altogether different.

[peter.blais]

Originally Posted by Geof It just proves you are normal. Ask away on any question, I have found some things are very difficult to dig out of the manual and some are explained so poorly it is only after you have figured things out by trial and erro you realise what the manual is trying explain. And the Haas manual is good compared to some I have been told. Part of the problem is that the manuals they now provide with machines are very truncated compared to what was supplied several years ago.

I can only agree- the manual that came with my '09 machine is borderline useless.

One thing I can't understand with mine is that if i use the "measure tool offset" button, it records the value in the machine / absolute coordinates, but the G54 is what matters. I end up typing in the z location in G54 and pushing F1? Even after reading the manual for hours I ended up just running programs a foot up in the air and messing with it until I figured it out.

I'm a bookworm (M.E.) so I read the manual about 2x before doing much else-