Automatically Controlled Manual Tool Change Offsets

[mrgame1988]

Hi all...
I am completely new to programming Mach3. So after many hours of searching I found a script to measure a tools height. I really need help now. That works great for a single tool program, however I want to run multiple tools within a single program, ie it will need a pause point to allow the tool to be changed (collet spindle) then a button to pressed to measure the current (new) tool and then continue on.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers Ryan




CurrentFeed = GetOemDRO(818) 'Get the current feedrate to return to later
CurrentAbsInc = GetOemLED(48) 'Get the current G90/G91 state
CurrentGmode = GetOemDRO(819) 'Get the current G0/G1 state


If GetOemLed (825)=0 Then 'Check to see if the probe is already grounded or faulty
DoOEMButton (1010) 'zero the Z axis so the probe move will start from here
Code "G4 P3" ' this delay gives me time to get from computer to hold probe in place
Code "G90 G31Z-65. F250" 'probing move, can set the feed rate here as well as how far to move
While IsMoving() 'wait while it happens
Wend
ZProbePos = GetVar(2002) 'get the exact point the probe was hit
Code "G0 Z" &ZProbePos 'go back to that point, always a very small amount of overrun
While IsMoving ()
Wend
Call SetDro (2, 4.00) ' change 4.00 to your plate thickness and then adjust for final accuracy
Sleep 200 'Pause for Dro to update.
Code "G1 Z40. F750" 'put the Z retract height you want here, must be greater than the touch plate thickness
While IsMoving ()
Wend
Code "(Z axis is now zeroed)" 'puts this message in the status bar
Code "F" &CurrentFeed 'Returns to prior feed rate
Else
Code "(Z-Plate is grounded, check connection and try again)" 'this goes in the status bar if applicable
End If
If CurrentAbsInc = 0 Then 'if G91 was in effect before then return to it
Code "G91"
End If
If CurrentGMode = 0 Then 'if G0 was in effect before then return to it
Code "G0"
End If

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[ger21]

There's really no simple way to pause to run an auto zero macro in the middle of your program.

What I do is have a separate fixed plate mounted to the machine. After setting zero with the first tool, the tool goes to the fixed plate and stores it's Z location.
During a tool change (M6), the machine moves to a tool change position, and Mach3 stops and waits for you to change the tool. After pressing Cycle Start, the M6End macro sends the tool to the fixed plate, and zeroes the new tool using the fixed plate.
After the initial too zero, the procedure is fully automatic except for changing of the tool.

My 2010 Screenset is set up to do this automatically. I think that Big Tex has a similar screenset.

Lot's of info on these macros can be found in this thread:
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/mach-w...x-version.html

[mrgame1988]

Hi Gerry

I just had a look at the 2010 screenset in your link above, it looks alot cleaner than the standard mach3 screenset. Just to clarify do you use 2 tool setters per the video? Was it hard to set up and get going? Also by any chance do you know if it can be used as a native metric?

Cheers Ryan