Renishaw Probe

[popspipes]

See message #3 in this thread to see why a probe interface is a very good thing to have. If you watch eBay carefully you should be able to get a PI box for no more than about $125 and if you are in a hurry you can always get a used one for about $275 (one eBay seller has stacks of them). Which probe do you have? An appropriate probe interface box depends on the probe you have, different boxes work with different probes. All of my interface boxes cost me about $100 each, but a friend bought the same interface box with a short time warranty for about $250 from the aforementioned eBay seller.

I have the MP3 probe, and it is direct/manual transmission, I removed the transmitting portion of it.

There are so many models of the probes and different transmission modes, so I am a bit aprehensive about what I should buy, It is a hobby more or less for me.

thanks for the information!

[nitewatchman]

To use the MP3 Probe in Direct Wired Mode, Renishaw recommends the MI5, MI8 or MI8-4.

I bought an MI8 on a make offer eBay Posting for $50. It has arrived and appears in as-new condition. My MP3 was listed at $499, I made an offer of $249.50 and it was accepted almost instantly. It came with a K&T Adapter that is as big as the Tormach spindle!

gary

[popspipes]

To use the MP3 Probe in Direct Wired Mode, Renishaw recommends the MI5, MI8 or MI8-4.

I bought an MI8 on a make offer eBay Posting for $50. It has arrived and appears in as-new condition. My MP3 was listed at $499, I made an offer of $249.50 and it was accepted almost instantly. It came with a K&T Adapter that is as big as the Tormach spindle!

gary

thanks for the info Gary, At least I know what to look for.

[nitewatchman]

MP3 Installation and Users Manual

MP3

Check out page 11.

[sdh600]

This is an interesting topic and it has me looking at eBay for probes. Anyone know if the Renishaw mp11 would be a suitable candidate for the tormach 1100?
Thanks
Steve

[kstrauss]

It looks perfect and doesn't appear to need a controller. See http://resources.renishaw.com/en/dow...e-system--7904 for the manual. All that you should need is to add the right connector to the cable. I'm still trying to find time to get my MP7 (optical interface) problem working. If anyone has details of the protocol used I'd love to see it!

[popspipes]

I have been using mine regularly and i will say that it works very well! I can probe parts that were a real pain with the DTI.

The only drawback is the size and I am used to that now, and slick finish on it, I sure dont want to drop it............ any suggestions appreciated.

[IMT]

The only drawback is the size and I am used to that now, and slick finish on it, I sure dont want to drop it............ any suggestions appreciated.

Grip tape from a skateboard shop? Clean and scuff the surface a little and it will stick well.

[popspipes]

Grip tape from a skateboard shop? Clean and scuff the surface a little and it will stick well.

Thank you sir for the suggestion, I will get some...........

[ihavenofish]

To use the MP3 Probe in Direct Wired Mode, Renishaw recommends the MI5, MI8 or MI8-4.

I bought an MI8 on a make offer eBay Posting for $50. It has arrived and appears in as-new condition. My MP3 was listed at $499, I made an offer of $249.50 and it was accepted almost instantly. It came with a K&T Adapter that is as big as the Tormach spindle!

gary

interesting discussion. im doing up a couple of brother tapping centres with linuxcnc (potentially pathpilot interface)

i happen to have an mi-4 and its IR interface from another machine. no probe. it originally had the mp3 but its been lost.

if i went out and got a replacement mp3, would it be able to run in ir mode through the mi4 to pathpilot? id like the probe to go in the ATC. if this works, it would save me a ton over trying to make a probe system.

[sdh600]

Ok so I just received a used Renishaw MP11 probe that I got off of eBay. So as I'm not to electronically inclined, I'm wondering what the correct way to wire it to the din plug for the Tormach 1100 would be. I am guessing that the blue probe wire goes to pin one on the machine and the red probe wire goes to pin four. The green or yellow (maybe both?) goes to the number five pin. These are just my best guesses and any help would be appreciated.
Here are the diagrams from the probe manual and the Tormach manual.
Thanks
Steve



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[lens42]

Steve - I'm about to do something similar. If I understand correctly, on the Tormach DIN plug, it senses a contact when pin 5 is connected to ground (pin 4). That's turns on the LED and opto-isolator shown below the DIN plug diagram in the Tormach schematic. On the MP11 it sends out a contact indication by turn on it's SSR (solid state relay) - essentially a switch which closes pin 3 to 4 on the MP11. So it seems like you can connect these pins to pin 5 and pin 4 on the Tormach DIN and get what you want.

You can check all this before wiring it up by manually shorting pin 5 to 4 on the Tormach DIN and seeing if the 1100 acts like a probe made contact. In addition you can hook an LED (or just a little light bulb), resistor, and 9V battery up to the MP11 pins 3 and 4, and nudge the probe and see if it light's up. That way you know both sides are working before you do the wiring.

[sdh600]

Thanks lens42. I'll give it a try.
Steve


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[popspipes]

My boot was pretty much in tatters when I received my probe - so I just removed it all. Doesn't affect the probe as far as I can tell.

Pops - as far as backlash - you know PathPilot can do that automatically. Just go edit the tormach_1100-3.ini file in the tormach_mill directory.

Just add the BACKLASH line like I have below with your actual backlash. Do for ea axis. Axis 0 = X, Axis 1=y, and 2 = Z

---------------
[AXIS_0]
TYPE = LINEAR
HOME = 0.000

# Default=110 in/min 1.833/30.0 - just upped to 5/22
MAX_VELOCITY = 5
MAX_ACCELERATION = 22

# 20 % higher max-vel and 50% higher maxaccel for backlash comp 7.2/26
STEPGEN_MAX_VEL = 6
STEPGEN_MAXACCEL = 26

BACKLASH = 0.0008

-------------------

One thing I just changed in the backlash setting, originally I set it to read correctly at 20 IPM, I recently reset this to read correctly at 1 ipm as its a bit different than what I had originally set at 20 IPM, still playing with this as the probe initally moves at 20 IPM, but the final touches are at 1 IPM, these are the settings I use. I will see how it affects the outcome.

Maybe too much free time again ha!!

[IMT]

One thing I just changed in the backlash setting, originally I set it to read correctly at 20 IPM, I recently reset this to read correctly at 1 ipm as its a bit different than what I had originally set at 20 IPM, still playing with this as the probe initally moves at 20 IPM, but the final touches are at 1 IPM, these are the settings I use. I will see how it affects the outcome.

Maybe too much free time again ha!!

Just my .02:
The backlash number should be set using an indicator to measure the lost motion when changing directions. Do this first.
Then adjust the effective probe diameter to account for the stylus deflection and timing delay when probing. Probing at 20ipm = .000333 in/millisecond. Thus a 5ms delay between the time the probe sends the signal and the controller receives it and reads the axis position would result in .0015 variation. I don't have any idea what the actual delay is but there is certainly some delay. Thus it is best to always probe at the same speed.

[popspipes]

Just my .02:
The backlash number should be set using an indicator to measure the lost motion when changing directions. Do this first.
Then adjust the effective probe diameter to account for the stylus deflection and timing delay when probing. Probing at 20ipm = .000333 in/millisecond. Thus a 5ms delay between the time the probe sends the signal and the controller receives it and reads the axis position would result in .0015 variation. I don't have any idea what the actual delay is but there is certainly some delay. Thus it is best to always probe at the same speed.

I agree,

Im not too big on the math but there was a few tenths variation, I did check it on an indicator, I figured one .0001 tic should move the needle a bit in either direction from zero immmediately, and it now does, so it should be close @ 1 IPM, this will be correct for probing, but will be off during machining at higher IPM and I am OK with that, for what I make it really doesnt matter too much in most cases.

[popspipes]

Is it possible to modify the probing macro in Pathpilot?

I would like to add a Z2 X0 Y0 to the program for finding center of a boss or rectangular object.

When probing a hole it will finish with an X0 Y0 and the probe is in the center of the hole
When probing a boss or rectangular object it doesnt Z up and finish with an X0 Y0 to the center of the part. I am wondering why this cannot be done?

I am a kind of a rookie cnc machinst and there is probably a good reason why it doesnt do this, if so what would be the reason?

[TurboStep]

Hi Mike
First a disclaimer - I don't use the probing macros.
However, checking the macros I don't see any references to Z in the hole or circular boss routines at all. There are a number of possible isues. Bearing in mind that you might want to probe for the centre BEFORE setting Z0 you would need to use an incremental move in Z - you wouldn't want to probe with Z set to 5 and rapid down to Z2 . OK, this isn't exactly a show stopper.
The circular boss could cause issues with larger workpieces. The routine only probes around the perimeter, perhaps this is just a coincidence, perhaps not. If the workpiece is higher the centre than at the perimeter where you're probing (like a top hat), or if you have high fixturing in the centre, the +2 might not always be enough to clear your probe tip - ouch!
Maybe there are also other issues I haven't thought of.
Yes, it can be done but I suspect that Tormach are playing it safe for a general purpose probing routine - which is quite wise.

By the way, the Zone tells me that you have PMs disabled...
Step

[popspipes]

By the way, the Zone tells me that you have PMs disabled...
Step



I changed a few settings, hopefully it is back on now. It was turned on but for contacts and moderators only?? Leave it to this youngster to screw up some settings ha!!

I was thinking it would eliminate a few manual steps, really not needed though............

thanks for the reply Step..

[popspipes]

Is it possible to modify the probing macro in Pathpilot?

I would like to add a Z2 X0 Y0 to the program for finding center of a boss or rectangular object.

When probing a hole it will finish with an X0 Y0 and the probe is in the center of the hole
When probing a boss or rectangular object it doesnt Z up and finish with an X0 Y0 to the center of the part. I am wondering why this cannot be done?

I am a kind of a rookie cnc machinst and there is probably a good reason why it doesnt do this, if so what would be the reason?

I have since discovered that it isnt necessary to go to x0y0 as the axes are in the correct position to start the part when a boss or rectangle is probed, just proves I have a lot to learn!!

I really like using the probe, its kind of like an automatic Haimier....