4th axis touch probing

[wmgeorge]

I got the Crafty CNC one today off eBay in the mail today. Very professionally done, a reusable container. Nice connectors set at one end the other is stripped and ready for your plug or however connection. The contacts are in series and NC and so when you press the tip a bit in any direction it opens the circuit. I think Mach3 can use either NC or NO just by checking a box. I am using the CNC RP plug and play setup for NEMA 34 so I have a plug coming the will go into a prewired jack in the controller box. I got a longer cable with my setup so it was $135 and Free shipping. He also includes a 50% off discount for his probe software. So yes, I am impressed. I have never done probing with Mach3 only with a IMService CNC router table years ago, and was not impressed by the cobble job interface.

[ubergeekseven]

I got the Crafty CNC one today off eBay in the mail today. Very professionally done, a reusable container. Nice connectors set at one end the other is stripped and ready for your plug or however connection. The contacts are in series and NC and so when you press the tip a bit in any direction it opens the circuit. I think Mach3 can use either NC or NO just by checking a box. I am using the CNC RP plug and play setup for NEMA 34 so I have a plug coming the will go into a prewired jack in the controller box. I got a longer cable with my setup so it was $135 and Free shipping. He also includes a 50% off discount for his probe software. So yes, I am impressed. I have never done probing with Mach3 only with a IMService CNC router table years ago, and was not impressed by the cobble job interface.

I got mine in yesterday too. Do you have a touch plate already? The probe can be remapped to aux2,. I use aux1 as the touch plate. But you would have to either switch the devices out, or have a second profile with aux2 mapped to probe.



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[wmgeorge]

No I do not have the touch plate but why could they not share the same AUX port, except maybe the touch plate is NO and the probe is NC?

I will need to brush up on the connections before I do any probing. I am more than likely going to purchase his program as its only $15, but I know it will not replace the Mach3 Wizard. Its only 4 Deg F here and I hate to run the heat in the shop up to 70 from 45 just to do the wiring.

[ubergeekseven]

I have mine in my basement, I'll try and do some things this week with it. I have several of the connectors already for some plc stuff I have.
They could share the same port, I'll have to check to see the difference, if any, but I could add something to allow for one to function the other way. I guess they could both use the same port and then separate the macros and make sure to use one over the other when I need to. I'm just not super familiar with Mach programming. I use the touch plate for tool changes and rely on it. Not sure how I could do the same with the probe.
Still waiting to see if the other one actually arrives. It does have a touch off function. But requires taking parts off. I really plan on using the probe for my rotary mainly. That is, unless I find more uses and want to import surface shapes to wrap around. Like a log, or several logs with the same design wrapped.

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[dharmic]

FWIW wmgeorge, I found it an incredible PITA to have to change ports and pins settings every time I switched probes. In the end I added a N/C probe socket to the controller case, wired through a little FET inverter and then in parallel into the N/O input on the BOB. Now I leave both plugged in and the only thing I need to be careful about is the tool setter grounding out when I'm using the other probe. It wasn't a huge modification but wow did it make a difference in the convenience stakes!

[ubergeekseven]

FWIW wmgeorge, I found it an incredible PITA to have to change ports and pins settings every time I switched probes. In the end I added a N/C probe socket to the controller case, wired through a little FET inverter and then in parallel into the N/O input on the BOB. Now I leave both plugged in and the only thing I need to be careful about is the tool setter grounding out when I'm using the other probe. It wasn't a huge modification but wow did it make a difference in the convenience stakes!

Did you make the circuit, or buy one premade?

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[dharmic]

Made it. I believe there are little boards kicking around for inverting N/O to N/C though.

[wmgeorge]

I have the Plug and Play NEMA 34 system new as of June 2018 does anyone here have the Pin out for the AUX 1 input jack? I emailed Support at CNCRP but sometimes it takes a couple days. I figure when its -21 F tomorrow I can solder on that connector to my new touch Probe wire!!

[ubergeekseven]

I have the Plug and Play NEMA 34 system new as of June 2018 does anyone here have the Pin out for the AUX 1 input jack? I emailed Support at CNCRP but sometimes it takes a couple days. I figure when its -21 F tomorrow I can solder on that connector to my new touch Probe wire!!

When I get home, I'll open my control box and take a photo of the pins.

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[wmgeorge]

When I get home, I'll open my control box and take a photo of the pins.

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Good luck that was my first thought to just trace out the wires in the box. Nope. Its on a PCB connection and it all goes into a Ribbon cable from what I can see. BUT I will take any Information you can provide.

[dws]

The pin outs for the Aux-1 and Aux-2 ports are the same as those for the limit and homing sensors on the Plug and Play System. They match up with their Proximity Sensors: http://files.pepperl-fuchs.com/selec...088241_eng.pdf

I use the Aux 1 port for the NC probe and the Aux-2 port for NO probe. They are set to either active high or active low. One input goes to G31 probe and the other to G31.1 probe.

[ubergeekseven]

Good luck that was my first thought to just trace out the wires in the box. Nope. Its on a PCB connection and it all goes into a Ribbon cable from what I can see. BUT I will take any Information you can provide.

I got home late and went to look, realizing I would have to take it apart and probe the connections. By that point, I was not motivated to do so. I'm interested in the next post though. Have no idea how to do it. But I would like to be able to do it without building a circuit, or switching anything in settings each time.

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