Reply with QuoteWell thanks anyway Greg, you got me on the right track anyway.Originally Posted by Greolt
I think I would use one of the isolated inputs if I could. Save 15 for estop.
Regarding the centring routine and screenset. They are not mine. I have never used them. Need to ask someone else.
I only use probe input for Z zeroing. Use lasers and other methods for X and Y origin locating. Sorry.
Greg
Well thanks anyway Greg, you got me on the right track anyway.
Auto center with depth
Hagar-
The video showing the tool centering and then touching off the top of the pipe was an early version of the centering routine. As you have discovered, the one available for download from this thread doesn't do that. I thought it would be more versatile to break the routine into two pieces. Sometimes you want to center, other times you want to find the depth.
I was also worried about coming up with a retract amount that would guarantee the tool wouldn't hit the pipe before starting down. I didn't know how deep people would make their pipe pieces or how deep inside the pipe they would start. Also, finding the depth based on the top of the pipe depends on the pipe being cut perfectly square- not hard to do if you have a lathe but improbable if you are using a hack saw. Too many variables... I thought it would be safer to just provide the software broken into centering or depth finding.
-Ernie
ps- congrats on getting it to work with your BOB.
So it is a two step process.
1. Find the center using the center utility. Raise the Z axis up far enough to remove the copper pipe.
2. Remove the pipe and replace it with a metal plate (with wire to pin 15) and plug in the metal plate thickness, then hit the "Z" button.
Is that correct?
Thanks
Yes.So it is a two step process.
1. Find the center using the center utility. Raise the Z axis up far enough to remove the copper pipe.
2. Remove the pipe and replace it with a metal plate (with wire to pin 15) and plug in the metal plate thickness, then hit the "Z" button.
Is that correct?
ok here we go again ,
I have read just about all the post on auto tool zero and I must say this is one of the most easiest way some one could have explain it ,especially for me.
since I am starting to work on mine and the way I understand it is just by downloading the blue mach screen and hook your hardware up it should work.
you dont have to write any macro scrip, is that correct.
That's right you do not have to write any macros, it is all contained within the Blue Screen.
Here are a few tips.
* Be sure your router bit is connected to ground on your break out board.
*If you have an isolated BOB be sure the pin you choose say 15 is sharing the same ground. When I did mine I first grabbed a ground across the isolation and it didn't work.
* It wont set both the XY and Z, as shown in the video, the Z was eleminated by author because of safety and logistic concerns. You first click the circle this sets XY then click the Z and that sets the Z. (be sure that you have a metal plate for the Z to contact.
*I didn't have to use a cap on mine, but you might.
If you look at the circle you can have it run an either + or - for the X or Y if you want to use it as an edge finder. This is a bonus.
I think that is it, it works pretty slick.
* Be sure your router bit is connected to ground on your break out board.
*If you have an isolated BOB be sure the pin you choose say 15 is sharing the same ground. When I did mine I first grabbed a ground across the isolation and it didn't work.
* It wont set both the XY and Z, as shown in the video, the Z was eleminated by author because of safety and logistic concerns. You first click the circle this sets XY then click the Z and that sets the Z. (be sure that you have a metal plate for the Z to contact.
*I didn't have to use a cap on mine, but you might.
If you look at the circle you can have it run an either + or - for the X or Y if you want to use it as an edge finder. This is a bonus
I dont have much of electronic skills but here it goes. what is an isolated bob,also what do you mean by saying the bit should be grounded, also I dont understand how to wire my copper cylinder to my board do I just wire the wire coming from the copper to the number 15 pin slot conector and also insert one of those little brown electronic (things) from pin 15 to ground is that the way you would wire it .
hope that make some kind of sence.
thanks
It is critical that you understand the connections on your BOB before you start connecting wires to it. What is the manufacture and model of your board?
The BOB receives the signals from the PC parallel port. And it sends signals to the driver card/s and the driver card tells the Steppers which way to turn and how fast and when. It also communicates back to the PC as far as limit switches, E Stop and other things such as signals for the XYZ tool. Pin 15 is one of the return lines back to the PC. It is common to use pin 15 as the EStop pin, if you haven’t you can use pin 15 for the XYZ utility
When you download the Blue screen and install it and set the ports and pins as described in this thread, and touch the copper tube to the bit the yellow test led will light up showing that the circuit is complete. In some instances he said that you might have to add a capacitor, I didn’t in my case.
The signal coming back from the XYZ tool is nothing but completing the circuit from pin 15 to ground.
See crude drawing for details
here are some picture of my set up. as you can see from pin 8 to 16 are empty do I still just hook the copper wire to thiss number 15 on my 25 pin connector those that sould right. or can you tell me how to hook the copper wire to my set up please. so I can make it work.
thanks for all you help.
cob.
Your BOB is not isolated.
Isolated means that there isn't any direct wiring from the PC into the drivers or the CNC power supply, instead of a hard wire connection it uses LEDs to send a signal and when the led is sensed it activates that line of the circuit, it also could be an RF signal like mine has.
Without isolation stray voltages can go back through the BOB and into your PC causing electrical damage. This would most likely happen in a mis wiring situation.
The connection you want to make is, A wire from your copper tube to pin 15.
The second wire from your bit to the Ground on the BOB, this should be labeled. That's it.
With the blue screen running a quick test is to take one wire and touch pin 15 to the BOB Ground pin the Yellow Test Led should light. If it doesn't you may need a cap.
Good luck
first of thanks for taking the time to explain how everthing works.
ok I got the first wire hooked up to the copper then hook it up to pin 15 (got that)
is there any other solution instead of adding a second wire I did not see the second wire on the video .
also i dont know what a(CAP) or a (BOB),is can you please explain what that is and what is the use of it
thanks again
cob
CAP'n Bob
BOB in this case is Break Out Board. CAP is capacitor. Take a look at the first photo at the beginning of this thread and you will see the 0.10uf capacitor that I had to add between ground and pin 15 in order to get my setup to work reliably. Some times the capacitor is required to "debounce" the circuit.
Well I downloaded the screen from one page, the code from another page, installed the screen, connected the wires - and viola! it works!
This is probably the fastest, easiest, upgrade I have done to my machine!!!
I do, however, need the spindle controls that the zero stuff replaced. I don't really need the work offset stuff that was added.
So, I downloaded the screen designer and added the zero buttons, leds, dro, etc., to my original screen and surprisingly enough, that worked too!
It's a good day in my shop when two out of two things work!
Thanks for all 12 pages of posts before me that made this really easy.
Gary
Last edited by LaserImage; 09-05-2008 at 12:29 AM. Reason: typo
That's good news Gary.
What kind of custom screen do you have?
Mr. Chips
Why cant I unzip the blueprobe
can someone tell how come I cant unzip the BLUEPROBEVER.ZIP FILE.
I did unzip the screen but when open my mach 3 and then open up the bluescreen it is fine but I am missing the probe section I cannot unzip the blueprobe how do I unzip it
what Operating system are you running? Did you follow the directions step by step...many have not and ask why realizing they missed a step. The unzipped files must be copied to the proper location before the probe screen wiil show
where do I copy the prode screen I cant seem to get it
What do you not understand?Download the BlueProbeVer3.zip file
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/attach...1&d=1207688579
Unzip the file and move the MachBlue.set file into your Mach3 folder. Then move the MacBlue_ProgramRun.jpg file into the Mach3/Bitmaps/MachTestScreens folder.
Bob
Here is a nice little Mach 3 screen editing video by Hoss. Take a look at his postings, he is excellent in putting in links that give more detail to what he is discussing in that posting.
http://www.hossmachine.info/Videos11.html#videos61&62
Good luck.
