Centroid Community CNC Support Forum

Hey guys,

I have finally gotten to the point im setting up my tool change.
Im using scotty's 3rd file where I have a fixed location for the plate.
I have done the setup instructions and have successfully run the macros but on a testing scenario.
Forgive my being clueless but can someone help me understand a few things.

I understand that from the 1st and 2nd files parameter 71 is meant for the "movable touch plate" but what does that mean for the 3rd macro?
Does that mean that after setting it up correctly WCS Z0 will always be at the level of the spoilboard and the "material" parameter is meant for offset for top of the material?

What if I want set z=0 at the top of the material using a movable touch plate?

I am in the process of setting up a fixed touch-off that will reference the spoil board as well.

What if I want to set Z=0 at the top of the material using a movable touch plate?

I have the same question. There are some workflows where I need to set the Z=0 at the top of a workpiece and all subsequent tool changes are also set to the top of the workpiece. But others I need to set at the Z=0 to the top of the spoil board and subsequent tool changes the same.

I have an idea that I could modify the M6 macro to first prompt to set Z=0 to the Top of Part OR Top of the Spoil Board, then branch to the associated macro.

Is this the best option or am I overthinking it?

Thanks,

I had this functionality in Mach3 - it was extremely useful, I would like to have CNC12 do the same.
It is pretty much a combination of two of the macros in the opening post:

• Determine if the Z-Zero needs to be Top Of the Part (TOP) or Top Of the Spoil Board (TOSB)
  • If TOP is selected
    • For the Initial tool change in a job, use the movable plate to set Zero
      • Move to the Fixed Tool Setter and record the offset height.
    • All subsequent tool changes in the job will use the tool setter and its recorded offset.
  • If TOSB is selected
    • Use the Fixed Tool Setter to set Zero
    • All subsequent tool changes will use the tool setter.

I know that this is do-able, I just don't understand enough about macros to do it myself.

Any help would be appreciated.

I would like the same.

Slodat,

This is my first go at modifying a macro. I haven't figured out how to have all the functionality in one macro, so I broke it up into two macros. I've tested it on my machine and it appears to work as expected.
Sets the Z-Zero using a movable plate, then moves to the G30-P2 location and captures a reference height of the TT1 and saves it in #159
I saved this to an Aux Key, I will press the Aux key to initiate the Z-Zero using this macro, then use the second macro for the regular M6 tool changes.
Rename to Mfunc6.mac; this macro uses the #159 TT1 reference height from the first macro to set z-zero on subsequent tool changes.

from the Original Post:

2. Setup your G28 Return #1 "Tool change position"
a) F1-Setup->F1-Part->F9-WCS Table->F1-Return
The fields under G28 are in machine position, press alt-d to toggle your display between machine position and wcs position
b) Jog the machine to the position you want to physically change the tool at. Enter the X, Y and Z machine position values displayed in dro. It is strongly suggested to leave Z at 0.
c)F10-Save

3. Setup your G30 Return #2 "Tool touch off device position" ** Not needed if you do not have a permanently mounted tool touch off device
a) F1-Setup->F1-Part->F9-WCS Table->F1-Return
The fields under G30P2 are in machine position, press alt-d to toggle your display between machine position and wcs position
b) Jog the machine to the position directly over your tool touch off device. Enter the X, Y and Z machine position values displayed in dro. It is strongly suggested to leave Z at 0.
c)F10-Save

4. Setup the height of the movable tool touch off device in parameter 71
a) F1-Setup->F3-Config(pw=137)->F3-Parms
b) Measure the height of the detector at it's location - enter that value in parm 71, press enter
c) Press F10 -Save

I was able to combine both macros into one.

Option 0; skips setting Z0 - uses current Z0
Option 1; Jog to the movable touch plate, set Z0, move to fixed TT1 record offset to #159, move back to tool change position.
Option 2; Automatically move to fixed TT1 and set new tool's Z0 using #159 offset, move back to tool change position.
Save as : c:\cncm\mfunc6.mac

thanks for posting

I made of video of the modified tool change macro:

https://youtu.be/2WZZZAHIVfM

hello. with all the different types of probes out there as you might imagine there are MANY combinations that can be used.
here is a guide to help sort out probe setup with Acorn CNC12
Note: on the next CNC12 release the Acorn setup Wizard will automatically take care of all of this buy simply answering a few questions, but for now you have to answer the question here and fill in the parameter settings yourself.

1. Probe installed ?
a. If not, set parameter 11 to 0 or do nothing.
b. If so, what input is the probe installed on? Set parameter 11 to that input number.

2. What type of input is it?
a. If it closes when the probe is tripped then parameter 11 should be a positive value.
b. If it opens when the probe is tripped then parameter 11 should be a negative value.

3. Does the probe have a detect signal installed?
a. If it doesn’t, then set parameter 18 to 0.
b. If it does, what input is it installed on? Set parameter 18 to that input number.

4. What type of input is it?
a. If it closes when the probe is connected then parameter 18 should be a positive value.
b. If it opens when the probe is connected then parameter 18 should be a negative value.

5. Tool touch-off device installed?
a. If not, set parameter 44 to 0 or do nothing.
b. If so, what input is the tool touch-off device installed on? Set parameter 44 to that input.

6. What type of input is it?
a. If it closes when the tool touch-off device is tripped then parameter 44 should be a positive value.
b. If it opens when the tool touch-off device is tripped then parameter 44 should be a negative value.

7. Does the tool touch-off device have a detect signal installed?
a. If it doesn’t, then set parameter 257 to 0.
b. If it does, what input is it installed on? Set parameter 257 to that input.

8. What type of input is it?
a. If it closes when the tool touch-off device is connected then parameter 257 should be a positive value.
b. If it opens when the tool touch-off device is connected then parameter 257 should be a negative value.

9. Using tool touch-off device to set the Z Reference?
a. If not, then do nothing.
b. If so, then add 2 to parameter 43.

10. height of the tool touch-off automatically taken into account when measuring tools?
a. If not, then do nothing.
b. If so, then add 1 to parameter 43 value. And set parameter 71 to the height of the tool touch off device.

Note: Probe detect signal cannot be the same input as the tool touch-off device but that the probe tripped signal can be the same as the tool touch-off tripped signal as long as both signals are using the same NO or NC logic. Thanks.

Having an odd issue with the macro. No matter what I set the fast probe rate to it appears to be doing it as a rapid (and the retract too for that matter). It does however correctly pickup the slow probe rate. I even tried hardcoding the feedrate in the macro. No change. Maybe it's a lookahead thing?