Z Setting Options

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Gary Campbell
Posts: 2164
Joined: Sat Nov 18, 2017 2:32 pm
Acorn CNC Controller: Yes
Allin1DC CNC Controller: No
Oak CNC controller: No
CNC Control System Serial Number: Acorn 238
DC3IOB: No
CNC12: Yes
CNC11: No
CPU10 or CPU7: No
Location: Marquette, MI
Contact:

Z Setting Options

Post by Gary Campbell »

Had a chance to get some more work done on the Acorn project. This weekends work was exploring the tool setting macros and getting a system that would suit my wishes and machine. For my own use, I prefer a fixed location sensor equipped switch and I will use this going forward for both the table and rotary axis. The rotary axis is a couple weeks off waiting on some parts to be machined.

Even tho I will seldom, if ever use one, I also added a conductive plate for zero to the top of material in case the purchaser of this machine desires one. I have a connector on the machine that I plug whichever Z setting device I'm going to use into.

A big thanks to Scott for providing the tool setting macros and posting them here for our use. And to Centroid for having an intuitive and easy to understand macro language that can be easily modified by someone like myself with minimal experience.

Here's a video showing the 2 options:

https://youtu.be/xqTpEXHOWPw

https://youtu.be/xqTpEXHOWPw
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lvanduyn
Posts: 62
Joined: Tue Jan 30, 2018 2:26 pm
Acorn CNC Controller: Yes
Allin1DC CNC Controller: No
Oak CNC controller: No
CNC Control System Serial Number: E8EB112A1F04-0206180612
DC3IOB: No
CNC11: No
CPU10 or CPU7: No
Location: Alamogordo NM

Re: Z Setting Options

Post by lvanduyn »

Hi Gary
Interesting video. I use mostly Aspire for the router and work almost always from
the top of the material. As such, I use a brass conductive plate put on top of the work.
For the 4th axis, I use the same plate but place it under the tool change position. Since
I am currently running Mach 3, I load one profile for XYZ and another for rotary the difference
being the thickness of the plate as I use the center of the A axis for all rotary work. The
ability in Acorn to attach a macro to a button will make this change over easy. Hope you get
your 4th axis running soon as I am very interested in seeing what you come up with for the
Aspire PP.
Larry
Gary Campbell
Posts: 2164
Joined: Sat Nov 18, 2017 2:32 pm
Acorn CNC Controller: Yes
Allin1DC CNC Controller: No
Oak CNC controller: No
CNC Control System Serial Number: Acorn 238
DC3IOB: No
CNC12: Yes
CNC11: No
CPU10 or CPU7: No
Location: Marquette, MI
Contact:

Re: Z Setting Options

Post by Gary Campbell »

Ivan...
I didn't show in the video that the single tool version of the conductive plate was operated by a screen button. Currently on the "Aux 10" button. I didn't want to cause any confusion. You may want to consider using a fixed tool measure switch for both the table and rotary work. As you can see it provides a very consistent reference for the tools. Quicker too. And... you could set a(nonconductive) toothpick. plus, there is no connection between the machine chassis ground and the low voltage circuits

Getting the post is straight forward. Using one my existing versions and placing in the header/footer calls Centroid requires. Stand by for a couple weeks.
GCnC Control
CNC Control & Retrofits
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Gary Campbell
Posts: 2164
Joined: Sat Nov 18, 2017 2:32 pm
Acorn CNC Controller: Yes
Allin1DC CNC Controller: No
Oak CNC controller: No
CNC Control System Serial Number: Acorn 238
DC3IOB: No
CNC12: Yes
CNC11: No
CPU10 or CPU7: No
Location: Marquette, MI
Contact:

Re: Z Setting Options

Post by Gary Campbell »

Larry, et al...
Just a note here to verify how well using one tool measuring device can be used for both 3 axis cutting on the table and for 4th axis cutting on a rotary. Thanks to information posted here on the forum by Centroid techs I was able to modify one of the provided "mfunc6...." tool measure variations to accomplish the following: (other options are available, these are the ones that I prefer. Yours may be different)

1 Set Z with a conductive portable Z plate to top of material (or bottom)
2 Set Z using a fixed location switch (of my own making) (top or bottom of material)
3 Use that switch for both the table and the rotary axis
4 Set (or calibrate) that switch and write the position via screen button macro

Find a way that all 4 of the above can coexist and that I can pick and choose between them depending on what might be the best for a given file. So, in the long run if you were wondering if the Centroid control system would be able to be configured to work the way you want, the answer is, for the most part, a resounding YES!! And all your axes can stay connected and no new profiles to load!
GCnC Control
CNC Control & Retrofits
https://www.youtube.com/user/Islaww1/videos
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