How to connect a TouchProbe and a ToolSetter at the same time

[Muzzer]

The Renishaw probe is unpluggable, since it is on an ISO40 holder. If you unplug it, Acorn knows, you get an error message and the probing won't work. The tool setter is hard wired in.

I'm in a rush to leave for the weekend but the key settings seem to be:

#43 is 2 (set Zref with TT, use #44 for input)
#44 is 7 (Renishaw input, open on contact)
#11 is -4 (TT input, open on contact)
#17 is 3 (go to position G30 P3 for fixed TT)
#18 is 6 (Renishaw probe detect, spindle inhibit)
#257 is -6 (check for TT present, spindle and tool measurement inhibit)

I think those are the ones that matter. As noted, this is a normally closed tool setter that opens when tripped, so the signal on input 4 is now "NC". The variables 18 and 257 are different signs but this is what works(!). I'm pretty sure there's something not right around #257 anyway....

Sorry, I realise that
#44 should be described as "TT input, open on contact"
#11 should be described as "Renishaw input, open on contact".

Connections were right but my descriptions were mixed up.

[Fredsan]

I can't get it working anymore, not even both hardwired like I had it running before. Somehow the wizard makes settings that you cannot change with parameter changes. I kept a complete copy of the cncm directory, restored it, made the changes in the Wizard, but still have a problem.

When both are connected, the probe works both I have an issue with the tool setter. Auto measuring the ref tool works, but as soon as I try to auto measure a tool, the Acorn does not react when it touches the tool setter. I almost destroyed the tool setter.

I hope the promissed Wizard change will be in the next release.

[AMHKnives]

I use a toolsetter and tool probe on the same input, By using a 2 way switch i can switch back and forth from the tool probe to toolsetter. And i run a switch for the spindle lockout when the probe is in the spindle for safety. It all runs thought a renshaw control box and then to the acorn board. hope the photos help.

[Muzzer]

I'm not convinced that Centroid 100% believe there is actually a problem. Keith said yesterday that they had both probes connected up on their bench setup and it worked OK. I'm guessing that this bench setup doesn't fully replicate the actual setup on a machine.

Either something changed on my machine or I missed something but I found over the weekend that without the Renishaw probe plugged in, I was getting slow jogging due to "probe present". If it thinks a probe is fitted, the jog speed is reduced. That is a pain.

I've been thinking about what could be the cause of this problem for a while now. Today I made up a dummy plug for my Renishaw probe connector. This has a loop that replicates the normally closed contacts on the "probe trigger" input. It does NOT have the "probe detect" loopback connection, so the Acorn does not see a probe on the "probe detect" input. But the "probe trigger" input is kept inactive when it is plugged in. With a normally closed Renishaw probe like mine, the trigger input appears active (open circuit) when the probe is disconnected. Although the "probe detect" input tells Acorn that there is no probe plugged in, it still looks at the "probe trigger" input and acts accordingly to reduce the jog rate. Surely this is where the issue lies - that function should be masked when the probe is not present? Keith's instinct was to change the input from NO to NC but that simply prevents the Renishaw probe from triggering - a bad (and potentially costly) outcome.

My solution is better than disabling the probe detect function. If I forget to plug in the Renishaw probe, it objects and won't probe. If I plug it in, probing will proceed. Meanwhile, my hard wired TT works for tool offset measurement. So I have a reasonably foolproof solution for now. When the Renishaw is unplugged, I plug in the dummy plug to avoid slow jogging etc. If I forget to plug in the Renishaw, probing won't start. The tool setter works, although it has to be hard wired. Ideally, there will be a fix to address this soon to avoid my dummy plug.

Having said all of this, my probing and tool setting functions now crash due to a missing file. I've raised this and Keith says they will look into it. Hopefully that will resolve soon so I can set up my tools again.

Murray

I'll run through the parameters I think were critical so you can check your setup against mine. There were quite a few, scattered about the plot.

[Muzzer]

Fredsan

This is what I've got - and it definitely works as described in the last post:

• Renishaw probe trigger goes to input 4. Described as "Unused" and "NC" in the wizard. It's normally closed, so contact opens the switch and the input is pulled up to 24V.

• Renishaw probe detect goes to input 6. Described as "ProbeDetect" and "NC" in the wizard. It's a simple loop to ground inside the plug.

• TT trigger signal goes to input 7. Described as "ProbeTripped" and "NO" in the wizard. My probe is also a normally closed electrical switch, so contact with the tool lets the input signal go up to 24V.

Parameter # 11 is "-4" (TT to input 4, the sign indicates the type of input, NC or NO)
Parameter # 12 is "10" (the tool number of the Renishaw probe in the library)
Parameter # 17 is "3" on my machine (represents "G30 P3" command). The P3 coords are stored in the WCS table / return table. The coordinates define the position of my (fixed) TT. It rapids there before doing tool measurement with the TT.
Parameter # 18 is "6" (the input that is checked to see if a probe is connected. If so, the spindle is inhibited.) NB: You should also set #257.
Parameter # 257 is "-6". Yes, negative six. "Tool touchoff detect". Possibly because the TT probe is hard wired and there is no TT probe detect connection. So if you don't invert it, it thinks the TT is missing. Parameter #18 requires this test for the Renishaw probe but you have to fool it for the TT probe.

I've triple checked these are what I have on my machine and that it works. Apart from the input channels being different, you'd think this should work on yours.

Murray

[Fredsan]

Hi Murray,

I will give it another try this evening when I am at home. I will do a complete clean installation of the software, a fresh config from the wizard, and then change the parameters.

I do not understand why this isn't as easy as it should be: I just want to use a hardwired toolsetter (NO), and a pluggable touchprobe (NC), that's all. No rocket science...

@AMHKnives, I don't think I can use your solution (unfortunately) my toolsetter is NO and the Probe is NC. I have been looking at using a hex converter to connect the toolsetter and probe to the same input, but so far no success. btw I appreciate the nice video's on your youtube channel.

Fred.

[Fredsan]

Hi Murray,

What did you put in parm #43 and #44?

Fred.

[Muzzer]

#43 is 2 ("use #44 defined input for TT")
#44 is 7 (TT input channel number)

Murray

[Muzzer]

BTW, Alan aka AMHKnives has an interesting Youtube channel. Worth checking out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R33C3uJ6tm4

[Muzzer]

Update 4.12 changes:

There have been some changes to the setup required to run TT and probe simultaneously under the 4.12 update. Took me an hour or so of experimentation to find the correct parameter settings, as the "release notes" don't actually tell you what has changed, only that there have been some changes (grrr!). Bottom line - here's the setup that seems to work with 4.12 on my machine:

Inputs and settings:
* Renishaw probe trigger goes to input 4. Described as "Unused" and "NC" in the wizard. It's normally closed, so contact opens the switch and the input is pulled up to 24V.
* Renishaw probe detect goes to input 6. Described as "ProbeDetect" and "NC" in the wizard. It's a simple loop to ground inside the plug.
* TT trigger signal goes to input 7. Described as "ProbeTripped" and "NO" in the wizard. My probe is also a normally closed electrical switch, so contact with the tool lets the input signal go up to 24V.

Parameter settings:
* # 11 is "-4" (TT to input 4, the sign indicates the type of input, NC or NO)
* # 12 is "10" (the tool number of the Renishaw probe in the library)
* # 17 is "3" on my machine (represents "G30 P3" command). The P3 coords are stored in the WCS table / return table. The coordinates define the position of my (fixed) TT. It rapids there before doing tool measurement with the TT.
* # 18 IS NOW "-6" (changed in 4.12). The input that is checked to see if a probe is connected. If so, the spindle is inhibited.) NB: You should also set #257.
* # 257 is "+6". Yes, NOW POSITIVE six (changed in 4.12). "Tool touchoff detect". Parameter #18 requires this test for the Renishaw probe but you have to fool it for the TT probe.
* #43 is 2 ("use #44 defined input for TT")
* #44 is 7 (TT input channel number)

This gives me auto tool length measurement (using my Chinese TT) AND plug in Renishaw probe (with "missing probe" detection) working.

The wireless MPG works nicely. Haven't tried rigid tapping yet.....