Centroid Community CNC Support Forum

i have a cheap cross hair laser setup on a customers machine to check zero and home positions any time he wants with Gcodes added to the part file or VCP buttons (or mdi commands)
to verify no lost steps before running a job, works well. and gives nice visual cue as a Go/NoGo method.
like this.
start the part g code job...
machine turns on laser and positions cross hair at zero location (or home) before running job and asks operator if its OK? then proceeds only after he presses cycle start at that point.

I think I am getting it more each time I do stuff. I just have to figure out what each of the buttons do as they are labeled weird

luke wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 7:16 pm I think I am getting it more each time I do stuff. I just have to figure out what each of the buttons do as they are labeled weird

You can change the buttons to say whatever you like. (And the functionality)
What's weird to one person makes perfect sense to the other. That's why we made the vcp completely User editable. So you can change it the way you like.

luke wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 7:16 pm I think I am getting it more each time I do stuff. I just have to figure out what each of the buttons do as they are labeled weird

As Scott and I both said earlier, ShopBot has done a real disservice to their user base by intentionally renaming all the standard terms of CNC machining. For the most part they are the only company that has done this. Sadly you either learn ShopBot or you learn CNC gcode.

I was told, as a ShopBot tech on a service call: SB3 code is kinda like Pig Latin. Cute, but you wouldn't want to have to use it every day. Especially to make a living.

I'm still setting up my homing function. I see there is a list of limit switches to choose from I was wondering what each does.

Each axis will have 3 options: Home; which only triggers during homing (my preference), Limit; which only triggers as a travel limit plus or minus direction and Home Limit which allows operation as both

I am running programs but still have problems with the homing and z touch off so i just manually set the z zero and x y zero

I am running programs but still have problems with the homing and z touch off so i just manually set the z zero and x y zero

2 part question, 2 part answer:

1) Add a Z homing sensor or switch and you will forever be glad you did. You may also wonder why SB put out 15K machines without one. Without properly setup homing and travel limits 60% of the advantages to the Centroid controller are negated.

2) Connect your Z plate to an input configured as "Tool Touch Off Triggered" and setup the operation on the Wizard Tool Touch Off page. You can then use the VCP "Auto Z to Plate" button to set your Z.

luke wrote: ↑Fri Apr 21, 2023 11:54 am I am running programs but still have problems with the homing and z touch off so i just manually set the z zero and x y zero

As Gary stated you are missing many of the very simple advantages of a far superior controller. Having these tasks automated will save you time and energy. I was always told "work smarter, not harder". Acorn allows you to do this and then some.

I'm back now after taking some time off. I just got back to the machine and still have not been able to solve the homing and z zeroing problems. I tried several different inputs with the tool touch off just as Scott mailed me and can not get it to stop the down movement. I did the alt I and when I touch the plate to the bit it triggers the light.