Tool Change problems

[wyojack]

Hello, My project has been to update a Hardinge CHNC II lathe with Centroid’s Oak control and Yaskawa Ac Servo motors . The project is serving me well. I thought that I had the carousel operating for some time until I tried to get the carousel to rotate via M6 either from MDI or a G code program. My plc is called jack_config and is the combination of the standard electric carousel plc for the Oak board, and portions of the code that Centroid has available for my exact pneumatic carousel but only available for all-in-one dc control. All of the code works to advance the carousel one station at a time via a button and if setup is selected then ATC then a tool is selected the carousel will rotate to the desired carousel station. The problem is when the cnc program sees the need for a tool change the plc doesn’t seem to get the request. I am currently using the version of cnctch that came with the electric Oak version . I have attempted to use the version of that code that was used in the all -in-one control for the pneumatic carousel but with the same result.
Lines 3457 thru 3459 of the plc would seem to receive the M6 request and start the process.
IF M6_SV THEN (M6_1ShotPD_PD)
IF M6_1ShotPD_PD Then SET turret_test_m
IF M6_1ShotPD_PD THEN SET ToolChangeStage, RST ToolChangeDone_M
I have added a line that should show that M6_1ShotPD_PD has been triggered by setting “turret_test_m”. The same “ M6_1ShotPD_PD” should THEN SET ToolChangeStage, RST ToolChangeDone_M.
If the process is started by the setup/atc station method then “turret_test_m” does get set and the rotation happens. But when the process is started by M6 via MDI or a G code Of M6 T02 the process seems to fail because of no IF M6_SV THEN (M6_1ShotPD_PD).
I do not understand what needs to happen in the cnc program calling a file called cnctch and then those instructions relayed to the plc. Any help would be appreciated. To be up front, my lathe is busy doing real work so I may not be available to test any suggestions for about a week. Thanks Jack

[cncsnw]

On the CNC side, "M6" is not a tool-change code on a lathe.

A lathe control changes tools in response to a 4-digit T code.

"T02" is equivalent to "T0002", which means change to turret position #0 and activate offsets #2.

If you wanted to index the turret to position #2, and also activate offsets #2, you would use "T0202".

PLC programs conventionally give the internal PLC name "M6" to the tool-change request bit sent from the cnctch.mac macro file, but that does not mean there is anything named "M6" on the CNC side.

CNC12 will call cnctch.mac any time the first two digits of the T code change.

[wyojack]

Thank cncsnw,
That is a great solution to no problem. I have been around a cnc milling machine some in the past but never a cnc lathe. I will not even try to guess how many hrs. I have spent trying to troubleshoot why the code doesn't work. And the code does just fine if the method of calling a tool change is followed. I am glad that I mentioned M6 so you would recognize my inexperience right away. You provided a great explanation of the needed process. Above I said that I might not be able to test any fix any time soon. Since there was no fix, I was so excited that I I found a good point in my lathe's work to use the right way to call out a tool change. Complete success. I am very happy with this lathe with new control. Pretty hard to beat an old solid Hardinge with new control. Thanks again