Single Tool PostP for ShopBot and Other DIY Simple Machines

[Gary Campbell]

There have been a number of folks running into issues lately that are using older ShopBots. Most, in fact all of the PRT models, are over 16 years old, none of these machines shipped with a homing sensor on the Z axis and most of them have either non-working or disconnected homing sensors (aka: prox switch) on the X and Y axis. ShopBot control does not use a machine coordinate system, nor does it offer Work Coordinate Systems. You just set the XY reference where the bit is at, use the supplied conductive plate to set the Z and you cut. Often having to start the included handheld router with its own switch.

To compare the two software's features is nearly impossible, but the short and sweet is that on a scale of 1 to 10, ShopBot's features are a 1.5 and Centroid's are a 9. A nine because it's software and there are no tens!.

As much as many of us love the Centroid stuff, the old SB'ers have been using and used to what they have for a decade or more. I have seen the frustration of these guys coming from a controller where nothing matters, nothing is saved and just about anything goes trying to learn a much more complicated system where there are rigid startup procedures, EVERYTHING matters and EVERYTHING is saved.

To that end, I have taken the Vectric Centroid post processor and layed it out side by side with one of the newer SB post processors and stripped out all the G and M codes that refer to tool numbers, Machine coordinates, etc, etc. Dumbed it down about as much as possible. I am attaching it below, please remove the last ".txt" after you download it and copy it into the Vectric PostP folder. Restart your Vectric software and it will be visible to use.

Even if you dont use prox switches you will still have to "home" the machine. Set the Wizard to "Simple Home" and when you start up move the cutting head close to the XY zZero corner with the VCP arrows and the Z up to near the top, and then press the green Cycle Start button.

Then with the VCP jog arrow move the bit to where you desire your XY zero to be and Press the "Zero XY" button.

Then set your ZZero plate under your bit and press the "Auto Z to Plate" VCP button, if your plate has been setup in the Wizard.

Load and Run your file as normal.

[cnckeith]

cool thanks gary!

[acornKurt]

Hello Gary, when I try to use this in my vCarve for ShopBot 7.5 It throws an error. Any ideas?

Seems to work fine in vCarve Desktop 9.5.

[Gary Campbell]

It has features in it not supported by your decade old software. Upgrade!!!