Problem setting TCP TP MCz

[SandraCarroll]

Hi
I am running MSM on a KRMx02 CNC Router. I've added a TP and configured ports and pin and when it is touched I get a PROBE event according to the hardware page.
on the settings page I have the TCP TP Installed selected.
on the tooling page I have set
TC Auto TCP
TC Auto TLO
Master Tool

Back on the settings page I click on Set TCP TP MCz and get prompted for the PTL of the tool
one question I have with a router/collet what is the best way to measure the PTL. If I remove the collet and take it and the tool to the surface plate i'm not going to get the tool back in the router with the exact same position.

getting past that (i measures the tool with calibers and got a PTL of 0.557 for my tool. i enter that into the dialog and the Z axis moves down
I see it trigger the PROBE LED but the Z continues moving down. it never stops and backs up.

what setting do I have wrong that its not readying the PROBE correctly

[DaveCVI]

Hi,
How are the probe and TCP touch plate interfaced to the control?
Is this a "one signal" or a "two signal" set up for MSM?

Dave

[SandraCarroll]

At this point it is a One Signal wired to the Probe Input on Mach Ports and Pins have Probe Enabled, Pins are 2 2, Active Low
I am using a Ethernet Smooth Stepper and a CNC4PC BOB which has the touch plate pulled high (i'd have to get which one as I don't recall off hand if you needed to know)

[DaveCVI]

OK, so I think I understand that you have only the TCP TP,wired to an input pin, active low, with a pull up resister at the input pin.
And there is not probe tool in addition to the touch plate - correct?

The touch plate touching the tool / spindle is supposed to connect the spindle to ground, thereby pulling the input pin low to ground.
try this test:
1) touch a wire form the touch plate surface to the machine frame (ground). This should cause the screen Probe led to go on. Does it?

2) if that works, try the wire from the TP surface to the spindle nose. Led still comes on?

If not, the spindle is not a god ground path thru the tool to ground. That can happen with some machines where the bearings isolate the spindle from the machine frame.

3) Next try the wire test from the TP to a tool in the spindle.

Let me know what happens and we'll work from there.

Dave

[SandraCarroll]

That is correct

1. Yes, If I run a wire from gnd to the touch plate the probe led does go on.
2. Yes. the probe led also goes on when I touch the spindle nose to ground.
3. Yes, with a 0.25" end mill bit in the router and I touch from the TP to the Bit the Led does come on

And this is what confusing to me.
Everything seems to be working but when it actually tries to the do the touch off. I see the probe LED come on when it touches the TP. yet the spindle continues to try to lower.

[DaveCVI]

Hum, that is a bit odd.
I'll send you via email the instructions to turn on probe logging. That will get a detailed log file of the operation - I can usually see what is happening from that.
Dave

[SandraCarroll]

Give an update here
I did send the information requested and continued to trouble shoot on my own and may have found a issue and that's the the debounce setting in the smooth stepper was set to 0 (disabled) I set it to 1us (could be ms) and it does now appear to work.

if you agree this was most likely the issue we can consider it resolved.

I had another question around using routers measuring the PTL of the Master Tool.
what i did was remove the collet (a precisebits collet and nut) from the router. places a .25" dia pin gage in it and bottomed it out on a surface block. then I zeroed a height gage on the top of the nut and measured the length of the pin sticking out which ended up being 1.0445" which i entered into the TCP TP MCz dialog when entered. it seemed to be the only way to get a accurate length as I can't measure when it's in the router.

is there a better way to do this? I guess I'm not sure where the gage line is for the router is part of it. is it the end of the threaded nose or bottom of the router body?
if it was the end of the threaded node I have the travel I could touch off that point directly as in which case my PTL would be 0

hope that i explained my question ok there

[DaveCVI]

Hi,

Give an update here
I did send the information requested and continued to trouble shoot on my own and may have found a issue and that's the the debounce setting in the smooth stepper was set to 0 (disabled) I set it to 1us (could be ms) and it does now appear to work.

if you agree this was most likely the issue we can consider it resolved.

Since it's working for you, I'm happy to consider it solved

I had another question around using routers measuring the PTL of the Master Tool.
what i did was remove the collet (a precisebits collet and nut) from the router. places a .25" dia pin gage in it and bottomed it out on a surface block. then I zeroed a height gage on the top of the nut and measured the length of the pin sticking out which ended up being 1.0445" which i entered into the TCP TP MCz dialog when entered. it seemed to be the only way to get a accurate length as I can't measure when it's in the router.

is there a better way to do this? I guess I'm not sure where the gage line is for the router is part of it. is it the end of the threaded nose or bottom of the router body?
if it was the end of the threaded node I have the travel I could touch off that point directly as in which case my PTL would be 0

hope that i explained my question ok there

A "gauge line" is just some convenient surface (parallel to z) that we can use to measure things from - it doesn't really have any specific location on a particular machine.
On my mill I use the lower surface of the spindle nose - since I know that won't be changing.
By using that, I know that to teach the machine the Z level of the TCP TP, I know that all measured tool lengths will be from that surface.
This is real convenient sine I use TTS holders and they seat on that same surface on the spindle.

If you can touch that face to the TP, I'd say its a goof surface as the reference plane. That will make all tool length referenced to the end of the threads on the nose.

Since you are using a collet to hold tools, you won't be able to make a tool the same length each time it is mounted - so don't use the "skip RH Too" button in MSM. instead, you'll have the machine measure the tool each time it is mounted. As long as the tool doers not slip in the collet after it's measured you should be ok.

Dave