There is a concern I have regarding the way Carbide Motion build 640 handles the cutter behaviour after using the Bit Zero probe.
When “Load New Tool” is selected from the menu, the cutter moves to near the SW corner of the machine to facilitate the bit change, then moves over the Bit Setter, measures the tool and moves back to where it stopped for the tool change. Similarly when Z Zero is set manually, the cutter moves over to the Bit Setter, measures the tool and moves back to where it was when you set the Z Zero. All well and good. However, if the Bit Zero probe is used, the cutter will move over to the Bit Setter, measure the tool, move vertically off the Bit Setter and stay there. If you start your job from this point, the cutter will begin the job by first moving to the safe horizontal move height (in my case I use 1/4 inch). This will drive the bit straight into the Bit Setter. I’ve been aware of this for some time now and I usually remember to move the cutter manually before starting the job, but sometimes I forget. That’s a bad thing! It happened to me tonight which prompted me to write this message.
It’s possible that this is not an issue for toolpaths generated by Carbide Create, I don’t know since I don’t use it. I’m using Vetric Aspire. It seems to me that Carbide Motion could be modified to use the same routine as that used when Z Zero is set manually. In other words, to move the cutter back to where it was. If this can be done it would save me a lot of grief.
Perhaps this is something which could be considered for the next CM release.
We generally have a policy of putting as little “behind the scenes magic” in our programs as possible. Any gcode sender should execute normal code (movement commands) in a program in the same way, and that’s the safest thing to do. If the same code created different results in different programs, it would end up being a liability. The proper solution would be to change the post processor you use to either add a retraction move first, or maybe prompt you to load a tool. A tool change would trigger a move to the top of Z travel first.
I know there’s a couple Vectric post processor experts in the forum, I’d put out a call to see if they could help you out here. You are also correct that this isn’t an issue in Create.
I thought about the post processor solution after I went to bed last night and I fixed it this morning so that should be the end of the crashes.
I still don’t get why setting the Z Zero manually gets you a different result than using the Bit Zero to do the same thing.
Setting zero manually and using a BitZero should result in the same position w/in one’s ability to do so, and the precision/accuracy afforded by the interaction of sensor timing and step distance the selected probe speeds.
Click on “Position” to toggle to “Machine Position” and use the “Rapid Position” commands to verify this.
Yes, that’s what I thought. But here’s what’s happening:
After initialization, the machine is at Machine Position X:-1.500, Y:-1.500, Z:-1.500.
I manually move the cutter to Machine Position X:-1000.000, Y:-1000.000 and set X zero and Y zero at this position.
From this position, I manually lower the cutter until the bit touches the machine bed and click the Zero Z icon. The machine immediately moves over to the BitSetter, measures the tool then returns to Machine Position X:-1000.000, Y:-1000.000 ; Position X:000.000, Y:000.000. In other words, it moves back to where it was.
Now from this same X, Y position, I use the Bit Zero to probe for Z only. After warning about removing the clip, the cutter moves over to the BitSetter, measures the tool, then moves to Position X:992.000, Y:-217.000, Z:95.069 ; Machine Position X:-8.000 Y:-1217.000, Z:-5.000 and stays there. Directly over the BitSetter.
The part that I don’t get is why didn’t it move back to Position X:000.000, Y:000.000 as it did when I set Z Zero manually? Evidently I’m missing something here and I would like to understand it.
Just in case I had messed up the machine’s configuration, I ran through the “Setup New Machine” procedure using a new download for the 5Pro. The BitBetter is in it’s default location.