Z Axis Zero/Probe/Bit Setter Issue *UPDATED*

Hello again! A short while ago I posted about an issue I was having zeroing my Z axis. Basically I would get everything ready to go, get my zero points by probing (using the carbide brand probe) and then when the machine went to make the cut it would either plunge way way too deep or it would start cutting too high. The original thread can be seen here:

Once again, I double and triple checked all my settings in carbide create. Yes, I initialized the machine upon startup. Yes, I’m using the bit setter.

I went to use the machine this past week and had the same issue so I ended up restarting the whole machine and carbide motion and just zero’d my xyz manually at the front left corner. Run the file and boom…perfect.

SO…that makes me wonder. Is my probe faulty?? Should I open up the circuit board box and unplug/clean/replug the probe cord? The whole point of the probe device is to simplify the zeroing procedure but it’s not simplifying my life that’s for sure, haha.

Any thoughts from the Carbide/Shapeoko team? Thanks so much! :slight_smile:

-seth

When BitZero first came out a few people had pinched wires but since then I have not seen any complaints about that. Usually electronics work or not work but seldom do they change their own programming. The vast majority of BitZero problems are the way people use them. Usually they are either not setting the BitZero over the edge for X Y &Z probing or they did set the BitZero over the edge and then did a Z probe only. My own experience with my V1 BitZero is that when setting Z only my through cuts never go all the way through. I set the thickness in CC using a digital caliper but my BitZero seems to always leave material at the bottom of the project. I have never had issues with the Zero not being set properly but always not deep enough. I have not run a calibration of the Z but maybe that is what is wrong. Have you cut an exact depth and measured that depth was cut. Maybe you need to calibrate the Z? (Me too)

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If the probe operation runs normally (as in, the endmill retracts immediately after it touches the probe), then you know for a fact your probe is fine. A probe is a glorified switch, it either detects electrical contact or it doesn’t, it cannot really be “off”, or would you would see it trigger early (or worse, late, after the endmill has started pushing onto the probe without stopping…)

I’m afraid there is no shortcut to troubleshoot this, we will need to ask a long series of questions about apparently insignificant details to figure out where things have gone wrong in the process.

The very best would be to capture a video of you doing the whole initilization/zeroing/probing/running the job when the problem occurs, but I realize it’s a lot to ask…

The simplest way would be I think to temporarily disable your BitSetter, and run jobs using only your BitZero for a while. If you do have the depth problem again, you will know it’s not in the BitSetter part of the workflow. If the problem is gone, you will know it is most likely something to do with using the wrong workflow for the BitSetter

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Ahhhh, disabling the bitsetter to see if perhaps the bit setter is the culprit…i didn’t even think of that! I’ll try that out and see what happens. Good thinkin’! Thanks for that idea👍🏻

-seth

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