Shopbot probe problems

[myxpykalix]

This is the first time i'm using the probe but i think im using it correct. I chuck it in router plug it in, get the laser light on. Move carriage to bottom left of small mostly flat object i want to probe. Give it the limits to probe of 2.5"x5". I left all the settings at default settings. Lower Z to close to object surface. Zero X,Y. Open up "Copy machine" Tell it to make a 3d file from an object. I tick "shopbot probe". Under format i tick a "dxf file of points". In the "file settings" section I give it X,y pattern size, step over value .01, give file a name and start it up. Fast forward 14 hours later and the machine only covered 3/4 of the 2.5"X5" surface in the X,Y plane but the probe never went in the Z axis it never went up and down, never touched the surface. When it initially started up it rose up 2 inches in the Z came back down to about 1/4" above surface and 14 hours later was about 1/16th above surface. I touched probe later by pushing up and the light went off and on so mechanically i think it is working. The second time i tried it I Zzeroed all 3 axis at bottom left corner with same results, never went in the Z axis. The resulting dxf file it created was only 144k in size. Any ideas about whats going on here?

[steve4460]

HI Jack
I think you have to zero on the highest point of your part and your pattern size step over shulde be the same size as the bit your using to probe and mashine the part afterwards . So if your using an 0.125" probe you need to use a 0.125 ball mill at 0.125 stepover in x and y .
Try that and see what happens . If your using a smaller or larger bit / probe then change the values accordingly . check your move speeds too,for "Z" I use 0.500 "ips move speed
All this depends on how much detail you need .
I hope I am right or somewhat close to what you need .

bot on

[myxpykalix]

Hi stephan...i've tried that, tried just probing 1" square with different step over values high and low and still no Z movement.

[harryball]

I zero Z below the lowest point on the surface of the object I want to probe but above the table so I don't hit it.

Robert

[steve4460]

HI Jack
After you hit the COPY button there is the yellow fill in sheet .
On the yellow fill in sheet there is filds for Z move speed and so on, check that.
You can change the probing depth and the move speed etc .

[Brady Watson]

Jack,
If you want to do a 3D scan, you want the SBP format. Once you get the SBP and the scanning is done. Use the probe to surface translator in SB3 under Tools and comvert it to a DXF. Then you can import it into Pro. You don't want DXF points or a polyline for what you are doing.

-B

[myxpykalix]

I still don't think that is the problem here. Although i will try your suggestions tonite when cutting time is over. It only seems to me regardless of what you save it as, wouldn't have any bearing on whether the Z height moves or not, but i've been wrong about a lot of things in my life, so why should this be different? My thought was to save it as a dxf first off because i figured there would be polygons and points i would have to shave off and i could do that in the program i use (Lightwave modeler). If when i start over and it continues to have that problem i will let you know....thanks for your help!!

[Brady Watson]

Jack,
After re-reading your post, I get what's happening. (Still select SBP anyway)...I zero my probe just above the tallest part of the object to scan. I then fill in the values on the copy machine sheet and the values are negagive when I define how low I want to probe to go. If the probe does not make contact with the part after a few seconds, then something is wrong...meaning don't waste 14hrs again...Be sure to type ZZ when you move the probe to the top of the object to zero it out. Do NOT use the Zzero plate!

-B

[bill.young]

Jack,

Check the "Maximum probing depth" setting in the fillin sheet. The Maximum probing depth is the furthest down the z-axis can plunge when it's probing and is an absolute value. If the probe doesn't contact anything when it gets to that depth it just moves along to the next stepover point, without lifting or plunging, so make sure that it's set low enough that the probe will contact the pattern.

[steve4460]

Hi Jack

Are you saving this file to the local C:\ drive or a networked drive on another computer ?. I tryed saving to a network drive once and it did something like what yours is doing .

Bot on

[myxpykalix]

Bill,
I think i know what you mean by maximum probing depth. That part is just a fairly flat side of a pencil box that has a leaf pattern in it. I chose that as a simple example nothing with radical heights.
So here are the simple steps as i read them:
1. position probe at left corner of area to be probed
2. input the area to be probed (2.5" Y, 5" X)
3. Z zero all 3 axis's.
4. Input a NEGITIVE value (example -.20) That is the deepest the probe will go in looking for a surface to touch below the Z zero point, right?
But it will stop when it touches the surface regardless of its relation to the Z zero position.
Am i on the right track? if it doesn't start touching then don't waste 14 hours. Thanks

[myxpykalix]

Potential Disaster! I setup the fill in sheet with a maximum probing depth of -.20. I Z zero'ed all 3 axis when the stylus was maybe 1/4" above material on left end corner of the area to be scanned of 2.5"x4.5" . I set it to save as a .sbp file. I tell it to start scan. It raises up 2" goes down contacts surface, continues to go down to -.20 then starts dragging the probe across the surface. The pencil box was plastic so it gave a little, probe bent on its spring axis (not physically bent) continued to move in the X axis I hit the stop button quick so no damage to the probe. It is not moving at any time in the Z axis at all. When i put my finger under probe i see laser light and when i touch it the light goes out upon contact. Seems to me like something is not wired correctly to tell the bot upon breaking of the circuit to raise the z axis and go back down, it just continues in the x axis at the maximum plunge depth. Any ideas?

[Brady Watson]

Jack,
Swap the Black and Green wires IF the input 1 light on the screen does not go off when you manually touch the probe. While the red LED might go off, the probe itself has it's input & ground lines crossed (or at least that's what it sounds like) Always verify that the probe is working every time you do a scan. Input 1 should be lit any time the probe is plugged in and grounded thru the router, and it should go out any time you touch it.

-B

[bill.young]

Hey Jack,

I would suggest contacting Support...I suspect a wiring problem as well and they can help get you up and running quickly.

FYI, make sure that you set the Maximum Plunge Depth to a large enough number so that you're sure that it will contact the surface. If you zeroed the z-axis so that it was really 1/4" above the blank and then set the Maximum Plunge Depth to -.20", it wouldn't touch the material at all when it plunged...it will still be .05" above the surface when it reaches the maximum plunge depth.

[bill.young]

Jack,

One quick thing to check. If your Z-zero plate and your probe are on the same input switch...they're both connected to input #1 by default...then make sure that your z-zero plate isn't touching anything on the tool that's connected to ground while you're probing. If the z-zero plate is completing the circuit (maybe by resting on the tool frame somewhere) then when the probe makes contact and the switch should turn off, the z-zero plate keeps it on so that the contact with the probe doesn't register.

[myxpykalix]

I will check the things you mention. The probe is wired to the Zero plate cable (came that way from shopbot) The zero plate is mounted to the carriage, i'll check the grounding situation you mention. When i set it to -.20 it kept plunging even after contact. Had i put -.50 it would have continued down till it broke. I'll report back what my progress is...thanks

[knoxdude]

Are you using a PRT or PRT Alpha? i have a friend who had major headaches trying to use the newest version of the probe with his PRT and the Windows software. Finally, the people at ShopBot sent him an older version (DOS) of the software and all of his problems went away. You might check with ShopBot, as from what I hear, there may be a glitch running the probe with the PRT but not the Alpha. I have a 6 year old PRT and am running the DOS software, and don't plan to change as long as it continues to work!

Lynn

[myxpykalix]

Problem continues! Bill, i removed zzeo plate from anything metal and made sure grounding clamp was not touching metal, touched probe, light on the probe went out but the light on the control panel on #1 stayed lit green with no interruption.

I'm posting a picture of the connector block that the z zero plate and probe are connected to.
Between the time i wrote last sentece and now I went out to try it again and this time the probe broke, so there goes $400. flying out the window!I didn't change any wires because of what i saw i didn't know which ones to do.
The way i was told to wire it was 2 greens+1 black on #0 (or 1 can't tell by pic)
white on next pin
2 black on 4th pin
Everything else works ok but the z height, it will step over in Y and X but nothing in Z

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[paco]

15.00$ probe... Hi, hi!!


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