Gmoccapy tool measurement - Z position for knee mill?

Hi... I'm getting auto tool measurement set up, and most of the instructions in the wiki are pretty comprehensible, but I did run into a question or two:

The Z position I wrote into the ini file for the tool probe can change as the knee moves up and down. What value should I use for Z in this case? Do I need to change the file each time I move the knee?

**Edit: re-reading this, I think this might mean something other than what I thought it did. "Tool switch" I took to mean my tool touch-off probe (which is a switch)... does it instead mean the location for tool change? If it's the location in absolute coordinates of the table mounted touch-off switch, then my question is still correct to ask.



I'm referring to this section in the wiki:
By the way, I think that third line is supposed to say "The Z position of the tool switch".

Additionally, I wanted to wire my tool probe into the same connection as my touch probe because they use the same pin in the GUI, but it looks like that connection makes the assumption that they're NO switches. Mine are NC, so if they were both connected at the same time neither would ever trigger. Has anyone else had this issue? I've temporarily set up a system of plugs to switch between them.

Finally, what are other people using to determine block height? I can touch off to the top of the work piece with my index tool to get a zero in local coordinates, but translating that into a number for block height would mean I'd either have to touch off the table and do the math, or else stick a height gauge on the table to see how tall the work piece is. Am I missing a simple way to do this?

Thanks,
Erik

Okay, after working with this some more, I have auto tool measurement working ok.

However, I'm still not sure what to do with the Z setting. Since the Z can change, it seems I'd spend time re-measuring and re-entering the location every time I adjust the knee. Plus I still don't see a simple way to measure the block height.

My tool holders can repeat tool lengths between insertions in the spindle, so I could potentially just measure tools once instead of every time I change them, but I don't really have enough tool holders to dedicate one per tool.

I think maybe what I want to do is just use the tool probe to measure one set of tools per job... when I set up for a work piece, I'll run through and measure each of the tools with the probe relative to an index tool, that way I can move the knee as I like and I only have to touch off the first tool again if Z changes. If I don't change tools in the holders I can even re-use the same tool table entries and offsets.

I'm referring to this section in the wiki:

The following informations are taken from your INI file and must be given in absolute coordinates

X Pos. = The X position of the tool switch

Y Pos. = The Y position of the tool switch

Z Pos. = The X position of the tool switch, we will go as rapid move to this coordinate


By the way, I think that third line is supposed to say "The Z position of the tool switch".

What WIKI are you referencing to? I do not support a WIKI, just trying to maintain the official docu.
linuxcnc 2.7
linuxcnc master

Additionally, I wanted to wire my tool probe into the same connection as my touch probe because they use the same pin in the GUI, but it looks like that connection makes the assumption that they're NO switches. Mine are NC, so if they were both connected at the same time neither would ever trigger. Has anyone else had this issue? I've temporarily set up a system of plugs to switch between them.

Thats no problem, just connect them in line, so if non is triggert they act as closed, and if one is triggert the circuit is open. You will never use both at the same time, won't you?


Finally, what are other people using to determine block height? I can touch off to the top of the work piece with my index tool to get a zero in local coordinates, but translating that into a number for block height would mean I'd either have to touch off the table and do the math, or else stick a height gauge on the table to see how tall the work piece is. Am I missing a simple way to do this?
I am using a digital depth caliber connected as keyboard interface to the PC. I open the blockheight window, measure with the caliber, press the DATA button on the caliber and do have the measured value written automatically in the GUI. So just a press on OK and I am done

I think maybe what I want to do is just use the tool probe to measure one set of tools per job... when I set up for a work piece, I'll run through and measure each of the tools with the probe relative to an index tool, that way I can move the knee as I like and I only have to touch off the first tool again if Z changes. If I don't change tools in the holders I can even re-use the same tool table entries and offsets.

That might be the best solution. I would recommend to make a tool measurement subroutine and include that one as macro in gmoccapy. That way it is just one push to measure the new tool.
The auto tool measurement subroutine has been developed for machine without tool holders witch can repeat tool lengths. For all other machines this is not the way to work.

Norbert

>What WIKI are you referencing to? I do not support a WIKI, just trying to maintain the official docu

Sorry, not a wiki. It's here:

linuxcnc.org/docs/html/gui/gmoccapy.html...uto-tool-measurement


I did some more work on it today, and got a sub for auto tool measurement set up I can use just before I start a job. I got bitten by the fact that tool offsets in the table have to be positive, though, so I broke a couple end mills in the process