Z axis height at end of cut

rodw wrote: Tommy you forget that Plasmac strips out any Z axis motion code. I have not tried but I don't think I can simply add some g code to go to top of the Zaxis.

You are right, Although it was not stripping negative values till someone pointed that out (me ).
So that would leave the high probe height, and that for you would be to slow.
Oh well......
On a side note, is there a pin that can be used when M2 or M30 is in gcode ?
linuxcnc.org/docs/html/gcode/m-code.html#mcode:m2-m30
If there is a simple way of setting the Z axis to go to max height at M2 ........

I have mine set up so Z home is 0.001mm below Z max.
When a job starts it rapids to X/Y position then Z moves down to probe height then probe begins.
After first cut Z moves to safe height then the next cycle begins. After the last cut I rapid to X0/Y0 which happens at safe height. When it gets to X0/Y0 then Z moves back up to home height.
If you move Z to a lower position before you start a job then that is the Z position it will move to at the end of the job. That is the external offset being reset to zero.

tommylight wrote: If there is a simple way of setting the Z axis to go to max height at M2 ........

Even if this is not possible, I have every confidence in Phill"s Magic wand.

phillc54 wrote: I have mine set up so Z home is 0.001mm below Z max.
When a job starts it rapids to X/Y position then Z moves down to probe height then probe begins.
After first cut Z moves to safe height then the next cycle begins. After the last cut I rapid to X0/Y0 which happens at safe height. When it gets to X0/Y0 then Z moves back up to home height.
If you move Z to a lower position before you start a job then that is the Z position it will move to at the end of the job. That is the external offset being reset to zero.

See Tommy, I told you he had a magic wand!

Phill, does that move to the Z max with a jog wheel count or does it need to be a g code command?

If you mean the Z move in the last sentence, then any Z move.
When the job finishes the external offset needs to be reset to zero so Z will end up at the same height as when the job started.

phillc54 wrote: When the job finishes the external offset needs to be reset to zero so Z will end up at the same height as when the job started.

Oh that is so true, that reminds me when i was setting up my Z axis and at the end of the gcode it would trip the Z axis limit/home !
So that is already implemented.
Phill has also a crystal ball, not just the wand !

tommylight wrote: Again this is putting me in a bad position, as i am really against adding features that are pretty much useless to most users of PlasmaC and complicating everything from setup to support for Phill.
That should be easily done in post processor by adding G0 or G1 and a Z value to go to at the end of the gcode file.
Or as i have done it, set the probe heigh to something lower than the Z axis max limit. I have it at 150mm and the probe speed set to 4m/m so it is very fast at moving up and down, but the very slow retraction speed still remains, making all the efforts to build a very fast machine void. This is an issue when using floating switch, not so much when using ohmic probing, as ohmic needs to be done much slower. Most users of PlasmaC use floating type probing, not ohmic.

2mm slow probe


2mm fast probe


11mm slow probe


11mm fast probe

I might not be seeing it but I think probing should be a two part process. Slam down fast, back off slower until it breaks, then re probe slow with accuracy.

I'm not sure if the reprobe just looks for the contact again or it backs off. I think its a complete cycle again.

rodw wrote: I might not be seeing it but I think probing should be a two part process. Slam down fast, back off slower until it breaks, then re probe slow with accuracy.

That is exactly what it does if it senses the material before probe height is reached.

If probe height is reached before the material then it completes the single probe at probe speed.

Why do we have two different conditions/methods?
Which is faster the one triggered above probe height or the one where probe height is reached?