QTPlasmaC - Skipping Probing

Hi Everyone,

I have a plasma table I built this year with a Mesa 7i96s and a Mesa THC05. It has ohmic probing that when it is used works really well. The issue is sometimes my machine skips the initial height sensing routine (IHS). The IHS parameter in QTPlasmaC is set to 0 and in sheetcam I do not have a "refDistance" option in my post processor ("PlasmaC" ver 0.5 post processor).

QTPlasmaC seems glitchy, sometimes with conversational programming it will miss turning the feedrate back to the cutting feedrate after a rapid. So I'll get a shallow cut because it's cutting at full rapid... But that's not the issue right now.

Thank you,
 

Thank you for the response, I'll make sure to save the conversational program and upload it to the forum next time it happens.

Here's the most recent program where it skipped the IHS routine between the first and second operation. This program starts by probing, then cutting a hole, then it rapids to the next starting position and is supposed to probe again, but skips this step and instead starts cutting in the air at the same Z height as the rapid move. I'm told by Les over at Sheetcam that QTPlasmaC is supposed to handle all the probing, that's why I'm asking here.

; file name: Recut4.tap
; date and time: Mon Dec 19 2022 07:14:01 PM
; postprocessor: LinuxCNC PlasmaC.scpost rev: 0.5
;
;begin pre-amble
G20 (units: inches)
G40 (cutter compensation: off)
G90 (distance mode: absolute)
M52 P1 (adaptive feed: on)
M65 P2 (enable THC)
M65 P3 (enable torch)
M68 E3 Q0 (velocity 100%)
G64 P0.01 Q0.001 (tracking tolerances: 0.01")
#<holes> = 2
#<h_velocity> = 60
#<h_diameter> = 1
#<oclength> = 0
;end pre-amble
M67 E3 Q100
;
;begin material setup
T0 M6 (select plasma tool)
G43 H0 (apply tool offsets)
(o=0,kw=0.05, ph=0.12, pd=0.5, ch=0.075, fr=40, th=1, cv=99, pe=0, jh=0, jd=0)
F#<_hal[plasmac.cut-feed-rate]>
;end material setup
G0 X16.45068 Y2.86753
M3 $0 S1 (plasma start)
G3 X16.45851 Y2.82345 I0.128 J-0
M67 E3 Q100
G3 X16.57868 Y2.73953 I0.12017 J0.04408
G3 X16.57868 Y2.73953 I0 J0.35
G3 X16.70668 Y2.86753 I0 J0.128
M5 $0 (plasma end)
G0 X11.70681 Y4.25397
M3 $0 S1 (plasma start)
G3 X11.71341 Y4.20969 I0.12795 J-0.00358
G3 X11.83119 Y4.12245 I0.12136 J0.0407
G1 X13.87888 Y4.06519
G1 X13.90152 Y4.87521
G3 X13.78066 Y4.78006 I-0.10009 J0.0028
G1 X15.33513 Y4.45034
G1 X15.33591 Y4.45016
G1 X16.83902 Y4.08091
G1 X16.83941 Y4.08081
G2 X16.31794 Y2.09824 I-0.26073 J-0.99128
G1 X16.31646 Y2.09868
G1 X14.72554 Y2.62439
G1 X14.72301 Y2.62538
G1 X11.74111 Y3.98417
G3 X11.79968 Y3.89026 I-0.04152 J-0.09111
G1 X11.8055 Y4.09816
G3 X11.68112 Y4.22968 I-0.12795 J0.00358
M5 $0 (plasma end)
;
;begin post-amble
G40 (cutter compensation: off)
G90 (distance mode: absolute)
M65 P2 (enable THC)
M65 P3 (enable torch)
M68 E3 Q0 (velocity 100%)
M5 $-1 (backup stop)
;end post-amble
;
;begin statistics
;Pierces = 2
; Cuts = 2, Length = 18.12"
;end statistics
;
M30 (end program)

Thank you again for the reply. I worked in manufacturing for about 10 years fixing Haas CNC machines, but I never ran anything so this is very new to me. The two laps confused me also, I went through and checked for duplicate lines and arcs, deleted a bunch prior to writing this program. Checked again and did not see a duplicate at this location. The two laps round the hole confused me also, but it only cuts the first, the second lap is just air.

I'll definitely take your advice on material settings.

I have a config backup I just took, but I don't know how to attach it here.

The post above is my config, it took a couple tries to upload.

@snowgoer540

Any thoughts?

Thank you, I appreciate it!