Probe Basic - ATC sim parameter question

Thanks for the confirmation.  And yes, I can see where someone with a 24 tool changer would run out of contiguous numbers.

Speaking of which... have you (or other qtpyvcp/PB devs) looked at the new LCNC tool dabase yet?  I've read the manual page, but I cant see if there's a UI somewhere to explore the features.

I'm wondering if it would make quite a lot of the remap/ngc gymnastics I've found in just about every toolchanger example moot.

Nothing is ever easy and I have to be persistent to digest any of this...

TurBoss has been actively working on the tool database and has it sorting image files for tooling, it's pretty slick. But i haven't played with it yet.

I did find the axis-sim with a tool.db sidepanel - a little difficult for meto follow.

In other news...

Both M11 and M12 have #<_my_current_pocket> = #5170 at the end.  But I can't find #<_my_current_pocket> referenced anywhere.

Only thing close is global parameter #<_current_pocket> (from the tool table).

Is this another parameter for testing that didn't get incorporated?

 

it appears it may be redundant in this scenario, but it has stored the current pocket to numbered parameter #5170, it may be precautionary in the event the if statement fails to complete, but even then im not sure it would be needed. however it may be used in the sim code somewhere but i have not looked at that yet to see. in any event it is available globally as written so could be useful. I will leave in the distribution subroutines for future use.

Lcvette,

I'm back on the ATCproject afer some life distractions, trying to wrap up everything.

I've got everything moving properly.  Last issue (I think) is synchronizing the ATC widget with the carousel.  When I start up LCNC and reference the carousel using the screen button (M13), my physical carousel homes to pocket #1 and the spindle orients properly.

Problem is that the ATC widget doesn't move during homing, and it initializes with pocket #1 on the left.  I get the "REFERENCING" on screen message, but the ATC stays oriented with pocket #10 to the right (3 o'clock).

I've tried manually 'moving' the widget using (DEBUG, EVAL...rotate...) and the widget moves.  Problem is that PB still thinks that pocket #10 is the currently aligned pocket.  If I put a tool in the spindle away, the widget doesn't rotate and the tool icon pops up in pocket #10 (which is now on the left - 9 o'clock).

Also tried editing M13 to rotate the widget during the referencing/homing sequence, but the same thing results.

I've not modified M13 other than adding my spindle orient M-code and carousel enable/homing commands as well as changin the number of pockets.

Other than that, the ATC widget moves as expected during tool changes and spindle load/unload.  It's just not synch'ed up with the physical ATC.

Any thoughts?

 

I saw this not too long ago on the sim,  but I can't remember the fix.  Try running an update on qtpyvcp and probe basic, I think that may have been the solution.   

Thanks.  I'm on qtpyvcp master and PB python3, LCNC-RIP

• navigate to \probe_basic
• git checkout python3
• git pull

Is that the procedure?

I use gitkraken, so i just checkout the latest, but i would assume if doing via terminal it would be as you described, gotkraken has spoiled me.. lol

spumco wrote:

Lcvette,

I'm back on the ATCproject afer some life distractions, trying to wrap up everything.

 

Spumco,

I suppose i should begin digging into the carousel comp thing and was wondering how you made out with yours?  get everything sorted and working as expected?

Lcvette wrote:

 
Spumco,

I suppose i should begin digging into the carousel comp thing and was wondering how you made out with yours?  get everything sorted and working as expected?

Yes and no.  I've done one actual tool change then got hijacked (again).

Plus I needed to build a new control panel - the PB Vertical screenset doesn't work and it's easier for me to build a completely new panel than figure out how to edit the qtpyvcp screen to get the vertical mode working.

I hate software with a passion and I like wiring... seemed like an easy decision.

So I'm about 95% done with the new (horizontal) control panel, then I can start playing with the setup and carousel.

Here's the shopping list I plan on investigating - feel free to poke around yourself:

• Does carousel.comp and the (updated) stdglue.py actually manage tools & pocket numbers appropriately?
  • Andy Pugh indicated it worked but needed some tweaks to the remap process so that iocontrol tells something to update the tool table.
• If so
  • Does that mean PB can essentially abandon all the ATC macros except for a single 'head up/down, slide in/out' simple sequencing macro?
  • Where does the ATC widget fit in now?
    • Right now the ATC screen widget is the only way the user knows which tool is in which pocket.
    • But if the tool table (tools v pockets) is now accurate and real-time, what's the point of the ATC widget besides eye-candy?
• If not, is a carousel.comp-based PB ATC control scheme better?  Carousel.comp is certainly much more friendly than editing the stock PB macros for non-geneva hardware.
• What does a 'hardware-agnostic' set of PB macros look like?

I'm not going to answer all of these on my own or quickly, but I'll at least try to explore the tool-pocket number thing soon.

-Ralph