qtdragon_hd touchoff and probing issue

ahh I see you already figured out how to show the data...

Hi Chris,

thanks a lot, there is also need to add few lines into touchoff_subprogram.py to actually send anything except zeros upon touchoff itself is completed.

If there is anything I can help with or test just let me know. As far as completing the missing code, you or someone familiar with the Qtvcp will likely do it much faster than I can.

I really like the qtdragon_hd, and the idea of dynamic MDI generation is cool and opens lot of interesting possibilities.

Dug into this a bit and it seems touchplate is for setting user system origin, rather then setting tool offsets. you should see G5x Z offset change when it finishes.
Haven't looked at tool sensor code but I bet it's the same.

It's a bit deceiving do to tab location I agree.

No reason tool length offset can't be added.

Hi Chris,

yes you are right, tested on the machine: measuring a tool with the tool sensor actually sets the Z of current WCS.

Of course, if you follow this by measurement of the workpiece with the workpiece tool probe, current WCS Z previously set get overwritten by this - as expected.

Anyone here actually using qtdragon_hd with both tool sensor and workpiece probe?
With older qtdragon all of this is handled by ngc probing subs, most likely this is why this got unnoticed.

Not yet. 'm I using both under LCNC 2.8.4 with qtdragon and I am just now migrating to debian 12 and LCNC 2.9 using qtdragon_hd.  This is the writeup I did on my setup.

John

I did a bunch of work just to get better error messages from the current touchoff buttons in qtdragon. Now I can look at tool length measurement procedures.

Could you guys describe the tool length setting procedure you use/want?

I see versa probe has a tool sensor button that I didn't implement.
I could dig into the original code and see what it did.

but maybe we could start with the manual 'touchplate' style and just Z length.
In this case you would select your tool, jog it over the tool sensor and press a 'measure tool length' button and then...
isn't it usual to have a reference tool that has zero length and the rest refer to it?
Is that reference tool referenced from the table?

Hi Chris,

standard and simplest workflow is to touch off work piece probe (a 3D probe) against the tool sensor. This will essentially measure length of the work piece probe (relative to the tool sensor). Depending on the probe clamping method, this is usually needed to be done once only. If your probe mounts in a varying Z or you need some extra precision, this step is needed every time before next two steps.

Next you simply measure both current tool in the spindle and work piece with each of the probes and it is ready to rock'n'roll.

If someone like to use a reference tool, whatever number >99 works for me.

I'm no expert but if you have repeatable tooling (I went to Tormach TTS on my MT3 spindle to get this) and you have a 3D probe, you set the reference tool (probe) to say 99 and premeasure your tools and probe. You only need to do this once. Tormach sell a tiny granite plate with a hole in it  to do this with a height gauge. In this case (my case), there is no need for a tool height sensor. John's method is an electronic method of measuring tool length instead of using a height gauge.

But if your tooling is not repeatable, the tool height sensor can be used to measure the tool length. I'll let someone else explain that one! 

I'm just starting to test probing in qtdragon_hd using basicprobe today. Everything was working great in qtdragon on lcnc 2.8.4. Basically I touch off the nose of my spindle on the tool-setter and store this value permanently in the linuxcnc.var file. When I am using a variable length tool (length in tool table = 0) The tool gets measured and the math is done to calculate the tool length to use. Fixed length tools just used the length in the tool table.

So far I have only played with touching off using my 3D probe. Most of the setting I brought over from my working setup are not working . I normally place the probe tip within a .25 inch above the stock and in the back left corner within .25" of each edge. I then press the center probe button to probe the Z and then I press the back left problem button to probe the corner. The first problem I noticed if that the probe tip does not come down far enough to measure the XY. I can make in come down farther by setting Z_CLEARANCE to say .5" but then the probe ends up .5" after probing the Z. That means that I have to move the probe closer to the work after probing Z so that the ZY probing will work. I thought the EXTRA_DEPTH might help here but It has no effect.

John

I see, if the reference tool can be a 3D probe, than the 99 is perfect.

Whether the tool sensor (probe) is needed or not it upon a personal preferences, depending on particular setup and what tool change speed and machining precision is desired.

For critical surface finishing I usually clamp the tool, let it thermally stabilize in running spindle, then do tool length measurement with tool probe and only after this start actual machining.