Correct start up steps w/ QtDragon when using 3d probe and a tool setter

As with every open source project I've used over the past 30 years, I'm very grateful to everyone who contributes to these projects. So thank you to all!

Just after Christmas I decided to convert my Fox Alien CL-6560 from the supplied GRBL controller to LinuxCNC. What an adventure!

I went with a Rasp PI 5, 12" HD touch screen and a Mesa 7i96s.I'm running qtdragon-hd (i guess that's evident in the config I attached). I'm also using a chinese 3d touch probe as well as an amazon tool setter  (would have ordered from Ali if I'd realized how much the mark up was.  Probes are wired into separate pins and work as expected, most of the time...

Since I've buried an ER Collect Nut into a piece once and ran an endmill into the top of a piece another time, I want to make sure I have the proper sequence before I load a gcode file (from Fusion360 using the PrintNC Post Processor).

As I'm running a Pi 5 and  haven't found a Buildbot repo for it I just followed the instructions from Building LinuxCNC in the docs and update things every time I see cmorely post something (script attached). 

Here are the steps I follow after I have the work piece in place....

1. Launch qtDragon
2. Home All
3. Load my 3d probe as tool 999 using M61
4. Go to Probe tab -> Probe Type -> Tool Probe
5. Goto Tool Setter
6. Probe Tool Setter Z
7. Probe Z of Material
8. Change Probe Type to Outside
9. position probe near the top corner where I my G54 x0 y0 z0 of the work piece will soon be
10. set Auto Zero
11. probe X & Y
12. move the probe over the piece and probe Z
    --- at this stage I my WCS set up
13. Now I go to the Utils -> Workpiece
14. Read from Settings Page
15. Enable Probe position set buttons, and set my values
16. Enable the Auto Fill Workpiece height
17. Start the probe process
18. Finally I issue an M6 TXXX command to change to the first tool, it runs the tool length measurement and adjusts accordingly.
19. As a last step, I'll move my bit over near the workpiece and issue a G54 Z1.0 to make sure the new tool stops just above the height of the workpiece

Have I left out something I should check before I load the file, switch to AUTO and press Cycle Start?

Also what are the "Tool Sensor" and "Go To Sensor" buttons in the Offsets section on the main screen for?

Thanks for the input!


 

Since I'm using an ER20 Collect, I can't depend on my probe to always be the same. It's usually very close, but when we are talking about thousandths it drifts each time I install it.

If your mill has an MT3 or R8 collets, consider adopting tormach TTS holders. You just need to measure your tools once.