3D Probe & Tool Setter Interface Box

[grievousangel]

SUCCESS Finally!

I ended up using a 4 Ch Sensor (2 or 3 wire) to TTL Out Module that fed a 4 Ch 24VDC Relay Module (TTL Input). That resolved all of my problems related to the (3) external LEDs, i.e., A) 3D Probe 'Touch-Off' Pnk LED; B) Tool Setter 'Touch-Off' Blu LED; C) Tool Setter 'Over-Travel' Blinking Red LED. The relay hard contacts only controlled the external LEDs, thus isolating the external LEDs from the 3D Probe & Tool Setter electronics! All is Happy! The 3D Probe uses an Aviation-like GX12-4 connector, USB to GX12-4 (F) that plugs into the Interface Box near the 'Park' location. The Tool Setter is mounted at 'Park' directly under the tool tip for length assessment. It all ends being a clean installation with no wires or cables hanging around or tossed over there! Another plus is that the LEDs are close at-hand and easily viewed., as the device internal LEDs can be hard to see without moving or leaning over into the work area.

I'll post the schematic and drawing soon.

Later, Billy

Touch Plate / PGFun 3D Probe & Tool Setter Interface Box Project:
The Interface Box is located at the FaceSide Park (MCS) location (opposite FaceSide Home (MCS). The top panel has (3) LED's and (1) Aviator GX12-4 male panel-mount connector.

Touch Plate & PGFun 3D Probe
The GX12-4 panel-mount is used by both Touch Plate cable (GX12-4) and the PGFun 3D Probe USB cable (GX12-4). The duel-purpose Panel LED (Pink) indicates: A) Tool Tip & Plate 'Contact' when the Touch Plate cable is plugged-in to the panel GX12-4; OR B) 3D Probe 'Triggered' when the 3D Probe USB cable w/ GX12-4 connector is plugged-in to the same panel GX12-4. When PGFun 3D probe is plugged-in, the panel LED (Pink) follows the 3D Probe internal LED when 'Triggered'.
Touch-Plate works as expected.

Tool Setter
The duel-purpose Panel LED (Pink) indicates: A) Tool Tip & Plate 'Contact' when the Touch Plate cable is plugged-in to the panel GX12-4; OR B) 3D Probe 'Triggered'
The Tool Setter is wired directly (GX12-4 interface NOT USED) to the Interface Box via the included flex-metallic conduit (6-wires). The panel-mounted Tool Setter LEDs: A) Sm. Red LED indicated Over-Travel (O-T); Below O-T Red LED B) Blue LED indicates Tool Length OK.
Tool Setter works as expected.

The main issue relates to the PGFun 3D Probe panel-mounted LED (Pink). The internal LEDs work as expected, however the external panel-mounted Pink LED does not 'turn-off' regardless of Normal/Triggered state, i.e., voltage developed is not low enough (> 3VDC) to read 0 binary state. The 3D Probe has an internal R10K between +24VDC and Signal Out. After plugging in the 3D Probe cable, the Pink LED never turns off, but does dim.

Any suggestions on determining the R value to develop < ~2.5VDC when in Normal state. Some research states ... No Rpu required (since it has internal R10k) while others recommend R2K7 for 12V and R5k6 for 24V with an internal R10K.

Anyone know the circuit differences between PGFun and the DEWtronics?

I will attach drawings ASAP.

Later,
Billy

 

[Espressomatic]

Drive the LED off a relay with your working supply voltage going to appropriate resistors (just use a calculator with the fv and max current of your LED) and trigger the relay with the signal output of the probe, the same way it triggers the input on Masso controller.

 

[breezy]

Anyone know the circuit differences between PGFun and the DEWtronics?

The Dewtronics breaks the loop around the internal diode/resistor which raises the signal output towards 24v.

3D Touch Probe

docs.masso.com.au

Looking at your drawing of the PGFun probe it breaks the connection from gnd to the signal output leaving it floating.
Can you reverse the connections of the yellow and black, so that gnd is on yellow and the black is signal out, that way under normal state the signal is pulled to gnd and triggered it goes to 24v. No external pullup resistor required.

 

[grievousangel]

I see , basically isolate the external LED from PGFun 3D internal LED via a relay NO. Correct?

What I was trying to do (with the 3D Probe) was attach a (R5K6 or R2K7 or R0 or Other) between P4 and P2 on the cable end aviator female plug.

The panel-mounted GX12-4 aviator has a fixed R5K6 between P2 & P4. Therefore when the 3D Probe USB Cable is plugged in to the panel aviator, effectively two resistors are put in parallel with each other, i.e., R5K6 and an Unknown R, allowing the Panel Pink LED to activate when Triggered. The Pink LED must follow the binary 0/1 state change.

The Touch Plate Cable (aviator GX12-4 end) has NO resistors (P2 & P4) and works as expected with the panel-mounted Aviator connector (R5K6 between P2 & P4), i.e., NO R in parallel.

The 'trick' is determining the Resistor value to develop proper voltages for the Pink LED to follow the binary 0/1 state change.
(R5K6 X R) / (R5k6 + R) = LED Rvalue in a 24VDC. R5k6 have been working with the LED I am using. Basically R5K6 serves as pull-up resistor and LED current limiting.

Thanks, Billy

 

[Espressomatic]

I see , basically isolate the external LED from PGFun 3D internal LED via a relay NO. Correct?

That's the gist of it. Everything else just sounds unnecessarily complicated.

Also, did you see an earlier reply where I had mentioned that Masso doesn't support two different probe connections? You'll need to change a number of settings each time you want to alternate between the 3D probe and the touch plate. Both input assignments to start.

 

[grievousangel]

I could use the 3D Probe to touch-off the work material directly or touch-off the Plate for square corner flat material?
Supports one Tool Setter IO and one 3D Probe?

I'm glad you you mentioned that a 2nd time! Thanks for your help.

Billy

 

[Espressomatic]

Supports one Tool Setter IO and one 3D Probe?

Yes.

I could use the 3D Probe to touch-off the work material directly or touch-off the Plate for square corner flat material?

Only after changing all your probe settings from one input to the other and adjusting all the parameters to represent the new device, as far as I can tell. The Plate is a substitute for the 3D probe (corner and surface finding), not the Tool Setter (tool vertical offset measurement), and Masso only has one active Probe input and definition.

On my custom enclosure I have ports for both types of probes, but not so I can swap between them. First and foremost is because I had the space for a connector on the custom back panel I designed. Second is so I can verify the machine working (with the Touch Plate) exactly as it was before I did the rebuild. Once I set up the 3D probe, the touch plate is going to be useless and only hang around in case I break the 3D probe and don't have replacement parts on hand.

So that's how I envision this would go down for anyone else. Start using the 3D probe and realize the Touch Plate is a useless hunk of metal, tossing it a drawer never to be seen again.

 

[breezy]

So that's how I envision this would go down for anyone else. Start using the 3D probe and realize the Touch Plate is a useless hunk of metal, tossing it a drawer never to be seen again.

That is what happened with me, started with manually positioning the tool by sight and feel (paper test).
Then added touch plate for Z only, then obtained the Dewtronics 3D probe and whole new world of aligning and setting zeros opened up.
Threw the touch plate away, it was just a piece of aluminum angle attached to a block of wood, but it worked.

 

[grievousangel]

The Dewtronics breaks the loop around the internal diode/resistor which raises the signal output towards 24v.

3D Touch Probe

docs.masso.com.au

Looking at your drawing of the PGFun probe it breaks the connection from gnd to the signal output leaving it floating.
Can you reverse the connections of the yellow and black, so that gnd is on yellow and the black is signal out, that way under normal state the signal is pulled to gnd and triggered it goes to 24v. No external pullup resistor required.

Thanks for the suggestions.

The wiring diagram for the PGFun show Sig Out (Yel) strapped to Gnd when Probe activates the switch. Per PGFun the switch functions as a NPN NO device. That's why I asked about wiring comparisons between Drew-Tronics and the PGFun Probe. The Drew-Tronics suggest a 5K6 Ppu for +ve of 24VDC, which also has a 10K internal resistor. PGFun wiring does not suggest a Rpu. Anyways . . . It all seems a little funky to me. I removed the 5K6 Rpu. My external LED is activate when the 3D Probe is under power and turns off when the probe is triggered. I am NOT measuring expected voltages between Sig Out (Yel) and +ve (Red) or -ve (Blk). Therefore I think your suggestion of reversing the yellow and black wires may be the 'trick'! I'm doing that now. The typical Rpu also limits current if the switch pulls Sig Out to GND, correct? This developed voltage is what TTL inputs often 'eat'. Are my thoughts somewhat accurate?

Reversing the wires . . . get back ASAP. Again Thanks.

Cheers, Billy

 

[grievousangel]

SUCCESS Finally!

I ended up using a 4 Ch Sensor (2 or 3 wire) to TTL Out Module that fed a 4 Ch 24VDC Relay Module (TTL Input). That resolved all of my problems related to the (3) external LEDs, i.e., A) 3D Probe 'Touch-Off' Pnk LED; B) Tool Setter 'Touch-Off' Blu LED; C) Tool Setter 'Over-Travel' Blinking Red LED. The relay hard contacts only controlled the external LEDs, thus isolating the external LEDs from the 3D Probe & Tool Setter electronics! All is Happy! The 3D Probe uses an Aviation-like GX12-4 connector, USB to GX12-4 (F) that plugs into the Interface Box near the 'Park' location. The Tool Setter is mounted at 'Park' directly under the tool tip for length assessment. It all ends being a clean installation with no wires or cables hanging around or tossed over there! Another plus is that the LEDs are close at-hand and easily viewed., as the device internal LEDs can be hard to see without moving or leaning over into the work area.

I'll post the schematic and drawing soon.

Later, Billy