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Quick and Easy XYZ Probe

Discussion in 'Share Parts' started by Alex Chambers, May 12, 2019.

  1. Alex Chambers

    Alex Chambers Master
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    I needed an XYZ probe for my experiments on creating pauses in an nc file to allow toolchanges to work.
    I haven't got around to milling aluminium yet (mainly because I haven't got any suitable aluminium) so I made mine with a piece of double-sided PCB and some square brass tube - pictures attached. I used my workbee to cut out the PCB so that I knew it was square and soldered the brass tube to the underside of the PCB. Then I connected the brass tube to the top surface of the PCB with a short wire link and soldered on the lead going to the Z limit switch (the Ooznest macro uses this to detect probe contact.)
    It's important that the brass tube is proud of the PCB so I soldered it flush with the edge of the PCB and then milled 0.5 mm off the edge of the PCB. Then a micrometer to check offsets so that I could adjust the macro and a crocodile clip on the other probe lead.
     

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    G-Wizard and sharmstr like this.
  2. Giarc

    Giarc OpenBuilds Team
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    I did something similar but only for z for tool changes. It works well. min is just a flat piece of pcb with the wire from the Arduino soldered to it
     
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  3. MakeItJustBecauseYouCan

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    Hi Alex, how did you connect the probe to the Duet?
     
  4. Alex Chambers

    Alex Chambers Master
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    Depends what version of the firmware you are using. I'm still on a relatively early version (normally open limit switches) so wired it in parallel with the Z limit switch. If you have normally closed limit switches you have a later version of the firmware. Ooznest will have instructions on their learning portal or on their U-Tube site.
    On my phone at the moment so post here if you can't find what you need and I'll post some links when I next wind up the PC.
     
  5. Alex Chambers

    Alex Chambers Master
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    Hi @MakeItJustBecauseYouCan, if you have normally closed limit switches you need to use a spare endstop input on the Duet for a probe. I've searched Ooznest's site for info on this but can't find anything. I have emailed Ryan and will let you know how to do this when he replies.
    Alex.
     
  6. MakeItJustBecauseYouCan

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    limit switch; of course...
    I wonder if the probing macro's in the 1.07 beta's reveal something.... once I figure out how to read them....
     
  7. MakeItJustBecauseYouCan

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    Getting closer; I think the answer is in this line of the Probe Z Macro:
    M585 Z50 E2 L0 F500 S1
     
  8. MakeItJustBecauseYouCan

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    Took me some time to read Gcode but now I understand your answer :) ; guess the "spare endstop" would mean something like E=3 in the M585 line...
    The fact that they've still got E2 in the macro should mean that they found a way to connect it in parallel...
     
  9. Alex Chambers

    Alex Chambers Master
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    Don't go there (V1. 07) unless you really know what you are doing - it's a beta and under constant revision. (Also Ooznest are planning to do away with the probing macro in 1.07). See Duet Controller/Fusion 360 post fix
    Let me know if you are using 1.06 or 1.05 and I'll be able to tell you exactly what to do.
    Also you didn't say whether you have normally open or normally closed limit switches. Ooznest have been known to pre-configure the firmware for NO switches even when they supply NC.
    Alex.
     
  10. MakeItJustBecauseYouCan

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    Hi Alex, thanks for the warning. My machine is on 1.06 but I've been tempted to install 1.07Beta3 (figured that if it was really buggy it would have been removed by now ;))
    I'm quite sure the switches are connected as NC (but I'm not close to the machine for the next few days so cannot verify.)
     
  11. Alex Chambers

    Alex Chambers Master
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    There are a lot of major changes with V1. 07, and it's very much in the melting pot. I intend to have a play with it, but wouldn't recommend you try it until it has settled down a bit. In particular the way it handles XYZ probes hasn't been settled yet. It's very late here in the UK so I'll have a look at the macros for probing tomorrow. If you bought your machine from Ooznest recently you will probably have nc switches, but your firmware may have been pre-configured for no switches. The configuration instructions from Ooznest tell you to check what sort of switches you have and guide you through any changes in configuration you need to do. Could you please check whether you have NC or NO switches and post a copy of your config.g file here so I can see what you have done. You will probably need to change the extension to .txt to upload it.
    Alex., :thumbsup:
     
  12. Alex Chambers

    Alex Chambers Master
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    You had (mostly) worked it out for yourself here. Plug your probe into endstop "0" and change the M585 lines in the probing macros to E3.
    They still have E2 in the macros because they haven't updated everything when they changed to normally closed limit switches.
    Alex.
     
    #12 Alex Chambers, Oct 14, 2019
    Last edited: Oct 14, 2019

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