Z-zero plate connection problem

[mjindustry]

Hi,

I'm trying to hook up my z-zero plate for the first time. When I touch the plate to the router bit the input light doesn't turn on like it suppose to. I've re-checked all the wires, it looks good. I'm running a used PRT Standard. I have the alligator clip hooked on the bit and the red wire to input 1, which shares the ground input with the E-stop. I also have a ground wire going from the control box to the table. Again, no response at all from the zero plate. I tried the C2 routine and it wanted to push right through the zero plate.

Thanks in advance for any assistance!

[Buckeye Don]

Jason
Did you go to tools icon on top of software window and then go to shopbot setup. There you can set up setting for your specific machine including, z plate, proxy switch and machine size.There you tell it how thick your plate is then it will set your z zero according to that. Hope that helps. Don

[mjindustry]

Thanks Don! Got it now.

First thing I had wrong was using the red wire instead of the black from the Z plate. I could have swore it said that in my manual. I found a post in the archives that mentioned to use the 'black' wire to input 1. So I did that, and then setup as you indicated Don, and walla, we're zeroing!

That archive thread I mentioned was from '06 and is located here...
http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/messages/26/16863.html?1166013809

Turns out when changing bits during a single job the zero plate is essential. Up until now we had done only a couple of jobs that required no bit changes and we zeroed it up by eye. Today we did a v bit, to a straight bit change, and without the zero plate we ran into some problems and tore up a job on an expensive piece of signfoam!


I'm going to try it again tomorrow and hope for success. We are on the beginning of the learning curve here.