Would like to know more about remote controll operation.

[j.g.belyeu@worldnet.att.net]

would like to be able to jog the head into position while standing at the tool. Also was wondering about puting a metal stud in the corner of my fixture plates with a jump wire to ground. Can I program it the same way the zero plate works?

[dmdraper]

Jon,

You're on the right track. I've modified the z-zero program to find an edge rather than the top of a work piece. Using a metal stud connected to the zero plate wire works.

Dave D.

[bill.young]

Jon,

Have you looked at the instructions for the remote on the ShopBot web site? It describes how it works and also how to make your own from Radio Shack parts. ShopBot sells one if you don't feel like making your own.

I zero my y-axis using a very similar contact system to the one you describe. There are some pictures and a description at...

http://www.seasidesmallcraft.com/yswitch.htm

Bill

[flyboy]

Anybody tried a wireless Keyboard for the remote ? I would like to put my laptop under plastic to keep the dust away anyhoo.

[davidallen]

I did with mixed success. you want an RF keyboard, not an IR one.

I used the Logitech brand. it worked fine so long as I didn't get too far away from the computer. my system is at one end of the garage, about 4' away from the end of the SB. taking the keyboard near the other end of the SB, 12 to 15' away from the computer, caused it to drop out occasionally.

as the batteries in the keyboard drained (about 3 months) I started getting spurious key entries. replacing the batteries helped, but I still had the distance problem.

I finally swithed to a cheap laptop ($75 at a computer show) and mounted it on the carriage. the serial lines run back to the controller along with the motor control lines. no problems so far. the laptop is a 166 PII and I took out the cover switch so it'd run with the screen closed.

da

[jon]

thanks for the reply. Made the remote and it works fine for what it is, would like to have a few more options in my hand.

In regards to the stud in the corner of my fixture plate, I was wondering if I can use the " ON INPUT" command to run an X,Y zero program. Anyone out there tried this ? My thought is to write a sub program to run when a switch is activated.

[beacon14]

The x-y zero routine is one of the first things I added to our Shopbot. I just modified the Zzero file that Shopbot provided. We started with microswitches attached to the carriage arms, but they were not consistent enought to be reliable. I finally designed an "upgrade" which uses a spring-loaded carriage bolt through a block of wood as the contact point. Total cost each around 50 cents. I ran it 35 times and it never varied more than .002. I'll try to upload a photo some day for your vieing pleasure, or at least bring one to the jamboree. I have an x-y zero program as one of my custom cuts, so all I do is move the cutter near 0,0, then type C4, and the Shopbot re-zero's itself.
I also use the Zzero routine, modified for x or y axis use, to reference the bit to the edge of the workpiece. Our fixture plate is a 12" or so long piece of 1/8" x 3/4" aluminum bar stock, so it is very easy to move to wherever the bit is and/or hold it against the material edge.

[bill.young]

Hi Jon,

Are you planning on contacting the stud with your router bit to trigger the switch? If so you'll get different contact distances depending on which way the bit is turned in relation to the stud. Maybe you could hit all 4 sides of the stud and then average the settings?


Also if your stud is round you'll need to be pretty careful about hitting it head-on or you might not get an accurate position reading. A piece of angle or something square might work better than a round stud.

Bill

[beacon14]

Good point. So far I have only used the contact plate for x & y positioning when using spiral bits, so there is always some point on the cutting edge to make accurate contact. You could also chuck a drill bit or metal dowel of the same diameter as your bit, if you don't mind the extra bit-change.
My everyday x & y zeroing is done with the above mentioned carriage bolts mounted to the carriage arms. They are calibrated to the center of the bit, as long as I am using the same tool it is always zero'd to the same reference point regardless of bit diameter.

[jon]

you guys are woderful. My idea is this, I would take a 1" sq. block of alum. and screw it down on the corner of my fixture plate. I would then insert a piece of 1/2" drill rod in the router. write a sub routine. like the idea of the spring. would like to know more about the program you wrote and what input switches to use.

[beacon14]

sorry for the delay. I haven't been routing much lately, and I didn't have copies of the programs on my home computer. Here is a sample of my xzero program. To use it, you need a metal bar or plate connected to an input switch (in this case, switch #3). Hold the bar against the edge of the workpiece you are zeroing to, position the bit (or drill rod) fairly close to the bar (1/4" or so), then run the program.

SR, 'sets relative mode, so you can do this anywhere on the table.
SC,0 'turns "continous cut" off . This is needed so the machine will interupt its move when the input switch is activated.
ON INP(3,1) GOTO XZERO 'tells the machine to begin at the "xzero" label upon contact with the metal bar.
MS,.01 'sets the speed r-e-a-l slow for maximum accuracy, you may want it slightly faster.
MX,5 'moves over 5" in the x direction.
XZERO:
'The above line is a label. It requires there be no characters after the colon, or it won't work. 'The program diverts here upon switch activation (contact with metal bar).
ON INP(3,1)'disables switch input to prevent "bounceback" or double-hitting on the bar.
VA,-.3125 'changes X axis value. You may need a different value here (see below).
MS,1 'changes move speed back to a more normal value.
MX,-.125 'moves bit away from the bar so you can safely remove the bar.
SA, 'back to absolute mode.
END

the value of .3125 is based upon a 1/8" thick aluminum bar as my contact plate, plus half the diameter of a 3/8" bit. You can get creative with this, for instance I have used this program to calibrate the location of a part I had screwed to the table at x=60". Using a value of 59.6875 would calibrate the center of the bit to be at x=60 exactly at the edge of the part to be cut.

The file is easy to modify to use in y or z directions as well, or to use a different input switch. I use a double version to zero both x and y in one shot, using two input switches and my spring-loaded carriage bolts, and have it set up as a custom cut, so with the bit near 0,0 I just hit C4 and the machine re-zeroes.
One other thing I take for granted. Your router must have a metal body and be grounded to the machine frame (on mine, the hose clamps which secure the router also ground it. The bit must make electrical contact with the machine frame, so that when it touches the contact bar it completes the circuit, which activates the switch. Make sure the switch is activated when the bar touches the router bit (router turned off, of course!) before using the program to send the bit towards a fixed object.

Hope this is reasonably clear. If not I will try to respond faster next time.