Custom Z-Zero Plate Help

[RickWyatt]

Hello Everyone!

I would first like to say thank you to all of the outstanding information found in this forum. It has been a HUGE help for someone like me who is new to Shopbot.

I have recently purchased an older PRT 48x96 with a year 2000 control box. I have made a few upgrades (3/4" HDPE vacuum plenum). But, one thing has me stumped: I didn't receive a Z-Zero plate with this machine so I thought it would be easy enough to make one.

I see where to connect the +5v, Input #1 and ground in the control box, but what or where do they go on the other end with the plate and alligator clip? I can't seem to make sense of closing that circuit for some reason.(running a Porter Cable Router)

Oh...Just read something about having the control box grounded to the machine? I don't have that... Should I?

Thank you for your time and I hope to be able to contribute to others here as well.

Rick

[jerry_stanek]

You hook up the +5 volt volt to your plate and the ground is clipped to the router or router bit. Make sure in your shopbot set up that you choose that you have the zero plate and you can put in the thickness. you put the plate on where you want to zero under the bit and then run the C2 command. when the bit touches the plate it will go up and come back down and touch it again then the bit will move up and you are zeroed.

[RickWyatt]

Thanks for such a quick reply Jerry! I sure do appreciate it. Does the wire from input 1 go anywhere?

[jerry_stanek]

I belive that is for the probe

[RickWyatt]

Thanks again.

[Gary Campbell]

Rick...
Ground goes to the Alligator clip
Input 1 goes to the Zzero plate
+5V powers the probe

[RickWyatt]

Rick...
Ground goes to the Alligator clip
Input 1 goes to the Zzero plate
+5V powers the probe

Thanks Gary. I was about to get this going this morning too. I just couldn't make sense of putting +5 to ground?? Somethings got to blow??

I will ground to clip and Input 1 to plate. Thanks!

Rick

[jerry_stanek]

My bad Looked at mine and mixed up the two.