Detecting Z-Probe Pickup on move command

sinned6915

I get the behavior that I want with a pickup of the probe and exiting the dock, but the macro seems to loop now and I dont understand why.

alt text

After homing X & Y, trying to home Z seems to deploy the probe correctly using a G1 H1 command. Then the carraige moves to the center of the bed as instreucted in the homez.g files, but at the point where the G30 command is used, the machine appeard to start the deploypobe over. I am confused why it is doing this?

Should I be using a G1 H1 command here instead?

; ***********************************************************
; deployprobe.g
; ***********************************************************
M118 S"deployprobe.g start"
echo sensors.probes[0].value[0]
G91
M564 H0 S0             ; allow movement while not homed
G1 Z15 F6000        ; move Z 10 for clearance above dock.
                    ; need to figure out some safety check on this
G90 

if sensors.probes[0].value[0]!=1000    ; if sensor is value other than 1000 do this
  abort "deployprobe: value0 Probe already picked up.  Manually return probe to the dock"
 
; if we're here we know it's becasue the above is true which I assume is because you have an N0 switch as a probe.

; change probe temporarily to mimic NO to go to NC on pickup
M558 K0 P8 C"^!zprobe.in" H10 R0.5 F200 T9000 A1 S0.03
M118 S"Flipped probe from NC to NO"
echo sensors.probes[0].value[0]
M400

G1 X0 Y0 F6000      ; move above probe dock location
M400                ; wait for moves to finish

G1 H1 Z-280 F300    ; controlled linear move up the height of build envelope
                    ; H1 terminate the move when the endstop switch is triggered
                    ; and set the axis position to the axis limit defined by M208 

G91                 ; relative coords
G1 Z-1 F600       ; move bed up 1 to clear probe from dock since mags pull it up 
M400                ; wait for move to finish
G1 X50 F3000        ; move right so probe moves out of the dock
G1 Z5 F3000         ; move bed to clear probe from glass build surface 
G1 X100 F6000       ;
G90                 ; absolute coords
M400                ; wait for moves to finish

echo sensors.probes[0].value[0]
M558 K0 P8 C"^zprobe.in" H10 R0.5 F200 T9000 A1 S0.03  ; NC synatax
M118 S"Flipped probe from NO to NC"
echo sensors.probes[0].value[0]

G4 S5               ; wait 1 second
; M564 S1             ; limit axis to print area

; while sensors.probes[0].value[0]=1000 ; loop to check when NC probe value changes from 1000 to 0
; while sensors.probes[0].value[0]=0    ; loop to check when N0 probe value changes from 0 to 1000
; if sensors.probes[0].value[0]=0         ; if sensor is value is 0 do this 
                                        ; move bed with probe dock up 0.5mm at a time until the switch activate.  
                                        ; This will get ugly if the switch fails as you have limits off!
;    echo sensors.probes[0].value[0]
;    echo iterations
;    if iterations=1000
;      break

echo sensors.probes[0].value[0]
if sensors.probes[0].value[0]!=0
   abort "deployprobe: endvalue not 0 Probe not picked up!  Print cancelled."

Here is the console output-
alt text

Here are the contents of homez.g-

; ***********************************************************
; homez.g
; ***********************************************************
M118 S"homez.g started"
if !move.axes[0].homed || !move.axes[1].homed     ; If the printer hasn't been homed, home it
   M98 P"0:/sys/homexy.g"  
M561                                            ; clear any bed transform
M290 S0 R0                                      ; clear baby steps per Wes C
G91                                             ; relative positioning
; G1 H2 Z6 F6000                                  ; lift Z relative to current position
G90                                             ; absolute positioning
M401 P0                                         ; This runs macro file deployprobe
G1 X145 Y162.5 F9000                            ; go to first probe point
M400
G30                                             ; home Z by probing the bed
M400
G4 P500
M118 S"Call 4 point macro"
M98 P"0:/sys/bed4point.g"                       ; tram bed
;
G1 X145 Y165 F9000                              ; go back to the first probe point and reprobe 0 in case it moved
G30
M402 P0                                         ; retract probe
G1 Z10 F600                                     ; lift Z relative to current position
G90                                             ; absolute positioning
M564 S1 H0
; G1 X150 Y0 F9000                              ; move carraige to center front

fcwilt

G1 H1 commands are used with endstops. G1 H1 commands have nothing to do with deploying Z probes.

G30 commands are used with a Z probe.

There is no reason I can think of to be using while loops to accomplish your goal.

If you configure the switch device as an Z endstop then a G1 H1 move in the correct direction will stop when the switch is activated.

If you configure the switch device as a Z probe then a G30 command (if it moves toward the switch) will stop when the switch is activated.

The above assumes the switch device is activated with sitting in the dock.

Rather then spend time working with loops why don't you try to get one of the above approaches to work.

You can code some simple macros to test each approach.

Frederick

sinned6915

@fcwilt I am a little confused by your response. I am not using while loops anymore. The test bits of code from earlier are all commented out. I just have not deleted them yet.

I have a G1 H1 Z-280 F300 to pick the switch up from the dock.

Once the switch is picked up from the dock and positioned at the center of the bed, when I issue the G30 command to what I think should be singe point probe to define Z=0.

Instead it seems to start the deployprobe.g macro again. That is what makes no sense to me

Are you saying I should use G1 instead? If that is the case, then how do we take into account the probe offset?

fcwilt

@sinned6915 said in Detecting Z-Probe Pickup on move command:

@fcwilt I am a little confused by your response. I am not using while loops anymore. The test bits of code from earlier are all commented out. I just have not deleted them yet.

Sorry - my bad - I was looking at the commands and didn't notice the bits you had commented out.

I have a G1 H1 Z-280 F300 to pick the switch up from the dock.

This works? Is that switch at that point configured as a Z endstop?

Once the switch is picked up from the dock and positioned at the center of the bed, when I issue the G30 command to what I think should be singe point probe to define Z=0.

Instead it seems to start the deployprobe.g macro again. That is what makes no sense to me

I'm not sure what you mean by "again" - when was it called before this?

The G30 command uses the Z probe. So it calls deployprobe.g before it tries to use it.

And retractprobe.g will be called when the G30 is finished with it.

Is that not happening?

Frederick

OwenD

You shouldn't have the moves to pick up the probe in deployprobe.g
I believe the intent of deployprobe.g is to extend the probe such as when a bltouch or servo probe is used.
As stated above, it is called internally at the start of G30.
If you're manually calling deployprobe.g using M98 and later using G30, then it would do it twice.
Move all that code to say "pickup-probe.g" and likewise put the code to dock the probe into say "dock-probe.g"

fcwilt

@sinned6915

I got to thinking about your homeZ.g file.

You call M401 which invokes deployprobe.g.

Later you call G30 - which normally would call M401 but it seems to notice that M401 has already been called and does not call M401 again. It also does not call M402 as it normally would

Later still you call M402 which invokes retractprobe.g.

Are you invoking deployprobe.g directly using M98 somewhere? G30 does not notice that and invokes M401 calling deployprobe.g as it normally would.

Frederick

dc42

You might want to configure two separate Z probes, one for the real probe and one for the pickup mechanism. RRF3.2 supports this. They can have each have their own deploy and retract files.

sinned6915

@OwenD said in Detecting Z-Probe Pickup on move command:

You shouldn't have the moves to pick up the probe in deployprobe.g
I believe the intent of deployprobe.g is to extend the probe such as when a bltouch or servo probe is used.

That is where I started conceiving this approach. Does the machine really care what it does during the deployprobe?

As stated above, it is called internally at the start of G30.

Any idea where can I confirm this? I'm not distrusting you, I want to re-learn it and maybe re-write the approach I am using.

When I call homez.g, the routine is to pick up the probe via M400, probe Z in the middle of the bed, then probe the 4 corners and level the bed (basically 4-G30 commands, 3 indep motors), then re-probe Z.
The switch is already attached and it does not try to re-deploy the switch.

If you're manually calling deployprobe.g using M98 and later using G30, then it would do it twice.
I'm using M401 and M402 to deploy and retract the probe.

Move all that code to say "pickup-probe.g" and likewise put the code to dock the probe into say "dock-probe.g"

; ***********************************************************
; bed4point.g
; ***********************************************************
 G90
 G30 P0 X0.0 Y5.0 F9000.0 Z-99999       ; probe front left
 G30 P1 X0.0 Y275.0 F9000.0 Z-99999     ; probe back left
 G30 P2 X270.0 Y275.0 F9000.0 Z-99999   ; probe back right
 G30 P3 X270.0 Y5.0 F9000.0 Z-99999 S3  ; probe near front right leadscrew and calibrate 3 motors

fcwilt

@sinned6915 said in Detecting Z-Probe Pickup on move command:

That is where I started conceiving this approach. Does the machine really care what it does during the deployprobe?

You are using deployprobe.g correctly in that the code in that file needs to get the probe ready for use by G29 or G30.

Some probes, like Inductive devices, generally are fixed in position and need no deployment. Others, like the BLTouch and yours need to be "deployed" to be ready to use.

Any idea where can I confirm this? I'm not distrusting you, I want to re-learn it and maybe re-write the approach I am using.

Oddly enough I don't see any mention of G30 calling M401 or M402 - but it does as I have verified many times.

In the M558 command docs there is this:

All Z probes use the same deployprobe.g and retractprobe.g files

Aside to @Phaedrux: Could you check the docs to see where mention of the calling of M401 and M402 might needed to be added? Thanks.

When I call homez.g, the routine is to pick up the probe via M400, probe Z in the middle of the bed, then probe the 4 corners and level the bed (basically 4-G30 commands, 3 indep motors), then re-probe Z.
The switch is already attached and it does not try to re-deploy the switch.

Well in your homeZ.g file you called M401 and M402 explicitly and as I mentioned before when you do that G30 doesn't call them.

You could comment out M401 and M402 in your homeZ.g file and you should still see that deployprobe.g is called.

Do you have a retractprobe.g file?

If you want to verify for yourself what G30 does in regards to these two files you can do what I did.

My deployprobe.g file had this: M291 R"DEPLOYPROBE.G" P"DEPLOYPROBE.G" T1

My repractprobe.g file had this: M291 R"RETRACTPROBE.G" P"RETRACTPROBE.G" T1

So whenever G30 invoked (via M401 and M402) them I could see the message popup on the DWC.

So is your homeZ.g file now working?

Frederick

sinned6915

@dc42 can I ask you to help me take a step back and re-think this? The solution is becoming unweildly and in my experience, when things get this complex, its probably because I've overlooked something, or I have completely uderestimated it.

The concept is to use a magnetically coupled microswitch as Z probe and endstop. When attached the NC swtich competes the circuit. When detached, its open. It seems simple enough to accomplish.

alt text

Considering @OwenD comments, does the switch attachement fall under the scope of probe deployment and retraction? The definition of deployprobe.g is just that its a macro. I read that as 'a bunch of gcode'.

Previously with a fixed dock, the switch attachement was accomplished by simply swiping the carraige clockwise or anti-clockwise through a dock fixed in X,Y,Z location. gcode meta commands allowed me to check the probe value to ensure probe pickup, dropoff or malfunction.

Now I am trying to translate to X,Y and then move in Z.
Once at X,Y location, using a G1 H1 in deployprobe to pick up the switch works but causes issues in the subsequent G30 commands. Add to this the redefinition of the probe high or low and redefining the meta commands to interpret the probe values when switching from high or low.

Using a G30 command at the proper X,Y location to couple the switch, the bed moves away from the carraige, similalry to trying to issue a move command when Z is not homed.

So here I sit, realizing the mirage on the horizon is much longer walk for a small drink of water wondering if there is an oaisis that I have overlooked?

fcwilt

@sinned6915 said in Detecting Z-Probe Pickup on move command:

Using a G30 command at the proper X,Y location to couple the switch, the bed moves away from the carraige,

Is the G30 command moving towards Z min or Z max?

Try as I might I cannot G30 to NOT move the bed toward the gantry.

Frederick

OwenD

@sinned6915 said in Detecting Z-Probe Pickup on move command:

@dc42 can I ask you to help me take a step back and re-think this?
<snip>

Considering @OwenD comments, does the switch attachement fall under the scope of probe deployment and retraction? The definition of deployprobe.g is just that its a macro. I read that as 'a bunch of gcode'.

@sinned6915
My suggestion was in reference to you saying that the code was running twice.
The file is indeed just a bunch of code, but it can be called implicitly by you and also internally during the execution of another GCode or process.

Likewise, at the beginning of this thread I suggested that a G1 H* move should achieve what you want if configured correctly.
My modification of your loop code was provided based on your findings that G1 H* didn't work for you.

@dc42 stated above you can configure two probes on your tool.
That would seem to me to be a good solution given you want the probe to function as both an end stop and a probe.

I'll withdraw from this thread to reduce the static as the new information provided changes the way I'd go about it.

sinned6915

@OwenD I was not calling you out on anything- in fact I am grateful that you offered a reaonable explaination to what I was seeing.

I see nothing in the documentation that says issuing a G30 command to probe will execute a deployprobe. Regardless, that is exactly what appears to be happening. Curiously, After I issue the singe G30, I call on the 4 point beld probing/leveling routine. It follows in sucession without retracting the probe.

I think this basically a catch22- I can not pick up the probe with a G1 H1 move command without changing the probe type and that breaks things downstream. I can not do a G30 command withing the deployprobe macro.

The cleanest way seems to be to do it with the while loop withing the deploy probe macro.
Again, I thank you for helping me underdstand that.

fcwilt

@sinned6915 said in Detecting Z-Probe Pickup on move command:
Hi,

I'm still not sure why it is not doing what you want.

I can not pick up the probe with a G1 H1 move command without changing the probe type and that breaks things downstream.

That I do not understand at all as a G1 H1 command has nothing to do with probes.

G1 H1 commands work with endstops, G30 commands work with probes.

In your deployprobe.g that you posted you have this...

G1 H1 Z-280 F300    ; controlled linear move up the height of build envelope
                    ; H1 terminate the move when the endstop switch is triggered
                    ; and set the axis position to the axis limit defined by M208

but I cannot find where you configure that endstop.

I can not do a G30 command withing the deployprobe macro.

No you cannot but again I cannot see why you need to.

As I understand it:

You are trying to pickup the bottom half from a "dock".
Once you do that you will have a functioning Z probe.
You are trying to have the move stop with you have "coupled" with the bottom half.

Is that correct so far?

If it is tell me this - at the moment the bottom half is "coupled" is the switch in the bottom half ON or OFF.

Or to ask another way when the bottom half is in the "dock" is the switch ON or OFF.

I'm still trying to understand why you need to reconfigure the probe.

Thanks.

Frederick

dc42

You can have different deploy and retract files for different Z probes. Name them deployprobe0.g for Z probe 0, deployprobe1.g for Z probe 1, and so on. Similarly for the retraction files. If the file that includes the Z probe number isn't found then it falls back to the regular deployprobe.g and retractprobe.g files.