Probe Calibration

[B. Jacobs]

I have a question. When I calibrate my probe tips, I thought that A0,B0 should be the first one to calibrate. Then all the other angles will calibrate in order they show in the Probe window.
My question is this,
When I select a probe to calibrate(mainly one inperticular) it satrts off calibrateing in a different angle,A7.5B-150.
Does this affect my calibration results for all the other angles?
I only use that angle for about two parts that we run. I use the A0,B0 angle 95% of the time. Is there something I need to do to get it to calibrate the A0,B0 first or does it matter?
I have even started by just calibrating the A0,B0 angle then going in and telling it to calibrate all angles. Still nothing.
Thanks

[JamesMannes]

F9 your probe go to...Measure>Edit Tool> and in the search override enter I=0, J=0, K=1. That should give you what you need. Just an fyi, the probe may not always be 0,0. It may be 0,90 or 0,180 etc. etc.

[Matthew D. Hoedeman]

Well, you have found a 'special' feature of Pcdmis.

I have noticed when I have used a star probe, that when I go to calibrate, it will NOT start at A0B0. The times I use a star probe, I usually only have 2 tips in it, one pointing down (A0B0) and one pointing towards the 'back' which will point down when the probe is at A90B0. Now, if I have to use the second tip pointing to the front, that is either A0B180 or B-180. Pcdmis always asks, when using a new tool location, about the T1A0B0 tip and it needing to be calibrated to the prior position or do you even care, etc. You tell it OK to get on with the job. Well, it will come up and tell you to measure a point, normal to the sphere, with T1A0B0 and it will rotate for you to the angle for the touch. Well, it has a really STUPID math operation to get to T1A0B0, Pcdmis picks the tip with the SMALLEST angles. Now, you would thing that A0 and B0 would be the smallest angle, and so did the yutz who wrote the code, but it is NOT the smallest angle. It rotates to A0B-180 thinking THAT is T1A0B0, but it is not! So, I always select T1A0B0 ALL BY ITSELF to start the calibration on a new tool position, then go back and calibrate all the tips. If the tool position is known, then I just let ti go and do what it wants.

BUT, you gotta watch out for that. It appears to be fixed in V3.7 MR3, but it was not right in previous versions (but I do not remember which). However, since A0B0 SHOULD be the 'master' tip, I want to use it for picking up the new tool location, not some other one.

[JamesMannes]

Matt is also correct in his methodology. I forgot to mention that I usually do that also(measure 0,0 first). Thanks for the reminder Matt!!

[B. Jacobs]

I do check the tip at A0,B0 then do an All tip measure. It still moves to a diferent angle when I do this.

[bw_bob]

You do not have to re-qualify A0-B0. Just highlight the rest of your angles leaving 0-0 out.

[Matthew D. Hoedeman]

Yeah, ya don't have to re-do 0-0, but I MUCH prefer all the tips get calibrated at one go. This method also eliminates the possibility of that annoying little pop-up that tells you the tips were calibrated at different times. I know you can set the 'tolerance' for this high enough so that it doesn't pop-up, but I do much prefer all tips calibrated at one go. The time facter for 1 extra tip isn't enough to worry about, but with all the bugs and possible bugs in Pcdmis, I feel safer this way.

[John Kingston]

Yeah, ya don't have to re-do 0-0, but I MUCH prefer all the tips get calibrated at one go. This method also eliminates the possibility of that annoying little pop-up that tells you the tips were calibrated at different times. I know you can set the 'tolerance' for this high enough so that it doesn't pop-up, but I do much prefer all tips calibrated at one go. The time facter for 1 extra tip isn't enough to worry about, but with all the bugs and possible bugs in Pcdmis, I feel safer this way.

WMS

[Johnson]

Why not select user defined for your order?

[William Johnson]

Also in the probe calibration window you can have a (user defined calibration order.) Just select it then select the order that you want them to measure in. In the measure window there is parameter set. Save that defined order there, and it will calibrate in the order that you saved.

[William Johnson]

I also forgot be careful of the order that you pick, If you have a longer probe on it will index into the side arm and/or table. Example you are on the left side of the sphere at A90B90 and your next angle is A90B-180 when it rotates if you probe stack up is long enough it will hit the side of the CMM. This also depends on the type of CMM