CMM won't automatically load probe, gives "load probe x" message.

[Jtkuyt]

I'm building up a new probe for a program, trying to get it calibrated, all the usual. It's a Leitz LSP-X1S scanning head, standard tool holder, and a 5mm by 50mm stylus. Really simple stuff, but the machine refuses to load it. I've got it built, and assigned to a port on the tool changer, but when I put in a loadprobe command and hit "Load active probe", it goes to the changer, unloads whatever was in, then stops and gives me a pop-up message saying to load the probe. How do I override this and make the machine just load the probe automatically?

[NinjaBadger]

IF you exit the software, reopen it and check the tool changer is the probe showing as assigned to the correct slot?

Also there aren't more than one probes added to that slot are there?

[Jtkuyt]

Yes, it remembers the probe is in that port, and there are no other probes assigned to it.

[Don Ruggieri]

This can be a problem with the file permissions on the toolchanger file (TOOLC.DAT). Go into the ProgramData folder and see what the timestamp is, should be when it was last calibrated or edited.

[Jtkuyt]

the timestamp is the last edit date. (today)

[thenev]

Hit F9 on the "loadprobe" line, click the "Setup" button and make sure the box marked "Don't ask operator for currently loaded probe file when using a probe changer." is checked.

[Don Ruggieri]

How many racks do you have on the table, defined in PC-DMIS? Is this probe name only occurring in one slot and no others?

Oh, and one other question I should ask, are you in DCC mode?

[Jtkuyt]

One rack, containing (currently) 3 ports, defined fine in PC-DMIS, doesn't give me trouble with other ports, or other probes in this one. Yes, the probe is only programmed in one position. It is in DCC mode.

[Jtkuyt]

I've not had any luck yet, it still won't load the probe, but I've had a thought as to why.

According to the info on the scanning head, it has a maximum horizontal probe length of 50mm. When I factor in the tip and the toolholder, the entire assembly is about 63mm long. could this be a factor? It seems odd (because it's not loading the part horizontally) but maybe that's all it takes...

[Don Ruggieri]

That should have nothing to do with this issue.

Can you compress and attach your probe files, all the ones that are involved in the rack slots, and the toolc.dat file as well? Might as well include one of the programs you are having the problem with also, so we can see the command that wants to load the probe. Maybe we can spot something.

[Jtkuyt]

Here's the active probe files (5x50 is the problematic one). It gives me the same problem in every program I've tried, and it does it with any loadprobe command involving the 5x50.CMM Probe files.zip

[Don Ruggieri]

OK, the probe file names seem fine, and they match those in toolc.dat I do not see the problem. Have you tried destroying the probe file and creating it from scratch? Have you tried using it in a different slot? Have you tried destroying the toolc.dat file and re-creating it from scratch? I am not sure what to tell you here just yet, but it will work once we figure out where the problem lies.

[thenev]

Have you tried the suggestion I posted in reply #6?

[Jtkuyt]

Don: I sort of did this, in that I built a different probe (8x75 or something like that) and was encountering the same problem. I built the 5x50 because I assumed the errors were related to being too long. I'll rebuild it again, though.
How do I recreate the ToolC.dat? I'm assuming just deleting the old one is foolish...
Thenev: Yes, but no luck. It's a different message from the usual "OK to load probe X?" popup, it's telling me to attach the probe manually. If it were a quick, run-once program, it'd be fine, but when the program takes several minutes, and I typically end up running scores of parts for a capability study, I prefer programs I don't have to babysit so closely.

[Don Ruggieri]

How do I recreate the ToolC.dat? I'm assuming just deleting the old one is foolish....

Not foolish at all. This is the simplest and cleanest way to do it, though it will require that you re-calibrate the rack and re-define the slots contents