No jog during tool change

[lvanduyn]

Hi Dave
Thanks for the response of the license version.
I have had to rebuild the system and used the latest I am allowed which is the 12.0.0 version along with the .066
version of mach3. I used a backup XML file and all seemed to be fine except for one thing. I can no longer jog once the system
is in tool change. This worked with the previous installation. Invoking a TC would send the system to the TC position
where I would manually change the tool and then jog the system back over the workpiece to do a TLO with my touch plate.
Any ideas what might have changed ??
Thanks, Larry

[DaveCVI]

Hi Larry,
Nothing obvious comes to mind. MSM doesn't alter any of the jog settings as part of the tool change sequence. So whatever jog mode is set before the tool change should still be active during the tool change.
How about the obvious: is the "Jogging" button on before the tool change? I.e. can you jog before starting a tool change?

Dave

[lvanduyn]

Hi Dave
yes, everything is normal before going into tool change. I ref the machine
and can jog it with the hot keys as well as the wheel on the pendant.
The only thing that is different from before is that (I think) the MSM is a later version
as well as the MAch version.

Larry

[DaveCVI]

I'm puzzled then - I fired up mach 3.43.66 and MSM 2.0.12 and I jogged, then did a tool change -
spindle when to the TCP position, I then jogged around clicked cycle start to end the tool change.
I don't see anything in the MSM release notes re jogging between 2.0.0 and 2.0.12.
Just to check I installed MSM 2.0.0.0 and tried again - still works OK for me.

FYI - I'm on a PP system here, just in case that matters.

Another thought - mach will only let you job from a page that has the jogging button on it, and the button is on.
Are you on an MSM page with the jog button when you try to jog?
Most MSM pages have the jog panel which has that button, but Reference and Settings pages do not.

Dave

[lvanduyn]

Hi Dave
PP here also. I am trying to operate exactly the same as before but something has changed.
I load the G code. Start execution until it hits the M06 tool change. The tool change page
of MSM pops up as expected and the machine travels to the TC position. I change the tool
and then try to jog back to the work as usual to do a TLO but no jog. I am using a VistaCNC
pendant which has worked perfectly so far. May try taking that out to see if anything changes.
Larry

[lvanduyn]

One other thing I noticed is that as soon as the tool change page comes up, the cycle start
light/button on the pendant starts flashing. I don't recall if that was the case before or not.

[DaveCVI]

Was the pendant added between when it last worked and now?
(that question is motivated by the usual trouble shooting approach of" OK, what changed between when it worked and when it didn't?)

Look at the jog type before and during the tool change. I'd expect it to be "cont" (continuous) before - as that is the mode that responds to the arrow keys. While a pendant usually uses MPG. Does the jog type and / or the jog mode (V, SV, S, M) change when you go into a tool change?

Dave

[lvanduyn]

Hi Dave
No, the pendant has been there all along and has worked perfectly until now.
The jog mode is CONT and stays that way when the program starts.
Both hot keys and pendant work before starting the program. Once the program
hits the tool change, the hot keys still work but the pendant does not work either
in the CONT or MPG mode. Also, the start/hold light on the pendant starts to flash.
From all this poking around it would seem that something has changed in the pendant
driver.
Larry

[DaveCVI]

Hum, sounds like it's time to see how detailed the release notes are for the pendant software.
I can see a pendant vendor naively deciding that they should disable movement from the pendant during a tool change; they probably have just not thought thru all the details.... as you clearly are an example of a case where jogging during a tool change sequence is desired.

Dave

[lvanduyn]

The pendant which I have is the model P3. The current offering from the vendor is
the model P3A. I tried the driver for that model but nothing all works with that version so
they have apparently changed quite a bit in the new revision. Anyway, I can work around
the problem. Not quite as convenient as before but doable.
I thank you for the help in suggesting places to look.
Larry