Surface scan

Surface scan

How to get the height information of a work piece.

• Install a probe at your machine which triggers the Probe pin (A5 at arduino) when touching the work piece surface. A NO (normally open) switch, connected to ground and A5, is what we need. (Or when using a NC (normally closed) switch change $6=1).
  Note: if the probe is triggered, the Z axis needs some time and distance to decelerate which could cause mechnical stress to your probe (depending on mounting).
• Be sure the max. speed settings $110, $111, $112 are not too high - causing step loss
• A homing of the machine is recommended
• Find the needed travel range downwards for the Z axis. Manual probing can be started via the command "G38.3 Z-5" (probe toward workpiece, stop on contact), where Z-5 a max. travel deepth of 5 units (mm) defines. If the probe is not triggered until -5, a deepth of -5 will be assumed.
• Setup and run the surface scan

The Probe

Some examples of DIY probes:

1 with micro-switch, 2, 3 using a needle, 4, 5 made of brass

Setup of the surface scan

• Open the surface scan window via [Machine control - Surface scan].
  
• Define the area where to scan the height profile via lower-left and upper-right edge, or via lower-left edge and X- and Y-dimension.