Tool Change: button - what does it actually do??

[FerrumD]

Ok. I've got my machine up and running - it was a mild uphill-struggle with a few bits and pieces, but it successfully ran it's first fusion360 generated G-Code yesterday.

what I don't get is this:
on the MAIN Screen:
there's a "CHANGE TOOL" button.... I can enter a tool number and tap on CHANGE TOOL...
but what exactly does this suppose to do?? It does NOT seem to load the corresponding tool offset... so I have to go and manually MDI enter the G43Hxx command to load the tool number.
so what's the point of the "CHANGE TOOL" button?

I ask mostly because of two aspects:
PROBING... I've stored my manual 3D probe as tool #96... and of course the probe has an offset of it's own...
OR when I want to use the mill in "manual" mode"

from what I can tell, clicking on "Change tool" does exactly nothing...

[ger21]

According to the documentation, it should run the M6 macro.

[dezsoe]

It runs the M6 macro IF it is enabled. See the general settings.

The M6 macro normally should not apply the tool length offset, it should be in your g-code. However, as other macros, you may edit the M6 macro and insert code to apply the TLO.

[FerrumD]

It runs the M6 macro IF it is enabled. See the general settings.

The M6 macro normally should not apply the tool length offset, it should be in your g-code. However, as other macros, you may edit the M6 macro and insert code to apply the TLO.

Ah found the setting.... thanks.

I've added a Message output as a test... and now it pops up a test message when I click the tool change button.


Can you elaborate on why the Tool change macro should not call G43Hxx ?
I'm new to this stuff after 20 years of mostly conventional machining and trying to learn...

Or would you rather make a custom macro, I could link that to one of the buttons my WHB04B Remote... to say call G43Hxx after a manual tool change without G-Code running?

[dezsoe]

I think it's a safety thing. The standard exactly states that nothing else should happen in M6 than the tool change itself.

The TLO can be applied both in positive and negative direction: G43 or G44. Also, you may assign the offset of a different tool like M6T1 and G43H5.

Google for the RS274NGC pdf to learn more about the g-code standard. The UCCNC follows this book if possible. Of course, those g- and m-codes that didn't exist when the standard was written cannot follow the book.

Save the following code as a macro as any of M20000 to M21999. You can assign a button with the same number and it will run the macro which sets the TLO to the current tool.

Code: Select all

int currenttool = exec.Getcurrenttool();
exec.Code("G43 H" + currenttool.ToString());


[ger21]

G43 is typically in your g-code.

[FerrumD]

I think it's a safety thing. The standard exactly states that nothing else should happen in M6 than the tool change itself.

The TLO can be applied both in positive and negative direction: G43 or G44. Also, you may assign the offset of a different tool like M6T1 and G43H5.

Google for the RS274NGC pdf to learn more about the g-code standard. The UCCNC follows this book if possible. Of course, those g- and m-codes that didn't exist when the standard was written cannot follow the book.

Save the following code as a macro as any of M20000 to M21999. You can assign a button with the same number and it will run the macro which sets the TLO to the current tool.

Code: Select all

int currenttool = exec.Getcurrenttool();
exec.Code("G43 H" + currenttool.ToString());


Thanks! this is exactly what I needed...


much appreciated!

[FerrumD]

G43 is typically in your g-code.

I was aware of that - I was looking for what the manual tool change button does... or should do - as without an ATC the button seems to serve no function and I was wondering what I could use it for in a manual tool change.

But yes it makes sense to keep the G43 out of the actual M6 macro.... and implement a solution like Dezsoe pointed out...