We use cookies to personalize content, interact with our analytics companies, advertising networks and cooperatives, and demographic companies, provide social media features, and to analyze our traffic. Our social media, advertising and analytics partners may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. Learn more.
Fair enough @MarkA.Bachman - if your existing process ain’t broke, don’t fix it
I believe my Grbl settings are the defaults produced by the Easel set-up process on a brand-new X-Carve, but the behaviour you describe definitely suggests your Z axis travel is reversed. VTransfer expects -ve Z movement to be downwards. The probing cycle triggers a -50mm move in Z (G38.2 Z-50 F100). If the probe is touched within that distance then it sets Z according the the Z Touch Plate Thickness setting under Settings->Configuration File Edit Settings… The default for the X-Carve is 15mm, which was simply measured from the probe kit I received from Inventables.
Thanks for the feedback though, I think I will add a start-up test to validate the Grbl settings are as needed in the next release. I have considered it a core principle with VTransfer that it neither changes any grbl setting ‘behind the scenes’ nor modifies the g-code that is passed to it - but since it does assume certain settings, it makes sense to warn if they do not match.
Edward I don’t think you understand the issue I am having.
My configuration wass also done with standard Easel on a late 2016 X Carve. To my knowledge there have been no changes that would come into play here.
When jogging with the VTransfer all axis move as they should.
I believe the issue is that VTransfer thinks contact is made immediately when the probe is plugged in and that is why it raises and alarms when activated.
I ask for any XCarve Vectric users to join in the thread and report their experience with VTransfer.
You’re right @MarkA.Bachman I did misunderstand, thanks for the clarification and I do understand the problem now. It does sound exactly as you say - the probe is triggering immediately. I guess we need to check your $6 value? And I should just confirm that your probing cycle works fine within Easel? Intriguing…
My probing works fine with Easel, thus my reference to not changing my grbl settings.
I really want someone else to try this on an XCarve that works fine with Easel.
Does it automatically turn on and off the router/spindle as Easel does?
I will report my $6 setting this evening when I fire it up. Let’s also compare the versions of grbl and Easel being used.
Ed I appreciate your help with this and ask if you have used VTransfer on an XCarve? I thougth there were only 500, 750, and 1000 models out there?
I struggle to understand why your XCarve would perform differently than mine does.
Is this VTransfer app part of your responsibility at Vectric?
Hi @MarkA.Bachman - Yes, I’m using VTransfer on an X-Carve I bought in the summer. It is the smallest model, which has has a machinable area of just under 300mm square I think? I guess the 500 refers the machines footprint, not its machineable area? And, yes, VTransfer is part of my responsibility at Vectric and I wrote the core code so I am well motivated to make sure it works correctly!
On this forum, and elsewhere, we regularly receive inquiries about the final step of getting the toolpaths from VCarve to the machine tool, particularly in garages with no internet connection so I released VTransfer alongside the v9.5 updates to see if we might address this issue for X-Carvers in particular.
I had assumed that the grbl set-up of XCarves would be very consistent because they are flashed by Easel, but I guess I’m learning…
No, there are as many different grl settings as grains of sand on a beach and users that don’t use Easel…
The dimensions of a 500mm refer to the frame size. The frame components measure 500mm in length. I think that they should have used the work area size for labeling the different offerings. Would have caused fewer mis-understandings and angry buyers.
I can’t use VTransfer because I’m stuck with version 8.5, but I wanted to thank you for adding this feature and thank all of your coworkers’ for providing quality software to the CNC community.
I think Ed might be referring to Easel users having same configuration. Many of the grbl seting should have no effect with VTransfer but I understand some will.
And I am also very appreciative of the Vectric software and their generous updates with many added features. I believe I got my money’s worth with my purchase of VCarve Desktop.
Ed, below image shows my Easel driver versions and grblr version.
It also shows the contact indication for probe.
My $6 is 0
How does this compare with your set up?
I want to work with you to get the VTransfer figured out for that day that I have no internet.
I’ve been out of the UK for the last week and only back into the office today - a common occurrence in my job I’m afraid. I need to get through my backlog, but hopefully will get some time in the workshop tomorrow afternoon (UK time). I can tell you that my easel setting $6 is 0, but I do not see the green indicator on the machine inspector with the probe plugged in and not in contact - I take it that your screen grab is with the probe either unplugged or in contact? Otherwise it seems to be suggesting you have a short in your probe setup somewhere?
I understand being away and getting caught up when back as I too travel for work.
That screenshot was without probe connected.
Get back to me when you get caught up.
Thanks
So it seems this is rather a common experience. My quick digest of the causes identified in the thread is:
The Arduino is faulty - but if probing works under Easel, we can eliminate this.
The jog distance is in the wrong units and so the travel is too short to contact - VTransfer requires grbl to be in mm’s, but I also think this is unlikely to be the problem and sending mm move in inches mode would cause too much travel, not too little I think?
There is noise being generated on the probe line - unlikely if probing always works on Easel, but could be the case if the problem is actually intermittent and we’ve just been unlucky.
The probing feedrate is too fast - but this one seems a little vague. You could certainly test this by manually entering ‘G38.2 Z-50 F1’ using the console and trying different feedrates (F values)?
Could you give 4) a go and see if a manually entered version of the command works?
