shopbot indexer post

[windsor]

Hello : I have an indexer on my shopbot and am trying to use it for the first time . I used Aspire 11.5 to create a rounding toolpath with the rotation being along the X Axis . The file runs , but seems to be rotating the B axis when acording to the Aspire preview it should be traversing the X axis . I'm thinking that this is a glitch in the Shopbot inddexer pp . Does anybody know how to modify the pp file to sunstitute the X axis for the B axis ? Thanks

[Rcnewcomb]

Are you using the post processor called ShopBot_Indexer_inch.pp? (Attached)

It assumes the indexer is parallel to the Y axis. This post processor translates X moves (ROTARY_WRAP_X = "yes") .

Code: Select all

POST_NAME = "ShopBot (Indexer)(inch)(*.sbp)"
FILE_EXTENSION = "sbp"
UNITS = "inches"
ROTARY_WRAP_X = "yes"

The translated X moves are output to the B axis using the fifth argument of the M5 ShopBot move command.

Code: Select all

+---------------------------------------------
begin FIRST_FEED_MOVE
"M5,,[Y],[Z],,[X]"
+---------------------------------------------
begin FEED_MOVE
"M5,,[Y],[Z],,[X]"

[windsor]

Thanks you for your quick reply and your help ---I downloaded the indexer post from the Vectric website . My output looks different from yours though . :-------

'VECTRIC POST REVISION
'CC02CF325D9325C9D54A6A28BE6599FA
'Rounding Toolpath
'File created: Saturday January 21 2023 - 05:48 PM
'For ShopBot Control: SB3 Alpha from Vectric
'
'UNITS:Inches
'
'Set router RPM to 12000
PAUSE
'
'
'Turning router ON
SO,1,1
PAUSE,2
'
VD,,5
&Diameter=3.0000
&FeedRate=2.5
&RotationalFeedRate=&Feedrate/(&Diameter*3.14159/360)
MS,2.5,0.3
VS,,,,&RotationalFeedRate
JZ,2.5081
My rotational axis is along the X axis though . I thought that you could change this in the design file and that the pp would look after it ? as it is I think the B axis moves should be the X axis moves ---I'm going to try your pp file later when I get a chance to play with it again

[Rcnewcomb]

I thought that you could change this in the design file and that the pp would look after it ?

That was true in releases before V9.5. But when rotary was added as a native job setup the rotary job and the post process must agree on whether the indexer is parallel X or parallel Y.

Do you have a separate driver for your indexer, or are you moving the X axis cable to the indexer motor?

[windsor]

I have a seperate driver for the indexer . The shopbot display shows X,Y, A , and B the B axis rotated when I manually type in a move value for B

[Rcnewcomb]

My output looks different from yours though .

My file was the post processor (.pp) file rather than the output file.

Can you upload the .PP file that you are using so we are looking at the same thing?

[Rcnewcomb]

I believe you want to use this post processor for your setup. I found it on the ShopBot Drivers and Patches page.

[windsor]

Thanks for you help Randal . I tried the pp that you uploaded and itis doing the same thing . ---Lots of rotation of the B axis , but very little movement in the X or y axis . I'm not even sure how to find the pp file that I downloaded from the vectric website . The file I used was an instalation file and then it apeared on the drop down list in Aspire , I cant attatch it here . Probably because it's an executable file , I can't even post a link because it's a selection menu :Shopbot / PRS/ 96,48

[adze_cnc]

Lots of rotation of the B axis , but very little movement in the X or y axis.

Would your machine be set to Metric (mm)? Post processor might be saying "move 2 inches" and machine is saying "2mm, yes sir."

[windsor]

Thanks for the ssuggestion . but I'm definitely in inches

[windsor]

I contacted Shopbot support and they were very fast with a reply . I got a link to several pp files -x parallel and y parallel . This one made the x axis move the way that I was expecting it to , but the B axis did not move at all . It apears that the y was moving instead of the B (rotational ) axis

[windsor]

I think I've found the problem : So I did everything again in Aspire 11.5 , but in the create rounding toolpath dialogue I selected “ raster along cylinder “ ---I was using “Optimized raster “ before . I used the Indexer X-parallel pp and now things are moving the way I was expecting . I’ve only air cut so far , but I am sure that it’s right and the problem is with the “ Optimized Raster ( along cylinder) in Aspire

[Rcnewcomb]

I'm glad you found a resolution. Once people get into rotary they will frequently create their own rounding routines rather than using the gadget, or skip the rounding process altogether.

A good initial project is to V-carve some text on a cylinder. This helps validate if everything is aligned and the Z-zero is accurate.

When you start doing 3D work on the rotary axis I recommend learning how to do the continuous-turning toolpath that Milo Scott developed. It is substantially faster.

[windsor]

How would I find out about the continuos turning toolpath ? --I noticed that the raster along cylinder toolpath in Aspire creates a lot of air cuts and takes a long time . ---I can see how the indexer is going to be addictive lol

[adze_cnc]

A search (see upper right corner of this page) for "continuous rotation" brought up this post by Rcnewcomb.