Congratulations on your decision to purchase the Triquetra Auto Zero Touch Plate for All Three Axis. This user guide along with the videos included on the CD should have you on your way to perfect zero in no time at all. In this guide you will find a description of the G-Code files included, and instructions on fine tuning your touch plate to achieve a perfect zero every time. If you have questions that are not answered here or in the videos, or if you just need further instructions, please feel free to contact me at charleyntexas@gmail.com. Contents How to create Automatic 3 Axis Zeroing G-Code files using the Triquetra Tool Box for use with Easel.... 2 How to create Automatic 3 Axis Zeroing code for Shapeoko CNC Machines... 3 Important factors to understand when zeroing in Carbide Motion... 3 How to create Automatic 3 Axis Zeroing G-Code files using the Triquetra Tool Box for use with 3 rd party G-code Senders such as Universal G-Code Sender and PicSender... 4 How to create Automatic 3 Axis Zeroing G-Code files using the G-Code Generator Spreadsheet for use with 3 rd party G- code Senders such as Universal G-Code Sender and PicSender... 4 How to Fine Tune Your Touch Plate for More Accurate Zeroing... 5 Stepper Calibration... 7
How to create Automatic 3 Axis Zeroing G-Code files using the Triquetra Tool Box for use with Easel. 1. Configure your touch plate for use in Easel through the Machine setup in Easel just as you would if you purchased a touch plate from Inventables. 2. After installing the Triquetra Tool Box and entering the activation codes you will be presented with a screen to enter the measurements of your touch plate. Please refer to the picture that has a red arrow indicating the orientation of the touch plate when you take your measurements. Enter the measurements for each axis as they are presented. After all measurements are entered you will have a confirmation screen to review and edit your entries if needed. 3. Go to the Main Menu. Click on the Zeroing in Easel button. If your version of the Triquetra Tool Box does not have that button then you will need to download the latest version. Select either Inch Mode or Millimeter Mode, verify the touch plate measurements are correct and then click on the Generate 3 Axis G-code button. The file will be saved in the C:\Gcode folder unless you change it. 4. If you haven t already done so, install AutoHotKey. Once installed you will not need to access it directly. It is a small program that sits idle until you invoke it with a hot key combination to run the macro g-gcode. 5. To Zero in Easel, first you have to load the zeroing file you created. Navigate to the location it was saved (default is C:\Gcode\) and double click on the file. You won t see anything happen but the file will be loaded and ready to execute. Open Easel and load your project that you want to carve. When ready to zero your X Y Z axis, hold down the <CTRL> key and tap the letter <a> on your keyboard. You will be presented with a series of pop up boxes. Read each of them and follow the instructions they provide. Take note that when the zeroing process begins, movement will stop when each axis is touched by the bit. You can either wait for the timer to run out at which time the next axis will be zeroed or you can hit the <space bar> to cancel the timer after the bit stops at each axis which will shorten the overall time it takes to complete the zeroing process. 6. After the Z axis is zeroed and the bit moves out of the way, remove the touch plate and wiring and click the OK button in the popup box. Your bit will move to X Y Z zero. 7. To carve your project, click the green Carve button and proceed as normal. You will not need to home your machine again. When presented with the screen in Easel that tells you to position your bit at X Y Z zero you can just click the button to use your last position.
How to create Automatic 3 Axis Zeroing code for Shapeoko CNC Machines Starting with version 2.0 of the Triquetra Tool Box, you can now zero all three axis, just the X and Y axis or Just the Z axis of Your Shapeoko machine while still inside of Carbide Motion. You are no longer required to use a third party program such as Universal Gcode Sender. Here s how to do it. 1. First you will need to have AutoHotKey installed on the computer that is controlling your CNC machine. AutoHotKey is available on the Thumb drive that you may have purchased with your touch plate or you can download it from https://triquetra-cnc.com/triquetra-users/ under the Downloads Heading, sub section G-Code Sending Software. 2. With both the Triquetra Tool Box and AutoHotKey installed, you will need to generate the AutoHotKey script. From the Triquetra Tool Box Main Menu, click the button for Carbide Motion Zeroing. Then simply click the button to Generate 3 Axis G-Code. This will create a AutoHotKey script and saved in the C:\Gcode folder of your hard drive unless you changed the default location. 3. When you are ready to zero your machine, go to the folder where the AutoHotkey script is located that you generated in the above step and Double Click on it one time. You may not notice anything happen but this will load the script into your computer memory and it is waiting for you to activate it. 4. To start the script, use the key combination CTRL a. Just hold down the CTRL key and tap the letter a. 5. When the script starts you will be presented with a series of popup boxes. On the initial use, please read each of them carefully and follow the directions they contain. They will guide you through each step of the process. Once you become familiar with the script you will be able to skip through them quickly. Important factors to understand when zeroing in Carbide Motion 1. The AutoHotkey script does not control Carbide Motion. It actually just sends g-code commands to your CNC through the Data Entry field on the MDI tab. It is critical that you follow the steps in the popup box that tells you how to get Carbide Motion ready to accept the inputs. 2. Another critical aspect is your bit position prior to zeroing. The popup box will tell you where it should be but I will try to explain it here as well. The first axis to be zeroed when doing all three or just the X and Y is the X axis. To get it ready to start, you must position your bit as follows: 1. The bit must be positioned along the right side of the touch plate no more than 1/2 inch (12.7mm) forward of the right back corner. 2. The tip of the bit must be BELOW the top of the touch plate. It s best to have it about 1/8 inch away from the material you are zeroing to. 3. The bit should be about 1/4 inch to the right of the touch plate.
How to create Automatic 3 Axis Zeroing G-Code files using the Triquetra Tool Box for use with 3 rd party G-code Senders such as Universal G-Code Sender and PicSender 1. After installing the Triquetra Tool Box and entering the activation codes you will be presented with a screen to enter the measurements of your touch plate. Please refer to the picture that has a red arrow indicating the orientation of the touch plate when you take your measurements. Enter the measurements for each axis as they are presented. After all measurements are entered you will have a confirmation screen to review and edit your entries if needed. 2. For machines that are Arduino based controllers, click on the Standard G-code button on the Main Menu. Select the location you want your X Y Z zero to be located. Fill in the bit diameter and click on the Generate 3 Axis G-code button or the Z axis only button. The file will be saved in the C:\Gcode folder unless you change it. 3. With your Touch Plate in place, positioned your bit to the right side of the touch plate so that it is less than ½ inch away from it, and about ½ inch forward of the back corner, lower the tip of your bit about so it is about 1/8 inch above the material your are zeroing to. Connect the Banana plug to the touch plate in one of the holes provided and ground wire connected to the collet or bit. Now simply load the file in your favorite G-code sender and send the file as you would any other carving file. Please take the time to watch all the videos included all the way through. I understand there is repeated information but there is also additional information in each file that is relevant to the use of the touch plate and G-Code Generator spread sheet. How to create Automatic 3 Axis Zeroing G-Code files using the G-Code Generator Spreadsheet for use with 3 rd party G-code Senders such as Universal G-Code Sender and PicSender Your first g-code file for auto zeroing should be done using a v-bit to get the most accurate settings. If you don t have a v-bit then use the smallest bit that you have. A 1/16 inch or smaller ball nose bit with a 1/8 shank will work. If all you have are straight endmills then you can still create the file but accuracy will likely be off slightly for the X and Y axis. 1. Open the spreadsheet and click on the inch Settings link or click on the tab at the bottom of the spreadsheet labeled Settings. 2. Click the radio button (Blue Boxes) to set your units to either inches or millimeters 3. Enter your touch plate measurements in the green boxes as illustrated in the diagram. The measurements shown in the diagram are NOT the actual measurements of your touch plate and should not be used. 4. Click the Navigation link at the top of the page and then the Inch Mode (or Millimeter Mode) link on the Navigation page or just click the Inch Mode tab (or Millimeter Mode) at the bottom of the page. 5. Enter your desired feed rate in the first green box. I recommend 3 or less in inch mode and 75 or less in millimeter mode.
6. Enter the bit diameter you are using. Be sure to keep the measurement units the same as the mode. If you are in inch mode then use inch measurements for your bit and millimeter measurements if you are in millimeter mode. 7. After the feed rate and bit diameter are entered the zeroing G-code will automatically be updated and displayed in the bright yellow box. Select all the code at one time by clicking on the first line of code and then holding down the left mouse button and dragging you mouse to the last line of code. Then right click inside the selected code and choose the copy command. 8. Open a blank Windows Notepad document. Right click inside the empty Notepad document and click on the paste command. All of the code should now be inside the Notepad document. 9. Under the file menu of the Notepad document choose save and give the file a name of your choice. You now have a zeroing g-code file for the bit diameter you entered in the spreadsheet. Refer to Fine Tuning section below for information about how to get a more accurate zero. Properly positioning your bit prior to running the g-codes to zero out your machine, is very important. Watch the Bit Position and Machine Position video included on the CD for instructions before you use the touch plate. If you need help wiring up your new touch plate there is a wiring diagram include on the CD in the "Wiring" folder. How to Fine Tune Your Touch Plate for More Accurate Zeroing All hobby type CNC machines have subtle differences. One of these differences that can affect accurate zeroing is how far the machine moves in any given direction for a given distance. If you give a command that tells the machine to move exactly 1 inch, it may or may not move exactly 1 inch. It may only move.996 inches. A discrepancy of only four thousands of an inch. Not much granted but it will affect a truly accurate zeroing process which can in turn affect your final product. During the zeroing process, a command is issued by the g-code file to tell the machine to move in a certain direction looking for the touch plate. When the bit touches the plate it sets the work position as zero. A follow up command is issued to reset the zero position that is equal to the distance that the bit is away from the edge of the work piece plus 1/2 the diameter of the bit. A machine that has a discrepancy in travel such as described above will have its zero position set and be technically correct. However, when a command is received to send the bit to work position zero it will be incorrect due to the machine discrepancy because even though the command to go to zero is correct the distance the machine actually travels maybe either too far or not far enough. These discrepancies can be caused by a number of factors such as loose belts, binding mechanisms, improperly adjusted v-wheels, and stepper calibration errors. The G-Code Generator spreadsheet has a page included for stepper calibration calculations.
If your machine is adjusted as good as you can get it, but there is still a discrepancy, then there is a method that can help resolve the problem of not achieving an accurate zero. You can fine tune the touch plate. To fine tune your touch plate do the following using a V-Bit. 1. Using a V-Bit of your choice (because it has a point) make sure that your bit, touch plate, and work surface are clean and clear of debris such as saw dust. 2. Run the zeroing sequence for the selected size bit. 3. Remove the touch plate and jog the bit to work position 0,0,0. This should put the tip of the v-bit very close to the corner of the work piece and the software you are using should show 0 for all three axis in the work position boxes. 4. Look very closely at the location of the tip of your v-bit. If it is off in any direction then jog your machine so that the bit is exactly on the corner of the work piece. A bright light and magnifying glass helps to accomplish this. (I used my smart phone camera and it worked surprisingly well enabling me to see the tip of the bit and its relation to my work surface.) If you have difficulty with the Z axis, then skip that for now and concentrate on the X and Y axis. 5. Once you are satisfied with the position of the X and Y axis look at the work position of your machine that is shown in your controller software. If you had to move either of these then you will see the new position displayed. Typically it won't be more than (+ -).0100. Write those numbers down for each axis adjusted and be sure to include the + or -. 6. Refer to the G-Code Generator spreadsheet. Look at the values entered for the corresponding axis that were adjusted to bring your bit to an accurate zero position. The values in the spread sheet represent the measurements of the touch for each axis. If the adjustment value you wrote down is a positive number then the machine traveled too far and you should subtract that amount from the value that was originally entered for that axis in the spreadsheet. Example: Original X axis measurement is 2.000 inches. Adjustment to get the bit to true X0 is +.006. Then new value to enter in the spreadsheet for the X axis measurement will be calculated as 2 -.006 = 1.994. If the number you wrote down was +.006 then the new value for the X axis in the spreadsheet will be calculated as 2 +.006 = 2.006. Do the same for the Y axis if needed. Be sure to save the G-Code Generator spread sheet if changes are made. 7. If you skipped the Z axis and it didn't look correct then do the following. Jog the machine to a flat are of the work piece. Use a scrap of the thinnest paper you can find. Register receipts or pages from a magazine are typically thinner than notebook paper. Place a piece under the bit and start lowering it. As you get closer to the paper, reduce your feed travel until you are moving at no more than.001 inches per jog movement. Continue lowering the bit until it traps the paper. You only want it trapped, not punched through. Once you are satisfied that this position is where you want your Z zero to be, then look at the current machine work position that is reported as in step 5. Make changes to the G-Code Generator spread sheet using the same instructions as for the X and Y axis in step 6. Save the changes to the G-Code Generator spread sheet. 8. In the G-Code Generator, copy the g-code in the yellow boxes and paste the new code in the appropriate file for the bit size that you just used in step 2 being sure to replace the current contents of the file and save it.
9. Load the new file and re-zero your machine. Remove the touch plate and check the results. If done properly, your bit should now be perfectly set on 0,0,0. 10. If adjustments were made to any of the axis that improved your resulting 0,0,0 then you will need to recreate new g-code files for your other bits with the new settings you have in the G-Code Generator spread sheet. You should not have to repeat this process unless something is changed on your machine, however, you should take a close look at the bit from time to time to insure it looks correct. If you notice a sudden change in the accuracy of the zeroing process then you should look for problems with your machine. A sudden error generally means that you didn't have the touch plate set correctly, you used the wrong g-code file for your bit, or there is a problem with the machine such as a loose belt or debris. Stepper Calibration Calibrating your stepper motors can make a significant improvement in the quality of your carvings especially if you are doing 3D and V carvings with fine detail. If you are using an X-Carve your system should already be set up with the default stepper calibration. However, there are things that can affect just how well calibrated your machine is. Stepper Calibration is basically telling the GRBL controller how many steps to rotate the stepper motor to move your bit 1 millimeter. This is normally set to 40 for the X and Y axis. A very minor adjustment can make a world of difference in making squares actually square and circles actually round. Included on this CD is a video demonstrating the procedure to calibrate your stepper motors. The G-Code Generator spreadsheet has a page to input the relevant information as shown in the video. This process should be performed on initial setup of your machine and again after a few hours of use to allow for break-in of your drive belts. It should also be done anytime you make a physical change to the machine such as installing modifications or adjusting your belt tension. Please watch the Stepper Calibration video for complete instructions. Thank you again for your purchase. Charley Thomas