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TB131 Rev1 Configure CNC7 for Summing of Z Axis with a Manually Operated
Quill
Overview
This document explains how to configure CNC7 to operate with a manually operated quill and display the
summed positions of Z and the quill on the CNC7 DRO Â
The example in this document assumes that the machine units are inches You must be using CNC7 version
7 50 or later Â
Procedure Â
1 Configure the controlled axes X Y and Z Â
This example assumes that your machine is configured with axis 1 as X 2 as Y 3 as Z and 4 as N none Â
This step was performed for you at the factory or by an authorized factory representative For more
information consult your M Series Operator's Manual or contact your authorized factory representative Â
2 Add the M manual Axis Â
This step may also have been performed for you; however you may need to change the M configuration to
match the direction of the controlled Z axis
 From the main screen Â
1 Press F1 Setup
2 Press F3 Config
3 Press F2 Mach
4 Press F2 Motor
5 Move the cursor to the 4th axis label which should be "N" and change it to "M" for "manual"
6 Enter the Motor revs/inch and Encoder counts/inch values for the quill encoder
7 Press F10 Save
8 Move the quill If you have Z set for negative travel the typical configuration moving the quill
down should cause the M display to go more negative Moving the quill up should cause the display to
go more positive If necessary set the "Dir Rev" column to "Y" in the M axis row so that moving the
quill down results in the same changes to the display as jogging the spindle down Â
3 Set the Travel Limits for Z and Z+M
From the Machine Configuration menu see previous step on how to get there Â
1 Press F2 Jog
2 If travel limits have been entered for axis 3 assumed to be Z for this example do not change
them
3 Move the cursor to the Travel column of axis 4 assumed to be M for this example Enter the
travel range of the summed Z+M travel range that you desire Be careful not to specify a range that
would allow the Z axis to hit the table For most purposes the M Travel and Travel + values can
be the same as set for the Z axis
4 Press F10 Save
5 Press Esc Return to Setup Menu
6 Press Esc Return to CNC7 Main Menu Â
4 Set Parameter 75 Axis Summing Display Control
From the CNC7 main menu Â
1 Press F1 Setup
2 Press F3 Config
3 Press F3 Parms
4 Move the cursor to parameter 75 To use this parameter correctly you must enter a four digit
number representing the summing configuration The four digit positions represent the axes in this
order 4321 A 0 digit in any position disables axis summing for that axis Digits 1 4 name an axis with
which to sum '6' means "hide" the axis display "7" means display only when moved For example
5 To display Z+M in the Z display position enter 400
6 To display Z+M in the Z display position and hide M enter 6400
7 To display Z+M in the Z display position and show M only when M is moved enter 7400
8 To display M+Z in the M display position enter 3000
9 Press F10 Save Â
If you entered 400 the DRO will display ZM in the 3rd display position If you move the quill you will see the M
display change and the amount displayed in the M position will be added to the Z display Â
If you entered 6400 M will not be shown at all Â
If you entered 7400 M will be shown only if you move the quill The M display will remain until you jog a
controlled axis or press Cycle Start Â
5 Set Parameter 76 Manual Input Unrestricted Distance
You may wish to set this parameter if you are using the quill for manual drilling programmed pauses in a job
This parameter specifies how far from a travel limit that you can move the quill without causing a fault If you
set this parameter you can safely keep your hand on the quill handle while the job is running Otherwise a
slight motion even if the quill is all the way up will cause a fault and stop the job This could happen if you
anticipate a stop and reach for the quill handle too quickly Â
If you set this parameter and the quill is all the way up you will be able to pull down on the quill by this amount
while the table is in motion Keep the value small and make sure that a fault occurs well before the tool
reaches the surface of the material Â
Enter a positive value to create an unrestricted range at the positive side of the travel limits Enter a negative
value to create an unrestricted range at the negative side of the travel limits Â
6 Set Parameter 77 Manual Input Movement Tolerance
This parameter is designed to be used with a quill locking mechanism It allows the lock to distort and/or slip a
small amount when under stress If the quill moves more than the given tolerance the job will stop with a fault Â
A typical setting for Parameter 77 is 0 005 inches Â
7 Set Home for All Axes
You can use the MDI to set M and Z home with the M26 command Â
M26/Z sets Z home
M26/M sets M quill home
M26/Z/M sets home for both Z and M Â
The best position for the quill when homed depends on the job and the configuration of your mill For manual
drilling it may be best to home the quill when it is all the way up Homing the quill at some point in the middle
of its range allow you to pull the quill up for tool changes and pull it down for manual drilling Â
Keep in mind that if you change the machine home of the quill you may need to change the travel limits of the
M axis Â
If you home the quill somewhere in the middle of its range and then pull it up keep in mind that you may not
be able to mill as deeply into a part as the Z axis may reach the end of its travel limit before reaching the Z+M
travel limit This situation manifests itself as a "Z travel limit exceeded message" will before the ZM display
reaches the travel limit set for M
In summary the steps required to configure CNC7 for summed axis display are
1 Configure the controlled axes X Y and Z as you would for normal controlled operation
2 Add the M manual axis
3 Set travel limits if desired for Z in the Z travel limits and Z+M in the M travel limits
4 Set Parameter 75 Axis Summing Display Control to 400 To hide the M display enter 6400
5 Optionally set parameter 76 Manual Input Unrestricted Distance to allow for some unrestricted motion at
the top of the travel range This can help avoid accidental faults when used with manual drilling
6 Set parameter 77 Manual Input Movement Tolerance to 0 005 0 005 inches
7 Set home positions for all axes including the quill
Document History
Rev1 Created on 2001 12 19