Hello. I am brand new to CNC and setting up my first machine. It is a Zenbot CNC Pro 2 with a 2.2kW spindle, Geckodrive G540, will be running Mach 3. I am installing the Avid touch plate and wondering if it possible to use the splitter harness instead of the magnet. I’m not sure if the splitter harness is only compatible with Avid machines. My machine has proximity sensors with the same M12 connectors. I would like to run the touch plate cable to a panel mount connector on my control box. Thanks for any advice!
Disclaimer: I don’t own the Avid touch plate in particular, but have a few others
Touch plates in general are very simple - the plate is wired as one electrode, and the tool (sometimes by way of the spindle or machine frame) is wired as the other, so when they touch they close the circuit. Most commonly you’d ground one of the electrodes (e.g. chassis or spindle), and then tie the plate to an input with a pull-up resistor thus accepting the OPEN/GND input from the plate. The G540 says it supports SPST switches as inputs and that they’re ground-referenced, so you’re good.
The only difference between the magnet vs. grounding harness is whether you’re grounding the tool temporarily (magnet) vs. permanently (wire lug to chassis/spindle)
Given the inherent simplicity, and the fact that you need to wire it up yourself anyway (so the exact pinout of the M12 connector is more or less arbitrary for you), I think you’ll be fine.
Makes sense. I will give it a shot. I appreciate the response!