Adding a 'Park Mode' to a cnc router?

[routercnc]

I'm nearly finished my second cnc machine, and this time the layout is a traditional moving gantry type, with a long X axis (which the gantry moves along), and a short Y axis.

My question is whether there is a simple way to implement a 'Park' button which sends the tool from X0 Y0 (home, bottom left corner) to X0 Y500 (top left corner) to move it out of the way when loading and clamping work pieces. Although not a massive problem, it might be a nice feature to give a bit more elbow room.

I'm running Mach3, so can obviously use the MDI and type commands in, but a dedicated external button might be nice. I'm assuming this would need a script (which I haven't a clue about) to move the tool to home in Z (in case it was near or in the work) then over to X0 Y0. Any ideas?

Thanks

[John S]

Yup doddle, busy at the moment upsetting customers, reply later.

[routercnc]

Hi John,

Are you still upsetting those poor customers . . . . ?

You've got me intrigued by the apparent simplicity of the answer.

Barry

[irving2008]

Probably involves a 'birmingham screwdriver'....

[John S]

Sorry forgot this one.

Go to the Machsupport.com site and under downloads > Mach and lazycam > right at the bottom download the screen 4 program.
Unzip and drop into a folder called screens inside mach3.

Open Screen 4, load your screen, standard one is called 1024.set.

You now need a new button somewhere on the screen, click the button in the left menu then click on the screen to get it to appear, drag and resize it to where you want it.

Then double click the new button and it's edit box will appear, near the bottom it says button label text, type in Park.
Click the radio button for G Code function and in the box at the side type in X0.0 Y500.0

Save the screen under a different name like barry.set
exit screen 4,
load Mach up, go to View > Load Screens and select barry.set and it will have the button you need, press it and it buggers off to X0.0 Y500.0

.

[routercnc]

Hi John,

More great stuff, thanks! Wow, this opens up alot of possibilities. Since this new button can take a hotkey, I was thinking of buying a USB keypad (i.e. just the bit on the far right of most keyboards containing the numbers and 3 LEDs) and putting this somewhere handy. Looks like they will fit in your hand. I can then be right next to the cutter and jog the machine as before, but add another hotkey for park. Think these keypads are about £10. Lovely!

Thanks
Barry