Tool Detection

The RapidChange ATC uses an infrared beam to detect the presence of the clamping nut at two zones to ensure proper loading and unloading has occurred. The IR sensor must be wired to the controller and configured and enabled in your WebUI profile.

Profile Section

Fields

This section has fourt fields, Input Port and Input Pin are directly editable in this section, while Z Zone 1 and Z Zone 2 are displayed but may not be edited directly. They are auto-calculated whenever Z Position is updated in Pocket Positions.

When you are satisfied, click to save your changes or to discard.

Input Port

Select the input port that the IR sensor is connected to on your UCCNC controller. Options are Port 1 - Port 5.

Input Pin

Select the input pin that the IR sensor is connected to on your UCCNC controller. Options are Pin 1 - Pin 17.

Z Zone 1

The Z MACHINE COORDINATE position at which the IR beam is broken by a properly loaded tool and collet nut assembly, but unbroken by an empty spindle.

Z Zone 1 has greater flexibility of position than Z Zone 2.

Z Zone 2

The Z MACHINE COORDINATE position at which the IR beam is unbroken by a properly loaded tool and collet nut assembly, but broken by an assembly that failed to thread completely.

Z Zone 2 has a small operational range (2-3 millimeters). If you are experiencing issues with false failures when loading, the Z Zone 2 Offset may need to be adjusted.

Updating Zones

Zones for tool detection are calculated as offsets from the Z Position reference. Whenever Z Position is updated, the detection zones are updated.

The offsets for Zone 1 and Zone 2 are set to 2mm below and 2mm above the Z Position reference, respectively. This should be appropriate for most installations.

If you need to adjust the offsets for Zone 1 or Zone 2, they can be found in Edit Z Position Offsets in the Preferences menu.

Options

Disable

When disabled, IR detection will be disabled in the generated tool change subroutines. This will cause the subroutines to hold execution after loading and unloading with a message prompt.

It is not recommended to use RapidChange ATC with Tool Detection disabled in a regular workflow.

Invert Signal

Use this switch to invert the logic when reading the input signal. A reading interpreted as Beam Broken becomes Beam Clear and vice versa.