Manual

VMA 15.0.0 Touch Probe Manual

🔧 What This Manual Covers

This manual covers Touch Probe-specific functionality for VMA 15.0.0TP. The TP system includes ALL vision measurement capabilities from VMA 15.0.0 — including Teaching Support, Tool Suggestion, and AF Retry — PLUS physical contact measurement using a touch trigger probe. This enables true 3D measurement of cones, cylinders, spheres, and torus geometries that camera vision cannot measure. For all vision features, refer to the VMA 15.0.0 Manual.

Chapter 1

Vision vs Touch Probe — When to Use Each

The VMA-TP system gives you two measurement modalities. Knowing when to use each is key to accurate, efficient measurement.

Measurement Need	Use Vision	Use Touch Probe
2D edges, circles, lines	✓ Preferred	Possible but slower
Hole diameter and position	✓ Preferred	✓ Alternative
Surface height (Z)	✓ Via AF probe	✓ Via TP point
3D cone geometry	✕ Cannot	✓ Required
3D cylinder (axis + diameter)	✕ Cannot	✓ Required
Sphere measurement	✕ Cannot	✓ Required
Torus measurement	✕ Cannot	✓ Required
Undercuts and hidden features	✕ Cannot	✓ Possible with right stylus

The touch probe physically contacts the part. This means it can measure features that the camera cannot see — internal geometries, angled surfaces, and 3D forms. The tradeoff is speed: vision measurement is much faster for 2D features.

Chapter 2

What Changed from VMA 11.6.2TP

Of the 39 TP-specific guide files, 18 have updated content in version 15.0.0. 21 files are identical to 11.6.2TP and fully documented in the VMA 11.6.2TP manual. Here are the key changes:

Probe Calibration — New Retry Option

If automatic stylus calibration fails in version 11.6.2, you had one option: click Back and retry from the same position. In 15.0.0, you now have two paths:

Click [Back] — retry automatic calibration from the same position
Select [Retry manually] checkbox → click [Next] — switch to manual calibration mode

This is a significant improvement for situations where the reference sphere position or stylus configuration makes automatic calibration unreliable.

Auto Measure 3D Shapes — Updated Point Rules

Cone measurement minimum point requirement updated: minimum 6 points (3 per circumference × 2 circumferences). The distance from the first entered path point to the first measurement point now defines the standard path point distance for all subsequent path points in the measurement sequence.

TP Point — Contact Direction Compensation

The TP Point measurement tool now explicitly documents the contact direction compensation feature. When a touch trigger probe contacts a surface, the actual contact point differs slightly from the calculated measurement point depending on approach direction. This compensation corrects for that deflection error.

Hardware Settings — Back Off Distance Range

The valid range for Back Off Distance is now explicitly documented: 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm. Values outside this range are not accepted. The joystick back-off behavior checkbox is also updated with clearer documentation.

Unchanged TP Files (21 of 39)

These files are identical to VMA 11.6.2TP — refer to the VMA 11.6.2TP Manual for their content:

AppTP, BaseElementCone, BaseElementCylinder, BaseElementTorus, BaseProbeCalibInfo, BaseProbeCalibModuleSelect, BaseProbeCalibResult, BaseProbeCalibSetting, HardwareCncDlgTP, HardwareJoystickTP, KeyCCone, KeyCCylinder, KeyCTorus, ModuleChangerCalib, ModuleChangerCalibPre, ModuleChangerCalibResult, ProbeCalibInfo, ProbeCalibModuleSelect, ProbeCalibModuleShape, ProbeCalibResult, ProbeCalibSetting

Chapter 3

Touch Probe Calibration

Why Calibration Is Critical

The touch trigger probe has physical dimensions — stylus length, ball diameter, and tip offset. These must be measured accurately before the system can convert raw contact points into corrected measurement values. Without calibration, all TP measurements will be offset by the stylus geometry.

Calibration Types

Stylus Calibration

Standard calibration for a single stylus. Measures the reference sphere to determine stylus ball center and offset. Required any time the stylus is changed.

Reference Stylus Calibration

Calibrates the reference stylus — the known-good stylus used as the calibration master. Run this first when setting up the system.

Manual Probe Calibration

Manual calibration when automatic calibration fails. Operator manually directs probe to measurement positions on the reference sphere.

Module Changer Calibration

For systems with a module changer (automatic stylus exchange). Calibrates each module position so the system knows the offset for every stylus in the carousel.

Standard Stylus Calibration Workflow

Calibration → Stylus Calibration
The wizard opens. Follow through the numbered steps (1 of 7 through 7 of 7).

Select module (if applicable)
If using a module changer, select the module/stylus to calibrate.

Select stylus shape
Specify the stylus geometry: ball diameter, stylus length, and attachment type.

Pre-calibration check
The system verifies the reference sphere is in position and the probe is ready.

Pre-measurement
System takes preliminary contact points to find the approximate sphere location.

Automatic measurement (Step 6 of 7)
System automatically measures the reference sphere. If it fails: click [Back] to retry automatically, OR check [Retry manually] and click [Next] to take over manually. (Updated in 15.0.0)

View results and confirm
Calibration results display — check that residual errors are within acceptable limits. Confirm to save.

⚠ Always calibrate after changing the stylus. Even reinstalling the same stylus requires recalibration — the mounting geometry changes slightly each time.

Chapter 4

3D Base Elements

TP-Only 3D Base Elements

These features can only be measured with the touch probe — camera vision cannot detect true 3D geometry in 3 dimensions.

Cone

A conical surface defined by axis direction, apex position, and half-angle. Measured by touching multiple points on two circumferences at different heights.

Cylinder

A cylindrical surface defined by axis direction and diameter. Measured by touching points on multiple cross-sections along the axis.

Sphere

A spherical surface defined by center position and radius. Measured by touching points distributed around the sphere surface.

Torus

A toroidal (donut-shaped) surface defined by major and minor radii and axis. The most complex 3D feature available.

Derived Relationships from 3D Features

Once 3D base elements are measured, you can calculate:

Axis-to-axis distance — between two cylinder or cone axes
Perpendicularity — between cylinder axis and a reference plane
Coaxiality — how well two cylinders share the same axis
Runout — variation of a surface relative to an axis

Chapter 5

AutoMeasure 3D Wizards

Automated 3D Measurement

The AutoMeasure 3D wizards guide the system through multi-point 3D measurement sequences automatically. Rather than manually touching each measurement point, you define the geometry and the system drives the probe through the required contact sequence.

Cone AutoMeasure (Updated in 15.0.0)

Measures a cone by automatically collecting contact points on two circumferences.

Minimum points: 6 total — 3 points on each of 2 circumferences at different heights along the axis
Path point rule: The distance from the first entered path point to the first measurement point becomes the standard offset distance for all subsequent path points in the sequence
Output: Cone axis direction, apex position, half-angle, and form error

Why 6 minimum? A cone has 4 degrees of freedom (axis direction X2, apex X2, half-angle X1) plus you need overdetermination for a least-squares fit. Three points per circumference provides the minimum geometric constraint.

Cylinder AutoMeasure

Measures a cylinder by collecting contact points on multiple cross-sections.

Define number of cross-sections and points per cross-section
System moves probe through the full measurement sequence automatically
Output: Axis direction, axis position, diameter, straightness, cylindricity

Sphere AutoMeasure

Measures a sphere by distributing contact points across the surface.

Define number of measurement points and distribution pattern
System drives through the sequence automatically
Output: Center position (X,Y,Z), diameter, sphericity

Setting Up a 3D AutoMeasure

Enter Teaching mode
The 3D AutoMeasure tools are available in Teaching mode from the Measurement Tool menu.

Select the 3D feature type
Measurement Tool → Auto Measurement → [Cone / Cylinder / Sphere]

Enter a path point near the start
Define a safe approach point near the measurement start position. This tells the system where to position the probe before beginning the contact sequence.

Define measurement parameters
Set number of points, cross-section positions (for cylinder/cone), and approach speed.

Execute and verify
Run the sequence. Review the measured values and residual errors. Adjust point count or positions if errors are too large.

Chapter 6

TP Point Measurement

What Is TP Point?

The TP Point measurement tool measures a single point on a surface using the touch trigger probe. It returns the X, Y, and Z position of the contact point, corrected for probe deflection.

Contact Direction Compensation (Updated in 15.0.0)

When the touch trigger probe contacts a workpiece, the probe tip deflects slightly before triggering. The actual trigger point is not exactly at the surface — it is offset by the probe deflection in the contact direction. Without compensation, this creates a systematic position error.

The compensation works by specifying the contact direction (axis) for the workpiece in the local coordinate system. The software then applies the known stylus ball radius and deflection model to calculate the corrected surface point.

[Compensation] setting: Set the contact direction (±X, ±Y, ±Z) for each TP Point measurement tool
The system corrects the raw contact point to the true surface position
This reduces systematic error from probe deflection

Tip: For highest accuracy, always set the compensation direction to match the actual probe approach direction. If the probe approaches from +X direction, set compensation to +X. Mismatched direction reduces accuracy.

Chapter 7

TP Hardware Settings

Back Off Settings

After the probe contacts the workpiece and triggers, it must retract before moving to the next position. The Back Off settings control this retraction.

Setting	Valid Range	Description
Back off distance	0.1 mm to 1.0 mm	How far the probe retracts after contact before moving to the next position
Back off during joystick use	Checkbox	When checked, probe retracts by the back off distance after each contact during joystick-driven measurement
Overtravel distance	Configurable	Maximum allowable probe travel past the trigger point before an error is raised

⚠ Back off distance range: The valid range is 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm. Values outside this range are rejected. Do not attempt to set 0 mm — the probe needs physical clearance to retract safely.

CNC Settings for TP

The TP hardware settings include CNC speed and acceleration parameters for probe movement. These control how fast the stage moves during probe approach and retraction. Lower speeds improve measurement accuracy; higher speeds improve throughput. Set these based on your part fragility and accuracy requirements.

Joystick Settings for TP

Joystick button assignments for TP operation can be configured from Hardware Settings → TP → Joystick Button Settings. You can assign probe contact, retraction, and navigation functions to specific joystick buttons for efficient manual measurement operation.

Chapter 8

AF Retry Settings

VMA-TP 15.0.0 includes the same Vision AF and Laser AF Retry Settings as VMA 15.0.0. These apply to vision probes used in TP recipes — the TP system uses both vision and touch measurement, and vision probes can also fail during replay.

For full AF Retry documentation, see the VMA 15.0.0 Manual, Chapter 8. The functionality is identical between VMA 15.0.0 and VMA-TP 15.0.0.

⚠ Compatibility: AF Retry Settings in recipes are exclusive to AutoMeasure 15.0.0. These settings do not function correctly in the Classic application.

Chapter 9

Key-In 3D Elements

What Is Key-In?

Key-In elements allow you to manually enter known nominal geometry as a base element — without actually measuring it. This is useful when you know the theoretical geometry of a feature (from a drawing) and want to use it as a reference for other calculations.

Key-In 3D Elements Available

Element	Parameters to Enter	Common Use
Cone	Axis direction, apex X,Y,Z, half-angle	Reference cone for runout or coaxiality calculation
Cylinder	Axis direction, axis point X,Y,Z, diameter	Nominal bore axis for perpendicularity check
Torus	Axis direction, center X,Y,Z, major radius, minor radius	Theoretical reference for torus form error

Chapter 10

Common Gotchas

Problem	Cause	Fix
3D measurements consistently offset	Stylus not calibrated after change	Recalibrate stylus — always after any stylus change
Automatic calibration fails	Reference sphere mispositioned or stylus geometry mismatch	Use new retry options: [Back] to retry auto, or [Retry manually] + [Next] for manual
Cone measurement rejects fewer than 6 points	Minimum point requirement (3 per circumference × 2)	Ensure at least 6 contact points are programmed
TP Point results show systematic offset	Contact direction compensation not set or set incorrectly	Set compensation direction to match actual probe approach direction
Back off distance setting rejected	Value outside 0.1–1.0 mm valid range	Enter a value between 0.1 and 1.0 mm
Probe crashes into part	Path point too close; back off too small	Increase back off distance; add more path points away from the part
Module changer selects wrong stylus	Module changer calibration out of date	Run Module Changer Calibration for all modules
Vision probes fail during TP recipe replay	Probe detection failure	Enable Vision AF / Laser AF Retry Settings for affected probes

Need the official Nikon documentation? The VMA-TP 15.0.0 bundle includes the exclusive NEXIV_Automeasure_VMA-TP_en.pdf (5.9 MB). Check C:\ProgramData\NEXIVAutoMeasure\ on your machine. Visit our Downloads page for organized access.