TRIGGER COUNTER FOR TOUCH PROBE OF A COORDINATE MEASURING MACHINE WITH COUNT VALUES STORED IN FLASH MEMORY

摘要

A system and method are provided for operating a touch probe for a coordinate measuring machine, wherein a value is permanently stored in the touch probe corresponding to an accumulated number of trigger signals generated in the touch probe over its operating history. For a non-erase cycle during which an erasable trigger counter block (e.g., included in a flash memory) of the touch probe is not erased, increasing values of an accumulated trigger count are stored in N address locations of the erasable trigger counter block. After all of the N address locations have been used, an erase operation sequence is performed, and a new non-erase cycle is initiated for repeating the process. In various implementations, the touch probe may not include an embedded processor or battery, for which the types of circuitry and methods that may be utilized for maintaining and storing the accumulated trigger count are correspondingly limited.