[olfoundryman]

A project is underway to get Chatgpt to write a post processor for FreeCAD that will output usable Dyna SKIP programs. Early work is very promising and Chat looks to have a fair grasp of SKIP including its canned cycles - so vital for the output of short programs, but we need help as my copy of the Dyna programming manual is a photocopy of a photocopy and in many places unreadable. Can anyone supply a clean copy of chapters 1, 2, 3, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 please"

[MrMetric]

that is actually pretty interesting. I don't have a SKIP control, but I'd love to hear progress on this. I think the biggest concern I would have about AI is simply the fact that it *is* AI. Half the junk on the Google AI search "helper" is utter BS, so I'd worry about the veracity of the code that might be generated. But, if you qualified it well before use, then maybe? It certainly is an interesting idea..... Sorry I can't help with the chapters you are looking for, but again, I hope you continue to post on this...

For those wondering... Dyna produced their own controls for several of their products. These were called SKIP controls. This should not be confused with the SKIP *function* that is commonly used in many different brands of controls to interface things such as tool setters or probes.

[olfoundryman]

MrMetric. Thank you for your response and interest. Don't worry about not being able to help with the manual - It would be a big ask anyway to expect someone with it to scan the chapters mentioned and send to us. We know as we scanned Ch 4 through 12 and these we uploaded to ChatGPT in a private conversation. Chat did seem to grasp the essentials of SKIP processing and did write a sort of postprocessor for something done in Freecad. There were a few errors in its SKIP output - for example it got conversion of G code G0 and G1 to skip around the wrong way! However, it did appear that Chat could look at the G code and recognize things like pocket commands and likely use the appropriate SKIP canned cycles and thus avoid verbose outputs. We have now thought better of our approach and instead want to get Freecad to output a common type of G code e.g., that for Linux CNC. and then have Chat write a stand alone Python converter to produce SKIP from that. In this way the result would not be so exclusive and instead open to anyone using any drawing/cad/cam that supports Linux CNC. (We may chose another output if the Linux one proves unsuitable) I am sort of familiar with SKIP programing and have a working DM4400 still running SKIP. I can therefore first checkout any program for errors and than actually try -"in anger" - on my Dyna as verification of any out put- We believe that a fair bit of trial, error, and verification will likely be needed as we lead Chat through to reliably doing the conversion.
Yes I too believe that much of what is on the internet is indeed "utter BS" and most of that on YT certainly is! (except my UT channel of course ????)

[mrbunwah]

I've scanned in my DM2800 manual which should be fairly comprehensive about this. Do mind also that feedrates are not vector compensated - if you have a feedrate of 10 for X and 10 for Y, if you do a 45 degree diagonal, you have an effective feedrate of 14.14 (that good old a^2+b^2=c^2).
https://k00.fr/y2ug38j0 | password: dm2800

Good luck!

[olfoundryman]

mrbunwah, Thank you for your reply. I successfully downloaded the 2800 manual and it very usefully adds to our knowledge base as it is in some parts clearer in its descriptions than the 4400 manual I have. I am very grateful for your efforts in providing this information..
A couple of questions, with the 4400 one can set the spindle speed as part of the program using the speed key pad located on the lower half of the Feed rate key (page 100). From this manual I notice that the lower half of this key pad is empty, does this mean that the only way you can control the speed is with the rheostat shown on page 013? Also the 4400 manual includes a section on communications, was such a section included in the 2800 manual - that in my 4400 manual is such a bad copy that it is largely unreadable.
Our work to get ChatGPT to convert from a G code program to SKIP is proceeding if a little slowly . We have started with a simple rectangular pocket and are about 3/4 way to getting ChatGPT to successfully write a SKIP RECT cycle. At the moment its a bit confused with the ZH and Zd as well as the Z% and XYCUT% values, But we are getting there.
Yep, we could likely do with a bit of luck with this project. Thank you.

[mrbunwah]

I recently got ahold of a Dynacom manual which has some details on how the PC communicates with the machine.
https://k00.fr/grgkkvty | password: dynacom

As for spindle speed, yes - that has to be set manually. Doubly so when you account for the belts!

[olfoundryman]

Mrbunwah, Thank you for the post. We have managed to communicate from a lap top running windows 2000 to my Dyna 4400. Using the cable shown on page 7 fig 5 and the RS2320-0 on the Dyna (page 5 fig 2) We used Hyperterminal as the transfer program and simply worked through the protocol shown on page 12. We were able to upload and download programs both to and from a USB stick plugged into the laptop.
A good friend has taken the 2800 manual that you sent us the link to and run it through an image program and managed to clean up the bleed through nicely. He has then converted the JPGs to ten PDF files the largest of which is 28Mb. With your permission we would like to make these available to anyone on this forum assuming of course a computer dummy like me can work out how to do that. (moderator help maybe please?)

[mrbunwah]

I personally don't have any problem with that, just mind that I don't actually own the rights on it as I'm just another end user. If you haven't also, I recommend reaching out to Roberto of Dyna Mechtronics (the phone number still works!). He might also be able to provide software/documentation, and a bit more authority on redistributing things in a wider fashion.

[bobdring]

I have had my dyna 2400 in storage for over 10 years. It was bought from an auction.
initially i played around with it and only had to replace a split acetal gear and all was good but I never got it to save and load files via RS232.
i am amazed that there is still interest in these mills and also the progress in free cad/cam software.

thank you all for your continued work.
bob in Australia.