16i-MA boot menu "Fanuc card"?

Folks,

Does anyone know what a "fanuc card" is, as referenced in a 16i-MA boot menu? Doing my due diligence to perform a complete backup of a new (to me) 16i control I just purchased prior to installation and reconfiguration and the boot menu of this control pops a status message at the bottom of the menu: "fanuc card not found" and has a menu item for "check fanuc card". The control won't allow me to back up the F-ROM contents to CF, kicking out a write error (NOT a write protect error), and insisting on insertion of this magical "fanuc card". Anyone know what this mystical artifact might be? If I can't get around it on this 16i, is there any reason I can't just drop the F-ROM into a spare 16i-MA and use its boot code to back up the F-ROM files (ie. did the F-ROM formatting change at some point within the various iterations of the 16i-MA)?

Thanks!

-Dave

FWIW, I'll reiterate that according to everything on this control it is a 16i-MA. One additional note is that it is from a Makino, which I am now aware introduces a whole plethora of additional challenges. That aside, I wasn't aware of any special "protections" being introduced in the 16i until the MB was released.

I remember the very first i controls would not read a compact flash. They only used the old S-Ram cards, at least until a software upgrade.
https://cnc-specialty-store.com/flas...RoCrB0QAvD_BwE

As far as I remember, it wont need any special cad as such rather any CF card should be okay but before taking backup, would be better to format it in CNC itself. Of course there is a standard SRAM card as well to take//restore backups

Fanuc card is a certificated card from Fanuc.Has a signature on it and it holded only by Fanuc techicians.
it is supposed that not all people will handle the system files that are protected.
as ,for your knowledge,if the machine is ok with papers in your company and you lost the system files,Fanuc will provide it for you ,not for money.

Edit: crap I didn't realize how old the original post is. Dangit.

Short answer: its a super sekrit custom PCMCIA card that only FANUC employees have. I do not think anyone has reverse engineered it. It is used to unlock the control from the system menu to allow saving and loading FANUC system software files only.

Long answer:
Memory is held in two separate memory spaces: FROM and SRAM.
- FROM contains FANUC operating system files and machine tool builder ladder and C executor files. Things that are typically loaded once and not often changed. This is held on a flash chip, and memory is retained no matter how long the power is removed.
- SRAM contains things that change more often, like parameters, offset, and programs. It is held in "live" powered memory, which needs to be backed up with a battery, or else it is lost if power is off too long.

From the system monitor menu (two rightmost, or far left and right soft keys held at power on), anyone can save the SRAM. You can also go into the system data save menu and save SOME of the files - typically the PMC and C executor. These are the files that the builder put in, and are not protected. The rest of the files are FANUC operating system files and cannot be saved or loaded without the card. You can also save the FANUC option file if present.

Early iA controls did not have this protection, but at a certain point, they started including it. There is no easy way to tell if the protection is present or not by appearance or part number.

The good news is that the FROM memory area pretty much never changes and hardly ever fails at all. CPU, SRAM, main board, power section are much more likely to have a problem over the lifetime of the machine. I WOULD save the files that can be saved from the system menu though.

What version of Professional does it have? And in the SRAM save menu, are there multiple options? Be sure to save each SRAM memory area if there are more than one.

you are corect
call Fanuc if the message:waiting for certification will appear on screen after manipulating system files or changed the FROM/SRAM
the ,message can be reset it within 30 days ,machine will run and you have time to contact Fanuc to come to controller and certificate it.
after 30 days the controll will have the alarm:Certification expire and you can no longer work with the controller.

if you have nothing to hide about system files or the controller,Fanuc will do it ,you will pay only the working hours and the travel.
Is better to go always on the front door and not trying to use the back door as in most of cases you will end in a machine that can be used as iron.