Jet Mill and Microtek 2800 Controller

I have a mill that is about thirty years old. It is a Jet Mill with a Microtek 2800 controller. This machine works great but I would like to connect this to a computer for programing, it is a pain to type all the programs in on the keyboard with the little monitor. It has an RS232 port with 24 pins, but I cant get the computer to communicate with the controller or vise versa. I have tried a couple of different wiring schemes, my last attempt was straight thru 1-1, 2-2, etc with pin 4 and 20 together. I have the manual that shows the pin layout.
Pin 1 = Ground
Pin 2 = Transmited Data (From 2800)
Pin 3 = Received Data (to 2800)
Pin 4 = Request Data (From 2800)
Pin 5 = Clear to Send (To 2800)
Pin 6 = Data Set Ready (To 2800)
Pin 7 = Ground
Pin 20 = Data Terminal Ready (From 2800)
I am a manual machinist by trade, 30 years doing plus 20 years teaching. I am not an electronics type person. I have a RS232 24 pin cable and a Radio Shack 9 pin connector to computer.
Does anyone have a hint as how to get this to work or if it will work?

Hello, TonyJoe,

I have some experience on Microtek 2800. It is so amazing that you still keep it working.
I saw your message the other day when I was searching for some answers.
I was very busy and not registered yet, so I could not give you any help then. Is that problem already solved or not?
It makes me feel guilty not respond to your problem. So I make registration and answer to you right away.
For a RS-232 communication problem, it can be categorized in 3 section.
1. RS-232 cable.
2. Settings of cnc control for RS-232
3. Settings of the PC software for RS-232

Without manuals I can only give you at least some idea for now. I am out of town right now. Please allow me send you more detail answer until I get back. I think I still have the manual for 2800, hopefully!

Don't worry ,I will get back to you.

I have the manual that came with this mill. I have not had any luck getting a computer interfaced with this computer. This mill seems very tough and is in very good working condition, especially for its age. Any help getting the RS-232 connection to work with a computer would be very helpful as this is my major drawback to larger projects.

Hi Tony,

Sorry to keep you waiting, here are the thing you may want to check.

1. Check the connection RS-232 cable from PC to 2800 cnc control pins

From PC ------------- Dsub-9pin --- Dsub-25pin --- To 2800 CNC
Receive Data ------------- 2 ------------ 2 -------- Transmit Data
Transmit Data ------------ 3 ------------ 3 -------- Receive Data
Data Terminal Ready ------ 4 ------------ 6 -------- Data Set Ready
System Ground ----------- 5 ------------ 7 -------- System Ground
Data Set Ready ---------- 6 ------------ 20 ------- Data Terminal Ready
Request To Send --------- 7 ------------ 5 -------- Clear To Send
Clear To Send ------------ 8 ------------ 4 -------- Request To Send


2. Check Parameter setting for RS-232 port on 2800 cnc control
Press "Parameter" key to enter parameter table
Press up down arrow to move cursor to parameter N07.
Press "Input" key
Enter "00001100" "Input" ; that is select Baudrate 4800 and select ISO code

3.Check the communication setting on your PC software configuration.
Select correct com port number with your connection. for example "com1" or.....
Select stop bit 1
Select ISO code or EVEN parity
Select Baudrate 4800
Select Data bits 7

4.Now you can try to transmit an existing program to your pc first to see if it works.
Make your PC ready for receiving data to screen or a file.
On 2800 cnc
Press "Program"
Press "2" ; select Tape output
Press "2" ; Write program to Tape
Key in the program name that you want to output.
Press "Y" ; Answer Yes if your PC is ready

If you can see the correct program displayed on your PC screen then you know your settings and cable wires are correct.

Then you can try to read programs from PC back.

That's all for now.

Hope this will help you.

If it is not clear for you or encounter more problems please let me know.


Good Luck!


Richard

Hi,Tony,

I spend some time to make the wiring table that easy to read , but the space were taken out. make again for you.


From PC ------------- Dsub-9pin --- Dsub-25pin --- To 2800 CNC
Receive Data ------------- 2 ------------ 2 -------- Transmit Data
Transmit Data ------------ 3 ------------ 3 -------- Receive Data
Data Terminal Ready ------ 4 ------------ 6 -------- Data Set Ready
System Ground ----------- 5 ------------ 7 -------- System Ground
Data Set Ready ---------- 6 ------------ 20 ------- Data Terminal Ready
Request To Send --------- 7 ------------ 5 -------- Clear To Send
Clear To Send ------------ 8 ------------ 4 -------- Request To Send


P.S. I found the way to eidt the message, so it is corrected.

I have made cable connections as you described and put settings in Parameters in machine as per instructions. I am not having any luck sending or receiving. I will triple check my cable soldering and connections tho and see if I have made a mistake. I am using an old computer with win 98 and ProDNC trial as my method to determine if there is connection. Do you know of a program that can detect com port communication?
I appreciate the instructions and time that you have spent with me as I have not been able to come up with any information on this old mill and it's controller. I am curious as to the history of this machine.

Hi Tony,

In your message I do not see the checking of your PC software com port settings. I tried to download the Trial version of the ProDNC software so as to speak the same language with you but failed . However please check the settings in your ProDNC.

In Win 98, I think you can use a small Terminal software which is included in the Windows 98 system to communicate with the machine.

You can also go to Radio Shack to buy a small RS-232 tester (see photo attached) plug into 2800 rs-232 port and connect to rs-232 cable then get 2800 ready to send a program, PC ready to receive a program. The small LEDs will tell you the signal is coming through or not. Please record the action of the LEDs and let me know the status.

Don't worry, I will guide you through, you need a little patient to trouble shoot these kind of problem because it involved three hardware problems on CNC com port , cable connections, PC com port and two software settings for CNC and PC , worse case is the RS-232 chips burnt on the circuit board. and I will tell you how to check it.

About the history of this machine I am also curious .Where did you get it and who is the previous user?

I purchased this machine from my former employer. I worked there for twenty three years. He had purchased it about eighteen years ago from a used machine company here and they said it came from a technical trade school out in California. That is all I know about it. I don't even know anything about manufacturer. I have had no luck looking this up on the web. It was in pretty good shape when we got it and it really wasn't used much after we got it.

I found com port setting page for DNCsoftware on internet (refer to photo attached) it may be similar to your software

Please select
CNC Name : FANUC-0M ; 2800 program format most competible to Fanuc-0M

Port : com 1 ; if you are connecting the RS-232 cable to com 1

Baud rate :4800 ; same as 2800 baudrate setting

Character set: ASCII/ISO ; 2800 set ISO

Protocols: Data bits:7, Parity: Even, Stop bits:1

Enable DTR and RTS

Flow control: XON/XOFF for now and try RTS/CTS latter

Buffer size : stay the same

Then you can try to receive a file from 2800

Refer to photo 2 , If your software also have the RED and Green indicators display on the bottom of the screen, those will show the condition of the rs-232 signal. Please record that and let me know the color shows.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tonyjoe

I purchased this machine from my former employer. I worked there for twenty three years. He had purchased it about eighteen years ago from a used machine company here and they said it came from a technical trade school out in California. That is all I know about it. I don't even know anything about manufacturer. I have had no luck looking this up on the web. It was in pretty good shape when we got it and it really wasn't used much after we got it.

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Jet mill I believe was named under Jet Equipment and Tools, but I don't know if they still selling CNC machine.

The mill it self was manufactured by Hartford machine tool ,I think you can still get parts from them and the parts are common mill parts.

Microtek 2800 Control was developed by Microtek but they don't produce CNC control any more but I will help you as far as I can.

I have checked my cable and com 1 settings and they are good. I am now having problems with my Pro DNC as I downloaded the latest version an it stopped working. I have tried searching for the RS-232 Mini Tester and radio shack does not have it, but I found it in Austrailia. I seem to be getting no were fast on this. Would it be possible to communicate by email? I live in the US. If it is OK my email is [email protected].

Hi Tony,

I found the tester on ebay, seller is in California.


http://cgi.ebay.com/Serial-RS232-DB9...efaultDomain_0


Already send you an email .

Hi i need help
I have a microtek cnc for 26 years i changed the backup battery and i receve a parameter check faliuer memory check falier i cant find the machine manual and i forgat haw i can to get to parameter format function
Thank you