DNC Precision Free, FANUC T21 and Serial Over Ethernet: strange characters get sent
Hi,
i'm here to asking help about a problem that i have. Keyword are: Fanuc T21 Lathe, DNC Precision Free, Serial over Ethernet (ATC3000 as serial to ethernet converter)
Background: we have had this old Windows XP Machine to sent and receive files from a T21 Fanuc controller on a lathe via a COM1 port. (I'm a system administrator from IT dept, not a machinist and i will apologize for every term that is not correct or clear)
The machinist used to send/receive nc files using hyperterminal on windows XP.
Now the old windows xp machine is gone (broken) and i have migrated the user on a virtual machine with Windows 10. Searching aroung the web i've found DNC precision free edition to send/receive files from the fanuc and i've used a serial to ethernet converter to get the Windows 10 Virtual Machines a com port (com3 in my case) to communicate with the fanuc. After investigating i found the COM serial parameter (4800bps, Parity Even, data bits 7, 2 bits stop, no flow control) and matched them on my serial converter.
I could communicate with the Fanuc (here i'm not able to change anything in the fanuc setting, the machinist check for me that are ok, based on the page that DNC Precision provide for the CNC controller configuration) but i had some problems:
- On Receive sometime i get timeout on DNC side, when the operator send the NC file from the cnc panel on the lathe
- When i send a NC from DNC to the T21 i get some strange character on the NC comment (between the (xx) ). The characters are always the same: ,@,,,, or comma at comma comma comma comma. I cannot understand who is sending this specific string.
except that it's all the same if i check the command from the NC files on the computer and the file stored in the T21.
Serial connection: before the serial converter, i had tried DNC directly with the physical serial cable. But i see now that someone (and i don't know how) has shortened the cable, redoing the DB9 end. I have only 3 cable from DB9 on the serial converter and the DB25. I need to check if on the DB9 side the pins are short circuited as this image:https://www.aggsoft.com/cnc-dnc/img/...b25-db25-1.gif
any hint to check the 2 problems? Thank you to anyone could help me.
Re: DNC Precision Free, FANUC T21 and Serial Over Ethernet: strange characters get se
Hi,
Did you try to send a NC program to the PC?
Re: DNC Precision Free, FANUC T21 and Serial Over Ethernet: strange characters get se
Might be EOB (End of Block) Format problem or CR / LF Format. Also, this may help you or confuse you more...lol.https://www.fadalcnc.com/media/pdf/F...munication.pdf
Re: DNC Precision Free, FANUC T21 and Serial Over Ethernet: strange characters get se
Quote:
Originally Posted by
HDowns
Hi,
Did you try to send a NC program to the PC?
Yes, sometimes is working sometimes not. My step are: i click receive on DNC, then the machinist go to the cnc panel and send the data.
When its working the text have no error in it. ( i mean NC code doesn't contain strange characters)
Re: DNC Precision Free, FANUC T21 and Serial Over Ethernet: strange characters get se
Quote:
Originally Posted by
machinehop5
I'll try to learn everything so if i get confused i'll try to understand it better ;)
As you speak of CR/LF Format problem, i've used a software to batch erase % from start and bottom of every NC becouse DNC added them for me. I've used notepad++ with his replace funcion. What kinf of format i need to use? LF (unix)?
This is an example of a NC file that i get when i send NC from PC to CNC:
Quote:
%
:0001(PRTGOMM,@,,,A*PVC*L160X89.5*FASE1)
(PRESA EST MORSETTI DURI)
(TEMPO CICLO FASE1-3MM)
G28U0W0
The ,@,,, part seems sometimes to always inside the comment (), Sometimes during test i find it in the middle of a G command.
Re: DNC Precision Free, FANUC T21 and Serial Over Ethernet: strange characters get se
Quote:
Originally Posted by
machinehop5
I'll try to learn everything so if i get confused i'll try to understand it better ;)
As you speak of CR/LF Format problem, i've used a software to batch erase % from start and bottom of every NC becouse DNC added them for me. I've used notepad++ with his replace funcion. What kinf of format i need to use? LF (unix)?
This is an example of a NC file that i get when i send NC from PC to CNC:
Quote:
%
:0001(PRTGOMM,@,,,A*PVC*L160X89.5*FASE1)
(PRESA EST MORSETTI DURI)
(TEMPO CICLO FASE1-3MM)
G28U0W0
The ,@,,, part seems sometimes to always inside the comment (), Sometimes during test i find it in the middle of a G command.
Re: DNC Precision Free, FANUC T21 and Serial Over Ethernet: strange characters get se
The serial to ethernet adapter might be the issue as this does the translation. The good news if you are getting data to and from the CNC but garabge. So the driver should be confirmed to good for Win10. Also, make sure you don't change anything inside of the unit, baud, settings, etc. The driver SHOULD do this based on Windows and then the CNC is match with baud, 7, 2, Even. Flow control is Xon/Xoff - if NONE, all bets are off.
We do have a solution and Fanucs are easy to connect as long as you have all the correct pieces. Some software packages that work under Win7 don't seem to work seemlessly under Win10.
Feel free to reach out and I can try to help.
Greg Mercurio
Shop Floor Automations
www.shopfloorautomations.com
619-461-4000
