[Biladon]

I'm having trouble with sending a program from my computer to my Fadal controller. My machine is a VMC 4020 with a PCB-0080-2/5 O.S. upgrade. When I send it, it takes the entire program & then just starts over sending it again. It never stops,just keeps running through the same program again & again. Any ideas?? Thanks

[gar]

051212-2151 EST USA

Biladon:

Your question is not very clear.

I believe MasterCam 9 uses a Cimco communication program.

Are you sending your program from within MasterCam?
What are baud rate, handshake method, and other parameters?

Are you drip feeding ( DNC ), or do you transfer the entire file from your computer to Fadal because you have sufficient memory to store the entire file?

If you are using software handshake can you unplug the RS232 cable, send a file and have the transfer to nowhere end at the end of the file? What Windows version are you operating under?

I generally know about RS232 but have not worked with Fadal.

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[Biladon]

I am using the PFE 32 Editor within MasterCam & I am sending the program from within MasterCam. The handshake method is software,format ASCII,Port-com1,Baud rate 38400,Parity -even, Data bits-7,stop bits-1. I am not drip feeding because I have enough memory to hold the entire program.Are you saying to unplug the RS232 cable & send the program to see if it will stop on its own when it reaches the end? I am using Windows XP Home Edition. Thanks for your reply.

[Fred Stevens]

Um, as I recall, Fadal controllers look for the percent sign (%) at the start and end of everything that comes at them via the rs232 port. Is your software generating them?
Fred

[gar]

051213-0910 EST USA

Biladon:

I just ran the Cimco editor from MCAM8 with software handshake, RTS and CTS not enabled, 7 data bits, EVEN parity, and 1 stop bit at 115.2 kbaud into an open line and the transmission stops at the end of the CNC file.

The same result occured whether pins 7 and 8 are jumpered together or not, as it should be.

This experiment was under XP Home, same result will occur under XP Pro.

MasterCam supplied 3 editors in MCAM8. These are found at C:\MCAMz\Common\Editors\

the Cimco editor is at
C:\MCAMz\Common\Editors\Cedit\CimcoEdit.exe
where z is the version number, 8 in our experiment. MasterCam X does not include the Cimco editor.

If you put a shortcut to the Cimco editor on the desktop and do your transfers from this (meaning you are outside of MasterCam), then you can simultaneously send files while you are working in MasterCam. When you activate the same program from within MasterCam, then you must wait for completion of the transfer before doing anything else in MasterCam.

I have not tried the PFE editor so I can not tell you what happens. Try the open line test with your PFE editor communication but you may need to short pin 7 to 8.

We have a product that may be useful to you. It is our I232 Isolator System that provides up to about 2000 v electrical isolation at both ends of the 232 connection, baud rate capability of 115.2 kbaud at 4000 ft in most applications with extremely low bit error rate. Meaning you can send many multi-megabyte files with zero bits in error. Most CNC applications are in the 50 to several hundred foot range and thus signal levels are very good. We have actually sent data error free over 8000 ft, but the signal level is low at this point. Visit our web site at www.beta-a2.com

.

[mcjack]

You Need To Run Whit Cimco If You Mcamx Go To Cimco Intergration Web Site And Get Cimco 4 Free

[Dsny]

Is the control receiving any of the data?

[Dsny]

Sorry just re-read the first post

[DareBee]

You could try this.
Set up windows Hyperterminal to your machines com settings (as you have mentioned above (they are correct in my machine)). Save your MCam post file with the .txt extension.
When in Hyperterminal go to "transfer" - "send text file" (make sure the fadal is waiting to receive the program).
Browse to the .txt post file and click open.
You don't need line numbers, you do need percent signs.
If this works then you know that it is just your send program (which you are fairly sure of already).
I send all my batch programs this way and use ExpertDNC for drip feeding.
Your computer has Hyperterminal on it, the easiest way to find it is do a C: search (cause I can never remember where MS has it hidden) and create a desktop shortcut.