[plastibob]

I have a 2000 Haas minimill and recently i'm getting a rs232 abort error right as the program finishes downloading. I can download programs that are under 250k, but anything over that now I get that error. I have changed nothing and I have sent much larger programs previously. Any thoughts?

[gar]

070807-1621 EST USA

plastibob:

What is the error code number for your error?

The manual I am looking at has no RS232 aborts except 537 RS232 Abort On DPRNT,

403 thru 419 are RS232 error codes.

Do you have enough free memory space?

.

[plastibob]

there was no error code associated with it other than it saying "rs232 abort". It looked like it was accepting right until the end. I have like 98% free memory. I even tried sending over large programs that I have sent before and that wouldn't work.

[gar]

070807-1926 EST USA

plastibob:

Are you in DNC mode, or just loading to memory?

Does the red light come on from this abort? Have you checked for error messages other than what pops up at the bottom of the screen?

Do you use line numbers?

What happens at the sending end at and after the fault?

How do you know where the failure occurs? Is this always near the end of the file? How precisely does the failure occur at the same spot? For example somewhere near a line number of 100,000 HAAS has a loading problem. I believe this is in drip mode. Suppose the point was 87,000, then you expect the failure to always occur at this point.

Do you have any line voltage problems?

Do all fans inside HAAS work? Some may be on thermostatic control and thus would be on intermittently.

Is the machine in a hot environment?

Is there any difference if you run in DNC mode? Assuming you are not now doing that.

What happens when you push the reset button during an RS232 load? Does that give you an RS232 Abort message? I am not at the shop now so I can't look for a way to create your message.

Usually when I get a load problem it is because I did something wrong? I usually do not look at the error message. I just reset and start over after I correct parameters or whatever that I was playing with. Often times I change between hardware and software handshake and I forget to make sure both ends have the correct parameter settings.

When I load programs into HAAS memory, even at 115.2 kbaud, there are no handshake messages sent. So if the CNC is in hardware handshake and I communicate with the computer in software handshake mode I get error free transfer. But do not depend upon it.

My standard settings are 115.2 kbaud, 7 data bits, even parity, and 1 stop bit. Handshake is determined by how I coommunicate. With our E232 module it is almost always set for hardeare handshake, and with the I232 module software handshake is required.

I have seen flakey operation in HAAS controls relative to communication that have nothing to do with external noise sources. This may or may not be your case.

.

[gar]

070807-2007 EST USA

Note: HAAS uses all or at least a great portion of unused program memory space for its DNC buffer. This is a very great advantage HAAS has in comparison with other manufacturers.

If you select DNC mode and send a file smaller than the available buffer space, and do not start the CNC, then the entire program will load into HAAS memory. This may allow you to observe what happens at the failure point if it occurs in this mode.

When you have problems sending programs to HAAS there are many cases where you can not easily determine the cause because HAAS has not done a good job of providing information. For example if I could see the last data in the buffer at the point of failure I can more readily solve the problem.

If there are problems in a program HAAS can make it invalid so it can not run, but still allow me view the program content. In some cases they do, but others nothing is available.

.

[plastibob]

Gar,

Everything has been identical since I got the machine about 6 months ago. It has been very warm in the shop though. I do not run in DNC mode although I tried to turn in on but the controll gave the message that that was not allowed. I will look for other error codes. I checked all the parameters and nothing has changed.

[gar]

070807-2130 EST USA

Open the enclosure and point a big floor fan at the processor area, probably top left looking into cabinet. After a while see if the problem goes away.

Does anyone know whether DNC is a standard function on his 2000 Minimill?

[HuFlungDung]

What is the maximum number of programs you can store in Haas memory? What happens when this number is exceeded?

[GITRDUN]

Can you send a program from your CNC to the computer? I had an issue about a year ago with a HAAS that could send a program but couldnt load a program. I got random errors when trying to load a program, sometimes a very small program would load and 1 minute later the exact same program wouldnt go through. It turned out to be something wrong with the processor board. Replaced the board and everything has worked fine since.

[gar]

070808-0936 EST USA

GITRDUN and others:

If electronic components are purchased from reliable sources, meaning manufacturers that you have experience with that provide virtually zero defects, and temperature rise is kept small, then reliability should be extremely good.

It does appear that HAAS is having some problems with flakey operation of their electonics. I think it is higher than it should be. Is there adequate cooling in the processor area, are components too densely packed, are there marginal components, or are there outside factors, such as primary electrical disturbances, that are causing these problems?

If the fans that cool the processor area are not working properly this can increase problems.

In plastibob's case it seems to be file size related. Maybe this is a bad area in HAAS memory. An experiment that might indicate this is:

Start with a nearly empty program memory space. Load a 200 k file. Then load another identical 200 k file with a different O-number. If the first loads fine and the second crashes it may imply a memory problem.

I do not have any idea why the particular error message should have anything to with a memory problem. But it is possible that as HAAS loads program memory that they check whether data was successfully loaded and if not reflect this information back the program part doing the RS232 processing.

.

[wms]

Does anyone know whether DNC is a standard function on his 2000 Minimill?

Yep..Parameter #57 and Setting #55 control DNC..and You need at least 512 bytes of User memory available for it to function..

Alarm messages for RS232 related problems are from 403 to 420 range...

[gar]

070808-1826 EST USA

plastibob:

Did you ever study the HAAS manual relative to DNC, p34 of the on-line manual is where you can find the information wms provided. I had assumed you had setup for DNC correctly.

If you are setup correctly, then HAAS has a problem, or the question remains whether HAAS has made certain standard functions optional on inexpensive machines.

wms you made a good point. I do not usually think of obvious things like this.

I do not have a Minimill so I lack experience with its problems.

.

[wms]

I do not have a Minimill so I lack experience with its problems.

Gar,

Pretty much the same as all the Haas machines...control wise..

I do see a "RS232 Abort" sometimes..but I just resend the program and all is well...

And if you get that message you need to check the alarm message page for the exact alarm number..usually a rs232 break..and most often it is just noise. Or a time out.

A resend and you are go to go..well here any way..

[wms]

I do not have a Minimill so I lack experience with its problems.

Gar,

Pretty much the same as all the Haas machines...control wise..

I do see an "RS232 Abort" sometimes..but I just resend the program and all is well...

And if you get that message you need to check the alarm message page for the exact alarm number..usually a rs232 break..and most often it is just noise. Or a time out.

A resend and you are go to go..well here any way..

[gar]

070808-2057 EST USA

wms:

I do not believe there is ever a timeout on HAAS. This can be proven by sending a file without the trailing % and HAAS will, I believe, wait forever for more data. If while HAAS is waiting you send another and different O-number without the leading % this different program will be loaded.

Also there is no timeout waiting for you to send a file. This is a great asset compared to other machines.

I also believe you can send any junk before the first % or any after the end % without an error. This excludes some newer capability where HAAS can receive external data into a running program.

.

[plastibob]

070808-1826 EST USA

plastibob:

Did you ever study the HAAS manual relative to DNC, p34 of the on-line manual is where you can find the information wms provided. I had assumed you had setup for DNC correctly.

If you are setup correctly, then HAAS has a problem, or the question remains whether HAAS has made certain standard functions optional on inexpensive machines.

wms you made a good point. I do not usually think of obvious things like this.

I do not have a Minimill so I lack experience with its problems.

.

I need to check the available memory, however I have been traveling so I haven't had a chance.

[plastibob]

070808-1826 EST USA

plastibob:

Did you ever study the HAAS manual relative to DNC, p34 of the on-line manual is where you can find the information wms provided. I had assumed you had setup for DNC correctly.

If you are setup correctly, then HAAS has a problem, or the question remains whether HAAS has made certain standard functions optional on inexpensive machines.

wms you made a good point. I do not usually think of obvious things like this.

I do not have a Minimill so I lack experience with its problems.

.

I need to check the available memory, however I have been traveling so I haven't had a chance.

[metalmansteve]

I had the same problem today. I spent an hour trying everything I could think of. The control would accept some programs, but not the program I was trying to send. I couldn't see anything different but for the hell of it, I changed the program number and wallah...it worked. I've run Haas machines for 19 years and this was a first for me. So if you're having the same problem try changing the program number and let us know if you got the same result.

[dburns]

Had the same problem yesterday on our older vf-4 sent the same program to the newer vf-2 with no problem. Turns out the older VF-4 does not like 5 digits in the program name changed that and it works fine.