[jackdbellaire]

We have 2 old Sakazaka machines with 6m controllers. I'm trying to use a PC to communicate with them. It seems like the Fanuc is punching in EIA, I'm getting nothing but jibberish on the PC end. I'm not able to set the punch code parameter to ISO. Does that mean this controller cannot send in ISO? What are my options for getting programs to/from this machine?

Thanks!

[NC Cams]

My 5T's have a parameter that can be set for EIA or ISO.

Perhaps the 6M's are similarly equipped.

Do a search on this site for Dan Fritz. He's a Fanuc expert - may he can get you on the straight and narrow path....

[WayneHill]

You have to alter the parameters with the PWE turned on. Be careful, you could really messup the control by changing the wrong parameter.

Where is "Al the Man" at when you need him ?

[WayneHill]

Follow this thread by "Al the Man"

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20769

Al - You are "The Man"

[Dan Fritz]

All Fanuc 6Ms have a bit on the "setting" page for the punch code, but (believe it or not), the ISO function is an OPTION on this control. All 6Ms can use EIA code, but the ISO option parameter is 003, the 4th bit from the right. If your option is turned off, you can turn it on by:

1)Turn on the "Parameter Write/Enable" toggle switch on the main circuit board
2)Put the control in MDI mode, and press the PARAM key to display parameters
3)Cursur to parameter 003 and key in the letter "P"
4)Key in all 8 bits (with the 4th bit from the right="1"). Don't change the other bits.
5)Press the INPUT key
6)Turn off the Parameter Write toggle switch
7)Press RESET to clear the alarm 100

If you have a Fanuc 6M-B, then parameters 311, 340 and 341 must also be set. Set both parameter 340 and 341 to "2", then set parameter 311 to:

11001000 (2400 baud, 1 stop-bit, even parity, Xon/Xoff)
11001001 (4800 baud, 1 stop-bit, even parity, Xon/Xoff)
11001010 (9600 baud, 1 stop-bit, even parity, Xon/Xoff)

On the "Setting" page, set the ISO bit to "1", then set the INPUT DEVICE 2 bit to "1" also. This will let you load a program from your PC. If the INPUT DEVICE 2 bit is set to "0", then the paper tape reader is used to read a program. The INPUT DEVICE 1 bit should always be "0", and the "TV Check" bit should also be "0".

If you have a 6M-A control, then you won't find any parameters above 160 or so. The 6M-A used parameters 024, 025, and 026 to set the serial port. Here's the setting I recommend:

Note: Bits marked “x” are used for other purposes, don’t change them!)

Parameter 024: x x x x x x x 0
Parameter 025 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 (This bit pattern = 4800 baud)
Parameter 026: 0 x x x x x x x

I don't recommend a higher baudrate than 4800 on the 6M-A.

Hope this info is helpful.

______________________________
Anything worth doing well is worth doing twice

[jasonleau]

Dear Dan Fritz :

You are the great man and your info is a geat help as well ! Appreciated !

[Driftwood]

I'm also having problems communicating with a Fanuc 6m machine. I followed the instructions above and set the parameters as described, but still having issues...

The machine we have is a old Hitachi Seiki horizontal mill. It has been outfitted with a Greco system for communicating with it, but we're not too familiar with it, so we're just trying to get the basic serial communication going with the PC.

In the settings, the INPUT DEVICE 2 was "0", so I have changed it to "1", and changed INPUT DEVICE 1 to "0" from "1".

But when I try to send a program, i switch to EDIT mode and push READ to prepare the machine to recieve a program, i get an "ALARM 086 - RS232C".

Any ideas what this alarm is and how to get rid of it? Thanks...

(Edit: We also had to change parameters 340 and 341 to "2", they were set at "4". Does that make any difference?)

[Hitachi_man]

The machine you have, is it a HC or HG? Micon 8 or Micon 16? This will matter when it comes to setting up the RS232 connection. You have to set this in the Micon control as well as the Fanuc side.

[Driftwood]

The machine is an HC, and we got it all straightened out. Turns our the cable we wer using was a home made null modem cable, but one pin connection was wrong. It worked fine on other machines we have, but wouldn't for this one, so we had to fix it.

All better now, thanks...

[asuratman]

Hi NC Cams,
Like I said before, I also have Fanuc 5T on my Ikegay FX25N, please help me how to set communication with PC. I have RS 232 cards, but I do not know to use it. I already connect my PC to RS232 Card and to card reader on control side. I tried to send program to controller, but no comm. Thanks. Asuratman.

[NC Cams]

ASURATMAN: I am not an expert with the 5T as I am still learning. This much I do know: you must have the proper parameters set for the system to accept tape reader input. This includes the communication strategy.

The ability of the RS232 to communicate with the 5T depends on the communication language (baud, parity, etc.). Your RS232 link supplier needs to provide specific data in this regard. If you have no information, you will have to experiment.

If you do not have a Fanuc manual for your machine, you really should get one. The basic machine parameters are defined in the manual and the options outlined.

There are some "custom" parameters that are/were set by the machine maker - Fanuc probably will NOT be able to help you with these, only the machine tool maker can supply this information.

Keep in mind that this is an OLD system and SLOW communications are necessary. 9600 baud or slower is to be expected.

There are at least two models of tape readers that were used on the 5T and they had slightly different pin outs going from tape reader to the ribbon cable. If the pins are not connected properly, you can not/will not have the proper handshake between the A board and the BTR.

Again, your RS232 interface supplier needs to support your efforts in trying to communicate between PC and 5T.

Finally and most importantly, your BTR needs to be optically isolated from the 5T. If not, it is VERY easy to develop a ground loop current between the PC and/or the motherboard on the 5T.

Should this occur, even momentarily, you will severly damage the motherboard on the 5T. This happened to me and it cost several thousand dollars to repair!!!!

[Dan Fritz]

The Fanuc 5T and 5M controls never had an RS232 interface. There was an optional "Tape Punch" port, which was either for a Facit 4070 tape puncher or for an ASR43 Teletype machine. This was a "punch only" port, and you could not load a program into the Fanuc's memory with this port.

The only INPUT port on the 5T/5M controls was the parallel tape reader plug (the 50-pin ribbon cable that goes from the paper tape reader to the "A" board). This port requires TTL compatible signals, which can be simulated by a BTR board or by a "direct connect" BTR link like ours.

BTR boards are available from ADR corporation, or from our West-coast distributor, Refresh Your Memory, Inc. (www.rym.com) You can also use something like our direct BTR link that uses our MultiPort PC-DNC Editor software with a special BTR cable. That cable connects the parallel printer port on your PC (LPT1 or LPT2) directly to the Fanuc A board. The software simulates the Fanuc tape reader's output. Since this is not an RS232 link, the cable must be kept very short. Our BTR cables are 15 feet long, and that's the maximum that we recommend.

The benefits of the PC-DNC Editor BTR link are that you can use a full-screen G-code text editor on the PC to edit and save your programs, and you can run them directly from the PC in TAPE mode so you don't even need to use the Fanuc's very limited memory. You can edit files on the PC while your running parts, and you can connect the PC to your network with a standard Ethernet cable. Another feature is that the software automatically formats the numbers from decimal to non-decimal format as it transmits the data, so you could use decimal formatted programs (like a Fanuc 6) on the old Fanuc 5. For more info on our system, call RYM at (408) 224-9167. For info on the ADR BTR board, check out their website at www.adrco.com

[lmostafa]

I have a machine center MORISEIKI MV35/40.
For the transfer from machine to pc it works
To transfer from the PC to the machine it works
But DNC mode the machine does not work
when push start boton cycle start dhe green led lit ut dhe machine not work
help me plees
beste regard

[lmostafa]

I have a machine center MORISEIKI MV35/40.fanuc6m
For the transfer from machine to pc it works
To transfer from the PC to the machine it works
But DNC mode the machine does not work
when push start boton cycle start dhe green led lit ut dhe machine not work
help me plees
beste regard

[angelw]

I have a machine center MORISEIKI MV35/40.fanuc6m
For the transfer from machine to pc it works
To transfer from the PC to the machine it works
But DNC mode the machine does not work
when push start boton cycle start dhe green led lit ut dhe machine not work
help me plees
beste regard

Is your control a 6MA or 6MB, and does your machine have a Tape Mode?

Regards,

Bill

[lmostafa]

yes the fanuc 6mB i have mod tape

[lmostafa]

yes the fanuc 6mB i have mod tape

thaks best regards

[angelw]

yes the fanuc 6mB i have mod tape

thaks best regards

Although you have communication happening both ways to memory, check that the following is set accordingly.

Parameters
311 = 4800 (as a starting point) Baud Rate
340 = 2 Input Device
341 = 2 Output Device

Setting Page
I/O = 1
ISO Format = 1

Cable Pin Out depending of whether the PC has a 9 or 25 pin Serial Port

Machine Side-------------PC Side
DG25 Male-------------DB9 Female
2-------------------------2
3-------------------------3
4
| bridged
5

6
|
8 all bridged
|
20

7---------------------5


Machine Side-------------PC Side
DG25 Male-------------DB25 Female
2-------------------------3
3-------------------------2
4
| bridged
5

6
|
8 all bridged
|
20

7---------------------7

Your Editing/Comms software should be set as follows:

4800 baud rate
even parity
7 data bits
2 stop bits
Xon Xoff Handshaking

DNC is carried out with the machine in TAPE Mode. The PC may have a dedicated DNC mode. If not it should still work using Send at the PC end. Set the software ready to send, and with the machine in TAPE Mode, press cycle start. The PC should start sending data.

All machine functions, such as Single Block, Optional Stop, Block Delete and others will work as per normal when using DNC. The only limitation when using DNC is that if your program uses Sub programs, the Subs have to be loaded into the machine's memory.

Post back with your result.

Regards,

Bill

[raulbanuelos127]

DAN FRITZ,

I am able to communicate using hypertrm but when i receive the file, sending from control to the computer, the computer text file is diagonal on the hypertrm window and horizontal on the text file instead of vertical how can i fix this.

[awemawson]

It is because the Fanuc only sends 'Line Feed' as end of line, not CR/LF