[Bronizzle6]

we currently have 11 fadals connected to a pc through a switch box and the rs232 ports. we are moving buildings and dont want to re run all that wire and wanted to switch to using some sort of memory card. fadal wants 400 dollars for part and 300 to wire in usb port. anyone have any better ideas?

[donl517]

http://www.calmotion.com/usbcnc.html

Not a whole lot cheaper but maybe you can get a quantity discount or work something else out.

HTH,
Don

[carbidecraters]

It seems you could do a search for the pinout and then have a electrician wire in a simple USB...it may be that simple.

[carbidecraters]

http://www.calmotion.com/usbcnc.html

Not a whole lot cheaper but maybe you can get a quantity discount or work something else out.

HTH,
Don

this would mean they would have to run from PC to machine everytime they wanted to change a program. I think (assume) that he was looking for a wireless USB interface.

[kreutz]

we currently have 11 fadals connected to a pc through a switch box and the rs232 ports. we are moving buildings and dont want to re run all that wire and wanted to switch to using some sort of memory card. fadal wants 400 dollars for part and 300 to wire in usb port. anyone have any better ideas?

What is the Operating System on your FADAL machines? I think I can design a wireless solution, without modifying your machines, for a lot less, but need a few answers. Where are you located?

[Bronizzle6]

I am located in Michigan. most machines are 1999 40x20 with 88hs controllers. we have other types of machinery on the floor that have a slot for a standard sd card and i find it much more convenient so we were hoping to convert them somehow. fadal sells a usb box that connects to 232 port but its 500 dollars. was looking for maby aftermarket or someother idea so we dont have to run all that wire

[kreutz]

I am located in Michigan. most machines are 1999 40x20 with 88hs controllers. we have other types of machinery on the floor that have a slot for a standard sd card and i find it much more convenient so we were hoping to convert them somehow. fadal sells a usb box that connects to 232 port but its 500 dollars. was looking for maby aftermarket or someother idea so we dont have to run all that wire

1. What are the serial port (RS232) settings?
2. Is it possible to install software drivers on the Fadal controller's PC?
3. Is there any hardware key or special password to enter the Operating system on such PC?
4. How many serial ports support the file transfer utility on your main PC, and What is the operating system on that PC?

I still need to know the operating system on those Fadal controllers, is it by any chance Windows NT or Windows 2000?

Thanks,

Kreutz

[WayneHill]

How about a wireless Bluetooth Serial port? Gonna be testing one soon...

http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/def...spx?edc=883079

I already have two Mazaks PC's running on a Bluetooth USB network

[donl517]

1. What are the serial port (RS232) settings?
2. Is it possible to install software drivers on the Fadal controller's PC?
3. Is there any hardware key or special password to enter the Operating system on such PC?
4. How many serial ports support the file transfer utility on your main PC, and What is the operating system on that PC?

I still need to know the operating system on those Fadal controllers, is it by any chance Windows NT or Windows 2000?

Thanks,

Kreutz

The CNC88/CNC88HS are not windows based.

HTH,
Don

[donl517]

How about a wireless Bluetooth Serial port? Gonna be testing one soon...

http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/def...spx?edc=883079

I already have two Mazaks PC's running on a Bluetooth USB network

That's an interesting idea!

How do you make sure the file is going to the right machine?

Don

[Bronizzle6]

no pc on fadal itself. one pc supports all machines and stores all programs.
looking for an easy way to transfer programs in and out, maby even start using dnc more. I like the wireless bluetooth thats kinda what we were thinking of doing.

[kreutz]

The CNC88/CNC88HS are not windows based.

HTH,
Don

Thanks.

Do they work on DOS, a proprietary O.S. or Unix/linux?

[Konstrukter1]

If i need usb connection on a single Fadal and i buy usb port. It is posible to install it on 2004 32MP FADAL?

And if i instal on a empty pci slot network card, is there a chance to something go wrong?

Former FADAL resseler in slovenia told me that i cant install nothing on FADAL PC (not even extra ram)..Is that true?

Thanks

[WayneHill]

That's an interesting idea!

How do you make sure the file is going to the right machine?

Don

Don,

Every Bluetooth device has it's own unique MAC address. With the software I wrote, it is able select the machine, then send or receive the file wireless. On the PC controlled Mazak's 640 already connected, we are using the FTP method to gather the machine's current directory then send or receive files as needed.
Working great for the last four months of 24/5 daily use.

There was a problem with getting the Mazak to accept the Bluetooth drivers. The control is an embedded XP version without all the BT drivers avalable. Got the "Blue Screen of Death" after rebooting the control after installing the BT software. Make a backup of the hard drive before attempting this

Ended up coping the BT drivers that were missing from another XP box.

Wayne

[kreutz]

no pc on fadal itself. one PC supports all machines and stores all programs.
looking for an easy way to transfer programs in and out, maby even start using dnc more. I like the wireless bluetooth thats kinda what we were thinking of doing.

I am Sorry, I don't have enough information to help you solve that problem, I am leaving on Vacation tomorrow morning and will be out for 4 weeks...Hopefully you will have it solved when I come back.

Regards,

Kreutz.

[CalmotionLLC]

Fadal 88HS memory control upgrades:

1) up to 16MB of battery backed RAM
2) Floppy drive
3) USB

Fadal 32MP memory control upgrades:

1) Same as above
2) Typically running Windows 95 or 98, so installing other devices may present problems.
3) Memory upgrades on the PC side does nothing for the CNC side

The biggest problem with USB in general is that it needs a host to communicate with a USB device. A USB to RS-232 device talked about before in the forums will not work with the machine, it needs a host to communicate with the USB side. Typically Windows and a PC acts as a host to the USB device like a USB disk key. The PC will also need software and cables to communicate with the CNC.

The Calmotion device acts as the host, software and communication software. The Calmotion device also allows all the access to the USB disk key information from the control's keyboard and display.

[billystein]

i am currently using the usb port on the fadal. it is a joke. we have a remanufactured fadal with mp32 control with factory installed usb.
first you need to flip the dos switch which boots wndows professional on your screen. then you don't load directly into the directory for fadal files. instead you have to connect your rs232 cable from the back of your machine to the back of the usb. then you run that old fadal downloading program to get the program into your cnc memory.
that's right you have to send it from the usb port to the memory just like it was connected to a computer. same baud rates as downloading.
then when you go back to the cnc mode the reaction of the keyboard is very slow because windows professional is running on your machine along with the fadal operating system.
it would be so simple and nice if you could just copy from the usb to the cnc memory but that is not the way it works.
i don't like i a bit. when i get the machine wired to a desktop computer i will no longer use the usb port at all.
if i were you i would look at cimco dncmax or predator. i think both will dnc or download to all machines at the same time.

billy

[CalmotionLLC]

Agreed, the 32MP solution you have there doesn't sound ideal.

With our USBCNC-FAD product, which is not what you have, you either load your programs into the CNC memory or just run your program off the USB disk via DNC.

[carbidecraters]

Calmotion thanks for chiming in! Are you saying I can leave your product hooked to a fadal and use it for memory and then take it off and load it up from my PC? Use it for memory?? If true that sounds awesome!

[CalmotionLLC]

The product stays on the machine. A 1 GB USB disk key is provided. Copy your programs onto the USB disk from your PC. Reinsert the USB disk into our product, from here you have two choices. You can load the program into memory of the CNC, or you can DNC directly off the USB disk. There are a couple of things to keep in mind when running DNC from the USB disk. If subprograms are called, then these subprograms need to reside in the CNC's memory. Subroutines and program redirection can't be used.