[TR MFG]

Ok we got a new used machine in the shop…..1994 Fadal VMC15. I made a cable like the Fadal manual recommends and I’m using the editor that comes with ONECNC to communicate. Somewhere I must have something wrong though, because they are experiences some strange, non consistent errors.
For example, the first program you send to the machine works fine. If you delete it,….and try to send the same program again…..its strips the first hundred lines or so. If you turn the machine off and on again it usually works fine again.
I haven’t been able to successfully send a program from the machine to the pc either…..I just get a bunch of Qbert ….*#$5@@!@#*&^%#$
If I try to DNC a program, sometimes it works and other times it won’t…it may give a parity error or spindle control error
This is the cable and settings I am using.
Cable Pinout—Straight From the Fadal Manual.
9Pin - 25pin
1-8
2-2
3-3
4-20
5-7
6-6
7-4
8-5
9-22

Setting From Oncnc Editor
Baud Rate 9600(Matches the Machine)
Stop Bits 7
Xon/Xoff


This is my first experience with a FADAL……can somebody point me in the right directions……
Matt

[gar]

070808-2031 EST USA

TR MFG:

Working with software handshake I believe you can jumper 6, 8, and 20 together and separately 4 and 5 together at the 25 pin Fadal connector.
And generally in this mode you would only need wires to 2, 3, and 5 at the 9 pin computer connector. I believe the other pins can be ignored. Your shield if you have one goes to pin 1 at Fadal.

As a start the setup at both ends should be 9600 baud, 7 data bits, even parity, 1 stop bit, and XON/XOFF (which is software handshake).

How long is your cable?
How is the Fadal grounded?
How is the computer grounded?

Try playing with a very short program. Post here a copy of a short test program. Maybe half a dozen lines.

If Edster sees this he maybe able to help you more and correct any misinformation I have given.

I believe you must start and end the program with a % delimiter.

Electrical noise could be your problem, but I would look for other issues first.

.

[donl517]

Just a thought; try sending the files from a different PC. I have one here that has a funny serial port problem. I can't DNC with it because when the file finishes at the PC side the Fadal starts hesitatinig intermitently. I have to unplug the cable from the PC and then the machine is fine I tried a different PC and everything works fine.

Don

[gar]

070808-2200 EST USA

donl517:

Fadal may be sensitive to RS232 data before and after you send a file.

If the computer you had trouble with is one where the RS232 driver has power shut off when not sending a file, then the RS232 line is not held in its rest state and electrical noise could cause Fadal to get random junk. Typically the TxD line at rest is about -10 V if the driver has power. An RS232 port that drops power when not in use is found on some newer laptop computers to save the battery.

.

[TR MFG]

Also, if we slow the baud rate down at the machine and pc you can see the start of the program scroll by as it is loaded in. After the control is done receiving the first lines are missing, the line numbers will start at N11, or N36, or N811. How much of the program is missing seams to be random.

[TR MFG]

Hey Guys, thanks for the responses. I really do appericate your suggestions....

Gar: to answer your questions....

The cable is about 6-8 feet long and is routed away from any power cables.

The machine is grounded via what appears to be about a 5/8 diameter copper rod in the floor.

the computer has no additional grounding.

Here is the program I am trying to send....

%
O0001(FADAL TEST
G0G20G17G40G80G90H0M5M9
G53Z0
T2M6
G0G90S6000M3E1X0.Y-.4137
H2Z.1M8
G1Z-.0197F5.
G2X-.4137Y0.I0.J.4137F35.
X0.Y.4137I.4137J0.
X.4137Y0.I0.J-.4137
X0.Y-.4137I-.4137J0.
G0Z.1
Y-.1276
G1Z-.0394F5.
G3X.1276Y0.I0.J.1276F35.
X0.Y.1276I-.1276J0.
X-.1276Y0.I0.J-.1276
X0.Y-.1276I.1276J0.
G0Z.1
G0G80G90M5M9
G53Z0
X0Y0Z0E0H0
M30
%

[TR MFG]

Ok.....I tried using a different cable config like gar suggested....
6,8, 20 jumpered and 4,5 jumpered on the cnc side


Same problem......turned the machine on, sent the program one time, which worked fine......deleted it and tried to send it again......it chopped the first 7 lines out......



although.......now it appeares that I can send a program from the control to the pc ok....


thanks again..
Matt

[bborb]

Setting From Oncnc Editor
Baud Rate 9600(Matches the Machine)
Stop Bits 7
Xon/Xoff

-
Here's a problem, 7 stop bits?
My software is setup as
baud=9600
parity=Even
data bits=7
stop bits=1
handshake=XonXoff
Ascii (if applicable)
-
If you made a typo here, you may have made a mistake in OneCNC. Re-check.
You need to get clear file transfer FROM the machine (no Qberts) so I'd concentrate on that for now, THEN go back and troubleshoot sending TO the Fadal.
The settings in the Fadal AND OneCNC should match.

[bborb]

I only see one parenthesis for your comment, my Quick Code generates two... one at the beginning and one at the end of the comment.
(FADAL TEST
maybe should be
(FADAL TEST)

[TR MFG]

BBorb...

opps.....thats why I try not to hand edit programs....

my data bits is set at 7
and my stop bits are 1


I also stripped all the comments out of the program....no luck

[TR MFG]

I put a pretty lage delay in the settings so I could see the code as it was being transfer in the fadal screen and took a video...

Here is a link to the video

see how you can see the first lines of the program when its transfering, but when its all done,... it starts with line N28.....weird huh?

[DareBee]

I didn't watch your video but here are some of my personal findings.

My machine is a '94 88HS

When batch sending to my machine it works best to have no line numbers in the file.
When DNC you need to have line numbers.
I found that I needed to add a "line pause" protocol in my batch sending software to keep the control from missing or skipping data during send, it is something like a .2 - .5 second pause per line.
I am also running a higher baud rate, I don't remember which off-hand but I think it is 19200 (just so you know that you can speed things up after you get the issues sorted out.
Other points of note; My cable is about 3X the length of yours and I am using a serial to USB converter. If anything these are negative aspects to my setup.

I have never needed/wanted to send a program back to my computer from the control so I have no insights there.

HTH

[DareBee]

You can also try clearing your memory and starting over.
Type NE and Yes to purge and try again

[TR MFG]

Hello Darebee....thanks for the suggestions

I currently don't have line nembers is the program, but I'll try putting some delay in and see if that makes any difference.

Thanks again
Matt

[TR MFG]

Dang.....I was hoping that was going to work.....Just purged it and added 500ms of delay... no luck......powered the machine off and of and it worked one time again...

Matt

[gar]

070809-1202 EST USA

TR MFG:

Is your computer a laptop or desktop?

Need more information on your ground. Is there a safety ground wire from your CNC to the main breaker box. This will either be bare copper or a copper wire with some sort of green color identification, like the insulation on the wire being green or green tape wound around the wire. This will be wired to the chassis of the machine (frame, panel) and must go directly back to the main breaker box..

If there is no safety ground wire and you only have the ground rod at the machine, then I consider this a bad layout. There are others that will disagree, but the electrical code agrees with me. The code is for safety, and my reason is for electrical noise reasons. If there is no explicit ground wire, then a conduit or other conductive path may partially provide this path, but conduit as the safety ground path is not to code anymore.

If you have a laptop it may be isolated from ground, but if its power cord has three prongs, then it may be tied to the wall outlet safety ground wire and that goes back to the breaker box.

If you have a desktop it is almost certainly connected to the safety ground wire in the wall outlet.

That you can receive at the computer with no error, but sending to Fadal has errors may imply that that your computer disables the RS232 driver after sending data.

If Edster chooses to respond he can tell you about his problems that were corrected with our I232 Isolator System and correct useage of the Fadal communication program. With his setup we can send at 38.4 kbaud to Fadal with no errors and no time delays between characters. Thus, net transfer rate is approximately 4000 bytes per second. I do not remember the details of his problem to clearly indicate the problems before our I232 was installed.

.

[DareBee]

I believe that receiving by "space bar" - "8" - "1" to start that it overwrites the last sent program. I had issues (obviously) some time ago; I know that I always NE to clear my mem before send. I must do this for some good reason that I don't remember for sure what it was.

Also when changing baud rate, I know that it can be done by typing CD,? but I beleive this is some sort of temporary baud and it has never worked for me. The only true and sure way to change baud is in parameters (SETP) and then POWER DOWN.

You likely know all this but just in case....

[DareBee]

Another note.
I do all my batch transfering by sending a text file through the really crappy Windows Hyperterminal program ("send text file").
Can't get much more bare bones are simple than that.

I DNC with XPert DNC.

[donl517]

Another note.
I do all my batch transfering by sending a text file through the really crappy Windows Hyperterminal program ("send text file").
Can't get much more bare bones are simple than that.

I DNC with XPert DNC.

You can get an updated Hyperterminal here:

http://www.hilgraeve.com

HTH,
Don

[DareBee]

That version is either not legal or not free, considering I would be using it commercially :violin: