[JimHs]

I have yet to figure out how to do "drip mode" with my 2400. By that I mean the PC will send G code one step ata time so as to avoid the 900 line limit. How do I do that?
Thanks,
Jim

[budz100]

I am new to this group, I just signed up to see if I can get some info on a dynamyte 2200 that I bought. The machine works fine, I can enter programs and run them. I was just wondering what is good as far as a cam package. I checked out sheetcam and it seems pretty good. I guess I don't know how to actually transfer the info into the machine. The machine came with a cable to connect to a parallel port, but after plugging it in I am completely lost. I am quite familiar with programming and running cnc machines but setting up the electronics, well it just confuses me. Like I said I am new to this, so I'm not sure if I am even in the right area. If anyone can give me any advise or suggestions I would appreciate it.

Thanks

[JimHs]

Budz100,
You open your drawing in Sheetcam and select your tools and maching processes to do each needed operation (using drawing layers is the way to go). Then after selecting the Dyna postprocessor as the output format, you run the postprocessor. This creates a .tab file. You then put the mill controller into the correct mode (don't remember the steps), and using the Dyna provided communications program that you loaded on your PC, you transfer the file to the Dyna controller. Then you run the program. Do you have the Dyna Users Manual?
Jim

[budz100]

I understand everything up until the 'Dyna provided communications program that you loaded on your PC' part. I did get a disk with the machine but as far as I can tell it is only for loading programs that are longer than 900 lines, and I'm not sure how that even works. I know that sheetcam comes with a dnc program but when I asked the owner he wasn't sure if it would work with a dynamyte or not. I read in a different post that hyperterminal might work but I am unsure how to use it. I am trying to get some feedback, because I want to buy a laptop to hookup and pretty much dedicate to this machine and I don't want to buy the wrong thing. I did get the dyna users manual but I don't recall seeing anything other than entering the programs on the control. The book does say what mode it should be in for entering programs from a pc but that's all I can find.
Thanks, Brandon

[mike944]

It's a SERIAL connection. Don't try to hook the cable to your parallel port, you might fry something.

There are quite a few communication programs out there. google "rs232 DNC software" any CNC communications program should be able to drip feed.

Basically, the way most programs work, is (after setting communication parameters to match the machine) is you select a text file containing your CNC code to upload to the machine, and the software goes into a "standby" mode and waits for you to start the machine into drip-feed mode.

When you start the machine into drip-feed mode, it starts to download the code until it's memory is full. The actual starting and stopping of data streams is more of a hardware function. as the recieving device fills up, it turns off the "clear to send" signal to the PC. The PC waits, until the CTS signal comes back on, and starts feeding again, and the whole process repeats. This is a standard behavior for an RS232 port, called "hardware handshaking" and most RS232 communications programs will handle it properly.

In this respect, the dyna works like any other CNC machine. The only difference is the CNC program has to be a dyna-specific program.

The only bit of information you need besides a communication program is the communication parameters. If you have the dyna programming manual they're in there. if not, search this board on my username. i posted them somewhere here a while back for someone else. i don't have them in front of me right now.

I'm not sure whether you need a "straight-through" cable, or "null-modem" cable, but since your machine came with a cable, i would suspect it's the correct one.

[budz100]

I'm not the most computer savy when it comes to this, but it's my understanding that the 25 pin outlet is the parallel and the nine pin is the serial. If that's correct, the cable that came with the machine is a 25 pin, are you saying I should use an adapter to go to a nine pin in the computer? And is there any decent dnc software that's free, or is that something I should buy.

Thanks

[JimHs]

Typically, but not always, the serial connection was via a DB-25 (read 25 total pins) connector. However, for serial communication, only 9 pins were actually used. In alot of cases for serial cables, that is what you would find, i.e. DB-25 connectors with only 9 pins. The parallel connection typically had a longer DB-XX conenctor.

Send me a private email (put your cursor on my user name above this message) and I will send you the rudamentary program that was origianlly included with the mill. It is a DOS program that you have to run in the Windows command execution window, so it doesn't have any Window's file browsing capability to locate the file you want to send the the mill (you just need to know where the file is and its name to type in at the prompt(s)).
Jim