[HARDTOOL]

Our WindowsNT Server machine (from 1997) recently died on us, forcing us to buy a new PC to communicate with our Heidenhain TNC 426 CNC control...

The date code on the PLCs are too old to run TNCremoNT throught the eithernet connection.

We were using the NFS Server software to communicate, and it worked flawlessly.

Now, however, we have installed a WindowsXP Professional PC, and we keep getting a "Drive Not Found" when attempting to mount our connection. We have checked all the network settings from top to advanced and nothing appears to be amiss.

Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated, and thank you in advance!

-A&M Specialties, Inc. Hardtool Division

[plankman]

Hi Hardtool,

I'm running a TNC426CE at work, using TNCRemoNT under Windows XP Pro with no problems. The control is of 1997 vintage and has the piggyback PLC on it and works flawlessly with TNCRemoNT. Our ethernet card was damaged by a spike on an uprotected computer we used as a loader/server for the machines in the shop. Here's what we did to check the ethernet card:

Change the settings in TNCRemoNT to run through a RS232 port. Connect a null modem cable RS232 9 pin to the connector on the side of the control itself in the cabinet and to the computer. Set TNCRemoNT to communicate through the COM1 or COM2 on your computer as needed, set LS/V protocol, and set the baudrate to something reasonably fast - I have a 30 foot test cable and use 115200 without any trouble. You will also have to go into the control to set the RS232 port to match settings. After changing the settings in TNCRemoNT, shut down and restart TNCRemoNT. Hit File|Connect and if everything is running correctly, your control's directories should show after a moment or two on the computer screen in TNCRemoNT.

I suggest trying the RS232 port alternative because depending upon the reason for your old machine dying, it may have damaged the ethernet card on the control. This method will tell you if your card is damaged, and at the very least you'll be able to communicate with your machine again until the ethernet card is replaced. We actually stayed with the RS232 cable and a local machine because it was so handy to have beside the mill!
(I didn't have to wait in line to load a program at the server station).

Just another thought here. A control that old, may need to have its hard drive replaced. We had to do that this past summer. Heidenhain recommends every 5 years. The screen kept freezing up - the machine would be in a contouring program cutting, the screen wouldn't update but would run until the execution buffer ran out and then just sit there. Cycle stop, nothing would work, except a hard power down shutdown/reboot. New hard drive installed, everything worked fine again. Just in case this happens to you. It took the tech about an hour and a half to do the job.

Good luck, and if you need any more help, let me know.