[goodplastics]

I am working with a 1991 Fanuc Drill Mate t-model 10 with a 0mb control. I am so close to getting this to work I can taste it! I am pressing [edit] [program] [floppy] [read] [01234] [input] [exec]... It should flash LSK after that but I get this 086 alarm! I must be off somewhere with the ladder parameters, the manual says the alarm is when inputing/outputing via reader/puncher interface, the ready signal (DR) of the input /output device is off, what does that mean? I am contecting from the DB25 port located in the front of the panel near the keyboards and crt, it is the only DB25 serial com port I can find on the machine.What must I do to get it to flash LSK and search for incoming data?

[Al_The_Man]

Try first outputing to the PC sucessfully, this at least tells you you have the right port and protocol.
The ladder does not have much to do with the RS232.
Make sure you have software handshake and I would jumper the Hardware handshake out, or at least only hook up the CTS/RTS pin 4 & 5 of the 25 pin to the PC.
Al.

[goodplastics]

I still have the same alarm when I attempt to shrfil, I think that is how you would send a file?!?! I guess it is sharefile... I still think there is an internal issue to address in order to reach LSK. I am unsure but I think the controller is looking for a PPR that I don't have or is currently set to use one, or do all omb controls list floppy-read-punch ? I don't remember having to put a file name in on other fanuc's just edit - program - floppy - read - exec... then LSK would flash. My memory is terrible and I can't be sure anymore, I have thought about it so much my brain is turning to mush

[goodplastics]

The important parms are:
0001 = 01011000
0002 = 11100011
0012 = 00010001
The manual I got from Al has notations different from this, but who knows what it's for... I am starting to wonder if it has something to do with the cable, I am using a 25 to 9 pin modem cable that is not user configurable. I found M5 on the master PCB hooked up to a honda connector going to the servo locker and then to ?, I think it would go up to the front mounted 25 pin but that's just a guess.

[roseng]

I am working with a 1991 Fanuc Drill Mate t-model 10 with a 0mb control. I am so close to getting this to work I can taste it! I am pressing [edit] [program] [floppy] [read] [01234] [input] [exec]... It should flash LSK after that but I get this 086 alarm! I must be off somewhere with the ladder parameters, the manual says the alarm is when inputing/outputing via reader/puncher interface, the ready signal (DR) of the input /output device is off, what does that mean? I am contecting from the DB25 port located in the front of the panel near the keyboards and crt, it is the only DB25 serial com port I can find on the machine.What must I do to get it to flash LSK and search for incoming data?

The "DR" signal is pin 20(DTR), it needs to be connected (jumpered) to pins 6(DSR) and 8(DCD).
you will also need to jumper pins 4 and 5 (rts, cts) and set your comunication software to use software hand shaking (xon,xoff)

[goodplastics]

Just for fun I tried the params listed in the notes fron the interface manual... It worked! I am able to get to the flashing LSK now! However I still have not interfacing happening. I changed the params to:
0002 = 11110000
0012 = 00001100
This is all I changed and the 086 alarm went away. but I am still trying to get it to talk to the dnc program I downloaded. the baud rate is set to 1200 and mode is set to fanuc. Should data bits be 7 or 8 ? should stop bits be 1 or 2 ? Should parity be even or odd ? and flow control is xon/xoff... I think I'm going to have to go to fry's and get the 25 and 9 pin connectors and some shielded cable. How many conductors do I need in the shielded cable? Any cable recomendations?

[Al_The_Man]

For a Cable, use the 3 wire configuration with the HW HS jumpered out that I sent in the PM listed on the Cadem.com site.
BTW Fanuc recommend 4800 baud as a start point with E,7,2
Al.

[goodplastics]

So I'm back from Fry's and I got a NULL modem (full handshake) adapter that jumpers 6-8-20 both ways and a 25 pin modem tester as well as 9 wire shielded cable and solder cup 25 and 9 pin conectors. I'll be back after more hair falls out!

[goodplastics]

WOW!!!!!! The modem checker is the best thing ever! It took away a bunch of my question marks! I am not guessing at the port or output anymore and I now know that the front DB25 is definately a com connector! I can see changes in the high low when I press exec and when I send from the PC! I bet I get it figured out soon now that I have this diagnostic aid!!!!

[goodplastics]

Okay! now we're getting somewhere! I input file number 1 before pressing Exec... then it goes LSK... then I press send on the dnc program... then I notice the file number changes from 1 to 2... then after a few seconds the DNC program says WAITING FOR CNC... I have set my port to 7/2/even/2400bd/xon-xoff and set same for dnc program output. What little tidbit is hanging up the works here?

[Al_The_Man]

DID you send from control to PC yet??
Al.

[goodplastics]

No Al not yet. I am still unsure how to do that on the control. Is it 'punch'? I am unsure about the cable at this point... the null modem adapter conects like this:
25 pin 9pin
1-------------1
2-------------3
3-------------2
4-------------5
5-------------4
7-------------7
8-6-20
I am getting the last 3 lines of Gcode when I press stop, so something is close. I am making a cable right now like this:
25pin 9pin
2-----------2
3-----------3
5-----------7
7-----------5
6-8-20
Please let me know if I'm on target
Thanks

[dcoupar]

Goodplastics,

Check your setting "I/O". It should be 0 or 1. If it's 0, use Parameter 2(Stop Bits, Feed, etc), 38 (6&7), and 552(Baud). If it's 1, use Parameter 12, 38, and 553,

Your cable should be as follows:

25 pin (CNC) 9 pin (PC)
2 ------------2
3 ------------3
7 ------------5
4-5
6-8-20

Like Al says, try output from CNC -> PC first. Then try sending the same program back to the CNC.

Good luck.

[Dan Fritz]

The cable you described is correct if you have a 9-pin serial port on your PC.

CNC ------ PC (9-pin)
2-----------2
3-----------3
5-----------7
7-----------5
6-8-20

The Fanuc 0M sends a program if you're in EDIT mode, then press the letter "O", then any 4-digit number, then the OUTPUT/START key. The 0Ms with the "soft-keys" at the bottom of the CTR should have a PUNCH and a READ key right next to each other. For those, you type in the O-number, press PUNCH, then EXEC to send. Your DNC software will have to have the serial port open and be ready to receive first.

The Fanuc hardware handshakes with the CTS signal (pin 5 on the CNC) when it is sending data. The DNC software should be holding pin 5 on the CNC high, otherwise the Fanuc can't send.

The Fanuc uses Xon/Xoff handshaking (they call it "DC codes") when it receives. If the DNC software is set to transmit using Xon/Xoff, then this will happen:

1) DNC software is ready send file, and waits for Xon (ASCII code 17)
2) CNC sends Xon when you press READ, then EXEC. LSK begins to blink
3) DNC sends a LINE FEED (LF) character. LSK stops blinking
4) DNC sends program data, pausing when CNC sends Xoff (19), resuming on Xon (17). Each block must end with LF
5) DNC sends last block of program, then a percent sign (%)
6) CNC sees percent sign, file pops up on CRT, and CNC sends an Xoff

With your serial port tester, you should see:

CNC on and reset, DNC port closed:
pin 2 (low)
pin 3 (low)
pin 4 (low)
pin 5 (low)
pin 6-8-20 (low)

DNC system ready, CNC still reset
pin 2 (low)
pin 3 (low)
pin 4 (low)
pin 5 (high)
pin 6-8-20 (low)

DNC system ready, CNC sending
pin 2 (blinking)
pin 3 (low)
pin 4 (high)
pin 5 (high)
pin 6-8-20 (high)

DNC system ready, CNC receiving
pin 2 (low)
pin 3 (blinking)
pin 4 (high)
pin 5 (high)
pin 6-8-20 (high)

More little details:

The Fanuc will PUNCH a program, but will not READ a program if the memory protect key switch is in the "Protect" position.

If the DNC system does not send the "%" at the end of the file, the Fanuc will not "finish out" and display the program on the CRT. If that happens, you can press RESET on the CNC and the file will pop up on the screen.

LSK means "Label Skip". The feature is designed to let the control skip the man-readable "label" at the beginning of a paper tape. When LSK is blinking, all data coming in through the serial port will be IGNORED until a LINE-FEED (LF) is received from the DNC system. Fanuc ignores carriage-returns, so your DNC system can send LF, LF/CR, or CR/LF and it won't matter. Just be sure it sends a LF.

When the Fanuc punches a program, it will always have "tape vertical" parity. That means that any block of data that has an ODD number of characters will have a space character at the end of the block. Spaces within the block are also stripped out. Most DNC systems don't send programs with TV parity, so be sure that the Fanuc is not checking for TV parity when it reads. There is a "TV ON" bit on the first parameter page, and it should be "0" to turn it off.

[dcoupar]

Dan,

What does the CNC pin 5 to PC pin 7 accomplish? I've never used that with software handshake, and wonder if I'm missing something? I jumper 4-5 on the CNC end (per my Fanuc System 0/10/11/12 RS232C Connection Manual). Is there a reason I should be doing it the way you suggest? I'm always looking for better ways to skin this cat...

Thanks,

Dave

[Al_The_Man]

Pin 5 to 7 is the Request to send output from the PC (7) to the Clear to send input (5) on the PC, just a bit of hardware handshake precaution.
I personally don't use it that often and jumper out the 4 &5 CNC and the 7&8 on the PC.
I imagine it may be more necessary with higher baud rates perhaps.
Al.

[Dan Fritz]

Usually you can get away with jumpering pins 4 & 5 on the CNC. The Fanuc can not send unless it sees a "high" signal on pin 5.

On our DNC installations, we always connect this hardware handshake line because the customer sometimes sends a program without first preparing the DNC software to receive. Our PC-DNC Plus is designed to see the O-number (or any other identifier) in the first line and use that as a file name. Consequently, the operator can just send programs any time he wants and assume that they're saved on the PC-DNC system.

The Problem comes if we DON'T connect pin 5 on the CNC to pin 7 on the DNC side. That would make it possible for the operator to send files even if the DNC system is shut down, and the files are not saved as you would expect.

Most DNC programs can receive data much faster than the Fanuc can send it, so you're not likely to overflow the buffer on the DNC side when the Fanuc is sending. On really old (slow) computers, the DNC software may have to make the Fanuc pause for a second once in a while, so pin 5-7 becomes necessary.

When Fanucs receive data, the flow control is always Xon/Xoff, and pin 5 can be held high all the time with no consequences.

[goodplastics]

The cable is currently =
25pin 9pin
2--------2
3--------3
4/5------7
7--------5
6/8/20 jump
Should I remove the connection to 7 from the 4/5 jump? I am still having a problem, CNC on and reset, DNC port closed :
pin1: low
pin2: low
pin3: low
pin4: low
pin5: low
pin6/8/20: low
DNC system ready,CNCstill reset
pin2: low
pin3: high
pin4: high
pin5: low
pin:6/8/20: low

So pin 5 is not high? Any ideas?

[Al_The_Man]

The 4 & 7 are both outputs, so you can have a conflict. Normally you do one or the other, jumper or go 5 to 7.
This is another Fanuc bulletin for your machine,it shows how to send to the PC and also programs and parameters.
It show using Procomm, which used to be the Fanuc program of choice, so where it shows PC use the DNC program you are using.
It was just too big again, I sent it to your email.
Al.

[Dan Fritz]

Your DNC software apparently doesn't turn on pin 7 (RTS) when it opens the port. This is very unusual. You can jumper 4-5 on the CNC side and leave it disconnected from pin 7 on the DNC side. You don't have the same problem that we have sending files to a "not ready" PC. Pins 4 & 5 will then be "low" on your tester until you press PUNCH + EXEC (or) READ + EXEC on the CNC, and then they will both go high while the Fanuc is sending or receiving.

Al_The_Man is right that pin 4 on the Fanuc is an output and pin 7 on the PC is also an output. It's not good to connect two outputs together, althought it won't hurt anything if you do. You just won't get a reliable signal level.