[genestapp]

Hi everyone,
I recently acquired an older Northwood model 58E which uses a Fanuc 21i-M controller. I've slowly read my way through the war and peace sized manual and have almost everything figured out but two things.

Main issue: The multi-head drill spindle. The individual spindles activate and quickly extend based on the correct m codes but they do not stay extended and instead retract as soon as they reach full extension. It uses individual solenoids for each drill spindle. For this machine m codes M101-M116 extend the individual spindles and supposedly using code M100 retracts all spindles. What am I missing as I assumed the extend m code would be given, the drill extends and stays extended and then you give the m100 code to retract the drill when you are ready? I can find very little information on the drills and it appears the previous owner of the machine did not use the drills as I looked through all the stored programs and none seemed to call those m codes.

Secondary, less important issue: The pcmcia slot next to the monitor looks good and was set to the correct channel and parameter settings, but it was unable to read any sized compact flash I tried with a pcmcia adapter. 512mb, 256mb, 64mb sizes. I tried with correct fat pc formatting as well. nothing. Machine just indicated there was nothing in the slot with the nothing in the machine error even when going into the maintenance mode on boot that allows for formatting. I'm currently drip feeding my programs into the machine but would love to figure out how to use the compact flash storage. Any ideas here?

I've attached pictures

[botha.y]

You might be using a card that's too big I'm not sure what's the upper limit. I always use IGT 40MB PCMCIA cards like these:
SDP3B 40MB PCMCIA ATA Flash Card | eBay Also use your Fanuc control to format your flash card, that way you can't do any mistake in your FAT or FAT32 formatting selection, Fanuc doesn't recognize FAT32.
In manual:
NOTE:
1. Only Type I or Type II PCMCIA card is usable. The following card cannot be used.
- Card-bus card
- Dual mode card (Card- bus mode/PCMCIA mode) with Card- bus mode
- Type Ill card
2. Care about the direction of the card, and insert certainly.
B-63523EN/03
3. No card designed for use on +3.3 V can be used in the basic units (A08B-0082-B001 to
-8023).
CAUTION
If the door is opened, dust or coolant would enter and might cause any troubles. Please pay
attention.

[genestapp]

You might be using a card that's too big I'm not sure what's the upper limit. I always use IGT 40MB PCMCIA cards like these:
SDP3B 40MB PCMCIA ATA Flash Card | eBay Also use your Fanuc control to format your flash card, that way you can't do any mistake in your FAT or FAT32 formatting selection, Fanuc doesn't recognize FAT32.
In manual:
NOTE:
1. Only Type I or Type II PCMCIA card is usable. The following card cannot be used.
- Card-bus card
- Dual mode card (Card- bus mode/PCMCIA mode) with Card- bus mode
- Type Ill card
2. Care about the direction of the card, and insert certainly.
B-63523EN/03
3. No card designed for use on +3.3 V can be used in the basic units (A08B-0082-B001 to
-8023).
CAUTION
If the door is opened, dust or coolant would enter and might cause any troubles. Please pay
attention.

Thank you. I'll give that pcmcia card a shot and see what happens.


As to the multi-drill. I spent this evening troubleshooting it.
1. I confirmed the wiring from the drill to the electrical block in the control panel are all undamaged. Both the shared 24v 1065 labeled black wire and that the ground were fine. That took a good while with a meter and some patched in wiring.
2. I next removed the basket? that contained the wiring block for the relays from the PLC output module as they can be separated easily. Ran the midi program and M113 for the front drill with no wiring attached to the actual module and the indicator light (B1 on that module) still just flicked on and then back off quickly. So that rules out shorting and everything beyond the relay. Now it could be that module is bad or if not that would only leave the Fanuc controller and it's parameters/settings for the m codes for the drill.

My plan of attack tomorrow is to swap the questionable module with another that is used for the ATC that are the exact same model and see if that particular module could be bad. If it is not, that would just leave something in the Fanuc controller software parameters. Anyone know where I would go to see/edit what is triggered in the controller when codes M100 through M116 are input?

Attachment 242552

[drdos]

The Fanuc is using Y addresses in the controller to fire the solenoids. If you have wiring prints they ought to show you what the Y addresses are for both solenoids. Next look in the ladder logic (under System, PMC, PMCLAD) search for the Y output address and see why they are not staying on when told to. As far as formatting the cards, power down the CNC. Press and hold the two far right soft keys under the monitor and power back up. Once you see the Boot Mode you can release the two buttons. Use the soft keys to cursor down to the memory card format and format the card there.

Hope this helps

[genestapp]

So issue was not the plc module so on to the ladder logic

Nope I don't have any wiring prints to find the Y addresses. I've got a buddy that is a tech for Northwood and he is going to ask the logic engineers about my specific machine. I'll see if he can get ahold of these wiring prints that they may have on file. Thanks

[genestapp]

Well I found the pcmcia issue. One of the pins or the cable must be loose. If I really put some pressure on the pcmcia card, the machine can read it. I'm replacing the pcmcia slot. I'm not sure if it is part A66L-2050-0010#A or A66L-2050-0010#B though. I'll call on Monday. All of my different flash cards worked after I figured this out. still working on ladder logic stuff for the drills as I have no documentation.

[fordav11]

FYI, the upper limit for CF Cards on 21i is 512M
Your other issue sounds like programming. You might be missing some M codes. Generally there are no parameters for the M Codes and special functions of a machine they are fixed and set by the MTB. I seriously doubt your ladder needs modifications. More likely the programming is not right. You should have a non-Fanuc book which explains the special M functions. You wont find any info on special M codes in any Fanuc manual.

[genestapp]

FYI, the upper limit for CF Cards on 21i is 512M
Your other issue sounds like programming. You might be missing some M codes. Generally there are no parameters for the M Codes and special functions of a machine they are fixed and set by the MTB. I seriously doubt your ladder needs modifications. More likely the programming is not right. You should have a non-Fanuc book which explains the special M functions. You wont find any info on special M codes in any Fanuc manual.

The 21i is able to read and write to the 2GB which I was surprised by.

And you are correct, there is nothing out there that explains the special m code functions for the drill bank in any Fanuc manual (i've searched through all of them). I'm not sure what you mean by a non-Fanuc book that explains the special m functions. No other manufacturer out there uses the same m codes to control a drill bank that I can find so these appear to be completely custom M codes. From what I can gather that would mean the programming for those would be in the ladder logic. That's why I'm trying to get the information from the ladder to see what the different drill extend m codes trigger. I figure I can compare the m code the extends each drill to the spindle extend/retract m codes and see what is different about them.
I'm going to try to export the ladder tonight and pull it up. I've been looking through the ladder reading tutorials to figure out how to know just enough to be dangerous

[fordav11]

well on my 21i it's 512M. it could depend on the MTB.
For non-Fanuc manuals I mean the other manuals that come with the machine from the MTB. You should have a set of Fanuc 21i manuals and another set from the MTB. The M Code info is in the other set of manuals.

[genestapp]

Was able to get the Y codes:
Drill 1 Y11.1
Drill 2 Y11.2
Drill 3 Y11.3
Drill 4 Y11.4
Drill 5 Y11.5
Drill 6 Y11.6
Drill 7 Y11.7
Drill 8 Y12.4
Drill 9 Y12.5
Drill 10 Y12.6
Drill 11 Y12.7
Drill 12 Y13.0
Drill 13 Y13.1
Drill 14 Y13.2
Drill 15 Y13.3
Drill 16 Y13.4

And took pictures of some of the ladder logic screens. M101-M116 are the drill extend codes, M100 is the retract code. I've zipped them up: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B16...it?usp=sharing