Interact Heidenhain 151b TNC remo NT

[las21788]

I have a Interact with a Heidenhain 151 control with the 25pin connector on the back. The machine came with a ancient MS-Dos computer with a EZ-Cam software but im trying to link it to a modern pc via USB. I have the 25 pin cable (which worked on the old set up) reduced down to a 9 pin connection with a Serial to USB converter/adapter.

I installed the TNCremoNT program and the TNC server program from Heidenhain website. The only communication I am getting is in ME mode in TNC server when i try sending a program back to the pc. The regular TNCremoNT wont make connection it says "No response from TNC, which i assume is because of the short circuit hardware handshake?? I dont have any programs on the pc to try sending to machine so i was trying to get one off the control to use as a "template" to use as a example when i edit my Mastercam Posts. This stuff is all new to me but i was wondering if any how anybody is doing this sort of thing with similar machine/TNC. Also I have the control set into ISO (g-code) rather that the heidenhain conversational.

Any help is much appreciated..

Lance Smith

[gus]

there is a tncserver app within the tncremote

make sure baud rate is set correctly

computer is on with server fired up then set control to upload or download

[holbieone]

you should be able to pull ,from the pc

[las21788]

I tried everything i could think to do. I went by thread posted a month or so ago on a guy with same issue. I did everything he said, changed parrameters, even made a custom wire exactly how he described but it didnt work for me at all, i tested it with a multimeter. I can only get some transfer in ME, and it is only a page of x's. I must not be doing something right. Is there a specific format in which the programs need to be in in order to send/receive with TNCserver? Im really lost at this point.


Much Thanks for any help

[awemawson]

Read these ancient musings:

heidenhain help


The TNC151B can definately accept drip feed, I'm not so sure that the TNC151A can - I don't think you can swap modes ME & FE using the MOD key on the 'A'

[holbieone]

I have a Interact with a Heidenhain 151 control with the 25pin connector on the back. The machine came with a ancient MS-Dos computer with a EZ-Cam software but im trying to link it to a modern pc via USB. I have the 25 pin cable (which worked on the old set up) reduced down to a 9 pin connection with a Serial to USB converter/adapter.

I installed the TNCremoNT program and the TNC server program from Heidenhain website. The only communication I am getting is in ME mode in TNC server when i try sending a program back to the pc. The regular TNCremoNT wont make connection it says "No response from TNC, which i assume is because of the short circuit hardware handshake?? I dont have any programs on the pc to try sending to machine so i was trying to get one off the control to use as a "template" to use as a example when i edit my Mastercam Posts. This stuff is all new to me but i was wondering if any how anybody is doing this sort of thing with similar machine/TNC. Also I have the control set into ISO (g-code) rather that the heidenhain conversational.

Any help is much appreciated..

Lance Smith

has it worked for you with the old dos setup ?


usb to rs232 , we tried three different brands before we had one that would work , CableMax

rs232 voltage is lower these days

we also had problems with line noise , we have to shut down things near the machine and hit e-stop



if the old dos setup works and your usb to rs232 is working separate from the machine , you may need a line driver to get the true rs232 +12v 0v -12v

[awemawson]

Very rare for a usb to serial converter to give the full +12v to -12v swing of the proper spec V24 / RS232. They often only go +5v to -5v which not only is too low for many RS232 driver / receiver chips, even if it works on short cables it'll give intermitant problems on longer ones and less noise imunity.

[jmccracken]

I tend to agree with the assessment that some of your problem might be in the USB-to-serial adapter ... thus, I recommend that you first try to get it operate via a traditional serial port using an old computer. In other words, try to isolate the problem to the Heidenhain controller, TNCRemo, your computer, or the converter.

I and some other folks worked through some issues on a Heidenhain 151B ... and posted a solution:

Heidenhain 151B Drip Feed Problems

That being said, are you getting any errors (BLOCK FORMAT INCORRECT, etc.)?

I am under the impression that all the 151's (A's, B's, etc.) can handle drip feed (aka BLOCKWISE TRANSFER).

[FLjoyride]

I upgraded my pc also, to windows 7 64 bit. The motherboard didn't have a com port so I got a com port PCI card ($20) which has been working great. Just make sure to select the proper port in TNC server. Also, there is usually a com port plug on the motherboard that is available it you don't want to use a pci card slot. Either way I felt that trying the various adapters was a waste of time and wanted to use standard cabling. Good luck.

[mflux_gamblej]

After some reading here and one other thread, I've got my Bridgeport Interact 1 mk 2 with a Heidenhain TNC 151 B control reading programs over serial.

Go get TNCRemo (comes with TNC Server) from the Heidenhain website and install it.

Hook up your PC (9 pin serial) to the Heidenhain 151B (25 pin serial) with a "Null Modem" cable. This has some pins swapped compared to a typical serial configuration.


TNCRemo won't connect to the control because it cannot communicate with FE or ME serial modes. The 151 control cannot communicate with TNCRemo in EXT serial mode for some reason - it's in the TNCRemo compatibility table that way too.

Set your control to FE mode, 9600 Baud using the MOD button

Start TNC Server on the PC, configure it for FE, Serial COM1 (usually), 9600 Baud, and select the folder where your programs are. For ISO (g-code) programs, the files must be named 'program #'.I

for example 1.I

the code must start with
$1 G70 (or G71 for mm)

and it must end with
N9999 $1 G70

the file name must be identical to the program number that goes after the $ sign. for example it could be

34.I

inside it would read

$34 G70
---other code---
N9999 $34 G70


To load a program, put the control in program run mode, press EXT, then enter the program number and press ENT. the program should load up then - you call the program from the control, you dont send it to the control from the PC.

be careful of the formatting and strange characters in your file or you'll get the 'block format incorrect' error. That's pretty much a catch all error.

for example, you cannot have numbers such as 2. like G03 Z2.

you have to say G03 Z2, or G03 Z2.0

Also be careful not to call out any strange G codes that the control doesnt understand. And put spindle call outs on their own line (not with positioning data)

for example, if I give the control G00 G90 G17 S1000 M03 X1.5255 Y2.3444

the whole control electronics crashes with the error 'Processor Block Error I'

..so be careful and check your post processor's output, this old control is pretty unforgiving in my experience.

[mflux_gamblej]

Correction, if you give a spindle command such as S1000 (i.e. call up spindle speed 1000) without telling the controller which axis the spindle is in (G17 means normal to XY plane or Z axis) then it will give the processor check I error. You would think they'd catch that without crashing the whole software and machine to an e-stop.

Keep an eye on your post processor i guess..

After some reading here and one other thread, I've got my Bridgeport Interact 1 mk 2 with a Heidenhain TNC 151 B control reading programs over serial.

Go get TNCRemo (comes with TNC Server) from the Heidenhain website and install it.

Hook up your PC (9 pin serial) to the Heidenhain 151B (25 pin serial) with a "Null Modem" cable. This has some pins swapped compared to a typical serial configuration.


TNCRemo won't connect to the control because it cannot communicate with FE or ME serial modes. The 151 control cannot communicate with TNCRemo in EXT serial mode for some reason - it's in the TNCRemo compatibility table that way too.

Set your control to FE mode, 9600 Baud using the MOD button

Start TNC Server on the PC, configure it for FE, Serial COM1 (usually), 9600 Baud, and select the folder where your programs are. For ISO (g-code) programs, the files must be named 'program #'.I

for example 1.I

the code must start with
$1 G70 (or G71 for mm)

and it must end with
N9999 $1 G70

the file name must be identical to the program number that goes after the $ sign. for example it could be

34.I

inside it would read

$34 G70
---other code---
N9999 $34 G70


To load a program, put the control in program run mode, press EXT, then enter the program number and press ENT. the program should load up then - you call the program from the control, you dont send it to the control from the PC.

be careful of the formatting and strange characters in your file or you'll get the 'block format incorrect' error. That's pretty much a catch all error.

for example, you cannot have numbers such as 2. like G03 Z2.

you have to say G03 Z2, or G03 Z2.0

Also be careful not to call out any strange G codes that the control doesnt understand. And put spindle call outs on their own line (not with positioning data)

for example, if I give the control G00 G90 G17 S1000 M03 X1.5255 Y2.3444

the whole control electronics crashes with the error 'Processor Block Error I'

..so be careful and check your post processor's output, this old control is pretty unforgiving in my experience.