Going to hook up a network/serial line to send programs directly to machine from pc

[J S Machine]

We recently got an old dinosaur of a machine in our shop, a Hitachi EDM wire machine..1988 model I believe, and I have to get it hooked up. It came from one of our sister plants. I know that it was hooked up with a network line or serial line (not sure what you call this). It looks like the cord that runs to a printer, plug is about 2" long and 5/16" wide.

At the other plant where it was hooked up before, they had it set up coming out of the pc and going into a type of channel selector box. This box has A, B,C,D on the front with a switch, and the corresponding ports on the back coming out. At one time, they had two machines, so I think this is why they used this selector box. We now have just this one machine, so I don't really see the need to even use this box. Is that correct?

Basically, I need to run the network line directly from my pc to the edm machine (I think) in order to be able to communicate with it. Problem though is that I use my port like this on my pc. I have a printer that still uses this type of connection. I assume that a USB cord could be used for the printer in place of the cord that looks like a serial line, but I'm not sure.

If I have to keep the printer hooked up this way, I think I may need some sort of pigtail or dual outlet type cable. This way, one line will come out of the pc and split into two, one for the printer and one for the communication line going to the edm. Not sure if it knows how to distinguish between the two, or if this is where I need to maybe deploy the switch selector box. For instance the line would come out of my pc and go to the box..channel A would be the printer and channel b could be the network line... What should I do here?

Last but not least, my pc is windows 7. Is there any conflict here? I see another thread right here on the main page where someone is having issues with com ports or something.

I'm programming with Mcam X5.

[Al_The_Man]

The box sounds like it was one of the old parallel port selector boxes used instead for switching RS232 serial lines.
If you have a 25pin D connector on the box or the machine, you need a 25p to 9 pin RS232 serial cable, you do not use a printer port, but need a PC with a 9 pin RS232 socket.
This is a PDF for a Fanuc, but most likely the hardware part will work with what you have.
You need to find out, however the RS232 protocol presently used by the machine, baud rate etc.
Al.

[J S Machine]

So the printer port and the cable that I have going to the CNC are two different things?

Ok..see edit here-

The cable coming from the switch selector box has a plug like the parallel or what I am calling a network / serial line. On that plug there is an adapter which looks like a vga. It is male, so I assume it would go into the back of the computer into a female socket.

[Al_The_Man]

If it is RS232 (most likely), then a printer port will not work.
CNC machines are typically fitted with the older 25p serial ports which look like printer ports but the connector is male instead of female.
Al.

[J S Machine]

The socket coming out of the cnc is a male 25 pin

The sockets coming out of the switch selector box are male 25 pin.

The cable going in between the selector box and pc is female 25 pin (to connect to the male 25 pin on the selector box) and male on the other end. Attached to this point is another 25 pin connection which is female and its end is a blue colored 9 pin male plug. This would be what they had going into the pc.

The communication line that runs between the cnc and selector box has a female 25 pin plug on each end.

Maybe that explains it a tad better.

[Al_The_Man]

If you look at the Fanuc PDF I posted, the typical cable types are shown, personally I use the 25p to 9 pin with the hardware handshake pins jumpered, i.e. the 3 wire cable.
This works in 99% of cases.
Al.

[J S Machine]

well I guess what I am asking is if I even need to use the box? If I have no need to switch between two machines.. Couldn't I just take the pigtail that turns my 25 pin into a 9 pin and connect it directly to the communication cable 25 pin end?

[Al_The_Man]

You do not need to use the box if it was just used for switching in a particular machine, just cable direct from the machine to PC.
Al.

[J S Machine]

Ok. I appreciate it. I wouldn't think there would be any type of jumper wires or any of that stuff you had mentioned previously in a simple switch box. Maybe I can run direct from pc to machine.

Do any of the concerns about my pc being windows 7 apply to me?

[Al_The_Man]

I have never used 7, but you may run into a problem with some of the Modem programs that are used as a terminal on the PC, Some used Win Hyperterminal on XP and before, but I find it a PIA, not sure it it comes with 7.
You could check out Cadem Lite and see if that runs on 7.
It is a nice free terminal program.
I have a similar 4 way box and the plugs/sockets are straight through.
Al.