Program "Load" and fixture offset questions.

[Fighter]

I have two CNC mills with Dynapath Delta 10 controllers.

The first machine, which I have had for a while, will overwrite an existing program in the "Load" mode. If I have a part program named "DRILL" in the Catalog, I can modify or create a new program named "DRILL" using my PC, and when I load it to the Dynapath via RS-232 I simply call up the existing "DRILL" program and it will just overwrite the existing program when the new "DRILL" program is loaded. Simple!

On my newer machine, which I am just starting to use, it will not overwrite an existing program. If I call up the existing "DRILL" program in Catalog mode, load the new "DRILL" program from my PC, it creates a new part program in the catalog and names it "P00000000" and does not overwrite the existing program. I then have to delete the existing "DRILL" program from the catalog and rename "P0000000" to "DRILL", which makes no sense to me!

Am I missing something?

Next question:

Why doesn't M30 cancel a fixture offset? If I run a program using a fixture offset and then run another program that uses no offset, it retains the fixture offset from the previous program. Looks like a crash waiting to happen!

Do I need to start using using M30E00 to end programs?

Thanks!

[jagardner4]

The first procedure that you described where you load a program with the same name as the active program on the control actually results in what is called a "merge" load. One of three things will happen with each block:
1.) If an N number exists in the control's active program and that N number is present in the loaded program, that block would get overwritten.
2.) If an N number exists in the control's active program and that N number is not present in the loaded program, the block would remain and be unaltered.
3.) If an N number does not exist in the control's active program and is present in the loaded program, that block would be added.

The second procedure you described, on your 2nd Delta 10, sounds like you are loading a program with no name. "P0000000" is the default when loading a program with no name. The rules used for loading programs did change some after the Catalog mode was introduced, so I am not surprised the two controls behave a little differently.

The Customer Information Manual (CIM) describes what happens in the "Load Mode" section of Operations. In the manual I have it is Part 2 - Operations, Section 13 (Load Mode), Page 2. The paragraph is labelled 'Program Load.' My opinion, this isn't the right place for this information, but I didn't put this manual together.

As to the Fixture Offset, there is a parameter available to the machine OEM to determine whether fixture offset remain active after an M02 or M30. The default is for the fixture offset to remain active. This is how your machine was set up by the machine OEM. I would recommend programming an E00, then an M30, if you want it cancelled at the end of a program.

[Fighter]

Originally Posted by jagardner4 The second procedure you described, on your 2nd Delta 10, sounds like you are loading a program with no name. "P0000000" is the default when loading a program with no name.

If I try to reload a program I get a "Duplicate ID" message and it creates the generic P0000000 file name for the program I'm loading.

Thanks!

[Fighter]

Later this afternoon it started overwriting programs like it should. The machine has not been powered up in months, so perhaps the gremlins are leaving.

Thanks for the help!