How do I drip feed a program to my Fadal

[DareBee]

Originally Posted by Scott_bob DareBee, For a definition of BPT: http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showpo...0&postcount=70 Are you cutting Aluminum or Steel? Have you checked out the Fadal Augusta forum thread? http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showpo...00&postcount=1 Regards,

OK
I remember reading both of those threads a while back.
I wouldnt mind trying the BPT test and listening to any recomendations you may have to help me out.
I have tried running my control at a higher baud rate but it wouldnt work (currently 9600) just sent gibberish. I wonder if it isnt the interface cable length, but it may be the laptop I am using as well.
This MC is my first CNC experience so my knowledge is kinda limited to about 2 years of off and on use of this machine as I cant seem to keep enough CNC work to keep it busy more than 30% of the time (we do a lot of fabricating as well). Most of my use is simple 2.5D as well.
At the present I have no interest in spending money to upgrade this machine and woud probably consider replacement over upgrade anyway (if and when I get to that point).
! of my biggest issues at the moment is that VisualMill doesnt have a way to output helical moves for my control and nobody I have talked to has been able to help me out with adding this to my post processor, my helical moves are output as linear miniscule moves which completly squashes the control.
BTW I cut almost everything you might see in a job shop.
Last week was UHMW, aluminum bronze and HR Plate. I also cut CRS, tool steel, stainless, polycarbonate and aluminum regularly.
I had better stop because now I am rambling.

[cadcam]

Darebee, you are using a laptop does this laptop have a com posrt or are you trying to use a USB to serial port?

As for the small segmented helical moves is the machine stutering on this info?

Next, the cable you are using did you make it and if so did you get the crossover caple connector from Fadal?

[DareBee]

I am using the factory serial port on the LTop.
The machine movement doesnt noticeably stutter but the speed chokes down to next-to-nothing. The segmented moves are not actually helical they are a helix broken into miniature straight line moves.
Neal at Fadal sent me a cable diagram and I had an electrician wire it from that. It's probably 25' long.

[cadcam]

Ok are there any G8's in the program to help with the speed being high speed look ahead?

And you did say you are able to backup a program with no trouble?

[DareBee]

I will have to check the G8 thing out, but it wouldnt make sense anyway IMO the control needs program lines faster than the baud can supply and it slows down untill it has a couple of lines for read ahead and that dictates the cutting speed.
I have never backed up a program, I assume you mean send a program from the control back to my computer. I send the program from the computer to the control, I dont see any reason to send a program back again (assuming it is small enough to fit in the memory of my VMC). As far as I know a DNC'd program doesnt exist in the control cause if it would fit memory I wouldn't be using DNC.

[Ciaran]

Hi,There are to ways to send programs into a fadal with a fanuc controller that I am aware of.Firstly for small programs send them in complete by typing cd,8 ent and then ta,1 ent into the contoller and then sending the file down from the pc.The cd,... sets the baud rate for receiving 8 being a speed of 9600.this value 8 or 9etc. just has to match that set in the pc.

to drip feed large programs just leave the screen blank with its default comand(enter next command)

I use a dripfeeding program called fadal cnc memory manager which I find simple and have no problems using.This info works on my 1998 machine but I am unsure about older models.
regards Ciaran.