Newbie- Copy-Paste functionality in 6M model B?

[polarbeer]

Hi everyone!

Question 1
I'm editing a program and would like to be able to "copy-paste" a part of this program A) elsewhere in the same program or B) somewhere in another program. Can this be done in Fanuc 6M Model B control? Or do I always have to retype everything?

[FROM], [TILL], [TO] and [EXEC] soft keys are displayd on CRT during program editing, but I don't know how these should work!

Question 2
Can I copy a program (for example O3500) into a new program with a new "name" (for example O4500)?

Any help is highly appreciated!

-pb

[fordav11]

6MB is very very basic as far as editing is concerned. I don't ever remember even seeing EXEC on a 6M. You must have an 0M or 16M or similar.

You can do some simple editing using those keys.

Move the cursor to your start position and press FROM, then move the cursor to the end and press TILL. Then type O and program number (i.e. O1234) and press TO. Then press EXEC
It should copy your marked section FROM-TILL to a new program number O1234

You can't copy a section and paste it into the same program. The 15-series had a 2 or 3 line key-buffer and allowed copying several lines and you could move the cursor then paste it in. Later controls (especially from Mori Seiki) allow select with the cursor to highlight several lines like in a Windows text editor or word processor then cut/copy/paste, but there is nothing so nice with the cheaper controls.

Later Fanuc controls usually use "cursor~" and "~cursor" or "~bottom" then you type a program number and press input which sets the O-number, then you press EXEC to make it happen. But it will still only copy the marked section to a new program.

Its still a helluvalot easier to just punch it out and fix it with a simple text editor in Windows then read it back into the machine.
A **LOT* easier!

[txcncman]

AND...

If you punch the program out to a remote pc, you have the ability to save a back up copy with a date and time stamp with a new file name. Then if you make any mistakes in your editing, you can go back to the original and correct the mistakes or start over.

[polarbeer]

Hi

Okay, thank you guys for your fast response and info. I have to test the procedure (copying into a new program) next week. Sadly there isn't a PC connected into this machine, so I have to use plain Fanuc control at the moment.

I had hopes that one could do copy-paste inside program but you can't win every time...

[gbowne1]

"You can't copy a section and paste it into the same program. The 15-series had a 2 or 3 line key-buffer and allowed copying several lines and you could move the cursor then paste it in. Later controls (especially from Mori Seiki) allow select with the cursor to highlight several lines like in a Windows text editor or word processor then cut/copy/paste, but there is nothing so nice with the cheaper controls"

Yeah, I like the 15's buffer. I've ended up using it a bit.

[fordav11]

if there's a section you need to repeat, copy it to another program then call it using M98

For example...

G00 X Z
do something here
etc
M98 P1234
G00 X Z
do something else here
etc
M98 P1234


and the sub program would be....

O1234
G00 X Z
do something here
etc
M99


you can also buy a pocket PC like an iPAQ and using a serial cable you can punch and read to/from it. I have one, a HP iPAQ HX2490 and it's pretty nice
It looks like this one.....


Be careful to buy one that has a serial port, some don't.

I got a (non-standard) iPAQ serial cable on ebay for a few bucks then made a CNC serial transfer cable which plugs into it.

The advantage is if you have several CNC machines and only 1 PC then you don't need to carry around the PC to each machine.

I don't need no steenkin' PC

[polarbeer]

Hi,

This "pocket PC" idea was nice! Although I might prefer small laptop with full qwerty-keyboard.

-pb

[beege]

COPY as above FROM, TO and save as a new program.
If you have COPY, you have MERGE, which will merge your new program to your current one. Kinda like Copy/Paste, but with extra steps. And you can do it multiple times, which makes roughing, finishing a bit easier.

[gbowne1]

I have generally not needed to copy & paste. I've done a few sub programs and macros where I've needed.

[polarbeer]

Originally Posted by fordav11 6MB is very very basic as far as editing is concerned. I don't ever remember even seeing EXEC on a 6M. You must have an 0M or 16M or similar. You can do some simple editing using those keys. Move the cursor to your start position and press FROM, then move the cursor to the end and press TILL. Then type O and program number (i.e. O1234) and press TO. Then press EXEC It should copy your marked section FROM-TILL to a new program number O1234.

I tested above mentioned procedure today. It doesn't work as described. For some reason our 6M Model B control copies the WHOLE program into a NEW program. I didn't figure out how I could copy only a section. Also pressing [TO] softkey didn't seem to be necessary at all. I could also press it before typing new program number (O1234).

But at least I can make copies of a program!

-pb

[fordav11]

It must be some non-standard bolt-on function added by the machine manufacturer. Like I said a standard 6M doesn't have any editing functions other than the usual manual INSERT, ALTER and DELETE.
So you'll have to punch it out, edit in a PC then read it back in.