Need Help!- Can not load a program via MDI

[steelhead9]

We have just aquired a used Takisawa Lathe w/ Fanuc 6T control we can not activate the MDI to load in a program, machine has a tape reader on the side
is this the only way to load a program?

[stevo1]

I am not very familiar with the 6 series controls but you should have an RS232 port that you can load your programs through. I believe that some of the 6 series have 2 serial ports. Here are some threads that discuss a bit about setting up communication on a 6t.

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69443
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66808

Stevo

[Al_The_Man]

Normally the 6 will only allow 1 line entry and run in MDI, for program input you need to be in MEM.
As mentioned, look for 25 pin D sockets marked RS232, not punch for e.g.
Al.

[Dan Fritz]

The EDIT mode allows you to enter a short program, then you can switch to MEMORY mode to run it. Al_The_Man is right when he says that MDI mode only lets you enter one command and then execute it. That's a very tedious way to do anything useful.

Here's how to enter a short program from scratch:

Switch to EDIT mode. Turn the Memory Protect Key switch off (unprotected mode).
Press the PROGRM key, then key in the letter "O" followed by an unused program number, then press INSERT. That should give you a blank screen with just your O-number at the top. Press the EOB key, then INSERT to finish the line. Then, key in any commands you like, followed by INSERT each time. Put an EOB key at the end of each block. At the end of the program, key in "M30", then INSERT, then EOB, then INSERT to finish the program.

To run it, press RESET in EDIT mode to move the cursor back to the top, switch to MEMORY mode, turn the Memory Protect key switch on, then press CYCLE START to run it.

You can have a bunch of different programs in memory at one time, but they each must have a unique 4-digit O-number. You can jump from one O-number to the next by selecting EDIT mode, keying in the letter "O", then pressing the Cursor Down key. You can also jump to any O-number that's in memory by pressing "O" + the 4-digit number + Cursor Down.

To load from paper tape, select EDIT mode, turn off the memory protect key switch, put a tape on the reader, then press the READ key.

To load a program from the RS232 port, you'll need to make a setting on the SETTING page. Press SETTING, then cursor down to "INPUT DEVICE 2". Put a "1" in that position to load from RS232 and a "0" for loading a paper tape. To change this bit, put the cursor on it, turn off the memory protect key switch, select MDI mode, press the letter "P" followed by a "0" or "1", then press INPUT. Once this bit is set to "1", get your PC ready to send a file with Xon/Xoff handshaking, select EDIT mode, then press READ (just like reading a tape, only that INPUT DEVICE 2 bit is turned on)

[cncdiag]

To run in MDI
Set mode switch to MDI
Press COMND push button
Page down to Next Block screen and input commands on this page.