Can't upload from PC to Fanuc 20T

[Sigmo]

Hello All.

We've gotten a new (used) machine with a Fanuc 20T control. We want to upload and download programs to the control from various PCs. We've been successful downloading programs from the control to the PC, but are stumped as to how to upload a program from the PC to the control.

Reading the manual, we come to a point where they say "Key 3 = 1". We're not sure what this is or how to set this "key". I'm sure this is something simple but we can't get any of the "soft keys" which are discussed further down in the procedure to show up. Thus, we're guessing that the control is not letting us access some features because it's protecting the existing programs or something like that. Oddly, though, we can blatantly delete programs with impunity, so that may not be it at all.

If anyone has a 20T and knows the procedure for getting it into the mode to accept an upload, we'd really appreciate hearing about it. The book has left us more than a little bewildered. (Being a total novice at the operation of these controls, I probably need a step-by-step button sequence to help me).

I'm just an electronics guy, but my friends (the machinists) know that I've been the one to build various RS-232 cables and also various interface circuits and write programs to run on PCs to allow them to simulate tape readers and the like, so they've asked for my help. But I'm afraid that I can't decipher the instructions in the book either.

Thanks for any help. I appreciate your time to read this and hopefully post or email me the secret

Regards

Sigmo

[Al_The_Man]

I am not that familiar with the 20T but Untill someone with a 20T shows, maybe I can shed some light, I am familiar with Fanuc serial on most controls up to 15 & 16 . What kind of results do you get when you try to upload? does the control indicate READ or flash LSK above the soft keys, and then just sit there, does it show any error? Can you dispay the setting screen where you can make sure the protocoll is set to ISO (ascii) What soft key display does the book mention? Usually this changes according to the function you have selected, and then you can page with the page keys at each end of the soft keys.
Al

[Sigmo]

Hello.

We haven't really even been able to try an upload yet. Where we're being stopped is in simply trying to get the control to go into the upload mode.

We've been able to do downloads from the controller to the PC with no problems.

None of us has ever worked with one of these 20T controls before. The machinist guys have been able to enter programs (manually) and run parts with the machine so they've obviously got a lot of it figured out. But we have not gotten it into the program upload mode yet.

There is a step-by-step sequence of operations for doing an upload in the book, but we can't interpret it correctly.

We get to a point where it simply says:

Key 3 = 1

And we're stumped.

We don't think that Key 3 refers to a soft key since the book otherwise refers to the softkeys by their "soft" names and there is no softkey called "3" showing at that point. We also don't see anything on the screen at that point which says "Key" at all.

I don't have the book with me now but I'll try to get it or get ahold of one of the guys and see if we can scan that page or just type it all into a message. Maybe if you can see the whole procedure that they've got in the book you'll be able to tell us what we're supposed to do at the point where it says "Key 3 = 1".

By the way, we do have the control set to ASCII, 7 data bits, 2 stop bits, odd parity, 4800 baud - and also have the PC (Procomm) set to those same settings. We also have DC1 and DC3 turned off (I guess this is Fanuc's way of implementing XON XOFF or software handshaking). Turning this off allowed for ungarbled reception of the programs when downloading to the PC. With a different DNC program, we may want to turn that back on in the future. I don't think they will ever need any "drip feed", they just need a way to save and restore programs so they don't have to type them in by hand. And of course, they'd rather be able to sit in the office and enter programs rather than punch them in on the control itself.

I appreciate your time on this. I'll try to get ahold of the book so I can show/tell you what it says to do.

Thanks again.

[Al_The_Man]

In the mean time here is a usefull link,http://www.memex.ca/support/referenc...unications.htm
Also I believe that you can use either a null modem cable or hardwhare HS cable as most PC's can handle 4800 baud without stopping when downloading, But All the Fanuc's I have used have used S/W HS to allow communication DC1 to DC4. especially important when uploading.
Al

[WayneHill]

Make sure that the program protect key is turned off on the control. It will prevent a program from loading.

[Al_The_Man]

Sigmo, How did you make out with your problem?
Al

[Sigmo]

Hi guys.

We've looked at the machine and don't find any sort of actual keyhole or keyswitch on it anywhere. Maybe it's inside one of the cabinets.

Also, we can delete programs with no problem, so I don't think there is any sort of program protect happening or I doubt that it'd let us delete entire programs or edit them, and we can do both with no problem (from the keypad on the control itself, that is).

I spoke with one of the guys tonight and they still haven't had any luck. I'll probably have a chance to get my hands on the book again tomorrow night so I'll scan in the pages where we're stuck and post them so everyone can look. Maybe if you guys see the instructions you'll be able to interpret them into something we can understand.

Meanwhile, thanks for the various hints and links. I've learned a lot from all of that. With all of that info, we'll have no problems with the parameter settings and the cabling, I'm sure. Now if we can just figure out how to tell the control to do an upload we'll have it made.

Maybe I'll take a digital photo of the screen we get right when the book is asking for the "Key 3 = 1".

Thanks again for everyone's time.

[steveg]

Sigmo if you can download but not upload than
most likely you need to change your cable a bit
PC's will switch their data-send and data-receive
lines automatically (pins 2&3 on a DB25)
Fanuc does not. this is why you can send but not receive
(most likely that is)

The never fail cable for fanuc (assuming DB25s) is

fanuc-PC: 2-3 3-2 and 8-8
on the fanuc side jumper 4-5 and 6-8-20

if you have a DB9 on your computer connect fanuc 8 to PC 5

[Sigmo]

Hello all.

Thanks again for the excellent help. It's good to know the cable wiring required for these units, and I know that the handshaking requirements will be different on the PC end than on the Fanuc end. On the PC end, we can set up whatever we want, but on the Fanuc end, it's going to want to see whatever it's set up for.

But I think everyone is missing the real problem that we're having here. It's not that we're having errors or problems doing an upload - it's that we can't even get the control into the mode to try to do an upload. We literally cannot figure out how to tell the control to accept an upload. Imagine this:

We've got the perfect cable and the software is set up on our PC just right. Everything should work. But, we don't know how to tell the Fanuc to do an upload. We really can't even start testing whether or not the cable is correct or our settings are right because we cannot get to any menu that lets us try to do an upload! I'd expect to get to some menu that will let us enter a name for the "new" program or at least get to some point where it says something like "push the X button to begin uploading" or something like that. But alas, as we go through the steps in the manual, we get to a place where it says "Key 3 = 1" and we can't get to anything beyond that in their instructions because we don't know what "Key 3 = 1" means or refers to.

I'm sure this is something really basic and simple. So simple and basic that nobody can believe we're actually hung up at that point, but it's true. We can't get the Fanuc to TRY to accept an upload. The hardware may be perfect (then again, maybe not) but we will never know until we figure out how to get into the menu that lets us try to do an upload.

We have done downloads to the PC because when we follow the steps in the book to get into that mode, it does just what we'd expect. But that darn "Key 3 = 1" has us stopped.

We have looked extensively, and there is no key or keyhole or anthing that we can see as being the elusive "Key 3". Could it be a bit in a parameter? Might it be a dipswitch on a PC board? We don't have a clue.

Our only hope is that someone with a 20T or similar control will see this and know immediately what the book is talking about.

I know we're going to feel really dumb once someone tells us what to do

In any case, I still want to thank everyone for their input on this. Knowing how to set up the cable will prove valuable once we get to the point of being able to operate the control and get it into the upload mode. At that point, we will need to be sure that the cable is correctly configured.

Then again, maybe the control knows that the cable is wrong and won't even let us try - but that seems like a longshot. Still, I might build us a cable as you've suggested just in case that does somehow "unlock" things and let the control go into the menu we need. But what is "Key 3"??

I'll give that a try anyhow.

Thanks again everyone.

Sigmo

[Al_The_Man]

I am suprised that this Fanuc control would be that much different from all the Fanuc's I have encountered, Is the manual you refer to a Fanuc manual or the machine tool builder manual? I recall in the Fanuc 15 the Program Protect Key was refered to as KEY 3 and should be off.
As usually the upload/download is a function of the Fanuc control, BUT the control function switch has to be in mem mode and if the operator panel is the Machine Tool builders own, he can make the switch be any configuration of switch he wants it to be, e.g. rotary,key,toggle etc,the switch refered to may be a Machine tool builders switch to place it in this mode, as simple as the rotary function switch being in position 1.
But usually the memory protect is wired separately as a key switch. It could of course be inside the operator or the electrical panel.
BTW what make of machine is it?
A
see pt2l

[Al_The_Man]

part two ...Further to Key 3, it came back to me, I hadn't programmed a Fanuc ladder for a long time. The data protection key is a machine tool builder switch that has three inputs on the PLC side for three options of protection KEY 1 is protection of Tool comps and work offsets. KEY 2 prevents data input and preset of absolute coordinates and KEY 3 allows part programs input and edit.
All or any are installed at the discretion of the machine tool builder and not usually supplied by Fanuc.
I do believe however, if you try to implement any of the functions with the respective key in protect mode, you will get a screen error come up.
Al

[psevin]

Did you get this resolved yet? KEY3 is the Fanuc symbol for a G address (G46.5 in most common PMC models) that enables program loading & editing. If you display the machine's ladder and then perform a "W-Search" for the address G46.5, it will allow you to determine what conditions must be met in order to enable this bit.

Hope this helps

Paul Sevin
Ovation Engineering, Inc.
http://www.ovationengineering.com