Wireless RS232 on Haas - anyone doing this?

[samhyto]

Hello all,

We are going to be moving into a new building soon, and I am looking to go wireless with the rs232. Has anyone else done this? Will be a total of 8 haas cncs and one computer to receive/send.

Thanks,

Sam

[underthetire]

Yep. I like Spectrum technologies stuff myself.

[behindpropeller]

Please tell a bit more about this.

I hate walking the USB stick from the computer to the mill. I wish Ethernet was a $300 option, not a $2500 option with an unneeded hdd.

Tim

[xiondavis]

I use a ConnectBlue wireless serial port adapter to send programs from multiple laptops and from the desktop in the office to my haas in the shop via bluetooth. This way we are not always unplugging and re-plugging cables.

http://www.connectblue.com/products/...apter-spa312i/


Desktop -> Bluetooth Dongle ~~wireless~~> ConnectBlueAdapter -> RS232 -> Haas

[samhyto]

xiondavis,

What tranciever are you using on the desktop, and what software?

Thanks,

Sam

[xiondavis]

Just a cheap USB bluetooth dongle and either MSterminal or NCLink configured to tunnel the serial port connection through bluetooth. The wireless connection just looks like a serial port to both NCLink and the Haas.

[Haas__man]

I've always stayed away from the wireless rs232 becasue i could not figure out how to number each machine.
For example - If like Samhyto you have 8 machines, number them from 1 to 8.
If i want to send program o00001 to number 1 machine how do I do it?
Do I need to pick up the wireless to RS232 adaptor - then walk to number 1 machine - plug it in to the RS232 port - then walk back to the PC and hit send? Then if I want to send O00005 program to number 6 machine - do I have to walk to number 1 machine - take out the wireless to RS232 adaptor - take it to Number 6 machine - plug it in - then walk back to the PC to send it?
Sounds like a lot of walking when cabling and a switch box would be easier? Or is there a way to have more than one adaptor that I can number from 1 to 8 so I can tell my PC which machine I want to send the program to?
Also surely every time I send using RS232 - whether it be wireless or wired - I still have to walk to the machine - hit recieve on the keypad - then return to my PC to send the program. Surely a USB key is as easy if not easier than this?

[Delw]

Originally Posted by behindpropeller Please tell a bit more about this. I hate walking the USB stick from the computer to the mill. I wish Ethernet was a $300 option, not a $2500 option with an unneeded hdd. Tim

Tim I agree, that walking crap gets nuts, Its too much distance and time to loose my train of thought,
10 mins ago(when I first started replying) I came in the office for the UBS stik, started typing this responce, then answered the phone and a customer came over damn near wasted and hours time just cause I had to get my USB stick out of the PC

That $2500 option is looking better everyday

[underthetire]

Well, don't know much about the home brewed stuff, never delt with it. The Spectrum stuff is just a little RS232 box that transmits to a wireless hub pretty much. I know one shop with 50+ machines using it, and they do have each machine as a machine number. It really works like a network, you can just search at the machine for the job file you want and receive it. I'm sure it's not the cheapest solution however. Oh, and it is also encrypted.
Think the software was Multi DNC they sold with it.

[samhyto]

I looked at the spectrum site, I could not get enough information from the site to put together a proposal. There were no prices. To request info, way to many required fields. The cost isn't the major issue, its time. I have already ordered equipment to test two different configurations. Bluetooth and Wireless Ethernet. At this point, based in the information I collected thus far, I believe the Bluetooth may be the most viable option. We would like to use the same software, this way we don't have to spend alot of time retraining, and with the BT it will just be a simple change to the port configuration. I plan on setting all the machines transcievers to the same setting, since we send programs to each machine only a few times a week. The need to send only to a specific machine is nullified, since the cnc's rs232 is ignored unless activated. We considered hardwiring each machine and using a switch box, however ABCDEFGH switch boxes are really hard to find, and that would be alot of wire.

Sam

[HuFlungDung]

Originally Posted by Haas__man I've always stayed away from the wireless rs232 becasue i could not figure out how to number each machine. For example - If like Samhyto you have 8 machines, number them from 1 to 8. If i want to send program o00001 to number 1 machine how do I do it? Do I need to pick up the wireless to RS232 adaptor - then walk to number 1 machine - plug it in to the RS232 port - then walk back to the PC and hit send? Then if I want to send O00005 program to number 6 machine - do I have to walk to number 1 machine - take out the wireless to RS232 adaptor - take it to Number 6 machine - plug it in - then walk back to the PC to send it? Sounds like a lot of walking when cabling and a switch box would be easier? Or is there a way to have more than one adaptor that I can number from 1 to 8 so I can tell my PC which machine I want to send the program to? Also surely every time I send using RS232 - whether it be wireless or wired - I still have to walk to the machine - hit recieve on the keypad - then return to my PC to send the program. Surely a USB key is as easy if not easier than this?

I'm using a Moxa wireless ethernet Nport for a single machine (Haas). You'd need a receiver on each machine (which runs into a bit of money!) but the software setup is such that each device is set up as a virtual com port in Windows. So it is the equivalent of a switch box, but done in Windows. There are a couple of utilities that come with the Nport that make this easy to do. Then in your communications software, each machine is simply set up on its own com port...do it once and then forget about it.

As for plugging/unplugging USB flash drives: that gets annoying when you're supposed to disconnect the drive properly in Windows before you pull it. In my own situation, for one reason or another, I usually have to make some quick changes to the program, so I'm resending the file two or three times in the first 15 minutes.

Too bad the Haas would not actually start a receive at the machine's end of the com. That is a royal pain in the a$$.

[samhyto]

only 2 of the current 6 machines have usb drives, 4 of 6 have floppys, only one has ethernet. In essence, I would have to pay Haas to enable the floppy on 1 machine 500.00, then buy 4 usb drives to replace the floppy 4@300.00=1200, which would bring the total to over 1700. Then I'd have 3-4 hours putting all this together, while the machines could be making $$ by making parts.

When we move into the new building 2 more machines will be added, we considered hard wiring, 1 run at 200 feet to the multiple switch boxes, 4 runs at 150 feet, and 4 runs at 75 feet. Add in the time lost of forgetting to change the switch, and we are back to the 1980's of people yelling across the shop, "Did you get it?????!", "No, send it again!!!". The estimate for the hard wire including installation was almost $2K.

So, after posting a question here and getting the much appreciated feedback. I have purchased a bluetooth usb (for the computer) and a transciever for the machine. Additionally, I have ordered a Wireless access port and a wireless client module for the CNC's. All of this for less than $250 including shipping and about 4 hours of research, while the machines are making parts. I figure I'll have about 4 more hours setting up both configurations, without interupting production. The bigggest obstacle I see is whether my Cimco Editor will allow file transfer thru the Ethernet connection, so this may require a different file transfer program.

The cost of all hardware to complete the Bluetooth for all machines about 700, vs Wireless Enet at about $400. So once I get a working configuration, I can migrate it each machine, without no loss of production. I will post my final selection and results for each once I get it up and running.

Thanks to all for your input, and may "Axis" (the god of machining) smile down upon you.

Sam