DNC catching up issue

[bowmaster]

I have a 2002 VF-3 (new to me) and have a problem while DNC running a 11mg program at 100ipm, about half way through the program it starts running block to block and all the other blocks on the screen are gone, this slows it way down and is jerky. I have used this laptop / cable on a 2005 VF-3 running this large of program but a larger part so I think my setup should be ok?. I started at aprox 19200 and bumped it to 34600. Is the machine catching up with the data needing a still higher baud rate? or is there something I can change to fix this. (I have programmed HAAS but new to owning one)
thank you

[bowmaster]

If anyone can help I have the machine DNC at 115 now and about the same way through the program I get the same problem.
thx

[Pondo]

If you don't have a short enough cable you can set the baudrate to the max and it just won't work. Over 50' and you will not be able to get it to work over 9600. I moved my PC from my office across the shop to a desk right next to the machine for this reason.
If you can change the settings in the CAM program, you may be able to post a more efficient toolpath with less points. Like arcs instead of thousands of line segments or maybe loosen up the surface tolerance.
I assume you have the old 8 Meg controller? Maybe the program needs to be divided into smaller parts and loaded into the controller. I had problems with a similar VF-3. What I did was load the biggest part of the program to the controller and then the rest on a floppy. You can then run the floppy program as a main from DNC and call out the big program in the controller as a sub. The controller can read off a floppy faster than a PC cable. If you have the 1 Meg controller that won't work though.
The jerkiness may also be caused by setting 85 being set too small. When I do surfacing at high speeds I add a line after the toolchange to change the accuracy of the machine and get a faster path, especially for roughing.
G187 E.005 (or whatever the "error" you'd like)
Then a G187 line with no E value at the end of the path to reset it to the setting 85 value.

[bowmaster]

I now have the machine Dnc at 115200 with the 1 MG memory 83% free with the same results, I will try the 187 next.
thank you for the help and keep the advice comming please.

[bowmaster]

What should synchronization be set to in the control, dc codes, x modem, xon xoff, rts/cts.
thx

[bowmaster]

I have it set to xon/xoff and 187 was .025 so i changed it to .005, I am also tring a different usb to comm port adapter. and still liiking for ideas
thx

[neilw20]

If possible, try to use a normal 9/25 pin COM port instead of USB.
It is possible that the USB is causing some pauses.
USB 1 is much slower than USB 2.
Long cables - above 1-2M can cause problems.

[Pondo]

Did it have a USB in 2002?
I don't think they started putting USB ports on their mills until 2005 or 2006.
I use a jump drive + the USB port on my Minimill in my shop here, but I'll check the settings in the VF4's at work on Monday for you. I haven't run anything DNC since 2003, all the mills since then have had the 16 Meg controllers.

[neilw20]

I meant USB on the PC that is doing the DNC.
Not USB on the machine.

[bowmaster]

I am using the Cimco Dnc software with the settings 115,200 - Even -7 -1 -software in my computer and Xon Xoff in the machine and about 70% through the program I only got 40% through before, with the same hardware.

Gordon at Betatronics gave me the settings and info on using the Cimco program and I am keeping my fingers crossed.

thanks all for the input so far

[Catchme]

Does it have an ethernet card? or are you using rs232 cable? If you use rs232c cable, make sure its no longer than 5 feet. Also make sure its not routed near electrical boxes, lines, transformers, etc that can cause "noise" that slows the transfer down. Def use xmodem, as its the most reliable in the haas controller. Empty everything you can out of memory in the control, as Haas uses this extra space as a buffer.
Ethernet would be ideal, but the older machines dont have it.
We ended up going with a system ($500 per machine) from Shop Floor Automations. This system uses an ip address and a network card to go from a pc to the unit via ethernet, then just a very short rs232 cable out from the unit. It works very well thus far. The shorter the rs232, the faster the data transfer rate will be. Also, it uses an SD card for memory, so you have virtually unlimites memory at the machine...

[Burn]

If you are using a USB to RS232 converter, I would suggest ditching it in favor of a PCI Add-in card. The MiniMills we run at school have Dell computers which had to be ordered with the serial ports still in them so we could use the serial ports properly. Just a thought.