Connecting HAAS to computer

[SShag]

Hello,
I need some help setting up my computer to my Haas machine. The haas is a 1990 VF1 and i just bought a brand new hp laptop. I have a usb cable coming from the laptop going into the 25 pin rs-232 on the side of the machine. I am using codeshark as the software but when i try to send a program to the machine, the haas doesnt recognize that its connected to a computer. A comport should come up like the machines at school but i get nothing. I have talk to a couple people and they say the cable i have is not really set up for cnc machines...more for just printers. I have mastercam and i am ready to start doing some *****in parts but cant connect my laptop to the machine. Any help will be greatly appreciated!!

[underthetire]

You may need to pick up a null modem adapter. All my USB converters for my laptops are USB to 9 pin, then a cable from there to the machine. Sounds like you may have bought a parallel printer cable, not a serial cable.

[SShag]

O yeah I do have the null modem. So coming from the laptop I should have USB to 9 pin, 9pin to 25 pin, 25 pin into null modem, and then null modem into the haas? Does the quality of cable have anything to do with not getting a connection?

[KevinWilkins]

Get the freeware progam offered by OneCNC, I think it's called NCdirect.

It works like a charm!

[DMF_TomB]

a rs-232 serial port connected laptop to cnc does not show the laptop as a harddrive.
.
using file transfer software like the free and open source
EdytorNC | Free software downloads at SourceForge.net
.
with communication parameters properly set like 4800, 7,e,1 and no flow control or setting to what ever the Hass manual (or a particular machine) says to use.
.
then the cnc machine must be put in a mode for receiving a file by rs-232 serial port (listening or receiving mode) , usually file needs to be given a name first. then laptop sends file and it is in CNC memory only, it needs saving to cnc harddrive or floppy disc if desired.
.
for sending to laptop, laptop is put in rs-232 listening mode (receiving mode) and the cnc send or stores to rs-232 serial cable. file shows up on laptop software like edytornc displayed and needs file name and saving to harddrive if wanted.
.
so rs-232 serial cable file transfer requires naming files and putting in send and receive mode and saving from display / memory to hardrive or floppy disc or usb

[gizmo_454]

Call your local HFO and they will give you a part number for the correct cable to run from the laptop to the machine. They can be purchased from a third party for reasonable prices, depending on the length of cable you need.

I personally made my own. Using a 9 pin serial to 25 pin serial cable, a 25 pin to 25 pin cable, and a manual switch box in between. Following the Haas operator's manual, I used an Ohm meter to trace the connections from the pins on the 9 pin end that connects to the laptop to the 25 pin that connects to the machine. I then opened up the box and swapped the lines inside so everything is routed correctly. No cutting of the cables outside. Everything is neat and tidy.

I found that using the switch box is nice. I can use the same setup for up to 4 different brands of machines using 4 different wiring setups. Just flip the switch to the appropriate location, move the cable to that port, hook it up to the machine, and load programs. I currently have mine setup for both Haas and Citizen machines. Works great!

Mike

[DFBCA1]

Hopefully thing are working well for you. I ran into a problem using a USB-Serial converter to connect to a PLC from a new HP laptop running Windows 7 64-bit. Here is the issue in case you run into it-

Windows 7 has a strange behavior when COM ports are assigned to USB devices. At least with the driver my converter uses (and I think with all drivers), the COM port number increments up by one every time a COM port is assigned to a USB device. So, plug the adapter in the first time and it is COM1. Eject it, plug it back in, and it is assigned to COM2, etc up through a very high number (65536?). The PLC software would only deal with COM ports 1-4, so I had to fiddle around in the system tools in Windows to delete the used COM ports and get it to start over at 1. T