HAAS memory options?

[panaceabea]

As mentioned in a couple of other threads , I have a new VF4 that overall looks like its going to be a nice machine. Its been here almost two weeks and I finaly figured the controller out well enough to begin running the one part the machine was purchased to make and the thing doesnt even have as much memory avail as a floppy disk .

I cant believe at the cost that this barely has one meg of memory avail without paying for the memory on board to be unlocked, and even then its only 16 megs . Why in the hell even ship a modern 4 axis machine with only one meg of memory, I could understand if it were a bench top or a drilling and tapping machine but come on.

The file I need to run is 1.3 megs , is there any other option for memory than paying $1000 to have the memory thats in the machine I purchased unlocked?

[Excelmachine]

Run it off a USB memory stick?

[extanker59]

Does it have a hard drive? I ran ours in memory only, for about 6 months before I ran out of memory on a large program and put it into the hard drive.
Now that will take really big programs.

[HelicopterJohn]

Hi panaceabea,

I am a hobbyist machinist with a HAAS TM-1P machine with the USB Port option.

Does your machine have the floppy drive or the USB Drive?

If you have the USB Drive you can run your programs directly from the USB drive and not load them into the machines memory. The only limitation is the size of your USB thumb drive which are quite large at the present. You can even hook up a USB External Hard Drive to the USB Port and download any program from that drive. There may be an advantage to purchasing the 16meg option from HAAS but I don't know what it would be. Possibly one of the real!!!!!! machinists here could explain.

If you only have a floppy drive you have an option to DNC your programs from your computer hard drive via your RS232 port. You will need a communications program and turn on a couple of settings/parameters in your HAAS control to get it to work. You will also need a RS232 Null Modem Cable to hook from your computer to the RS232 port on your HAAS machine. You may also need some other adapters like a RS232 Male to Male if your RS232 null modem cable has the wrong gender connector on the machine end. You can purchase most of the stuff you need at Radio Shack or on the internet.

I have a FREE piece of software that you can use for communications between your computer and the HAAS control if you need it.

Let me know if you need any additional information and I will be happy to assist you if I can. Just PM me with your e-mail address or give me your phone number if you are here in the USA and I will give you a call.

John

[Geof]

Originally Posted by HelicopterJohn ...... There may be an advantage to purchasing the 16meg option from HAAS but I don't know what it would be. Possibly one of the real!!!!!! machinists here could explain.... John

There is no advantage real!!!!! machinists write very economical programs and get by perfectly well with only 1meg.

[HelicopterJohn]

Thanks Geof for your valued input.

I wanted to make sure one of you experts could explain any advantages of having 16 megs of internal memory at around 1K cost if there were any, or maybe there is something I didn't understand being the rookie in the crowd. I wish I had you knowledge of G Code programming. At my age, being retired, and the simple projects that I do the ONECNC CAD/CAM software works nicely for me.


John

P.S. I only have 1 meg of memory in my machine.

[Geof]

I have to admit I was being a bit flippant because if you are doing complex 3D stuff you probably need several megs if you want to avoid DNCing. When I bought my GR510 I got 16megs and a hard drive and a USB and a floppy because I wanted all the bases covered. I then things went and changed in my plans so all it does most days of the week is drill and tap holes in lengths of steel flat bar.

[lkenney]

I am running a 92 Haas with 64 K of ram, I often have to DNC my larger programs but have been able to get the old Haas to recieve data at 19.2K baud even with a 100 ft serial cable.

TrueMill does create a huge program often exceeding several meg in size, my DNC machine is on the network so it can take these programs form my CAM machine directly.

I use OneCNC's free DNC program and things work well. I would of course like to have a new machine with greater capacity but speed, torque and X-Y-Z are more important than onboard memory, a network connection and a hard drive would be wonderful.

I would think that when buying a new machine that options would be carefully studied for the work that you expect and the order would match your needs. I would hope that the Haas Dealer would explain and help with this process.

I would not buy a chevy two door sedan or even a Honda "sort of pickup" if I needed a brush crusher 4 wheel drive truck to build fence with.

Eagle

[panaceabea]

I do not have a floppy and did not see it on the list of avail options , even if it was its only 1.4 meg .

Geof I guess I am not a real man as alot of the 3D programs I run are in excess of 6 megs. I somehow thought the HAAS included 1 gig of memory when I purchased it or I would have bargained for the extended memory to be included. The thought of paying $1069 for something two weeks after purchasing a brand new machine really burns me up, mainly because the memory is in the machine and its just an upcharge for a keycode to unlock memory I have already purchased.

As of yet I have not been able to run the machine as the part I purchased it to make is over 1meg . Based on the attempt to gouge to unlock the memory I personaly wouldnt give a sh** if they want to show up with a rigging crew in the morning and roll this machine out of my way and back to the great state of CA.

I do have the USb but I was told by the guy from HAAS that the ability to FNC from the USb was disabled as it made it hard to sell the extended memory . I am using mastercam and can drip the program in from the editor at worst

[Geof]

Originally Posted by panaceabea .....I do have the USb but I was told by the guy from HAAS that the ability to FNC from the USb was disabled as it made it hard to sell the extended memory . I am using mastercam and can drip the program in from the editor at worst

Get onto the Haas Answer Man at www.haascnc.com it doesn[t sound right that you have been told you cannot drip from the usb.

I do agree with you that the nickel and dime attitude of omitting an almost essential feature and making it an optional extra at a somewhat excessive price is annoying.

[slatern44]

I got a new VF2-SS in January and I can run programs off the USB. Just put the USB in and run it. I did buy the 16mb option but thats just because I'm lazy and like to leave lots of files in the machine so it ready for the next order. To me its like you can get by with one end mill holder but why not have 16 so you dont have to change them all of the time.

[HelicopterJohn]

I read either here on the Zone or another forum that someone had purchased an external USB Hard Drive and plugged it into the USB Port on their HAAS.

Here is one that is 500 GB USB 2.0 External hard Drive for under $90.00.

http://www.buy.com/cat/external-port...drive/223.html

I would think you would just need a USB 2.0 Cable and hook the hard drive into the USB port on the HAAS. Then if you had any new programs to add just plug the USB external Hard drive into your PC and download the programs onto the USB hard drive and then plug it back into the HAAS control and you have access to all your NC files 500GB worth not 16 megs.

Has anyone here done this?

I have a USB 2.0 External Hard Drive and may put a few NC programs on it just to see if it works.

John