Different HAAS Memory Question

[tobyaxis]

I noticed in Fanuc Controls that 1 bite = one character or close to this.

Is this the same for a HAAS Controls?

[Geof]

You need to use Google, here is part of what I found:

Before Unicode · In the early decades of our profession, much computing was centered in North American and done in English. You stored your text in ASCII or EBCDIC characters, which were stored one-per-byte in memory, ASCII using 7 and EBCDIC 8 bits of each byte. In other parts of the world, they invented their own systems for storing their own characters. In Japan, these are various flavors of the “JIS” encoding, “KOI8” for Russian, various “ISCII” standards for the languages of India, and so on. I am told that at one time, there were more than twelve different systems in use for Chinese text in Taiwan alone.

G-code is stored as ASCII so it uses one byte per character.

But I believe there is an inefficiency built into the way G-code is stored and interpreted; this could be a mis-understanding on my part so if someone can give me the correct story please do. Each line of a G-code program can store 80 characters or something like that but if you do not have 80 characters on a line the unfilled character spaces use memory. This is why in the old days you crammed as many commands as possible on a single program line and did not include comments or anything unless it was absolutely necessary. Remember CNC machines started out as NC machines running off paper tapes and the limitations of tape storage and reader systems are embedded in how G-code works. Even in newly printed manuals I have seen M30 described as Stop Program and Rewind Tape.

[Xenomorph]

This is a difficult question to answer. On the Haas control it converts the ascii to a slightly compressed format when loading to memory. So if you have 16 megs of ram it is possible to load a 20 meg program into the control. I do not know the technical stuff that goes on internally but I have done this. I had a program that windows said was 21.6 megs and loaded it into memory. It did fit, but I did not have much free memory left. I do not know how fanuc deals with this.

Originally Posted by tobyaxis I noticed in Fanuc Controls that 1 bite = one character or close to this. Is this the same for a HAAS Controls?

[Haas_Apps]

Xenomorph is correct. When loading into memory we convert, internally, to a different format. This format uses less memory. This is transparent to the user. This does allow you to put a little bit larger program into memory.

If I remember correctly, generally, 8 bits is a byte.

[Haas_Apps]

I took many computer programing classes many years back and I still get confused by each definition of a meg. Back then one meg was 1024 kilobytes. Today when I go to buy a hard drive they will typically define a meg as 1000 kilobytes. This inflates the size of the hard drive. I always like to how someone defines computer terms.

If my memory serves me correctly 8 bits = 1 byte, 1024 bytes = 1 kilobyte, 1024 kilobytes = 1 megabyte, 1024 megabytes = 1 gigabyte.

Anyway, I digress. The answer to your question is 1 byte should be one character.

[Haas_Apps]

8 bits = 1 byte, 1024 bytes = 1 kilobyte, 1024 kilobytes = 1 megabyte, 1024 megabytes = 1 gigabyte.

Yes, 1 byte should be 1 character. The definition above are standard unless you are a hard drive manufacturer and then they define 1 meg as 1000 kilobytes.


'Having some problems with the internet - sorry about posting twice

[HuFlungDung]

I hope this isn't too far off topic, but I have a question for Haas_Apps: how does Haas defrag its memory, or why does it not need defragging (condensing) once in a while?

[tobyaxis]

Originally Posted by HuFlungDung I hope this isn't too far off topic, but I have a question for Haas_Apps: how does Haas defrag its memory, or why does it not need defragging (condensing) once in a while?

This was going to be my next question in a different Thread, HU.

[xiondavis]

I have the 16mb option and I've been instructed by a Haas tech to delete all programs, then re-load them to try to solve an alarm.. (the low battery alarm).

Perhaps there is no defrag process?

-J

[Xenomorph]

I bet it is managed just like a pc's memory.

[Haas_Apps]

I do not know how the memory is managed in that detail. I assume it is managed just like a pc's memory.

xiondavis,
I you are being told to do this it is most likely due to the memory being corrupted. There are many causes of this and the list is too long to go into.

[tobyaxis]

Originally Posted by Xenomorph I bet it is managed just like a pc's memory.

Still makes us wonder why there is no Defrag. I believe that Fanucs have something when the memory gets constant use.