Predator receives, does not send?

[Fastest1]

DC, Shouldnt the com port 1 (is on hardware) settings match the predator software (which is also on harware)? Dyna specifically told me set it up hardware but very little of there advice has been applicable. I will set the predator's first and try it and then the com port also. From what little I know it seems the computer is ready and able to send it but the machine is not opening up? I do have my cable configured just as the predator diagram shows regardless of if there is a wire to that pin. I will try it again.

[Fastest1]

OK something is happening but nothing like I would have expected. First let me say I built a straight thru cable with pin 1 to pin 1 etc all til pin 8. I then plugged this into my RS232 port tester breakout board. I closed all switches between the pins and used jumpers to duplicate the diagram given by predator. No transfer would occur til both port settings were set to hardware. I changed the port settings (hardware/software flow control) on each port individually and in unison with no luck on the download aspect. Uploads were still possible in this configuration. So since I didnt believe 6, 8 & 20 should be jumpered, I pulled the jumpers out. Uploads were still possible. Like always if a few jumpers had been removed, what about if I pulled them all off? I did. I was not able to upload at some point (not sure when just yet). BUT I tried a download of the same file I had been trying all along (13 lines) and it went thru! Now this is only with pins 1,2 & 3 opened and no jumpers. Pin set up is 1-1, 2-2 etc (is this called a null wiring?) I repeated it many times to make sure it was actually happening. Sure enough I can now download without any problem! I have not tried a file of any size as I am sure buffers and other issues I dont understand will follow. But to do both at the same time is a mystery as of yet. But it is so close. Does this sound crazy or what? Tips from here?

[dcoupar]

If you're using hardware handshaking, then your cable should be:

NC<-------->PC
2(TD)<---->2(RD)
3(RD)<---->3(TD)
4(RS)<---->8(CS)
5(CS)<---->7(RS)
7(SG)<---->5(SG)

Since 6, 8, and 20 are not wired to anything on your control, then the jumpers on the connector aren't needed, but they aren't hurting anything.

At 2400 baud, I don't think you'll have any flow-control problems.

[Fastest1]

More details. Still having only pins 1,2 & 3 going thru with the pin 5 on the db9 to the pin 4 of the db25 starts the controller scrolling (as if an upload is occurring) but I see no file coming into the predator window. This seems to stay the same regardless if pin 7 is going thru or not. So close.

[Fastest1]

Sorry I posted those prior to seeing your response. I will let you know in an hour or so. Thanks again.

[Fastest1]

Got it wired like this and the download into the machine seems almost instantaneous. I deleted the file many times to triple check its arrival at the machine. But to upload, I get predator ready with the ready to receive window open, I select upload lines 700-814 and nothing happens until I press "ok" in the receive window of the predator. At this point the window of my controller is scrolling as if the file is uploading but I dont see anything on the screen. If I go open the file name I thought it was, it is blank. ?

If you're using hardware handshaking, then your cable should be:

NC<-------->PC
2(TD)<---->2(RD)
3(RD)<---->3(TD)
4(RS)<---->8(CS)
5(CS)<---->7(RS)
7(SG)<---->5(SG)

Since 6, 8, and 20 are not wired to anything on your control, then the jumpers on the connector aren't needed, but they aren't hurting anything.

At 2400 baud, I don't think you'll have any flow-control problems.

[Fastest1]

Turned off all pins and pulled all jumpers, to reinstall 1 at a time til something changes. If DB25 pin 2 goes thru to DB9 pin 2 and jumper from DB25 pin 4 to the DB9 pin 8. I can download no problem. Cant upload even when I jump 3-3.

[Fastest1]

It is so odd, when I key the ok on the terminal during the receive from cnc that the screen starts scrolling on the machine. It is telling me there is a handshake occurring and the file must be going somewhere? Seems like it would be either pin 2 or 3. I have tried to move, switch, eliminate or do anything I can think of or read about. I can download with only 2 pins. But the least I seem to get an upload with involves 5 pins. Can a pin be programmed to receive and or send? With maybe a signal to another pin at a prompt of some sort? (why those jumpers might play a part :-) ? I believe this machine is set up to communicate only 1 way at a time. I am not sure about that, lots of cramming lately! All kinds of new vocabulary, data and settings are all starting to run together. Still feel like I dont know anything and then again I feel like I know so much more than yesterday. Anyone chime in.

[dcoupar]

When sending from the CNC to the PC, does the RxD light on the Predator Receive status window ever flicker?

[Fastest1]

DC, again thanks for your valiant efforts!
Today I restarted my computer and machine for the good of that process. And either I am very confused or? Both! I am back to the wiring diagram for the hardware handshake you provided yesterday.
Operation seems opposite of yesterday and I am still trying to figure out why that could be.
At present there are 5 jumpers in use, just like the diagram. If I attempt a transfer (download) from the pc to the machine (nc?), it completes almost instantly (this is only a 13 line file). During this time the terminal window remains open the entire time and you see a change in status of those lights. The file moves into that terminal window and the status bar moves from left to right to show progress.
However upon an attempt to upload from machine/nc? to pc. I get everything ready at the machine, the first line is there and ready to be sent in the controller window. At my pc on Predator with a file named for this attempted upload, I select "receive from cnc". The terminal window opens up and it appears the pc is waiting for the file. I believe that is correct since I have not pushed upload at the machine yet. I go back to my machine, the upload? is on the screen. I select yes. The moment I touch that button, I see the RXD go from Red to Green and the terminal screen closes. The controller has started to scroll the moment I selected upload as if it is pssing that file line by line as you see it in the window. When I look at the top of the page at the name of the file I am now in since the terminal window closed, it always says "untitled (pick a number depends on how many attempts Ihave made in this session it appears?) No code is ever shown on that screen. If I go back and open the file I thought it should have been transferred to, it is blank also. Not sure what is happening on this. Maybe I will start removing jumpers til I can upload?
There are a couple of bits of information gleaned from late night reading of my manual that I really dont understand (as if I understood any of it!). I will post the attachments in case it might be of any value. Btw this is exactly what the manual looks like. 1980's documentation was a little harder to edit
My screenshots seemed to capture much more than I selected. Someone might need to know. It does seem to go right to the chart that I dont understand at all.

[Fastest1]

I also tried to load a 4500 line file into the controller from the pc. I am not sure of what I was expecting there either considering it has a 900 line limit. So it appears to be loading and continues scrolling. The machine controller begins to scroll and does this for the first 16 lines, the pc screen keeps dumping what appear to be 200 line packets. It will continue thru its entire file this way. In the first 16 lines on the controller it switches to mode? This has usually indicated the download was complete. Of course files prior were very small. I have a 140 line code that I would test a larger transfer with if I knew how to renumber it.

[dcoupar]

I wouldn't add or remove jumpers at this time.

NC<-------->PC
2(TD)<---->2(RD) <----- unsure if this is working.
3(RD)<---->3(TD) <----- this line seems to be working (Predator transmits & CNC receives ok)
4(RS)<---->8(CS) <----- unsure if this is working
5(CS)<---->7(RS) <----- this "appears" to be working
7(SG)<---->5(SG) <----- this line is required for voltage reference.

Lets try something different.

At the PC:
1. Start Predator Editor. There will be a blank file displayed.
2. Click Receivce from CNC - the Receive status window opens.
please write down which lights are red, and which are green.

At the CNC:
1. Get everything ready and send the file.
please note any change to the lights on the Predator status window.

The code should scroll up the Predator Receive status window.
after the "Timeout" period set in DNC Properties, the status window should close and the code should be dispayed in the Predator Editor window.