Cimco Fadal file transfer

[64dodge]

I am up grading computer at work to gain direct access to servers that store saved programs and mastercam files. I've been trying to get the old fadal assist to work on this newer computer which has windows 2000 on it with no luck. Then I remebered that Cimco Editor with our Mastercam ver 8 will transfer files and dnc. I played with settings and got upload to machine working great, the download works but not as I want. It brings all tool and fixture offsets with program and some oddball number after the percent sign. I have tried putting everything my little brain can come up with in the different receive fields with no luck. When I put % in the trigger end field it stops at beginning, M2 works but leaves off % at end, and % % still gets all TO,s and FO's. The fadals are all older machines from 1988-1990. I can fix the programs after download but would like to have it correct.

Thanks
Tim

[cadcam]

What version of MC with cimco are you using? is it V8

[64dodge]

Mastercam is ver 8.1 the cimco edit is ver 4.2 I think.

[cadcam]

Now reading back looks as thow you are pushing all the programs at once instead of picking just the one you want so you are getting every thing in the control.

[mastercamguru]

Sounds to me like you are using the wrong parameters to output from the control. Are you using "PU,2,0,0" or "PU,2" ?

Here is the fadal reference:

PUNCH PROGRAM: PU, DATA OPTION, CODE OPTION, TTY OPTION
DATA OPT: 0=CURRENTLY ACTIVE PROGRAM & OFFSETS, 1=OFFSETS ONLY
DATA OPT: 2=CURRENTLY ACTIVE PROGRAM, 3=ALL PROGRAMS IN MEMORY
4=PUNCH OUT PARAMETERS
CODE OPT: 0=ASCII, 1=EIA
TTY OPT: 0=COMPUTERS, 3=LEADER, PROGRAM, TRAILER

I attached the complete quick ref guide also.

[cadcam]

mastercamguru, thanks for the PDF I some time forget the controls commands on the Fadals.

[mastercamguru]

Jay you're welcome I always forgot PU,2 myself and with 25 fadals in the shop you would think I could remember. I posted one of these on every machine.

[64dodge]

It works well when I PU,2 from machine. The problem is when I do it as I have done with Fadal Assist on old computer. Bring up program with PR,program# then have computer to ask machine for program. That saves 1 trip between machine and computer. Cadcam, its not bringing all programs, its bringing only one program, the right one, but its also has all tool offsets and fixture offsets with it and some oddball 3 or 4 didgit number after percent sign at the end. I have tried to put pu,2 in the settings of cimco to send to machine as part of the initial message sent to machine. I dont know if I am explaining this with the right wording, I am self taught on cnc programing and operation.

Thanks for the help
Tim

[64dodge]

Mastercamguru, is that the settings in parameter of machine. I havent changed any of those from what fadal assist used. I think its more in cimco than machine because I have tried it on all of them and its the same thing. Can some of those be used as ascii charectors in cimco to make it leave the unwanted information off? This maybe something that cant be done. When I get to work tommorrow I will get the settings that are in cimco now and post them.

[64dodge]

Port tab= com1, 1 stop bits, even parity, 9600 baud, 7 data bits, software flow control, dtr & rts enable checked, \17 xon, \19 xoff

Recieve tab= \13 cr\lf, remove characters below ascii 32, send xon checked

Transmit tab= \10 cr\lf, send at start of feed s\18\10\13

If I put TO or FO in the omit lines box it will leave off program# because it has O, and also toolchanges and feed rates for T and F.

Tried PU,2 in send at start of reception box with no luck.

When I PU,2 from machine still get that oddball number after % at end.

[mastercamguru]

I have not used fadal assist. Does this setup work on any other machines? What was your dnc setup before Cimco? What are you using to initiate the transfer? Does this work like predator? :eg program in machine calls macro to start dnc transfer

[64dodge]

Fadal assist (the old dos version) was all I have ever used for file transfer and dnc until a few weeks ago when we started this upgrade process. Have never seen Preditor. I first downloaded fadal cnc-dnc trial from fadal.com (not nc fadal from fadal machinery company itself) and experimented with it with out much success. Thats when I started the cimco, it works much better than the fadal cnc-dnc. I dont know if assist works with other machines. As far as dnc we may not do that but 1-2 times a year, thats something that I havent tried with cimco yet but will do so soon to see if it works well. Just getting upload and download to work. I know what cimco is doing is when the computer is asking for the download from machine with the xon checked on the recieve tab of cimco dnc setup is just PU,0 instead of PU,2 from your fadal command referance. Tried changing xon xoff characters 17,18,19,20 ascii with no luck. Like I said I maybe asking for something that cant be done.

Thanks
Tim