Need Help!- Connecting DNC to older Partner MB 20

[RobT]

I am fairly new to CNC and use a Partner MB 20 from 1997. I've written some smaller programs that have worked great. I can't load the latest program I wrote because I get an "insufficient part storage" error comes up. Do I need to upgrade the memory or use a DNC cable and a laptop.
Any help would be great.

[jpawelk]

Have you tried deleting other programs from the control and then loading the file? If you are still having trouble with memory issues, you can use the RS232 to DNC the program. Take a look at some of my other posts as I recall attaching information regarding RS232.

[RobT]

Thanks for the quick response. I already deleted all the files in memory and I still get an "insufficient parts storage". I am getting a USB to RS232 cable so I hope it will work now. What DNC program do you recommend?
Any problems using a USB to serial connection, I have a newer laptop that doesn't have a serial connection.

[jpawelk]

Originally Posted by RobT Thanks for the quick response. I already deleted all the files in memory and I still get an "insufficient parts storage". I am getting a USB to RS232 cable so I hope it will work now. What DNC program do you recommend? Any problems using a USB to serial connection, I have a newer laptop that doesn't have a serial connection.

I am not familair enough with DNC programs to recommend one over the other. I do use a PC card to serial adapter in my pc and it seems to work just fine. I have not used a USB to serial adapter. Sorry I could not be of more assistance.

[Dave1]

You may get lucky and the usb to rs232 will work, mine did not. I use a pcmcia to rs232 and it works great. For transferring to the machines I use http://www.controlinksystems.com/
Search ebay, sometimes it's on there for 100 bucks.
Dave

Originally Posted by RobT Thanks for the quick response. I already deleted all the files in memory and I still get an "insufficient parts storage". I am getting a USB to RS232 cable so I hope it will work now. What DNC program do you recommend? Any problems using a USB to serial connection, I have a newer laptop that doesn't have a serial connection.

[kokai]

You could install a hard disk, I tried it and very useful!

[RobT]

I'd love to upgrade but I don't know exactly what will be compatible. My worst fear is trying to upgrade and screwing up something and having to wait for someone to come and fix it. Is it easy to upgrade the hard disk? what about a new interface like flash memory or memory stick? (cheers to jpawelk for commenting on that in another thread i posted) I talked to a computer guy who said that those interfaces are not compatible with dos,
which is the OS the centurion 6 runs on.

[pixburghenat]

Rob,

Does it have a hard drive now? If you have a hard drive your drive is getting full or is full. If you connect via rs232, you should be able to transfer the file to the hard drive then DNC from the hard drive using the machine's DNC option key, just select the file.

Have you tried RS232 to your laptop?

I think if I did anything I would add a network card to the machine.
That should be an ISA network card. There's info here on the forum where others have done the same thing. Milltronics will email you the setup info, all you have to do is request it. You can then DNC over the network connecton.
All you'll need is a crossover cable to connect to the laptop.

The other upgrade is memory. The motherboard should max out at 4 megs.
You may have to attach a keyboard and access the CMOS to update it for the memory install. Or it may be automatic depending upon the motherboard.

I have a newer MB19 with 4 meg RAM, hard drive, and network. I haven't had to use DNC yet, I split the big programs up if I can. I don't use the hard drive much either, I use a folder on my PC for storing the files.

pix

[kokai]

Originally Posted by RobT I'd love to upgrade but I don't know exactly what will be compatible. My worst fear is trying to upgrade and screwing up something and having to wait for someone to come and fix it. Is it easy to upgrade the hard disk? what about a new interface like flash memory or memory stick? (cheers to jpawelk for commenting on that in another thread i posted) I talked to a computer guy who said that those interfaces are not compatible with dos, which is the OS the centurion 6 runs on.

Of course the hard disk must old one. The hard disk storage capacities must be from 2G to 20G, you could disassembly one from an old computer! Than you could install it like install computer.

But you must change the directory in the dos. before these works you may install a keyboard to do these works expediently!

generally the directory like below:

A: \ROM
B:\RAM\
C:\PARTS\ (HARD DRIVE)
D:\ (FLOPPY)
E:\ (GRAPHICS)