new to forum please can you help with novaturn and novamill

[audio.fi]

Hi,

I am new to the forum so please excuse my ignorance of my new machines but can anyone help me please;

I have just got a Novamill and Novaturn. They are in great condition, in fact I was told by the school I got them from that the had basically only been used when they first got them and had then demonstrated, and since then they have done no work, and looking at them I have no reason to dis-believe them. However, they are no complete; The Novamill has no perspex safety shield as they said it got broken whilst moving it, and it has no software. The Novaturn, has a cracked shield and no software, plus no tutor keyboard (the mill has one and it is the earlier type I believe that does not have slide-in legends for the buttons).
I have checked the circuit boards for both units and they are as follows :-

Smartstep-3 and the chipc on the circuit boards say :-

TDR154372 , 670407 and ESMINT 3.28 , V1.6H/S-JD5

My questions are :-

What software can I use on these and how do I run them (if they run from dos as I don't know much about dos).

Will any of the windows software work without having to upgrade the controller board etc.

Can the tutor keyboard be used for the lathe if I make a sheet of legends to go over teh keyboard.

Does the software have a simulation mode so I can learn without using the actual machines, and can I do this with a computer NOT connected to the machines so I can learn away from the machine at another computer.

I went on the software downloads web site and there is a lot of software on there, but no "buy" buttons so am I to assume the software is free ?

Thank you all in advance for any help you can give.

[bradders]

See link below for EPROM identification

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2211

Both DOS and VR Milling Ver 2 software has program simulation

If you are running lathe or milling software the desk top tutor does not know which, so if you make a lathe legend cover sheet it will work over the milling desk top tutor legend

[Denford Admin]

Because its ESMINT 3.28 eproms, you will need the DOS software which is now free to use, here are my standard links to relevant info:
DOS Milling machine operating manual:
viewtopic.php?t=1636
DOS Operating software downloads:
http://www.denford.ltd.uk/index.php?opt ... &Itemid=51
DOS Software -> Machine selections:
viewtopic.php?t=738
Novamill machine manual:
viewtopic.php?t=1518
DOS Software and Control Boards:
viewtopic.php?t=738
DOS Downloads:
http://website.denford.ltd.uk/support/9 ... s-software
PC DOS boot disc make procedure:
viewtopic.php?t=1937
Bootdisk images:
http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm
DOSBOX - Dos emulator for Windows + Linux:
http://www.dosbox.com/

We may also have some tutor keyboards spare - bradders ?

[bradders]

We will have some desktop tutors and overlays, OT, OM, 21iT, 21iM and Heidenhain

[audio.fi]

We will have some desktop tutors and overlays, OT, OM, 21iT, 21iM and Heidenhain

Are you saying you will be selling one soon ?

Thanks.

Thank you both for your help; Very kind of you.


P.S. Just remembered. Can you please tell me if you can run the software without a machine connected to the computer ?

[Denford Admin]

P.S. Just remembered. Can you please tell me if you can run the software without a machine connected to the computer ?

I believe you can and I think you have to pick the correct DOS offline software and probably install one of the FLASH license codes:
http://website.denford.ltd.uk/support/9 ... s-software
See flashes.txt

[audio.fi]

Thanks very much. I'll give it a go and let you know if it works in a couple of days.

[audio.fi]

Have been considering your replies.

Have I got this right that I can use vrmilling vr turning to create a programme to make an item, then save the code to use in the dos software ?

If this is so, then what versions of vr milling / turning makes code that is compatible with the capabilities of my machines ?

Also, for the moment, I am only interested in using the software without any machines connected to the computer so I can learn, and get a feel for the programing, but the only software I could get to load (vrmilling v5) requires some sort of registration code to work so would not start.
The other versions vr miling v 2.3 and vr turning won't install in windows xp at all even if I use compatibility mode.
Please can you tell me (if I am correct about using it to learn for the machines I have), how I run them in winodws xp. Do I need to emulate windows 95 or 98 somehow, perhaps with the previously mentioned web sites that you can make boot disks from, or can it be run straight from the download in XP. Also, will I need any sort of key code to make them work when there is no machine connected, and if so, how do I obtain one ?
Thank you for you continued help.
P.S. please feel free to move this to another section of the forum as I wasn't sure where to post (software, machines, .etc). Thanks.

[Martin]

Have I got this right that I can use vrmilling vr turning to create a programme to make an item, then save the code to use in the dos software ?

Both VRMilling & VRTurning will allow you to manualy compile a G & M code program that can then be saved & run in a Denford Fanuc Dos application.
There is no CAD applications in either VRMilling Version 2 or VRTurning. However the VRMilling Version 5 will allow you bring in DXF, DWG files & also Gerber files that can then be taken through a Wizard based CAM package. All versions of VRMilling & VRTurning allow you to simulate & edit without being connected to a real machine. However the G & M code program could also be opened in the Dos offline software also.

[audio.fi]

Have I got this right that I can use vrmilling vr turning to create a programme to make an item, then save the code to use in the dos software ?

Both VRMilling & VRTurning will allow you to manualy compile a G & M code program that can then be saved & run in a Denford Fanuc Dos application.
There is no CAD applications in either VRMilling Version 2 or VRTurning. However the VRMilling Version 5 will allow you bring in DXF, DWG files & also Gerber files that can then be taken through a Wizard based CAM package. All versions of VRMilling & VRTurning allow you to simulate & edit without being connected to a real machine. However the G & M code program could also be opened in the Dos offline software also.

Please understand that I am absolutely a novice to all this even though I have City & Guilds and NVQ qualifications in both mechanical engineering, so with this in mind, could you please recommend any software that I can learn on or that I can use to teach myself how to programme the code to make components on the Novamill / Novaturn. thanks.

[Martin]

The older Dos software is available to download FOC from the Denford Website

Offline lathe http://www.denfordata.com/downloads/dos/fanucl.zip
Offline mill http://www.denfordata.com/downloads/dos/fanucm.zip

There would be a charge for all versions of Denford VR software but the bulit in help files & manuals/tutorials make it much easier to understand.