Denford Software & Machines

Hi

I am an occasional user of a TRIAC PC, that I purchased non-working a few years ago. (The faults were in the end all in the connectors between the controller and the main machine body).

I am trying to port the operating software from the COMPAQ computer (supplied when I bought the TRIAC) on which it works fine, to a new (but low spec) panel PC running Win2K.

Because the Panel PC does not have a floppy drive I ported the DOS installation directories (TRIACPC, and DENFORD) directly across to the Panel PC. The controller is connected to COM2, and the FANUC desktop tutor to COM1. Both ports have been checked using Hyperterminal, and a second machine.

Without the link to the controller plugged in the FANUCMD application will not start at all. With the link plugged in it runs OK. Until I try to do something on the machine (such as "JOG") at which point I get an error "controller communications".

The controller is a rack, with an eprom marked "MINT/3.28 V1.05c/KC/S".

So: 1) Am I doing something stupid?
2) Is there any way of testing the comms link directly, without using the FANUCMD program?

Hope someone can help - after a couple of years gathering dust I actually want to use it again!

many thanks


Dave Canterbury

Hi,

All I can do is throw some ideas your way as I've never used a system this old before, but have heard bits and pieces from the Denford old timers !

If you've copied the boot disc exactly, then the .GO (?) file should be setup correctly - this is where the COM ports are setup for machine / tutor - could be worth looking into - I'm sure there are other topics that explain a bit about the GO file setup

I guess you are running DOS via Win2K command prompt? I've heard that booting directly into DOS from the floppy is the best (only?) way to go - maybe you could burn a bootable CD and set the BIOS to boot from that ?
Otherwise, you could try putting DOS 6.22 onto another old hard disk - I've downloaded the old floppy images from the web in the past.

We've had all manner of problems with RS232 comms and windows 2000 in the past and I reckon you might be better off trying to stick as close to the original OS as you can.

Something else you could look into would be https://www.vmware.com/products/player/
I've used VMware in the past to install windows 3.11 'inside' an XP installtion. This was a similar situation, where we couldn't get some old machine software to talk via RS232 reliably. The virtual installation setup even allows you to redirect the virtual com ports used, to whichever 'real' ones you have in XP device manager. There is also a virtual BIOS setup so you can setup virtual hard disks, memory size etc.. (it just creates say a 20Mb file in XP, which the installation treats like an old 20Mb hard disk !)
This solution worked a treat and I'm sure it supported virtual DOS installations.


Some food for thought

FYI

FANUCM = QWERTY Keyboard
FANUCMD = Desk Top Tutor

COM 1 - 3F8H IRQ4
COM 2 - 2F8H IRQ3


Fanucmd.go
DENFORD1.KBD 1= NEW DESK TOP TUTOR WITH OVERLAY
DENFORD.KBD 1= OLD DESK TOP TUTOR WITH SOLID OVERLAY


1.
VGA.CRT 0
DENFORD1.KBD 1
18.2 $3F8 4
IBM.RS2 1
$2F8 3 COM2
FANUCMD.APP

2.
IBM.RS2 2
$3E8 5 CIM
$2F8 3 MACHINE
DENFORD1.KBD 1
18.2 $3F8 4
VGA.CRT 0
FANUCMD.APP