Denford Software & Machines

Hi Again

The user of this group has been very helpful to me to date on setting up my 1986 Triac.
I am now managing to upload programs using TRIAC 4.2 software as I had no success using Industrial Editor.
I am now finding it rather limiting to only be able to upload 750 blocks.
Can I use this old TRIAC in DNC mode without storing the program in the machine.
If so how?
I have tried in both industrial editor and Triac 4.2 and it just appears to sit there doing nothing.
Any help would be appreciated.
I would prefer to use the Triac software if possible.

Hi

Never really had a look at the DNC link. I presume you are using CAM software to program the machine. We tend to run big programs in sets of depth cuts - e.g. pocket out 0-5mm, then new program for 5-10 etc etc.
I find generally around 450 lines from out CAM software is the limit.

Cheers

Dave

P.s. any interest in that monitor?

The Triac software should support DNC mode - try these steps...

1) Setup the offsets on the machine.
2) Put the machine into RS232 link mode
3) Load a CNC program into the Triac software on the computer
4) Press F10 and select 'MachineLink'
5) Press F9 and select 'Execute CNC'

The computer should start to Drip Feed the CNC program down to the machine.

Let me know at which point the operation fails and I'll see if I can come up with any ideas

My menu does not have a Machine Link.
It has Renote Link & Machine Transfer, I presume you mean this.
In machine transfer a control panel appears OK
I then Execute CNC.
At the bottom of the control panel it says Preparing to execute---------
At the top Initialising for CNC execution.
It then just sits there doing nothing and I abort after approx 5 Mins.
How long should I wait?
Any further ideas would be appreciated.

Hi

I've sent a copy of the manual for the software to Denford admin - hopefully he will upload it in the near future.

Update - Andy has now uploaded it - cheers mate -
viewtopic.php?t=534

Cheers

Dave

Just tried it on our machine and no banana - does exactly the same thing. Sits at 'preparing to execute' and thats it. Any ideas Mr Magoo ?

Cheers

Dave

Still not been able to solve this problem.
Can you help Mr Magoo ???

Hpdrifter - hows is your serial port setup ? Ours is set to 9600 baud - I wonder if this makes a difference - unfortunately to change it you have to open the machine up!

I notice that if you enter offsets, then try and use the DNC the offsets are reset to 0,0,0 while the tool offset is kept the same.

Andy you don't happen to have anything kicking around your archives do you?

As far as I know the PC software was a lot later addition to the Triac - hence the machine manuals don't cover it. All the info regarding the software I have is what Andy posted the other day.

Cheers

Dave

Hi David

The port settings are the same as I use to transfer whole programs to the machine.

ie 4800 Baud rate.

Regards

Sorry guys - I can't really help - I've not seen anything relating to this around at work.

All I might suggest is the usual kind of RS232 fault finding stuff:

Check RTS and CTS pins are connected (4 and 5) or maybe linked out.
Start at 300 baud and increase speed if you get it working
If using windows to send to RS232, turn off the FIFO buffers
Set stop bits to 2 (helps give the old hardware time to process the data)

Hi Guys...

I've just had a quick look at the code for Triac software and there is a possibility that the DNC function has not been implemented in the version we are all trying

I'm not sure if I can re-compile the stuff, but I'll have a go and if so will post a new exe here for someone to try (I don't have access to a PNC3 Triac here).

Will not be until tomorrow though - off to the "Good Food and Wine" show today (more interested in the wine than the food )

Have you tried PABs suggestion Re: Industrial Text Editor ?
viewtopic.php?t=309

I don't think it can be anything to do with the RS232 wiring as the same lead works with all the other communication functions.

I have had several attemps to use the Industrial Text Editor with no success in comms at all.

Regards

Reading the post on the industrial editor, you may need to set the speed to 2400 baud - to do that you will need to pull the electronics out and switch a couple of DIP switches.

Try swapping out your existing TRIAC.APP file for this one..

Although I haven't been able to test it, I think this version may now support the DNC function.

I suggest you try setting up the offsets in the machine and ignore the offsets mentioned under the F9 menu.

And keep your fingers crossed....

Hi

I tried this today and it appeared to make no difference.

After after F9 it just sat there doing nothing as before.

Do I need to change the Baud Rate. It was set at 4800 as usual.

Regards

Looking at the code, the software should have been trying to communicate with the machine so I'm not sure what the problem may have been with this method of doing things.

However, I've had a simpler idea...

The attached TRIAC.APP allows you to supress the 'L' characters for being appended to the end of blocks during a normal "Machine Transfer" operation. This means that instead of the program being stored into the machines memory, it should execute it.
Use the attched TRIAC.APP file. You will also need to edit your existing TRIAC.OPT file, adding the following line to the end of the file...

DOWNFEEDDNC 1

If this doesn't get you going then I'm getting a little stuck for ideas.
One thing I do remember is that some realy early Triacs had a 'non standard' serial interface and wouldn't talk to the Triac software. There are only a handfull of these machines about so unlikely you've got one, but you never know....

You're the man Mr Magoo. Excellent.

This appears to work fine but it makes programming more awkward.

It appears the datum shifts and feeds have to be included in every line of code or am I mistaken.

Try setting a Datum Shift in MDI on the machine before you do the DNC link. I think it was called a 'machine Datum' or 'machine offset' or similar.

Another option is to workout what workpiece offset values you want, and include them in the CNC program. I think you'd do it like this at the start of your program...

G98
G54 X120 Y60 Z0

But not sure if the values should be +ve or -ve.

As for the feedrates, I wouldn't have thought they would have been needed on every block - does the software complain, or are you getting feeds of zero or similar being sent down?

The offset datum is set to zero every time you do the DNC link.

This is easily overcome using G54

The feed appear the run at 150mm/min unles you specify it on each line.

Regards

Hi

Any further ideas on this feedrate problem?????

Regards