Using DNC Server in Standard Mode
DNC Server consists of two areas - the file list
window on the left and the DNC Edit Window on the right.
Machine
Configurations
You can have different communication settings for different
machines. A drop down list has all of your different Machines listed.
To Send a file:
First put the text file into the DNC window. Highlight a file in the
file list window. Press the Get button and the file will be sent to the
DNC window.
To interrupt the send, press the Stop button or press Escape.
To Recieve a File:
Press the Receive button. Any text in the window will be cleared, and DNC Server will say its waiting for the data. The Receive and Send buttons will de-activate and the Stop button will show.. Anything recieved will show up in the DNC-text window. Go to the machine control and send out the program.
On machine controls that use XON/XOFF, Quick DNC will know when the file ends and will re-enable the buttons. If it doesn't, then press the Stop button. See also End of File Receive
When it is finish receiving all the text, press the Save button and choose the place and name you want to save to.
For those who have their programs stored in multiple directories the directory shortcut list is helpful. The drop down list above the file list window is like a list of shortcuts to various directories. You may have a separate directory for each machine. Each default directory is set in the configuration.
In the DNC.INI file the first section is the [DNCServer] section which is a list of directories that show up in the drop down list above the file window.
Items are in the format of:
Dir1=Name that shows up in list, directory path
[Dirs]
Dir1=OKUMA,g:\DncData\okuma\
Dir2=OKUMA1,g:\DncData\okuma1\
Dir3=OKUMA 50,g:\DncData\okuma50\
Dir4=INDEX,g:\DncData\index\
The idea is that when you pick one of the items in the drop down shortcut list, it will set the file window to that directory. Also, when the directory path is the same as one of the machine default directories, that item in the shortcut list appears and goes to that directory when you change the machine in the Machine dropdown list..
Use the One Level Up button to navigate to higher directories and other drives.
If the file extension of your NC files is registered with Windows to activate an editor program, it will be activated in the same way by double clicking on the files in the file list window.
Printing:
The Print File button below the file list will print the highlighted file in the list. The Pint Window button below the DNC window justs prints what's in the DNC-edit window.
Settings:
You can have any number of different machines with custom settings. Choose the machine you want to change in the Machine dropdown box, then click on Settings - Communication... on the main menu and the settings window of the current machine will be displayed..
Send Extra Characters : You have the option of sending extra characters the control might need at the beginning and end of the file. Special characters can be sent by using the ascii value enclosed in left and right arrows. For example, to send an extra carriage return at the end you would would type in <13> in the box. Your control may need Null characters at the beginning or end of the program (like blank leader on a tape). A section of blank tape can be simulated by a series of zero values: <0><0><0><0><0><0><0>.
Keep Char Delay at 0 unless you have special circumstances where there is no handshaking and you need to slow the pace down to not loose any characters.
Skip Comments - If this is checked, DNCServer will strip out comments when sending. This is handy for the machines that don't accept comments. Set the beginning and and comment characters to look for. For instance, for Fanuc controls "(" would be the start comment character, and ")" would be the end comment character. If a character is only used at the beginning, like "!" to designate a comment, put it in the Start Comment Char and leave the End Comment Char blank, and everything from the start comment char to the end of the line will be stripped out.
Strip Blank Lines - If this is checked, blank lines will be ignored when both receiving and sending files.
Default Read Directory - Directory that shows up in the left directory list when you choose a machine from the drop down Machine list.
Default File Extension - Used for display of files in the open and save dialogs. Change to .* to display all files. Also used with Auto-Save and Receive when no extension is supplied.
Check your control documentation for
setting these items.
Longer wiring requires lower speeds.
These settings are stored in the file
DNC.INI.
The DNC window is an editor so you can make changes in the program if needed. It can save you some time when you can download from the machine, make edits in the window and send it right back.
Setup Sheet:
This calls the optional InList program to print a tool list from the selected file. The InList program is available from i-Logic Software.
Machines:
DNC Server can only
work with one machine at a time but it has multiple machine
configurations, each with its own serial port settings etc. You
can add or delete machines from the Machine dropdown box (right side of
main window). After adding them go to main menu Settings
- Communication to edit the settings.
Machine List - Add a Machine to dropdown list on the main window.
Delete Machine - Delete a Machine from the dropdown list on the main window.
Directory Shortcut List - The Title shows up in the directory drop down list on the left side of the main window. Put in the File Path that you want this item to show in the main file window.
Directory to Delete - Delete one of the existing directory shortcuts.
Select
Start:
Normally, when you press the SEND button
it starts sending from the begining of the program. When this menu
item is checked it will start sending from the line in the editor which
the cursor is on. This is useful when using drip feed to the control and
you want to start the program at a certain spot.
Utilities on
Main Menu:
There are three built in utilities:
- Renumber the program in the DNC window.
- Load Inplot Editor - Opens the Inplot program and loads the text into the editor.
- Direct File - Since how much text the editor window in DNC Server can hold is limited by how much memory you have and which version of Windows you have, real big files might not load in. Instead, you can Send and Recieve files without having to load them into the edit window. A file open dialog box asks for the file name to send or save.
Other executable programs can be
added to the utilities menu by adding them to the included DNCUtilities.ini
file.
The file is in the format of :
Utility[number] =menu caption,exe filename,[1=needs DNC edit window NC
filename as parameter;2=needs selected filename in file list window]
Example file:
[Utilities]
Utility1=Setup
Sheet,inlist.exe,1
Utility2=Notepad,notepad.exe,1
Drip Feed:
DNC Server supports drip feeding the program to the machine control in the same way as normal sending, if the control supports it and you have the proper handshaking. On Most controls this is an optional feature, so yours may not support it. On Fanuc, set the mode switch to "Tape" and input parameters to "RS-232".
Loop Feature - When sending a program from the edit window its possible to put a Loop Comment code in the program so a section of the program will be repeatedly sent out to the control. With this you could set DNC Server to drip feed a long program continuously repeating itself so you don't have to go to the computer to send the program each time.
The Loop Comment Code is "(LOOP " and the block number to jump to.
Example:
G90G00X-4.1312Y.6502
N45G00Z.1
G01Z-.3F20.
G41D0G01X-4.3312F2.0
X-4.3914
G03X-4.7657Y.2987I0.J-.375
Y-.2987I4.7657J-.2987
X-4.3914Y-.6502I.3743J.0235
G01X-4.3312
(LOOP 45)
G40X-4.1312
G00Z3.0
In this example, when DNC Server reads the line "(LOOP 45)" it finds block number N45 and jumps to that line and continues sending. This will loop forever between the two lines continuously sending out the lines to the control. If you want to loop only for a certain number of times, use a comma and the number of loops to execute. (LOOP 45,4) will repeat 4 times and then continue with the next line after the loop.
Nested loops won't work.
Starting Multiple instances of DNC Server
at Start-Up
You can have multiple shortcuts in the
startup folder and start mutiple copies of DNC Server with different
machine configurations. Each one needs to be set to a different comm
port or they will interfere with each other.
They can be set to start Minimized if you want.
Sending to Machine:
1. Set Switch Boxes (if used)
2. At DNC Server – Select Machine from the dropdown list.
3. If you need to go to a different directory, choose it from the left drop down list.
4. Highlight file by clicking once on it.
5. Press the “Get” button to put it in the DNC window.
6. Press the “Send” button and will show “Waiting for Remote Start”
7. At Okuma, load file with CN0: , on Fanuc press Read.
Sending from Machine to Computer:
1. Set Switch Boxes (if used)
2. At DNC Server – Select correct machine from dropdown list
3. Press the “Receive” button – will say “Waiting for Data”
4. At Machine Punch program
5. At DNC Server – program will show up in window.
6. When finished receiving, Press “Save” button. (press Stop button
if Save button is not active)
7. Choose Directory and Filename to save to.
Note: This system relies on the machine control sending a signal to DNC Server when it is ready to receive ("X-ON" or CTS) which most all CNCs would do. To bypass this and send out a file immediatly when preesing the Send button, you would have to set Serial Setting - Handshake to None.
Wiring and Testing:
The easiest way to wire the CNC to the computer for checking purposes is to go to Radio Shack or similar store and buy:
- Standard 25 pin 25-wire cable.
- 9-pin to 25-pin adapter and gender changers if needed.
- A "Null Modem" connector, that you may or may not need.
- Set DNC Server Serial Settings Handshake to "None". Set the other setting to what you think the CNC is set for.
- Connect cable from CNC to computer without the Null Modem.
- Set DNC Server to "Receive".
- Punch out program from CNC.
- If nothing happens, put the Null Modem on the cable and try again. (the Null Modem connector switches the send and receive wires). Or the baud rate settings may be way off.
- If you receive garbage in the DNC Server Edit Window, that is a good sign. You only need to fine tune the baud rate, data bits, stop bits, ISO-EIA.
Load Selected - Highlight one file on the list and press Load Selected. This will load the file into the Edit Window.
Save Editor To - Type in the file name that you want to save the Edit Window to. It will be saved in the current FTP directory.
Directories are listed with "<DIR>" in front of the name. Highlight the name and press Load Selected and it will go to that directory. Move up the directory tree with Up One Directory.
Optional for Inplot users:
DNCServer will appear on the Inplot Plug-In menu if you make an entry in the Plug-In Install dialog with the path/filename to DNCServer and a Parameter of 9. Then when you pick it, DNC Server will automatically start and load in the text that is currently in the Inplot editor, ready for you to send it.
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