The
Remote function of Multi-DNC™ You
are visitor
Remote mode is one of the most useful functions of Multi-DNC. Remote allows CNC operators to send, receive, run "drip feed" DNC communications and do other functions directly from their CNC controls without having to walk back to the DNC computer. Your CAM programmer is not interrupted by CNC operators asking for tapes, or to send and receive CNC programs from the CAD/CAM workstation. A tremendous amount of time can be saved by both programmers and CNC operators. With Multi-DNC there is no need for extra terminals by the CNC control, as the control itself does all the work!
When a Machine Connection is in Remote mode, the COM port is set to "scan" for a certain sequence or "string" of characters associated with the legal file name of a requested file. This particular string of characters triggers Multi-DNC to either find the single requested program and send it to the CNC control or to store the program that is being received as it comes in from the CNC control, as well as several other functions. The following dialogs set up all of the Remote parameters, which can be different for each Machine Connection in a Multi-DNC system.
| 1). Send | Send is the string of characters that precedes a single file name when you request a file from the DNC computer. There are two Send Commands that can be used |
| 2). Packet | Packet is the string of characters that precede the packet name (multiple files) when you request it from the DNC computer. |
| 3). Receive | Receive is the string of characters that sets up a file name before you send a file to the DNC computer for storage. |
| 4). Autoname | Autoname is a secondary method to receive files at the DNC computer. The filename is embedded in the CNC program itself. |
| 5). Reset | Reset is the string of characters that resets the Remote function directly from the CNC control. |
| 6). Capture | Capture is the string of characters that precedes data output from CNC controls or other devices such as measuring probes. |
| 7). Directory | Directory is the string of characters that commands Multi-DNC to send back a current directory listing to the CNC control. |
| 8). Restart | Restart sets up the string of characters that precede the command to tell Multi-DNC to "backup" and then re-send a file. |
-
Receiving Files at the CNC control from Multi-DNC™
To receive a file at the CNC control in the Remote mode, the CNC operator creates a small program like these two examples:
|
This program requests a file named "1234" in the Machine Connection’s Send folder on the DNC computer. The file extension is pre-set as " *.NC ". The CNC operator "punches" out this program, when it is done, he gets the CNC control ready to "read" and 1234.NC is sent back after the pre-set delay time. This method works on all CNC controls that can type in alpha-numeric characters inside comments. |
|
This Command program requests a file named 123456.NC in the DNC computer’s Send folder for this Machine Connection. It is stored as a separate program name (O8000) on the CNC control (like a sub-program) and is edited and reused each time for Remote. The string of characters " /F " can be configured to any string, but it should be a non "move" code to avoid any problems if this sub-program is accidentally run. | ||||||||||
| The CNC operator then "punches" out the small program to the DNC system, it finds the requested file, then sends that file back after an appropriate delay to let the CNC operator get ready to receive it into memory or set up to do Direct DNC at the control. | |||||||||||||
|
A partial or full path can be specified (for either local or network drives) if the file is in a different place than the pre-set path. | This O7000 Command program requests a file named "PART-4454-321A.NC" from the DNC computers C:\DNC\FADAL directory, which is different from the pre-set path. If just the file name is given in a Remote Send request, it is automatically sent from the Machine Connection’s Send folder. Remote FULLY supports Windows 98, 95 and Windows NT "long" file names. | |||||||
| Also note the instructions for the CNC operator. The previous examples shown were referenced to Fanuc and Fadal controls, but Remote will work on ANY CNC control that can store more than one program. If your CNC control keypad does not have the " \ " and " : " characters, use " / " and " # " and they will automatically be substituted. | |||||||||
-
Sending a directory listing back to the CNC control
Another feature of Remote is the ability to receive a directory listing at the CNC control of all of the files that are available for downloading. To do this, the CNC operator punches a small program like this:
|
The "RMTDIR" command sent to the DNC system will return a program to the CNC control that shows all of the programs that the operator can download. This is a listing of all of the programs in the Machine Connection’s Send folder with each program listed on a line by itself. Optional variables can also show each files size and last date saved. |
|
This file name listing shows all of the files in the Send folder that match the pre-set file mask of "*.NC". Also shown is a mixed combination of "short" 8.3 format file names and "long" file names that are now possible in 32 bit operating systems. A "template" can be created for each Machine Connection to format the Directory output file correctly for that particular CNC control. | ||||||||||||
| When the CNC operator receives the list of multiple files, he adds a block delete character " / " in front of the single or multiple files that he wants to download, and punches the O1234 program back to Multi-DNC. The DNC program then sends back those files to him. Multi-DNC can have two different Remote Send commands, one for getting a single file, and one for this multiple file situation. | |||||||||||||||
-
Using a "Wildcard" Send Command
|
Another option for Remote is to send a "partial" or "wildcard" Send Command. In the example on the left, if just a single file existed that started with " 105 " then it would be sent. If more than one file started with " 105 ", then a list of those files would be sent to the CNC control as a formatted program as shown on the right. |
|
|
When the CNC operator receives the list of multiple files, he adds a block delete character " / " in front of the single or multiple files that he wants to download, and punches the O8001 program back to Multi-DNC. The DNC program then sends back those files to him. Two different strings of characters can also be sent before each Send command. This allows the use of embedding either " TA,1 " or " DNC " strings before sending programs to a Fadal control to automatically put it in either Memory or Direct DNC mode. |
-
Sending a file to Multi-DNC™ in Remote for storage
The CNC operator just needs to punch out the program to Multi-DNC in the normal way; if the DNC computer is setup in Remote for that Machine Connection, the Autoname function will automatically name the received file on the DNC computer and save it to the Machine Connection’s Receive folder. The file will be named according to the first comment like this:
|
Using Autoname, the file on the left will be stored as "4623-2.TXT" If your CNC control can’t use comments, then using " O " for Autoname as on the right will also work and store the program as "1234" This also works if the CNC control output is " :1234" and it also can be set up to be stored as "O1234", by adding the " O " to the file name. |
|
-
Sending other data to Multi-DNC™
Remote can also be used to store other types of data that can be output from CNC controls, such as formatted values output from probing macros or SPC gage output, as long as the data is preceded by the string of characters specified in the Capture section of the Remote dialog. CNC controls that have Macro capability can output text messages in ASCII text form from their RS-232 ports and Spectrum is using this to develop an add-on program for Multi-DNC that will track the usage of multiple CNC machines in a production environment.
-
The Remote Restart function
When doing direct (drip feed) DNC operations, the CNC operator can stop the flow of data when a tool breaks, and then send a small program back to Multi-DNC that will command it to "backup" and restart the sending of the file. The Remote Restart request can tell Multi-DNC to backup a given number of lines, backup to an absolute line number, or backup to a "bookmark". A bookmark is a pre-set code in the CNC program, usually at a tool change, where the CNC program could be started over. Your CAM system post processor can be configured to insert this code at each tool change. After Multi-DNC receives the Restart request, it backs up to the requested position, then waits for the CNC operator to hit Cycle Start to begin cutting again.
Because all of the Multi-DNC products have a powerful 32 bit multi-threaded communications "engine" that enables true multi-tasking, any CNC control that is connected can request a file at any time. No switches to change, no tapes to find, no more interruptions of your programmer to get the next job, no more coffee breaks to get a program, and no more yelling across the shop to get a new program. Production shops that may never use the direct DNC (drip feed) mode of communication need Multi-DNC just for Remote. And in fact, over 40% of our customers buy the DNC software just for Remote. If you have any questions regarding Remote or any other of the features of Multi-DNC , please contact Spectrum CNC Technologies for the name of your local representative.