rs232 cable

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littlemoon
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rs232 cable

Post by littlemoon » Wed 12 Sep , 2012 13:59 pm

just started to get my router working and have a few questions (micro router v3 serial no h01633, oct 2001). first, i have an rs232 cable not supplied with the machine. will this cable work or do i need to alter it ? and if so does anyone have a diagram of the cable. i would also like to know which version of windows is best suited to the opperation of this machine . cheers simon.

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Re: rs232 cable

Post by Denford Admin » Wed 12 Sep , 2012 16:11 pm

This post has details of how the cable should appear from PC 9-way to Baldor Control 9-way (use this info to check any cables or adapters you have inline are correct)
If yours is a USA machine then the internal RS232 cable was different to that supplied as normal, meaning the black cable with IBM/FANUC RS232 written on a yellow label won't work with it. Anyway, use this post to check the pins from one end to the other are the same:
viewtopic.php?t=544

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Re: rs232 cable

Post by littlemoon » Mon 22 Oct , 2012 16:01 pm

alterd the cable and the pc now knows the router is connected. just having some software issues i.e licence key is not opening the software, see my other post in the software section cheers simon
Denford Admin wrote:This post has details of how the cable should appear from PC 9-way to Baldor Control 9-way (use this info to check any cables or adapters you have inline are correct)
If yours is a USA machine then the internal RS232 cable was different to that supplied as normal, meaning the black cable with IBM/FANUC RS232 written on a yellow label won't work with it. Anyway, use this post to check the pins from one end to the other are the same:
viewtopic.php?t=544

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Re: rs232 cable

Post by littlemoon » Thu 01 Nov , 2012 22:32 pm

had a bit of spare time today so tried the link, all is good now with software i think :D . just a few minor glitches with the machine to sort one of which is i cannot shut the pc down as the software will not close, pc fault ? software fault ? or router fault ?. another glitch is a box on the screen with some code in it i cannot remove this, i will take a pic tomorow


the other glitches are i think machine faults. first is a homing glitch on the 'y' axis, it will not stop when its reached the end of ist traverse . which way should the router head be moving when homing all the axis, its moving from left to right on the 'x' axis and the 'y' axis is moving from towards the back of the cabinate towards the door, is this right ?, the 'z' axis seem to be fine.

the other glitch is the vacume pump is intermitant, most times it works when you power up the machine. the green light on the button works regaurdless of wether pump is working. when looking inside the cabinate there is a green led that lights up if the pump is working. it seems to work after a few times of turning the main switch on and off a few times. apart from that i think i have made good progress :D 8)

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Steve
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Re: rs232 cable

Post by Steve » Fri 02 Nov , 2012 9:18 am

The X and Z axes sound to be OK.

The Y axis should home towards the back of the machine. Once the switch is made the axis reverses and then drives towards the door but at a slow feed. It sounds like you havea faulty home switch. I would vacuum the switch and manually operate it at the same time which will release any particals stuck under the switch contacts.

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Re: rs232 cable

Post by littlemoon » Fri 02 Nov , 2012 14:10 pm

powered up the router this morning and the vacuum pump will not work at all now ? also the router is not connecting to to the pc, its showing an error message saying the machine is not connected check the rs232 cable. so i cnnot check the switches. here is a pic of the box on the screen with the code in it that i can't remove

Image


and pic of the bit that lights up green when the vac pump is working ok, it say vpr on it

Image


cheers simon

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Re: rs232 cable

Post by Denford Admin » Fri 02 Nov , 2012 14:46 pm

The vac pump will probably not work until the machine is connected in the software and Jog mode is selected.
If the mint file isn't running then it won't allow the pump to be turned on, I think you can only turn it off in Jog mode as well.

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Re: rs232 cable

Post by littlemoon » Wed 01 May , 2013 17:42 pm

had a another go with the router today and its still not working. its still not connecting to the pc, i think ?. i have checked the lead and thats ok . the lead is a 9 pin to 9 pin i have bypassed the rs232 socket on the side of the control box and used a multi connector block to save re soldering until we are 100% on the connections for each wire. the control board is showing 8 when switched on and when you hit the emergency stop button it displays 5, re set and goes back to 8. so i think the card is ok. would like to get it going . software is loaded corectly and is showing v3 on the header. any help or ideas are welcome. cheers simon

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Re: rs232 cable

Post by Martin » Wed 01 May , 2013 20:04 pm

Can you try connecting with Mintman that will be in the VRMilling directory.

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Re: rs232 cable

Post by littlemoon » Thu 02 May , 2013 9:07 am

Martin wrote:Can you try connecting with Mintman that will be in the VRMilling directory.


will give it a try, if i can find the directory :lol: . cheers simon

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Re: rs232 cable

Post by Denford Admin » Thu 02 May , 2013 9:17 am

You may need to download V2 VRMilling from here
http://website.denford.ltd.uk/index.php ... -downloads

Firstly - make sure any other Denford software is closed and disconnected from the machine
Then run the file: MintMan.EXE which is located in the VR Milling installation directory (C:\Program Files\Denford\ VRMilling)
Go to menu Setup -> Comm Port
Set the parameters to:
COM 1 (whichever machine is plugged into)
Baud: 19200
Parity: None
Data bits: 8
Stop bits: 2
Handshaking: none
Press OK
Press Upload Version button
If it connects to control OK and finds the mint version then comms is good!

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Re: rs232 cable

Post by littlemoon » Thu 02 May , 2013 10:03 am

i think i have v2.31 loaded

and have found

mintfinder
mintman v2.1
mintman ns

but dont seem to have mintman.exe ?

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Re: rs232 cable

Post by littlemoon » Thu 02 May , 2013 10:13 am

just tried this in mintman and it say comms not ok

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Re: rs232 cable

Post by Denford Admin » Thu 02 May , 2013 10:30 am

I know you've probably been through everything and there are lots of posts about RS232 issues:
Machine fails to connect with RS232 (including cable details):
viewtopic.php?t=544
Roland machine conflict:
viewtopic.php?t=833
viewtopic.php?t=925

Is the COM port working on the PC and active in device manager ? Can you try another PC?
RS232 really is difficult to fault find and see what's going on. If you try everything possible and it still won't connect it's possible the RS232 chip has blown on the control.

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Re: rs232 cable

Post by littlemoon » Thu 02 May , 2013 10:39 am

will try another pc. when i first tried it with a home made cable it was connecting and working baring a few minor glitches i.e limit switches and a homing fault . i nocked the cable and nocked of the sheilding conection , we then made another cable and since then its not connecting. so i could only presume we had a cable fault. but after re checking over and over again we thing the cable is 99% ok. so will swap the pc and re load the software and see how we get on. will let you know in a day or 2 and thanks for the help. cheers simon

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Re: rs232 cable

Post by Denford Admin » Thu 02 May , 2013 11:09 am

If something shorted on the shielding then hopefully it only took out the PC's port :?

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Re: rs232 cable

Post by littlemoon » Wed 04 Jun , 2014 12:22 pm

back on the case,

been busy with life and work. fired the router up today to see if it had mended itself but no its still not connecting with the pc or vice versa. but have noticed that the motors are all warm ? so there must be power to them ? why would they get warm if not. i wonder if its tring to home but something is stuck or seized ? but having said that the there is no connection between the pc and machine . the board seems to function as its dislplaying a figure 8 and if you hit the emergancy stop it then displays a 5 and goes back to 8 when released . i would like to get this sorted now so any help would be most greatfull . cheers simon

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Re: rs232 cable

Post by Steve » Wed 04 Jun , 2014 12:40 pm

Hi,

I dont seem to be able to find as to what you have tried. What machine do you have? Where are you located? Are you using the origional serial cable supplied with the machine? Are you plugged into COM 1 on the PC? Have you tried another PC?

The control Card is working and stores some information in RAM which is why it is responding to the ESTOP button. The problem ie either with the connecting cables, the port on the PC or the port on the control card.

The link below shows you how to make a direct cable from the Control card to a 9 pin serial port on the PC

viewtopic.php?t=231

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Re: rs232 cable

Post by littlemoon » Wed 04 Jun , 2014 12:46 pm

hi steve,

the machine is a micro router v3 . i have tried turning the ball screws with the power turned off and you can turn them easily, turn the power back on and you cant turn them same for all 3 axis ?. yes have problems with machine conncting

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Re: rs232 cable

Post by littlemoon » Wed 04 Jun , 2014 12:49 pm

i am near goole east yorks , we have made a home made cable to do away with the connection on the side of the control box , 9 pin to 9 pin
Last edited by littlemoon on Wed 04 Jun , 2014 15:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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