Here is the official list of hardware recommended by CIMCO for serial communications via DNC Max and CIMCO Edit:

CIMCO DNC-Max and CIMCO Edit (communications) work with all industry standard serial communication hardware devices including but not limited to multi-port serial adapters (PCI) and single/multi-port Ethernet (wired and wireless) serial device servers (converters) from MOXA (www.moxa.ccom), DIGI International (www.digi.com), and Quatech (www.quatech.com).

Because of the consistently high quality and reliability of device servers (wired and wireless) from MOXA we recommend the following devices for Ethernet based communications: NPort 5610-8, NPort 5610-16, NPort 5210, NPort 5110, NPort 2250 Plus US and NPort 2150 Plus.

For multi-port PCI serial adapters CIMCO recommends DIGI Neo Adapters and related concentrator boxes.

If you’re not sure what to use or have questions give us a call, we’d be happy to help.

The post CIMCO DNC Max and CNC Edit Recommended Serial Hardware appeared first on Managed Solutions.

Both CIMCO Edit and DNC Max allow you to communicate with machines but there are significant differences. A common use of CIMCO Edit would be on a laptop that is carried around a shop as a backup, but this is not always the case. So what are the main differences between CIMCO Edit and DNC Max?

*CIMCO Editor will communicate with multiple machines at one time with additional DNC Port Licenses.

Which one is best for you?

If you are only using RS-232 and don’t have machines with complex protocols you can probably get by with CIMCO Edit. However if you are looking to get more than just communications or have complex controls, DNC Max may be the only choice for you. Call us at 925-272-0384 or use our contact form if you’d like more information about either product.

The post Edit or DNC Max – Which do I need? appeared first on Managed Solutions.

It is possible to remote request multiple files in a single remote request program.

Example remote request program:
%
O9999
(/REQ 1234)
(/REQ 2345)
M30
%

Enable multi file request under Receive – Advanced settings.

Log shows that multiple files have been requested when receiving the single remote request program. In this case the requested files do not exist.

The post Howto Remote Request Multiple Files in DNC Max appeared first on Managed Solutions.

Manufacturing has become a very distributed global enterprise, many of the worlds top producers have facilities all around the globe. This creates unique problems for these complex supply chains. Representing a software company with a very large global presence, we understand this dilemma all too well. To respond to the rapidly changing marketplace, CIMCO has integrated some leading edge web and mobile support into their latest suite of communications and data collection products. This paves the way for a new era in remote communications, management and monitoring for CNC machines.

DNC Max Web

CNC communications have achieved new heights via a web client that allows you to manage your machines directly from a web browser. As a result any computer or mobile device with a modern web browser can Manage DNC-Max. The interface is responsive, which allows the screens to scale to a variety of desktop resolutions as well as tablets and phones.

The web client displays a list of your machines as well as the current status with an easy to see progress bar for the current transmission.

DNC Max 7 Web on Windows PC

Does your production manager prefer an iPad or Tablet? This is not a problem:

DNC Max 7 Web on iPad

Or perhaps you would prefer to monitor things using your iPhone or Smart Phone:

DNC Max 7 Web on iPhone

Still powerful and capable

DNC Max 7 Web Client is also very powerful and capable. Just because it is mobile does not mean it cannot perform the usual roles just like you would on the desktop client including:

• Send and receive files on the DNC-Max Server using the file browser.
• Stop a transmission.
• Restart a machine.
• Remove items from the transmission queue.

MDC Max Web

The new MDC-Max web client allows mobile equipped users to access and interact with the operator screens. Using responsive design the system scales to fit a variety of devices. The sub screens, buttons and inputs are all available. Everything is very easy to setup and use. This system will provide you with the flexibility to access the operator panels from devices of your choosing:

MDC Max 7 Web on Windows PC

MDC Max 7 Web Client on iPad

MDC Max 7 Web Client on iPhone

Want to find out how these options will work with your CNC Environment? Give us a call to discuss your project. 925-272-0384 or use our convenient contact form.

The post CIMCO DNC and MDC Clients go Mobile appeared first on Managed Solutions.

The modern manufacturer seeks ways to improve all aspects of production. Many have turned to Machine Data Collection (MDC) to provide deeper insights into what is occurring on the shop floor. Implementing MDC can be challenging, however, considering the age, make and type of CNC machines utilized. This guide will help you plan ahead for an MDC installation and start to consider some possible roadblocks before you get too far down this road.

DNC/Communication Methods

CIMCO MDX-Max is very closely tied to DNC-Max. This is because of the integration between both the DNC system itself often providing key information for the data collection system but also between the MDC software and other related applications such as PDM and/or NC-Base. Let’s start the planning by identifying how you presently communicate with your machines. There are 6 methods that files are uploaded to your controls:

• By hand (USB or Floppy)
• Via RS-232 Upload or Remote Request
• Via RS-232 Drip Feed (Not stored on control/continuous feed)
• Ethernet – FTP
• Ethernet – NFS
• Ethernet – Directory Monitor

In many cases existing infrastructure can be used or altered slightly to accommodate the MDC solution. There are actually 3 corresponding ways for MDC to gather data for a particular CNC machine:

• Via dprnt statement/Macro (RS-232 Machines w/ Macro Support)
• Via network system (Fanuc FOCAS, Haas Mnet, MTConnect, Heidenhein LSV2)
• Via Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) signal acquisition

Using dprnt statements provides much more limited information from the CNC. Basically you can only gather cycle start, cycle stop, and part count. Network systems are extremely useful and provide much more detailed information right out of the box. This is our preferred method whenever possible, to gather MDC data from a CNC machine. PLC Signals are very reliable but can require great knowledge of the CNC machine in order to gather all of the required signals. They often tie into the pilot lamps to get the basics – cycle start/cycle stop. More advanced signals may or may not be supported depending on the machine.

Communication Roadblocks

If you currently use USB or Floppy disks to get files to your CNC machines, your road to implementing MDC will be longer. If you have Ethernet or RS-232 cabling already in place, things should move much more quickly. Ethernet is our preferred method, we can use it for any type of machine. We provide a document you can use to survey your equipment for the most important variables. To receive a copy use our Service Inquiry Tool or call +1-925-272-0384. Older machines may also lack some features that are necessary for advanced MDC installs. If you have very old CNC Machines, you are likely to experience some roadblocks to implementing advanced MDC functions, so also keep that in mind.

Planning for Operator Input

There are a number of situations where human input is required to appropriately track what is occurring on the machine. For example if a machine alarms, it is possible in some cases to get data about the alarm from FOCAS, M-Net or MTConnect but what about other cases? Or how about when a CNC Machine is idle, won’t we want to know why? For this reason one of the most common operator inputted information is related to why a machine is not running such as:

• Setup
• Inspection
• Tooling Issue
• Maintenance
• Scrap Part
• No Operator Available

These are just examples of the reason codes, depending on your application these can be customized and inputted one of several ways:

• Barcode Reader
• Computer Terminal
• Tablet

Each of these methods has it’s own unique advantages and it’s often a matter of preference or access to existing equipment. If for example you have Windows PC’s on your network located around your machining cells it might make sense to just utilize that existing equipment. Most of our customers use bar-code readers, which can do double duty such as remote-request files from the DNC system. With the new web client you can use almost any device. It is also worthy of mention that a number of things can be derived from the .nc file itself including the part number, client name or virtually anything.

Operator Roadblocks

It is sometimes perceived that an MDC system will be viewed like “big brother” watching the employees. The reality we have discovered is that in many cases MDC is instrumental in informing management of things that the operators may already know. Good examples of this are problems related to maintenance, materials or even tooling. Get input from your operators on what they feel the bottlenecks are while planning your MDC install.

What Information do You Need?

Manufacturers often look at industry key performance indicators such as Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). You might have other metrics that are equally important if not more important to your facility. You might also have specific problems or bottlenecks you are trying to solve. Our customers have identified everything from raw material quality problems to high tooling cost issues. The basic MDC install is designed to see if your machines are running and if they aren’t why they aren’t. Do you want more? Think about your specific challenges and share those with us during the process. You don’t have to be an MDC expert, that’s our job. Still not sure how to proceed? Contact us using the form below or send an inquiry and we’ll help you make sense of it all.

The post Planning Your Machine Data Collection Install appeared first on Managed Solutions.

Typically with CNC Communication products including our CIMCO DNC Max server, the software resides on a server on the main network. Some companies and government agencies have requirements that don’t allow their CNC Controls to be accessible on the main network. This is actually a smart policy and you might have read about the SIEMENS vulnerability earlier this week. If you wish to better isolate our system but still need access to another network, there is a way to accomplish this by utilizing a technique called dual homing.

In Ethernet LANs, dual-homing is a network topology whereby a networked device is built with more than one network interface. Each interface or port is connected to the network, but only one connection is active at a time. The other connection is activated only if the primary connection fails. Traffic is quickly rerouted to the backup connection in the event of link failure. This feature was designed to provide telecommunications grade reliability and redundancy to Ethernet networks.  -Wikipedia

In our example the DNC Max server resides on the machine that participates on two distinct networks but does not allow traffic to pass between the two. This allows the server to be backed up and managed the way all other assets are but isolates the CNC Controls that are connected to it. In this configuration the DNC Max server will only be accessed from the private network. If you have other products involved in your install such as CIMCO MDC, this guide is incomplete. This is an over-view of the concept of multi-homed DNC Max installation. With some basic understanding of TCP/IP Networks and the installation guide available in the CIMCO Documentation you should have most of what you need to plan the installation. If you have questions about your specific environment you can contact us with your questions or leave them in the comments at the bottom of this article. As always it is best to consider professional installation if any of this is foreign to you. Here is a diagram demonstrating the concept addressed in this article:

Left: Simple Network Right: Dual Homed CNC Machines Isolated

Planning your Dual Homed DNC Max Install

There are a three (item #’s 1-3) unique steps that a dual homed DNC-Max install requires before downloading and installing CIMCO DNC Max on your soon to be dual homed CNC Communications server. There is also 1 special consideration during the installation process (item #4).

1. Determine an (un-used) IP Address subnet for the private CNC LAN.
2. Install a second network card (if not already present) and a network to all the devices on the private LAN.
3. File management considerations.
4. DNC-Max installation considerations.

Choosing an IP Address Subnet

The most critical issue when choosing this subnet is to make sure it is a private address range that is not already in use anywhere on the larger main network. In larger organizations you will probably have to request this from your IT or Network group as they will know which address ranges are in use. Without turning this into a network tutorial, network routers and firewalls can be configured to access a number of different private and public networks. If the IP Address range you choose exists somewhere else on your network it is likely to cause problems for the DNC Max Server machine accessing valid resources on the existing network. The list of private networks is available per RFC-1918, in our example we’ll be using 10.0.1.0/24 for the private CNC network and we’ll pretend that the main network is 192.168.122.0/24, here is a list of all the private ranges that are allocated (source: wikipedia):

RFC-1918 IPv4 Space

You will assign one of these addresses to your private network adapter on the DNC Max Server, in our example we’ve chosen 10.0.1.1. Each CNC Control and network device (such as Moxa Nport devices) with an ethernet port will be assigned a unique address on that subnet. It is a good idea to store all of this information in a spreadsheet or google doc for later reference.

Creating the Private Network

You will need to install a second network card on the machine acting as the DNC Max Server. This network card will be configured using TCP/IP and be sure to leave the default gateway completely blank when configuring the settings. In our example the settings would look like this for the Private network adapter:

IPv4 Settings for Private Network Dual Homed Example

In addition to the network card an isolated network (meaning: completely separated from the Main LAN and only connected to the ethernet based CNC Controls, Moxa Nport or similar ethernet to serial adapters, and the “new” second network card on the server) will need to be in place. This network requires Cat5 or above network cabling and an appropriately matched switch with enough ports to connect all the devices to the private LAN. If you are unsure how to do this and don’t have the resources in house it’s probably a good idea to hire a company that has experience installing Ethernet cabling in an industrial environment.

File Management Considerations

All of the files required to run your programs on your CNC Machines will need to be accessible on the dual-homed DNC Max Server. You will want to take appropriate steps to ensure that this server is backed up sufficiently to protect those files. This is an area where a little careful planning can go a long way. If you traditionally stored the files elsewhere on the network, you may require some additional steps to relocate or mirror the files to the Dual-Homed server. This could represent an opportunity because you could make it so only known good programs are stored on the dual-homed DNC Max server and completely isolate any files that are not approved for production. If you require more control over your files than Windows permissions allow you should also consider CIMCO PDM or CIMCO NC-Base as alternatives to gain much more control over those digital assets.

DNC Max Server Installation Considerations

Once the pre-requisite steps are all complete you will be ready to install DNC Max server. This should be done by or with careful guidance from a qualified CIMCO re-seller or installer.  There is one setting under Server Configuration/Network Settings that where the IP Address of the Private LAN interface will need to be entered:

Bind the DNC Max Server to the Private IP Address

With the noted exceptions the rest of the DNC-Max installation and configuration will be handled normally. We hope that this guide is useful to you, if you are looking to isolate your CNC Network we believe the information will be helpful, there are other ways to manage network traffic including VLANS, static routes and firewall rules. This article is provided purely for informational purposes. Please consult a professional for assistance. If you like, we have a network of dealers and installers ready to help you with your DNC Max Server installation.

The post Isolate your CNC Network by Dual Homing DNC Max appeared first on Managed Solutions.

Image via Justus Thane

Do you find it frustrating when you’re getting serious about purchasing something, but you’re unable to find pricing online? You see catchy little things “call us for the best price!” and other gimmicks. Maybe you’re not really ready to talk to someone, you just want to get a general idea? This pricing guide will give you a good starting point if you’re considering a DNC Communications System.

What does a DNC Communication Software system do?

Most of you reading this will probably already know, but DNC Communications software allows you to send and receive programs to and from CNC Machine Tools. This can be done via serial or ethernet (wired or wireless). The main advantage of DNC Software such as CIMCO DNC Max is to give you a lot of flexibility and control over how the communications occur.

DNC Max solves the problem of reliably getting NC files to your CNC machines using serial, Ethernet, or even drip feeding.

What components go into a DNC System?

In order to give a good breakdown of cost it’s important to determine the parts that go into it. A complete DNC system involves the following components:

• Serial Hardware
• Cabling
• Software
• Installation

Serial Hardware

Serial hardware is necessary for a DNC Max server when the CNC controls only have serial ports for communications requires a way for that serial port to be accessible from the DNC server. The basic serial hardware options commonly used for DNC Max today are:

• Interface Card + “Octopus” Cable (Hardware inside the server machine with external cable with multiple RS-232 connectors)
• Serial Hub (1 Ethernet Port to Many Serial Ports)
• Ethernet or Wireless to Serial Device (Such as Moxa NPort)

Pretty much anything that creates a reliable RS-232 based com port should work, but you should talk to your software vendor to find out what products they recommend. The option that will work best has a lot to do with how your environment is laid out. If you have pre-existing switch boxes, an interface card or serial hub should give you the best value. If you have nothing in place, it’s best to run Ethernet cabling or wifi to serial devices at each control. If you are planning to do Machine Data Collection, you will most likely want Ethernet wiring in place to accommodate signal gathering.

Serial Hardware Pricing

Interface Cards will run approximately $30-40 per port. Realize there are limitations with this option, for example we don’t generally recommend it for more than 8 machines.

Serial Hubs can vary greatly in cost, though typically they run about $70-90 per port and are most often either 8 or 16 ports. Keep in mind you will still need serial cabling between the hub and your CNC machines RS-232 port.

Ethernet or Wireless Serial Devices are the most expensive, at $100-200 per port. The advantage is that some devices you won’t need to install any drivers as DNC-Max can communicate directly with it.

Cabling

If your shop floor is already wired for serial and/or Ethernet you are likely to save quite a bit of money implementing a DNC System. If no wiring is in place you will need to determine based on the capabilities of your CNC Control whether Serial or Ethernet cabling makes sense. Many machines with an Ethernet port work quite easily with just Ethernet cabling in the shop connected directly to the machine. CIMCO DNC Max can still manage and handle communications with these machines. If you have older controls on your CNC machines you probably require serial communications and in turn serial cabling. Generally we recommend that if nothing is in place the best solution is to run Ethernet to each control, that way you have maximum flexibility. If you have a serial based machine you can just use the Ethernet to Serial device right at the control. If you have Ethernet based machines, you can just plug directly into the network. If you for some reason need to use both there are some other options available and we will address them at some future point, but you can always call or email us with questions about that.

Cabling Pricing

Ethernet Cabling comes in different qualities depending on your environment. If you require plenum rated or shielded (high electromagnetic interference environments) cable your raw material cost for cable will run 100-150% more. The distance (Ethernet limit is 100 meters) and type of cable (Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6) also influences this figure. The environment the cable must be run in also can contribute, so the range is quite significant. Expect to spend somewhere in the $100-$400 range per drop. Keep in mind that even basic Cat5 cable is sufficient to handle DNC Communications, so don’t over-spend on the best cable unless you need it for something else.

Serial Cabling also comes in different varieties including shielded and non-shielded, plenum and non-plenum. In good conscience it is difficult for us to recommend this type of cabling unless it is already in place. Performance with RS-232 cabling is heavily influenced by the length of the cable, whereas Ethernet is reliable up to the full 100 meters when installed properly. If you have an existing RS-232 infrastructure and you just need to add a few more drops, expect to spend somewhere in the $200-$300 range per drop. You can also get pre-fab serial cables with custom ends to fit your environment for $1-2/foot + $5-10 per connector (if non-standard) to install yourself.

Software Pricing

A very basic DNC System consists of the DNC Server Software w/ a single client, one or more ports (one for each machine) + maintenance. Expect to spend in the neighborhood of $400-1,200 for the base system and $100-$200 for each additional port, depending on the product you select. A base line single port/server/client CIMCO DNC Max system is $550 + $165 for each additional port (1 port per CNC Machine). Also if you want to get product updates, plan to spend about 10% per year for software maintenance. If you’re not sure if you need software maintenance you can check out our article - How Does CIMCO Software Maintenance Work.

Installation Cost

There are three installation options and any of the three might be the best fit for you.

• Self Install
• Remote Install
• Turn-Key

Self Installation of a DNC Communications system does require advanced knowledge and great phone/Email support from the vendor. A number of our customers have chosen to go this route. If you have strong IT and a good understanding of the communications parameters it is possible to self install. Keep in mind it might take a lot of time to become familiar with everything, so plan accordingly. This costs you the salary of your staff and any lost productivity, which could be significant.

Remote Installation of a DNC Communications system is a very good option. This is great if you already know the parameters of your machines and have cabling setup or the ability to do so. In some cases we pre-configure all the hardware and provide a DNC Max configuration based on parameters provided by our customers. Expect to spend $50-$150 per machine for a remote install.

Turn Key Installations of DNC Communications systems take a lot of the burden off your staff and places outside technicians on your shop floor to set everything up for you. Generally this involves some pre-requisite steps be taken care of such as Ethernet run to each control. Expect to spend $200-$500 plus travel and lodging expenses for a turn key DNC installation. The volume and type of machines can influence this figure a lot.

Ready to Talk About a DNC System?

We hope that you got a lot out of this article. If you’re just kicking tires and trying to get some basic idea of costs, hopefully we eased your frustration without forcing you to request a quote. However if you are interested in taking the next steps with a DNC system, don’t hesitate to call us at 925-272-0384, we’d love to hear more about what you do and how we can help you do it better.

The post DNC Communications Software Pricing Guide appeared first on Managed Solutions.

Not keeping good backups can place your business in peril. Your CIMCO DNC Max communications system is part of the revenue/production process so it’s very critical to be able to easily recover from a server failure. There is a way to easily generate a backup that can be used to restore your configuration in the event of an accidental modification, hardware failure or other catastrophic event with the server hosting the software.

Backing up DNC Max Server

In order to backup your DNC Max Server configuration, run the DNC Max Client. From within the client choose the “Setup” option the “Backup Server Configuration” as pictured:

Select the option “Backup Server Configuration”

Save the resulting file in a safe location, at any point you can use that file to restore the DNC Max Configuration to an existing or new installation.

Other Considerations for Backing up CIMCO DNC Max

Keep in mind that CIMCO DNC Max may not be the only critical product running on your server. Be sure to account for all other products CIMCO or otherwise. One nice thing about most of the CIMCO Products is that there are no registry entries. That means that as long as none of the files are in use, you can backup the directory for easy restoration in the future without having to go through the installation process. There are situations where this is not enough, such as if you are running a license server, NC-Base, CIMCO PDM or MDC-Max. Consult your CIMCO Reseller before finalizing your business continuity planning for your CIMCO Software. Alternatively you can always contact us to discuss your setup and if we can’t help you we’ll certainly try to get you pointed in the right direction.

The post Backing up CIMCO DNC Max appeared first on Managed Solutions.

All software is a work in progress, similar to a tree, with new bark, limbs, and branches being added from time to time. CIMCO A/S releases frequent updates to their products and these updates can provide significant new features, to complete version upgrades along with the standard bug fixes and minor tweaks. In order to keep customers informed, it is necessary to test these versions on our equipment. That way we can keep our customers abreast of all the new features. Here is the procedure used to upgrade Managed Solutions internal CIMCO DNC Max, MDC Max, and CIMCO Editor. Keep in mind this does not address installing CIMCO MDM (formerly PDM) we will document that procedure at a later date.

Step 1 – Verify your Maintenance is Active

If your maintenance is expired, you will not be able to download the most recent version of CIMCO Software and install it on your machine. If you do it will not work with your current license file and either enter demo mode or not run at all. You should first access the help/about menu in the upper right hand corner of any of your CIMCO products. That will bring up an information screen that will show you if your maintenance is active:

The about screen shows if your maintenance is active.

Once you confirm your maintenance is active, you can download the latest version from the CIMCO A/S website, or via our demo form.

Shutdown the CIMCO Services

The first thing we do when upgrading our DNC Max, MDC Max and Editor is shut down the services. You can access the services through control panel/administrative tools or by typing services.msc in the menu search box on most Windows Versions.

Select the CIMCO Services and stop each one before installing.

Another step we take is to actually remove the DNC Max Service. This occasionally can save a reboot but also provides certainty that if the service is updated in any way we can be certain that the latest version will be installed. This is done by accessing the DNC Max Service Manager through the start menu, keep in mind in some windows versions you will need to right click/run as administrator depending on your configuration, it doesn’t hurt to do so every time:

Menu for DNC Max Service Manager Program

This gives us the option to remove the service:

Use the remove button to remove the DNC Max Server Service

At this point we run the installation package. The first screen you need to agree to the CIMCO A/S End User License Agreement, that will bring up the directory screen:

Choose the directory for CIMCO Software and Configuration Checkbox

The destination directory defaults to C:\CIMCO, you will need to confirm this is the correct location. Secondly you’ll need to decide if you want the configuration files stored in the installation directory. Click next when you’re ready. On the next screen you have the option to change the location of backup copies of files replaced during installation. You can also choose another directory if you’d rather not clog up the C:\CIMCO folder with the backup files:

Directory Selection CIMCO Backup Files

The next step is to pick the products you want to install, which in our case is everything except the now obsolete Pocket PC Client Thanks to the fully mobile responsive web interface for DNC Max and MDC:

Choose the appropriate programs to install.

The rest of the process is automated, however after the installation finishes we have to go back into the DNC-Max Service Manager and re-install the service. Here is a video that shows the areas that will need to be addressed (don’t see video? Try here.)

The above video highlights the areas where configuration might be necessary, with our installation we are using the service account as we’re not accessing any network resources. After the DNC-Max Service is installed and started, the only step left is to restart any services that were not automatically started during the installation:

Start any stopped CIMCO Services.

At this point we do a quick check and make sure that all the communications, data collection, etc are functioning correctly.

The post Upgrading CIMCO MDC and DNC-Max appeared first on Managed Solutions.

With the recent release of Windows 10, there has also been a side issue that has impacted CIMCO Software licensees. The upgrade to Windows 10 is causing your CIMCO products to require re-activation. If you are considering an upgrade, follow the steps in this article to prepare in advance to avoid any down-time from the license re-activation process. If you have already upgraded to Windows 10 and can no longer access your CIMCO product, this procedure still applies.

Re-activating your CIMCO Product License

The first step is to contact your CIMCO dealer and advise them that you have or will be upgrading to Windows 10 and need to re-activate your license file. It is helpful if you are on the computer with the CIMCO software at the time of the call. Your dealer should be able to look up your license and add the necessary activation(s) to your products in the order system. At that point, the text link in the activation screen will work and you will be able to obtain a new activation code.

Why is this happening?

This is not really a CIMCO issue, it has to do with how Windows 10 alters your system configuration. CIMCO flags this as if the product had been moved to a new computer, resulting in the re-activation necessity.

Did this help you resolve the issue? If not you can contact us for assistance.

The post Windows 10 Forces Re-Activation of CIMCO License appeared first on Managed Solutions.

Usually one client is enough for accessing DNC Max Client to send programs or manage a CIMCO DNC Max installation, but what if you want a second window? Say for example you are working on altering some settings but still want to be able to transmit programs. There is a way now as of version 7.55.46 of DNC Max to do just this using a simple command line argument /newwin. It is very easy to do this either through the command line accessing the file path for the executable (suitable for a batch file or script):

or you can copy an existing shortcut and modify the copied version by adding /newwin to the Target:

Now you are able to run two different DNC Max Clients on one Windows computer and do whatever you need to do.

The post Run Multiple CIMCO DNC Max Clients appeared first on Managed Solutions.

In November of 2015 CIMCO A/S the makers of CIMCO Software products such as CIMCO DNC-Max, MDC-Max, CIMCO Editor and CIMCO MDM announced that version 8 would be release in 2016. While CIMCO has a very busy group of developers with updates made usually multiple times per week, so called “point releases” or new versions are generally every 1-2 years and include significant improvements to the entire product line. Version 8 is actually one of the largest leaps ahead and demonstrates the expanded development team and commitment to keeping CIMCO Software products at the leading edge of the computer integrated manufacturing industry. Customers with valid maintenance will have immediate access to this version when it becomes available to the marketplace.

Here is a current list of some of the items that you will see in CIMCO Software Version 8:

CIMCO EDIT 8

• CIMCO Edit will get a new interface look in style with Microsoft Office
• Will support file transfer through FTP (server and client)
• New advanced Open File dialog with search criteria on file name, file content, and created/modified dates
• Improved backplotting / additional converters

NC-BASE 8

• Also support for MariaDB SQL, which will support database-level encryption

MDC-MAX 8

• MDC-Max 8 will get a new interface look in style with Microsoft Office
• Central Cache
• MDC User Permissions
• Automatic update of MDC clients
• Support of multiple schedules with arbitrary start of work week in reports
• Conditional disabling of MDC buttons / input fields
• New legend in timeline
• Extended report selection window
• Central cache
• Backdating of MDC data
• More and improved interfaces for networking machines

DNC-MAX 8

• Support for OPC signal mapping to MDC-Max
• Support for DNC-Max event mapping to OPC output
• Support for Brother controls (C00 and B00)

LICENSE SERVER 8

• New License Server with new interface and features
• Multiple License Servers on one network
• Reserve licenses for computers
• View License Server status and settings from any client

LICENSE SYSTEM

• New license file format with improved security
• New and improved handling of license activation, including automatic activation, activations stored in the license file and recovery of deleted activations from CIMCO’s servers
• License configuration and license file placement to be moved away from program folders

CIMCO SOFTWARE MANAGER 8 (NEW PRODUCT)

• This IT friendly product will encapsulate the License Server and has planned future features, including centralized update pushing through Microsoft Active Directory

If you want to be among the first to experience version 8, let us know and we will make sure you are notified as soon as the products are available to download. If you want to prepare for CIMCO Software Version 8, make sure your maintenance is up to date.

The post Coming Soon CIMCO Software Version 8 appeared first on Managed Solutions.

Recently we had a customer who had a number of ports go offline on their CIMCO DNC Max system. After doing some troubleshooting it was determined that all of the Moxa devices in question had been reset to the factory default IP Address of 192.168.127.254. This indicates that the reset button had been triggered. Once you’ve configured a Moxa NPort device for a critical DNC, bar code reader, or other mission critical RS-232 application, it is possible that it could be reset causing service disruption. Locking this feature will protect you from downtime in case someone improperly attempts to reset the device.

If you don’t currently have documentation stored, you can use this sample Google Doc sheet that is similar to one we use for our customers with extraneous fields hidden or removed.

Location of the Nport Reset Button

On every Moxa Nport device there is a reset button, in the case of the Moxa 5110 it is located on the top panel between the Ethernet port and the power jack. Using a paperclip or other fine diameter device you would use this button to reset the unit to the factory settings. This can be useful if you’ve lost the information for the device.

Reset button (1) location on Moxa 5110

How to disable Moxa Nport reset button

In order to disable the reset button we’ll need to access each Moxa NPort device to change the setting. This can be a challenge if you don’t know where to look to find the IP addresses. The fastest way to handle this is to download and run the Moxa Nport Search utility:

Once downloaded the Nport search utility should locate any Moxa Nport devices on the local network. After loading and clicking “Search” you will have the ability to double click the device you wish to open the web console.

Once the console is open you will click basic settings and that is where the reset button protect is located. Changing that to “yes” and clicking “submit”, then “save/restart” will lock that function on the device preventing the device from being reset on the shop floor.

Your Moxa NPort devices reset buttons are now locked, be sure to save all the relevant information.

The post How to lock the reset button on Moxa Nport Devices appeared first on Managed Solutions.

Back in 2006 when I started getting to know CIMCO Software, I noticed something that stood out. Their interface was clean and modern. It seems silly, but in the rapidly evolving software world, looks matter. It shows a company that is committed not to just providing a quality product, but one that cares that the user experience is up to date. Never mind the fact that CIMCO is always among the first to support a new operating system, update their products very frequently, and listen to input from customers. Having clean software that follows industry trends for easier usability and a cleaner look is a huge bonus.

This week I was checking the news on the CIMCO website and saw they had posted screenshots of the new CIMCO Software interface for Version 8. It was quickly evident CIMCO has continued their commitment to providing the best experience to the user while improving the appearance and usability of their product. In these screenshots you can see the fresh new look of the interface. Pictured is the nested DNC Max client in CIMCO Editor V8:

Want to be among the first to know when CIMCO V8 is released? Sign up to receive all the latest breaking news about CIMCO Products. Have other questions? Give us a call at 925-272-0384 or contact us.

The post CIMCO Version 8 User Interface appeared first on Managed Solutions.

We have a problem, many of our customers know the CIMCO product because of it’s prolific Editor. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to be a re-seller of the top NC Editor on the market. The product sells itself and many people who contact us are ready to hand over some of their hard earned cash without asking a single question. They already know that the backplot feature will help them validate code they output from their cam software. They also appreciate the NC-Assistant and how it allows them to automatically generate complex g-codes while coding by hand. Or maybe they have dual channel machines and they love the dual channel support. Regardless of their “must have” features, one thing is certain, they may not realize that CIMCO does a lot more than just produce the worlds greatest NC Editor. In fact they probably don’t realize that CIMCO produces high quality flexible products that solve a lot of today and tomorrows problems experienced by a typical precision manufacturer:

• Knowing if their machines are making them money and if not, why not
• Communicating with a wide variety of CNC machines
• Efficiently controlling manufacturing data in one place paperlessly with full control over permissions
• Integrating all aspects of their shop floor software with their ERP or MRP system

Data Collection using CIMCO MDC-Max

There are some incredibly talented individuals who can easily decide which machine to run a particular job on. Or when it’s time to replace that old vertical mill with a horizontal. Then there is the rest of us. For us we use machine data collection to help make those decisions. We learn what our average cycle time is by part, machine, operator and shift. We know when their is a bottleneck not because we happen to be in the right place at the right time but because the report tells us exactly how bad it is. We know their is a training issue before an operator has to confess that they are having a hard time setting up a certain job. We have the big picture of how we stack up against industry standards of Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE). We know all this because we use the flexible and mature CIMCO MDC-Max product to give us actionable data and produce more parts in an informed fashion by using the right machines and replacing machines that are no longer making us money. With both web and windows clients you can also support an environment that is not just Windows workstations including Mac OSX, smart phones, tablets and anything that can run a web browser on to access live screens and operator panels.

CIMCO MDC Timeline showing machine activity

Communications using CIMCO DNC-Max

When you need to send and receive files to your CNC machines, you might just use a USB stick, a network drive, some basic DNC software like the one built into CIMCO Editor, or even a floppy drive if you have some very old equipment. Each method has it’s drawbacks and efficiency challenges. Without getting into all the merits an downsides of each method, let’s state the obvious one. They are all different. Chances are you have one or more CNC machines in your facility that you use a different method to send or receive files from. It doesn’t have to be that way, DNC-Max will allow you to consolidate all of your machines on one platform. Before you invest in hardware to allow you to communicate with an individual machine, keep in mind for a very limited cost you can add almost any machine to a DNC-Max installation. More importantly, you will be able to take advantage of translators that allow you to alter files, add specified code or comments based on that machines unique needs or even alter the nc code to adapt to extra features that are available such as conveyors. Like MDC-Max there is also a web capable client for any device that can run a web browser.

Sending a file using DNC-Max Web Client

Controlled Paperless Manufacturing Data Management using CIMCO MDM

Many of the main software vendors support the precision manufacturing industry can deliver NC-Editing, DNC communications and machine data collection. That list shrinks when you add paperless manufacturing, production data management or manufacturing data management to the list. The list shrinks even further when you take a deep dive into the features of other data management products and compare them to CIMCO MDM. CIMCO MDM is the most powerful and flexible product on the market. By offering deep integration with CIMCO DNC-Max, MDC-Max and a number of CAM software such as Esprit, Top Solid Cam, Edgecam, Solidcam, Mastercam, and others it uniquely positions CIMCO MDM as the best product to use to implement paperless manufacturing into your environment from top to bottom – sales, quality, engineering, and production. Like DNC and MDC-Max MDM also supports web clients to simplify access to the system using any PC or tablet..

Options for an NC-File in CIMCO MDM Interface

Integration with your MRP and ERP software

Beyond the family of CIMCO products what good would it be if you couldn’t integrate with existing software that is central to your business? Why should you have to re-enter data multiple times or create new entries for data that is already available? With a specialized but wide spectrum of products CIMCO has always built their products with integration in mind. They offer a number of great avenues to utilize outside data and offer the capability to push and pull data from these systems and access outside programs in effective ways. By utilizing a real database and offering an API and OEMLink solution integration with just about any system is possible. Systems like SyteLine, JobBoss, Microsoft Dynamics and others are documented to reduce duplicate entry and take advantage of information that is available without user intervention.

CIMCO OEM Link Connection Sample

The Multiplier Effect

The more CIMCO products you utilize the capabilities increase for each product in the food chain. For example if you use CIMCO DNC-Max and CIMCO MDM you gain the control to prevent files being sent to a given machine that have not been explicitly approved and verified by an individual with the rights to do so. When using CIMCO MDC you gain the ability to automatically update the livescreen based on the last program that was sent. The tight integration and wide range of products means you have one vendor to work with to resolve a number of different production enhancements. How many of you have bought a PDM software from one vendor and MDC from another only to find out that it is extremely complex to integrate the two? Seamless integration is possible by taking advantage of the range of CIMCO products available to you.

Other Products

You might have guessed this article doesn’t even cover everything available in the CIMCO world. Among the other products available:

• CIMCO CALC 2D Cad/Cam for CIMCO Editor
• Mazatrol Mill and Turn Viewer for CIMCO Editor
• CIMCO NFS/FTP Servers
• CIMCO NC-Base
• CIMCO Post Processors for Mastercam

These products are not addressed in this article but all play key roles in solving common problems that many precision manufacturers face.

No Cookie Cutter Please

One size never fits all, and it’s boring too. Technology moves very rapidly often generating new opportunities today that didn’t exist yesterday. It is what makes this industry fun and rewarding to us. With everything we’ve already described there is a entire additional world when you share your unique problem with us. That is an opportunity for us to have fun and satisfy your requirements at the same time. If you’re being told something can’t be done, it probably means that person or group just doesn’t want to do it. Give us a call at +1 925-272-0384 and let’s talk about it. At the end of the process we’ll both be better off for it.

The post CIMCO is Not Just a Great Editor appeared first on Managed Solutions.

Hello, IT. Have you tried turning it off and on again? – Roy Trenneman

Fixing a software issue isn’t always as easy as just restarting a computer. That is a great way to temporarily fix some problems such as a memory leak or a random one time issue. In the real world your issues are likely to be more involved, so we’ve compiled a few of our favorite tips and most common solutions to issues that customers encounter with CIMCO Software. Hopefully these tips will help you navigate a issue you might be having, if not, it may arm you with a potential solution down the road.

Here are five of our actual favorite/most popular tips in no particular order:

1. Make sure you’re running the latest version.
2. Run as administrator while installing or configuring anything.
3. Update Microsoft C++ Redistributable
4. Install Windows Updates
5. Check your Firewall Rules

Running the latest version of CIMCO Software

One of the things we love about CIMCO is they are extremely pro-active about not only adding new features and building new versions but to fixing bugs that are discovered. These fixes don’t do you any good if you’re not running the latest version. This is a very effective step in resolving many issues that our customers encounter.

Depending on the complexity of your setup, you should have a plan in place to backup your existing system before performing the upgrade. Consult us or your CIMCO re-seller for more information.

Run as administrator when installing or configuring CIMCO Software

This comes up frequently, due to how Microsoft has evolved their security mechanisms substantially over the last several years. Elevated permissions are required to perform many of the configuration and installation tasks and have them stick. When in doubt right click and choose run as administrator whenever doing something for the first time with CIMCO Software. Be it installing, configuring or even just running a client for the first time. This will ensure that changes will be persistent and you won’t be bothered the next time you start up the software to change something.

Update the Microsoft C++ Redistributable

This is primarily a fix for issues that might be encountered with CIMCO Editor. A common problem is the Microsoft C++ Redistributable either being corrupted or not installed completely. Usually updating it resolves many issues and error messages associated with CIMCO Editor.

Install Windows Updates

Microsoft frequently updates Windows to improve security, stability and even to introduce new features. The security and stability updates can influence issues you may encounter with CIMCO or other related software. It is a best practice to keep your systems up to date whenever possible. Your IT department may automate this process.

Check your Firewall Rules

If you have a server based component such as License Server (Software Manager in V8), CIMCO DNC-Max, NC-Base, MDC, or MDM and you are having problems accessing it from a client, the likely culprit is the firewall on the client or the server. The easiest way to confirm if that is the case is to temporarily disable both and see if the issue goes away. If it does, the next step is to properly configure the firewall to allow the program or port you are having an issue with.

This is a just the starting point, if you still have questions contact your re-seller or access our support page.

The post CIMCO Software Troubleshooting Tips appeared first on Managed Solutions.

When Drip Feeding is necessary

Most new CNC controls are now Ethernet capable and support Windows networking for file transfer and offer plenty of room for storage. There are, however, a huge number of perfectly functional CNC machines out there with older controls that support only RS-232 for file transmission. We also see a number of machines where the company orders them without an Ethernet port option. Many of them, especially the older machines, have limited memory. While modern CAM software provides much more complex G-codes for better speed and quality, the resulting programs can be quite large. Limited memory and RS-232 communications means you will likely need to drip feed (aka: spoon feed, dnc, buffered input), which simply means that the control buffers then processes each line of G-Code as the RS-232 system (DNC-Max, CIMCO Editor, etc) sends it. This allows a machine with a small amount of memory to run a huge program.

Using CIMCO Software to Drip Feed

A frequently asked question we get from customers is how do we drip feed using DNC Max (or in rare cases, CIMCO Editor) on the software side the answer is very simple, you send the same way you always would. The CNC control is actually where you need to do something differently, the machine needs to buffer and run the program instead of store it. To do this the machine must support drip feeding, thankfully most machines do but there are some that do not.

How to drip feed <insert your control/machine type>

So how do you find out how to setup your machine to drip feed? You can start with your manual if you are fortunate enough to have it available. Each control and manufacturer can have some very different configuration, I’ll use Haas as an example because I happen to have a Haas simulator and a manual readily available for it.

Look in the table of contents for one of the following, or similar terms: “Direct Numerical Control, DNC, Serial Communications, Drip Feeding, Buffered Input, TAPE, or RS-232”. In the Haas manual it refers to “Direct Numerical Control (DNC)” which happens to land on page 85 of the manual:

When I flipped to that page I was able to see I was in the right place “loaded through the RS-232 port in that there is no limit to the size of the CNC program.” Yep, sounds like drip feeding:

The manual then goes on to tell me that XMODEM is recommended, Parameter 57 bit 18 needs to be 1 and setting 55 has to be ON. You can get the full details for your Haas via “Owner Resources” on the bottom of the page at www.HaasCNC.com.

What if I don’t have my manual?

Don’t fret too much if you don’t have your manual, you can probably find a manual for your machine and/or control type or instructions on how to setup drip feeding searching on Google or another search engine. Be detailed with your search terms including the control type and machine type. Some of them are easy to find, especially if the machine tool vendor provides their own control system (e.g. Haas). It is more necessary with something like a Fanuc control because there are so many and you’ll find so many different (altered) flavors on many difference CNC makes. The key is to find information that matches your machine closely enough to at least find the general area or the typical process. You can always test it with a very simple program like a warm-up routine.

Other considerations for drip feeding

Drip feeding can present other challenges, especially if you’re dealing with long (or poor quality) RS-232 cables or other factors that negatively impact the quality of the communications. In some situations your programs may be quite large with many lines of code that are needed to be processed quickly to produce a quality part. It is possible that if you have had to set your baud rate low due to long cables or outside factors such as grounding issues or interference. In these cases drip feeding may not be fast enough to run a modern program well and finish quality can suffer, or worse.

Another thing that helps a lot is to run Moxa Nport devices or other quality communications hardware and cabling. Moxa Nport devices sit right at your machine utilizing an Ethernet connection for everything except the last foot or two of cabling. This allows higher speeds and reduces other risks. RS-232 is very sensitive to distance and speed drops off rapidly for every bit of cable you add(Source: Texas Instruments):

Keep in mind this is these are the maximums, the quality of the cable and environment it is located in can have a significant effect on those figures. This also means RS-232 is very susceptible to interference, whereas a very short RS-232 cable is very forgiving.

One last consideration – CIMCO Editor can DNC to machines it can communicate with using RS-232, but if you drip feed frequently I would strongly recommend DNC-Max. You may also want to review this article if you aren’t sure which product you should be using – Edit or DNC Max – Which do I need?

The moral of the story here is the emphasis that each machine can be very different, so your manual is your best bet for finding the best quality data on how to setup your CNC machine for drip feeding. Drip feeding can also be nuanced with issues based beyond just what the CNC control and your software can handle. We can help you sort that out. If you need help give us a call 925-272-0384 or visit our support page. If you are thinking of retiring an old machine, check out this CNC machine buying advice.

The post How to Drip Feed using CIMCO DNC-Max or Edit appeared first on Managed Solutions.

Something that is frequently requested from customers using DNC-Max with DNC Max Client alone is the ability to drag and drop to send files. It has been possible for quite a while to do this on the machine where DNC Max server is running. That is not enough for many of us, in fact people who don’t have the luxury of using CIMCO MDM or NC-Base to organize their programs are often looking for creative ways to lock down some of their users and limit their access to software they don’t need to perform their job. What I am about to show you is not a substitute for DNC-Max Client, but it is a way to send one or more files with your DNC-Max server using DNCMaxctrl.exe. A program that gives you command line capabilities and is located in the CIMCO\DNCMAX8 folder.

Sending one or more programs using drag and drop and CIMCO DNC Max

The first step in this example was writing a batch file that will take any files drag and dropped onto it and use the files as a variables (the filename) to send a program to one of your ports in DNC Max. This file is then safely stowed away on a network share somewhere on your network and providing a shortcut to this batch file to the user. The shortcut in the example was customized with a custom icon to allow it to stand out for your operator(s). It is possible to make as many of these batch files as you have machines. Here is a short video of this system in action:

Video not displaying? View it here.

The post Drag and Drop Sending with CIMCO DNC-Max (Video) appeared first on Managed Solutions.

CNC machines can be quite expensive, and they should be. They are complex machines often capable of the magical manufacturing duty of turning a piece of raw material into something more intricate with another purpose while maintaining extreme precision. The parts made on CNC machines are in every room of your home and business. Right under your nose right now, there are probably dozens of parts made on CNC machines, or at the very least parts that were formed using molds made by CNC machines.

Yep, CNC machines are kind of a big deal.

If you are shopping for or will be shopping for a CNC in the near future, this article is for you. If you already own one or more CNCs, this is also fairly relevant. It will shed some light onto the role options play in efficiently getting accurate and detailed manufacturing metrics from your equipment.

Scope of knowledge

Okay now I need to confess, while I probably know a lot more about a CNC machine than the average person, I may know less than you. Especially if you are a seasoned advanced manufacturing business owner, manager, machinist, manufacturing engineer, or maintenance tech. I also will not pretend to understand your specific requirements without having discussed the topic with you directly at length. My area of knowledge and the source of my suggestion is based on my experience working with CNC communications and data collection. Or more specifically, on some of the obstacles I’ve seen businesses face while in pursuit of excellence. I am hoping that together we can learn from their mistakes and possibly save you large sums of money in the future.

Why Ethernet is important for CNC communications

Our customers have CNCs of all shapes and sizes, makes and models, ages and capabilities. While machines exist that do not need to receive new programs frequently, that is not typical. This means that we need to have a method to transport G-code programs to the CNC machines to operate. The easiest and best system for sending and receiving files on a CNC is via a wired Ethernet connection. Typically Ethernet connected machines run Windows on the control and use Windows Networking for file access. Some may also use NFS, FTP, or native protocols, the exact method doesn’t matter*. What does matter is that with Ethernet your machine communications will be fast, reliable and simple to configure. Without Ethernet there are significant limitations.

*The protocols for Ethernet could matter if your communications software doesn’t support them, DNC-Max supports every production communication method available.

Even if your machine is programmed on the floor or doesn’t need to have new programs loaded so communications aren’t an issue, would you still like to know how efficiently it is working for you? How long it actually take to make a given part? Where you stand vs Industry standards like Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE)? If so, read on…

Automatic Machine Data Collection

When it comes to collecting data from a CNC, which is predominantly knowing if the machine is running or not, an Ethernet port is usually required. This has to do with  the fact that automatic data collection, or the automatic reading of detailed data about what the machine is doing and how it’s doing it. This data acquisition is, for practical purposes, dependent on Ethernet connectivity. CNC machines that support automatic data collection from day they are put into service are incredibly simple to setup and offer vastly more information than any other practical data collection method.

Depending on the technology, with automatic data collection we can find out things like:

• Cycle Start/Stop
• Part Complete
• Feed Hold
• Alarm
• Ready
• Feed Rate
• Rapid Rate
• Spindle Rate
• Mode
• Current Program
• Detailed Alarms
• Spindle Load
• and more…

To perform quality automatic data collection your CNC control will also need some kind of data collection standard. These are specific to the machine tool and controller manufacturer. These are systems such as Fanuc FOCAS, MT-Connect, Haas M-Net, Heidenhain Opt18, Siemens Netlink Pro, Brother HTTP, or Mitsubishi M700/800. We also require a system like CIMCO MDC-Max that is able to decipher and analyze those protocols into visual live screens, reports, OEE calculations and to allow for operator input for things that can’t be automated such as tooling, setting, breakdown, etc. Each collection standard is unique, and that is worthy of it’s own article. For now you can’t go wrong with any of the previously mentioned systems, because they all provide decent capabilities. While shopping for new equipment be sure to ask your machine tool vendor what messages will be available with your specific perspective new machine. For what it’s worth MTConnect and Fanuc FOCAS are exceptional and widely used, they go a bit farther than some of the others.

An example Live screen – CIMCO MDC New Web Client – Managed Solutions Color Theme. Cycle status, Job, Alarm Status, Feed Hold, Parts Produced are all examples of automatically collected data. Maintenance, Breakdown, Setting, Scrapped Parts and Material are based on user input. Live screens are typically located on the shop floor and anywhere individuals responsible for production are located.

What to do if you own a machine without the Ethernet and/or Data Collection Protocol Option

The first step is to determine if that machine is worth the trouble. For example if you already know that it is only good for certain jobs and they represent a small amount of the parts you produce, then it might not be worth the expense and time involved. Unless of course you need to come up with some hard numbers in order to justify to your management that the machine needs to be replaced.

For productive machines the first step is to find out if there is an OEM upgrade for it. Get in touch with your machine tool vendor and ask them what your options are to add data collection and Ethernet based communications support to your machine. In some cases a kit is available, or maybe they just need to take some money and flip that magical option switch to enable them. Either way if they can add support for one of the collection standards I mentioned earlier (e.g. FOCAS, MTConnect, Haas M-Net, etc.) without breaking the bank, that’s going to be your best bet. I’ve seen where this was as little as $350 upwards to $4,000. If the option seems pricey (say more than $2,000 all in), there may be other options that will be adequate to calculate OEE and give you the bare necessities – count cycle time, parts completed, feed hold and basic alarm status (on or off).

Prepping to buy that CNC

While there are ways to retrofit and adapt a machine, hopefully you now agree that it really does make sense to add “supported data collection protocol and Ethernet port” to your list of must-haves. If you can’t agree to that, at least ask for a price with the option now and how much to add it later, and if it is even possible. The relative small amount you will save leaving these options off may come back to haunt you in the future when you do get around to implementing machine data collection or when you go to sell the machine to upgrade. Besides, shouldn’t actual equipment effectiveness factor in the decision to replace or add a new machine anyway?

I navigate these types of situations frequently with our customers and would be happy to discuss your project. We also have partners in the industry who offer some exceptional solutions to help you get more out of the machines you already have including retrofits and options. Call me at +1 925-272-0384 or use our contact page to get in touch.

The post One critical option to consider when buying a new CNC machine appeared first on Managed Solutions.

If you’ve owned or worked with any CNC equipment, you know that issues come up from time to time. Sometimes these issues affect your Machine Data Collection or your program sending and/or receiving. CIMCO provides a very useful debug feature for these very cases. This quick tip shows you how to use debug to see what is happening with one of your machine ports to maybe get some clues to share with your maintenance staff or to channel your own inner problem solver to resolve the issue.

Accessing CIMCO DNC Max Debug

To access port debug the feature must be enabled in the DNC-Max client you intend to run it on. You may already have it enabled, you can check by looking in the lower right hand corner for the Debug tab, if you see it you can skip the next step:

If it is not present, you need to enable the feature. This requires starting DNC-Max client and accessing Setup/Client Settings. Click the DNC-Max client shortcut and access Setup/Configure Client:

Then under client configuration check Show Debug and click okay. You may be prompted to restart the client for the setting to take effect.

Now you can access the port that was giving you trouble, but before you do, know that the standard log also contains useful information. The information you can review in the normal log include MDC messages, file transfers, errors, etc. It is basic info though, and usually you are breaking out the big guns because in most cases an RS-232 based machine is having issues and you’re wanting to see exactly what the DNC-Max server is seeing line by line to determine a possible culprit such as an incorrect baud rate or other parameter. Here is an example of a regular port log:

With debug enabled and started you will see a live view of everything happening with the port:

As you can see above you see even the actual g-code that is being transferred, errors will also appear. This information may provide you with some valuable insights if you are having an issue, but more importantly you can save the log and send it to us or your CIMCO support provider:

Just be sure to remember to turn it off using “Stop Log” when you are done debugging to avoid wasting resources. It is not advisable to run debug all the time on all your ports, it is intended for short term use while sorting out an issue or setting up a new port.

Bonus info: if you are sending this to us, a backup of the server configuration would also be really helpful.

[DISPLAY_ULTIMATE_SOCIAL_ICONS]

The post Using the Port Debug Log in CIMCO DNC Max appeared first on Managed Solutions.