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roboform 200 systems exec tape

ErnieD

Cast Iron
Joined
Jan 15, 2006
Location
Toledo, Ohio
Hi,

I have a friend who has a Charmille Roboform 200 EDM. He had some kind of foul up with the tape reader and wiped out his communications tape. This was the MK3D version with VEG 11i with strategy.

Is there anyone out there who can help him out with a tape? He has all the info on CD but does not have a way to transfer it to tape. The tape reader is a Digital TU-58 and the tape cartridge is aDigital Dectape 2 certifyed data cartridge.

My understanding is, that without this tape the machine parameters do not get loaded and the machine will not run. Is there an easy way to get around the tape? CD drive or other?

Thanks,

Ernie
 
Hi Ernie, While I don't have the same machine, I know somewhat the pain that your friend is going through.

I've got a Mits Wire EDM, and it uses punched tapes for the exec too. Won't run unless its loaded first. Now if its ripped, (Why didn't they make such important tapes out of mylar?) I'm pretty much finshed, unless I pay big $$$ to Mits to get the machine registered so I could then buy what I assume is an expensive set of tapes.

The good news is the exec is on a CD. You need to figure out how to link a PC to the machine. Does it have a RS232 port on it? If so, you might be able to load it that way, prehaps go through the exec loading procedure and then send the program to the machine from the PC.

Hope this might give you some ideas!

Eric
 
Hi Ernie,

I guess there are a couple of possible options here. One is to go to Charmilles and pay about $500+, as well as any "registration fees" involved, for them to make a new set of tapes. The second option is to pick up a TU58 drive and device driver to give you the ability to transfer data directly between the CD and the TU58 digital tape via your PC. I don't recommend using the machine based TU58 drive, even though it has a serial interface; you would be lucky to resolve communication settings and actually transfer programs directly to and from a PC without first battling some major obstacles. I happened to do a quick search on this which yielded a DEC dual drive (rebuilt drives) TU58 tabletop unit for $599 at (http://www.varx.com/TAPES.HTML)
I also found a free device driver for this unit at (http://www.sparetimegizmos.com/Software/TU58_Driver.htm)
Ideally, this setup would pretty much take care of the situation at hand and, as a bonus, would give you a way to back up programs to your PC.

However, as Cautionary note: I know that later Charmilles software versions (on DSDD floppy disc format- 720KB) can be copied to a PC without a problem, but if you try to create a new software disc from that, it will not work. These files are protected. I can't say for sure if the files on the DEC TU58 tape format are similarly protected, but I would find out before buying this or similar equipment and attempting to create a new tape from your CD only to find out that you have to pay Charmilles anyway.
 
Hi,

I have a friend who has a Charmille Roboform 200 EDM. He had some kind of foul up with the tape reader and wiped out his communications tape. This was the MK3D version with VEG 11i with strategy.

Is there anyone out there who can help him out with a tape? He has all the info on CD but does not have a way to transfer it to tape. The tape reader is a Digital TU-58 and the tape cartridge is aDigital Dectape 2 certifyed data cartridge.

My understanding is, that without this tape the machine parameters do not get loaded and the machine will not run. Is there an easy way to get around the tape? CD drive or other?

Thanks,

Ernie

I know this is an old post but I would be interested in knowing if the issue was resolved and how. I have a Charmille 200 with a bad drive but good tapes. Charmille wants $18000 to convert machine but it is not worth the cost. Greco can build be a USB imulator but I have no way ov putting the information on the USB drive that they format for me. Thanks for any help, Ron
 








 
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