Laptop to KMB1 Communication

Hi everyone,
I am new to this forum but find people have a great deal of knowledge.
I have been getting a Hurco kmb1 miller.
I can download programs I type into the machine and then send them back using the hurcom software.

My problem is I have been using Mastercam X to produce some complex shapes and I can not download them in G Code as the machine seems to only work in either DOS or some type of binary code.
I have got to the download stage in Mastercam X but then I can not find any machine xlm file for hurco but which shows a lot of other machine xlm files.

Can anyone shed some light or advice me please on what to do next.
Any help would be grestly appreciated.
Barry

Barry,
Welcome to the board. I am working on a KM3P right now and I can get it to communicate with the hurcomm program. This is only for the conversational programs.

I downloaded a trial version of a DNC management program to help load to the controller.

Mine has a CMC emulator and a AMTS MPU board. The RS232 port on the right side of the MPU board is where you connect the cable.
All of this is on the AMTS site:Hurco CNC & Autobend Parts, Service, Sales and Repair .

Buddy Maughon is the man there that can help you.

There are several on here that can help you, too.

I keep getting "Protocol Violated" error on mine now. It is really close. Just some setting, or sequence, that I am missing.

You have to be in NC mode to make the drip feed work.

Glad you are here, this may help both of us .


JAckal

Barry- #1, your control has to be a Bx control and not a B control. Bx controls are x.xxxx and B controls are x.xxx. #2 You need to have the g code master tape loaded in the control= this is different than the conversational master. If you have an aftermarket MPU board, they have a switch on them to change between conversational operation and g code operation.

Get back to us with what you have and we can go from there.

Dan

Dan,

Does the AMTS MPU board have a switch also? No one's informed me of that. Where is the switch or what does it look like?

Thanks for helping. There iis a lot of Hurco info out there, but not a lot on drip feeding one of these.

JAckal

I am just getting my feet wet with a KMB-1. Right now I'm getting the hang of conversational but soon I hope to start working with the computer to start making more complex parts. Good Luck.

Jack, what Dan is talking about is the toggle switch to select which master to load, when they are imbedded on the MPU board. Your AMTS MPU board does not have imbedded masters. That is why you load masters from the laptop, and why you are not limited to only the imbedded masters.

On a second note, I didn't think the rs232 ports on your MPU board are "enabled". Did Buddy tell you they would work? That is why I was telling you that you use the tape emulator for loading masters and conversational programs, and use the round serial port on the rear of the cabinet to load NC programs.

I have the "fully functioning" MPU board from AMTS available for purchase. It has a remote toggle switch to select either the conversational or G-code master and a momentary pushbutton to "reload" or reboot. Also, there are 2 on-board DB9 sockets that provide rs232 ports for loading conversational and NC programs. However, you actually have to physically unplug the computer cable from one port and plug it into the other to switch between loading/saving conversational and NC programs. This route is not without drawbacks though: you cannot load master programs from a computer, you can only load what is "burned" on the chips; further, you are limited to only the 2 masters and the specific version that has been burned onto the chips. An illustration is that you can have the master that supports calc-assist, the one that supports "translation & rotation", or the "G-code" master: select 2 and only 2. If later on you decide you want a 4th axis indexer, you don't have a master to support it. This is why I say that having a tape emulator that will work from a Windows program, and the AMTS mother board without imbedded masters is the most versatile.

Here is the MPU board by AMTS with the imbedded master programs, the wiring harness to select and load the masters, & with functioning rs232 ports. If you look at your board and compare the area circled in red, you will see that you do not have the imbedded masters.

Here's what yours looks like:


Here's the entire MPU board with imbedded masters and the wiring harness that is used to select/load the masters:


I believe these are disabled on your board (but I might be mistaken):


Here is the serial port that you need to be using:

Jim,
On mine Buddy said to plug in a cable to the port on the right side of the board, and it takes in the g-code from there. I had to make up another cable because it needed a Female plug on both ends. It is run through the auxiliary holes in the bottom of the cabinet.

This way I can switch between the 2 cables/ports.

I have the g-code NC master loaded it takes g-code ok. It just won't send it back to the computer. Yesterday, it sent a few characters of ~~~ to the computer.

Next week I will call Buddy with a list of things that I've tried. I hate to bug someone by having them wait on the phone while I am punching buttons or trying something. It's nice to have someone help, so I try to make things easy as possible.

Then I'll get with Dave Price at Midwest CNC, if Buddy can't figure it out. I didn't really want to call them until I knew a little more about it and could say that I did this, this, & this and it showed this.

Things always get busy when you are trying to figure out a new machine. I've been swamped ever since the Hurco came in.

This week I ran some parts in conversational mode. It works great!!!!!

The g-code will be for long complicated programs, or highly detailed. On mine I don't want to loose the versatility of the conversational programs, unless I had to.

Also, when he says the port on the right side,that IS looking at it from outside the door of the electrical cabinet, isn't it???

Maybe I'm on the wrong port. Would it cause damage to check the other port, or should I wait to talk to Buddy on the phone?


GoodGuyGlenn,
That Hurco is so easy to program, it ought to be illegal. Can't wait until I am really familiar with it.
Hurco's are fantastic.


Thanks for the help,

JAckal

Jack, I'm pretty sure when he says the "right" port, he is referring to Com2 (they are clearly labeled as you can see in the picture). The Com1 port is used for conversational IIRC, but it does have to be enabled, and it does only work with DOS. IIRC you can enable Com1 by cutting a jumper, but I don't think you want to go down that road. It could very well be that Com2 was always enabled. You did see the legend for setting the parameters for the Com ports didn't you?

Jim,

Is that the legend you are showing there?

It seems my baud rates aren't the same as the computer.

All of the baud rates in the DNC program on the laptop have been tried.

I'll go take a look and see.


No,
I'm with you on not cutting the jumper.




Thanks a lot Jim,


Jack

Jim- you have a PM from me.
Dan

Yes, PM and email sent.

I know this thread is 'slightly' older
but it seems like some of the same issues I am working through and I have a couple questions if anyone (Jim or Dan) can contribute.
I have a KMB1 (not utilimax), I have the AMTS board. I am only able to get the machine and laptop to transfer code at 2400 baud.
I am using NCUPDN.exe to send code. I have the setting set per AMTS website (7,2,even). But the only baud I am able to get to work is 2400. I have changed the dip switches (and the NCUPDN.exe setting to match) but just get errors.
I am able to transfer through Com2 and also through 'J5' connector which is wired to two external DB-9 connectors on the cabinet.
The Serial cable is 6' long, it is wired: 2-3, 3-2, 5-5 (with the shield being pin 5). I have been connecting directly to COM2 on the AMTS board instead of through the cabinet panel interface.
Any light you happen to shine on why I can't get to 9600 or 19.2k baud?

Sounds like you are sending back conversational programs, not G code programs. Do you have the conversational exec loaded in the machine or the NC Executive? MC will require that you have the NC executive master program loaded. We probably have our old MC post for the KMB1 if you need it. Do you have the Hurco NC exec manual? Drop me a PM if you need help. Are you using a tape or? to load your master? It all makes a difference.