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BROTHER HS3600 Coms software

jurskas

Plastic
Joined
Apr 2, 2013
Location
Columbus OH.
I am having problems getting the coms software to work on a brother hs3600 .. I am using DOSBOX to run the software because my version of windows is 64 bit.. could running the latest version of windows be my problem?
 
What's happening ( or not happening )?

You've said DOS box, hence real serial ports. Do you have them properly configured in the BIOS?
Can you see of there is in fact anything goes out of it?
COMS usually checks for a valid COM port upon bootup, but it's rudimentary at best. I think if it sees a port, it'll just considers it A-OK regardless.
I've got a 3100 that's the same setup as your 3600, maybe if you read off the coms settings in the machine I can compare.
Did it work before or this is the first time you're attempting? The serial cable IS NOT STANDARD!!! for the Brother!!!
I can send you the PDF with the pinout as well as the typical coms settings.
 
thank you

I have also tried installing older versions of windows on a Virtual Machine and installing windows 10 32

I get the same error

machine not responding

I have tested the cable I have the pin out chart.

I doubled checked to make sure no bad connections with cable..
the coms software I received with the machine is 2.02 is the proper one? it is dated 1991
I did not get the install file just the coms software on a usb ..

I am connection via qd-3 I believe it is.. if I changed to the other port I have tried that and adjusted setting so computer and machine match and still get Machine not responding error

thanks so much for helping.. Do you have the original HDint install file?
 
just spoke with the previous owner at DmAC school they used a windows 7 pc. never had the install originally just the files he sent me.... it worked flawlessly to the day they sent the machine to me.. I did not check the internal connection of the machine ill do that I guess maybe something go knocked loose ???? geesh lol


also I am not smart enough with computers to configure bios files.. I'm sure I could research it or follow directions....

all connections are good
 
Last edited:
Nope, you do not need to install the application. It's a simple EXE file, which eventually runs a plane-jane program written in GW Basic ( brocoms.bas )
It is a simple as it gets, and that is EXACTLY what you might have an issue with.

Forget virtual machine, forget USB adapters, forget Win 7 and above ( XP will work, but ONLY if no other programs have tried to access the COM port prior !)
Plane-jane old fashion DOS, Win 2000, Win95 is OK.

Your options are COM1 or COM2. That's it! No way for COM3 or anything else.
And, since it is trying to talk to the port directly, it MUST BE SET as such in BIOS.
When you start COMS.EXE, you'll see a short message on the bottom, saying "TESTING COMPORT COMx"
when done, regardless of the result of the test, it fires up and looks as if all is well.
It has no way to talk through an emulator, nor can it change ANY aspects of a real serial port, such as IRQ, memory or IO range.
It expects COM1 to be exactly that, and COM2 to be exactly that, talks to hardware only.

Basically what I am saying is see if you can get a copy of MS-DOS 3.3 or something, load it up, then copy the communication package into a directory and test it.
Win95 will work also, but a bit more time to install.
Win XP is OK, but really should be virgin to make sure no Windows component is trying to access the port, or it becomes permanently invisible to the Brother software.

BTW, the version I have is 2.03, and it's also dated 1991.
 
Thanks

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I am on the hunt for old software or old computer so give me a couple days I will post back status I hope so much that's the issue

Thanks again for taking the time to help
 
Thanks for taking the time to reply. I am on the hunt for old software or old computer so give me a couple days I will post back status I hope so much that's the issue

Thanks again for taking the time to help


Haha!
Maybe your best bet is the local recycling center, or your town's dump.

In our town both is in the same location, and there have got to be hundreds of computers there each and every week.
Look for something that has the serial port ( either 9 or 25 pin ) directly attached to the MB and not to an expansion card!

That is one guaranteed way to ensure that the BIOS is aware of it's serial port and does not depend on the card signing itself on, nor will it need
any special drivers to use it.

From the looks of it there are dozens of sources where an ISO image of MS-DOS 6.2 can be downloaded from.
Burn it onto a CD, boot the machine from it.
Then, type sys C:, which will transfer the necessary DOS system files onto the hard drive ( copy will not work for this!!! )
Then, use XCOPY *.* C: /s to copy all other dos files to the hard drive
Then copy the Brother files into C:\brother directory ( create it first )

One thing that I kind of remember is that the COMS program must be on the same logical drive as the OS ( in this case DOS ) because some of the paths are hard coded in it and will not function
when running from a different drive letter.
Basically, COMS must reside on the boot drive.
 
I actually have the three dos image files just need the pc, I did not have time priorities first .... thanks again for all the info.. if you don't.mind me asking how do you know so much about the subject ?
 
If you mean how to make a PC talk to the Brother, then the answer is that when I first got my 3100, the PC next to it was just a thrown together Win3.11 box.
Then came Win95.
Then Win2000.
Then got an HS50A with it's own communication software.
Then XP ( slight troubles as mentioned above )
All of these with real on-board COM ports.

Then a plug-in card and Win7 with drivers. No worky.

So, just built a dedicated XP machine which hangs on the network only to talk to the Brothers, living that way for 5+ years now.
Works fine, but one thing to note: The COMS program cannot access a mapped network drive for NC program files to be sent or received.
That is why I've built an XP machine and mapped it's drive on the network so the NC files are first "pushed" into the C:\Brother directory, and then I can
send them to the machine with COMS.
Similarly, when receiving back, I first get the file into the Brother directory with COMS, then I pull them back into the server.
 
How has the machines ran for you so far? This is my first edm and using the stored programs it was very easy for me to make cuts with it. Transferring programs is the only issue now... going on pc hunt today
 
Machine installed in 1998, and to date not one service call. None!
Other than the normal wear parts, the only thing I've had to replace is the lower arm seal.

Accuracy is on-par with with modern machines. Not exactly a tool and die machine, but after 19 years in service, a +/-.001 cut is a one-cut, no-skim operation.
If they were still around, I'd have a new one on the floor ( though in than case I wouldn't know what a modern Makino can do ... )
 
Wow hope I get the same out of this one. It has very very low hours. Thinking about where I'm going to find a old computer I realized we have a old windows machine sitting on the top shelf been there for eternity.. LOL

Wish me luck I'm about to test it out...
 
It's working I'm getting a few errors when I try to ..... download entire directory
Error line = 10010
75

Path file access error in line 27210 of module coms203 address 0822:387B
 
Cool!

So, what you're trying to do is "backup" of all files from the machine?
If so, it might take you a few attempts, and even then it might never work.
I'd suggest that you just hit 2: Get directory from Brother Wire EDM. This will list the files on the machine,
then individually GET the files from the mach. to your PC.
Remember, this is about as crude of a communication package as it can possible get, and it is a completely proprietary protocol.
Meaning that there is a rudimentary error checking to the extent that the PC ( or the machine during a SEND ) knows that there was a problem,
but by the time one gets around to re-send the packet, the other times out.

So, the best bet is to not put too much burden on the software and simply send or receive one file at a time.
Even the get directory fails occasionally and you have to attempt it 2-3-4 times.
If the machine is in Graphics mode, you will likely fail.
There is no rhyme or reason why the transfers fail at times, but they do fail.

My way of knowing that the transfer was in fact successful is that all my files end with the cutting conditions listed as comments.
After the sending or receiving, I just make sure that the last line is: (T-CONTROL: 0 )

In 19 years I've not had a corrupt line within the NC program itself, but had plenty of failed transfers and partial files.

Also, looking at the basic file, line 10010 is related to the FILENAME$ variable, and looks like it may or may not be able to create or get the actual file,
or open the file directory.
Just try with one program at a time.
 
Thanks so much for the help. Currently running first paying job .. one file at a time works at least I won't be programming at the console lol.. thanks again anything I can do to repay the help?
 
She is working good. Had some issues with wire breaking but I worked it out. she moves pretty fast for a older machine I'm impressed. Cut a box and circle shape out of pretty thick material just to see what kind of tolerance it will hold. the machine only has a few hours over 1000 of use.. part was within a couple tenths, heck I could of been the error factor at that small of a measurement.

Now I'm just crossing my fingers that I get 20 years use with no service call, I'm located in Ohio and being such a huge industrial city I would probably have to fly someone in to work on it..
 
My Brother COMs communication software worked well with Microsoft ME software.
Supported HS300, HS3100 and HS5100 machines.
The machines wanted to be on the "machine" page.
After starting the COMS program I would do a "GET DIRECTRY".
If that was successful, then I could sent nc files successfully.

Regards,
John
 
Thanks so much for the help. Currently running first paying job .. one file at a time works at least I won't be programming at the console lol.. thanks again anything I can do to repay the help?

The usual answer to that question on this board is, "Pay it forward" :)
 








 
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