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robofil 290 errors and disk reload.

dsergison

Diamond
Joined
Oct 23, 2003
Location
East Peoria, IL, USA
first: I've found and read these two threads, they related but I think my problem is different.
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/edm-machining/robofil-300-system-reload-174828/
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/v...fil-300-curious-problem-boot-up-disks-169964/

my 1998 robofil 290 console 2 machine boots up but with errors
SYSERR: B505 B583 B546

My manual suggests for all Bxxx errors to Reload software and run on board diagnostics. It lists nothing for specific B codes.

I have run the on board diagnostics (by holding diagnostics key while powering on).
the results are that the Pilot section fails UPA16 and UPR and Servo PASA tests. It says "power enabling defect" and "not tested" in all of them.
(but the console, communication and execution sections all pass)
It does also say from this diagnostic page SYSERR: D001 D001 , which also means reload the software according to the manual.

none of my upa, upr, etc... boards have any led error (or any) indicators lit

So I tried to reload the software. (although it seems to me that the software is fine if it's doing all this) and I get to the loading screen:
CB06 loading floppy....
Fatal error. system stopped.

floppy light comes on, my floppy doesn't try to spin. I tried to swap out with a floppy drive from an old pc. it also doesn't work. my disks appear in excellent physical shape. and somewhat newer. they are obviously not originals. I shall see if my PC can copy them to my hard drive as backup.

I'm sad. :(
 
Careful with the system A disk. The Charmilles software on the system a disk is locked somehow, I don't know what method they are using but I suspect it is tied to the actual bit count or error sections on the floppy disk after format. This varies with individual floppies and is effective at preventing unauthorized duplication. If you do find a way to duplicate that system A disc please share it cause I would like to back mine up too.

You should have one original "system A" boot disk, whatever you do don't mess with the write protect on it or try to alter any of the files on it cause it will disable. It does not copy or duplicate and saving it to a hard drive and trying to make a new floppy has never worked for me. Also swapping the floppy drive with a standard pc unit drive will probably not work right off with the screwed up little pc in the console 2. I have never replaced my drive and believe you could eventually get one to work if you set the jumpers properly and can get the pc to recognize it. An easier way to test the original floppy is to stop the boot process and test the drive, if the drive will read using straight dos commands then it isn't the problem and it will confirm your disc is not right as I suspect.


If you haven't noticed already your keyboard is locked during boot so you can't stop it,get to the bios, or run the diagnostics on the pc unit itself. They have the keyboard locked with a dip switch located under the keyboard behind a lexan panel. When you look at those switch banks one is marked SW1 the other is marked SW2. Each of those switch banks has 8 tiny switches on it numbered 1 to 8. On SW2 switch 6 unlocks the keyboard so you can use the keyboard during boot. Be sure to have the power off and your ground strap on your hand to eliminate static discharge if you work in that cabinet. That switch will let you get to the bios or stop the process that makes the pc become the edm operator interface so you can work on the pc itself. If you know much about old pc units its pretty straight forward to test the oem floppy using dos commands, remember this pc operates on ms dos 6. I believe the hard disc or one of the floppies had a very good self diagnostic for the pc unit called amidiag on it.

Also the pc unit has a replaceable battery on the motherboard when you start getting cmos checksum errors you will need to replace it. Be sure to access the bios before this battery goes and record the bios settings on paper as they are so you will have it to reset everything when this day comes. Ref battery part Dallas DS12887A in the upper left corner of the motherboard, its in a dual inline pkg like a chip.


Make sure whoever sold you the machine did not keep the original discs and made you a set of "new" copied ones. If they tried to do that you probably have a nice new set of useless discs. You need an oem system a disc to reload the software, if you don't have an oem disc you will get the fatal error message, end of story.

The console 2 control operator interface is handled by a little pc in a box behind the monitor part number 8590400 on it for the old version. It is a specially built unit based on pc104 card format and the hard disc is the same as you will find in an old ibm thinkpad from the late 90's. Don't expect GF Agie Charmilles to offer you any support for boards in that pc box, their solution to any issues inside is to replace the pc unit, which is basically an antiquated $40 dollar industrial pc104 ibm motherboard running msdos 6 that they don't have anymore so they want $10,000 + for the "new" version part number 135010650 upgrade.

Also sent you a pm.
 
I got it booted up and loaded the last saved configuration from hard drive. I will write that procedure here later for posterity.

It seems I have no bad expensive physical damage :)

but my copied system disk is useless. I will have to order one. they are $150 a piece.
also, I need to replae my memory backup batteries. 3x $20.

BTW: they told me to leave the machine on 24/7 to keep the boards living their longest. I can't and wont due to noise and I use my phase perfect to power the 380v step up transformer. it's just too much stuff running. and I wont leave machines powered in my house unnattended. but I asked about a way to keep the batteries charged and they showed me there is a cool do-it-yorself 110v "wal-wart" and relay charging fix they developed for some schools that turn them off all the time. when turn the main power off it will kick in and charge your batteries so you programs don't dissapear.

The Charmilles wire support guys are top notch. they helped my a ton. also thanks to rockcambel for telling me how to unlock the keyboard and much more.

I photographed all the bios settings.

I also intend to some day remove the hard drive and clone it. the Tech seemd to think that sounded like a reasonable thing to do.

Thanks much!
 
I just replaced the hard drive on my 290 last month. After more than a week of back and forth I was able to get back up and running on a hard drive that I bought off of EBay. The hard drive has to be a certain style and configuration to work with the motherboard. I found the exact same model drive that the machine was shipped with. The system disk in the floppy set that came with the machine is used to configure the new hard drive. Charmilles wanted to sell me a new drive for $1400.00 and I bought the replacement for $30.00
 
did your drive look like a small laptop drive? mine does. I thought that funny for 15 years old, but the mounting plate will only handle that size.

I would like to casually look for a relacement now, and use a drive cloning utility to make a copy so in case of future failure I can simply swap.
would you please share your experience/source?

I also want to replace the floppy with a usb hardware emulator. my cad computer has no floppy drive. this isnt so important because I will set up the rs232 transfer.
 
The drive I bought is a "IBM DKLA-23240 3.2 GB,4200 RPM". although it is a 3.25 GB drive you have to partition it to only see 8900 MB since that is all the mother board can see.
 
Hi
it seems like you have done lots of things with charmille robofil WEDM, i bought a machine in working condition from a die making company last month and it is not boot up after transport to my location. the sold party is not take any responsibility. so please be good enough to help me to get rid of this situation.
my machine is robofil 310
BR
Roshan
 
all of those errors were due to the control board memory batteries draining. (it appeared to boot up, but with these random mystery errors)
Reloading the software from disk solved all of those BXXX errors. Charmilles tech support is excellent.
 
Is it posible to replace the motherboard with a cheap one, My robofil 290 have the same problem you describe, fatal error using originale disks. I really need a hand on this
 
First.. I have a console 2 machine with an IMB PC in the side of the cabinet near the screen.
My loss of memory was due to batteries on the machine control board down in the card rack. and reloading software from the integrated pc to the machine control fixed my problem.

a while later my sofware on disk wend bad and I got the USB conversion.

a couple more years and my integeraed PC hard drive failed.

the PC motherboard was never my problem. I would say no you cannot replace the motherboard. the PC motherboard had several special connections to connect to the machine control. I think there is no way you will find a replacement.

GF machine solutions has a complete replacement PC. They typically want to do the install... your location may make that difficult.
They also have the USB software and the drive conversion kit.

You should take this time to at least get your software on USB and install the usb drive instead of the floppy.


When my PC drive failed I had luck in buying old hard drives and formatting them properly to use as spares for the PC. That is tricky, you cannot use normal utilities to do it. We had to get a linux expert to do it with some very manual tools. I can help provide the parameters.
 
Day is kind, Robofil 190 problem. Changeover of a hard drive is necessary. Prompt how to set a new disk. The motherboard doesn't see it what size shall have a disk what file system shall be. IMG_6216-1.jpg
 
Modern built in windows utilities do not work to format FAT16 for replacing the robofil hdd. There is some slight difference and the old DOS system will not recognize it. There is a Linux utility that has more setting options about boot sector or something? I will get the exact details from my computer repair friend who fixed my disk.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
Modern built in windows utilities do not work to format FAT16 for replacing the robofil hdd. There is some slight difference and the old DOS system will not recognize it. There is a Linux utility that has more setting options about boot sector or something? I will get the exact details from my computer repair friend who fixed my disk.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

Many thanks, I will look forward to hearing from you.
 
I wonder if he answers his phone at midnight? I better test his customer service out a few times this week..
 
Hello.

I have a very strange problem with our robofil P290.

So our machine is not running every day,so we have usualy to reload the software (disk 1, disk 2..).Nothing special, but one day it became the problem...I got the message "fatal error"when I tried to load floppy. Then enter to CMOS I got the error CMOS value corupt, there was non working system time and date...
And there was also something strange at startup - RAM count was slow.
My first thought was batery of CMOS, and bateries in cabinet.
I changed bateries in cabinet, changed system date in CMOS and after several attempt I was sucessful to load the system and set up the machine. It works everything normal. After few days I ran the machine again and everything sems to work perfect. I made some pieces with the program already loaded on MEM and then I try to copy a new one from floppy and get the error of non-existing file - the floppy disk strats up for second and then stoped. Then I tried to reload the software and I got the same fatal error. This time I can not find a solution. I aslo changed the real time dallas chip, but also the new one sems that is not working - it lose the time an the datum, so if I take a look to CMOS there is always the message CMOS values are corrupt.

Running on board diagnostic there are no errors, but interesting when I try to write a report to floppy I get following system error CA00 (run time error) and alo B107 (reload the software). OK I would like to do it but floppy doesn't work :( All these time the machine work normal but I have to write programs manualy on machine.

Any recomendations? Is there someone who had simillar problems?

Have someone got the values for CMOS because I probably lost original values if the bateries are empty?

Regarding the systems disks - I have successful make a copies of those floppies, so if someone need it let me know. For sure they are not worth 150€ each!!!
 
Fatal Error floppy drive

I have same problem with Robofil 290P.
Machine was working ok but a system error appeared, tried to reload charmilles software but the drive can´t read system_a disk, or any other disk. I purchased a floppy disc emulator on internet but doesn´t worked. I tried with a pair of PC floppy drives and same results.

Also tried disconnecting batteries on cabinet, disconnect and reconnect Dallas date/time chip but no results.
I am not having data sum error on start.

I have pictures of Bios settings if you want to check them.
 








 
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