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Nexus Controller Max Program Size?

47_Waffles

Aluminum
Joined
Nov 10, 2013
Location
East Coast, US.
Is there some artificial limit on program size? Is it absolute size, or lines? This is on a 2013 510C II.

I ran some hand coded EIA without a fuss, but most everything else is Mazatrol. I'm trying to load some tool paths from HSM Works, and even with the tolerances set quite high on simple geometry, I keep getting an alarm.

502 CANNOT LOAD(PROG SIZE EXCEED)

Now, this stuff is something like 100K+ lines. Is that just too much? Mach3 on a 20 year old computer handles it fine. Is 100KB of EIA just too much for this controller to handle, or is my post screwed?
 
I'm not sure if it came as an option or if it was standard, but you can load a program to the hard drive through windows and run it from there. We had to do this on several occasions when we had our 510. It does make editing the program a PITA but it will run without issue.
 
I manually dragged the program into the folder, and it shows up in the list and opens in the editor, but won't run. Same alarm when I go to load it in program mode.

I wonder why you wouldn't be able to edit it on yours.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG7Inhuew5U

Wouldn't something like that be a whole truckload of lines? Do they separate it into blocks the machine can eat? That'd be kinda ridiculous.
 
Now, this stuff is something like 100K+ lines. Is that just too much? Mach3 on a 20 year old computer handles it fine. Is 100KB of EIA just too much for this controller to handle, or is my post screwed?

100k lines is not 100kb. The regular program storage is around 2MB. You have 20GB of space on the hard drive. Look in your operating manual for HDD Operation Mode.
 
I manually dragged the program into the folder, and it shows up in the list and opens in the editor, but won't run. Same alarm when I go to load it in program mode.

You shouldn't be dragging anything into the program folders, except for the HDD Operation folder. You need to load programs through the Data I/O page.
 
I guess I wasn't thinking 4th dimensionally here. The line number hits over 140000, which of course does not mean it's 140,000 lines. But I wouldn't load the 100someKB file. It was initially 200KB or so. The one that worked was something like 14KB. All I did was cut out everything but two simple ops. I didn't even post new code. And I loaded it the same way I loaded the previous files, no problem when it's tiny.

I did try to load it in Data I/O, I load Mazatrol in there all the time. It gives that error when I hit start. I then loaded it manually, which I have done before and it worked fine. If I do that, it shows up, and I can edit it just fine. But the control won't run it.

So, apparently this isn't right and I'm doing something terribly wrong?
 
When you look at 'Program Files' before you try to load your program, note the 'used' number, available number. You are adding your eia program on top of whatever is in 'program memory'. The solution may be to save your mazatrol programs to 'disk' or 'stick', empty program files, then add your eia file.
 
Does anyone know the largest size file they loaded? I'm trying to figure out if its my post, machine, or me.

Just as a reference point, the post does not run properly on the machine right now anyways. The toolpaths are good, but it won't change tools even though it appears to call for it properly. If I manually grab the tool before I run the code, it works until it hits a tool change, then it just sits at Z0. I could try posting it in other formats and changing the extension. I tried a generic and Haas one, both wouldn't load. I'm in talks with the HSM works guys to see if they can make it work properly, but its an issue if the thing won't run. Aside from the warmup program, all the G&M I run is in a Mazatrol container. I'm doing external threadmilling and logos in there no problem. So the issue here is I don't even have 'good' G that I know runs. I know theres a way to get the G out of a Mazatrol program, I'll see if I can get that to work Monday.
 
Does anyone know the largest size file they loaded? I'm trying to figure out if its my post, machine, or me.

Just as a reference point, the post does not run properly on the machine right now anyways. The toolpaths are good, but it won't change tools even though it appears to call for it properly. If I manually grab the tool before I run the code, it works until it hits a tool change, then it just sits at Z0. I could try posting it in other formats and changing the extension. I tried a generic and Haas one, both wouldn't load. I'm in talks with the HSM works guys to see if they can make it work properly, but its an issue if the thing won't run. Aside from the warmup program, all the G&M I run is in a Mazatrol container. I'm doing external threadmilling and logos in there no problem. So the issue here is I don't even have 'good' G that I know runs. I know theres a way to get the G out of a Mazatrol program, I'll see if I can get that to work Monday.

I think you're going to need more help than you're going to get on a forum. Spending $800 to get a Mazak applications person out there to show you what the code is supposed to look like, how to load programs, etc - will be the best $800 you ever spent.
 
The things got a 20GB drive, wouldn't a lot of that be accessible for programs? I think the last time I backed it all up, it was under 100MB.

No. That is a completely different process. Programs from the hard drive need to be run in Tape mode, or called as as sub program from a normal program.

Like James said above, go to Program>Program Files and look at how much space you have left in regular program storage. If your 200kb file does not fit, you have more than 90% of the capacity consumed - or you're loading it wrong.

To free up some space, cursor to your largest program (that you don't immediately need), and hit PROGRAM TRANSFER>BACKUP PROGRAM, and it will move it to the backup folder.
 
I think you're going to need more help than you're going to get on a forum. Spending $800 to get a Mazak applications person out there to show you what the code is supposed to look like, how to load programs, etc - will be the best $800 you ever spent.

Around here it's $1000 for a day, but you're still right. Sounds like OP is going to spend weeks if not months chasing things an AE should be able to get help get setup in half a day.
 
I think you're going to need more help than you're going to get on a forum. Spending $800 to get a Mazak applications person out there to show you what the code is supposed to look like, how to load programs, etc - will be the best $800 you ever spent.

On occasion.....our local Mazak distributor has been very helpful with this kind of thing (of course the company I work for has purchased many nmachines from them and probably will again). I have dropped them an email and usually within a day or so I get a response.....sometimes with attached pages from the manual with translations for the Japenglish they are written in. Might be worth a shot for you.
 
I asked most of the techs that came over here what the tape button does a while back. Nobody had a clue.

Figuring out the HDD operation is rather easy, I just had no clue theres a difference between normal program memory and HDD. Anyways, as it turns out the thing claims it was 99.2% full. I never payed attention to this, thinking I wouldn't run into it. I generally move old versions to the backup folder, but most everything in the program memory gets used. It looks like program memory is 1MB, since my 99.2% full contents are reported as 1.00MB in my OS when I transfer it through Data I/O to USB. This is kinda an issue, since I use every sizable program on the thing. Theres nothing to remote, aside from some tiny Renishaw macros.

So, everything needs to be <1MB, with NOTHING in the program memory to be able to transfer it? I manually dragged it over and that worked fine, is this supposed to be possible through data I/O? I'll just plan on dragging it into the folder since is can be done easily over the network way faster.

I managed to get the ISO conversion working, so I have some Mazatrol converted to ISO off the machine. The tool change calls and whatnot look as expected, so I'm thinking my machine is screwed. While trying to clear up some space, I ran into a program I wrote that just runs all the tools through the spindle, back when it was having problems. Well, it's not running anymore. It won't load any tools. Apparently, at some point something happened that caused the machine to no longer load tools in EIA. Which is odd, since MDI and Mazatrol works fine.

Is there something that would cause this? Lots of techs messed with the params. I'm looking through backups and comparing them, but so far they check out aside from a cycle buzzer and maintenance alarm. Changing those back had no effect.
 
Well, I probably should just run away now. It started working. I changed nothing. I rebooted, it wasn't working, called for a change in MDI, then the program started working again. It's looking like an internal fault or communication issue with the MAG MRJ2. I think it's still under warranty if the drive itself is at fault, and hopefully this also fixes the ready light not coming on issue.

I have it on video, but it's probably not convincing enough.
 
I asked most of the techs that came over here what the tape button does a while back. Nobody had a clue.

That's because they are service techs, not applications engineers.


Figuring out the HDD operation is rather easy, I just had no clue theres a difference between normal program memory and HDD. Anyways, as it turns out the thing claims it was 99.2% full. I never payed attention to this, thinking I wouldn't run into it. I generally move old versions to the backup folder, but most everything in the program memory gets used. It looks like program memory is 1MB, since my 99.2% full contents are reported as 1.00MB in my OS when I transfer it through Data I/O to USB. This is kinda an issue, since I use every sizable program on the thing. Theres nothing to remote, aside from some tiny Renishaw macros.

So, everything needs to be <1MB, with NOTHING in the program memory to be able to transfer it? I manually dragged it over and that worked fine, is this supposed to be possible through data I/O? I'll just plan on dragging it into the folder since is can be done easily over the network way faster.

I managed to get the ISO conversion working, so I have some Mazatrol converted to ISO off the machine. The tool change calls and whatnot look as expected, so I'm thinking my machine is screwed. While trying to clear up some space, I ran into a program I wrote that just runs all the tools through the spindle, back when it was having problems. Well, it's not running anymore. It won't load any tools. Apparently, at some point something happened that caused the machine to no longer load tools in EIA. Which is odd, since MDI and Mazatrol works fine.

Is there something that would cause this? Lots of techs messed with the params. I'm looking through backups and comparing them, but so far they check out aside from a cycle buzzer and maintenance alarm. Changing those back had no effect.

Dragging stuff in and out of the program folder can cause all sorts of problems. Don't do it. It's probably already the source of all the problems you're having. If you have the machine on an ethernet network, create a folder called EIALOAD (or whatever, as long as it's all one word, no spaces) in the C:/MC_Backup/Other folder, and drag your programs to that. Then load them through DATA I/O. If you're using USB, it's more work to bring up Windows Explorer and start dragging shit around, than it is to just use DATA I/O properly - so just use DATA I/O properly.

You can have your CAM software post straight to that folder, then walk to the machine, load your program through DATA I/O, and you're done. No dragging and dropping.
 
The only guy that gave me some hint of a response on the tape thing was a service guy. The two local Mazak AE's I spoke to had no clue, so I assumed I didn't need to worry about it. The one guy said it was something to do with old machines that used punch tapes, but he didn't know what specifically its used for.

I can copy a >1MB file to the HDD through Data I/O with zero free space in the main program memory? I'm looking for 18raµin on 3D geometry, the file is going to be considerable. I was under the impression a 1MB file would be fine on a VMC, since Mach3 does a fine job of it.

Do you know specifically whats changing when programs are loaded through Data I/O? Almost all of the programs have been loaded through Data I/O. Although yes, one or two might not have. Presumably that's was what caused these problems.
 
Do you know specifically whats changing when programs are loaded through Data I/O? Almost all of the programs have been loaded through Data I/O. Although yes, one or two might not have. Presumably that's was what caused these problems.

Huh?


So, everything needs to be <1MB, with NOTHING in the program memory to be able to transfer it? I manually dragged it over and that worked fine, is this supposed to be possible through data I/O? I'll just plan on dragging it into the folder since is can be done easily over the network way faster.

What worked fine? Isn't this whole topic about it *not* working?

The program memory is 2MB.

Punch your programs that *aren't* for the part you want to make, out via DATA I/O, and delete them. (Or move them to backup, it's three button pushes).

Load your 1MB program through DATA I/O

You're done.

Stop. Dragging. Files. Into. The. Program. Folder.
 
I don't think were on the same page.

It wasn't loading through Data I/O with a ~100KB file size, even though ~300KB was free. I dragged it in manually to see if that would do it, it still reported free space afterwards, shows up fine, would open and edit fine, but gave me "502 CANNOT LOAD(PROG SIZE EXCEED)" on cycle start.

Manually loading it into the HDD area and loading it in Tape mode allows it to run. Although the machine still won't change tools in EIA by itself. Which I would assume is totally unrelated to the file size and how I loaded it, since it won't work even with a program written on the control.

This machine will only run a file up to 2MB? For some reason it really, really looks like my program folder only holds 1MB. Even then, it barely matters. Trashing a few hundred programs to get enough space to load one, then transfer it to another folder, is a little silly. Especially when it takes a good ~10 minutes to load the programs I use back on. I may end up doing hundreds of revisions to files before they run production, so spending this kind of time for something so trivial is not ideal. I'm a little concerned 2MB won't be enough. I'll post a larger file and see if it runs in Tape, after dragging it into the HDD folder of course.
 
I don't think were on the same page.

It wasn't loading through Data I/O with a ~100KB file size, even though ~300KB was free. I dragged it in manually to see if that would do it, it still reported free space afterwards, shows up fine, would open and edit fine, but gave me "502 CANNOT LOAD(PROG SIZE EXCEED)" on cycle start.

That's because the program memory isn't on the hard drive.




Manually loading it into the HDD area and loading it in Tape mode allows it to run. Although the machine still won't change tools in EIA by itself. Which I would assume is totally unrelated to the file size and how I loaded it, since it won't work even with a program written on the control.

Unrelated to the file size - correct. It is almost certainly a problem with your code, or a particular G or M code that isn't compatible with HDD Operation.



This machine will only run a file up to 2MB?

From the program memory, correct. And that is significantly larger than 99% of the machines out there.




For some reason it really, really looks like my program folder only holds 1MB.

This is most likely because things got screwed up by dragging and dropping.




Even then, it barely matters. Trashing a few hundred programs to get enough space to load one, then transfer it to another folder, is a little silly.

That is called properly managing your part programs. The sooner you get a process for it established, the better.





Especially when it takes a good ~10 minutes to load the programs I use back on.

Why does it take 10 minutes?





I may end up doing hundreds of revisions to files before they run production, so spending this kind of time for something so trivial is not ideal.
You're keeping the code for all of the old revisions in the machine memory?






I'm a little concerned 2MB won't be enough.

Fortunately you bought a machine that will drip feed from its 20GB hard drive, and you'll never know the joy of drip feed from PCMCIA card or RS-232 that the other 99% of the world does.
 








 
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