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WANTED: Faro Arm Software Development Kit April 2001

daleroe

Cast Iron
Joined
Mar 30, 2005
Location
Seattle WA USA
Faro stopped supporting the serial Faro Arms. When I request information I'm told that it's old, we don't support it and we don't know where or if we have the software development kit. I'm hoping to find someone with a copy of the Faro Arm Software Development Kit from April 2001 or there about. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

BTW If you have one of these older Faro Arms and need some help getting it connected, I did get the free Caliper 3D software from Faro and can instruct you how to get in working in Win 7-64
 
Glad I found your post, I also have an older serial Faro Arm (bronze) and recently got mine to work in windows 7 using the serial connection. I spent quite a bit of time troubleshooting connection issues since the gentleman I bought it from didn't have the RJ-11 to db-9 cable anymore so I had to figure out the pinout myself and make a new cable. I've also struggled to get any help from Faro since its a legacy product. I do have the original manual which has a section outlining the different serial commands and the expected reply syntax from the arm. What are you looking to do with the development kit? Do you have any other software that you are using with the arm? I'm currently playing around with Rhino 5 which allows me to make 3D point clouds directly in the software.
 
I’ve been using Faro Caliper 3D and exporting the coordinates. Inside cad I use lofts created from splines of the data points. It’s a tedious workflow but It works. I’m looking for the SDK and hoping to make an interface/ plugin that works with Fusion 360 or one of the other CAD packages I use regularly.

A few days ago I purchased Rhino v7 for legacy access to v5 which supported the serial Faro Arm. I just got it working but haven’t a clue working within Rhino. When I first got the arm I looked at and seriously considered Rhino but I got Caliper 3D working and the learning curve for Rhino put me off.
 
I've been using Caliper 3D as well. Which version do you have? I also did the same as far as Rhino goes, just got it a few days ago and have been trying to make sense of it myself. using it to make a plugin for fusion would be super helpful.

I started looking around for the SDK after I found your post and managed to find this:

freeclassifieds.com

never been on that site before, but someone posted a Gold series Faro arm with a bunch of extras including the sdk. I sent them a message seeing if they would entertain selling the SDK CD but haven't heard back.
 
I’ve seen a couple of ads like that but have yet to get a response when I enquire.

I’m using Faro Caliper 3D v2.43


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Please clarify for me what you mean that Faro is not supporting:


In one breath it sounds like you can't get the original software.

Then in another breath, it sounds like you have been able to get some new stuff for it.


Is it a case of not being able to get software for the old units to match up to new computors and software?
But if you had a dedicated 'putor for the arm running XP, would you still be able to make that go with support from Faro?


-------------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox
 
Ox,
I apologize for the confusion. When I started this journey, 3 years ago, Faro still supported the older serial (RS232) Faro Arms (aka Gold, Silver, Bronze). Back then, Faro provided me with a copy of the free legacy software Caliper 3D (circa 1999). It took some tinkering but I was able to get it working in windows 764 by manually unpacking, copying the files, and registering the DLLs. Caliper 3D is cumbersome and only captures points in 3D space which need to be imported into a CAD package to be useful beyond taking and recording simple measurements.

The legacy version 5 of Rhinoceros 3D by Robert McNeel, which you can get if you purchase the current version 7, works with the serial Faro Arm and allows you to create directly however, it is very different from the 5 CAD packages that I'm proficient with resulting in a steep and frustrating learning curve.

I'm looking for the serial Faro Arm software development kit in hopes that I can create a plugin for one of the other CAD packages that I'm proficient with. Since Faro no longer supports the serial Faro Arm they have refused my requests for the SDK.
 
Glad I found your post, I also have an older serial Faro Arm (bronze) and recently got mine to work in windows 7 using the serial connection. I spent quite a bit of time troubleshooting connection issues since the gentleman I bought it from didn't have the RJ-11 to db-9 cable anymore so I had to figure out the pinout myself and make a new cable. I've also struggled to get any help from Faro since its a legacy product. I do have the original manual which has a section outlining the different serial commands and the expected reply syntax from the arm. What are you looking to do with the development kit? Do you have any other software that you are using with the arm? I'm currently playing around with Rhino 5 which allows me to make 3D point clouds directly in the software.

I recently acquired a faro bronze without the adapter also. Could you post the pinout for the adapter you made.
 
Hello,
This is a God send find. I have a Faro bronze from 1996 running caliper 3d in a win98 dying pc. I wish to get it on a Win7 box before it dies. Can you instruct me as to how to get it working on Win7-64?

I have the rj11-9Pin adapter.

Hopefully,
Jeff
 
Hi Daleroe,
I'd love to get Caliper 3D working on a Win7 box. My Win98 PC is near death and I'm running out of time.

Could you help me getting my arm into the 21st century?

Sincerely,

Jeff
 
Hi Daleroe,
I'd love to get Caliper 3D working on a Win7 box. My Win98 PC is near death and I'm running out of time.

Could you help me getting my arm into the 21st century?

Sincerely,

Jeff

Hi, Jeff
My Caliper 3D (v.2.30 Win32) works fine on W7x64.
Just copy the Caliper 3D folder from W98 to W7. And copy to this folder Farocomm.dll from c:\windows\system32\

OLEG
 
Hello Jeff,
Sorry for the late response, I don't get on here as much any more. I hope you got your FaroArm up and running on Win764 but in case you didn't I've attached my installation notes. Basically my experience is along the lines of Oleg's suggestion although I had difficulty registering the DLL file. My notes aren't complete although the missing step(s) were probably a reboot or something since I didn't think it worth while to edit my notes. Best of luck and if you do follow my notes let me know what I've left out.
Thanks
Dale

The pdf was too big to attach. I uploaded it and all the associated files to the web, you can get them here: FaroArm
 
Hello Jeff,
Sorry for the late response, I don't get on here as much any more. I hope you got your FaroArm up and running on Win764 but in case you didn't I've attached my installation notes. Basically my experience is along the lines of Oleg's suggestion although I had difficulty registering the DLL file. My notes aren't complete although the missing step(s) were probably a reboot or something since I didn't think it worth while to edit my notes. Best of luck and if you do follow my notes let me know what I've left out.
Thanks
Dale

The pdf was too big to attach. I uploaded it and all the associated files to the web, you can get them here: FaroArm

Hello, Dale.
It is not necessary to copy Farocomm.dll in %WINDIR%\syswow64. It is enough to put Farocomm.dll next to Cal32asc.exe
OLEG
 
FaroArm:

Would you please advise us of who you are exactly?

With that name I would like to think that you are representing Faro Products, but I don't get the feeling that is the case here?

Are you just a user that has an Arm?
Are you really from Russia?


---------------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox
 
FaroArm:

Would you please advise us of who you are exactly?

With that name I would like to think that you are representing Faro Products, but I don't get the feeling that is the case here?

Are you just a user that has an Arm?
Are you really from Russia?


---------------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox


I don't represent FARO.
I'm from Russia.

I'm just a user who has a FARO Arm. )
 
Has anyone got a manual, cheat sheets or .chm help files for caliper 3d v2.43ish ... When I export and open in fusion 360 the scaling is off between caliper and fusion. It seems the scale data in the .IGS file is missing or set incorrectly in caliper.
Anything would be appreciated
 
Has anyone got a manual, cheat sheets or .chm help files for caliper 3d v2.43ish ... When I export and open in fusion 360 the scaling is off between caliper and fusion. It seems the scale data in the .IGS file is missing or set incorrectly in caliper.
Anything would be appreciated

found the help file in the caliper 3d folder in the above link.
CalHelp.pdf
 
I'm looking for the serial Faro Arm software development kit in hopes that I can create a plugin for one of the other CAD packages that I'm proficient with. Since Faro no longer supports the serial Faro Arm they have refused my requests for the SDK.


A small example on VBA for Excel.
mscomm32.ocx is used.
Maybe it will be useful to you.


Option Explicit

Dim CommPort As New MSComm, bStop As Boolean

Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()
bStop = False
Call StartGetting
End Sub

' Метод открывает RS-232 порт (если он еще не открыт)
' PortNumber - Номер COM порта (COM1 = 1, COM2 = 2, ... )
Sub CommOpen(PortNumber As Integer)
If Not CommPort.PortOpen = True Then
CommPort.CommPort = PortNumber
CommPort.Settings = "38400,N,8,1"
CommPort.Handshaking = comNone
CommPort.InBufferSize = 1024
CommPort.OutBufferSize = 0
CommPort.PortOpen = True
CommPort.RThreshold = 0


End If
End Sub

' Метод закрывает RS-232 порт (если он был открыт)
Sub CommClose()
If CommPort.PortOpen = True Then
CommPort.PortOpen = False
End If
End Sub

Sub StartGetting()
Dim InpStr$, SerialNumber 'As String
Dim dummy%, BufCount%, i%, iRow%, iPos%, iVal% 'As Integer
Dim Bytes() As Byte
'=========================
'Формируем команду $KE,WR
On Error Resume Next
Dim B() As Byte
'CMD = "5f 49" 'информация о порте
'Const CMD = "5f 47" 'информация об устройстве
'CMD = 5f 44 31 5f 47 '
'CMD = "5f 46" 'координаты
Dim CMD
Dim aCMD$()
Dim data As String

' Отсылка команды устройству
'Чтние строки с ожиданием символа 0x0D в конце
CommOpen (Range("ComPortNum"))

'Запрашиваем информацию
CMD = "5f 47" 'информация об устройстве
Str2Bin (CMD) 'Отсылка запроса устройству
'CommPort.Output = B

Application.Wait (Now + TimeValue("0:00:1"))
CommPort.InputLen = 1 ' читаем последовательно по байту
CommPort.InputMode = comInputModeText ' работаем со строкой
Do ' ищем начало пакета

dummy = DoEvents() ' не вешаем систему
InpStr = InpStr + CommPort.Input
iPos% = InStr(InpStr, "Industrial Metrecom Serial Comm Version: 7.61 serial NO:") ' индификатор девайса
Loop Until iPos% > 0 ' пока не прочтём Industrial Metrecom Serial Comm Version: 7.61 serial NO:

Application.Wait (Now + TimeValue("0:00:1")) 'ждём секунду, чтобы заполнить буфер
CommPort.InputLen = 258 ' к этому моменту у нас прочитана только сигнатура
InpStr = CommPort.Input ' дочитали остаток строки 258 байт
CommPort.InputLen = 262 ' дальше читаем полными пакетами

SerialNumber = Split(InpStr, " ") 'Ищим серийный номер КИМ
'MsgBox SerialNumber(1) 'Выводим серийный номер КИМ
Range("A3") = SerialNumber(1)
'CommPort.InputMode = comInputModeBinary
CommPort.InputLen = 256 ' читаем последовательно по байту
CommPort.InputMode = comInputModeText ' работаем со строкой

'CMD = "5f 46" 'координаты
'Str2Bin (CMD)

Do
dummy = DoEvents() ' не вешаем систему
Application.Wait (Now + TimeValue("0:00:01") / 1000 * 650)
BufCount = CommPort.InBufferCount
CMD = "5f 46" 'координаты
Str2Bin (CMD)


If BufCount >= 96 Then
If CommPort.SThreshold = False Then Range("G3").Value = "FALSE"
If CommPort.SThreshold = True Then Range("G3").Value = "TRUE"

'Bytes = CommPort.Input
'If Bytes(0) = 84 And Bytes(1) = 65 And Bytes(2) = 79 And Bytes(3) = 83 Then ' проверяем сигнатуру на всякий случай ещё раз
'Range("Diapazon").Value = Bytes(4) ' выводим диапазон
'For i = LBound(Bytes) + 5 To UBound(Bytes) - 1 Step 2
'iRow = (i - 5) / 2
'iVal = Bytes(i) * 256 + Bytes(i + 1) ' собираем из исходных 256 байт - 128
'Range("OutPlace").Offset(iRow, 0) = iVal ' в принципе можно сначала сформировать массив и вывести его сразу весь, проверяя CRC
'Next i
'End If

InpStr = CommPort.Input
SerialNumber = Split(InpStr, " ")
Range("I3").Value = SerialNumber(1) ' выводим диапазон
Range("I4").Value = SerialNumber(2) ' выводим диапазон
Range("I5").Value = SerialNumber(3) ' выводим диапазон
'MsgBox SerialNumber(1)
End If

Loop Until (bStop = True)
Call CommClose
End Sub

Private Sub CommandButton2_Click()
bStop = True
End Sub

Function Str2Bin(CMD As String) As String
Dim aCMD$()
'Dim CMD
Dim i
aCMD = Split(CMD)
ReDim B(0 To UBound(aCMD)) As Byte
For i = 0 To UBound(B)
B(i) = "&h" & aCMD(i)
Next
CommPort.Output = B
End Function
 
Faro stopped supporting the serial Faro Arms. When I request information I'm told that it's old, we don't support it and we don't know where or if we have the software development kit. I'm hoping to find someone with a copy of the Faro Arm Software Development Kit from April 2001 or there about. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

BTW If you have one of these older Faro Arms and need some help getting it connected, I did get the free Caliper 3D software from Faro and can instruct you how to get in working in Win 7-64
Faro stopped supporting the serial Faro Arms. When I request information I'm told that it's old, we don't support it and we don't know where or if we have the software development kit. I'm hoping to find someone with a copy of the Faro Arm Software Development Kit from April 2001 or there about. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

BTW If you have one of these older Faro Arms and need some help getting it connected, I did get the free Caliper 3D software from Faro and can instruct you how to get in working in Win 7-64


Yes 2023 available - faro arm serial add in for windows 11

Supports faro bronze gold silver platinum quantum faro edge and romer arm infinite 1 and 2 winrds versions and romer absolute

Works with

Solidworks. Fusion 360 Spaceclaim inventor. Keycreator solidedge

Please call me 858 488 5231 or email at [email protected]

We Faro arm solidworks software avaiable for your budget
 








 
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