Recovering information from CNC7

[NeilS]

Can anyone help with where to find the information on machine set up (turns per rev and spindle speeds) from an old CNC7 install?

I think I have everything about right on the replacement Allin1DC / CNC12 install but worth checking now I managed to recover the disk.

The total install is too big to attach but if anyone can suggest which files / directories I can upload them.

Thanks

[cncsnw]

It depends on the CNC7 version; whether you can start up and run the DOS computer; and whether you can run CNC7.

If you can start it up and run CNC7, then you can probably make a Report onto a floppy disk. In later CNC7 version (8.xx), the Report will include a file named CNC7CFG.TXT which has all the information you need.

If you can start it up, but cannot run CNC7 (perhaps because the CPU7 board is missing) then you can go to the C:\CNC7 directory and display the content of the configuration file, parameters file and work coordinates file using the CNC7CONV utility. For example:

Code: Select all

C:\CNC7> CNC7CONV -DC

C:\CNC7> CNC7CONV -DP

C:\CNC7> CNC7CONV -DW

If you do not have a Report, and you do not have a running DOS system, but you do have a copy of the C:\CNC7 directory, then you can use DOSBox to run the CNC7CONV utility from Windows.

The most relevant files will be CNC7.CFG, CNC7.PRM and CNC7.WCS, but it is sometimes useful to check CNC7.HOM, CNC7.PLC, etc.. The tool and offset libraries, CNC7.TL and CNC7.OL, can be renamed and imported directly into CNC12, if that is what you are trying to accomplish.

[NeilS]

Many thanks,

I managed to get the information using DOS box as the CPU has suffered a total disk controller failure.

it confirms most of what I had worked out. How transferable are the PID settings?

[cncsnw]

How transferable are the PID settings?

Only somewhat, and then only if you read them right. The values displayed by CNC7CONV include a scaling factor of 256, so what you had was Kp = 1, Ki = 0.004, Kd = 20.

With the Allin1DC you might start with Kp = 1, Ki = 0.004, Kd = 3

If you get an unacceptable level of flicker and jitter while holding position, then you might reduce those to Kp = 0.6, Ki = 0.002, Kd = 1.6.