Suggestions for 2-D post-processor to generate G-Code for turret punch
January 7, 2016 8:07 AM Subscribe
Any links to download free DOS software for a post-processor to generate G-Code for our old cnc turret punch?
We have an old wiedeman turret punch that we retrofitted in the mid '90s. (It originally read paper tape!) Anyway, the old 486 computer we were using finally died (hard drive crashed) & we finally found another newer computer that had the needed ISA bus to connect the retrofitted hardware. (We got this from Ah-Ha! Design Group, which apparently is no longer in business.) Anyway, we had a new hard drive installed. It has Win98 OS installed (but really all we need is something to work in DOS). We reinstalled the Ah-Ha! software, which uses MS- DOS. Trying to get a word processor set up next (like VEDIT for DOS- downloaded it, but not getting it to work yet. Should get that worked out sometime today).
What we need now is to find post processing software to help with 2-D programming. (To make the correct NC Code for our Turret-Punch- go from autocad/ dwg to G code.) I know this is old/ obsolete equipment/ software, but it works for us. (Or at least it did.) We are a small Mom & Pop shop, so hoping for free or very inexpensive software. I would think there is some legacy software out there still- somewhere- for free & preferably in DOS.
Here's an example of a post processor that would work for us: http://80603.272.fileflash.com/info/
It's not super expensive, but still, it's almost $600. And we really can use an older, obsolete DOS based program if we can find it.
We have an old wiedeman turret punch that we retrofitted in the mid '90s. (It originally read paper tape!) Anyway, the old 486 computer we were using finally died (hard drive crashed) & we finally found another newer computer that had the needed ISA bus to connect the retrofitted hardware. (We got this from Ah-Ha! Design Group, which apparently is no longer in business.) Anyway, we had a new hard drive installed. It has Win98 OS installed (but really all we need is something to work in DOS). We reinstalled the Ah-Ha! software, which uses MS- DOS. Trying to get a word processor set up next (like VEDIT for DOS- downloaded it, but not getting it to work yet. Should get that worked out sometime today).
What we need now is to find post processing software to help with 2-D programming. (To make the correct NC Code for our Turret-Punch- go from autocad/ dwg to G code.) I know this is old/ obsolete equipment/ software, but it works for us. (Or at least it did.) We are a small Mom & Pop shop, so hoping for free or very inexpensive software. I would think there is some legacy software out there still- somewhere- for free & preferably in DOS.
Here's an example of a post processor that would work for us: http://80603.272.fileflash.com/info/
It's not super expensive, but still, it's almost $600. And we really can use an older, obsolete DOS based program if we can find it.
There are numerous free drawing to gcode packages (one picked at random: dxf2gcode) but getting one that runs under DOS or Windows ≤ 98 will be a problem. Also, there's a good chance that the package will be specialized to hobby machines such as routers and laser cutters, and may not do precisely what you want.
posted by scruss at 3:12 PM on January 7, 2016
posted by scruss at 3:12 PM on January 7, 2016
I'm a bit in the dark about why you can't just use the same software you were using on the 486 that died.
we finally found another newer computer that had the needed ISA bus to connect the retrofitted hardware
That was well done, but given what I know about the quality of old CNC hardware vs. the quality of consumer-grade PC hardware, this one is also probably going to die on you before your turret punch does.
I dealt with a similar issue for a local shop whose old ISA-bus computer died by working out that the irreplaceable ISA card that connected to their CNC routing table was actually just a 20mA current-loop interface based on the same UART chips that the IBM PC uses to implement its COM ports, and that Windows in fact saw this card as COM3:.
I replaced that with a USB-to-COM-port converter feeding an RS232-to-current-loop converter to future-proof the hardware side of the connection.
Their existing workflow relied on software that wouldn't work on any version of Windows newer than Windows 98, so I made them a VirtualBox Windows 98 machine to future-proof the software side.
The host machine runs a driver that makes the USB-to-COM-port converter look like a standard COM port to Windows applications, and VirtualBox presents that as emulated COM port hardware to the guest OS, so the old software that was expecting to talk directly to COM3 on the ISA card works just fine.
Do you think a similar approach might work for you? I'd be happy to talk you through the implementation details if so.
posted by flabdablet at 7:26 PM on January 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
we finally found another newer computer that had the needed ISA bus to connect the retrofitted hardware
That was well done, but given what I know about the quality of old CNC hardware vs. the quality of consumer-grade PC hardware, this one is also probably going to die on you before your turret punch does.
I dealt with a similar issue for a local shop whose old ISA-bus computer died by working out that the irreplaceable ISA card that connected to their CNC routing table was actually just a 20mA current-loop interface based on the same UART chips that the IBM PC uses to implement its COM ports, and that Windows in fact saw this card as COM3:.
I replaced that with a USB-to-COM-port converter feeding an RS232-to-current-loop converter to future-proof the hardware side of the connection.
Their existing workflow relied on software that wouldn't work on any version of Windows newer than Windows 98, so I made them a VirtualBox Windows 98 machine to future-proof the software side.
The host machine runs a driver that makes the USB-to-COM-port converter look like a standard COM port to Windows applications, and VirtualBox presents that as emulated COM port hardware to the guest OS, so the old software that was expecting to talk directly to COM3 on the ISA card works just fine.
Do you think a similar approach might work for you? I'd be happy to talk you through the implementation details if so.
posted by flabdablet at 7:26 PM on January 7, 2016 [2 favorites]
Another approach that might be worth your while investigating is to ditch DOS and go with Linux instead. The LinuxCNC forums are active and helpful.
posted by flabdablet at 7:32 PM on January 7, 2016
posted by flabdablet at 7:32 PM on January 7, 2016
Response by poster: The hard drive that died had the post processor file on it, so that's why we need a new one. It was called Amada.bas (I think). It actually translates the AMADA G Code in to X Y coordinates & it also allows us to nest different parts in the sheet for a punch.
posted by Mimidae at 11:21 AM on January 8, 2016
posted by Mimidae at 11:21 AM on January 8, 2016
Is that hard drive really dead, or just mostly dead?
posted by flabdablet at 9:25 PM on January 12, 2016
posted by flabdablet at 9:25 PM on January 12, 2016
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posted by k5.user at 8:50 AM on January 7, 2016 [1 favorite]